MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933
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March
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The Dangers of Traveling Abroad
UT’s Study Abroad Program Helps Students Prepare By KAI MILLER AND JESSE LONG A&E Writer and News Writer
Photo courtesy of Candice Diah
Candice Diah sits in front of Chateau de Chambord on her study abroad trip to France.
In Other News...
3 Sykes and Morsani Educate Students on Being Successful Entrepreneurs
7 Greek Week
Raises $4,000 for Relay for Life
9 Thr33 Web Series
Exposes Sexual Openness In Society
11 Empathy Over
Sympathy: Lending Venezuela a Helping Hand.
14 Blood Test May
Determine Higher Probability of Death
16 Win Over Rival St. Leo Gives Softball Team Momementum
News................................. 2 Diversions........................ 6 A+E................................... 7 Opinion........................... 11
Sports............................. 16
On average, more than 100 students study abroad every year at the University of Tampa, according to the Office of International Programs. However, in recent years, the idea of studying abroad has been tainted by issues such as the Amanda Knox trial and the recent death of John Durkin, a study abroad student from Bates College. Subsequently, it is important that students know the necessary precautions to ensure their safety while they are traveling abroad.John Durkin was an American student studying abroad in Italy and was reported missing on Feb. 20. That following Saturday, the search would come to an end. Durkin’s body was found in a railroad tunnel. Police stated that his death came when he was struck by a train. The infamous Knox case dates back to 2009, when she made headlines for being convicted of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercer in Perugia, Italy. Knox, along with her then boyfriend Raffale Sollecito, was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Following an appeal to their conviction, the pair were acquitted in 2011 after spending nearly four years in Italian prison. However, on Jan. 30, Knox was found guilty once again by an Italian
court and given an even stiffer sentence: 28 years and six months in prison. Within the Italian criminal justice system there lies no concept of double jeopardy, as practiced within the U.S., therefore there are huge discrepancies when it comes to interpreting international law. Knox’s legal issues are a prime example of why students should familiarize themselves with international law. “[Students] are sometimes unaware of the laws in their own country,” said Cedric Michel, a UT criminology professor. “It’s even more of the case when they travel abroad.” Michel suggested that it is imperative for students to “become familiar with the laws, legal system, and vigor in the country that they choose to study in.” Many students often complete an analysis of their chosen destination a semester prior to their trip, Michel added. Furthermore, Michel stressed the importance of being well versed in knowing your rights and the relationship the U.S. shares with foreign countries. “If you get in trouble, know your rights, [especially] your legal defenses. For instance, ignorance to the law can be used as a potential legal defense,” Michel said. The UT community See TRAVEL Page 4
Outpost vs. UT: Liquor License Approval a Topic of Debate
By KATHERINE LAVACCA AND LAUREN RICHEY
News Editor and Asst. News Editor
The Outpost owners Mike Diogostine and Russell Bruno are in the process of acquiring a full liquor license, with the University of Tampa administration in full opposition. The Outpost is a popular sports bar and restaurant that opened in 2013, located on the corner of West Kennedy and North Boulevard, where many UT students and faculty go to hang out. Diogostine, 32, and Bruno, 35, are both UT alumni who graduated with business degrees. Diogostine was the previous owner of Frankie’s, a hotdog and burger restaurant that was in the spot The Outpost is currently located. He was featured for his business success in the UT Journal when he first opened Frankie’s in 2008. “When we opened The Outpost, our goal was to create a neighborhood atmosphere where faculty and students could come and have a good time,” Diogostien said. UT objects to The Outpost receiving a full liquor license and has asked the Tampa City Council to deny its liquor license application. The restaurant already has a license to serve beer and wine but not to serve hard liquor like vodka or gin. A City Council hearing took place on Feb. 20 where UT administration and other people in the local community came to either voice their concerns or provide support about The Outpost’s request. UT Dean of Students Stephanie Russell-Krebs
provided a statement on behalf of UT Outpost is a safe place where people of administration, indicating their motives all ages can come to enjoy themselves behind this opposition: and that this liquor license will not “The University does not benefit from change this objective. bars with full liquor licenses that are both “We want to be a place where sports located close to the UT campus and target fanatics can come to hang out,” Diogostine UT students as a large part of their market. said, “a family-friendly place, where we Some of these bars encourage excessive know our customers by name.” drinking, which diminishes the educational Another Tampa City Council meeting learning environment, is detrimental to the will take place today at 9 a.m to further health of our students and detracts from our discuss whether or not the license will focus on student learning.” be approved. It is open for the public The statement further discussed to attend. The Minaret will continue to different zoning violations that would follow this story and provide updates on occur if the license were to be approved, further developments. like insufficient parking and apparent Lauren Richey can be reached at lauren. building code violations. richey@theminaretonline.com UT professors and staff attend Katherine Lavacca can be reached at trivia events that the Outpost hosts katherine.lavacca@theminaretonline.com every Wednesday. Other UT students frequently go as well. Diogostine argues that The Outpost needs the license in order to keep up with the changing restaurant and bar scene in the surrounding area. Ducky’s, another restaurant and bar recently opened on Kennedy, includes a bowling alley for more customer appeal. An additional bar on Kennedy, Fire, has a full liquor license to attract customers as well. “Things have been changing around us, especially on West Kennedy. Because we don’t have this license yet, we are at an obvious competitive disadvantage,” Diogostine said. Photo courtesy of The Outpost Instead, Diogostine states that The A busy night at The Outpost on Halloween.
M
MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
MINARET
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NEWS + FEATURES
Modified Cars Bring a New Scene to UT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Keesee
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MANAGING EDITOR Mia Glatter
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Photo courtesy of Michael Raffia
UT DRIVE members proudly park their modified cars in front of Sykes in honor of Paul Badro. The members wanted to honor their friend in an endearing way.
Natalie Hicks
By KATHERINE LAVACCA
NEWS + FEATURES
You’re stuck in the usual 9:30 a.m. traffic on North Boulevard waiting to get into Thomas Parking Garage and hoping you’ll have enough time to get to class. As you inch up the road over the train tracks you hear a muffled bass line coming down the road toward you. A low-riding, blacked-out Nissan cruises down the boulevard. The driver warily guides his investment over the tracks and you hear a sharp scraping noise. He wasn’t successful in surpassing the speed bump. After you park in the garage and you rush toward the stairs noticing plenty of cars that are lowered, have body kits or have extremely large, shiny rims, you wonder why anyone would invest so much in a car. Recently, there has been a growing population of modified, “souped-up” cars at the University of Tampa. Michael Raffia, a senior international business major and president of DRIVE UT, owns a modified Volkswagen TDI and says club membership has definitely been on the rise. “The community is growing, and as this year has gone by we’ve gone up a little bit. The first years of DRIVE we had a big group with highly modified cars. It’s slowly coming back,” Raffia said. Bruce Mizener, a senior sociology major and a member of DRIVE UT, is in the process of modifying two BMWs. He feels most people fix up cars to grab the attention of people they drive by. “[I] just like making the car stand out in a crowd. I think all car guys want other car guys to notice the work that’s been done to get a car looking and driving the way it does,” Mizener said. A current trend in the car community is extremely lowered vehicles. Raffia explained the appeal of a lowered car from a driver’s perspective. “I guess to start, a lowered car just looks better than a straight off the car lot car. Often there are driving benefits to lowered cars too, if they’re done correctly,” Raffia said. “Low cars lower the center of gravity, and usually in the process owners put in new suspension or stiffen the current setup to give the car a more controlled feel in corners and under braking.”
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overall I like the set up I have right now.” Some drivers have gone so far as to “camber out” the wheels, which is a fancy way of describing how far the wheels stick out to lower their cars even further. William Reilly, 25, is a UT graduate and manager of social media for Reeves Motorsports. He explained how these modifications work. “Camber is used on the track quite a bit to improve performance,” Reilly said. “For example, the body of the car will want to lean to the right if you’re making a hard left turn. Camber is installed so that [the tires] can have more contact to the ground on the track. It improves handling on the track. However, car enthusiasts have found a way to take this performance upgrade and turn it into a new look. “It’s turned into putting on extremely wide wheels and tires and lowering the car as much as possible,” Reilly said. “What they’re doing is beyond what [camber] is intended for. It’s completely pointless from a performance aspect. It’s completely for looks.” Frankie Ortega, 32, is the head mechanic at Pete’s Automotive in Tampa and has seen a lot pass through the shop in his 15 years.
Chris Layman’s 1987 Camaro He knows drivers are doing what they can to achieve a better looking car, but he warns cambering out can put a lot of stress on it as well. “It may look nice to the person, but it’s actually really bad for the suspension and really bad for the tires,” Ortega said. “A lot of guys will do what is called ‘flipping the tires.’ After about five or six thousand miles they’ll flip the tires so that the side with the tread will go on the inside and they’ll be able to get another five or six thousand miles out of it. You’ll have to enjoy buying tires if you do that.” When it comes to how these lower looks are achieved, there’s a lot of technical wordage thrown around. According to Chris Layman, 23, who has been working on cars since he was 15 and is currently modifying a 1987 Camaro, there are three methods
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Bruce Mizener’s Nissan 280z Photo courtesy of Bruce Mizener
Brianna Brooks, a freshman nursing major and member of DRIVE UT, loves the lowered look of her 2006 Nissan 350z but confessed it does come with a price. “Driving with a lowered car, you have to be very cautious of speed bumps and pot holes or anything you can scrape on,” Brooks said. “Like, because mine is lowered I scrape [the ground] every time going in and out of the West Parking Garage, and it’s definitely messed up my bumper. But
and bad aspects to this method. It does give a smoother ride and you can adjust how much air you want in the suspension bags to determine how high or low you want the car, but if the bags pop there is no way to raise your car, and you will be stuck practically riding on the ground. Ortega recommends any of these three methods and advises against cutting corners like some mechanics do. “There’s a lot of what we like to call ‘butcher ways’ where we get these guys that cut the coil springs. It’s horrible because you can get the lowered look, but you get a really horrible ride,” Ortega said. “Another way these, what I like to call ‘hacks,’ do is they heat the coil springs. It’ll melt a little bit and brings [the car] down; it takes away the spring action.” Essentially, both of these methods do serious damage to the suspension and the only way to undo them is buy brand new coil springs. Another trend that has been on the rise in the car community doesn’t concern the stance
that are easy to understand. The first is by changing out the springs in the car. This gives you a slight change in height, nothing extreme. The next method uses coil overs, which have been used since the ‘90s and is one of the more popular ways to lower a car. “It has the same design as suspension, but it’s adjustable so you can spin it to adjust the height to where you want it,” Layman said. The third method actually comes standard on some high end cars like Cadillac and Range Rover, which is air suspension. There are good
Photo courtesy of Katherine Lavacca
of the car but focuses on the curb appeal. Many drivers are applying a satin finish or plasti-dip to their cars, which gives it a dull, matte finish. Lucas Tapply, a freshman finance major and a member of DRIVE UT, drives a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT named Mila and feels plasti-dip is a good investment. “What draws people to plasti-dip is its durability and that it is removable. It is a cheap way to spice up the look of your car but it isn’t permanent in case you have a change of heart,” Tapply said. Reilly explained an advantage to doing this, especially for newer cars, is it acts as protection for the paint underneath. “What’s interesting is some of the factories, like BMW and Maserati, will sell cars with a flat paint job. So now it’s been recognized as something popular by the major car companies,” Reilly said. If anyone is interested in getting into the car modifying business Rielly recommends starting with an import rather than buying a domestic car. “Back in the day the muscle cars were the vehicles to modify. Parts are much cheaper for a domestic vehicle so it would seem like they would be more popular [today],” Reilly said. “However, you’ll notice most of the cars that are being modified are very base modeled import vehicles. They’re cheaper to buy to [start off] with and then [the drivers] will want to improve what didn’t come on the car. People who are younger are paying cheaper insurance for a Civic verse a Camaro so they’re able to afford the parts they want to upgrade to.” Katherine Lavacca can be reached at katherine.lavacca@theminaretonline.com
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
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Sykes and Morsani Educate Students on Being Successful Entrepreneurs By ZOE FOWLER News Writer
Prominent Tampa business owners Frank Morsani and John Sykes spoke about becoming successful business leaders in this ever-changing technological world at the Sykes Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series. The presentation, Formula for Success: Past, Present and Future, took place in Falk Theatre on Feb. 27. Geoffrey Simon, the senior vice president of investments for Simon & Associates Wealth Management of Raymond James, was the moderator for the event. Sykes founded his first company, Sykes Enterprises, at the age of 41 in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C. He expanded the company from six employees to 100 during the first year. He is now the chairman emeritus of Sykes Enterprises. Morsani is the founder of Precision
Enterprises and is the chairman of Automotive Investments, Inc. He and his wife Carol are well-known philanthropists. The University of South Florida’s College of Medicine and the Morsani Residence Hall on campus were named after them. Simon addressed the hardships that Morsani and Sykes had to go through as a result of growing up during the Great Depression and World War II. He asked them if their circumstances aided in the development of their careers. Sykes said that the standard of living during that time was different. They didn’t have the luxury of credit cards or being able to drive to school. “You always need to remember where you came from and the basics,” Sykes said. For Morsani, his military experience gave him the structure and discipline he needed to build a business. He said that joining the military
Samantha Battersby/ The Minaret
Frank and Carol Morsani Hall was named after the businessman and his wife, the former of which spoke on Feb. 27.
isn’t the only way to learn those skills. Recent college graduates interested in business can become disciplined in other ways too. “I say go to work for a large company because if you can’t get into the military, [and] you go to work for a large company, you learn discipline,” Morsani said. Perseverance is a quality that both businessmen have attributed to their success. Morsani said that long hours are required to be in the automobile business, and Sykes’ resilience was due in large part to his need to provide for his family. “Once you start something, you gotta finish it. Like Frank said, problems don’t solve themselves. You solve problems,” Sykes said. “You have to have good intuition in business and know when you’re making the right decisions, and you’re comfortable making those decisions,” Morsani added. Photo courtesy of Travis Misarti Since intuition was brought up in the One of UT’s biggest contributors is John Sykes. discussion, Simon asked, “Where does intuition come from?” I’ll be able to pull from ... to advance myself “You have an intuition about people and in the future are just the simple points that they how you select the right people. A lot of the pointed out,” Lay said. “You gotta really work times you look at resumes and so forth, but hard and pay attention and don’t run from you’ve got to have a good feeling about that your problems.” person,” Sykes said. Close to the end of the presentation, When Sykes spoke about education and the students and other people who attended status quo of going to college right after high were able to ask questions. Joanne Sullivan, school, it resonated with Christopher Walker, a associate vice president for development, freshman entrepreneurship major. asked about Morsani and Sykes’ inspiration “That really hit home with me because when behind being philanthropists. I was looking for college after high school, I “We’re placed on this earth to help others, didn’t necessarily want to continue on with and I think that from my spiritual beliefs and university,” Walker said. “I was looking at trade acceptance as a Christian is that God placed me schools. I was looking at things like that because here to help others, and whatever it is that he I like working with my hands, doing practical gives me, I need to give back,” Sykes said. He things. I really appreciated him saying that.” also added that you have to be selective when Kelsey Lay, a senior marketing major, plans choosing a cause because it isn’t possible to do to take Morsani and Sykes’ advice and apply it everything. to her future career. Zoe Fowler can be reached at zoe.fowler@ “The concepts from the presentation that theminaretonline.com
From the Feb. 24 to March 3 Reports
Driving 101 Should Be Offered Here On Feb. 27, a student accidentally backed her vehicle into an unattended illegally parked vehicle.
Time for Bonding On Feb. 25, four students were trapped after a Brevard elevator became disabled.
Is It REALLY THAT Important On Feb. 26, a student filed a delayed report concerning missing items of clothing.
Reports compiled by Katherine Lavacca
Someone was Late for a Meeting On Feb. 26, a faculty member was involved in a motor vehicle crash.
Modern Art On Feb. 24, an unknown person vandalized the interior of an elevator.
What Time is It? Time to Second Guess Yourself, Buddy On Feb. 27, a student reported that a male subject had sold some fake watches to him from a vehicle on campus.
Zeta Beta Tau’s theme week began on March 3. All profits will go towards the Children’s Miracle Network. Greek organizations participated in International Badge Attire day on March 3.
Leadership Awards applications are due Friday, March 7 by 5 p.m. Leadership Awards Night is April 15 at 6:45 p.m.
ELITE Mentor packets are due Friday, March 7 at 5 p.m. on OrgSync.
Sigma Delta Tau held a fundraiser for PCAA at Pizza Fusion on March 4. Alpha Chi Omega will be hosting “Kristin’s Story” on Mar. 27 at 8 p.m. in Martinez.
Student Government Election applications are due Moday, March 17 at 5 p.m. on OrgSync.
4 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
NEWS + FEATURES
Students prepare to study abroad From TRAVEL Page 1
is also very resourceful in preparing students for study abroad programs. Clara Ohannes, an education abroad adviser, has overseen the travels of several hundred students since her start at UT in June 2013. “All of our students studying abroad have to participate in a pre-departure session,” Ohannes said. “In spring, we do sessions not only for our semester students but also separate sessions for our travel course students because its a little different if you’re going to be traveling to a country for an extended period of time versus traveling for a shorter period of time.” The pre-departure session entails an extensive overview of safety and health information. This year the study abroad program collaborated with Mike Politz, a former employee of the Department of State. “This year we’ve had the good fortune of working with [Mike Politz] who worked for the Department of State for a really long time. So, he’s been able to share his expertise and safety tips with students, which has been really great,” Ohannes said. UT’s travel abroad program also requires students to purchase an international insurance policy. “[UT travel insurance] covers everything from like a minor illness where they might need to get antibiotics or something to if there were serious injury. And, it even covers things like political or natural disaster evacuation if that was necessary. If the area they were in became unsafe for whatever reason,” Ohannes said. The cost of insurance depends on the length of one’s trip. For a semester travel abroad program, the cost is $350; for the summer, it’s $290. An academic year varies based upon the chosen destination. Additionally, UT’s study abroad program ensures the safety of students on a daily basis. “We monitor security and safety warnings around the world daily. So, we get daily updates on things like that and reach out to students practically as we need to,” Ohannes said. Yet, in most instances, experience is the best teacher,
By IRENE SIDEDE News Writer
Museveni Anti-Gay Law
Beacon Radio/Flickr
Amanda Knox in tears during her trial in 2011.
as was the case for UT senior Candice Diah. Last spring, the international business student studied in Paris. “I had a really good experience,” Diah said. “I stayed with a host family, the school [I attended] was nice and I got really submersed into the culture.” Despite the language barrier, Diah felt prepared for her voyage abroad especially after she was provided with some safe travelling tips from UT’s education abroad department. According to Diah, UT was very helpful in providing basic guidelines for safe traveling like securing important documents. These documents included a copy of one’s passport, a valid ID and I-20. An I-20, also known as a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status, is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security document issued by colleges and universities that provides information for issuing a student visa. Despite the misfortunes of students studying abroad making headlines, Diah encourages others to take part in this rewarding experience. “Definitely, do it. It’s a good decision. [But] stay open-minded and observe before you act,” Diah said. Make sure you like pay attention to how people act, what people do, what’s normal and read up on the country before you go.” Jesse Long can be reached at jesse.long@ spartans.ut.edu. Kai Miller can be reached at kai.miller@ spartans.ut.edu
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a controversial anti-gay bill on Feb. 24 that toughens penalties against gay people and defines some homosexual acts as crimes punishable by life in prison. Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda, and Museveni had gone back and forth recently about whether he would sign the controversial bill in the face of vocal opposition from the West, according to CNN. With the U.S. giving the most foreign aid to Uganda, President Barack Obama described the proposal as an “affront and a danger to the gay community” in Uganda. Obama cautioned that passing the bill would affect relations between the two nations, according to Al Jazeera.
Pet Cemeter y
There is a pet cemetery within a human cemetery at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens in Palm Harbor. At Curlew Hills, there are columbariums where people can be cremated alongside their pets or gravesites with headstones where pets are cremated or buried in caskets, Fox News explained. Bridget and Jerry Combs of Tampa had a ceremony held for them at the Curlew Hills Memory Gardens after their beloved dog CC passed away. The Combs opted for a casket and in-ground burial for CC. Pet cemeteries are not regulated in Florida, therefore, the business can be developed by anyone who is interested. “We’ve had people come from as far away as Stuart, Fla., who found us via the Internet, to people that come from two blocks away,” Knopke said.
Man Found Alive in Mississippi in Body Bag
Walter Williams was pronounced dead on Feb. 26. His body was collected from his home for funeral preparations by the Howard and Byron Porter from Porter & Sons Funeral Home in Lexington, Miss. where Coroner Dexter Howard checked Williams’ pulse and declared him dead shortly after. “There was no pulse. He was lifeless,” Howard said. A family member called as well to pronounce Williams as dead. The coroner completed his paperwork, placed Williams in a body bag and transported him to the funeral home, Porter said. Then, something strange happened: The body bag moved, according to CNN. We got him into the embalming room and we noticed his legs beginning to move, like kicking,” Howard said. “He also began to do a little breathing.” The paramedics were immediately called, and Williams was hooked up to monitors. A heartbeat was detected and he was then transported to the Holmes County Hospital and Clinics. (Read More: http://www.cbsnews.com/ news/man-found-alive-kicking-in-body-bagat-mississippi-funeral-home/)
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
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Major Businesses Begin Looking Past the GPA By DANIELLE CARPENTER News Writer
“GPAs are worthless as a criteria for hiring,” said Laszlo Bock, Google’s Senior Vice President of People’s Operations in a recent New York Times interview. But it wasn’t only GPAs that Bock publicly maimed. He also claimed that test scores are useless. Bock stated that Google will no longer require a student’s GPA or test scores on job applications as long as the candidate has been out of school
scui3asteveo/Flickr
Students shouldn’t stress about their GPA.
for more than two years. Surprisingly, Google is not the only company trying to ditch GPAs. Shell, the gas station chain, and Youtern, a site that connects interns with employers, also do not ask candidates for their
GPAs, according to Cnet. Daniel Dooghan, an English and writing professor at UT, praised these companies’ shift away from the traditional GPA-focused interview system. “‘C’s still get degrees,” said Dooghan, who claimed that GPAs are a meaningless indicator of work ethic. “If an ‘A-’ means that you’re a bad student,” he continued, “then anything less would make you a failure. It doesn’t make sense.” Students have “the ability to perform” or can give “the illusion of performance” with their GPAs, according to Dooghan. This makes it impossible to gauge how much a student learned during their education and whether he or she will be competent completing tasks for employers after graduation. However, Dooghan believes the real indicator of worth lies in a student’s ability to see education as a means to learn something new as opposed to simply “jumping through hoops” to get a higher GPA. Even with all of this encouragement to disregard GPAs, many students still see worth in those three numbers. “I place a lot of emphasis on my GPA,” said David Niepel, a UT graduate student seeking his masters in finance, “because it provides me with feedback about the work I am putting in.” Niepel believes that a higher GPA makes it easier for students looking to attend graduate school, but it isn’t the defining factor for admittance. He notes that work experience, reference letters, application essays and test scores are some of the other important factors students should consider. When it comes to success after college, Niepel said GPA would only matter if “someone does not have work
Testspiel/Flickr
At Google headquarters in downtown New York City, interviewers are looking past the GPA.
or internship experience.” He said that employers do look at GPAs but rank skills and job-related experience as more important. Morgan Decker, a senior communication major at UT, agrees with Niepel’s standpoint. “A high GPA is never a bad thing,” Decker said. “But it isn’t essential to all employers when applying for jobs.” Decker noted that she has had six internships while being a student and considers a solid portfolio with relevant job experience as more important to employers than a GPA. However, Decker believes that GPAs should not be completely ignored. “If you are competing against someone else for a job who has just as much experience as you do, a higher GPA could give you a more competitive
edge,” Decker said. For Google though, the most important qualities in a candidate are learning abilities and creative problem solving skills. Through Google’s database, the company found no correlation between people who possessed these traits and a higher GPA, leading them to ignore the latter in interviews. In response to whether Google’s elimination of the GPA will change the traditional education and hiring system today, Dooghan hopes for the best. “I would have far more trust in Google’s measuring ability,” he said. “They are the masters of data analysis. The GPA is an easy but useless metric.” Danielle Carpenter can be reached at danielle.carpenter@spartans.ut.edu.
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Cooley Law School
Open House Tampa Bay | Thurs., April 3 | 6-7:30 p.m. Student and area alumni Q&A panel • Optional campus tour Information about academic programs, scholarships and financial aid Informal discussion with campus deans and professors Register to attend at cooley.edu or register at the door.
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6 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
Diversions
Sudoku
The Weekend Update Bay Area Renaissance Festival Weekends up to April 6 11315 North 46th Street 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. $15.95 at the gate for students
Florida Strawberry Festival
Everyday until March 9 303 North Lemon Street, Plant City 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. $5 - $10
Softball vs. Dominican, NY
March 6 Naimoli Family Softball Stadium 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Free with UT ID
Women’s Lacrosse vs. Mount Olive
March 6 Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Free with UT ID PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net
Picture
WEEK of the
Photo by Raeshaad Long/The Minaret UT students support the basketball team at senior night.
Men’s Lacrosse vs. Lake Erie
March 8 Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Free with UT ID
Tennis vs. Mercer
March 8 Naimoli and Young Family Tennis Complex 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free with UT ID
Softball vs. Rollins
March 8 Naimoli Family Softball Stadium 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Free with UT ID
Gasparilla Music Festival
March 8 and 9 Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens Park 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. $30 - $60
Arts + Entertainment
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
7
Greek Week Raises $4,000 for Relay for Life
By NATALIE HICKS Associate Editor
University of Tampa fraternities and sororities came together last week for Greek Week, and the events ended with the annual Greek Variety Show themed “Ain’t No Business Like Show Business” on Feb. 28 in Falk Theatre. The variety show joined Greek and non-Greek crowds in support of Relay for Life, who benefited from 100 percent of the proceeds. Every Greek organization was paired up in groups to choreograph 10-minute performances that encompassed singing, dancing, acting and comedic skits that portrayed different movie genres. Sigma Delta Tau (Panhellenic Confrence), Sigma Lambda Gamma (Multicultural Council) and Tau Kappa Epsilon (Interfraternity Council) partnered up as Team Western
and won first place at the Greek Variety Show for their choreography, originality and strong member participation. Team Western performed to a mash-up of Ke$ha’s “Timber,” “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” “These Boots Were Made For Walking,” “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy),” “Wild Wild West” by Will Smith and “Fake I.D.” from the movie Footloose, which all began with several of the girls singing an a cappella version of “Home On The Range.” “Team Western practiced so hard in the weeks leading up to the show,” said Jillian Mattie, the president of SDT. “It took a huge amount of effort from the sisters who sang and danced and also from the boys of TKE.” Mattie, a junior allied health major, said Team Western rehearsed five hours a week to prepare for the show, and they owed everything to their dance captains (and sisters) Ali
Vecchio and Stephanie Biernat. Delta Zeta (Panhellenic Confrence), Phi Beta Sigma (National Pan-Hellenic Council, fraternity), Alpha Tau Omega (Interfraternity Council) and Kappa Kappa Psi (National Interfraternity Music Council) teamed up to perform a Disney mash-up. Each part of this performance highlighted a different Disney movie while a sister danced as the lead princess. There was even a tribute to Walt Disney himself. Team Disney ended up winning Greek Week overall. At the end of the evening, Brent Grunig, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UT, announced the annual Greek God and Goddess, who were both on Team Disney: ATO’s Jarrett McIntyre and DZ’s Katie Reisman. Kristin Anderson, the president of the Order of Omega (an organization
consisting of the top Greek members), then announced the newly inducted members of the organization. “Winning Greek Week is just the beginning and being crowned Greek God is just another marketing opportunity for my boys,” McIntyre said. The competition got heated as the week came to a close. Many team participants got into “penny wars” throughout all the events in an attempt to raise the most money for Relay for Life. In the end, Greek Week ended up raising over $4,000 for Relay. “To me, the ‘success’ of Greek Week is seeing chapters and members who may not usually interact with one another get to know each other, build friendships and create relationships across councils that will last into the future,” Grunig said. Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com
The University Of Tampa Panhellenic/Facebook Panhellenic, Interfraternity Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council were divided into six teams and participated in Greek Week events, which raised over $4,000 that will go towards Relay for Life.
Do It Yourself: Chalkboard Coffee Mug
By KAELA BERNARDINO AND BRIANNA KWASNIK
Arts + Entertainment Writers
Step One
Start by washing your mug and letting it dry. If there’s any dirt on the cup, the paint will show it, and the paint won’t lay on the surface evenly.
Painting your boring mug with chalkboard paint puts a little bit of fun into your morning coffee chug, creating a convenient space for a little doodling before your early morning classes and midterms. If you already have a plain, old mug, then you’re pretty much halfway there, and you can always buy one from dollar stores for fairly cheap.
You will need:
Porcelain chalkboard paint (any color): $1.49 TIP: Read the bottle and make sure it contains baking instructions. If not, the paint might not be oven-safe.
Step Two
If you want to use different colors of chalk paint, tape off the parts of the mug that you don’t want painted yet. If you just want to keep it simple, then paint the whole mug.
Step Three
With a medium-sized paintbrush, paint the first coat of porcelain chalkboard paint onto the mug.
Chalk: $1.29
Step Four
Let this coat dry for about an hour. If you paint too many coats before the previous one dries, it can cause the paint to run or not dry correctly, which could create cracks later on. Just try and use enough paint to cover the surface beneath.
Step Five
Now that the first coat has dried, apply the second coat.
Step Six
For those who didn’t use any tape, go ahead and skip to step seven. For those who did use tape back in step two, you’ll need to do this part. Once you finish painting, it’s time to peel the tape off. You’ll want to do this when the paint is still wet––if it dries, it’ll peel the paint off. Start at the bottom and pull the tape back, not up. To avoid
Painting tape: $3.50
Brianna Kwasnik/The Minaret
mistakes, it’s best to be patient and take your time with this step. If there’s a little unevenness, you can just use a piece of paper and a small brush to even out the lines after you’ve peeled all of the tape off.
Step Seven
Let the mug sit for 24 hours.
Step Eight
Place the mug in the oven and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step Nine
Turn off the oven and wait for the mug to cool to room temperature before taking it out. Make sure to use oven mitts to protect your hands.
Coffee mug: $1.99 TIP: Make sure your mug is oven safe as well.)
Step Ten
When it’s ready, write a fun message in colorful chalk, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy. Kaela Bernardino can be reached at kaela. bernardino@spartans.ut.edu Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna. kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu
Paint brushes: $1.49 Total Cost: $9.76 Materials can be found at a local Michael’s Photos courtesy of Michaels.com
8 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Hattricks Sports Bar Beats Chains with Fresh, Made-to-Order Food
By SELENE SANFELICE Arts + Entertainment Writer
I walked into Hattricks expecting to be bombarded with loud music and television screens. Instead I was pleasantly surprised to find a warm atmosphere. Although TVs played sports games and jerseys were scattered on the walls, Hattricks didn’t have the usual in-yourface aggression like many chain restaurants and sports bars. Instead of being greeted by an overeager waiter in khakis and a bright polo, I was waited on by Kenzie Dohner, a sophomore government and world affairs and history major at UT. Dohner wore a tasteful black dress and explained that the management of Hattricks wants the customers to feel comfortable with the waitresses and vice versa, so there are no uniforms required. As time went on and the bar got busier, the waitresses and bartenders impressively kept their cool and made time for each and every customer without seemingly breaking a sweat. Soft rock played quietly in the background as my suitemate, junior psychology major Rachel Van Kirk, and I were seated. As a sports bar, Hattricks has better ambiance than most restaurants where the noise and the loud music prevent one from even hearing themselves chew. According to Dohner, the shake and bake wings are a favorite among UT students at Hattricks. But if you’re looking to try something different, order Nic’s famous Italian egg rolls as suggested by Dohner. Instead of veggies and shrimp with duck sauce on the side, these egg rolls are filled with Italian sausage and ground beef, served with marinara. As if that doesn’t sound delicious enough, Hattricks donates 100 percent of the sales from its egg rolls to the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer Center at All Children’s Hospital. If you’re tired of getting the usual Spartan Club burger patties and want to try something new, Hattricks offers some amazing burger options. Before we ordered,
Address: 107 S. Franklin St. Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 3 a.m. Monday – Sunday Popular Menu Items: Shake and Bake wings, Chicken Nachos Dohner explained that the burgers are 100 percent hormone and preservative free and that they are cooked fresh in the restaurant instead of ordered frozen. In fact, none of the food at Hattricks is ever precooked or frozen. Everything on the menu is made-to-order. The fish is especially fresh, as the grouper is brought off of a boat five days a week. I ordered the Hattricks burger while my suitemate, Van Kirk, ordered the grouper sandwich. Not only were our meals extremely deliciously fresh, but they were also quite affordable. Both of our meals averaged out to around $10 each. The Hattricks burger was absolutely perfect, and after eating it, I’ll never go back to settling for the burgers in the cafeteria again. Unlike most sports bar burgers, I was able to take a bite without it being the size of my head. A patty that’s not paper thin but doesn’t require jaw dislocation means quite a lot in the burger world. Another plus was that Hattricks knew exactly what I meant when I said I wanted my burger done medium well. There have been many times that I’ve gotten my food and been so excited to enjoy it only left to deal with a dripping mess of a burger. Nobody wants their food to leak, and I’m glad I could sit down and enjoy my burger at Hattricks without ending up with a plate of sad, soggy fries. My suitemate let me have a bite of her grouper sandwich, and despite my desire to down the whole thing, I refrained. But we both agreed that it was phenomenal. Generally, fish sandwiches are very plain and I tend to stay away from them at
Selene SanFelice/The Minaret
Tampa restaurant Hattricks prides itself on made-to-order food that is never precooked or frozen.
restaurants, but the peppery cajun spices that Hattricks used made their fish burst with flavor without burning my mouth. I never thought I’d see the day that I would consider grouper exciting. As a Maryland native, I know my seafood and I know my spices and it looks like Hattricks does too. Even if you’re not old enough to stop in at Hattricks to have a drink, the food is more than enough reason to make the half-mile trip. Give
yourself a break from the typical college fare and try some real, hearty bar food. Selene SanFelice can be reached at selene.sanfelice@spartans.ut.edu
3 out of 5 stars
St. Vincent Experiments With Mostly Positive Results By JACKIE BRAJE
Arts + Entertainment Writer
There’s an odd feeling of decompression when listening to St. Vincent. Imagine letting fall from your mouth every biting, stinging remark you’ve ever wanted to say to someone with a sly smirk on your face, and then imagine having an awesome jazz guitar solo to back you up afterward. After collaborating with David Byrne on Love This Giant in 2012, St. Vincent (Annie Clark) has continued to grow more into herself as an artist while taking the next natural step toward the realm of the uncanny in her new self-titled album, released Feb. 25. After gaining unexpected success with her sophomore album Actor in 2009, Strange Mercy crept up to number 19 on the Billboard charts in 2011, claiming her a nice warm seat of acceptance in the mainstream indie music scene. Ever since, Clark has been boldly experimenting. “Rattlesnake,” the opening track on St. Vincent, isn’t of this world. The melody is psychedelic and jazzy enough to the point of melting, until you’re suddenly interrupted by an aggressive, “AH-AH-AH-AH-AH.” It’s like the musical equivalent of being bit by a snake while lying in a grassy, peaceful field. One thing I have always admired about Clark is the confident presentation of her music; if she’s going to say something bizarre, she’s going to say it with utmost certainty. Take for example, “Oh, what an ordinary day/Take out the garbage, masturbate/I’m still holding for the laugh,”
Photo courtesy of Vista
St. Vincent’s affinity for progression is front and center on her self-titled album, but she sometimes overreaches.
from her single “Birth in Reverse.” The boldness of her voice makes you believe in what she’s saying, no matter how far out her infidelities to normalcy are. However, not everything she says is all that bizarre. I find there’s a very obvious poetry in her lyrics, especially after learning that she named her musical alter-personality St. Vincent after the hospital where poet Dylan Thomas took his final breaths. In “Prince Johnny” she begs, “But honey don’t mistake my affection for another
spit and penny-style redemption/’Cause we’re all sons of someone’s.” There is an undeniable, unapologetic conviction to her lyrics, easily making her one of my favorite lyricists. A song that continues to stand out above the rest for me, no matter how many times I listen to the entirety of this album, is “Huey Newton.” The opening coerces you with a concise, hypnotic and digital melody, the same way one gets sucked into late night web surfing. Imagine scrolling
through Tumblr around 1 or 2 a.m. on a Wednesday with melancholy pulsating through your fingertips and the knowledge that you should instead be sleeping lingering in the back of your skull. The lyrics and arrangements are painfully selfaware and intelligently crafted. Not every track from the album is all too commendable, however. “Bring Me Your Loves” has the same digital vibes as the other tracks, but it is almost too heavy with the abrasive technological background noise and robotic vocals. And while I wanted so badly to appreciate the playfulness of “Digital Witness,” I just couldn’t shake the thought it was trying way too hard. While I will proudly defend Ms. Clark anytime, anywhere, I simply cannot justify some of her newer, more overreaching tracks. In the end though, her experimentation is one for the books. If there’s something to be applauded here, it’s the way she effortlessly progresses more and more into herself and her art with each passing album. Though a few tracks and I shared some disagreements on her latest album, I can accept what she’s trying to do as an artist: make a statement and make it boldly. Jackie Braje can be reached at jacquelyn.braje@theminaretonline.com
3 out of 5 stars
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
9
Thr33 Web Series Exposes Sexual Openness In Society
By CLAIRE FARROW AND KAI MILLER
Arts + Entertainment Writers
What happens when a gay male and a straight female decide to date the same man? Well, that’s the question a new web series Thr33 hopes to answer, while also giving its audience something to laugh about in the process. The web series, which will be released on 3webseries.com March 9 at 8 a.m. EST, was created by Lucas Omar, an award-winning independent filmmaker who is currently located in Tampa. What makes this series so interesting is its comedic take on two very serious and controversial issues—sexuality and polyamorous relationships. Thr33 follows three 20-something individuals––Layla, Jason and Tanner. Layla is straight, Tanner is gay and they have three things in common––they are best friends, they are both sleeping with Jason and neither have a clue this is going on. However, when Jason approaches each of them asking if they would have a threesome on their one month anniversary, it all comes out, becoming a competition between Layla and Tanner, turning into a sexual nightmare until it eventually becomes a polyamorous relationship that ends up working for them all. Of course, while this whole situation is a nightmare for the three main characters, it is all the more hilarious for the audience. But perhaps this is a good way to change people’s perspectives—through humor. Omar, a recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh and a production certificate recipient from Europe’s number one film school, The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), has been very interested in film since high school. He has been writing scripts and directing for seven years. But he’s started to get especially serious about filmmaking over the past three years. On Feb. 17, GLTSBA sponsored an event
Screenshot/Vimeo
Award-Winning filmmaker Lucas Omar tackles issues of sexuality and polyamorous relationships in his new webseries, which premieres on March 9.
that premiered Thr33 on UT’s campus in Straz Hall. UT sophomore Krystal Kirby, who was in attendance, found Thr33 to be both intriguing and unique in its subject matter. Although the advertising and psychology double major was only able to view a teaser of the series, she felt it was filled with great humor and dramatic elements. “The quality of the directing, the framing, the acting and the editing especially could rival professionals. The director is so talented and I feel like he will do a fantastic job with this project,” Kirby said. Kirby particularly enjoyed how Thr33 sheds light on different lifestyles and relatable characters that many people are rarely ever exposed to. In doing so, she feels Thr33 strengthens people’s understanding that the GLTSBA community is not defined solely by their sexual preference. “[Thr33 takes things a step] further by
having fleshed out, real characters who happen to be gay, for example, instead of a twodimensional character who is there because he or she is gay. This puts the focus more on the character person as a whole, rather than selling gay as a novelty,” Kirby said. GLTSBA President Christian Reich was very excited when Omar reached out to him to ask if he could show his newest project to UT students. Reich is enthusiastic about the UT community’s relationship with the LGBTQ community. “We have issues every once in a while. For the most part [UT]’s a very welcoming place,” Reich said. “It’s kind of like ‘[if] you have an issue with [LGBTQ], why are you here?’” Which is exactly the message that Omar wants to project—acceptance. “When I work on a project, I have some sort of motive and purpose,” Omar said. “That’s why I got into filmmaking, because I was moved by how powerful film is as a
medium… it moves us, influences us, alters our perspectives… and I want to be a part of influential television programs.” Omar, who has been openly gay since he was 18 years old, said that most of his projects surround the subject of acceptance. He hopes that his web series will not only educate people about gay and lesbian individuals but also about bisexual and transgender individuals. Omar also hopes to make the topic of sex a more open discussion through Thr33. “College students make bad choices because they don’t do research. Sex is a natural process; it’s something we all partake in,” Omar said. “I just find it very interesting that as a society we try to push it under the rug. That’s what the show deals with it, sexual openness. We need to have open dialogue.” Claire Farrow can be reached at claire. farrow@spartans.ut.edu Kai Miller can be reached at kai.miller@ spartans.ut.edu
Fallon Dominates Tonight Show, Meyers Struggles With Late Night By CLAIRE FARROW
Arts + Entertainment Writer
There’s a new man on late night television. Well, at least at 11:35 p.m. EST. Jimmy Fallon has taken the leap to hosting The Tonight Show, leaving behind his old show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Seth Meyers will serve as Fallon’s replacement with Late Night with Seth Meyers. This new duo seems to be spicing up late night so far, and Fallon in particular is shaping up to be rather stiff competition to both David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/Facebook
Fallon seems right at home at his new late night time.
To begin with a monumental triumph for Fallon in the late night sphere, the filming of The Tonight Show returned to New York after a 40 year transplant in Los Angeles. In his opening monologue on his first episode as host of The Tonight Show, Fallon went into his background, giving a brief biography peppered with some witty jokes while also paying homage to previous Tonight Show hosts. “I’d like to thank all those who came before me: Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno,” Fallon said. “I just want to do the best I can and to take care of this show for awhile.” In the two weeks since the debut of his new show, Fallon has definitely found his groove. In fact, it feels almost the same as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, it’s just an hour earlier with a nicer, slightly larger set. (The curtains that Fallon enters from are reminiscent of Johnny Carson’s set up when he hosted The Tonight Show, which I found to be an excellent decor decision.) Many of the same segments are there, such as “Thank You Notes,” which suits Fallon well. It also worked to his advantage that he now has even more access to Alist guests to bring on his show than he could before. In fact, Fallon’s inaugural first weeks were chock full of celebrities and personalities—guests such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Will Smith (his “Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing” number with Fallon went viral), Emma Thompson (who is always hilarious), Will Ferrell (he dressed in drag for “Ew” and ice skated
to the Downton Abbey theme song), Bradley Cooper, Shaquille O’Neal, Kristen Wiig, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake (“History of Rap—Part 5”), Usher and even Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, among many others. Being a fan of Fallon for awhile, I am definitely excited to see him doing well in this new time slot. Meyers, on the other hand, is struggling in my eyes. While it is his first two weeks in this new hosting position and there are bound to be kinks, I feel that he has a few things going against him. First, the set looks a bit claustrophobic and somewhat cheesy. Regardless whether the decision was made on purpose or not, it gives off a slightly awkward vibe. And while the band 8G, led by fellow SNL alumnus Fred Armisen, is awesome, they should probably play more often during the show. When looking back on some of the highlights of Meyers’ first two weeks, one segment that he introduced was called “Fake or Florida.” While the premise of this segment was interesting, the execution was lacking. The fact that it was blatantly staged and ran for eight minutes only made this “game show” slow and awkward and not that funny. However, having said that, because it is the beginning of Meyers’ new venture, more time should be allotted to him before any solid judgments are made. Meyers has got at least one thing going for him—he interviewed one of my favorite duos, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, which was a great treat for me. I think this late night set up is a
positive addition to current programming. Of course, whether this line up ends up working out for both the hosts and the audience is still uncertain, there is always hope and hopefully laughs along the way. As Fallon said in his first monologue of The Tonight Show, he just wants to “make you laugh and put a smile on your face so that you go to sleep with a smile on your face and live a longer life. Isn’t that the whole goal here, is to have fun?” I couldn’t agree more. Claire Farrow can be reached at claire.farrow@spartans.ut.edu
Late Night with Seth Meyers/Facebook
Seth Myers is off to a rocky start on Late Night.
10 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Afro-Brazillian Drumming and Dance Brings Culture to UT By KAI MILLER
Arts + Entertainment Writer
UT students were given the chance to discover the sounds and culture of Brazil during an Afro-Brazilian drumming and dancing workshop held Thursday, Feb. 27. Upon entering the Music Room of Plant Hall, students were greeted by several foreign instruments and appeared a bit apprehensive at the thought of having to learn capoeira within a matter of only two hours. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music. The sport of capoeira is never played without its own music, which is a call-and-response type of folk music. The music often details accounts of the history of capoeira or the doings of great mestres (teachers). The lively workshop was organized by professor Andrew DeMil and was open to the public. DeMil specializes in foreign language and teaches beginning and intermediate Spanish courses as well as Portuguese. DeMil has been practicing capoeira since 2003. “Capoeira is a really hard workout and there’s a really strong sense of community,” DeMil said. “You learn different cultural things like Portuguese and dances like the maculele and samba.” The workshop began with a warm-up led by DeMil’s colleague, Eduardo Torres, who is a capoeira instructor. Torres first became involved in capoeira at the age of 16 and has been teaching it for the past 14 years. Torres teaches at various locations in Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg and Brandon under Tampa Bay Capoeira, an organization he founded himself. Torres showed students how the different
Kai Miller/The Minaret
Students practice capoeira, a Brazilian martial art with elements of dance and music, at a workshop last Thursday.
movements of capoeira, the pace of the music and one’s personal energy influence all elements of the art form. “It’s all about energy. If the energy is high and the energy is good then good things will happen. We believe as capoeiristas if the energy is bad then of course something might happen that’s not right,” Torres said. Students then transitioned into playing different instruments, which included a berimbau, atabaque and a pandeiro––all of which are integral to the sport of capoeira. A berimbau is a single string percussion instrument or a musical bow that is considered the soul of capoeira because it leads the capoeiristas movement during the samba roda. The atabaque is a tall, wooden hand
Actor on the Rise: Theo James
By SAMMI BRENNAN
Arts + Entertainment Writer
It’s clear that both England and America have a case of Theo James fever. The British actor has two films in the works coming out later this year, along with the upcoming film Divergent, which is based on the popular young adult novel by Veronica Roth. After earning a philosophy degree from the University of Nottingham in England, James studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and eventually made his television debut
Theo James/Facebook
James will star in the film adaptation of Divergent.
in the BBC mini-series A Passionate Woman. He also claimed a small part in Woody Allen’s 2010 comedy You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, all before graduation. Soon, his appearances in television series and the cinema began to pile up. He starred in the popular Golden Globe winning series Downton Abbey, scored a spot as Jed Harper in the horror series Bedlam and picked up a small role in The Inbetweeners Movie. His boxing experience would earn him the part of David, a vampire, in Underworld:Awakening alongside Kate Beckinsale. Last year, he was the main character in the crime series Golden Boy where he played the role of Detective Clark, a man who would eventually become the youngest police commissioner in the history of the NYPD. On March 21, James will star as the character Four in the sci-fi adventure Divergent. He is one of the members of the Dauntless faction, a district that revolves around bravery and strength, where he is in charge of training the newcomers. One of the new arrivals, played by Shailene Woodley, particularly attracts his attention because she is Divergent, meaning she can cheat the system. He is already set to reprise his character in the second and third movies. Whether he’s a vampire, a police commissioner or a merciless instructor, James’ talent seems to have no bounds. Sammi Brennan can be reached at samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu
drum. There are three types of atabaque: rum, the tallest with the lowest pitch; rumpi, of medium height and in the middle pitch range; and le, the smallest and highest pitched. In Maculele, as many as three atabaques are used, and in capoeira, traditionally only one is used. The pandeiro is a hand percussion instrument that resembles a tambourine. It is used both during capoeira and the samba. After familiarizing themselves with each instrument, students had a full-on jam session in which they learned some of the traditional folk songs associated with both maculele and capoeira. For UT sophomore Caio Amaral, the impromptu jam session allowed him to indulge in his culture and reminisce on
the years he spent in Brazil as a child. The international business major was born in Brazil and moved at the age of 14. “[The workshop] definitely brought back memories, and [I was] getting goosebumps because it reminds me of the Carnival and everything. I loved being there,” Amaral said. Shortly after the brief music lesson, which drew in outside spectators, male and female students were split up into separate groups. Led by DeMil, female students began learning the movements involved in the samba de roda, and male students provided the mesmerizing sounds of the drums under the instruction of Torres. The samba de roda is a traditional, rhythmically-driven dance that entails some footwork, singing and clapping. Kristin Salimeno, a sophomore and environmental science major at UT, particularly enjoyed learning and participating in the samba de roda. “I really liked watching everybody just let go and not care,” Salimeno said. “I liked having fun and not worrying about anybody else.” Salimeno, like many of the other students in attendance, was a bit nervous prior to the workshop starting. “I don’t really like dancing in front of people. So, it took me a while to convince myself to go,” Salimeno said. However, the art of capoeira is all about having an open mind. “You’ll be great at it. Everybody starts out the same way. So, you have to put yourself in a vulnerable place,” Torres said. Kai Miller can be reached at kai. miller@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
Opinion
11
Empathy Over Sympathy: Lending Venezuela a Helping Hand
By JORGE ECHAVARRIA Opinion Contributor
Demonstrators are filling the streets. Traffic is at a crawl. Protesters burn rubbish and debris to stand as flaming barricades while security forces fire bullets and tear gas. Hundreds of Venezuelan citizens are being injured by their own government, and the death toll is at least 17, according to Bloomberg News. Venezuela has been in total crisis mode since early February, which is when videos of large student protests and mass chaos became viral on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This mess began when Venezuelan college students protested a sexual assault case to which the police department failed to respond, according to The New York Times. Students began protesting peacefully, asking for security from the state. The government responded with brutal suppression. What ensued was the violence that we’re seeing on all these videos across the web. Despite the Venezuelan government’s attempts to “defeat destabilization plans” by monitoring and block online services and social media, photos and videos have leaked internationally, according to International Business Times. Videos show police and military personnel blatantly attacking, in some cases with harmful weapons, peaceful demonstrators that have no way of defending themselves. What started as a student-led protest has evolved into a wide public concern and the issues have expanded greatly since the sexual assault case. The public has come together to protest the ongoing spread of violent crimes and the shortage of goods such as milk and toilet paper, according to The New York Times. President Nicolas Maduro is calling it an
“economic war,” according to Reuters. This social unrest didn’t just begin; it has been going on for years. Unjust public treatment has been occurring in Venezuela since the Fidel Castro era, and only now has the rest of the world truly acknowledged this as an issue. Are we, by taking no action yet encouraging these large protests, at fault? The U.S. government has not yet officially intervened in the civil unrest in Venezuela. It has, however, been accused by Venezuelan officials of enticing the violence that goes on during many of these demonstrations, according to RT
[
said Danilo Nuñez, a native Venezuelan student and a freshman international business and entrepreneurship major. He expressed how crucial it is to have support from around the world, not just sympathy. It’s easy to watch a five-minute video with terrifying clips and depressing narration and post a Facebook status or a Tweet about how wrong it is, moving on with your life shortly afterwards. Although more difficult, it’s important to pursue a course of action rather than simply pitying them on social media. We should use that emotion we feel when we watch these videos and express empathy
]
We must be proactive as a generation; this is our chance to prove to the world our love and compassion.
News. Some U.S. political leaders have expressed their wish to see Venezuela become a democratic nation and support, by word of mouth, the demonstrations of the people. One of these leaders, State Department Spokesman Jen Psaki, said, “[America supports] human rights and fundamental freedoms — including freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly — in Venezuela as we do in countries around the world,” according to RT News. This moral support, while a step in the right direction and helpful, doesn’t help the people who are out protesting and withstanding the brutality of their own government. They need real, tangible help and intervention. “America should help us find peace and form a democratic government which can help us improve our country in all aspects,”
rather than sympathy. Promoting empathy and need for action was the basis of an emotional plea by freshman economics major and Venezuelan student Viviana Tedino. “Other countries should definitely help. I know it is a very sensitive issue, but in my country, the military, those who once swore to protect us, are killing us,” Tedino said. Freshman and international business major Christopher Bonilla gave a differing perspective. “Between school,work and other extra curriculars, it’s hard to find the time to help, especially when students can’t help them out directly because of location differences,” Bonilla said. This is where I think he is wrong. Of course we can’t join the front lines of the protesters, but we are capable of becoming passionate advocates for
democracy in Venezuela. Danilo feels the same way. He thinks students at UT should “spread everything about what’s going on.” There are endless possibilities on how to get involved and they don’t require complete sacrifice of your time. One that has already taken place on a small scale in cities around the country is to have a day of peaceful demonstration on every campus of every university in the country. We should stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Venezuela who risk their lives every day fighting for a better future and a country of which they can be proud. Also, we should at all times possible spread awareness, which we’ve already started on social media. This is crucial. The more people that know what’s happening on a daily basis, the more educated we will be to handle situations like these when they arise. Corruption runs skin deep in Venezuela, and realistically, it may take years before this problem is resolved for good and many more years for the people of Venezuela to be comfortable with the outcome. But that doesn’t mean we should just let this play out on its own with so many being hurt. We must be proactive as a generation; this is our chance to prove to the world our love and compassion. Despite all that has been said of our social-media-driven culture, we can finally use it to a great advantage. Someday, I hope we look back on this tragedy and we can smile knowing there is a democratic Venezuela and a peaceful society. One day, I hope this destruction and violence will evolve into democracy and progress. Jorge Echavarria can be reached at jorge.echavarria@spartans.ut.edu
ascaro41/Flickr
MARQUINAM/Flickr
Venezuelan police and military have been blatantly attacking peaceful, unarmed demonstrators.
Adrilt/Instagram
Many people around the world have shown their support for Venezuela’s cause. As shown above, Venezuelans and friends of Venezuela unite in the Bahamas to spread awareness of the tragedies occuring.
12 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Too Old to Run? Fox News Questions Hillary Clinton’s Age By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Columnist
In a country where women make 77 cents to every man’s dollar, according to Barack Obama, maybe another example of severe sexism shouldn’t be surprising, but it never fails to be disgusting. Fox News has been bringing up the question of Hillary Clinton’s age in relation to her possibly running for president in 2016, posing the question, “Is she too old?” This question comes despite the fact that former President Ronald Reagan was 69, the same age Clinton will be in 2016, when he took office, and John McCain was 71 when he ran in 2008, according to BBC News. Intimidated by this powerful woman who
would give the Republican Party a run for its money, Fox News is taking cheap shots and has embarrassed itself yet again. “Fox News is ready to project that in the 2016 Presidential election, Hillary Clinton will be two years older! … Way too old to be President. I mean she’s going to be almost as old as Ronald Reagan was… but remember those were ‘man’ years,” Stephen Colbert joked on his show, The Colbert Report. The political satirist may be joking about the subject, but he’s calling them out on all the right things. How about Fox News starts attacking the ages of some of the other people thinking about running for president in 2016? Don’t hold your breath. Clinton is a woman, a Democrat and she
kakissel/Flickr
Fox News says Clinton is too old to run for president even though Reagan was the same age and McCain was older.
is a threat to Republicans. Focusing on her aging appearance is an easy way to appeal to some of the dimwitted Americans who aren’t concerned with any political foci that actually matter, so naturally, Fox News is going to milk it for all it’s worth. The health of a possible presidential candidate may be the American people’s business, but the fact that the other potential candidates ages have not been brought up is unfair, not to mention her age and her health are not the same thing. “I think Hillary knows what is best for her… It is ridiculous for someone else to tell her she is too old for something; she knows her health and what is best for her better than anyone else, so I think she will be capable of making the right decision,” said Anna Haragan, president of the UT’s College Democrats. Thanks, Fox News, but Clinton is capable of remembering how old she is all on her own. “Do the American people want to observe the aging of this woman in office?” Rush Limbaugh asked while showing an unflattering image of Clinton on his show. It seems like he’s presuming the only thing a woman president would be good for is her looks. Since Clinton has wrinkles, why would America want her as president? People who are only concerned with the appeal of a woman presidential candidate’s appearance do not deserve to vote. Limbaugh has more than convinced us he is a disgusting human being, yet he and all who admire him continually feel the need to prove it to us reasonable Americans. Understandable skepticism of Clinton’s health arose in late 2012 when she suffered from dehydration caused by a stomach bug that led her to faint and suffer a concussion, according to The Huffington Post. She traveled a distance just short of one million
miles during her tenure as secretary of state, the equivalent of circling the globe approximately forty times, while visiting 112 countries from 2009 to 2012, according to The Atlantic. Such extreme dedication to perform her job as best as she could wore her body down in the process, as it would wear someone of any age down. Nevertheless, she proved over and over again that she realizes the importance of being present, knowing the people she was working with and persevering to get the job done. But, of course, let us focus on her age and appearance to evaluate her ability as future possible president of the U.S. Nice work, America. If hard work is the cause of all the criticism about her age, maybe it is understandable why her male counterparts don’t receive it too. Maybe Clinton should take this as a compliment. It’s Fox News’ way of saying she would be a perfect candidate for presidency in 2016, and the only thing we have to worry about is her looks and age, since that’s all those reporters have to go on. I’m sure they wouldn’t put it that way, but I’m going to go with that because the alternative is that they are so shallow and sexist, they can’t even recognize they are being shallow and sexist. That is a scary thing. We need Clinton in office because sexism like this is not frowned upon and because sexism like this is commonplace in our society. We currently have a president who will at least address the inequality between men and women in the workplace, but Clinton is the woman we need in office to get the rights we deserve as women. Fox News should take the words “Fair and Balanced” off of its website logo because it is clearly the furthest thing from the truth. Avery Twible can be reached at avery. twible@spartans.ut.edu
Paula Deen Keeps Digging the Racial Hole Deeper By ELIZABETH ROCKETT Opinion Writer
You’d think that after being outed for using racial slurs, Paula Deen would be a little more careful with how she talks about black people. But the celebrity chef might be due for another apology in light of recent events. In June 2013, the Food Network cut ties with Paula Deen after she admitted to using racial slurs, specifically the N-word, according to MSNBC. Paula Deen has recently spoken out about being criticized for her racist comments, comparing herself to “that black football player who recently came out,” during an interview with People. “That black football player” is Michael Sam, a defensive lineman at Mizzou and an NFL prospect. It seems that this rather unfitting comparison by Deen is none other than an attempt to rebuild her reputation and to denounce any further accusations of her being racist by sympathizing with the race she discriminated against before. “I feel like ‘embattled’ or ‘disgraced’ will always follow my name,” Deen told People. She then proceeded to empathize with Sam, saying she knows “exactly what he’s saying” regarding his struggles in the public eye. Deen and Sam are both receiving criticism while trying to pursue their careers, but there is one huge difference: Deen chose to say something offensive, while Michael Sam is being criticized for something that he has no control over whatsoever: his sexuality. Sam would be a victim of criticism while Deen is well-deserving of it.
Mentioning that Sam is black was completely irrelevant to her point, considering the criticism that he may encounter will not necessarily be about his race but his sexual orientation. Once again, Deen made the mistake of involving race in a situation that was completely inappropriate. The fact that Deen felt the need to mention Sam’s race shows that she still does not understand how offensive inconsiderate comments regarding race can be. No matter how insignificant Deen may have felt simply mentioning Sam’s race was, based upon the comments on articles regarding this issue, there is still a significant amount of people who consider Deen to be inconsiderate and are watching her carefully. “She purposely mentioned that he was both gay and black. Her point was that she doesn’t want to be labeled just as he shouldn’t be labeled (while, Digitas Photos/Flickr ironically, labeling him),” said Jack Paula Deen compares her criticism to “that black football player who recently came out,” Michael Sam. Lemmon, CNN reader, in response to CNN’s article about Deen’s statement. Cherinee Smith, a freshman or not Deen is just trying to save her “racist” staying tied to her name, she forensic science major and African- reputation and maintain a fan base or must focus on speaking solely about American student, said she was if she is actually sorry for her actions. food. not personally offended by Deen’s “Deen and Michael Sam only While it appears that Deen is comparison, but said, “... that out of have one similarity: they are both regaining success by making a recent all of the comparisons she could use, receiving criticism. Other than that I deal with Najafi Companies, according this was the wrong one.” do not think that they are similar in to MSNBC, I do not think she will be Smith feels as though Deen “dug any way,” said Erin McNally, a junior as successful as she was previously herself a deeper hole” by involving psychology major and fan of the Food due to her recent unpopularity and Sam’s race while referring to him. Smith Network. McNally strongly agrees racism. Since her comments have been also believes this comparison is just with the Food Network’s decision to extremely offensive, it is questionable another way for Deen to play the victim cut ties with Deen. whether or not she even deserves to and ask for sympathy and forgiveness. If Deen wants to make a comeback have a fresh start to her career. Only During Deen’s interview with and rebuild her reputation, any time will tell whether or not her People, she said, “If it wasn’t for my comments regarding race or racial apologies have been sincere. fans’ love, I’d be home breathing into issues need to stop. In order to move Elizabeth Rockett can be reached a paper bag.” We must wonder whether on with her career without terms like at elizabeth.rockett@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
OPINION
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14 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Blogger Refrains from Sex with Husband for a Year, Claims Happy Marriage
By TERRY PRESTON
for you and you should probably have it. A lot. “I don’t know how she would be capable of not having sex,” said Liz Frattallone, a senior communication major. “If I don’t have sex for more than three months I go, like, ripping my hair out insane.” Frattallone isn’t the only person who feels this way. In fact, most of us do. Men think about sex equally as often as they think about food and sleep (about 18 times a day), according to a study by Psychology Today. This places the importance of sex up there with two of the largest necessities to stay alive. I can’t count the number of my friends that have reported near panic attacks and mental breakdowns after going a week without having sex—52 weeks should be enough to push anyone over the edge.
When you think of sex 18 times a day, it’s possibly more difficult to not have sex than it is to have sex. When a married couple is side-by-side in bed every single night, it appears to be an impossibility to not just get it in. Singer-Velush reported that she had a rough recovery from her pregnancy, which is understandable, but after her recovery she claims she and her husband were too concerned with taking care of their kids to be “taking care” of each other. Anybody with a sex drive can tell you: You make time for sex. Other obligations can wait. Get a babysitter. My concern with the blog post is not that the author says she is married—it was that she claims to be happily married. Relationships are not like family sitcoms from the 1950s. Adults have sex. Teens have sex. And when they don’t, they aren’t happy.
“Having sex is (no surprise) highest on all measures of happiness,” said Carsten Grimm from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, who conducted a study on what makes people happiest, according to The Daily Mail. As an adult with experience in dating and relationships, it’s safe to say that if someone in the relationship isn’t getting what they’re looking for, then they are going to find it somewhere else. Forty-four percent of men who cheat are looking for more sex, according to NBC News. If I were in Singer-Velush’s position, I would not be too sure that I was still happily married. Rather, I’d be much more worried about what my husband was doing in his effort to keep his sanity in a sea of sexless nights. Despite my belief that sex is a vital part of life, I also understand that for others it is just not that important. Nobody can be too judgmental about another’s sex life, because more often than not, they’re not actually a part of it. People place significance on different aspects of life and love, and even if it’s not within the popular opinion, it may still be the best fit for them. But there is no way in hell I would ever follow in this blogger’s footsteps unless I somehow have that lifestyle violently thrusted upon me. If my husband didn’t have sex with me for a year, he would be my exhusband. This woman is a brave soul, or maybe she’s just dry. Terry Preston can be reached at terrence.preston@spartans.ut.edu
when Dunn parked adjacent to Davis and three other teens at a gas station. Dunn spoke to Davis, asking him to turn down his loud bass, but Davis refused, and the two argued. The argument escalated, and Dunn claims Davis threatened to kill him and was wielding a shotgun. In response, Dunn took his handgun from his glove compartment, opened his door and fired at Davis and the other teens a total of ten times before driving off with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Dunn then drove back to their hotel and ordered a pizza, never contacting the police, according to CNN. None of the other teens were injured, but Davis was fatally shot several times in the legs, lungs and aorta. Police never found a shotgun or any weapon in Davis’ vehicle, and Dunn was arrested shortly afterwards at his home.
The ensuing murder trial recently ended this February, according to ABC News. Dunn was found guilty on three accounts of attempted second-degree murder for the three teens whom he did not kill, along with one count of firing into the vehicle. But all of this justice is overshadowed by the jury’s unfortunate verdict of mistrial (due to a deadlock) on the charge of first-degree murder of Jordan Davis. I have brown-colored skin and I style my hair in a large afro, so it is only natural that a stranger would see me as AfricanAmerican if we were to pass each other on a sidewalk. However, they would only be partially right. I’m literally as white as I am black; anyone who knows my white mom and black dad could attest to this. I’ve always been proud of my racial background, and I’ve always been comfortable with the color of my skin. But recently, it has been impossible for me to feel safe in my skin. With the deaths of black youths such as Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin, it has become increasingly dangerous to be black in our society, especially in Florida. If their deaths have taught us anything, it is that black males are inexplicably feared by our society. We are too often viewed as thugs in the public eye. I have already been subject to a “concerned” student calling campus security after I was momentarily locked out of my dorm late one night. Not once have I ever heard of my white friends being followed around in a department store by an employee or given a look by campus safety when they get back from a night out. Unfortunately, this is the norm for
black males nowadays. We almost expect to be looked at suspiciously by store owners, and it’s nothing new for a woman to “beep lock” her car when we walk past it, as if to remind us not to steal it. A poll conducted by the Washington Post discovered that 54 percent of white adults believe that blacks receive equal treatment, but we don’t, and we don’t seem to be getting any closer considering these recent trials. I can’t go outside with the security that I’m going to come back alive anymore, and that’s the scariest feeling. All it takes is for a grown white man to find me threatening and apparently he has complete liberty to shoot me to death. He can approach me, he can threaten me and he can claim I have a gun, and suddenly he has free range to feel threatened and shoot me in “selfdefense.” At least that’s the way it seems. These trials have made it loud and clear that black teens should avoid disturbing grown, white men. If the trials taught us anything, it’s that black teens shouldn’t walk outside, listen to music, hang out with black friends or even talk to white adults. We live in the land of the free, yet I can’t even walk off campus without feeling at risk. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder how I would be treated if my skin were lighter. Trials like this one remind me I can’t feel safe in my own skin. I know it’s nothing in comparison to what my ancestors went through, but it’s a lot like a continued period of oppression for black Americans. Marcus Mitchell can be reached at marcus.mitchell@spartans.ut.edu
Opinion Columnist
Marriage is often portrayed as the end all of romance. Nights out become nights of worrying about how to keep your children happy or how to keep your bank account above $0. However, despite the tribulations associated with adulthood and committed relationships, many keep their sex lives active. Eighty percent of married couples report having sex a few times per month or more, according to a study conducted at the University of Chicago. Such is not the case for one Huffington Post blogger Natalie Singer-Velush— she and her husband went over a year without once having sex, according to one of her articles. The idea itself seems almost blasphemous. It is basically the unspoken duty of one’s significant other to be one’s designated lover—I’m fairly sure it even says that somewhere in the wedding vows. Of all of the trials and tribulations associated with marriage, the one comforting thought within life-long commitment is that your frequency of masturbation will seriously decrease. Unfortunately for this blogger, she and her husband were married for over 10 years and spent one of those years completely celibate. Though they blame stress as the major preventative factor, NBC News reported that people who have more sex have lower levels of stress. In addition, NBC News reported that more sex is also correlated with longer life spans, infrequent illnesses and faster healings. In layman’s terms, sex is good
Mavroudis Kostas/Flickr
Life after marriage is different for everyone; finding a happy romantic medium is essential for success.
Michael Dunn Murder Trial Reaffirms Fears For Black Youths By MARCUS MITCHELL Opinion Contributor
It hasn’t even been a full year since George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in his killing of AfricanAmerican teenager Trayvon Martin, and already another black teen is dead at the hands of a middle-aged man with a gun. This time, there was no “suspicious hooded man” outside late at night. The victim was a black teenager who was simply blasting his music with his friends, something you see teenagers doing on a daily basis. But apparently, even that’s too suspicious when you are a black teen in Florida. Jordan Davis was a 17-year-old African-American high school student in Jacksonville who was shot and killed by a 45-year-old Caucasian man named Michael Dunn in November 2012. As reported by CNN, the shooting occurred
The State vs Michael Dunn - Murder of Jordan Davis/Facebook
Dunn shot teenager Jordan Davis after asking him to turn down the music in his car at a gas station.
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
OPINION
15
Blood Test May Determine Higher Probability of Death By CAITLIN MALONE Opinion Writer
“There was a survey once,” said Morgan Freeman’s character Carter in The Bucket List. “A thousand people were asked if they could know in advance would they want to know their exact day of their death. Ninety-six percent of them said no. I always kind of leaned towards the other 4 percent. I thought it would be liberating, knowing how much time you had left to work with. It turns out, it’s not.” Scientists may have discovered a new blood test that could possibly tell you if death is in the near future, according to the LA Times. A new study was recently published in the journal PLOS Medicine about researchers who have (arguably) found a way to predict death by monitoring levels of biomarkers (“key molecular or cellular events that link a specific environmental exposure to a health outcome,” according to the National Institutes of Health) in a person’s blood stream. These biomarkers are molecules that are found in the blood and body tissues that can signal abnormal processes, conditions or diseases, according to the National Post. A simple example is cholesterol being used to check for risk of heart disease. The four biomarkers that were focused on in the experiment are alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, albumin, very low-density lipoprotein and citrate. To determine the significance of these four biomarkers, Finnish and Estonian researchers took blood samples from a random selection of 9,482 Estonians between the age of 18 and 101, according to the LA Times. They screened the samples for 106 different kinds of biomarkers and monitored them over a period of five years. Over those five years, 508 of the subjects died due to various causes. With these results, the researchers compared the biomarker levels of both the living and dead and were able to identify which ones were more common among those who died. The experiment was also repeated on a group of 8,444 Finnish men and women between the ages of 24 and 74; the same biomarkers turned out to be just as predictable.
“What is especially interesting is that these biomarkers reflect the risk for dying from very different types of diseases such as heart disease or cancer. They seem to be signs of general frailty in the body,” said Dr. Johannes Kettunen, who works at the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Finland, according to the National Post. So not only can these “death biomarkers” be suggestive of certain fatal diseases, but they can tell a seemingly healthy person if in fact death may be the coming years for them due to any sort of “general frailty.” I think this test is great for conditions that are treatable, but what if there is nothing that can be done? Then it’s too late. Your psyche could be damaged; you’ve taken this test and now you’re just left counting down the days. Although, it is a matter of probability. “[The biomarkers] do not indicate someone WILL die within five years, but rather the person has a higher probability of dying,” said Dr. Stephen Kucera, a professor of biology. Still, this leaves us with a question: Would you really want to find out that you have a higher probability of dying? I think anybody would have a hard time answering this because there is so much to consider. What if a future test could reveal a fatal disease in which the end result could possibly be prevented or delayed because of this early detection? This determining test could also give those people a chance to live out the rest of their days to the fullest, making the most of their final moments. In these cases, the test could definitely be beneficial. In other cases, someone knowing that they have a higher probability of dying could have a pretty strong, negative psychological effect. It could lead to things like suicide or just a complete mental breakdown. “At the moment, near as I can tell, we don’t have such knowledge for the biomarkers in this study,” Kucera said. “Suppose these markers survived scientific scrutiny and ended up being reliable predictors of risk, but we still did not understand why and could not devise
kingdesmond1337/Flickr
If you could, would you really want to know when and how you are going to die?
any treatments to change them for the better. … I don’t see any point of taking a test for which nothing can be done.” I don’t see any psychological benefit to taking this blood test and finding out you have a higher probability of premature death if there is no known treatment. Taking all of this into consideration, I wouldn’t take the test. “Death is inevitable, but to me, it is also supposed to be spontaneous and something that is accepted,” said Mark Hite, a freshman sports management major. “If someone were to know that they were going to die in the next five years, they might try to change fate in one way or another.” I don’t think enough of us actually take to heart the idea to live like it’s our last day on Earth. We often take our friends and family for granted, forgetting phone calls and holding unnecessary grudges, when we should instead cherish them every day. We never know how much time we really have left with them. One of the most defining moments of
my life was when my mom told me that my grandpa had just been diagnosed with cancer. Being the good mom she is, she made it seem like everything was going to be fine and that he would get better. I so desperately wanted to believe her, but we all know cancer can be very unforgiving. After all, only half of those diagnosed will live the next five years, according to cancerresearchuk.org. Even in cases like mine, most of us know that death is inevitable despite all of the medical treatment available. I enjoyed those last two years with him, but I always wondered what was going through his head and how hard it must have been to know that he was in fact dying and nothing could be done to change that. It’s a terrifying thought. With that being said, I challenge everyone to live like their life is coming to a close. As for that blood test, I will not be inquiring about whether I will be alive for the next five years any time soon. In this case, I believe ignorance really is bliss. Caitlin Malone can be reached at caitlin.malone@spartans.ut.edu
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16 THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
Sports
The Look
The Swing
The Drive Nikki Nunzio/The Minaret
Freshman Third Baseman Bre Setree steps up to the plate in a very pivotal game against the St. Leo University Lions. The Lady Spartans defeated St. Leo by a score of 2-0.
Win Over Rival St. Leo Gives Softball Team Momentum By LAYLA SOUCHET Sports Writer
Walking out to the Naimoli ball field, before you see the clay, the grass or the cleats, all that can be heard is the thwack of softballs as they make contact with gloves. This past weekend was the softball team’s tournament against major SSC rival St. Leo University. With the team sitting at a 7-3 record at the time and second overall in the SSC standings, it was clear why the game would be a tough one. Even though at one point there were three different warm up stations going on (pitching, infield and outfield), the entire team moved like clockwork. Each player knew where the other was, and the only communication on
the field was encouragement and praise for each other. The players were all smiles, confidence and looking comfortable. If these ladies were nervous about playing the Lions, they didn’t let it show. Even Assistant Coach Denise Rubio was getting her warm up in by jogging with her dog Gracie. “You should be here for weekend games,” Rubio said. “Families come out with their dogs and their kids.” And it’s clear that family and the community are very important for the lady Spartan team. All the women even sported pink bows in their hair. “It’s for cancer awareness,” Rubio said. “My mom was affected by it and some of our players have loved ones affected by
it, so we do it for support. School, family. You don’t need anything more.” Except for softball, maybe. Including the three games in the upcoming tournament, the Spartans face their next 10 games at home. Junior sports management major and pitcher Julia Morrow thinks the schedule will work in the Spartans’ favor. “We were away last weekend and away last week so to be able to be home and focus on softball and not traveling and all that will definitely help us,” Morrow said. Going into the tournament, she even had a few words for the visiting Lions. “We’re really pumped because last year, St. Leo won the conference even though we beat them head to head, so we’re excited to get out there and show them, ‘Hey, we’re here and we’re going
to kick your butt!’,” Morrow said. And kick butt they did. The Spartans managed a 2-0 win over St. Leo after the Friday night game. But the ladies know they’re far from perfect. “Sometimes we get a little bit too relaxed. So starting this last week, we’ve started focusing on winning every inning and not giving up until we’ve won every one. Because if you win every inning, you win the game,” Morrow said. Out of the next games they host, the Spartans will have three games against SSC foe Rollins. The other games will be played against the Adelphi University Panthers and the Dominican College Chargers. All the games will be tournament style, spread over several days. Layla Souchet can be reached at layla.souchet@spartans.ut.edu
Swimming Provides Calm Outlet for Minaret Writer
By GRANT PAWLAK Sports Writer
I started swimming competitively when I was eight years old and loved every aspect of the sport, from the heavy smell of chlorine that hung in the air to the adrenaline that pumped through my veins as I took my first dive into the chilly waters of the pool that I practiced at. It was exhilarating for me and was more fun for me than any sport I had tried before. I had taken a few swimming lessons when I was younger and had enjoyed the time I spent with the instructors who taught me how to take my first strokes in the water. While I swam throughout elementary and middle school, it wasn’t until high school that I truly found my passion for the sport. It became the center of my life, the glue that held my entire high school experience together. It was the focal point of my social life as I forged bonds with people who enjoyed the thrill of swimming as much as I did. When most people look at a swim meet, they just see the chaos of splashing water, flailing arms and coaches yelling at the top of their lungs. To me it’s a sight that I’ve become so familiar with that it feels like a second home. There’s no feeling like diving into the waiting water below, hearing the rush of water run over my ears and feeling the rush of the race as I kick my
legs and my arms pull the water with all the strength I can muster. Swimming was my life for the four short years I remained in high school and in those years, it taught me so much about myself and the waiting world.
Swimming helped me learn to put value in the things I do. The practices gave me something to look forward to every day. It taught me the meaning of hard work and what it means to be good at something you truly enjoy and love.
Michael Lokner/Flickr
For many, swimming is the perfect escape. The weightless pool is a world in itself.
I’ll never forget the very first medal I won while swimming as it helped me prove to myself that I could achieve any goal no matter how difficult. But the most important thing swimming taught me is self-motivation. For the most part, swimming is a sport that revolves around the individual and not so much the team as a whole. It’s not the same as with most other sports such as football or soccer where there are individual entities of the team all working together in order to score the most points and win the game. While winning meets and gaining points is important, swimming is mostly an individual sport. Swimming is about setting records for yourself and beating them, and nothing feels better than getting out of the pool knowing you were able to break your own personal record, even if it’s only by a few milliseconds. That sense of satisfaction pushes you to try even harder next time and to want to continue shaving off time as you improve yourself to get as close as you can to perfection. While I don’t swim competitively anymore, it will always be a part of who I am and the time I spent doing it will always be ingrained in my memory. To me swimming was never just a sport or a race, it was a lifestyle. Grant Pawlak can be reached at grant.pawlak@spartans.ut.edu.
MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
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Raeshaad Long/The Minaret
Juliana Cavallaro has had an impressive sophomore campaign, averaging 10.3 points a game. Her place in the starting lineup has boosted offensive production across the board.
Cavallaro’s Improvement Reflected in Team’s Success By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer
Guard Juliana Cavallaro has made her mark on the UT women’s basketball team this season. Not only has she started all 26 games of the season, she started 27 out of 28 games her freshmen year with a total of 1,004 minutes played. Her successfulness on the court has a lot to do with the fact that she has been playing basketball for as long as she can remember. While in high school, Cavallaro set multiple school records, including points in a single game, single-season points and free throws. After high school, Cavallaro decided to come to UT to help further her basketball career. “One of the reasons I came to Tampa was because of the great basketball program and the coaching staff,” Cavallaro said. “Tampa is also great academically so that helped with my decision.” In addition to the coaching staff at
Tampa being one of the deciding factors for Cavallaro, the coaching staff was also very excited to welcome her on the team last year. “Juliana had been coming to our basketball camps since she was in the seventh grade,” Coach Tom Jessee said. “She was a highly recruited player so when she decided to attend the University of Tampa. I was very excited (to have her).” From last season to this season, Cavallaro has developed as a player and is a great asset to the team. Last season, the Spartans ended the season with a 199 record and Cavallaro said she learned a lot. The transition from last season to this current season has helped Cavallaro develop even more as a player. “I learned a lot last year and it gave me a good gauge on what to work on over the summer,” Cavallaro said. “It is much easier this year than last year and I attribute that to all the experience I had freshman year.”
Cavallaro’s growth as a player has a lot to do with her continuing strengths on the court and her ability to learn fast, developing new strengths too. “She is willing to do anything we ask of her,” Jessee said. “She is an extremely hard worker and has become a good passing player. She has also become a very strong defender along with being a strong offender, which shows her versatility as a player.” The Spartans just won the SSC Championship last week and are on a 13 game winning streak. Cavallaro said these are some of her proudest accomplishments this season. During the post season games and future seasons to come, she is looking forward to improving as a player and helping her team be successful in any way she can. Cavallaro and the team are currently focused on keeping their winning streak going and making it to the National Championship.
“My favorite thing about basketball is competing,” Cavallaro said. “I am a very competitive person and that is why I am extremely excited that we are moving on in the postseason. Some big games will be coming up, but we are all working hard and focusing on what’s yet to come.” Cavallaro has a great amount of potential and Jessee is looking for her to take the next step as a leader and voice for the team. He thinks it is her turn to take the next step as a strong leader on the team and guide it through the seasons to come. While Cavallaro is only a sophomore, in the current direction she is headed, great things can be expected from her. The Spartan team is currently on a bye week, but the SSC Tournament semifinals start March 8. Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.
Women’s Tennis Team Battles Tough SSC Schedule By ANDREW STAMAS Sports Writer
It is not easy playing in the best conference in the nation, and the Spartan women’s tennis team has learned that the hard way. While it is still relatively early in the season, the ladies from UT are off to a 2-5 start overall and 1-5 in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) play. Despite this rough start, they have still been able to maintain an impressive top 25 national ranking (they are currently sitting at No.23). Although it may seem odd that a team with a losing record can be ranked so high, it is mainly because all five of its losses have come against teams ranked higher than the Spartans. This just shows how difficult it is to play in the SSC. Head Coach Al DuFaux is no stranger to the rigors of the SSC, having been in charge of this team for 15 years. “There are nine schools in the conference, and eight out of nine are in the top 25. Five are in the top 10. It’s the toughest conference in the nation. In any other state, we would probably be conference champions,” DuFaux said. To prepare for such a tough schedule, DuFaux spoke about how hard the Spartans trained during the off season. “They were in the weight room two times a week,” DuFaux said. “They had a strength and conditioning coach from the health sciences department. They went through a nutrition program, four weeks long. They also went through physical testing with Dr. Jacob Wilson from health sciences.
They also had to do the normal things, practice, tournaments.” Kelsey Matthews, a junior who transferred to UT last year from the University of Indianapolis, said, “[The conference is] definitely difficult. At my last school it wasn’t so difficult.” Meg Wladimirski, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, hopes that her team can gain a lot from playing in such a difficult conference. “It is very tough, but it is something that keeps you motivated,” Wladimirski said. Wladimirski, who moved up from second to first singles this year to replace the injured Thashia Garcia, said she can feel the pressure of playing at the number one spot. “It is a lot different than number two. I’m still trying to get used to it. It does give me motivation to work harder, but it is still a lot of pressure,” Wladimirski said. Despite the rocky start, the ladies are determined to stay motivated and improve to do better for the rest of the season. “So far, we played the hardest schools from our conference, but it was good to prepare us for the rest of the season,” Wladimirski continued. “We need to improve our endurance on court and motivation in practice. I hope me and my doubles partner can get a better doubles ranking. And for the team, top 15.” “We can improve on staying pumped in the matches we start down, fighting hard even if we’re down,” Matthews added. “[We should aim to] win the rest of our matches, to do well in the
conference tournament. We have a lot to prove from last year.” DeFaux is also confident that his team can do better the rest of the season. “Initially, we’re 23. We want to get to the top 20 and hopefully finish the year in the top 15,” DeFaux said.
The Spartans have their next ten home matches between now and April 1, so it should be interesting to see if they can improve on their less than stellar start over the course of the season. Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew.stamas@spartans.ut.edu.
Alex Jackson/The Minaret
Despite facing formidable opponents, the women’s tennis team has not lost focus.
18 MARCH 6 2014 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Pro Sports
Lightning Games Offer Affordable Experience for Students
By DOMINICK FALCO Sports Writer
Tampa Bay has many great sports teams that are close to the University of Tampa. One team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are great at giving college students affordable deals for games. The Tampa Bay Lightning are midway through the 2013-2014 season, and it has been a fantastic one so far. With the team being in the middle of the playoff hunt, each game is important from this point on. Although each game is exciting to see, there are a few select games that are a must see in the second half of the season. The first game students should catch will be Thursday, March 6 against the Buffalo Sabres. When you first look at this game, it is not eyepopping, as the Sabres have the worst record in the entire NHL. However, this game is very important because it is the targeted return date for Lightning star Steven Stamkos. Stamkos has missed over 40 games since breaking his tibia on Nov. 11, 2013 at Boston on a play where he crashed into the net. The Lightning have missed Stamkos’ presence in the lineup since his injury, and it will be a fun game to witness. Another game not to miss is the March 17 battle against the Vancouver Canucks. Whenever the Canucks come in to town, you know it will be a hard fought game. The Sedin twins and the rest of the Vancouver team always give the Lightning a tough game. With
the Lightning finally settled in with Stamkos, the Canucks will give an interesting game for the fans. As the season fades into April, the race for the final playoff spots will get tough. The Lighting will most likely be battling to maintain the second or third seed in the Atlantic Division. In April, the Lighting have two important matchups against division foes. One
will be on April 1 against the Montreal Canadiens and the other will be April 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. All three teams are within two points of each other at the moment, and it doesn’t look like any of these teams will wither away any time soon. For Tampa Bay to secure their playoff spot, it will be essential to win these division games. Whenever you
get a Canadian team coming to Tampa, the atmosphere at the game is electric, and that will only be elevated as the playoff chase comes to a close. The biggest game to watch will have to be the final home game of the regular season, when the Lightning take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 11. The playoff race will come down to the final days of the season for the Lightning, so this game will be a must win for Tampa Bay. It will also be Fan Appreciation Day. The Tampa Bay Lightning have started their second half stretch in their road to the playoffs. Their road of big games starts with Buffalo through the game versus Columbus. The Lighting are looking to make their mark and make the playoffs, which will be their first step on the chase for the Stanley Cup. Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu
Venue Information Tampa Bay Times Forum 401 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602 Stadium Capacity: 20,000 Average Ticket Price: $38 Student Rush Ticket Price: $20 Matthew Paulson/Flickr Tampa Bay Times Forum, located just a few miles from campus, is an ideal spot for a game.
Teams Make Final Push for NCAA Tournament Seeding By JAMES BELLUSCIO Sports Writer
With the Winter Olympics and the NFL season in the rearview mirror, the next premiere sporting event to look forward to is the NCAA tournament. For one month, college basketball takes center stage in the sports world. Everybody fills out brackets hoping to take home their office pool, or better yet being crowned champion. This is a special time for sports because March Madness involves the fans more than any other sporting event. Now let’s take
a look at the teams most likely to be a number one seed. My first one seed of the tournament is the Wichita State Shockers. Having just completed the first undefeated regular season since Saint Joseph’s did it in 2003-2004, the Shockers will walk in the tourney as the number one overall seed. Some experts are not sold on WSU because their lack of competition. Yet they have four of their top leading scorers from last year returning, and they were only two wins away from being crowned champs just one
Adam Glanzman/Flickr
Duke fans will have plenty to cheer about during this year’s March Madness tournament.
year ago. Their excellent guard play and well-coached team has a serious chance to complete the incomparable undefeated season. My next one seed is the Duke Blue Devils. This may surprise some because Duke plays in the ACC, which includes a Syracuse Orange team that is another potential one seed. I give Duke the advantage simply because they will have the most experience entering this year’s tourney. They have played by far the most Top 10 teams in the country and split the season series with Syracuse. If Duke wins the ACC tournament, which I believe they will, they will have a one seed. The Florida Gators are currently the nation’s number one ranked team. If the Gators go on and run the table in the SEC they will easily have a one seed. They have an impressive resumé that includes non-conference wins over Wisconsin, Florida State, Connecticut, Kansas and Memphis. The scary part is that they won the majority of their non-conference games with half of their roster. Due to numerous suspensions, they did not have their entire team until recently. The Gators are the country’s hottest team, and that is why they are my favorite to win it all. My final number one team is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks count victories over Duke, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas on their resumé and have dominated the Big 12 race. This year marks the 10th consecutive
season that Kansas won at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title, which is quite frankly incredible. Andrew Wiggins and company have the difficult part of their schedule behind them. That is why I believe they will run the table, ensuring them of the last number one seed. This year, like every year, good teams will be left out of the tournament. The two teams to keep an eye on are two Big East teams. Providence and St. John’s are the last two teams “on the bubble” right now. They both are 1810 with only three games remaining. I believe the team that finishes further in the Big East tournament will get the last spot in the national tourney. Rarely do we see two teams in the same conference fighting for one of the last sports. The NCAA tournament accepts 65 teams. Oddly enough, ESPN has Providence at 65 and St. John’s at 66 on the Rating Percentage Index ranking. These teams also split the season’s series, so seeing a grudge match in the Big East tournament is exactly what a true college basketball fan would like to see. In the upcoming couple of weeks, one loss can ruin a team’s season. This is the most important time for a team if it wants to make a serious run for the national championship. If you do not establish your best play in the conference tournament, you have no chance at winning the big one. It is always the hottest team entering the tournament that makes it victorious. James Belluscio can be reached at james.belluscio@spartans.ut.edu
SPORTS
THE MINARET | MARCH 6 2014
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Professional Sports Look to Increase International Exposure By GREG PRAVER Sports Writer
It has been a strategic plan for the past few years now for executives in pro sports leagues to find ways to increase exposure and therefore make more money from sales. The NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL are currently trying different methods to do so. The NBA has done something this season that it has never tried before: staging two regular season games in two different countries, Mexico and England. The only regular season games that have been played outside of the U.S. and Canada in the past have been in London. From 2010 to 2011, the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets played the Toronto Raptors in a two-game series in the O2 Arena in London. Nets owner and businessman Mikhail Prokhorov has a vision to turn the Nets into a global brand to rival some of the world’s most famous teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Manchester United and others. The Nets played in London this season as well, defeating the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 16. In addition, the game that featured San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 4, 2013 in Mexico City was postponed due to a generator malfunction, which produced smoke in the arena. They may reschedule other games in Mexico City. The NBA has scheduled 148 games outside of the U.S. and Canada since 1978. Many of these preseason and regular games have been sellouts, bringing in fans from all over the world that not only attend games played in their
countries but watch them on television and purchase NBA memorabilia also. Meanwhile, the MLB has staged five season-opening series in countries outside of the U.S. and Canada. Games have been played in Mexico, Japan and Puerto Rico. The sixth season opening series played overseas will happen from March 22 to March 23 when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks face each other in Sydney. There should be plenty of Australian fans that buy memorabilia of the top players from the Dodgers such as Yasiel Puig, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez. This will also broaden the MLB’s fan base into the Australian territory because the games are already sold out. The NFL has played one game in London each season from 2007 to 2012. In 2013, officials decided to stage two. In 2014, they have staged three. Do you get the pattern? The NFL is seeing tremendous success in expanding its brand to Europe, particularly London. The lowest turnout at a game played in London was 76,981 on Oct. 23, 2011. Every other game has had a turnout of at least 81,176 people. The best way to grow the NFL is to play games outside of the U.S., and Commissioner Roger Goodell has been doing a good job of consistently carrying this trend from 2007 to 2016 with the Jacksonville Jaguars committing to play a home game in London last season through 2016. The NHL, unlike the NBA, MLB and NFL, has tried a method to increase exposure within the U.S., not outside of
the country. Having a hockey game at an outdoor stadium triples or quadruples the capacity of live arena attendance. The 2003 Heritage Classic, featuring the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens, was the first outdoor regular season game in NHL history. The NHL did not approve an annual outdoor game in 2004, but it would later be taken into consideration. The first Winter Classic game, always played on New Year’s Day, was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. The game had 71,217 fans in attendance, which was the record attendance for an NHL game at the time. The success of the event led to another Winter Classic game in 2009. The game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks held at Wrigley Field had the highest American television ratings of any hockey game in 33 years. On Jan. 1, the Toronto Maple Leafs traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich. to face the Detroit Red Wings at Michigan Stadium. The record attendance set in 2008 in Orchard Park was broken. 105,491 fans attended this year’s Winter Classic. Separate from the Winter Classic is the NHL’s Stadium Series, which began this season. Four outdoor games were played: The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings played at Dodger Stadium; the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils played at Yankee Stadium; the New York Rangers and New York Islanders also played at Yankee Stadium; and the Pittsburgh Penguins played
the Chicago Blackhawks at Soldier Field this past Saturday. These outdoor games provided the NHL with increased exposure, custom made Winter Classic and Stadium Series jerseys for fans to buy and viewership on television. Junior environmental science major Dillon George likes the idea of expansion of the four major American professional sports. “Playing overseas and outdoors will increase the fanbases of all of those sports, and we will see consistent trends of sellouts and people buying merchandise of their favorite American players,” George said. “It would be very interesting to see if there will [be] divisions of teams from Europe that compete against the American and Canadian teams. Every sport will have increased international games to watch.” Vicky Swanson, a senior art history major, agrees with George. “I know that if I lived in a different country, I would be very excited to see American teams compete locally, and I would want to go watch,” Swanson said. Seeing the attempts from each of these leagues to broaden viewership and fan exposure is a wonderful thing. It is great for the fans to see a change in routine, seeing increased NBA and NFL games in London and NHL games outdoors. It also benefits these leagues because fans from around the world spend money on memorabilia. American professional sports are becoming increasingly global, and their attempts are successful. Greg Praver can be reached at gregory.praver@spartans.ut.edu
Editors Debate:
Should the Bucs Trade Darrelle Revis? YES NO
By GRIFFIN GUINTA Asst. Sports Editor
The 2013 season was rough sailing for Tampa Bay’s favorite pirates. The team jettisoned veteran starting quarterback Josh Freeman, fired its head coach and wound up with a dismal 4-12 record. In a year full of tumult, it was hard to see any kind of silver lining. When taking a closer look, however, it’s evident that the Bucs’ season wasn’t all for naught. The reason? Defense. Aside from Lavonte David’s unnecessary roughness gaffe in week two, the Buccaneer defense sparkled at several points throughout last season. Tampa Bay ranked 17th in overall defense (nothing to leap for joy about, but no cause of alarm, either), according to ESPN. This ranking would likely be higher if the Buccaneers had a more proficient and experienced offense. Veteran offenses can more effectively control time of possession, which chews up more minutes on the game clock and gives the defense a chance to rest. Within the Buc defense itself is a myriad of young stars: the aforementioned David, Mark Barron, Gerald McCoy and last but certainly not least, the $96 million man himself, Darrelle Revis. Based on the evidence I have just given (that the Buccaneer defensive abilities clearly outweigh those on the offensive ends), you’d probably expect me to vouch for Revis, one of the team’s greatest defensive assets. Apologies to all the Revis faithful out there, but I personally believe the Bucs can thrive without him. Don’t get me wrong,
I think he is arguably the second best corner in the game (I’d call him the best, but Richard Sherman might rip my head off), but he sticks out like a sore thumb on a young team in rebuilding mode. Cap space is incredibly vital for young teams, especially those looking to benefit from a very potent 2014 draft class. Shedding Revis’ salary would allow the Bucs to use cap space to upgrade their offense and give Mike Glennon someone else beside Vincent Jackson to throw to. Monetary reasons aside, new Head Coach Lovie Smith is not the type to center his defense around one player, let alone a cornerback. Smith is known for his strong linebacking corps and tenacious lines and may not prioritize a player just because he is worth $96 million. To be clear, the role of secondary players on a team is incredibly vital. Just ask the Seahawks. What I mean to say is that Lovie Smith would rather have a defense full of solid, hard-working, runof-the-mill guys who know their roles than one superstar player. If Revis is with the Bucs come August, I won’t be upset. He’s not a detriment to the team, and he will provide fantastic pass coverage. However, I think the Bucs should at least explore the possibility of cashing Revis in for an abundance of younger, less expensive talent. Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin.guinta@theminaretonline.com
By JORDAN LLANES Sports Editor
As Griff mentioned in his column, the Buccaneer defense was definitely the team’s strength. Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy were named All Pros, and the secondary was greatly improved from the disastrous 2012 season, due to the improvement of 2012 first round pick Mark Barron and the additions of safety Dashon Goldson, rookie corner Jonathan Banks and some guy from the New York Jets via trade. His name? Darrelle Revis. Although slowed by the recovery from his torn ACL, Revis still had a superb season, earning yet another Pro Bowl nod. The corner, who is universally thought of as the league’s second best corner behind Sherman, had 50 total tackles, one sack, two interceptions and 11 passes defensed. The reason why his interception and passes defensed totals were so low? Because no opposing quarterback is stupid enough to throw the ball his way. His ability to neutralize the opponent’s best receiver (see the Lions game from last season where he shut down Calvin Johnson) and force offensive coordinators to plan just for him impacts the Bucs’ defense in a major way. Coach Lovie Smith recognizes his ability to put the opponent’s top
receiver on an island with his man to man cover skills. There is a reason why the man makes $16 million a year. He plays to win the game. Period. And this year will even be better. Smith will allow Revis to go at full force and stick him to the league’s top receivers week in and week out. It wouldn’t be a bold prediction to say that he earns another All Pro nod next season. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com
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Should the Bucs trade star cornerback Darrelle Revis after just one season?
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Senior Pitcher Preston Packrall Leads by Example
By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer
Upon competing in a pre-season tournament in Cuba, senior pitcher Preston Packrall decided to bring home a few Cuban coins, called cucs (pronounced “kooks”), to keep for nostalgic purposes. After participating in a community event where the baseball team helped deliver furniture to homes around town for families in need, one of his teammates purchased a ceramic gnome from the furniture store for what seemed to be no apparent reason. However, Packrall soon found the perfect way to put these seemingly random items to use: every time the team gets a victory, they would put one cuc inside the gnome. This soon became a ritual and eventually a superstition; if you didn’t put the cuc in the gnome, the team’s success would be tarnished. As a pitcher for the number one ranked baseball team in the country for Division II, you would think that Packrall would be all business when it comes to his sport. However, beneath the competitive persona, Packrall has a whimsical side that helps his team stay calm and confident. “Preston has a funny side to him as well as natural leadership ability which is going to be missed next year,” Coach Joe Urso said. “He has been in charge the last two years of some of our superstitions that go along with baseball.” Despite his bits of comic relief off the field, Packrall has hefty goals for himself and his team this season.
“We first want to focus on clinching the conference as a unit and then to move on from there,” Packrall said. “We hope to clinch a region and then hopefully a national title. Personally, my main goal is just to perform at a level that will give my team the ability to advance and make it back to the world series possibly.” In a game this season against USC Aiken, Packrall showcased his ability to perform at the level necessary to compete in the national championships once again. “In the game against Aiken, he came
in against the number two team in the country when we were already losing 40,” Urso said. “For him to just come in and compete the way he did was awesome. He went seven innings of no hit baseball and kept the score close for us to have a chance to come back and win the night against one of the top teams in the country. That win kept us in the number one spot in the national polls.” His skills and level of maturity under pressure aren’t the only things that Packrall is noted for on his team.
Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe
Preston Packrall’s impressive 0.53 ERA is just a small indicator of his immense success this season.
As one of the more experienced players, he also assumes a tremendous amount of responsibility during practice time as well. Although this might seem stressful to most, Packrall doesn’t let it affect him. “Preston is just the most enthusiastic person ever,” said Jacob Tillotson, a senior third baseman. “He’s always positive and he’s been really good on the mound this year. We all kind of look up to each other, but he’s just kind of the vocal leader of the bunch.” Packrall foreshadowed a promising season in his first few games of the year while the team traveled to Cuba. “His highlight was definitely going to Cuba and getting some innings there and throwing really well,” said Zach Gawrych, a senior right fielder. “It really catapulted him and the team into this season and how well he’s doing so far here.” With Spartan sights set on a national championship, the most important thing for a leader like Packrall to bring to his team is confidence and consistency during every game. “No matter what the circumstances, he is usually able to stay pretty calm and confident,” Gawrych said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re playing an unranked team and were up ten, or if we’re playing a conference opponent and it’s a tight game, he’s the same either way, going in and doing his job.” Tess Sheets can be reached at therese. sheets@spartans.ut.edu
Men’s Baseball Seeking to Carry Hot Start into March
By PHIL NOVOTNY Sports Writer
With the month of February behind us, the Spartans are showing no sign of letting down from their national title winning season that ended last May. The University of Tampa baseball team is still number one in the nation after an impressive 11-1 start to the season. After the Spartans’ win against Shepard in Aiken, S.C., they played a three game series against Georgia College. They split the first two games of the series, but in rubber game, UT came out on top in a blowout by the final score of 13-0. Senior center fielder Connor Obrochta led the charge with three hits and four runs batted in the process. Catcher Nick Tindall and utility man Tyler Ding each had solo home runs to add on to the offensive barrage. The Spartans’ spectacular play is led by their bullpen. Pitchers Kevin McNorton and Brett Jones have recorded an astounding 0.00 earned run average (ERA). Jones credits other aspects that have led to the team’s success. “Our team’s solid play on defense and our production in two-out situations have been huge,” Jones said. Ever since that victory, UT came up with a sweep of Albany State by scores of 9-4 in game one, 7-1 in game two and 17-9 in game three. Sophomore transfer Trey Oest picked up his fourth win of the year, which improved his record to 4-0. Ding went a perfect five for five in game one and tallied another two hit game in game three. In addition, six
players notched multiple RBI’s in the final matchup. Ding was later named SSC Player of the Week and the NCBWA South Region Hitter of the Week. “I am happy with the start but there is always room for improvement all around,” Head Coach Joe Urso said. In the upcoming weeks, things will not get easier as the heart of season starts to unfold. UT will begin conference play against St. Leo from March 7 to 9 and then a three game series against Rollins later in the month from the March 14 to the doubleheader on March 15. Players and coaches agree that they need to raise the bar to be successful in SSC play. Overall, Coach Urso seems pretty happy with the bullpen, but he addressed some flaws that need to be fixed moving forward. “We need to find more consistency from starters and we have made too many defensive mistakes. The competition we have faced has made us a better team and has prepared us for conference games, especially pulling out the close games,” Urso said. “We need to keep the same mindset and treat every game the same while we play the way we should,” Oest said. The Spartans have encountered minor problems to start the season, but they are still on top of the nation moving into the month of March. Coach Urso and the Spartans have their work cut out for them as conference play commences. Phil Novotny can be reached at Alex Jackson/The Minaret Senior utility player Tyler Ding steps up to the plate and prepares for his next pitch. philip.novotny@spartans.ut.edu