The Minaret 2/13/2014 by The Minaret

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“You’re Moving In a Week”

All HoJo Residents Suddenly Dorm-Dwellers

By KHADIJAH KHAN

so unorganized,” said Pedro Garcia, a freshman and biology major. “This whole thing was unnecessary and unfair. We were treated like pieces in a board game.” Eric Cardenas, the director of Public Information at UT, relayed information from ResLife to The Minaret. When asked why the sudden move, they explained, “We had the space on campus to accommodate all of the residents so we brought everyone back to campus. Our goal is to house as many students on main campus as possible, and this semester we were able to accomplish that goal.” Garcia stressed that the moves were not voluntary. “There was no consent from us,’’ he said, “and we were only given a few days notice.’’ “Of course we would have preferred to notify students earlier. But, students moved back to campus from winter break on Jan. 16-17,” Cardenas said. “Residence Life may not have necessarily immediately

News Writer

Within the past two weeks, one email caused an uproar among the many students who once lived in The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel. On Jan. 31, Residence Life sent out an email to approximately 90 students residing in the HoJo, which said, “We will be consolidating all Howard Johnson Plaza residents to main campus this week.” The University of Tampa gave students until Feb. 9 to move out of the Howard Johnson and into their new residence halls, according to the email. The University provided boxes and moving supplies as well as a team to move the students’ belongings. Students said they didn’t understand why they weren’t told over winter break that this was going to happen so they could have prepared and bought the necessary things like twin-sized sheets, TVs and other supplies. “We settled in and two weeks later we had to pack and unpack everything all over again. This was

In Other News 3 “HerCampus”

Website Attracting Female UT Audience

7 Digital Dating: Find a Valentine Online

8 Popular Social

Media Poet Waxes on Love and Writing

13 Popular Petition Asks Disney to Create Plus-Size Princess

16 Senior Ace Kayla Cox Continues Dominate Career

News............................2 Diversions...................6 A+E...............................7 Opinion......................11 Sports...........................16

Taylor Sanger/The Minaret

See HOJO Page 4

Football Petition Gains Close to 2,000 Signatures

By JESSE LONG News Writer

One afternoon last month, freshman and finance major Austin Villa’s gateways advisor presented a question to the class regarding school spirit on campus and how the class felt it could be improved. Villa thought the answer was obvious: a football team. Villa knew that the addition of a football team would create more of a sense of community around campus, so immediately after class, Villa printed out a petition form and started getting signatures in an attempt to get a football team at UT. By Feb. 7, he obtained around 1,700 signatures, just over a week after he started the petition. “My goal is to get 2,000 signatures, but at this point, I want to continue on once I get there,” Villa said. He said he can usually get the 300 signatures he is short in a day. “Having a football team will create new events around campus, like tailgating, to bring the school closer together,” Villa said. “It will also bring more male students to UT, which will even out the female-tomale ratio on campus.” The female-to-male ratio among UT’s 6,143 students is 56 percent female to 44 percent male, according to 2014 statistics from U.S. News and World Report. Villa also wanted to understand the

The Minaret University of Tampa used to have a football team in the past. Students have been more adamant than ever about getting one again.

dynamics behind starting a football petition, so in an effort to better know the process and requirements and gain support, he met with Dean of Students Stephanie Russell Krebs and Student Government President PK Creedon. He also met with a marketing professor, Hemant Rustogi, this past Tuesday. In addition, Villa also set up a meeting with Athletic Director Larry Marfise. According to Marfise, the reason why UT does not have a football program is one major road block: funding. “It costs around $2,000 to equip a player with the needed equipment,” said Marfise. However, the cost of equipment for each player is a small number

compared to the needed renovations for UT to manage a football team. “The major costs associated with starting a program here at UT, is that adding football would result in a need to have more locker rooms, additional office space for coaches, and the addition of football fields,” said Marfise. “Most schools have at least two fields for their football team.” To meet these needs, the university would need to purchase additional land. This can be very costly due to UT’s downtown Tampa location and the limited land available. On top of that, four to six coaches, an additional trainer and equipment manager would See FOOTBALL Page 4

FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

MINARET

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Keesee

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NEWS + FEATURES Lauren Richey, Editor

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OPINION

Paola Crespo, Editor

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Annabella Palopoli, Editor

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NEWS + FEATURES

Herbalife Health Supplement Gaining Popularity Amongst Students By MARK SUGDEN AND THERESA STANTON

News Writers

The sweet, french vanilla shake with a dash of cinnamon races down my throat. Never have I thought workout drinks could taste so good. Instead of having breakfast, I indulged in the same routine as a regular Herbalife user, where a shake takes the place of a meal. No longer was I hungry as I looked at the white chunks left at the bottom of my cup. The motto ran through my head, “healthy never tasted so good.” Every day, faithful Herbalife users have a shot of aloe, an herbal tea, then a shake before exercising. UT students are joining a new lifestyle choice, called Herbalife, in hopes of having more energy, becoming more fit and building more muscle. Sophie Aldeman, a sophomore exercise science major, has been using Herbalife since the end of January. She saw Ray Camaraza’s pictures on Facebook, a UT graduate who now works to promote Herbalife, and decided to get in contact with him. “I was skeptical at first because you look at the pictures and hear people’s testimonials and you think ‘how does it happen so quickly?’ but it just works,” Aldeman said. “I’m just happy all the time and energetic.” Aldeman uses the meal replacement shakes two times per day and works out once per day. She gives herself one day off from using the product. She has lost two pounds so far and will continue with Herbalife. Herbalife sells a variety of products for personal care, kids’ nutrition, energy and fitness and weight management. Consumers can pick from several shake flavors: french vanilla, dutch chocolate, piña colada, mint chocolate, wild berry, cafe latte, dulce de leche and the most popular, cookies and cream. The shakes are designed to contain 20 essential vitamins and act as meal replacements. The tea consists of an herbal aloe powder mix, which acts as a cleanser and provides support for the immune system. The teas come in original, lemon, raspberry and peach. As a package, consumers can buy the shake, a multivitamin complex and a cell activator. The multivitamin supports the immune system and bones. The cell activator contains aloe and supports the body’s absorption of micronutrients. Customers come in to different gym locations across the U.S. and have one of the meal replacement shakes. They can purchase meal cards and use them at the locations. At one location, if you buy six meals for $30, you get a seventh one for free. Many customers also purchase Herbalife and make it at home but still come into the gym and purchase the meals. Clara, a trainer for Herbalife who requested that her full name remain private, said locations of gyms where Herbalife are purchased are kept secret because the owners do not want huge

Ray Camaraza/Facebook

Ray Camaraza loves using Herbalife. He uses all of the products and couldn’t be happier.

crowds coming in all at once. They also want to be able to reach out and build relationships with people. If they have a lot of publicity, it would be hard to maintain that relationship because they call and keep track of clients weekly. Trainers also do not want customers to favor one gym location over another. “If I buy a protein shake at GNC and go work out on my own, no one from GNC is going to call me,” said Camaraza. This gym has trainers specified to different types of people. Camaraza handles mostly UT students. He was recruited by Sebastian, a trainer who also requested his full name be withheld, and mostly handles MMA fighters. Clara, who is a mother, handles moms who want to get into shape. Camaraza first started using the workout products but then decided to use the weight loss ones as well. He gained an eight-pack and lost four percent of his body fat. He switched to Herbalife because other workout products made him feel sluggish. Camaraza gets people interested in Herbalife by providing free workouts at the gym and by exercising at UT’s campus. Once newbies join, they still receive free group workouts. “Many people come join because they want to be a part of a group. A lot of UT students are looking for a family atmosphere. A lot of them are traveling from home and they don’t have a typical family,” Camaraza said. “We provide

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Rebecca Barton Wendy French

STAFF WRITERS Vanessa Righeimer Khadijah Khan Chandler Callahan Doha Madani

COLUMNISTS

Samantha Bloom Avery Twible

MORE INFORMATION

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Ray Camaraza/Facebook

Members of a secretly located Herbalife gym huddle up after a strenuous workout.

that for them.” Kenra Borden, a senior communication major, was introduced to Herbalife when she took a fitness class with her sorority sisters last semester. She enjoyed it but said the whole workout was circled around the product. “They push it and give you testimonials and pictures,” Borden said. Borden and about 20 of her sorority sisters decided to try the product because of the pressure from trainers. She spent around $150 and was on it for about a month. One day Borden was talking to her friend from Colombia, where Herbalife is also sold. Her friend said they sell the product for $20. “They do it over there [Colombia] for a little diet, or for a wedding or event. They will drop 10 pounds in a month,” Borden said. “It’s not a lifetime thing.” According to a GNC sales associate who wishes to remain anonymous, there is a cheaper alternative. He said by combining ultra mega green active powder with aloe vera juice, customers could save a lot of money. Ultra mega green active powder only costs $44.49 while the aloe vera juice costs $11.99. After a month of using Herbalife and losing two pounds, Borden stopped. She now makes her own natural shakes and likes knowing what exactly is going inside them. The other sorority sisters have stopped taking it as well. “It’s just like any other diet product. You might lose weight, but are you going to stay on it your whole life? No you aren’t,” Borden said. “You can find other healthier alternatives.” Camaraza said he sees a lot of people, especially UT students, fall off the program. He does, however, see many students come back because of their friends’ progress with the product. Camaraza’s favorite thing about working at the gym is getting to know people on a personal level while promoting the product at the same time. “It goes a lot more into it then just giving them products,” Camaraza said. “We provide them with positive attitudes and free workouts. People come in here with no hope at all and we give them hope, so it inspires me.” Mark Sugden can be reached at mark. sugden@spartans.ut.edu Theresa Stanton can be reached at theresa. stanton@spartans.ut.edu

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

“HerCampus” Website Attracting Female UT Audience

http://www.hercampus.com/school/ut

Her campus caters to individual colleges and universities by reporting on campus events. By KIRBY JAY News Writer

Her Campus, an online magazine that serves as a collegiate guide for college women, has made its way to the University of Tampa. The website covers over 500 schools, and all of the writers are college women. There are seven different categories including news, events, a photo style blog and other pages where certain people are featured for falling under descriptions like beauty, health, love or career.

One of the sections is called “Campus Cutie,” where a good-looking student is presented. Another section called “Campus Celebrity,” features different students who are very involved around campus. There is also a category where the writers can blog about anything that they believe will interest students. “I think it’s such a cool way to express yourself,” said Jordan Sypek, a junior marketing major and also one of the members who helped create the chapter at UT last semester. One of the website’s most popular pieces “9 Signs You Go to UT” written by Sypek, had

thousands of views and emphasized relatable endeavors like students skipping class when it rains or that the only time all year students are awake before 8 a.m. is on Gasparilla. The “9 Signs You Go to UT” was the top story for Her Campus UT until last week, when UT’s “Campus Cutie” page, featuring junior and government world affairs major Zack Scott, received over 3,000 views in the first four days after being published. “I love the social aspect of the club and seeing how many people actually read and look at the articles,” said Her Campus writer Bari Markowitz, a junior marketing major. “[Students] can find out news about our school, what’s going on in the world and events that’s happening on our campus.” The organization of about 17 writers at the school was recently approved by O.S.L.E. this semester to become an official club on campus. They meet every Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Macdonald-Kelce Library in room AB2. The meetings typically include brainstorming event and content ideas, and all of the articles are planned and posted two weeks in advance. “We did our Valentine’s Day articles for this week two weeks ago, and then we brainstormed this past week for next week’s content,” said Kailee Baylor, junior advertising major and founder of Her Campus UT. Their Valentine’s Day articles include “Valentine’s Day: Girls’ Expectation vs. Guys’ Reality,” and “How to Have the Best Galentine’s Day Ever.” The girls are all passionate about writing, which creates an exciting environment for the club. The generic Her Campus website was launched in 2009 by three undergraduate

From the Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 Reports

Gotcha! On Feb. 9, a student reported his laptop stolen from his dorm room. It was later determined his roommate took it as a joke.

#HACKED On Feb. 5, a student reported her Facebook and cell phone number were hacked.

*Pew Pew Pew* On Feb. 9, a student was found to be in possession of a toy pistol.

Forgetful Frannie On Feb. 9, a student reported she forgot her purse at a bar.

You Wanna GO?!?!! On Feb. 5, students were in a physical altercation.

Watch This! On Feb. 5, an intoxicated, underage student attempted to damage university property.

Reports compiled by Katherine Lavacca

Alpha Kappa Alpha is holding Academic Wednesdays in the Commuter Lounge. Open to anyone who needs help! Greek Life Awards Nominations due by Feb. 28. Applications due by Friday, March 7. Sigma Delta Tau will be hosting a Zumba event in Cass Gym at 8p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17. Panhellenic women are volunteering at the Children’s Cancer Center for the charity, Polo Classic on Feb. 22. Theta Chi Fraternity made $900 at its Theta Chi Date Auction on Feb. 11.

women at Harvard University. Since then, the website has expanded to schools all over the country, and the company recently bought the British version of Her Campus. Now the magazine includes all of the UK chapters as well. The idea to create Her Campus UT came to Baylor after she transferred to UT last spring. “I was just looking for something to join, and I had applied to a lot of the advertising organizations but none of them seemed to be up and running,” said Baylor. “I read Her Campus, so I just thought we could start a chapter of our own.” Sypek says the UT website is unique in that it has a very diverse group of writers. “I really like how I’ve been able to meet people from everywhere,” she said. “Everyone is so different.” The club members met with the Her Campus organization at the University of South Florida last Saturday, who were mostly mass communication majors. Her Campus UT members range from English to marketing majors and include students who are in sororities on sports teams and two international students. Sypek and Baylor believe this helps the club gain fresh ideas from a variety of perspectives. The website staff is expected to expand throughout the year, and Sypek said they are always looking for new members. They will be tabling in Vaughn this Friday to promote both viewers and writers for Her Campus. “We are always looking for new members,” Sypek said. “We’re excited to see what the semester will bring for us.” Kirby Jay can be reached at kirby.jay@ spartans.ut.edu

Information session about Student Government elections will be held Tuesday, Feb. 18. Leadership Awards Night nominations are due on Feb. 28.

The President’s Luncheon will be hosted on March 2. RSVP via OrgSync by 5 p.m. on Feb. 21. Leadership retreat sign ups are due by Feb. 21. The retreat will be held on March 1 from 9 p.m. - 5 p.m. Lunch will be provided! Take the survey for the “Best of” edition of The Minaret at tinyurl.com/ minaretsurvey for a chance to win one of two $25 giftcards to Amazon!

4 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET Students forced to move out of HoJo known about students who decided to move off campus, or transfer, and Residence Life would have had to confirm that those students were not returning to campus housing. So, the 30th was the earliest Residence Life could make the notification to Howard Johnson residents.” Students also wondered how this move would affect their housing payments, as the HoJo is $2,498 per semester for a double and a double in McKay or Smiley is $2,149. “Students who were moving back to campus had the option of moving into housing that was equal, more than or less than the rate they were paying in the Howard Johnson,” Cardenas said. Stephen Carse, a freshman predental major, said there were other conflicts beyond the hurried move. “The RAs of the HoJo decided to take it amongst themselves to kick out the third and fourth floor ten and a half hours early, leaving at least a dozen kids locked out of their rooms with none of their belongings,” Carse

claimed. Cardenas said he had no knowledge that this occurred. Eliza Turril, a resident assistant at Morsani Hall and senior writing and English major, said students have been moved out of the HoJo in previous years, though not on this scale. “All I know is that every year they try to get everyone out of the HoJo and on campus because it’s supposed to be a temporary living quarters. People didn’t get kicked out, they’re usually really happy to get a room on campus,” Turril said. Howard Johnson employees were asked to comment but said they were not permitted to give out any information. Student Government was unaware of the situation. ResLife staff stated they have not received any comments or complaints due to this move yet. Additional reporting done by Lauren Richey and Katherine Lavacca. Khadijah Khan can be reached at khadijah.khan@theminaretonline. com

NEWS + FEATURES

Club football potentially at UT From FOOTBALL Page 1 need to be hired to meet just the minimum requirement to run a football program. “It just isn’t possible right now with the funding, and the fact that the university has other needs and renovations that are more important,” said Marfise. “We could not justify starting a football team now when there are other projects on campus that need attention.” Marfise’s advice to Villa was the idea of starting a club football team instead of an NCAA-certified team. As a result, Villa hopes that with this petition he can assemble a club football team here on campus. “Our club teams are responsible for funding themselves, then maybe with enough interest somewhere down the road it could become something more,”

“I think UT definitely needs a football team. It will bring more unity and school spirit.” - Fatin Amin

said Marfise. Overall, Villa has received positive feedback on his petition thus far, and he is hopeful for its outcome. “I think there has only been around 10 or less people that I have asked and didn’t sign it, and it was either because they did not like football or were international and didn’t really understand the football hype,” Villa said. However, Fatin Amin, an international student and sophomore journalism major, is intrigued by the idea of having a football team on campus. “I think UT definitely needs a football team. It will bring more unity and school spirit,” Amin said. “I’m not from the U.S. and I keep hearing about Homecoming being a huge thing with football games and many more, but I didn’t even notice anything for UT’s Homecoming. Football is such a huge sport in America, and if UT brings a football team in, it definitely will make things livelier for the sports enthusiasts.” Villa will be tabling in Vaughn lobby on Feb. 17 and in Plant Hall on Feb. 18 between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Jesse Long can be reached at jesse. long@spartans.ut.edu

My love, You deserve the best that money can buy, Diamonds or jewels or words in the sky, But I clipped out this heart, right out of the news, Don’t doubt my love, you’re the one that I choose. But, I’m poor. Sincerely,

What are some things I can do on Valentine’s Day on a college student budget? It doesn’t need to be said that Valentine’s Day is upon us. Those of you who are tired of the Facebook declarations of love and the PDA can continue on to the next page and ignore these bits of info. Nobody is judging you for your “Down With Love” parties or the ceremonial burning of ex-boyfriend trinkets from Valentine’s past. But there is a significant demographic of students who are currently wracking their brains to come up with an idea of what to do with their loved ones. For those students, here are some local places and activities that will trump last year’s card exchange and subsequent Netflix marathon of Arrested Development.

Nicholas Sparks Lecture at USF There is nothing more romantic than Nicholas Sparks. Nothing. That man knows exactly what strings to pull to make a girls heart melt and her knees get weak. You know you’ve found a good guy if he is willing to sit through a double feature of The Notebook and A Walk to Remember without ripping all his hair and eyes out. Well now, if your guy loves you enough, he can take you to see Nicholas Sparks, the man himself, speak on his personal experiences as an artist and author. He will be speaking at 8 p.m. in the Marshall Center Ballroom.

The Plant Museum Valentine’s Exhibit Students don’t even have to leave campus to experience the peak of cuteness this Valentine’s Day. The Henry Plant Museum is hosting an exhibit through the end of the month that features antique paper Valentine’s from the late 19th and the early 20th century. The Valentine’s are described as depicting “pictures of children and cherubs, cupids and arrows, hearts, forget-me-nots, lush cabbage roses, bits of lace, feathers, seashells and dried flowers – all intertwined with sentimental messages.” The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays

through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $7 for students and $5 for children. Sounds too cute to handle. Want a question answered by UT FYI? Send your question about anything UT or Tampa related to ut.minaret@gmail.com

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2013

Find Out Who Your Crush is with Theta Crush Insurance

By KIRBY JAY News Writer

This Valentine’s Day, expect to see members of Kappa Alpha Theta delivering Crush Grams to students across UT’s campus. Students were able to purchase Crush Grams for friends, professors and love interests from Theta’s table in Vaughn lobby. “Crush Grams are a can of Crush soda with a heart-shaped, lollipop and a personal heart shaped note attached,” said Amanda Hyssong, the service and philanthropy director for Kappa Alpha Theta. This “basic Crush Gram” costs $2.

“I think they’re a really nice way to brighten someone’s day by showing you care while simultaneously raising money.” - Raven Hollaway Crush Grams were sold at Kappa Alpha Theta’s Crush Gram table from Feb. 7-12. However, Theta gave students the opportunity to upgrade their Crush Grams. “This year we have added the option that for an extra $1, a piece of chocolate shaped like lips can be added [to the Gram],” Hyssong said. For students wishing to send anonymously, Theta also offered “Crush

Insurance.” By spending an extra $1, Hyssong said, “the Crush-ee will never find out who sent them the Crush Gram.” Students who did not buy crush insurance, beware. Recipients of Crush Grams can choose to pay $2 to find out who sent it. However, Theta members will not tell whether the sender purchased insurance or not, so Gram receivers risk losing $2 if the sender bought insurance. “All [students had] to do is come fill out the sheet and pay the appropriate price,” Hyssong said. The form asked students for both their name and the name of their crush, along with their crush’s room number and approximate time of delivery on Valentine’s Day. With the money raised from selling Crush Grams, Theta plans to donate all of it to The Theta Foundation, one of the sorority’s own philanthropies. “It is a fund that helps Thetas in need,” Hyssong said. “Whether that be with educational or leadership scholarships, or if they are in a crisis situation.” One member of Theta, sophomore criminology and psychology major Raven Hollaway, commented on the purpose of Crush Grams. “I think they’re a really nice way to brighten someone’s day by showing you care while simultaneously raising money,” Hollaway said. Kirby Jay can be reached at kirby. Casey Budd/The Minaret Members of Kappa Alpha Theta sell Crush Grams in Vaughn lobby and will donate the money to the Theata Foundation. jay@spartans.ut.edu

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2-Week May Term May 12 – 23

6-Week Terms May 27 – July 3 July 7 – Aug. 16 12-Week Term May 27 – Aug. 16 Registration Starts Feb. 24! Register Online:

www.ut.edu/coursesearch

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6 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

Diversions

Sudoku

The Weekend Update Florida State Fair

February 13-17 Florida State Fair Grounds 9 a.m. $11-$13

Once: The Musical

February 16 Carol Morsani Hall at The Straz Center 2 p.m and 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $99

Campus Movie Fest Finale February 13 Falk Theater 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Free with UT ID

Men’s Lacrosse vs. New York Institute of Technology

PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net

Picture

WEEK of the

Photo by Michelle Speaker/The Minaret Earlier this week the late night fog left an eerie glow on UT’s campus.

February 14 Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Free with UT ID

Softball vs. Simon Fraiser

February 16 Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free with UT ID

The Many Faces of Love

February 16 Sykes Chapel and Center for Family Values 5 p.m. Free

Flogging Molly February 16 The Ritz Ybor 7:30 p.m. $29.50

Not Quite Valentine’s Day February 17 Fletcher Lounge 7:30 p.m. Free

Black History Luncheon February 20 Fletcher Lounge 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Free

NEON Publication Release & Open Mic February 20 Vaughn Lobby

7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Free

Arts + Entertainment

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

Digital Dating: Find a Valentine Online By SONNY BILLOTTE

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Nowadays, apps are being created to satisfy all aspects of life, including the search for love. Bars, coffee shops and classes are no longer the only places where people are meeting potential romantic partners. Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship, a hookup or just a casual date, your smartphone is here to serve you. “It’s crazy how the invention of smart phones and apps have changed the way people live their lives,” said Andrealiz Berrios-Mendez, a senior international business & marketing major at UT. “I never would’ve imagined college-age students relying on the Internet to find love, but there are so many dating apps out there that really do make it easier to find the exact kind of person you are looking for.”

Tinder Tinder is an appearance-based dating app that connects with your Facebook profile to introduce the user to other singles close to them in age and location. The app simply displays photos of each person pulled from their Facebook pages and allows the user to “like” or “skip” the person based on whether or not they think they’re attractive. If the user “likes” a person who also happens to “like” their photo

when they come across it, the app sets the two users up in a chatroom so that they can introduce themselves and get to know each other. Alexis Klumb, a sophomore communication major at UT, started using Tinder for fun but actually ended up meeting her current boyfriend through it. “I didn’t expect to actually meet someone on Tinder, but I do think it’s a good dating app,” Klumb said. According to Klumb, the app is appealing because it doesn’t give out the user’s last name and allows for a laid-back way of meeting people. The only problem Klumb sees with it is that some people only join as a joke and don’t take it seriously.

OkCupid OkCupid is a dating website and app that requires each member to create a profile for themselves, which involves uploading pictures and answering questions such as, “What is the most private thing you are willing to admit about yourself?” and others that may reveal something about the user’s personality. The site matches members with other profiles based on the way the user answers these questions, and the user can choose whether or not they are interested and want to send them a private message.

Pure If you’re looking for a serious, committed relationship then Pure is definitely not the best option for you. Pure is a dating app focused more on finding a last minute hookup than an actual relationship. It exists solely to set people up with a “one night stand” mentality. The app is similar to Tinder in that the user is presented with a photo of someone and must decide whether or not they are interested in them based on their looks. The difference is that with Pure, when the user is matched up with someone, there is no expectation of getting to know each other through conversation. This app is solely meant for people looking to just hook up.

Lulu Lulu is a website/app that is made for women only. In fact, men are not even able to enter the site. The app requires users to log in through their Facebook accounts to give the site access to their basic information, including the listed gender. Once on the site, the user can search for any guy that they are friends with on Facebook (their profiles are automatically created) and anonymously rate them in various categories such as appearance, humor, manners and commitment. If the user notes that you have hooked up with the person before, it allows them to rate the person based on kiss and sexual performance. Members can also create

hashtags, both positive and negative, describing the guy in some way. The anonymous rating is then available for other girls to see; the guy will never be able to view his ratings. “It’s pretty horrible for guys because we are not able to view what is said about us or even see our scores,” said Jasper Davis, a sophomore entrepreneurship, international business and management major. “You can always contact Lulu and have them delete your profile, but you can have one without ever signing up or using the app.”

Date My School Date My School is a dating app created exclusively for college students or recent college alumni. Once the user selects their college or university, the app allows them to browse through singles who either currently attend that school or are recent alumni. In order to join, the user must have an email address that ends in “.edu” to prove that they are a current student, or their name must show up in the alumni records to prove that they once were a student. The app also allows users to connect with people who share common interests. “I think Date My School is a great app for college students because you don’t have to worry as much about the people you are talking to and meeting,” said Andrealiz Berrios Mendez, a senior international business and marketing major at UT. “Everyone is affiliated with your school so you feel more comfortable.” Sonny Billotte can be reached at sonny. billotte@spartans.ut.edu

New York Fashion Week Ushers In New Trends For a New Year By MADISON IRWIN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

When New York Fashion Week is going on, it can be quite difficult for all the fashionistas at UT to focus on homework or anything else for that matter. There are plenty of students on campus who revel in this affair, working to ensure that their current wardrobe is up to par. The event, which was hosted by Mercedes-Benz Feb. 6-13 focused on fall and winter wear. This year, the event is not just about the latest trends. E! Online reported this season had a larger representation of different ethnicities and more plus-sized models than in past years. Unfortunately, the highly acclaimed fashion stylist and NYFW pro, Rachel Zoe, wasn’t able to show her collection due to family obligations. However, that didn’t stop the show from making an impression. When it comes to the actual fashion, the big trending topic of style is cowboy chic. “Fall 2014 will be all about Americana and Wild, Wild West inspiration with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week/Facebook fringe scarves, frayed edges, equestrianThe Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show featured models of different ethnicities and sizes in designers’winter collections. inspired boots and blanket coats leading the charge,” said Sheila Aimette of fashion for her lifestyle,” said Joyann King, will be especially prominent, as well as forecaster WGSN, the official trend Harper’s Bazaar digital director as berry tones incorporated with caramel, sponsor of NYFW as reported by CNN. reported by CNN. gunmetal and navy. Fashion lovers can also expect lots of Coats will be another big hit in “I’m really excited for the new trends,” plaids and gingham that are re-colored in the realm of fall/winter fashion of said Onelja Shejaj, a junior government bright hues. Although cropped pants will 2014. Meanwhile, the ever-so-popular and world affairs major. “I personally be making a comeback this fall, the spring women’s sportswear trend remains not love plaid and I had a feeling that it would crop top trend will be replaced with more as predominant. Athletic styling will be come around again. I’m also really excited boxy tops. used as accents to more feminine pieces. for fringe scarves.” “The seasons are becoming less According to CNN, Michael Kors paired Some winter/fall collections that were about weather-related clothing and sneakers with skinny brocade pants in showcased included many feathers and more about key items a woman needs his pre-fall collection. As for colors, teal furs, such as North Face pant parkas and

Jane Birkin’s Swingin’ ‘60s peacoats. Designer Jason Wu kicked off the show with his elegant and relaxed collection that is also very wearable. The purpose of his clothes is to channel a woman’s inner-power, according to The Daily Beast. Some of his pieces consisted of blazers, trousers and semi-sheer turtlenecks. Rag & Bone’s runway show had a similar vibe as well but with darker colors such as black and dark blues. Rag & Bone has become quite popular with the younger crowd. “My favorite collection would have to be Rag & Bone,” said Mandie Ronnick, a freshman communications major. “The clothes are very edgy while still maintaining its practicality.” Some other popular lines were Rebecca Minkoff’s, Ted Baker’s and Carmen Marc Valvo’s. But of course, there will always be those trends that turn people’s heads–and not in a good way. A few of the wacky pieces include Jeremy Scott’s tacky graphic designs, Thom Browne’s zombified white attire and Elle’s oddly shaped dresses. “I really did not like the [Elle’s] collection,” said Santiago Saenz, a freshman international business and finance major. “The shape of the outfits were definitely not flattering on even the models.” Although the fashion show had its gaudy moments (as per usual), the overall outcome left some UT students pleased and excited for new fads to come. Madison Irwin can be reached at madison.irwin@spartans.ut.edu

FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Popular Social Media Poet Waxes on Love and Writing By BRIANNA KWASNIK Arts + Entertainment Writer

Tyler Knott Gregson’s (also known as the Typewriter poet) poems first captured widespread attention thanks to the help of Instagram and Tumblr. His words about love have the power to stop people in the midst of their scrolling frenzies and run chills up their spines. The Minaret recently had the chance to talk to Gregson about his philosophy on love, Valentine’s Day and giving out more love, even if you don’t always get the same amount in return. The Minaret: You write one poem a day for the typewriter series, a photo caption, and a daily haiku on love. Do you wait to find inspiration before you start writing, or does the idea formulate as your writing it? Describe the process. Tyler Knott Gregson: I actually get questioned about my inspiration and process a lot, and to be honest I always feel ridiculous and silly when I answer. I really do not have a process. At all. Inspiration, it’s always seemed, kind of sneaks up on me and finds me at the most random times. I never know when a line will find it’s (sic) way into my head, I never know why and I find inspiration in the strangest little things, and the most obvious big things too. When it comes to the captions for photos, most of the time I am lying in bed, I get the photo ready, and the caption just kind of comes out. There is not really a thought process ever that leads to it. M: You gained a large audience through social media. What were

your hopes when you posted your first poem? TKG: I had none. I just wanted my family and few friends who followed my website to see them. When I began the Daily Haiku on Love, for example, I think I only had a few hundred followers, most of whom I knew personally. I do not know how it erupted into what it is now, but I am still surprised, thankful, and fascinated by it. M:What single piece of criticism has affected you the most? Why? TKG: I do not really pay attention to criticisms. For me, writing has never been a hobby or a pursuit or an endeavor that I practiced and fought to become better at. For me, writing was a necessity. I have things in my brain that are different from most people, and writing was always this pressure release valve for me, and me alone. I am still baffled at the fact that people like them, hate them, whatever. The simple fact that they are read at all is wonderful I suppose, as they are just the words in me I had to get out so I didn’t go a bit insane. M: What single piece of feedback from a fan gave you the most pride? Why? TKG: When it comes to feedback, the most surprising and humbling and important has been the sheer number of people that have written me saying that something I wrote helped to literally save their life. I have gotten more than I can count at this point, people telling me they felt hopeless, alone, empty or forgotten and reading something I wrote helped pull them back from that proverbial edge. I don’t know

Tyler Knott Gregson/Facebook

Gregson’s poems are notable for their distinctive typewriter aesthetic and sometimes creative visual imagery.

[

]

Tyler Knott Gregson/Facebook

Poet Tyler Knott Gregson has developed a large following on Facebook and Instagram.

My fascination for [love] has always been in the simple fact that I think it is the driving force on the planet.

any words that can express how crazy that is for me to read, and how much it means to me that in some way I was able to help, even without knowing how, or that I did at all. M: Publishing houses are often reluctant to publish poetry collections. Why do you think this is? TKG: The old adage is that poetry is a curse word in the publishing world. Unfortunately, the market for it has dropped significantly over the past decades. I hope to help turn that around, however small a part of that turnaround I am. I think times are changing, and poetry has a place once more. M: What can we expect from the poetry collection? Will it include a mix of daily haikus and typewriter series? Have you decided on a title yet? TKG: I have! I think for now the title is staying a little bit of a secret on request of Penguin and Perigee, but soon enough info will be out on it. The book will be a mixture I believe, but actually no haiku. It will be typewriter series, a few blackout poems, and what I am most excited about, some photography with captions that I have been doing. I am excited to display all different mediums. M: How do you see your work evolving over the next five years? TKG: That is a fantastic question that I have no idea how to answer. I think I just hope it continues to be honest, painfully so, and I hope it grows as I do. I’ve noticed the way my thoughts are jumbling together has kind of changed even over the last year, and it’s interesting to see the way simple sentences are changing. Who knows where it

will be soon. What it will be. M: What shaped your fascination and hope for love? TKG: I think I have an amazing example of it that I’ve always been able to witness in my wonderful parents. They have been married a long time, and have overcome some of the most challenging circumstances I’ve ever seen. My Dad is in professional baseball and growing up all the way through today, he’s had to be gone a massive amount of every single year. Seeing love that can overcome anything is inspiring, and it taught me what it should be. My fascination for it has always been in the simple fact that I think it is the driving force on the planet. I think more things are done for love than any other thing, and should be. Silly, maybe, but I am sticking to it. M: Do you think Valentine’s Day is a positive day to express love, or do you feel it has become too commercialized? TKG: Of course it’s become too commercialized, but as far as I see it, any day that promotes the idea of being more loving towards someone, towards everyone, is a pretty good thing in my book. Could it do with less candy hearts and pressure towards buying gifts? Absolutely, but at least they are gifts being bought for happy reasons. Gregson’s poems can be found on his Instagram page @tylerknott and on his website www.tylerknott. com. His first poetry collection is set to be published in the fall of this year. Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

Broken Bells Releases Spacey Detour for Talented Songsmiths By JORDAN WALSH

Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor

For all intents and purposes, James Mercer seems to be nothing more than an average, everyday working-class man. He’s got two kids, a wife and probably a nice, quaint little house on the outskirts of the city. He obsesses over the same things as most of us probably do—he’s kept up all night by insomnia, his heart’s been stomped on at least once or twice and he’s had a reputation for feeling rather isolated in his little bubble of friends and family. On The Shins’ four full-lengths, Mercer dwells constantly on these worries and personal problems through his own brand of wonderfully meandering and infectious indie pop. But what happens when Mercer takes a step outside of the life of the everyday man? If his side project with producer Brian Burton (also known as Danger Mouse) is any indication, he leaves this entire atmosphere. Broken Bells is the distinctly extraterrestrial yin to The Shins’ earthly yang, with Mercer’s musings of life and love injected with a heavy dose of soul and set to groove-heavy electronics and bursts of orchestral crescendos. While the duo’s first self-titled outing in 2010 was mostly forgettable and disjointed, After The Disco feels refined and uniform. Indeed, Mercer and Burton seem more like a collective group now, as opposed to two guys from very different musical spheres making some songs together. “Perfect World,” the album’s magnificent opening song, is deliciously moving and silky. A catchy tune at its core, “Perfect World” eventually evolves over its six-minute run time into a textured and weightless reintroduction and hands-down the best song the project has produced. Burton and Mercer repeatedly show on After The Disco how much they’ve improved at playing off of each other’s strengths—that is, Burton’s aptitude for constructing lush,

other-worldly tonal atmospheres and Mercer’s eloquent and quirky poetry and smooth yet direct vocal style. The title track, for instance, builds from Danger Mouse’s bursting beat into a huge chorus made perfect by Mercer’s signature waning lyricism: “How did I get into this winding maze of love/And there’s something wrong/Well it’s sending you ‘round and ‘round/Still we go nowhere.” Meanwhile, the spacey lead single “Holding On For Life” is more understated and texture based, with Mercer’s falsetto clinging to Burton’s hearty dose of dance-floor groove. “Leave It Alone” and “Lazy Wonderland” rely on orchestral apexes in their most satisfying moments, and the former track seems to be another crowning achievement for Broken Bells’ sophomore release. “Medicine” and “Control,” on the other hand, are bluesy numbers fully tricked-out with a horn-laden bridge and a surprisingly poignant xylophone outro. After The Disco unfortunately loses steam during its final two songs. The penultimate “The Angel and the Fool” is mostly just boring and seems to drone on to a repetitive acoustic strum and some minimalist electronics. Finally, the bombastic “The Remains of Rock and Roll” is easily the worst of the bunch. A too-busy faux anthem laced with cheesy ‘80s synth and a stilted string element, “The Remains of Rock and Roll” is more an example of everything that can go wrong with this partnership than a proper send-off to a mostly impressive record. While After The Disco is a fun and surprisingly substantial set of songs, it ends up being a mildly frustrating listen. Even though the partnership is so much stronger and congruent nowadays than on the scatterbrained Broken Bells, Mercer is undeniably the star here. This is not to discredit Danger Mouse to any fair extent, since I openly hold Mercer among the ranks of my favorite songwriters.

Broken Bells/ Facebook

After The Disco shows a strengthening of the partnership between Danger Mouse and James Mercer.

But ultimately, all After The Disco really does after the overblown final track fades out is make me hungry and anxious for new material from The Shins. Indeed, each listen to Broken Bells’ sophomore outing leaves me satisfied but doesn’t make me hit the replay button. Rather, I put After the Disco back on the shelf and drop the needle on the sleepy masterpiece Wincing The Night Away or the grandiose, wild Port of Morrow for the rest of my day. After The Disco is certainly a welcome trip

to unknown corners of the universe for two wonderful musicians, but, in the end, Mercer is best suited for planet Earth. Jordan Walsh can be reached at jordan. walsh@theminaretonline.com

3.5 out of 5 stars

Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Death Begs The Question, What Happens To Films After Stars Pass? By CLAIRE FARROW

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died from a heroin overdose on Feb. 2 at the age of 46. This Oscar-winning actor is probably best known for his role as Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games trilogy, although he has been in many other films such as The Big Lebowski (1998), Capote (2005, Oscar winning), Mission Impossible: III (2006), Moneyball (2011) and The Master (2012, Oscar nominated). He was a talented actor who will be sorely missed by fans and audiences. Sadly, Hoffman isn’t the only actor in recent years who has died before filming or before the production of his or her film had been completed. However tragic and heartbreaking these deaths may be, it’s always particularly interesting to see how these movies and franchises cope with the loss and make the difficult decision on how, or if, they will complete their work. Take for example the unfortunate and tragic death of Paul Walker, age 40, in a car crash in November 2013. Best known for his role as Brian O’Connor in the Fast & Furious film franchise, his death occurred during a break from filming the upcoming seventh installment of Fast & Furious. Now, in the middle of production, the filmmakers and actors must not only deal with the passing of a colleague and friend but also with the decision of how or if they will finish filming the movie.

Clearly, there is no easy way to move on when such things happen, but there are ways that it can be done while still honoring both the actor and the film. One such example is the aftermath of Heath Ledger’s death in January 2008. Ledger was nearly finished filming The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus at the time of his death, according to BuzzFeed. Ledger had several scenes left to film, scenes which were ultimately shot with actors Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell all stepping in to film various parts of Ledger’s character. Another way that films, in particular franchises, deal with the continuation of their movies is by casting another actor in the role of the late actor. This was an arguable success when, after The Hunger Games/Facebook Richard Harris lost his battle with The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman acted alongside Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games films. Hodgkin’s disease in 2002, the makers of the Harry Potter films recast Michael Gambon as Professor Dumbledore. According to SlashFilm.com, Hoffman of the final Hunger Games movie,” Also, filmmakers sometimes left behind one major scene in The Stazko said. “I was, and still am, recreate the late actor’s image using Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, and extremely excited to see him continue computer generated imagery. Following while it was an important, emotional as Plutarch. I have no real preference Oliver Reed’s sudden death soon scene, the filmmakers feel that they will of how filmmakers deal with the last before filming wrapped up on Ridley be able to digitally recreate the actor for few scenes of the movie. My main Scott’s Gladiator (2000), the director those few moments and still preserve the concern is that they preserve the chose to superimpose a recreation of authenticity of the film. Whether this will integrity of the book.” the actor’s face onto a body double. be a successful move for the movie, only Ultimately, it can be argued that what Similarly, Marlon Brando, who died in time will tell. truly matters in situations like these is 2004 and played Jor-El in the original Samantha Stazko, a freshman that the fans are satisfied with the final Superman (1978) movie, was computer management and accounting major, result. Perhaps this satisfaction is the generated for all his scenes in 2006’s summed up the feelings of many Hunger ultimate honor that can be bestowed Superman Returns. His voice was Games fans. upon an actor’s legacy. pieced together from various others “Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death Claire Farrow can be reached at previously recorded Jor-El’s dialogue. will definitely have an effect on the feel claire.farrow@spartans.ut.edu

10 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Superhero Movie Wars: DC By JORDAN LLANES Sports Editor

The rise of the superhero movie has never been more apparent than right now. Ever since the release of Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000), the superhero movie genre has boomed into the fandriven industry it is today. Just take the summer of 2012 as an example. In May of that year, Marvel’s The Avengers, which featured an all-star cast led by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, became the third highest grossing movie of all time, making $1.51 billion during its box office run. Meanwhile, there was also Warner Brothers’ The Dark Knight Rises, in which Christian Bale made his final appearance as Batman, one of DC’s most iconic characters. The film grossed $1.08 billion, making it the ninth highest grossing movie of all time. That’s over $2.5 billion on two movies featuring main characters that often possess extraordinary powers (such as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in The Avengers) or amazing skills (such as Bale’s Batman). Why is it that audiences are willing to go out and spend that much money to go see movies that feature events that will likely never happen? Because the kid in us wants to see our heroes prevail. The way each of these companies go at the superhero genre is worlds apart. Marvel painstakingly repurchased the rights or held onto its most precious superhero commodities (such as The Avengers) to build a whole cinematic universe that will eventually feature all of its heroes. However, there are still many roadblocks to that vision. 20th Century Fox still holds the rights

to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, among others. The upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is due in late May, is the latest X-Men film to be released. Due to the fact that the XMen franchise makes so much money, one can see why Fox is so reluctant to let it go. Meanwhile, Spider-Man, who is arguably Marvel’s most important superhero, is still owned by Sony. The web slinger is in the middle of his second franchise with the studio, and it also looks like they aren’t going to release the rights of him or his universe to Marvel anytime soon. Meanwhile, DC is already set up with one distributor for its superhero flicks: the aforementioned Warner Brothers. After The Dark Knight trilogy ended in 2012, DC and Warner Brothers decided to launch their own cinematic universe with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, which came out last summer. Snyder worked with Nolan and David S. Goyer, who penned The Dark Knight trio, to map out a brand new cinematic universe in which the members of the Justice League will eventually join forces. But before that can take place, we have the upcoming and untitled Batman vs. Superman film that is slated to come out in May 2016. Unlike the casting for the Superman reboot, which was universally praised, the selection of actors to play the titular roles of Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor have raised the eyebrows of comic fans everywhere. First was the selection of Ben Affleck as the new Bruce Wayne/ Batman. Anyone can envision him as the billionaire playboy but as the Caped Crusader? Now that’s a different story. Despite his previously disastrous turn as

Actress on the Rise: Abbie Cornish

By SAMMI BRENNAN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

The remake of the 1987 futuristic sci-fi thriller RoboCop features several recognizable stars such as Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton and Jay Baruchel. One name, however, deserves to be added to that list and her name is Abbie Cornish. Cornish grew up on a 170-acre farm in Lochinvar, Australia. At age 13, she won a modeling contest through the Aussie magazine Dolly, which eventually led to her obtaining an agent and thus started her journey to becoming a star. When she was 15, she scored her first acting gig as a quadriplegic on the Australian Broadcasting Commission series Children’s Hospital. She starred in several Aussie television shows and made-for-television movies, but her lead role in the 2004 romantic drama Somersault made some heads turn. Cornish proved to be a relatively unpredictable actress, taking many different kinds of roles and making them her own. She made the transition from playing Bess in the historical film Elizabeth: The Golden Age to playing Bradley Cooper’s wife in the thriller Limitless to playing the dangerous hostage Sweat Pea in the action fantasy Sucker Punch without even batting an eye. Set in 2028 Detroit, officer Alex Murphy, played by Joel Kinnaman, is severely injured and is turned into a partman, part-cop crime fighter. Cornish plays his wife Clara who reluctantly agrees with

the decision in order to save the life of her husband. OmniCorp, the corporation who turns Kinnaman into the machine, hopes to eventually start a nationwide movement, providing a RoboCop in every city. Unfortunately, they forget that there is still a man inside that machine and he has a different plan in mind. Robocop is in theaters now. Sammi Brennan can be reached at samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu

Abbie Cornish/Facebook

Abbie Cornish stars as Cara in Robocop.

vs. Marvel

Man of Steel/Facebook

As the superhero movie business continues to grow, DC finds itself at battle with Marvel’s consistent success.

Daredevil, Affleck has the best chance to nail his role and prove the critics wrong. However, Gal Gadot’s selection as Wonder Woman had everyone scratching their heads. Although she can certainly fight and is absolutely beautiful, she doesn’t have the physique of the Amazonian Princess. Time with the trainers that Snyder gave Henry Cavill in order for him to bulk up to play the Man of Tomorrow will hopefully help that. But the craziest move? Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Comic fans everywhere nearly went into nerd comas from rage and shock when this was announced last week. Honestly, who can blame them? Everyone is used to a bald, intelligent and powerful man who coolly plots nefarious plans to destroy the Man of Steel at every turn.

But the guy who played Columbus in Zombieland? That might be a stretch even for you, Mr. Snyder. Nevertheless, there is a pretty good chance that in two years time, Affleck, Gadot and Eisenberg will all prove us wrong and nail the iconic roles that they have been handed. The last time that superhero fans flipped out this much over a casting choice was when Nolan casted Heath Ledger as the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight, which is arguably the greatest superhero movie of all time. When May 6, 2016 rolls around, we will see Snyder and DC’s master plan at work. Fans everywhere can only hope that it’s strong enough to stand up to the might of Marvel, which already has a five-year head start. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

Valentine’s Movie Preview By CLAIRE FARROW

Arts + Entertainment Writer

While the classic movie date is beginning to verge on cliché, it certainly seems to have lasted the test of time, even with the rising trends of online streaming (and stealing) of films. But with the day of love and romance approaching and last minute connections and plans being made in time for the holiday week, here are some movies to fall back on for unplanned dates. Endless Love This young lovers’ drama stars Alex Pettyfer (Beastly, Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers, Carrie) as the lead characters, David and Jade. The story centers on both Pettyfer’s “wrong-side-of-the-tracks” character and sheltered, privileged Jade falling passionately in love. Drama ensues when the two families try to tear them apart. It’s interesting to note that this is a remake of the 1981 Brooke Shields’ Endless Love, with nearly the same plot and almost identical character names. The premise takes from Romeo and Juliet, and, from the looks of the trailer, it appears melodramatic, but it could prove to be interesting. About Last Night This movie, starring Kevin Hart (Think Like a Man, Ride Along), Michael Ealy (Takers, Think Like a Man), Regina Hall (Love & Basketball, Law Abiding Citizen) and Joy Bryant (Antwone Fisher, Honey), is also loosely based on the 1986 version

starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins. Both versions center on what happens when one-night stands develop into more substantial relationships and the problems that occur in both their friendships and their romances. Again, same basic premise and same character names but with a slightly more modern twist. Looks funny, sounds interesting and if a new (or old) comedy is what you’re looking for, this could be the movie for you and your date. Winter’s Tale Although not a remake of a previous film per se, by the looks of this trailer, it gives off a similar vibe like The Time Traveler’s Wife, though with a more supernatural feel. After Colin Farrell’s (Horrible Bosses, Saving Mr. Banks) character falls in love with dying Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Albatross), he discovers he has the gift of reincarnation and sets out to save the love of his life, even though heaven and hell try to stop him. The movie is set in both the past and the present, which could make for an engaging watch. RoboCop Although technically not coming out on Valentine’s Day, this actionpacked thriller is potential draw for those who are either more “antiValentine’s Day” or simply not interested in seeing a romantic film on their date. Clearly, this is a remake of the 1987 blockbuster with an updated, more futuristic look. Claire Farrow can be reached at claire.farrow@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

Opinion

Just Add Stress! New Method for Creating Stem Cells By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Columnist

The days of extracting and destroying embryos to obtain stem cells may be over. A team of scientists have discovered a new way to create stem cells, one that doesn’t involve obtaining them from a developing embryo or making them through genetic modification. The simplicity of the experiment left the scientific community in awe when two articles were published in the journal Nature on Jan. 29. For the experiment, a team of Japanese and Boston researchers took mature cells from a mouse and exposed them to extreme conditions, which caused the cells to revert back to a stem-cell state. They dubbed these cells STAP cells (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency). We still don’t know why the mature cells turned back into stem cells, but the fact that they did will almost definitely redefine stem cell research from this point on. If this technique results in creating stem cells as fruitful as the ones obtained from developing embryos, the controversy against stem cell research derived from the ending of potential life may become invalid. Dr. Haruko Obokata and Dr. Charles Vacanti were the primary authors of the papers and team research leaders. Obokata originally had the idea for the new technique while working in Vacanti’s lab years ago at Harvard University, according to Nature. She noticed that when she would squeeze regular body cells through capillary tubes, the cells would shrink down to the size of a stem cell, which appeared to be a response mechanism to the stress. This inspired her to attempt to put mature cells under different kinds of stressors like extreme heat, starvation and a high-calcium environment, according to Nature. The environmental stress that resulted in the greatest number of stem cells produced was lowering the pH of the system (making it more

acidic), although the procedure has not yet been successful on trials with human cells. Before this, there were only two methods of obtaining stem cells. One is to take them directly from a developing embryo, which destroys the embryo and prevents it from forming into its adult stage. The other method is to insert foreign DNA into a select body cell, such as a skin cell, which can then cause it to “reprogram the skin cell to become like an embryo and produce pluripotent cells,” CNN online reported. Both methods came with their own trains of controversy over ethical issues, but the new method of taking an average cell from anywhere in the body and reverting it back to a stem cell state could potentially abolish these issues. Now we must see if the stem cells that result from environmental stress pressures are as effective at forming into different types of cells as the ones taken directly from an embryo are. According to Nature, experiments so far have shown promising results, but since we do not yet understand the mechanism, we do not yet know the efficiency of it. This new way of creating stem cells from any cell in the body could open numerous doors for science. It could even change cloning in its entirety. “Currently, cloning requires extraction of unfertilized eggs, transfer of a donor nucleus into the egg, in vitro cultivation of an embryo and then transfer of the embryo to a surrogate. If STAP cells can create their own placenta, they could be transferred directly to the surrogate,” Nature reported. This is exciting, yet could be worrisome, for the unknown matter of what could be done with this technology is always daunting. It took five years for Obokata to demonstrate to her skeptical comrades that her discovery was viable. To prove that the cells were in fact pluripotent (meaning cells that can develop into all cell types, as stem cells do), she injected the newly formed stem cells into a developing mouse embryo, according to Nature.

Science News/YouTube

The pluripotent cells would exhibit a green fluorescence, so they were able to watch where the stem cells travelled in the embryo. The green cells went everywhere, demonstrating they were turning into all different kinds of cells, such as brain cells, skin cells, liver cells and intestinal cells. All of these could develop from the pluripotent STAP cells. At first, the STAP cells were fluorescing green at a very low level when placed in the embryo, indicating a low level of efficiency. Teruhiko Wakayama at the University of Yamanashi, Japan cloned hundreds of mice for Obokata to use to test pluripotency of her STAP cells, according to Nature. It was he who suggested using cells from newborn mice instead of adult mice, as Obokata had been doing. Although Wakayama thought the entire project was a “huge effort in vain,” it was this suggestion that led Obokata to successfully turn the entire mouse embryo

bright green with fluorescing STAP cells. “The older the individual they take the cells from, the less likely it is to succeed,” said Dr. Stanley Rice, a professor of developmental biology at UT. “It is not nearly as simple as it sounds. It is high tech, but not as high tech as extracting human embryos.” The discovery has been deemed simple because of the relatively simple means by which the stem cells are acquired (by “just” inflicting stress upon them). It is a discovery that was originally made on accident and one that “has the potential to alleviate the use of human embryonic stem cells,” Rice said. But that is far in the future, if at all possible. Right now we can just rejoice in the discovery and be excited in the anticipation of what will stem from it. Avery Twible can be reached at avery. twible@spartans.ut.edu

one’s sexuality. If that were the case, I would be gay. Yes, I, a 21-year-old college senior, identify myself as a brony. While I haven’t seen all the episodes, dressed up as my favorite pony or bought any of the toys, I do enjoy the show. The voice acting is topnotch, the animation is fun and colorful and the writing is great. And I am not the only college student who likes the show. Juan Samara, a freshman business management major, identifies himself as a brony. When asked why males are often bullied for liking My Little Pony, Samara said, “It’s considered a little kids’ show and a girl-oriented cartoon.” However, he doesn’t let that bother him and has not been bullied for liking the show. “It’s entertaining and very nice to watch after a hard days work,” Samara said. “It’s cute and easy to watch... just nice.” Vicky Amion, a senior art major at Florida International University, enjoys cosplaying My Little Pony characters Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Gilda. “I cosplay them because they’re my favorite characters, and I wanted to bring them to life,” Amion said. Many fans find aspects in the storytelling or the characters of a show or book they enjoy and find a connection. Chicago Now reported Morones’ favorite pony is Pinkie Pie, a party-loving pony who is full of energy. My favorite pony is Fluttershy, because while she suffers from shyness like I do, I enjoy seeing the moments where she stands up for herself and her friends.

If you find an aspect of a character that speaks to you, even if that character is a pony, do not be embarrassed or ashamed. There is nothing wrong with finding joy and comfort in a fictional character. Those involved with the creation of My Little Pony have shown support for Morones. Morones’ stepfather reached out to Andrea Libman, who provides the voice for Pinkie Pie, according to Chicago Now. She, along with the rest of the My Little Pony cast, recorded individual messages to Morones. “When we play the My Little Pony messages for him, there is increased activity on the EEG,” Morones’ stepfather said. Libman and her fellow cast members showed a prime example of love, one of the main themes of the show. Morones’ mother and stepfather believe in practicing tolerance, another theme of the show, when it comes to those who bullied Morones. “I’ve heard a lot of people say you need to go after bullies and hold them responsible,” Morones’ mother told WtVD-TV. “But, you know, I don’t think that’s what Mike would want. I would rather teach people how to do right then turn around and punish, because punishment doesn’t always work,” she continued. While we cannot be certain about what Morones would want, considering his love for the show, I think he would want to practice love and tolerance toward those who bullied him. I only wish his classmates would also practice those same values. Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john. koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu

11-year-old ‘Brony’ Attempts Suicide After Incessant Bullying By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Columnist

I watched a lot of cartoons as a kid and sometimes I would watch shows more targeted to girls like The Powerpuff Girls and Totally Spies. Even though I was not a girl, I still enjoyed them. They had amusing characters, fun storylines and cool animation. Sometimes my sister and my friends teased me, but I was having fun, and I was never put into a position where I felt wrong for liking those shows. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Eleven-year-old Michael Morones attempted suicide by hanging on Jan. 23, reported Chicago Now.. While he did not succeed, he is in the hospital with “damage to his brain, his heart, and his lungs and has not yet fully awakened.” Morones was bullied by his classmates

for being a “brony,” a male, typically someone older than a child, who enjoys the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I have always hated that others can feel threatened by a boy liking something targeted toward girls and vice versa. The idea that a boy should not play with dolls or a girl should not play with trucks seems as old and antiquated as believing interracial and same-sex marriage threatens society. Shannon Suttle, Morones’ stepfather, told Chicago Now, “Michael was upset because the kids [in his class] were calling him gay for liking a girls’ TV show.” Last time I checked, the only indication of homosexuality was a desire to be romantically and/or sexually involved with someone of the same gender. Liking a show about a group for ponies who learn lessons about friendship does not affect

My Little Pony/Facebook

The popularity of My Little Pony among adult men came as a surprise to the creators of the show.

12 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

OPINION

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THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

OPINION

Valentine’s Day: Celebrate Love Regardless of Relationship Status By TERRY PRESTON Opinion Columnist

For social media, this time of year is unmistakable. Friends share links on each other’s Facebook walls about what it’s like to be single on Valentine’s Day. Twitter floods with memes about people still waiting for others to confess their love to them, false “applications” for individuals to be their suitor in time for the holiday, or tweets about all the things they’d rather be doing than celebrating. These same individuals comment about how ridiculous the day itself is, how they blame “Corporate America” for its origins and how they don’t need a significant other because they will be spending Valentine’s Day with their boyfriend, “Insert name of alcohol here.” To them, I have only one comment: Stop it. The same individuals that lead the army against Valentine’s Day are so commonly the same ones to praise it as soon as they are in a relationship. It’s as though the only people that enjoy this socalled “Single’s Awareness Day” are the ones who are no longer single. Unfortunately, many singles broadcast their insecurities behind a blanket of false confidence, and though it is both exciting and fantastic news that these individuals feel strongly about being “independent,” there are few qualities that I care less about than their current relationship status. Every year, I watch the same friends from years prior crossover. These individuals proclaimed their happiness being single and stuck their middle fingers in the air at Valentine’s Day, but soon experienced a change of heart. Rather, this year they are pictured happily alongside their new beau and proclaim their love, their love of love and their love of the holiday dedicated entirely to the celebration of love. “I wasn’t a huge fan of Valentine’s Day before being in a relationship,” said George

Heinze, a senior and sports management major. “It wasn’t fun to be continually told you were alone for the day. Now that I’m in a relationship, I feel it’s more of making it meaningful between the two in a relationship. It doesn’t need to be over the top-—just very special.” Valentine’s Day, or “Single’s Awareness Day,” has earned itself a reputation for being the national day of self-pity for not being in a relationship. It is inevitable that you will find at least one invite to some friend of a friend’s “I hate Valentine’s Day Party,” but why is there so much hate surrounding a day that celebrates love? The average age of marriage in America is 28 for men and 26 for women, according to the United States Census. If this is the case, then it is inevitable that most, if not all, of us will be at least forced to participate in the national day of love. So why wait until we have a solid relationship to take part in such a warmhearted holiday when it is practically certain that we will all join the dark side at some point in our lives? I can guarantee that nobody with a significant other is wasting their time concerned about those who are worrying about spending their holiday being single. Rather, we are scrambling to make plans for our boyfriends and girlfriends so we can please our significant others and so we don’t get bickered about to their friends. The average individual spends $130.97 on Valentine’s Day, and over six million people plan a marriage proposal on this day, according to CNN. The only aspect single people should be truly celebrating is their ability to still have money at the end of the day—which on the “no income diet” so many college students follow can be a reward in itself. With this much going on, nobody is going to waste their time wondering how their single friends are coping with the “horrors” of being single.

Alena DuDevoir/Facebook

Valentine’s Day can be meaningful whether or not you’re in a relationship. If you’re single this year, take the time to celebrate the love you have for your family and friends.

In fact, we might be jealous of their ability to treat it like any other day. However, it still seems that many feel the need to broadcast their lack of romance to the public, as if to shame themselves before others can do it for them. The most important point to realize, though, is that we have not, do not and will not care. I encourage all to take part in Valentine’s Day this year—and that doesn’t include attending a party that is celebrating how much they hate the day. Rather, celebrate love for close friendships, families, other people’s families, whatever your choice may be. Before long, we will all find our significant others and will be participants of the holiday in one way or another. There are, however, some couples that still do not buy in to the day of seemingly mandatory affection. Some

have anniversaries, birthdays or other events too close to Feb. 14. Some don’t feel the need to go above and beyond to express their love only once a year. Some just don’t care. “I didn’t like Valentine’s Day even when I had a boyfriend,” said Chelsey Keenan, junior advertising and public relations major. “The pressure of which themed boxers to pick was just too much.” Whatever your relationship status may be, treat it like any other day of the year and keep it private. Providing constant reminders to your social network that you are single just might be adding to the list of reasons why you are single. So relax. The odds of love are ever in your favor. Until then, refrain from updating your statuses. See you on the dark side next year. Terry Preston can be reached at terrence. preston@spartans.ut.edu

Popular Petition Asks Disney to Create Plus-Size Princess By ELIZABETH ROCKETT Opinion Writer

Historically, Disney has depicted the ideal princess as a beautiful, thin, young woman. A teenage girl has actively expressed her ideas in the hope that Disney will make some changes in its criteria for a “beautiful” princess. Jewel Moore, a junior in high school from Farmville, Va., launched a petition for a plus-sized Disney princess. The petition has reached 22,000 signatures since it was launched in January, according to The Guardian. Moore titled her petition “Every Body is Beautiful,” combating

society’s idealization of nearly unobtainable body types. “I’m a plus-sized young woman, and I know many plus-sized girls and women who struggle with confidence and need a positive plus-sized character in the media,” Moore explained in an interview with Yahoo. Moore also said this type of character in the media would show young men that the perfection Disney depicts is not realistic and that a plus-sized princess would prevent them from growing up and thinking that women have to be thin in order to be beautiful. While I do agree our society overemphasizes the importance of being

Disney Princess/Facebook

Traditional Disney princesses demonstrate media’s nearly unattainable beauty standards. Is it time for a change?

model thin, I do not think a plus-sized princess would necessarily send the right message to children. Obesity is an epidemic, and while I understand that being plus-sized does not necessarily make a person obese, I do not think it would be a smart move on Disney’s part to depict a bigger character because it may promote an unhealthy lifestyle. It would make a lot more sense for Disney to create a more realistically proportioned and healthy princess as opposed to one who is too skinny or too big. Emily Guynn is a member of UT’s Mirror Image, a student organization that promotes a positive body image. “We want everybody to look into the mirror and find the positives about themselves,” Guynn said. Mirror Image also stresses that a lot of the images society advertises are unrealistic. “I’m not so sure that they should create a plus-sized princess, just a more realistic size. If it’s too plussized, then that is unhealthy and it’s not good to treat your body poorly,” Guynn said. “They should have healthier-sized [princesses], not super skinny and not obese.” It is important that children are exposed to healthy images of people, which is difficult to do when they see extremely thin women across all forms of media.

Guynn also discussed whether or not she feels Disney is the best media source to go after when it comes to creating a healthy image for children. The fact that Disney princesses are cartoons makes the images being unrealistic somewhat understandable. However, a realistic princess wouldn’t be a bad thing, she said. “Everyone thinks princesses are perfect and beautiful, but they should make them less picture perfect,” Guynn said. While Moore has received a lot of praise for her petition, she has also received some criticism. Mail Online posted a story about her petition and received a large amount of comments, both negative and positive, but a lot of people said a “normal-sized” rather than a plus-sized princess would be the best idea. “I agree with the people that think the focus should be on normal-sized princesses that are healthy and proportionate. She’s swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction,” commented user kittenmittens. Moore is heading in the right direction with her petition, but I don’t think a plussized princess would necessarily be the best idea. A healthy, realistic princess would be the best option and image for children to view. Elizabeth Rockett can be reached at elizabeth.rockett@spartans.ut.edu

14 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

Romione vs. Harmony

OPINION

Rowling Interview Sparks Debate Amongst Potter Fans

By DOHA MADANI Opinion Contributor

As the holder of an unpopular opinion, there is almost nothing more gratifying than being able to say “I told you so” after nearly 10 years. I am amongst the rare group of individuals who have always believed that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger (couple name “Harmony”) were meant to be (instead of Hermione and Ron Weasley), and last week, author J.K. Rowling finally agreed with us… for about a minute. Last week I was aimlessly scrolling through Facebook when I saw one of my friends post a link about a preview of a leaked interview with J.K. Rowling. Immediately the small story went viral because Rowling admitted, “For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.” The minute I read it, I immediately screamed and jumped around my room, nearly decapitating myself by tripping over a laundry basket. The funny thing is that I was hyped up all week on this smug high-horse until it was revealed that the quote had been taken drastically out of context. And then I deflated a bit. At the end of her interview with Emma Watson, Rowling admitted that Ron and Hermione (couple name “Romione”) could have worked with a little counseling. It may not have been what I was hoping for, but I am still glad she acknowledged my unpopular opinion as valid. It was really only a small snippet, where Rowling claimed, “In some ways Hermione and Harry are a better fit.” Yet this was the moment I had been waiting for since the very first novel. In fact, I was hooked the second Hermione uttered the words, “Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things––friendship and bravery and––Oh, Harry––be careful!” Growing up, there were certain truths about love I always believed in and looked for in couples I came across. People in love should support each other, never judge the other and most importantly, they should be each other’s best friends. To me, Harry and Hermione were that couple from the start. Think about how instinctive their relationship is, how seamlessly they always worked together. In Harry Potter

Harry Potter/Facebook

Hermione has always been there for Harry, even when his best friend Ron turned his back on him during the Triwizard Tournament.

and the Goblet of Fire when no one believed Harry’s protest about putting his name in the Goblet (even his best friend Ron turned his back on him), Hermione was there. “To his immense relief, Hermione accepted his story without question,” wrote Rowling. From the first book to the last, Hermione and Harry were always a source of comfort and support for each other. Whether she was admiring his courage or he was there to listen to her talk about the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.), there were rarely thoughts left unsaid. In the Order of the Phoenix, even when Hermione thought he was walking into a trap at the Ministry of Magic, she went to fight alongside him. In the seventh book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), these qualities were so apparent to me that I find it hard to understand why Rowling’s announcement came as a shock to anyone. They spent months alone together, going through intense emotional and physical battles in the midst of a wizarding war. They relied on each other more than ever before. Moments only they could share managed to bring them together. Roots that I had been watching grow my entire childhood seemed to be spreading even farther than ever. I remember my heart leaping out toward the pages when Rowling wrote a very intimate moment between the two in the last novel. It was an action Hermione made that just seemed to speak volumes.

“She picked up the book and walked past him into the tent, but as she did so, brushed the top of his head lightly with her hand,” wrote Rowling. None of this is to say that I do not believe that Ron and Hermione didn’t really love each other. I am simply acknowledging two very different types of love. With Ron and Hermione, it was love that burned hot, seeming consistently on the verge of an argument or breakup. But I believe that eventually, this type of love burns out. There were so many elements of Ron and Hermione’s relationship that never seemed to have the makings of a long term love affair. The most prominent of which being his serious inferiority complex. Ron Weasley had massive insecurities that manifested in all the fights and arguments he picked with the people he loved the most. Ron lived his life in the shadows of his older brothers, all successful and intelligent, only to play second fiddle to the Boy-WhoLived for his entire school career. Although fans see Ron as a pivotal part of the journey, he never saw himself that way. Down the road, when Hermione is off doing great things and Ron is stuck thinking he is not good enough, he might start to resent her. The killer of all love is resentment. Bickering will eventually turn into massive fights that cannot be repaired. Part of me is massively disappointed in the media, specifically with The Sunday Times, for

leaking a very controversial quote completely out of context. It gathered a large amount of attention to an interview that was already going to get a significant viewership, but it also hurt a lot of people. We are the Harry Potter Generation. We quite literally grew up with these characters as our friends and participated in their journey. The writers and editors who took those words out of context took advantage of our intense dedication for Harry Potter in order to deceive us. This did not help journalistic integrity for truth in the slightest. Mass media is a necessary tool for information, a truth I have always believed in. Being a journalism major, I understand sensationalism and the need to create hype around a publication. The fact remains that The Sunday Times brought to light a topic I was extremely passionate about my entire life and made it nearly irrelevant days later. My childhood adoration of Harry Potter, a treasure trove I will carry with me my entire life, was used and manipulated to please a marketing director. There is something fundamentally hurtful about being abused by a world that I hold to such high esteem. Taking quotes out of context may not be libelous or illegal, but it is completely unethical. Audiences trust publications, especially newspapers, to convey the necessary information. Doha Madani can be reached at doha. madani@spartans.ut.edu

Facebook is already packed with fake accounts, which people use for several reasons, one of them being to steal people’s identities by using others’ pictures and information. Facebook estimated that in 2013, between 5.5 percent and 11.2 percent of its users were fake, according to The Next Web. Allowing anonymous accounts on Facebook would only increase this percentage of fake accounts as they both serve the same purpose: hiding identity. Allowing anonymity on social networking sites has not proven successful. When people are allowed to express themselves while hiding their identity, one tends to witness the darker side of humanity. For example, some anonymous blogs on Tumblr, such as amourskinny, are dedicated to encouraging bulimia, and a lot of anonymous YouTube accounts often post offensive comments on videos. Moreover, Ask.fm, which allows users to anonymously ask other users questions, has been used to spread hateful comments, causing several cases of suicide. One of them being 16-year-old Jessica Lainey who hung herself in Hudson, Fla. in December 2012 after she received messages calling her “fat,” a “slut” and comments like “can you kill yourself already,” as reported by ABC Action News. Anonymity has no place on Facebook. Facebook is not a dating site; its main

purpose has always been connecting people by allowing them to interact with others that they already know, which is why its homepage uses phrases such as “Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life,” instead of encouraging users to meet new people. Allowing anonymous users completely defies this purpose and changes the whole idea of Facebook. Jennifer McElroy, a freshman communication major, pointed out the impracticality of anonymous Facebook accounts for businesses. “Anonymous accounts would not provide as much or valid information in order for companies to make a decision on a future employee,” McElroy said. “Therefore, Facebook’s latest concept of improving the website is not sensible or useful. Anonymous accounts could cause problems and situations to arise, people may not give true information about themselves and businesses cannot easily background check a new employee.” Loudon also considers the idea from an advertiser’s perspective, proving the idea inefficient for Facebook itself. “This change would also decrease the ability to advertise to users,” Loudon said. “Depending on how the ‘anonymous accounts’ would operate, it would be difficult to advertise specific products aimed to match the tastes of the Facebook user based on their interests and

likes on the website. This altercation would decrease Facebook’s overall profit immensely, which could lead to the loss of jobs and eventually the shutdown of the website. Privacy and security would be another issue with anonymous accounts. Would anonymous accounts be able to add other accounts? Would anyone be comfortable with having a person they don’t know anything about see their pictures, information and updates? Until we know this we cannot judge, but Loudon also worries about privacy issues if such changes were made to Facebook. “Depending on how the anonymous accounts would operate will definitely persuade people’s opinions on the change,” she said. “People, myself included, would begin to question the security of their private accounts, and though it is known that nothing on the Internet is completely protected, doubts would be raised due to the easy access anonymous accounts would provide. It is creepy.” I think the idea of allowing anonymous accounts on Facebook is illogical and impractical and would cause more harm than good to both Facebook and its users. Facebook should remain as it has always been known, instead of risking changes that may decrease its popularity. Rawan Elzayat can be reached at rawan. elzayat@spartans.ut.edu

Facebook May Allow Users to Create Anonymous Profiles

By RAWAN ELZAYAT Opinion Writer

As Facebook turned 10 on Feb. 4, Mark Zuckerberg hinted in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Facebook is ready to allow anonymous users on the site. Zuckerberg did not reveal many details about his idea but said, “I don’t know if the balance has swung too far, but I definitely think we’re at the point where we don’t need to keep on only doing real identity things.” As if we need any more creeps on social networking sites. Zuckerberg said the idea of anonymous users comes from the fact that the pressure of real identity is a “burden.” That’s right, real identity. Lainey Loudon, freshman and communications major, disagreed with the idea of anonymous accounts on Facebook too. “In the past, some social media sites have attempted large changes and they ultimately either make or break the website,” Loudon said. “I believe that allowing anonymous users into the Facebook world would only add to the decreasing popularity of Facebook.” Independent data suggests that Facebook has lost millions of users per month in its biggest markets in 2013 and that alternative social networks attract the attention of those looking for fresh online playgrounds, according to The Guardian.

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

OPINION

New York Women’s Equality Act Allows 24-Week Abortions By KAELA BERNARDINO Opinion Contributor

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo finally had his Women’s Equality Act passed Monday, Jan. 27. According to the New York Women’s Equality Coalition, this 10-point legislation is a force of defense for women’s rights in New York. It ends a loophole, which prior to its passing, allowed employers to justify paying women less. It also has “prohibit[ed] building owners, managers and leasing agents from refusing to lease or sell, or evicting a tenant because of their status as a domestic violence victim.” The act also includes greater protection for victims of human trafficking and greater punishment for human traffickers. It allows women to press sexual harassment charges in small businesses when before, if the company had fewer than four employees they wouldn’t have been able to press charges. The bill is a wrecking ball in regards to breaking down a lot of barriers for women in both the workplace and also in their own lives. Unfortunately, these leaps and bounds towards women’s equality seem to be overshadowed by the abortion provisions that held the bill up in Senate over the summer, and I can understand why. The bill will allow women to get an abortion up to 24 weeks of their pregnancy. Though I am pro-choice, I feel that the time period allotted is too long. Obviously there are special circumstances for women with life-threatening complications due to their pregnancy or victims of sexual assault, but for the rest of the women who are sexually active and should be responsible for their sex lives, I feel that if they choose to have an abortion, it needs to take place in the first eight weeks before the embryo becomes a fetus. With that being said, there’s been a lot of misinformation over the last week or so since the bill’s passing. An article published by 100PercentFedUp.com, a conservative news site, created a huge uproar with its headline that read, “New York Abortion Bill Oks Shooting Babies Through the

Heart With Poison to Kill Them.” They later state in the article that the bill “would expand access to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy for essentially any reason, would allow non-doctors to perform these surgical procedures, and provides no conscience protections for medical professionals opposed to taking human life.” Disturbed by this news, I did my research and found that the article was just an exaggeration of the real truth and written with pretty poor journalistic standards. Here are the facts according to the new Women’s Equality Act explained more simply by the New York Women’s Equality Coalition: women can get an abortion up to 24 weeks of their pregnancy given that their life or health is in danger and physicians performing abortions within their medical scope cannot be prosecuted for performing the procedure. Beginbeforebirth.org reported that at

MINACOMICS

24 weeks the fetus is growing eyebrows and eyelashes and can hear noises. Because this baby can be born alive as extremely premature, most states will not allow abortions this late in the pregnancy. I believe this has caused a lot of the inaccurate claims being made, but New York pro-lifers aren’t likely going to get anywhere if they choose to fight for the bill to be repealed. An article published by the New York Times June 17, 2013, presented the termination periods during pregnancy from across the country. New York is one of 25 other states, including Florida, that allow abortions between weeks 24 and 26. Iowa, Texas and Virginia allow abortions between weeks 28 and 36. During this time, the baby’s eyesight and billions of neurons are developing, and it can be considered pre-term if born early. There are 10 states, including New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, which

have no set point when an abortion can’t be done. Given these facts, I doubt that this bill will be repealed. New York is far from being alone in its restrictions on terminating a pregnancy, and the bill has nine other heavy hitting points that genuinely create more protection and support for women. I don’t agree with how late the termination periods are set because at that point, though the cases and chances of survival are small, the baby could be born as extremely preterm. However, some amendments could be made to the bill, or a separate bill regarding abortions could be submitted to the Senate. These amendments can include things like requiring counseling for women who choose to undergo an abortion and counseling to anyone who knows someone having an abortion because of secondary trauma, which is very common. Women’s health clinics and hospitals should be the only health practices to be allowed to perform the procedure. Greater sex education in grade school should be added because a lot of what was once education has since been translated into abstinence education, according to CBS News. Sex education, including making kids more familiar with Planned Parenthood and removing the shame-cloud from talking about protection, can help reduce the number of abortions. This new Women’s Equality Act is a spearhead in the battle for women’s equality in the U.S. Though the alloted time in the abortions provision is too long, I don’t think the bill should be repealed. This bill won’t increase or decrease the abortion rates in the U.S., but greater sex education and more discussions on options for sexually active people will help in the reduction of unwanted pregnancies and overall reduce the need for abortions. Kaela Bernardino can be reached at kaela.bernardino@spartans.ut.edu

NY Women’s Equality/Facebook

How to Impress Your Valentine: UT Style

16 THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

Sports

Senior Ace Kayla Cox Continues Dominant Career By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer

As a two-time, All-American and the Sunshine State Conference and Daktronics South Region Pitcher of the Year, senior Kayla Cox has quite a few honors under her belt as she prepares for her last season of collegiate softball. To make her final season one worth remembering, Cox plans on making it the best that it has ever been by having her sights set on the stars for her team. “I won’t be satisfied until we win a national championship,” Cox said. “I am less concerned with my stats or records and more focused on winning.

BIO BLAST Kayla Cox Class: Senior Hometown: Riverview,Fla. Major:Communications Position: Pitcher 2013 Stats 25-6 Record 0.74 ERA 332 Strikeouts

My main goal is to perform my very best for my team because getting a national championship is what’s more important to me.” Knowing that they have a confident leader with the right skills and attitude, the team is confident that they will achieve the success that they are looking for this season. “Our goal is to go all the way and get that ring,” said junior catcher Megan Paul. “Kayla will be a big part of us getting to that point. She will dominate the circle knowing we have her back and provide her composure and her attitude of going all the way and leaving nothing behind.” It is obvious that there must be a highly advanced skill set in order to win games and make it in to postseason, however nothing is possible without the right mindset. “Kayla’s pitching skills are definitely one of the top in the nation in Division II,” said head coach Leslie Kanter. “But what really sets her apart from her teammates is her constant positive attitude. She never gets down on herself or her team and that is what keeps us winning.” Being awarded the Daktronics Pitcher of the Year award in May was a very high praise for Cox. However, her coach believes whether she is awarded or not, Cox has something special about her that achieves success regardless. “The Dakronics Pitcher of the Year award is a great honor as it is voted on by all of the members of SIDA,” Kanter said. “But I don’t think that this award is going to change her mindset. She works hard and has a great will to win and that is what drives her. She is constantly looking to better herself and her teammates, any sort of award she gets for that is just an extra accolade.” While being so highly recognized by coaches and the community has the potential to put extreme pressure on any athlete, Cox does her best to

handle the situation in a way that will benefit herself and her team. “I think that breaking records and winning awards adds a lot more pressure,” Cox said. “It is hard to think about trying to be able to uphold those high standards every time on the field. But I thrive under pressure. I love it.” While Cox provides an immense amount of leadership on the field, it is important that she has a strong team behind her that holds just as much responsibility. “We rely on [Cox] to do her best

in the circle, while she depends on us to make the outs and get her runs on offense,” Paul said. “We have a mutual responsibility as a team.” Ultimately, no matter how well an athlete can perform in their particular skill set, it is the power and chemistry within a team that can create the most successful season. “I think that we will win games by working hard and playing the game as a team, not as individuals,” Cox said. Tess Sheets can be reached at tess. sheets@spartans.ut.edu

Photo courtesy of UT Athletics

Kayla Cox is back for her senior year to provide high powered pitching and leadership.

Illyssa Vivo Leads Team to Successful Season So Far

By ANDREW STAMAS Sports Writer

The Spartans women’s basketball team has continued their winning ways. Their streak has now reached eight after winning a tight overtime game on Saturday at home against Florida Tech, a team that UT lost to last month. Before the contest, Head Coach Tom Jessee said, “We want a chance to see improvement. We need to play better. We hope to get even with them.” The Spartans dominated the first half, going into the break with a 10-point lead over the Panthers. They eventually led 51-40 with just under seven minutes to go in the contest. However, it was then that the Panthers went on an incredible 12-0 run to take the lead 52-51 late in the second half. A clutch 3-pointer in the final minute from senior guard Illyssa Vivo and a late layup from Florida Tech sent the game into overtime, with the score being tied at 54. The Spartans quickly raced out to a 7-point lead in overtime and never looked back, eventually taking the game

76-68. Senior guard Shamika Williams contributed greatly to the Spartans’ victory, leading the team with a total of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Vivo and Finlandborn sophomore Ellen Nurmi each had 17 points of their own. Junior forward Aisha Rodney also added 10 points and 7 rebounds for the Spartans, now currently sitting in second place in the Sunshine State Conference with a 9-2 record in conference play and a 16-5 overall record. Coach Jessee said the team was “peaking” in regard to their recent form and eight-game winning streak. “They are very focused. The girls are playing their best ball at the end [of the season]. We just try to go 10 in each game [instead of trying to reach a particular number of wins in their streak],” Jessee said. “It feels really good. This is what we’ve been working up to, but we take it one game at a time,” Vivo said. When asked about her senior season so far and goals for the rest of it, Vivo said, “So far, it’s going in the right direction. Definitely. We want to continue to win. We’re going for the championship.”

Vivo, who transferred to UT her sophomore year, said it was not difficult to adjust to life here at UT. “It was pretty easy to adjust. Coach Jessee made it a smooth transition and it worked out for the best,” Vivo said. Even though it is her senior season, she wants basketball to always remain a part of her life. “I want to keep playing, if healthy. I also want to get into coaching.” An exercise science and adult fitness major, she also would like to go to Fire Academy and be a firefighter. The next game for the Spartans is Wednesday against St. Leo, a team they comfortably beat a few weeks ago. Not only will they be looking for a win against the Lions, but Coach Jessee will be coaching once again against his wife, Nikki. “It’s tough. She is a very competitive coach. We are each other’s biggest fans. It’s not the easiest, but we can’t treat it differently than other games,” said Jessee. Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew.stamas@spartans.ut.edu

Photo courtesy of UT Athletics

Senior Illyssa Vivo is having a productive season, averaging 10.4 points per game.

FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

Recruits Begin Football Journeys on National Signing Day By NATHAN KROHN Sports Writer

Sitting alongside friends and family, with ESPN cameras patiently rolling in the foreground, 18-year-old high school seniors are expected to announce in front of the sports world the biggest decision of their lives thus far: where they plan to play college football. Some choose to stay close to home, some decide to travel cross-country for the big name programs and some send everybody into frenzy by flopping on their verbal commitments, deciding to attend a rival university instead.

While this year featured no Cassanova McKinzy, who was the recruit who chose Auburn over Clemson in 2012 because the campus didn’t feature a Chick-Fil-A (even though it actually did), it still boasted a few surprises of its own. Most notably, linebacker Rashaan Evans, a 6-foot-3, 217-pound, fivestar recruit out of Auburn High School who was expected to sign with Auburn University, backed out to sign with Alabama. The move was so unexpected that Auburn’s website already had

Matt Tosh/Flickr

Nick Saban has reloaded his already potent offense with several high caliber prospects.

Evans profile loaded, complete with highlight videos before they realized he had split to Alabama. Before the day began, five-star recruit cornerback and California’s number one overall prospect Adoree Jackson had yet to make up his mind. Jackson had touted on twitter his top six schools, which featured several out of state powerhouses such as Florida, LSU and Oklahoma. At decision time, Jackson eventually settled on USC, leaving other finalists, including rival UCLA, empty handed. Jackson, ranked No. 9 overall in the nation by ESPN, caps off what was a lucrative and much needed signing class for USC. New head coach Steve Sarkisian had a late start on recruiting when he left the head coaching position at the University of Washington to take the job at USC in early December, but was able to make up ground quickly, signing several three and four-star recruits, giving USC one of its best recruiting classes in recent years. As for USC’s rival from Westwood, things didn’t go quite as well. The day started off with high expectations as they had the possibility of bringing in a top five recruiting class, but by the end of it all, UCLA had only signed one of its top eight targeted recruits. Four-star New Orleans linebacker Kenny Young was the lone splash of the day as other four and fivestar athletes such as Budda Baker, Solomon Thomas, Melachi Dupre and JuJu Smith, along with Jackson, signed with other schools. Despite missing out on the big

name recruits, UCLA finished with a respectable top-20 class. However, the day belonged to the SEC and specifically Alabama. The conference finished with seven of the top 10 best recruiting classes and for the fourth year in a row and sixth in the last seven, Alabama and Nick Saban held the title for best recruiting class, beating out LSU. After nabbing Evans out from under Auburn’s cleats, Alabama added threestar defensive tackles O.J Smith and Elisha Shaw along with upperclassman and possible replacement to quarterback AJ McCarron, Florida State transfer Jacob Coker, in addition to the rest of their already stellar class. Only time will tell how many of these recruits live up to their star rated statuses, but any way you shake it, we’re already asking ourselves if it’s college football season yet. Nathan Krohn can be reached at nathan.krohn@spartans.ut.edu

Top 5 NCAA Football Recruits RB Leonard Fournette Committed to LSU CB Jabrill Peppers Committed to Michigan OT Cameron Robinson Committed to Alabama DE Myles Garrett Committed to Texas A&M DT Andrew Brown Committed to Virginia

Basketball in Full Swing with March Madness Weeks Away By JAMES BELLUSCIO Sports Writer

With the weeks leading up to the NCAA National Basketball tournament dwindling away, two undefeated teams remain. The Wichita State Shockers are dominating the Missouri Valley Conference with a 24-0 record. This well rounded and dangerously deep team from Wichita, Kan., is a national champion contender. Playing out in the MVC does bring less competition, but the Shockers have won in convincing fashion all season.

They bring back a similar group of players that was only two games away from the National Championship just 11 months ago. The Shockers leading scorer Cleanthony Early has taken the leadership role in stride. His court presence was the difference maker when Indiana State tied the game late last week. Early took the game in his hands. He put the game out of reach with a forced turnover and a basket on the other end. He is the type of player every team needs in order to make a

Adam Glanzman/Flickr

Jabari Parker is tearing up the college basketball scene in his freshman year at Duke.

tournament run. A team needs a guy to look to late in games, especially in March. Early has been great, but he is not the only reason for Wichita State’s success. Four of the five starters average double-digit points per game. They spread the wealth. They win. As good as the Shockers have been, there is one team that has been even better. The Syracuse Orangemen are 21-0 and sit on top of the college basketball world as the number one rank in the nation. Syracuse is led by one of the most winning coaches in the history of basketball, Jim Boeheim. “I think it’s the best place it’s ever been when you consider what’s best for college basketball: a few really strong, dominant teams or a lot of really good teams?” Boeheim said to ESPN Wednesday. “I think you see that a little bit in the NFL where you go from top to bottom. You’ve got a lot of balance.” The country is filled with young talent we have not seen in quite sometime. Jabari Parker (Duke), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) and Julius Randle (Kentucky) are all freshman that are believed to be lottery draft picks in the NBA after this season. Since the first week of basketball season, they have performed, and the world has taken notice. From spectacular dunks to singlehandedly winning games for their respected schools, these freshmen have not disappointed. Yet, the young talent is not the only storyline from this season. The new look Atlantic Coast Conference has

produced is some of the best basketball games not only this season, but in the last few years. The first ever matchup in the Carrier Dome between SyracuseDuke was a game that will be forever cemented in time. The game broke the college basketball attendance record and had moments that made even the commentators get out of their chairs. One buzzer-beater, a Jabari Parker foul out and an overtime period later, Syracuse won a very important ACC matchup over national contender Duke. The last decade the Big East was the best conference college basketball has ever seen. After the pockets of the powerful got thin, the conference split up. The Big East still remains this season, but it is a shell of itself. Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame all left for the ACC. These teams were three of the more consistent tournament teams in the Big East every year. Now, they play in a conference that was already very competitive and elite. It has the likes of North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech. Now add in Syracuse, Pitt and the Fighting Irish, you have a national powerhouse of a conference. As a fan, it’s great to think we will have the opportunity to watch games like the Syracuse-Duke game every year. College basketball is at its best and so is its talent. Buckle up, because March Madness will be a wild ride. James Belluscio can be reached at james.belluscio@spartans.ut.edu

18 FEBRUARY 13 2014 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Pro Sports

A Bromantic Journey Through the Sports World

By MARCUS MITCHELL Sports Writer

Whether it is the most romantic ball park marriage proposal or the kiss cam at a basketball court, love runs rampant in the sports world. Love is the only word to describe the intense relationship between fans and their sports teams, but there is one type of love that is sacred in the beautiful world of sports: the bromance. Bromances are the tight bonds formed between players and their teammates and coaches. These bonds can transform men from loveless losers to bromantic heroes. Here’s a look into some of sports biggest bromances over the decades. The Ernie and Bernie Show: Nowadays whenever someone hears about basketball duos they think of Dwayne Wade and LeBron in South Beach, or Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in Lob City. But even before Michael Jordan met

Scottie Pippen, there was a pair who formed a bond so special that opposing teams wept when their names were called together for the starting five. The year was 1974 and the place was Knoxville at the University of Tennessee. Ernie Grunfeld walked onto the basketball court to start his sophomore season with the Volunteers and then he saw him. Before his eyes laid tall, dark and handsome Bernard King. Both were New York City natives brought into the team by head coach Ray Mears and they took the Southeastern Conference by storm. They averaged over 40 points a game together, and King’s blistering speed matched perfectly with Grunfeld’s bruising drives. But they had their backs off the court as well, especially with their dealings with opposing coaches who accused the pair of cheating and opposing fans who harassed the African-American Bernie and Jewish

Andrew Choi/Flickr

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have built an inseperable bromance over the past decade.

Ernie. They both entered the 1977 NBA draft together, and by 1982 they were together again with the New York Knicks. Even though they never won a national title on any level as a pair, their numbers are forever together over the University of Tennessee court. The Brady Love Triangle: Bill Belichick was in his first year as head coach of the New England Patriots, and in his first draft with the team, he looked over his options in the sixth round and saw the name Thomas Brady Jr. It was like love at first sight for Belichick, who quickly snagged the quarterback with his 199th pick in the 2000 draft. This would prove as the greatest bargain in NFL Draft history as Belichick groomed Brady into a three-time Super Bowl champion. It was an absolute lovefest in New England, with the two becoming the most successful quarterback-coach tandem in NFL history with 148 wins and five Super Bowl appearances. But everything changed when Wes Welker joined the team in 2007. With dashing good looks and great hands to match, Brady fell in love with Welker and helped the wideout set the Patriots franchise record in receptions with 112. But like a homewrecker, Welker left the team last year for Peyton Manning and the Broncos, leaving a heartbroken Brady behind. After Brady suffered defeat at the hands of Manning and Welker this past AFC Championship game, coach Belichick was left to pick up the pieces, and he accused Welker of an illegal hit during the game in a later press conference. With his heartbroken bromantic partner by his side for another season, Belichick looks to avenge Brady and defeat the Broncos and Welker in the playoffs next year. A Womance to Top Any Bromance: As you could probably imagine, a womance is a bromance between ladies who better

themselves in a platonic bond that surpasses mere friendship. The biggest womance of sports history was between the feet of Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly. The two became teammates for the U.S. Women’s National soccer team and were prodigies in the sport with Hamm joining at the age of 15 and Lilly at 16, both still in high school at the time. The two developed a close bond and both went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill together to further their womantic relationship. The pair led their squad to two World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999 as well as Olympic gold in 1996 and 2004, leading to what many believe to be the golden age of U.S. Women’s soccer. Together they scored 288 goals and 249 assists. With thanks to Lilly’s superb assist producing capabilities, Hamm held the record for international goals, more than any other player (male or female) in soccer history. Hamm’s record was recently beaten by fellow American woman Abby Wambach, who is currently building a womance of her own with current teammate Alex Morgan, who coincidentally wears number 13, Lilly’s old number. Instead of mulling about being alone this Valentine’s Day, consider going on a bromantic date with your platonic other. Play a pickup basketball game with some bros, then get some wings at a sports bar and head out to the men’s lacrosse game at 7:30 p.m. Afterward, enjoy a beautiful view under the stars. No? Oh well, just don’t be surprised when all your bros are down for some hardcore bromance this V-Day. Marcus Mitchell can be reached at marcus.mitchell@spartans.ut.edu

NHL Teams Gear Up For Second Half of the Season By DOMINICK FALCO Sports Writer

We are now at the midway point in the 2013-2014 NHL season. There have been many teams that have exceeded their expectations, but also many that have struggled to find consistency in their play. Although there are teams that have been expected to be at the top of their respective conferences, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, most teams are not where they were expected to be. Many players have stepped up for their teams, such as Alexander Steen of the St. Louis Blues, Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars and Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In professional sports, anything can happen, and that is especially true in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche, who finished with the worst record in the Western Conference and ended up with the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, are currently third in their division and have a comfortable lead for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Going into this season, the New York Islanders were thought to be a team that would be fighting for a playoff spot. especially after However, despite their in-season acquisition of four-time 30 goal scorer Thomas Vanek, New York is sitting among the bottom five teams in the league. The St. Louis Blues have taken their performance to a new level, while riding the hot stick of Steen (27 goals, 45 points) throughout the season. The Blues are sitting in second place in the Central Division and in third place

overall in the Western Conference. The most surprising team so far this season would probably be the hometown Tampa Bay Lightning. Led by captain Martin St. Louis and starting goaltender Ben Bishop, the team has been able to sustain success for most of the season, even without their top forward, Steven Stamkos, who has not played since Nov. 11 due to a broken tibia. The Lightning went from one of the worst teams in the league last season to a playoff contender this season. St. Louis has given the Lightning a great source of scoring by contributing 54 points, including 25 goals. Bishop is one of the main reasons the team is sitting at third place overall in the Eastern Conference. The goalie has 27 wins, along with a .933 save percentage and a 1.98 goals against average, making him one of the favorites for the Vezina Trophy. Most teams would not be where they are without certain players that carry the team. At this point in the season, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins definitely deserves the MVP. He is one of the few elite players in the NHL and has certainly raised the performances of the players around him. So far, Crosby has contributed a league leading 77 points, including 28 goals, along with 27 power play points and a +13 plus/minus. A player that has been the most disappointing is Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings. After a fantastic Stanley Cup winning season and a fairly good lockout shortened season, the Kings’ captain has a paltry 16 points to his name while playing all

clydeorama/Flickr

Martin St. Louis has captained his young Lightning squad to a successful season so far.

but one game this season. Most teams have played nearly 60 games, so that means there are about 20 games remaining before we get to the playoffs. For teams looking to make a playoff push, this is when no mistakes can be made and every game counts. Teams that are in a good position for the playoffs are the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning in the East and the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks and the Colorado

Avalanche in the West. Every other spot is up for grabs. The playoffs are tough to make, but once you get into the dance, crazy things can happen. There is still a lot of time in the season, so anything can happen leading up to the playoffs. After the break for the Sochi Olympics, get ready for some exciting hockey as teams try to push to extend their season in the battle for the Stanley Cup. Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu

SPORTS

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 13 2014

Best of the Grapefruit League: An Insider ’s Guide to Florida Spring Training By JOSIAH KACHELMEYER Sports Writer

Football is over following a most underwhelming Super Bowl XLVIII, and it’s time to turn our attention to America’s greatest pastime. Here in Florida, and particularly in the Tampa Bay area, there is an unparalleled baseball hotspot as Major League Baseball’s spring training is about to get under way. Home to the Grapefruit League, the Sunshine State will become the

temporary headquarters for 15 MLB teams as they loosen up for the fast approaching regular season. To help prime the Florida baseball fan as their favorite teams begin to arrive, I have compiled a list of the absolute must-see spring training sites. If time and the budget allows it, try and head out to a couple of these sites in the coming two months. You won’t regret it and that’s a guarantee.

Bright House Field Philadelphia Phillies

Lehigh Valley, PA/Flickr

Located less than 10 miles from the beautiful white sands of Clearwater Beach, Bright House Field seems more like an oasis than the training grounds of the Philadelphia Phillies. Adorned with palm trees all around and a Tiki Bar in left field, there isn’t a bad seat

in the house. And yes Philadelphians, there are in fact Philly Cheese Steaks available for purchase. Location Bright House Field 601 Old Coachman Rd. Clearwater, FL 33765

Champion Stadium Atlanta Braves

fabphotophotography/Flickr

Nestled right in the heart of the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports complex, Champion Stadium provides a baseball haven for Braves fans and tourists alike. This ballpark seats 9,500 and offers most of the amenities fans could find at Turner Field in Atlanta. Whether you are on a family vacation

and need to escape the lines of Magic Kingdom or are simply a Braves fan who resides in Florida, Champion Stadium is a can’t miss. Location ESPN Wide World of Sports, 700 S Victory Way, Kissimmee, FL 34747

McKechnie Field Pittsburgh Pirates

Built in 1922, McKechnie field in downtown Bradenton has an undeniable charm to it. Influenced by traditional Florida-Spanish architecture, McKechnie Field offers a nostalgic vibe to anyone who visits. Another perk of this park, the oldest spring training venue in use, is its affordable ticket prices. Grandstand

Steinbrenner Field New York Yankees

WEBN-TV/Flickr

tickets to any game can be purchased for only $14 and offer a great view to catch reigning MVP Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates in action. Location McKechnie Field 1611 9th St. W Bradenton, FL 34205

Joker Marchant Stadium Detroit Tigers

Michael J Zealot/Flickr

Formerly known as Legends Field, this ballpark can make any transplanted Yankees fan feel like they are right at home catching a game, minus the cold weather of course. Complete with a grandstand facade that mimics that of old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Steinbrenner Field has an authentic New York ambience to it. Many NY style concessions such as authentic pizza and hot dogs are available

to satisfy fans in between catching their beloved pinstripes in action. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Tampa, George M. Steinbrenner Field is one of the most popular destinations in all of the MLB for spring training and features one of America’s most storied teams. Location Steinbrenner Field 3802 Martin Luther King Blvd. Tampa, FL 33614

Lakeland Local/Flickr

Joker Marchant was built in 1966 and has been the spring home to the Detroit Tigers, who themselves have played in Lakeland for the past 78 years this spring, ever since. Lakeland is only a half hour drive from Tampa and on game days has an authentic Motor City vibe to it thanks to many Tigers fans who now reside in Florida. The state-

of-the-art facility is known as Tiger Town and contains multiple practice fields as well as housing for when the Tigers are in town every spring. Location Joker Marchant Stadium 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33805 Josiah Kachelmeyer can be reached at josiah.kachelmeyer@spartans.ut.edu

MINARET

Kayla Cox Profile [16]

UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933

SPORTS

Spring Training [19]

Draft Prospect Comes Out as Openly Gay By JORDAN LLANES Sports Editor

Last night, after watching the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead, I pulled open my MacBook to find article topics for our esteemed sports writers to tackle this coming week. I started with SI.com. That is where I saw the headline “NFL Prospect Says He’s Gay.” In a sports world that continues to become more open to LGBTQ athletes, Michael Sam’s announcement that he is gay is probably the biggest announcement in the history of homosexuality and sports. Last season, Sam terrorized opposing SEC offenses at the University of Missouri, racking up 11.5 sacks en route to the SEC Player of the Year award. He is currently projected to be a mid-round draft prospect, falling somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. But why come out now? Why not wait until he was already drafted by an organization? Because Sam sensed that rumors were circulating about his sexuality and he wanted to address them now. “I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it,” Sam told The New York Times in an interview published on Sunday. “I just want to own my truth.” With this announcement, Sam has now become a trailblazer in what is arguably the sports world’s most homophobic league. For every Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo, we

have a Jonathan Vilma or Chris Culliver who can’t keep their mouths shut. The NFL is widely divided on the issue, and now Sam is making them confront it head on. It will be very interesting to see how the league handles the situation. If Sam falls in the draft, will it be because of his sexuality? SI’s Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans tackled this

significant question and the answers from some NFL executives for the most part were not promising. “I don’t think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet,” said an anonymous NFL player personnel assistant to Thamel and Evans. The take from NFL scouts were along the same lines. “I just know with this going on this is

Wikimedia Creative Commons

Michael Sam will break major barriers by becoming the first openly gay NFL player.

going to drop him down,” said a veteran NFL scout in the same article. “There’s no question about it. It’s human nature. Do you want to be the team to quoteunquote ‘break that barrier?’” The answer to that question should be that every NFL team should be willing to “break that barrier,” but reality says that it’s not. A few more of Thamel and Evans’ sources said that Sam would be best served going to a team that already has an established GM and head coaching tandem in addition to a strong owner. They cited San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Green Bay as possible destinations amongst others. At the end of the day, Sam is a solid NFL prospect who has a high motor who can hold the point of attack and is versatile enough to play in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. He can get after the quarterback with a variety of moves and he can definitely come in and contribute to any team right away in addition to having the potential to be a starter in the NFL. Yes, his sexuality will cause some hurdles. But to the team that can look past that and see the player who captured the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season, they will have a great find. Michael Sam is ready for the NFL. When the NFL Draft comes on May 810, we will see how ready the league is for him. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

Several NFL Coaches Find New Homes in Offseason By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer

With most NFL coaches only making it a handful of years before they find themselves out of a job, the pressure to win is immediate. The coaches who aren’t able to win won’t have a job come the end of the season. While a few coaches who are on thin ice survived to see another season (Dennis Allen, Jason Garrett, Rex Ryan), six others weren’t as fortunate. Jim Schwartz took over the Detroit Lions in 2009, the year after they became the only team in NFL history to go 0-16. With the first overall pick in the draft that year, the Lions selected Matt Stafford, quarterback out of Georgia. While the Lions believed they finally found their franchise quarterback to build around, they have only had one winning season since. After compiling a 2951 record over five seasons in Detroit, Schwartz found himself out of a job. Enter Jim Caldwell, former offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

Keith Allison/ Flickr

Jay Gruden has a tough task ahead of him this season as he begins his tenure with Washington.

Caldwell’s only NFL coaching experience came from Indianapolis. During his rookie season, he led the Colts to a 14-2 record and a trip to the Super Bowl. This season proved to be a oneyear fluke as the Colts went 10-6 the next year and 2-14 his third and final year in Indianapolis. Within three years, Caldwell went from runnerup in the Super Bowl to worst record in the league and out of a job. After being let go by the Colts, Caldwell became the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. In his first season as offensive coordinator, the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. While not a great head coach, the Detroit Lions liked how their interview with him went. Caldwell addressed how he planned to work with Matt Stafford and turn their offense around. While it’s understandable why they signed Caldwell, he hasn’t truly shown whether he can be a successful coach in the NFL. Grade: C The Houston Texans went from making the Divisional Round of the playoffs during the 2012-2013 season to the worst record in the league (2-14) this year. It was no shocker that Head Coach Gary Kubiak was out of a job by week fourteen. The man Houston chose to replace him with is now former Penn State Head Coach Bill O’Brien. O’Brien, who only coached at Penn State for two years, replaced Joe Paterno after the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal. His first season at Penn State, O’Brien won national coach of the year honors and produced an 8-4 record. Penn State slipped up a game during the 2013 season going 7-5, but O’Brien’s 15-9 record wasn’t what Houston was looking at. They were looking at a man who came into a

situation where a well-known football program was on the verge of being nearly derailed and was able to produce a solid team. What recruits are going to want to come to a school that just got out of the worst scandal in NCAA history? The way O’Brien came in and kept everything together impressed Houston, and they believe that he will be able to come in and turn around their dysfunctional organization. Grade: B The Minnesota Vikings were another team who went from making the playoffs last year to a dead last finish in their respective division. While they have Quarterback issues to address this coming offseason, their defense was amongst the worst in the league. Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer showed enough promise in Cincinnati to warrant him his first NFL head-coaching gig. With a team that has many questions, especially at defense, it makes a lot of sense to bring in a guy that was voted the 2008 NFL assistant coach of the year. Grade: A The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the best head coaching hiring by signing former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. Smith, who coached nine seasons in Chicago, returns to Tampa Bay where he was a linebacker’s coach from 1996-2000. Being a well known, respected and likeable coach, there wasn’t a better fit for the Bucs. With the last two coaches Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano both losing the locker rooms, Smith is a no BS kind of guy who is respected by the players and knows how to put a winning product on the field. Being a defensive first coach, he fits right in with Tampa. Grade: A+ Following in the trends of teams who went

to the playoffs during the 2012 season and finished dead last this season, hello Washington Redskins. With hopeful Franchise Quarterback Robert Griffin III getting injured and missing the last three games of the season, this franchise is on the verge of disaster. So when your franchise is almost falling apart and you don’t know what direction you’re going in, what do you do? Well if you’re Washington, hire a coach that’s never coached in the NFL before. Jay Gruden, like his counterpart Mike Zimmer, also was a part of the Bengals staff but as the offensive coordinator. While Gruden had success coaching in the Arena League, it’s unclear why the Redskins put so much trust for their future in the hands of a rookie coach. Grade: D. The Cleveland Browns are arguably the worst franchise in the NFL and one of the worst in North American sports. Since returning to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have had two winning seasons. With such a disastrous organization in general, the Browns kept in their style and hired Mike Pettine, another yet to coach in the NFL. While Pettine did have a great year in 2009 as the New York Jets defensive coordinator, it’s still questionable why the Browns decided on him as the man for their job. Was it because they really believed in him? Or was it because they waited too long to sign a head coach and took what they could? That question will be answered during this upcoming season. Grade: D+ Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu