The Minaret

Florida’s Top College Paper

Vol. 75 No. 13

ut.minaret@gmail.com

www.theminaretonline.com

JUDGE: University Must Rescind

UT...

Plagiarism Charge; School Appeals charged, or did she merely use improper citations, as her attorney claims?

Second, did UT’s conduct system A merciless plagiarism case wrongly deprive her of an appeal and, rages on after nearly 20 months therefore, due process? of litigation as the University of Background Tampa appeals a judge’s order to The grade stemmed from a Spring clear the name of a now-graduated 2006 plagiarism charge leveled by criminology student.

LaRose on Knight’s final term paper.

In March, Circuit Court Judge He contends that she improperly cited Ralph Stoddard and plagiarized ordered UT to remove parts, resulting The University’s the “F” from Andrea continual uncompromis- in an “F” in Knight’s transcript, to the four-credit ing behavior resulted in adjust her GPA and to criminology the denial of Plaintiff’s expunge all mentions course. due process rights. of plagiarism from U T ’s - Judge Ralph Stoddard her UT record. The internal school has appealed academic the injunction, but her lawyer integrity board, which was made up is confident that the ruling will of seven members of UT’s faculty stand. and staff, found her responsible in “We put a whoopin’ on them,” July of 2006. said Joseph Bryant, Knight’s Knight and her attorney aggressive attorney. “We won an sought an injunction to stave off historic victory to have a grade the hearing but were denied. removed. We have crushed them.”

They later filed an amended UT, however, is questioning motion for an injunction to whether the judge has jurisdiction have the “F” removed and the to intervene in an argument over a plagiarism conviction stricken UT student’s grades. from her record.

Letters and courtroom Knight, who now works exchanges between Bryant and as a paralegal, hopes to apply UT attorney John Campbell to law or graduate school but demonstrated a deep animosity now faces the stigma of a that was noted several times by plagiarism conviction and the judge, including once when a four-hour “F,” Bryant said. he closed his hearing by thanking The decision caused the two of them for “getting along “irreparable harm” in the better now.” eyes of Circuit Court Judge The case is hung on two R a l p h S t o d d a r d , w h o complicated questions. First, did awarded the immediate Knight plagiarize the term paper, as See “Court” [7] criminology professor Tony LaRose

By Peter Arrabal Editor-in-chief

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November 14, 2008

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Meets Manatees

See Page 9

P.E.A.C.E. Expands Alternative Spring Break Program for Students

By Ellery McCardle News Editor

“They are cultural experiences no matter where we go,” said Katrina Vidal, Alternative Spring Break Coordinator of P.E.A.C.E. With growing popularity and increasing applicants, The University of Tampa’s P.E.A.C.E. program has expanded its traveling volunteer opportunities to more than just during spring break.

“My freshman year, we only offered one spring break,” Katrina Vidal, ASB Coordinator and UT senior said.

Vidal became ASB Coordinator during her sophomore year. She went to a conference last year and

Inside ...

“It’s really working well and found that many schools have larger they have a lot of good ideas,” programs.

Vidal said.

“Some schools have 20 trips a November Trip year and I thought that was cool,” The group’s first trip this she said. year was during Expanding Staff November 7-9 To plan six My freshman where they went trips alone was year we only offered to “Give Kids too much to one spring break. the World” in handle for Vidal, Katrina Vidal, ASB Kissimmee. s o P. E . A . C . E .

Coordinator Students expanded their w o r ked with staff after deciding to add more trips. terminally ill children who J u n i o r Hannah Duprey and sophomore were staying at the resort and Christina Smith were chosen as attending a theme park.

However, not all applicants P.E.A.C.E. co-coordinators for could go on this trips. There were ASB.

“ ” New Security Booklets [3]

37 applications for this trip, but there was only room for 12.

Vi d a l a n d h e r t w o c o coordinators reviewed and graded each application in order to choose who would go on the trip.

This is the group’s second year in a row that they volunteered at this event.

“Everyone last year went and said they really liked it so we decided to go back,” Vidal said.

Duprey said that since there were so many applicants, she wishes everyone could go.

“It was amazing and frustrating at the same time,” she said, adding that P.E.A.C.E. would do whatever it takes to make the students’

experience a great one.

Students not selected for the Kissimee trip will have a chance to go on a different trip.

On the Nov. 15 trip, a different group of students went to Sea World and participate in the “Give the Kids the World” fundraiser.

With high gas prices, the cost of the trip rose from $25 to $50 per person. Vidal said that some people who were chosen for the trip declined after the rise in price.

Winter Trip The volunteering will continue into December as another selected group will go to the Immokalee

Women’s Soccer [23] Course Evaluations [5] Gay Marriage [19] Gwyneth Walker Concerts [17]

Travel Series[12-13]

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.”

See “Peace”

[3]

News....................[1-7] Features ............[9-11] A&E................[12-17] Editorial .............. [18] Commentary ..[18-20] Sports .............[22-24]

[Margaret Mead]

News

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The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Offroading on Campus

Nov. 11 Meeting

By Ellery McCardle News Editor

Editor-in-Chief Peter Arrabal parrabal@gmail.com

Asst. Editor-in-Chief Charlie Hambos chambos@ut.edu

News Editor Ellery McCardle minaret.news@gmail.com

Commentary Editor Derrick Austin minaret.commentary@gmail.com

Sports Editor Bobby Winsler

minaret.sports@gmail.com

A&E Editor Mel Steiner

minaret.arts@gmail.com

Features Editor Joshua Kratovil

minaret.features@gmail.com

Online Editor Alex Vera

avera813@tampabay.rr.com

Head Photographer Mindy Tucker

For the third year in a row, a former UT student was arrested in the early morning for trespassing on university property. The two most recent arrests were for driving his vehicle into Vaughn Courtyard Friday, Nov. 8, and into Delo Park in April of 2007.

Christopher P. Roy, 22, was arrested at the intersection of North A Street B and North Boulevard on Friday, Nov. 8, at 3:42 a.m. for driving circles in the Vaughn Courtyard.

He was charged with three misdemeanors including: driving under the influence, criminal mischief $200 to $1,000 and operating an unregistered vehicle.

He refused to take a blood alcohol test. Roy was also charged with a third degree felony of possession of oxycodone. He was later released that morning on a $8,750 bond.

This is not Roy’s first arrest at UT. On April 29, 2007 at 4:15a.m. he was arrested for trespassing when he drove his truck on Delo Park, outside of Austin and Vaughn halls. He was also booked for firstdegree misdemeanor of battery.

He was released later that day on

Photo Courtesy HCSO

a $1,000 bond.

On Oct. 6, 2006 at 3:45a.m.

Roy was arrested on-campus for trespassing on school grounds. He was charged for a second-degree misdemeanor.

Roy was later released that day on a $350 bond.

In March of 2006 at the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, student Mohamed Tehari-Azar drove through the campus commons in a rented SUV in attempt to kill students. He injured nine people.

There were no reports Roy was trying to injure students.

Ellery McCardle can be reached at ellery.mccardle@gmail.com

mtucker@ut.edu

Adviser Charles McKenzie charles.mckenzie@ut.edu

Staff-At-Large

Sarah Gottlieb, Asst. News Editor Elizabeth Harrington, Reporter Jillian Randel, Reporter JP Busche, Staff Writer Emily Williams, Reporter Delaney Spoerl, Reporter Stephanie Roman, Reporter Thiago Queiroz, Reporter Erika Escobar, Reporter Megan Smith, Reporter Austin Daniels, Cartoonist Max Roberts, Artist Shanette Lewis, Photographer Elizabeth Harm, A&E Kadie Hayward, A&E Shannon Grippando, Reporter Kristen Vasquez, A&E

You can reach The Minaret directly at (813) 257-3636

The Minaret is a weekly student-run publication of the University of Tampa. As a student organization, The Minaret invites all students to take part in its production. Inquiries and comments may be sent to ut.minaret@gmail.com

Check out TheMinaretOnline.com for up-to-the-minute information on top stories and breaking news.

Your first two copies of The Minaret are free.

Each additional copy is $1.00.

By Charlie Hambos Asst. Editor-in-Chief

Compiled From Police Log Two officers responded to a medical emergency in the Thompson Building at 12 p.m. on Nov. 3.

The Science Wing of Plant Hall was burglarized at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Nov. 4.

A theft was reported at the Spartan Club Arcade at 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 5.

Larceny theft was reported at the Martinez sports center on Nov. 3 Larceny theft was reported at Smiley Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.

An alcohol violation was reported at 10:50 p.m. in the Rescom Area on Nov. 6. Stu-

dent referred to judicial board.

A burglary was reported at an unknown time in the Vaughn Center on Nov. 7.

A theft was reported in Plant Hall between 7:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Nov 8. The student was referred to judicial board.

An alcohol violation was reported in McKay at 10:10 p.m. on Nov. 8.

In McKay Hall on Nov. 8 at 11p.m., a personal abuse was reported.

A library trespassing was reported at 6:20 p.m. on Nov. 9.

On the eighth floor of Austin Hall, UT security responded to a call about a battery at 12:20 p.m. on Nov. 9. Student referred to judicial board.

UT security responded to a trespassing in the library on Nov. 9 at 11 p.m.

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Check blackboard for the latest survey and please fill that out as soon as possible

•

There will be no SG meeting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

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A committee is being formed to address drinking age issues

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Greek Sing will be on Monday at 7:45p.m. in the Martinez Sports Center

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Nov. 18 is basketball season kick-off. Women play at 5:30p.m. and men play at 7:00pm. Wear black!

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Friday night to Saturday morning is P.E.A.C.E.’s sleep out for the homeless event

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There will be an Arabian Nights event Thursday at 7p.m.

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There will be a freshman class meeting next week after General Assembly

Purific Responds to Allegations

By Thiago Queiroz Staff Writer

Just two weeks after visiting UT, the water filter company Purific has responded to rising concerns about the safety of its products.

A f t e r P u r i f i c ’s v i s i t t o campus, an article in The Minaret was published concerning the water filtration company and the controversy existing between the efficacy of its portable filtration devices.

After the article was published, The Minaret received word from the administrative director of Purific of Brazil, Jonatas Justos Júnior, with Purific’s position towards the claims made by the Brazilian television show “Fantástico”.

According to Justus, the production of the report criticizing Purific filters were made with an extremely malicious intent, possibly ordered by competing manufacturers of similar products.

In an e-mail, Justus stated that “the use of magnetic fields in water has been very much studied, and several graduate and doctorate thesis have proved the change of structure of the water, therefore making it more easily assimilated by our organism.”

The head chemist of Purific of Brazil had also contested through e-mail the chemist showed on the program, using as argument all scientific studies that indeed prove the action of magnetic fields in water.

The chemist of the university

Photo courtesy of purificawater.com

openly replied that he had stated many things to the television show, but that his interview was edited and out of context.

Also attached in his e-mail was Purific’s official response to the show report, which was also published on Purific’s website during the time.

In their response, Purific stated the company felt extreme indignation towards what was said about their products, since it lead their consumers to believe they were tricked into buying something of bad quality.

Purific further stated that in the interview with the television show, all facts were explained, but that only one generic sentence was kept in the final editing of the interview that went on air.

Purific is available for any further explanations relative to the matter, and can be reached at purific@purific.com.br.

Thiago Queiroz can be reached at thiagoq00@gmail.com

News

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

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Residence Life Hands Out Guide to Safe Living On-Campus Security’s Kevin Howell praises idea

By Emily Williams Staff Writer

Among the many postings around campus each day, students may have recently noticed a new guide posted in their resident halls.

This booklet, titled “Emergency and Safety Procedures,” hangs and is styled like a calendar.

It has multi-colored, layered pages and addresses various safety concerns that students may have.

The tabs in the guide have titles such as, “Utility Outage in Your Area,” “Severe Weather” and “Campus Violence/Active

Shooter.”

These tabs offer important information on several specific kinds of emergencies students may face.

ResLife was in charge of making this booklet made.

Although campus security was not responsible for the making of the booklet, director of campus security Kevin Howell was enthusiastic about its distribution.

It has been available since o r i e n t a t i o n , h o w e v e r, s i n c e few students actually took the information, ResLife had it hung up in all the residence halls during room inspections last month.

“ We f e e l l i k e h a v i n g information readily available to students may help them better utilize the options they have for assistance,” Krystal Schofield, director of Residence Life, said.

Although the booklets have not been out for long, some students have already voiced gratitude at having immediate access to important instructions in case an emergency were to happen.

“If something happens, it’ll come in handy,” said freshman Constance Braudy. “It feels good [to have], just in case.”

UT Democrat Helps Build Campus Voting Base

By Jillian Randel Staff Writer

One UT student went above and beyond this election season to make sure the voices of others were counted even when her own was not.

J u n i o r S i o b h a n H a r le y worked on the Obama campaign in Tampa as a full-time intern, but her responsibilities often went far beyond those expected of her.

Harley worked on volunteer recruitment, persuasion phone calls, scheduling and attending neighborhood meetings, making canvas packets, and entering data into computers, as well as monitoring the polls on Election Day. Harley, who is also treasurer of the UT Democrats, said one of her favorite duties was canvassing.

On top of her campaign duties, she worked relentlessly to ensure that as many UT students voted as possible, whether it meant driving them to the polls herself or simply standing on Plant Hall Veranda registering students to vote.

Harley’s work, along with UT’s Students for Barack Obama was successful. They were able to register about 850 new voters on campus.

According to Harley, 847 people voted at UT’s assigned voting precinct, Greater Bethel Baptist Church, with the majority of voters being students. Of the 847 people who voted, 72.3 percent voted for Obama.

This number includes all early voting, absentee, and election-day ballots.

“More young people were involved in this election, but I do not think they were the deciding factor,” said Harley.

“Ultimately, it came down to the African American vote. It is true, though, that young people of all races voted majority for Obama.”

Harley is right on target in her estimation.

According to Pew Research, the top polling station in the U.S., 66 percent of citizens aged 18 to 29 voted for Obama, compared to 32 percent who voted for McCain.

“There is no doubt that

Siobahan Harley with Sen. Joe Biden

young people were invaluable in this election,” said Harley. “They participated at such a high level in the campaigning process.”

Harley also believes that the way the campaigns were played were crucial in deciding the election.

“This was a historic election in many ways, but especially in terms of how the campaigns were run,” she said.

“The Obama campaign was so well-organized, and at a grassroots level. I think that is why we won.

If the McCain campaign was run with the same tone he used in his concession speech, I think it would have been a much tighter race.”

What is most inspiring about Harley’s participation and dedication is that she is not even an eligible voter.

Her family immigrated to the states from Scotland, and

Photo by Chelsea Michelson

From “Peace”: Front Page Friendship House in Immokalee, Fl. The group will be gone from December 12-16, just after the fall semester ends.

“We thought it’d be the perfect volunteer experience to kick off the holiday season,” Duprey said.

Vidal agreed and said this opportunity will be a great way to volunteer during the holidays.

The shelter in Immokalee holds up to 44 people and the students will cook, clean, file and write thank-you notes.

Students will also have the opportunity to interact with the homeless.

For Duprey, this is her first trip that she is co-leading.

“I’ve never done anything like it, and believe it will be a truly eye-opening experience by exposing UT students to an environment very different from our own,” she said.

Spring Break Expansion ASB started with just one trip each year, which was during spring break.

Last year, the group went to New Orleans to help refurbish a home for an elderly woman who was still living in a trailer after her house was damaged by Hurricane

Katrina.

This year will be different because it will be the first year that there will be two Alternative Spring Break trips.

The location of these trips has not been decided.

Future of ASB Aside from the three trips during the fall semester, P.E.A.C.E. has also expanded its worldwide outreach.

“I’m incredibly proud and excited about UT’s ASB program this year. We’re offering more trips than ever before,” Duprey said.

Even though the spring break trips have not been decided upon, the yearly international trip will be in Puebla, Mexico to work with the environment.

This trip is a week long just after the spring semester ends. Last year, a group went to Jamaica.

There are also plans for a February weekend trip.

“We hope to get more UT students involved in service and encourage them to come talk to us,” Duprey said.

For those wondering if they should volunteer, Vidal said, “it’s a really good experience, everyone should apply.”

E m a i l P. E . A . C . E . a t alternativebreaks@ut.edu if you have any questions.

Photo courtesy of Siobhan Harley

although they all have Green Cards, Siobhan does not yet have citizenship.

“I knew that I could not vote, so I told myself that I would make sure 100 other people voted in my place. I am now eligible for citizenship and I am so proud that I will become a US citizen while Obama is president.”

As for the future of young voters, Harley believes only time will tell.

“I am not sure that this election has created a lasting change,” she said. “We will see over the next four years. Maybe this election is an anomaly because we had such an exceptional candidate. We had someone who people were willing to stand out in the rain for four hours to vote for.”

Jillian Randel can be reached at jmrandel@ut.edu

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Features

The Best of the Best in UT’s Dorms National Residence Hall Honorary seeks top students for inclusion

By Kadie Hayward Special to The Minaret

The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) is working to provide holiday gifts for underprivileged children in the Tampa area.

Members of UT’s Minaret Chapter also hope to host the children from Metropolitan Ministries at a holiday party in December.

The NRHH is the only national organization that exclusively recognizes a campus’ top leaders in residence halls.

Only in its second year at UT, the Minaret Chapter focuses on honoring outstanding work from around UT. Only the top one percent of the residence hall population makes up the chapter, which is now seeking members.

Applications will be accepted through Nov. 21 and are available in the Residence Life office (Vaughn Center second floor) or at the front desks of the residence halls.

F o r m o r e information, contact chapter president Mishell Thomas at mishell.thomas@ ut.edu. ut.edu

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

This week: Let’s Take a Visit to Israel

By JP Busche Features Writer

With 7.1 million inhabitants crammed into an area of approximate 8,000 square miles, Israel is a rather densely packed country.

Although Hebrew (and to some extent Arabic) are the most common languages in Israel, English is spoken by most people.

Its capital, Jerusalem is well known for visitors looking for ancient culture, such as the Wailing Wall.

Younger people tend to appreciate Tel Aviv, the second biggest city in the country with 384,000 inhabitants.

Tel Aviv is well known as a very liberal city, hosting gay pride parades for instance.

The country itself is very diverse. People have a lot of different backgrounds, such as Hungarian and Morrocan.

Israel celebrates its Independence Day on May 14 and

has its 60th anniversary this year.

“Socializing is very easy, furthermore, people look after each other and care very intensely.

Education is the key to success,” said Alon Groshar, a 21 year old freshman who decided to pursue a bachelors degree in Communication after being an active member of the Israel military for three years.

Since every citizen has to serve in the military, young people are exposed to the reality in a very direct way, at times when other young people around the world may go to school or party.

“Being in the military helped me becoming more mature; I learned how to relax and that the world will not [vanish] the next day,” said Groshar.

Israel offers a lot of unique natural features, such as the Dead Sea, which is well known for containing a high level of salt and being the lowest place on earth in terms of altitude.

With all that salt, it is impossible for any fish to live in that sea, but

interestingly it does help people with skin problems.

The sea itself flows through the Israeli administered West Jordan Land as well as through the Jordan itself. The Golan Area between Damascus and the biblical Sea of Genneseret is another interesting piece of Israel’s terrain.

With waterfalls as well as a skiing hotspot throughout the winter, it enables visitors to experience Israel’s formidable environment.

In fact, partying in the desert is quite common, as it happens in the Negev desert.

Israel’s cuisine is inspired by different cultures from around the world, offering quite a few dishes with Arabic descent, such as Hummus, which mainly consists of chick peas and sesame mush, as well as Trina, a spicy mango paste.

JP Busche can be reached at JBusche@ut.edu.

Spartans’ Sport Entertainment Management Society Sets High Goals for Involvement, Volunteers

By Michelle Magner Features Writer

With the alphabet soup of over 140 student organizations’ worth of abbreviations flying all around campus, it can be difficult to figure out which one to dip your spoon into.

Here’s a little clarification on at least one of those groups, S.E.M.S., or Sport and Entertainment Management Society. Its founders, S.E.M.S. hosts several events each year. president Josh Fleishman, vice for the Ironman competition in president of marketing Jeremy Clearwater and the United Soccer Figueroa and vice president of League Tournament in Tampa. finance Alex Miles are all juniors S.E.M.S encourages its members here at UT. to participate in volunteering The club has over 60 members opportunities. with more than 40 attending the “It’s a very interactive club,” meetings consistently, which is not said member Libby Tiani. “There very common at UT. are a lot of awesome volunteering “This is almost double the opportunities that could potentially number that we had last year, give you good connections for later which shows that we are really in life. I actually just volunteered coming along,” with S.E.M.S GO ONLINE said Fleishman. at the Iron man “One of our Know an outstanding competition other hopes for organization on campus? and met a ton of the organization, Give ‘em a shout out people from all and the school for on our Web site: over the world. that matter, is to www.theminaretonline.com There are also a try and increase lot of internship school spirit on campus,” said opportunities which is great!”

Miles. “There are a lot of great Some upcoming fundraising sports teams here who are not events for S.E.M.S. include selling recognized as much as they should tickets for the Tampa Bay Lightning be, and even though an immediate games till the end of November change is unlikely to occur, we and then for the Bruins games in hope that our efforts can help phase December. the university into a new sense of “We are always looking to Spartan pride.” bring in some guest speakers that In recent meetings, discussions have experience working in either consisted of scheduling volunteers the sport or entertainment industry

Photo courtesy of Alexander Miles.

that could give students a real picture of what life is really like in their profession,” said Miles.

Their major topic of discussion right now is the 2nd Annual Home Run Derby that will take place in February.

“I participated in the Home Run Derby last year and it was fun to compete for $200,” said senior Will Tiani. “ And of course it was nice to get a free t-shirt, everyone in the stands got free stuff through out the whole competition.”

On Valentine’s day, S.E.M.S. sells tickets to the Tampa Lightning vs. Washington Capitals game and will be hosting “Skate Night” which allows students who purchase tickets to skate on the ice after the game.

“S.E.M.S. is unlike any of the other organizations I have been a part of on campus,” said secretary Morgan Wilber.

Members meet every other Weds. at 9:15 P.M. in John Skyes room 234.

If you’re interested in joining or want more information email S.E.M.S at sems@ut.edu.

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Features

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UT Senior’s Mini Midlife Crisis: Registering for the Last Time

By Jon Howard Special to The Minaret

I hate registering for classes.

By registering for the last time, it means that soon I am graduating from college. So what happens next? Get a job, a family, put the kids through college so they can repeat the process? It reminds me of one of my favorite movies: Fight Club.

What I am trying to say is that this sounds extremely boring to me. Graduate high school with good grades so you can get into a good college. Get good grades in college so you can get a good job.

Get a good job so you can raise a family comfortably and you measure your success in life by how well you did this process. So for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. I don’t recommend doing this because it puts you through tremendous amounts of stress. I called my parents to ask for advice because they are usually awesome with this kind of stuff.

Their response: “It’s okay, it’ll work out, it always does. If you can’t find a job, then go to grad school.” Not the profound re-

hardheaded as I am, but I do understand why it is important. If the people who will hire you and pay you that nice salary believe that a college education is pivotal, then get the damn diploma.

Number 2: College teaches sponse I was looking for. However you so much more than class mait is nice to know that they don’t terial. I moved 1,000 miles away care if I become a professional stu- from the comfort of my house and dent. lived with complete strangers. By Therefore I went to others for doing so, I learned how to comadvice. My roommate Jason Wag- promise in living situations and ner is graduating in December, so learned about myself through other I figured that he already has this people. I have found that everyone stuff figured out., only to find out has something different to bring that he is in worst shape than I am to the table, and it is up to you to in. He is freaking out because he learn from them. doesn’t know what to do, all he Number 3: Self reflection is knows is that dangerous. There is he doesn’t a poem that I came GO ONLINE want a 9-5 Check out Jon across called “Man job. I think Howard’s blog and let in the Glass.” The I am at that him know what you think! poem tells you that c r o s s r o a d s http://howardshappening. you can fool rest of that Frost wordpress.com/ the world, but you talks about. cannot ever fool the Which road do I take, the road less man in the glass. I tried convincing traveled? Well thanks to him, ev- myself that I knew what I wanted eryone is taking that road, so which to do after graduation and that I am one is now the less traveled? going to be successful, however So, after a few weeks of con- the “Man in the Glass” reminded templating I have gained little me that I have not even applied for ground on the goal of figuring out a job, got an internship, and have a my life. However, I did come to a resume that at best “needs work.” few conclusions.

I decided that for me to be truNumber 1: My parents taught ly successful, I would have to live me that no matter how much you a life that had meaning. disagree with something you still How could I make that goal a have to “play the game.” This is realistic goal? I came to the conreally tough for someone that is clusion, that when I looked back

on my life, it wouldn’t matter about how much money I made or other materialistic things, but to better someone’s life.

I am a man of great ambition, so I don’t want to settle just on one life, but a magnitude.

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UT Course Evaluations Go Exclusively Online to Maximize Feedback

By Charlie Hambos Staff Writer

It’s almost that time of year again when the last ten minutes of class will be dedicated to course evaluations. Not anymore.

Coming to an e-mail inbox near you, an online course evaluation which will leave the past paper format in the dust, paving the way for a more useful and environmentally friendly way to enhance learning in the classroom.

According to Jeff Skorownek, Assistant professor of psychology and assessment coordinator for the College of Social Science, Mathematics and Education, the survey is broken down into three parts assessing the course, the professor, and the student behavior.

After two years of test piloting the system purchased from Class Climate, most professors will now use that last 10 minutes of class to tell students the importance of taking the course evaluations.

Kevin Beach, Associate Dean of Baccalaureate Experience said online evaluations would be the key factor in a successful return rate.

“If we get enough people talking about it then we will get their attentions,” Beach said.

One disadvantage of conducting the evaluations online is the chance of low return rate, but Beach said the system will remind students until the evaluation is complete.

Beach hopes that doing the evaluations online will give the students an opportunity to be more thoughtful and accurately rate the class.

Skowronek who helped design and choose the system added that each item will have space for the students to make comments to explain their reasoning.

Not only will the university save money by going online but the students will have the chance to do the evaluation wherever they have internet access.

Bruce Friesen, professsor of sociology, who has also worked on the new system believes the online evaluations will create better information.

Friesen said students are likely to write twice as much online, producing more qualitative feedback. He also said the feedback help’s faculty better develop their

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own classroom.

There is a possibility that the information collected on the professors from the evaluations may become available for students to help choose classes, Friesen said.

F r i e s e n dismissed sites like ratemyprofessor.com as ‘disgustingly poor’ from a scientific viewpoint.

If the results do become public he hopes that it will motivate professors.

It is up to the professor to talk about evaluations.

Research suggests that if the professor talk about it the students will respond.

The professors are still given the option to go to paper but most will use the online system.

Friesen believes that the old paper version was difficult to interpret as some students did not accurately fill out the evaluation.

Skorownek shared the same

thoughts saying that the new evaluation would help both student and professor.

“The feedback the student provides now will assuredly impact future students who take the same course or professor,” Skowronek said.

According to Skowronek, once the student completes the survey, the professor will receive detailed breakdowns of responses.

Using those responses and comments professors can improve their teaching style.

One goal of the new evaluation is to examine the personal transformation of the student by asking what the students learned in their classes.

The online evaluations will also be able to conduct a better analysis by looking at gender, ethnicity and age of professors and how students

evaluate those characteristics.

The major obstacles of the online evaluations are some professors who feel that evaluations are not important.

“Colleagues are cynical about evaluation as a whole,” Friesen said. “The worst case scenario, the professor says nothing and students do not complete it. If four out of 30 complete the evaluation there is concern.”

If there is any student doubt in the necessity of the evaluations, they can be assured that it is their input is helpful.

“I believe students need to understand that professors really care about the responses and feedback.

If two students in a 20 student course respond the information is no where near as valuable as when all 20 respond,” Skowronek said.

The evaluations will be sent from classclimate@ut.edu to your e-mail box starting on Nov. 24 and they will run until Dec. 5.

Charlie Hambos can be reached at chambos@ut.edu

WANTED: Dedicated, reliable individual to provide part-time nanny services to two children in elementary school, one whom has special needs. Looking to hire someone with extensive childcare experience.

Effective January 1st. Hours will typically range from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Salary negotiable.

Contact Christine Howard at (404)909-3308.

6

News

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

UT Goes Green and Single Stream

By Liz Harrington Staff Writer

The P.E.A.C.E. volunteer center is debuting their well earned project to help make our campus and the world a little greener.

There is now a brand new single stream recycling bin located between ResCom and the Thomas Parking Garage.

This bin is unique because it is able to recycle many different types of items including, plastic, aluminum, steel, juice cartons and

Single Stream Recycling

glass. However, all of these items should be rinsed out before being placed in the bin.

Paper and cardboard can also be recycled. The bin has the capability to accept all of these items mixed together.

Ignore the cardboard only sign, no plastic bags, tubs or garbage and follow the directions or the system will be removed.

This is a great addition to UT’s recent “green movement” because not only will students have easier access to recycle items, but the all-in-one bin saves on space and the hassle of dividing trash.

Photos by Abby Sanford

“Lost Boy” Tells of Sudan Escape

Physical Therapy Education Learning without boundaries

By JP Busche Staff Writer

Online curriculum with weekend labs MAKE PLANS NOW TO ATTEND OUR NEXT INFORMATION SESSION! Thursday, October 30, 2008 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Clarion Resort 2261 E. Irlo Bronson Kissimmee, FL 34744 Reservations are preferred, but not required.

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be an active part of the change,” Kelley Havens said.

A sunbeam entered the dark Upon coming to the U.S., room through the windows above Da’Hajhock met who he calls the ceiling, giving Fletcher Lounge his “second mother” Joan Hecht, some natural afternoon light. author of “The Journey of the Lost Such a light might have helped Boys of Sudan.”

Atem Da’Hajhock survive his Because of Hecht, Da’Hajhock journey. He is one of the 150 “Lost said he was able to start his new Boys” who escaped from Sudan. life.

The “Lost Boys” was the term “You first hear about an incident brought up by aid organizations and then consider your personal for Christian men and women response: remain untouched or emigrating from the south of Sudan become involved,” said Hecht. to the United S h e States. decided to

It inspired me Da’Hajhock respond and to help and be an currently by helping active part of the attends college p e o p l e change. in Jacksonville experience majoring in the United political science States as a -- Kelley Havens and pre-law. new place of In the presentation, Da’Hajhock hope. said the key to success is through During the presentation, a education. slideshow highlighted the rural W i t h h i s e d u c a t i o n a l world the “Lost Boys” originally experience, Da’Hajhock wants to come from and the inhumane return to Sudan one day and help to events the men experienced. make it a peaceful place again For example, while trying to The crowd was very impressed cross a river, some of the “Lost by the event.

Boys” lost their lives after being “It inspired me to help and shot at by Ethiopian soldiers.

“

”

Da’Hajhock even witnessed the deaths of close friends.

“One minute you are walking with your best friends and suddenly they are gone forever,” Hecht said.

After making it out of Sudan safely, Da’Hajhock was in four different refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya.

There he saw children that made it to the camps dying of treatable diseases such as Cholera and Malaria.

The presentation seemed stunning to Freshman Ashley Castleberry.

“It is surreal to see somebody who has been through so much,” she said.

Da’Hajohock concluded that history always repeats itself and quoting Martin Luther King Jr. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

JP Busche can be reached at jbusche@ut.edu

z JOBS

utexchange.com

Your Source for Online Classifieds Photos by Anna Burrell Students pack Fletcher Lounge on Mon. (Nov. 10) as they follow the journey of the “Lost Boy.”

Atem Da’hajhock tells students about his experiences in Sudan

7

News

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Judge Rules UT Wrongly Denied Student Appeal From “Plagiarism”: Front Page injunction.

RIGHT TO UT APPEAL? Stoddard ruled that the university acted in “bad faith” by initially denying Knight the appeal that was promised her in an online version of UT’s code of conduct.

Although UT officials told Knight she had no right to appeal, she contended that the UT Web site said otherwise. The rules then available online provided an avenue for appeal, but that version quickly disappeared from the Web site.

The key piece of evidence for judge Stoddard came when Knight’s attorney hired a computer forensics expert to demonstrate that UT’s 2006 Web site included this contradictory code of conduct, which allowed appeals in such

cases.

Therefore, Knight’s right to an appeal was wrongly taken away, the judge ruled.

He said the fact that UT attorney John Campbell didn’t correct him when he wrongly stated the rules for an appeal in the initial injunction motion did not “sit well” with him. He also said that “Mr. Campbell deliberately allowed me to believe what was wrong.”

“The Court finds Plaintiff (Knight) adequately demonstrated both she and her counsel (Bryant) made repeated good faith attempts to comply with the University’s procedures,” Judge Stoddard wrote, “while the University’s continual uncompromising behavior resulted in the denial of Plaintiff’s due process rights.”

CITATIONS AND PLAGIARISM

The judge wrote that Knight was responsible for knowing and conforming to the university’s citation rules but that the school had to know and conform to procedural rules of its own.

“Otherwise,” he wrote, “its own academic integrity is compromised, both against Plaintiff and against its reputation as a respectable institution of higher learning.”

Throughout the hearing, court records show that Bryant and his co-counsel Gregory Jones attempted to question UT’s plagiarism definition, which Campbell repeatedly objected to.

Stoddard sustained those objections but used the Black’s Law dictionary definition in his ruling.

“The Court also finds that the commonly accepted definition of plagiarism is not a mere technical inaccuracy in a paper,

Other People Involved in the Case Numerous witnesses with UT ties were called in to testify, including a former SG president, a current associate dean of students, a professor who helped hire the defendant and most notably president Ronald L. Vaughn.

•

Former SG president Rob Johnson sat in on at least two academic integrity hearings at UT, according to an affidavit obtained by The Minaret.

Johnson said that in each case a conduct board member said, “We always back the professor, and the student never wins.” Johnson also said there was no doubt in his mind before the hearings that the student was “fried” and “never had a chance.” He testified that he knew of no students who ever prevailed in a hearing like Knight’s.

•

Associate Dean of Students Monnie Wertz also testified at the hearing.

Bryant and Jones used her testimony to show that two versions of the code of conduct were available at the same time. Wertz was contacted by a Minaret reporter early Tuesday morning, but referred questions to Donna Popovich, who had not testified in the case questioned.

•

Criminology professor Susan Brinkley was part of the board that approved LaRose’s hiring in 2000. In her deposition, which was played for the court, Brinkley was asked whether she would hire LaRose again knowing what she knows now about him. Brinkley answered “no.”

•

Angela Lauer, UT’s former judicial coordinator, also testified in the case. She oversaw the academic integrity board, and stated in her deposition that there was no evidence that Knight had purposely plagiarized her paper.

•

President Ronald L. Vaughn was also called into court, and over the summer, registrar Michelle Pelaez was subpoenaed. During much of the trial and depositions, UT’s human resources director, Donna Popovich was in attendance, something Bryant said discouraged non-tenured professors from speaking their minds.

but sanctionable misconduct to which some stigma is attached,” he wrote.

“It is one thing to give Plaintiff a failing grade on her paper based on inadvertent or bad citations, quite another to take the paradigm leap of issuing a failing grade for the class, thus severely sanctioning Plaintiff without an indicia of dishonesty or misconduct.”

Judge Stoddard further wrote that the University rules must be reasonable or they will result in unfair consequences.

Compared to their public counterparts, private universities traditionally have looser binds to the laws and are protected in many cases.

Associate Dean of Students Monnie Wertz signed an affidavit to this end. “The University of Tampa is a private institution and does

not give students full judicial due process in disciplinary procedures as do some universities such as the University of Miami or as do public universities,” she wrote.

“The University of Miami grants far more due process rights to its students than do most private universities and far more than does The University of Tampa.”

UT, Stoddard ruled, violated Knight’s due process rights.

“The University of Tampa, a private university tinged with public statures and purpose as an institution of higher learning, ‘may not expel or discipline a member adversely affecting substantial property, contract or other economic rights, except as a result of fair proceedings… carried forth in an atmosphere of good faith and fair play,” he wrote, citing the 1970 case of McCune v. Wilson.

Recent Motion to Enforce Injunction Andrea Knight received a copy of her transcript in which she received an “F” for the class. The court asked if the transcript merely stated an “F” or if it proposed that the grade was a result of plagiarism.

The UT registrar, Michelle Palaez was called into court on May 27. She was asked how the “F” would be taken off the record. Palaez explained that she does the process is done through keystrokes and the GPA would be automatically recalculated when done.

The judge felt that whether there were problems with fiduciary responsibilities or not, the paper was passed along to www.turnitin.com which means that she was aware her paper would be checked for plagiarism. The court went on to say that because she received an “F” for the whole class and not just the paper, it is unclear whether she would have retaken the class or not. Since she was the wronged party, she was entitled to have finished the course with some sort of grade, but the University took that away from her.

Judge Stoddard ruled that the class must be dropped, and not listed as withdrawn, which would leave a mark on her transcript. The university’s attorney argued that doing this would allow Knight to get free and clear transcripts, and that any future ruling reversing the decision to drop the “F” would not be reflected in the transcripts already copied.

“By not following its own rules, the University got itself in a pickle,” said the judge.

July Hearing He later ruled that Knight and her attorneys were entitled to costs and fees related to their hiring of an expert witness to prove that the conduct code on the Web site had been changed.

Judge Stoddard found that the school’s argument that they directed Knight to a different site than she found “didn’t hold much water.”

This was his last interaction with the case, as he was reassigned for future cases. He did part by noting that he was glad Bryant and Campbell were “getting along a little better.”

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The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Features

9

Gentle Giants of the Not-So-Deep

A manatee takes a closer look at the camera.

Students were able to get up close and personal with the manatees.

Story and Photos By Kara Wall, Photographer

E

ver wake up at dusk, jump in sixty degree water, and come faceto-face with a 12-foot manatee?

This past weekend, nine lucky students got just that chance.

The trip was one of two coordinated yearly by the OLSE, or the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement, and consisted of two parts, an information session and a swimming portion.

A three-hour long workshop taught students how to appropriately interact with the manatees in a gentle manner dubbed “Original Play.”

This program focused on leadership skills and how to calmly take charge of situations in a safe, positive manner.

The program director, Daniel Caron, feels that “leadership is synonymous with service,” and in doing so teaches people of all ages to lead in a way that benefits others.

He displayed this using exercises that showed the benefits of staying calm in stressful situations. “[The program] challenges students to think about leading from a place of empowerment and to recognize that empowerment is a much stronger and more influential form of power than dominance,” said Kim Northup, the Associate Director of OSLE .

Northup feels that this is necessary because of the emphasis society puts on the power associated with leadership, and not on the responsibility given to leaders.

After the students learned how to interact in theory, they got a chance to put their new knowledge into practice.

Boarding a bus at 5:45 a.m., the group left for Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, a location where manatees gather during the winter months of the year.

An hour and half later they arrived, blurry-eyed but excited to start day one of the trip.

Within the first five minutes the group met the first of the gentle giants, a mother and her calf.

Gasps of excitement could be heard as students grabbed their cameras and began snapping

away.

They then moved to another spot and finally got what they were waiting for, a chance to swim with the large creatures.

Unfortunately, most were sleeping, despite the busy water that churned with shrieking, excited children.

Exhausted, most students went to bed early, hopeful for the next morning.

The alarms rang at a quarter after six the next morning, just in time to watch the sunrise and a thick layer of mist settle over the frigid water.

All stood shivering in their damp wetsuits, as the boat approached the site.

“There’s one.” “One on your left.” “Two up ahead.” Were the only sounds that could be heard as the students pointed out the manatees breaking the placid surface of the water.

Excited, they slipped into the water and were immediately confronted by a young, playful

Photos by Kara Wall

manatee with a scar on its back.

“Scarie” would remain with the group all day, sucking on the students’ toes, flossing with the anchor rope, and giving an occasional kiss.

He was just one of the dozens of manatees that the students would get to interact with that morning, some of whom surpassed fifteen feet.

“Swimming with the manatees was so much fun,” said student Bebe Lennon. “It also taught me a valuable lesson in being a gentle leader in order to earn the trust of not just manatees but people I work with as well.”

“It seemed like they want to hang around us, like they know we won’t hurt them,” said another student, Ashley Bokshan.

All students could be overheard saying that the excursion was one of the best experiences of their life, and all left with a new understanding of how to be a good leader and a better person.

The manatees (and students) were playful.

The manatees flossed on rope as students’ toes dangled below.

10

FOLIO

Freshman 15

LINE

FOLIO

The Minaret M c C l a |t cNovember h y - T r i b u14, n e 2008

LINE

What’s scarier than the thought of failing a class your first semester in college or being paired with an incompatible roommate? That’s right, the dreaded Freshman 15 — those pesky pounds you pack on when Mom stops cooking for you and you find yourself eating dining hall pizza three times a week and Chinese food for breakfast.

Staying healthy as you adjust to living on your own for the first time is simply a matter of making the right choices. To help freshmen make informed decisions, we’ve compiled some suggestions for how to eat right on a meal plan and in the dorm room, stay fit with easy activities, fend off germs and use campus health resources.

After all, your mind can’t perform at its peak until your body is in the best condition possible.

— Jamie Livengood, McClatchy-Tribune

Seek and You’ll Find: UT’s Healthy Dining Options GET MOVING

PORTABLE EQUIPMENT

GYM ETIQUETTE

Exercising can be such a chore. Who wants to schlep all the With term papers and tests to study for, sometimes your daily Exercising at your campus gym is not the same as participating way to the gym when you have a nice cozy bed and a new episode workout gets pushed to the last priority. But the benefits to your in your high school gym class or after-school basketball practice. of “Lost” waiting for you? body and mind are so great it’s worth it to fit it in.

Those who use a university’s recreation facilities are serious about The truth is exercise doesn’t just keepityou saidthe Anna Martha Tillman, at the food theirserved workouts to follow gym etiquette is physically easy to fit, find good choices open.the director of the campus fitness center all at and UTwill is expect avail-youstudents looking offrules. campus for a

By Lauren McAndrews Lutz, a registered dietitian at Duke University who works atthe the bad healthones.Washington University in you St. Louis, offered some simple sugges“Manners have everything to do with cleanliness and safety,” and weed out “So don’t really have Journalism I able, but it requires a trip to a comnew place to grab a slice. center. “It’s a way of dealing with stress as a first-year student.” tions for exercises and tools that can be used in a small space. said Mary Mitchell, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to There’s a lot of stuff in a equipment choice, (such and asnothing is puter to reveal some of why the they scary Soimportant in reality there are healthy � Stability balls, discsthere and a balancing The good news is you don’t have to plan gym time every dayhealthy to Etiquette.”

“That’s are especially at the gym.” board): Thesehealthy,” tools are versatile because they work a varietyfacts of behindMany get in exercise.

Simple things like classifinstead of takstudents use a trip to the ways gym as to a way to on relieve stress, just reAlthough many students arewalking thetocafé you just look and know the senior said. the food students eat. eat campus., muscle groups. For the board and disc, the workout is largely based ing the bus and working out with a buddy to keep you motivated so confronting a slob or a weight machine hog is the last thing anyunhappy withways pizza andin exercise, Ramen Lutzwhat play abands role to simple Full one charts all have of to,member, if it is important balance. You canWhile add freetiming weightsdoes or resistance are great to sneak said. you’re looking for,onsophowantscontaining to do. But if you Mitchell recommends keeping to you leg students’ lifts for an additional challenge. make as going to class and a neutral tone andeach not getting “Offerup your criticism in pri-habits, it noodles You as should staples of exercise college“just life,as important more Jocie Klemes said. exercises like in eating habits, even at the information from foodpersonal. to keep good eating Resistance band: Perfect for toning trouble spots like underhomework,” she said. — Brianna Bond, McClatchy-Tribune vate,” she said. some doing haveyour given up on finding While the café offersarms a�wide 6 p.m. when the Cafe and Fresh station are posted online at the UT may require you to take advantage and quadriceps, this simple, effective tool will work wonders Mitchell offers rules to help you mind your manners: healthierDETERMINE options onYOUR campus. variety of fruits, vegetables, sal-armsCreations are open, Grille is ways � Don’t leave the equipmentof sweaty.

Most gymsoptions have towels for your and legs. Because there are the so many different to under BURN CALORIES: website dining services. the healthier while they BMI: and disinfectant handy; be sure to use them or bring your own to use it, Tillmanstill suggests sticking with simple moves to ensure you’re for a 154-pound Yourmore body mass (BMI) dif- Information With thanindex a dozen ads, cereals, and sandwiches, after packed.

The information for the caf- are open, instead of relying on the wipe down weight machines and spare others from sitting in a pudsafely working your target area. Try placing the band underneath person (if your weight is measures body fat based on ferent dining options available, it’s it closes there are far fewer healthy “There’s less of a variety of eteria is listed under the wellness late night choices. dle of your sweat. one foot then curl with one or both arms to get killer biceps. higher, you will burn more your height and weight. � Free weights: You’ll likely use there these for � dining Gyms are for exercising, If youof runthe into food may easy for healthy options to hide calories; options left. fewer): healthy food, than isendurance of un- training if lower, section of the services site. not socializing.

While some Here’s the formula to calcubecause you can’t change the weight, but it’s still a great way to friends, keep chatting to a minimum near machines and aisles. late your BMI: among the ‘fast food’.

Jessica Audeh has class junior Garrett no locker one thinks best, students can take � Keep the room neatnot andbe tidy.the Don’t leave your workuntil the chesthealthy and upperfood,” body area.

Feel free to get Dicreative and And although Activity Calories weight in pounds belongings lyingisin great a pile on the floor or in frontofofthe someone else’s advantage of items youinhave lying around your However, with a2 little 9:50forp.m., grill is bona said between bites ofroom, like —————— x 703effort, Dancing an hour when330only thetake campus food for advantage good things dinheight in inches locker. Be sure to leave the sink and shower clean for the next user. using soup cans to do bicep curls, Tillman said.

Walking for 15 minutes 70 his Chic Fil-a sandwich you, most of the ing services does offer. � Keep aisles clear. While exercising, keep your water bottle, Tillman suggests making an appointment with a personal trainer BMI Body type Playing vigorous andrecreation fries. center, a service most universities towel and anything else, out of they wellness are tripping section hazards. of the at your university information is the aisles;The basketball for 30 minutes 220 Below 18.5 underweight � Wait your turn. You have to wait for equipment and so does offer, to help customize yourstudents, workout. Costs range depending on Stretching for 15 minutes 45 18.5-24.9 normal Some shocking. dining services site, has some very everyone else. Don’t use a weight bench or equipment to rest the school and type of trainer.

Running/jogging (5 mph) 25.0-29.9 overweight like Senior Nicole For exuseful tools, such nutritional between reps. And put away the weights you add to a machineasor bar You should aim to get 30 minutes of exercise into your schedule for 30 minutes 295 30.0 or above obese — the next person mayalmost not be ableand to carry that 45-pound plate back every day, Tillman but itlost doesn’t List,said, have allmatter if you choose to do it ample, body mass index calculators, — Brianna Bond — Jamie Livengood to the stand as easily as you. all at once or split it up.

SOURCE: CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

Cheeseburger

Veggie Burger

STAYING HEALTHY A college dormitory, where up to 50 people share one bathroom and two or three people coexist in a cramped living space, is an ideal environment for germs to spread. Classes, exams and parties will go on without you, so learning how to keep yourself healthy is essential.

“For many students, it’s the first time in their lives that they are responsible for their health,” said Dr. Alan Glass, director of the health center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Practicing basic hygiene can prevent many common bugs.

“I always tell students that the best three things they can do is wash their hands, wash their hands and wash their hands,” said Michael McNeil, coordinator of Temple University’s Health Empowerment Office.

Glass and McNeil had more advice to help avoid an illness: � Get plenty of sleep, maintain a balanced diet and exercise.

This helps keep the immune system healthy. � Your school may require certain vaccinations. Glass recommends that each student should be inoculated against meningitis.

Also think about getting an influenza shot from the health center. � Stop your room from becoming an incubator for germs. Wash your clothes regularly, don’t let dirty dishes pile up and ventilate the room once in a while. — Jamie Livengood

I L L U S T R AT I O N S

BY MICHELLE K U M ATA / M C T

hope for better opan entire day’s as well as tips to help plan a baltions and decided worth of cal- anced diet.

DEALING INSURANCE to boycott WITH campus ILLNESS ories can IfPLANS you can plan a class schedIf you do get sickall during the semester, Mom won’t be around to As you make the preparations headcan off to college, you’ll food together. be final conule,toyou plan a meal schedule, take your temperature, administer cough syrup and make sure want to take a minute to sit down with your parents and discuss “I ignore my sumed in and might as well throw in some you’re getting enough fluids. Here are some tips on taking care of health insurance coverage. meal plan and buy yourself: While you may to continuetime to getatcoverage as Fitness a dependent oneplan serving McNiff Center, or a on your parent’s plan, you may not be eligible as a full-time student, � Stock up some over-the-counter medications a onton ofbasic groceries, of Pandini’s around theortrack. as some employers are lowering thefew age laps of coverage to 21, in and first aid supplies — fever reducer, pain reliever, deand go out to lunch in make-yourown However it’s going some cases 19, according to Susan Barry, marketing director for to take a congestant, cough suppressant, antihistamine, band-aids and Student pastas, Resources, weighing a marketer of student health insurance. between classeshave because antiseptic. Some health centers sample sizes of medilot more than a few laps to burn off Also, if you’re going to school away from home, particularly cations available in their offices.

A thermometer is also useful, the food is so gross and fattening.” in at a repulsive 900-1800 calories most of the food campus outside your home state, your parent’s plan may not cover you is serving but not necessary.

(PPOs andsauce.

HMOs have a specific network within which university List said. depending on the up these days. � Don’t go to class if you feel too sick. You can’t concentrate health centers are rarely recognized as providers).

Soanyway, with all different when you feel poorly plusof youthese only risk making others Or, thatThe a majority 350-calorie Chicinformation of four-year institutionsFor offer health insurance on foods sick. excuses about it is so hard to eat Fil-a lemonade plans. There are several advantages to purchasing a health care is almost as bad as served in the cafeteria, and for � If you don’t get better on your own in five days, it’s time to plan through your school, Barry said. healthy on campus, the question is, a box of their 400-calorie chicken healthy eating tips visit: http://dinmake an appointment at your campus clinic. “It’s better to err on The health center can act as your place for primary care, which would students resorting toyounuggets. the side of seeking health,” Glassstill said, be so go as early as feel ing.ut.edu/wellness.html. means you won’t have to worry about finding doctors. you need to. this food if they knew how bad it Also, youpizza won’t is have to file any claims most health Granted, most bad no Forbecause nutritional information on Health services vary from campus to campus, so check out centers process that information, Barry said. truly was? matter where it’s from, but a peek all other dining options: your clinic’s Web site or pamphlets — preferably before you catch Regardless of your decision, make sure to sort it out before youhttp://din— Jamie a bug.

— Brianna Bond leave so you’re left without net.

The nutritional information of Livengood at the nutrition factsnotmay havea safety ing.ut.edu/locations.html.

THE DINING HALL

DORM FOOD

“College dining has changed dramatically over the years,” said nutritionist Ann Selkowitz Litt, author of the book “The College Student’s Guide to Eating Right.” “The days of ‘mystery meat’ are over and have been replaced by sushi, stir-fry and brick-oven pizza.”

Litt has some tips on how to eat right, even on a meal plan: � Use salad bar smarts. Go easy on extras like croutons, bacon bits and dressing. One ladle-full can add up to 360 calories to an otherwise nutritious salad. Side salads can be made into an entrée by adding eggs, chicken or tofu. � Ask how food is prepared. Go for steamed, baked, broiled, roasted or grilled foods rather than fried foods. � Schedule your meals. Leave time for breakfast; it will reduce the urge to graze later in the afternoon. Also, don’t feel guilty about nighttime snacking. If you’re going to be awake into the wee hours of the morning to cram for a test, a healthy snack like yogurt or cereal can help keep you going. � Be aware of portion size. Dining halls are a lot like restaurants; they might give you more food than you actually need to eat to have energy through the day. Eat until you’re satisfied, and resist picking at your leftovers while you’re socializing in the dining hall after a meal. � It’s all about options. Opt for veggie burgers over beef, baked potatoes over fries, whole grains over white, water over soda, and skim milk over whole. Most dining halls have healthier options if you just ask. � Don’t drink your calories. Alcohol, soda and even fruit juice add calories to your diet that you may forget to count.

Find more tips in Litt’s book or at collegeeatingguide.com.

Hungry but don’t want to walk to the dining hall? Why not whip up something healthy and delicious in your dorm room?

Yes, it’s possible. Below is a quick and easy recipe for a vegetarian couscous salad that can be easily prepared in a dorm setting. It’s a popular dish from in-dorm cooking demonstrations conducted by volunteers from the Davis Food Co-Op in Davis, Calif.

The program sends co-op volunteers to different dorms at the request of the residential advisers to hand out literature on budget shopping and talk about some of the health risks associated with certain foods like those with high levels of trans fats. The presentation is capped off with a cooking demonstration of a simple and healthy meal, right in the dorm.

This recipe is most popular with the college crowd, probably because it’s versatile, healthy and delicious. Don’t be afraid to get creative and supplement with a favorite ingredient like mushrooms, roasted red peppers or cilantro.

Bon appetit!

Couscous Salad

Servings: 2 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water 1 tsp. salt 1 cup whole wheat couscous 2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped 1 small cucumber, chopped

12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese 2 Tbsp. vinegar and oil salad dressing

Bring water to a boil; add salt. Pour over couscous and let stand, covered, 10 minutes while you chop vegetables. Add other ingredients. Toss well. Serve warm or refrigerate to

The Minaret | November

times a week and Chinese food for breakfast.

Staying healthy as you adjust to living on your own for the first time is simply a matter of makthe right choices. To help freshmen make 14,ing 2008 informed decisions, we’ve compiled some suggestions for how to eat right on a meal plan and in the dorm room, stay fit with easy activities, fend off germs and use campus health resources.

After all, your mind can’t perform at its peak until your body is in the best condition possible.

Freshman 15

11

Gaining Weight Is Easy. Losing it? Not so Much — Jamie Livengood, McClatchy-Tribune

By Ashley Kindergan The Record

GET MOVING

PORTABLE EQUIPMENT

GYM ETIQUETTE

Exercising can be such a chore. Who wants to schlep all the way to the gym when you have a nice cozy bed and a new episode of “Lost” waiting for you?

The truth is exercise doesn’t just keep you physically fit, said Anna Lutz, a registered dietitian at Duke University who works at the health center. “It’s a way of dealing with stress as a first-year student.”

The good news is you don’t have to plan gym time every day to get in exercise. Simple things like walking to class instead of taking the bus and working out with a buddy to keep you motivated are great ways to sneak in exercise, Lutz said.

You should make exercise “just as important as going to class and doing your homework,” she said. — Brianna Bond, McClatchy-Tribune

With term papers and tests to study for, sometimes your daily workout gets pushed to the last priority. But the benefits to your body and mind are so great it’s worth it to fit it in.

Martha Tillman, the director of the campus fitness center at Washington University in St. Louis, offered some simple suggestions for exercises and tools that can be used in a small space. � Stability equipment (such as balls, discs and a balancing board): These tools are versatile because they work a variety of muscle groups. For the board and disc, the workout is largely based on balance. You can add free weights or resistance bands to simple exercises like leg lifts for an additional challenge. � Resistance band: Perfect for toning trouble spots like underarms and quadriceps, this simple, effective tool will work wonders for your arms and legs. Because there are so many different ways to use it, Tillman suggests sticking with simple moves to ensure you’re safely working your target area. Try placing the band underneath one foot then curl with one or both arms to get killer biceps. � Free weights: You’ll likely use these for endurance training because you can’t change the weight, but it’s still a great way to work the chest and upper body area. Feel free to get creative and take advantage of items you have lying around your room, like using soup cans to do bicep curls, Tillman said.

Tillman suggests making an appointment with a personal trainer at your university recreation center, a service most universities offer, to help customize your workout. Costs range depending on the school and type of trainer.

You should aim to get 30 minutes of exercise into your schedule every day, Tillman said, but it doesn’t matter if you choose to do it — Brianna Bond all at once or split it up.

Exercising at your campus gym is not the same as participating in your high school gym class or after-school basketball practice.

Those who use a university’s recreation facilities are serious about their workouts and will expect you to follow gym etiquette rules.

“Manners have everything to do with cleanliness and safety,” said Mary Mitchell, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Etiquette.” “That’s why they are especially important at the gym.”

Many students use a trip to the gym as a way to relieve stress, so confronting a slob or a weight machine hog is the last thing anyone wants to do. But if you have to, Mitchell recommends keeping a neutral tone and not getting personal. “Offer your criticism in private,” she said.

Mitchell offers rules to help you mind your manners: � Don’t leave the equipment sweaty. Most gyms have towels and disinfectant handy; be sure to use them or bring your own to wipe down weight machines and spare others from sitting in a puddle of your sweat. � Gyms are for exercising, not socializing. If you run into friends, keep chatting to a minimum near machines and aisles. � Keep the locker room neat and tidy. Don’t leave your belongings lying in a pile on the floor or in front of someone else’s locker. Be sure to leave the sink and shower clean for the next user. � Keep aisles clear. While exercising, keep your water bottle, towel and anything else, out of the aisles; they are tripping hazards. � Wait your turn. You have to wait for equipment and so does everyone else. Don’t use a weight bench or equipment to rest between reps. And put away the weights you add to a machine or bar — the next person may not be able to carry that 45-pound plate back — Jamie Livengood to the stand as easily as you.

It's difficult to think of a way to add pounds faster than living the stereotypical college lifestyle.

Juggling coursework, jobs and a social life leaves little time for exercising or even regular meals.

Late-night study sessions are ofBURN CALORIES: DETERMINE YOUR BMI: ten fueled by the nearest 24-hour Information for a 154-pound Your body mass index (BMI) greasy spoon. Getting too little person (if your weight is measures body fat based on higher, you will burn more your height and weight. sleep can also trick the body into calories; if lower, fewer): Here’s the formula to calculate your BMI: craving more food.

Activity Calories weight in pounds —————— x 703 Dancing for an hour 330 On top of all that, many freshheight in inches 2 Walking for 15 minutes 70 men are taking in more calories BMI Body type Playing vigorous basketball for 30 minutes 220 Below 18.5 underweight from alcohol than they have in the Stretching for 15 minutes 45 18.5-24.9 normal Running/jogging (5 mph) 25.0-29.9 overweight past. for 30 minutes 295 30.0 or above obese That's the bad news. The good news is that not every entering freshman puts on weight, and there STAYING HEALTHY DEALING WITH ILLNESS INSURANCE PLANS are some easy things students can A college dormitory, where up to 50 people share one bathroom If you do get sick during the semester, Mom won’t be around to As you make the final preparations to head off to college, you’ll do to avoid packing on pounds. and two or three people coexist in a cramped living space, is an ideal take your temperature, administer cough syrup and make sure want to take a minute to sit down with your parents and discuss for germs to spread. Classes, exams and parties will go you’re getting enough fluids. Here are some tips on taking care of health insurance coverage.

The first thing to do is to for- environment on without you, so learning how to keep yourself healthy is essential. yourself: While you may plan to continue to get coverage as a dependent “For many students, it’s the first time in their lives that they are on your parent’s plan, you may not be eligible as a full-time student, � Stock up on some basic over-the-counter medications get the phrase "Freshman 15." A responsible for their health,” said Dr. Alan Glass, director of the as some employers are lowering the age of coverage to 21, or in and first aid supplies — fever reducer, pain reliever, desome cases 19, according to Susan Barry, marketing director for 2006 study by Rutgers University health center at Washington University in St. Louis. congestant, cough suppressant, antihistamine, band-aids and Practicing basic hygiene can prevent many common bugs.

Student Resources, a marketer of student health insurance. antiseptic.

Some health centers have sample sizes of medinutritionists tracked the weight of “I always tell students that the best three things they can do is Also, if you’re going to school away from home, particularly cations available in their offices. A thermometer is also useful, their hands, wash their hands and wash their hands,” said outside your home state, your parent’s plan may not cover you but not necessary.

67 students in their first year. Most wash Michael McNeil, coordinator of Temple University’s Health (PPOs and HMOs have a specific network within which university � Don’t go to class if you feel too sick. You can’t concentrate health centers are rarely recognized as providers). students did gain weight, but more Empowerment Office. when you feel poorly anyway, plus you only risk making others Glass and McNeil had more advice to help avoid an illness: The majority of four-year institutions offer health insurance sick. than one-fourth of students actual� Get plenty of sleep, maintain a balanced diet and exercise. plans. There are several advantages to purchasing a health care � If you don’t get better on your own in five days, it’s time to keep the immune system healthy. plan through your school, Barry said. ly lost weight. Those who did gain This�helps make an appointment at your campus clinic. “It’s better to err on Your school may require certain vaccinations. Glass recomThe health center can act as your place for primary care, which the side of seeking health,” Glass said, so go as early as you feel mends that each student should be inoculated against meningitis. means you won’t have to worry about finding doctors. weight put on an average of seven you need to.

Also think about getting an influenza shot from the health center.

Also, you won’t have to file any claims because most health pounds, not 15.

Health services vary from campus to campus, so check out � Stop your room from becoming an incubator for germs. Wash centers process that information, Barry said. your clinic’s Web site or pamphlets — preferably before you catch clothes regularly, don’t let dirty dishes pile up and ventilate Regardless of your decision, make sure to sort it out before you But gaining seven pounds your — Jamie Livengood a bug.

— Brianna Bond the room once in a while. — Jamie Livengood leave so you’re not left without a safety net. doesn't require all that much extra food. The Rutgers study said that taking in just 112 extra calories THE DINING HALL DORM FOOD each day, roughly equivalent to a “College dining has changed dramatically over the years,” Hungry but don’t want to walk to the dining hall? Why not said nutritionist Ann Selkowitz Litt, author of the book “The whip up something healthy and delicious in your dorm room? cup of Cheerios, would do it.

College Student’s Guide to Eating Right.” “The days of ‘mysYes, it’s possible. Below is a quick and easy recipe for a tery meat’ are over and have been replaced by sushi, stir-fry Jackie Ehlert-Mercer, a regvegetarian couscous salad that can be easily prepared in a and brick-oven pizza.” dorm setting. It’s a popular dish from in-dorm cooking demonistered dietitian who runs nutriLitt has some tips on how to eat right, even on a meal plan: strations conducted by volunteers from the Davis Food Co-Op in Davis, Calif. � Use salad bar smarts. Go easy on extras like croutons, tion programs for students at the The program sends co-op volunteers to different dorms at bacon bits and dressing. One ladle-full can add up to 360 calothe request of the residential advisers to hand out literature on University of British Columbia ries to an otherwise nutritious salad. Side salads can be made budget shopping and talk about some of the health risks assointo an entrée by adding eggs, chicken or tofu. and teaches a course in nutrition at ciated with certain foods like those with high levels of trans � Ask how food is prepared. Go for steamed, baked, fats. The presentation is capped off with a cooking demonstrabroiled, roasted or grilled foods rather than fried foods.

Ramapo College, said that freshtion of a simple and healthy meal, right in the dorm. � Schedule your meals. Leave time for breakfast; it will This recipe is most popular with the college crowd, probamen who gain weight their first reduce the urge to graze later in the afternoon. Also, don’t bly because it’s versatile, healthy and delicious. Don’t be feel guilty about nighttime snacking.

If you’re going to be semester and don't lose it in the afraid to get creative and supplement with a favorite ingredient awake into the wee hours of the morning to cram for a test, a like mushrooms, roasted red peppers or cilantro. second semester are more likely healthy snack like yogurt or cereal can help keep you going.

Bon appetit! � Be aware of portion size.

Dining halls are a lot like to keep gaining weight throughout Couscous Salad restaurants; they might give you more food than you actualServings: 2 ly need to eat to have energy through the day. Eat until you’re college.

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water 12 kalamata olives, pitted and satisfied, and resist picking at your leftovers while you’re If the pattern continues, adultchopped socializing in the dining hall after a meal.

1 tsp. salt � It’s all about options. Opt for veggie burgers over beef, 1 cup whole wheat couscous 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese hood obesity and related health baked potatoes over fries, whole grains over white, water over 2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp. vinegar and oil salad problems such as heart disease and soda, and skim milk over whole. Most dining halls have 1 small cucumber, chopped dressing healthier options if you just ask. diabetes may follow.

Bring water to a boil; add salt. Pour over couscous and let � Don’t drink your calories. Alcohol, soda and even fruit stand, covered, 10 minutes while you chop vegetables. Add juice add calories to your diet that you may forget to count.

"An overweight adolescent other ingredients. Toss well. Serve warm or refrigerate to Find more tips in Litt’s book or at collegeeatingguide.com. is probably going to become an — Brianna Bond serve later.

— Jamie Livengood obese adult if they don't mediate their weight during college," Ehlert-Mercer said. "The stresses they face such as getting married COLLEGE SURVIVAL 2006 or getting a full-time job tend to MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE increase. They don't tend to dimin- William Paterson University. The She also walks between her cal light beer contains about 99, ac- ercise most days a week and augish."

Rockaway native eats six small Hackensack home and the Tean- cording to thecaloriecounter.com. menting that with strength training Scott Fisher, director of the meals a day. eck campus and squeezes in the Combine hard liquor with mixers a few times a week.

Fairleigh Dickinson University Something as simple as a fruit occasional gym workout when her (110 calories for an 8-ounce glass Relaxing a little isn't a bad Health and Fitness Center, recom- smoothie counts, he said. Sciscione schedule permits. of orange juice) or down a few idea, either. mends that students plan their days buys bulk packages of 100-calorie "Once you gain the weight, it's beers during a drinking game, and Researchers at the Univerto ensure that they eat regularly snack packs and keeps a bottle of very tough to regain your shape," the calories add up quickly. sity of Chicago found that college and healthfully. Skipping meals to water with him to stave off hunger Pallavajhala said. "But it's student s who slept for lose weight usually backfires, he pangs. easy to prevent it." four hours a night pro“Once you gain the weight, duced more of a horsaid.

"It keeps your metabolism goGoing easy on the al"You should really go no lon- ing and keeps you from gaining cohol can also make a big it’s very tough to regain your mone called ghrelin, ger than four or five hours without weight," he said. difference. which causes feelings shape.” - Ramya Pallavajhala of hunger, and less of eating something," Fisher said. "If Some students who gained Daniel Hoffman, a you go for too weight said co-author of the Rutgers leptin, which makes long a period they were able study, said that the body people feel full, than GO ONLINE of time with- Got tips for healthy to lose it again metabolizes alcohol before car"A lot of students don't real- peers who had been allowed to out eating, your campus or college by reassess- bohydrates or fat. That means the ize that the number of calories per sleep for as much as 10 hours. blood sugar level dining? Leave a morsel ing their food body has less opportunity to burn gram in alcohol is closer to fat than Though most freshmen will drops.

When on our Web site: and exercise off carbohydrates and fats from to carbohydrates," Hoffman said. err on the side of eating too much your blood sugar www.theminaretonline.com choices. food.

"If you look at binge drinking ... and exercising too little, some stulevel drops, your Ramya The sheer number of calories you're looking at a lot of calories." dents respond to stress by becombody essentially sends you signals Pallavajhala, 22, a senior at Fair- in alcoholic drinks is enough to Eating is only one side of the ing too restrictive with their diets. that it wants a very quick source of leigh Dickinson University, lost make most people gain weight, weight-gain equation. Working out Students who have experienergy, which are the typical sug- most of the weight she gained the especially if they are consuming can help burn off the occasional enced disordered eating patterns ary foods and some concentrated first semester of freshman year the same amount of food and non- late-night pizza or homesickness- before college face the highest risk calories, which are fatty foods." by cutting out cheese and cook- alcoholic beverages. induced pint of ice cream. of developing serious eating disEating frequently has worked ing healthy, vegetable-rich Indian A single shot of 80-proof vodFisher recommended at least orders in college, Ehlert-Mercer for Mike Sciscione, 22, a senior at dishes. ka contains 97 calories and a typi- half an hour of cardiovascular ex- said.

SOURCE: CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

I L L U S T R AT I O N S

BY MICHELLE K U M ATA / M C T

12

Travel Series

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

A four-day Caribbean getaway with stops at Key West and Cozumel, Mexico, the cruise ship Carnival Imagination provided me with an adventure unlike any other.

We ate exotic food, saw beautiful places, met all sorts of people, battled sea sickness and laughed as our cruise director, Karl with a K, made jokes. These are some of the pictures from my trip. ~Mindy Tucker

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Travel Series

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Arts & Entertainment

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Spread The Word: Vaginas Will Talk violence and of the ignorance aimed towards women and their bodies.

This year’s focus is women “The Vagina Monologues” in the Democratic Republic of originally debuted at UT in 2004.

Congo.

Since then it has been an annual If you haven’t heard of this event and become tradition to the project feel free to YouTube such student body. monologues as, “Because he A m a z i n g l y, liked to look the monologues “You’re elegant and at it,” “My have been angry vagina” performed in over deep, innocent and and “Under the 119 countries and wild,” he said.

Burqa.” translated into 45 There are “You saw that languages. long pieces as They’re based there?” I asked. well as short on interviews pieces and loud, between Eve “I saw that,” he said, blunt ones mixed Ensler, the founder “and much much in with a few and creator, and slightly more over 200 women of more.” modest ones. all backgrounds.

Everyone is welcome and no The topics of the monologues acting experience is necessary. include sex, rape, love, For more information check masturbation, menstruation, out www.vday.org, or stop by the orgasm, birth, the different names P.E.A.C.E office in Vaughn 206. for the vagina and the vagina Auditions will be held in the itself.

ResLife office on Nov. 17 from The production, its 5 p.m.-8 p.m.; Nov. 19 from 12 participants, and all its proceeds p.m.-2 p.m.; Nov. 20 from 5 work towards diminishing the p.m.-8 p.m.; and the Nov. 21 from amount of violence against women 12 p.m.-2 p.m. and raising the awareness of this

By Gina Moccio Staff Writer

Ingredients:

2 cheddar chesse singles, 2 % or fat-free ½ cup of shredded pepper jack cheese, 2% or 1% Lime or lemon juice 2 tortillas (Add corn, black beans, salmon, garlic, green peppers, cilantro if desired)

By Elizabeth Harm Staff Writer

In honor of our new presidentelect this recipe is dedicated as Barack Obama’s favorite food.

Obama’s favorite cuisine is Mexican; however, don’t think that his Mexican food is anything like the chicken quesadillas at Salsa Rico.

He prefers the rustic taste similar to Mexico City street food using traditional, authentic ingredients.

“Mr. Obama and his family have no favorite dish, instead they like to explore different items,” said chef Rick Bayless, head chef at the Obama’s favorite Mexican restaurant, Topolobampo in Chicago, IL. The quesadilla, a late night grill favorite, is more tex-mex but with a few additions you may never visit the Grill again.

The trademark of real Mexican food is freshness. You don’t have to use loads of butter and cheese to

compensate the lack of authentic flavor. In this recipe a tex-mex quesadilla is upgraded to healthy Mexican worthy.

The secret lies in cheating a little using Cheddar cheese singles. Plastic wrapped, thin and square when the cheese single melts it is super creamy. It blends with the pepper jack mixing not only flavors but consistency. The mix gives a quesadilla that gooey, stringy pull-apart look.

Spare a slice of lime or lemon from the Corona bottle and spritz the juice on the inside of a tortilla before you grill it.

Fresh cilantro and tomatoes are truly a Mexican classic but to make it a meal, sprinkle canned black beans with the cheese or, my favorite, salmon slices.

Sashimi style or cooked, the light but distinct salmon pairs shockingly well with mildlyspicy cheese.

This year, make your own change with this presidential favorite!

Preparation: Use a cooking spray and coat a frying pan, heat to a mediumlow. Put a tortilla in the frying pan and a slice of the Cheddar cheese on top.

Sprinkle the desired amount of pepper jack cheese on top of the cheese single and drizzle lemon juice over and, if desired, add any extra desired ingredients.

Top with the second slice of cheese.

Place the second tortilla on top of the mixture and press down.

Check the tortilla on the bottom to see if it is lightly browned and crisp by lightly lifting the corner bottom.

If crisp enough flip the tortilla over and brown the other side, press down lightly.

When the cheese starts to ooze out from the tortilla slices it is ready.

Remove from heat, let cool slightly for about 1 minute.

Cut into slices and enjoy with your favorite salsa or hot sauce.

Student Productions Presents: Comedian Matt Kirshen from “Last Comic Standing”

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19 Time: 8 p.m.

Where: Reeves Theater

New Ethiopian Restaurant Open!

ABOL BUNNA Serving Homestyle Ethiopian & Italian Dishes Open 7 Days a Week Buffet Lunch 11:30AM - 3:00PM • Sunday Buffet 12:00PM - 3:00PM

3644 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL

PHONE: 813-964-6889

Where: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center When: Now until Nov. 22 How: Visit www.tbpac.org for more information and tickets!

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

America’s Next Top Models:

Motor Trend Auto Show’s Fab Five

Photos by Kadie Hayward

By Kadie Hayward Staff Writer

Like thousands of other Floridians, I headed to the annual Motor Trend Auto Show Nov. 8 to check out the newest models of the country’s most popular cars. Saving a very precious $5 on my ticket using my student ID, I certainly got my money’s worth.

Exhibits included numerous 2009 models for major dealers such as Chevy, Ford, BMW, Lexus and Jeep, as well, as more exotic vehicles, like million dollar Ferraris and Lamborginis.

Offering ‘green’ options for

new buyers, dozens of alternative fuel vehicles also were exhibited in the “Green Trail” hall.

The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum supplied the show with a handful of classic cars, for fans of older models like myself. Even a 1938 Czechoslovakian model remained on display throughout the duration of the event.

Though there were hundreds of models on display, there are five that every car enthusiast should check out!

The Ford Interceptor The Ford Interceptor is a retro-style concept car.

Built to reflect the muscle cars of the 1960s, the Interceptor runs on a Ford Racing engine and has the ability to run on 85-ethanol.

Apparently I’m not the only one impressed with this vehicle, as numerous police forces are looking at replacing their current rides with this new model.

The Pontiac G8 The Pontiac G8 might not look like anything too special but you can’t help but be impressed by its gigantic trunk. Yes, I said it. The G8 has a big trunk. No, I cannot tell you why I’m so impressed with trunks that large but suffice it to say, you could definitely fit a lot of bags back there. It also comes with an array of sweet options and packages, including a color choice of Maverick S i l v e r Metallic.

I assume Sarah Palin and John McCain will have matching G8s real soon.

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The Chrysler Town & Country The Chrysler Town & Country definitely has to make the list. I know, I know, I put a minivan on the list. You’d understand if you saw this thing.

Not only did it have two, count ‘em two, glove compartments, its second-row seats swiveled to face the back of the vehicle and you can mount a table in the center. It also comes with an amazing video and sound system. As someone who drove a 1996 Plymouth minivan, with two hub cabs and no heat, I truly appreciate the changes being made to the mom-mobile.

The Bentley Continental GT The Bentley Continental GT definitely holds up the image of this famous luxury car.

This sleek two-door coupe packs a lot of power under its hood, with the ability to reach speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Though its base price is $137,000, without any extras, if someone has that kind of money to spend I’m sure they would spring for the premium options putting the vehicle just under $200,000.

The Ford Mustang Bullitt The Ford Mustang Bullitt is a must see for car lovers.

Though no Mustang compares to the 1967 Fastback in my mind, the newest Bullitt sure tries. Its sleek, classic style definitely has that retro feel with even more power. The big downside, aside from it being way out of my price range, is premium gas is “highly recommended.”

Cars were not the only highlight of the event, featuring a lounge with dozens of video games, accessories sales booths and visits from Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders and players.

Next year’s show is schedule for mid-November.

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His Art of Inspiration: Yovani Bauta Impresses UT

By Micaela Lydon Staff Writer

In an attempt to “expose students to intellectual activities they wouldn’t normally get in class,” Dr. Lopez, professor of modern languages, introduced the University of Tampa to the artistic and intellectual work of Professor Yovani Bauta.

Bauta, a one-man whirlwind, has dabbled in the areas of law, art, theater, politics comedy, and writing during his professional career.

Seats were quickly filled at the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery.

Many students were content to stand as Bauta spoke eloquently in his native language of Spanish, translated by Dr. Lopez.

He described his experience of coming of age during the Cuban Revolution and his ultimate exile from Castro’s Cuba.

He spoke of life in Miami and the fact that, no matter what, he will always be a Cuban artist.

He discussed the influence of war, pain and the fluid evolution of themes in his artwork.

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Arts & Entertainment

Freshman Sophie Erber reflected on the presentation, saying, “He sufficiently merged art and Cuban exile into a form that students could visually comprehend. He had a lot of insight and words of wisdom to share.”

Professor Yovani Bauta proved to be not only an artist and intellectual but an inspiration, as well.

He spoke as a man who had seen and experienced much in life but had found art in the pain and sorrow.

“Regardless of what happens, keep on living,” he advised.

In a discussion with Bauta after the symposium, I was able to glean more insight into the man behind the art.

He spoke admiringly of Frida

Yovani Bauta

Kahlo, an artist whose life was her art and who painted emotions without secrets.

He said, “The only way to find a place in the universe and make yourself universal is to expose your own emotions.”

He sees this practice as not only a way of art but also a way of life.

When describing his own work on his website, he says that, “More than sensuality, I am looking for a human resilience and the pain and suffering through which we try to overcome the numerous obstacles we find in our lives outside our native countries.”

To learn more about Yovani Bauta and his work, visit his website at yovanibauta.com

Quilt’s Corner Southern Comfort

By Derrick Austin

It’s Easter. We’re walking through the carnival and how unlike a church. Everyone’s stiff like a Baptist. These Florida women line up in rows for the Swing Carousel, each seat polished by briny rain and the wet laps of children. As it spins, the women leer like angels (gargoyles in drag).

Force blurs their Revlon tips and Mardi Gras parade of hats pruned in floral shops, and stones weigh down their bodies. Gravity greases their wobbly knees with grace as they race their own vomit. Even the head of the choir peels up her skirt and takes a steaming piss behind the busted Port-o-Potty.

We buy funnel cake from a woman with a snout, her nostril curled as if already head-up in the shit.

Skewered turkey legs sizzle on spits like alien hearts.

“Have a blessed day,” she throws the pastry down with her pudgy paws and offers a smile like a shot of their bitter brand of Southern Comfort.

We eat on a bench near a ring of forgetful stones.

I touch my boyfriend’s rib, lingeringly, I know he finds no meaning there but sidles over and finds me. The hand of a random wind steals the powdered sugar. I groan: “Why is all the sweetness of the world so light?”

We can’t put it to our lips, but it’s marked us like ashes, smattered our clothes. We’re the lichen-spotted rocks—of ourselves, of this moment, naked of pretense and sure of our spot on the grass between the tipsy women and the Tilt-A-Whirl lurching to light.

I hope they find a white spot on their waxy foreheads and recognize the unkempt jonquil nodding disapproval, noting those who suck their teeth as we walk by.

Quilt News: Last Open Mic of the semester!

When: Dec. 5 @ 9 p.m.

Where: Nola Cafe, next to Walgreens on Platt St. (Meet in Plant Hall Lobby at 8:30 p.m.)

16

Arts & Entertainment

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

By Linda C Black Tribune Media Services

ls

by Austin Danie

Aries (March 21-April 19) You’re in the mood to catch up on your reading. When you get like this, you can devour stacks of books and magazines.

Fit in a couple of really useful ones.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Follow through on the projects you’ve already begun.

Work is involved, but it isn’t as hard as it used to be. Don’t go shopping until the check clears, however. Caution is advised, regarding the money.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) You’re so busy you may not be in much of an affectionate mood. You’re trying to figure out how much you have, and what goes where. Set a date for early next week. You’ll be feeling more cuddly then.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Some of the most important work takes place behind the scenes. You can find out, for example, what’s really going on. Ask a few subtle but leading questions.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) There’s no time for long conversations, but you can update your plan. Also, make sure your assistants know how much you appreciate their efforts. This kind of feedback is important.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Follow through on a project that you’ve already begun. When this is done, you’ll have accomplished big changes for the better at home.

By Kadie Hayward Staff Writer

Friends since the first grade and now roommates, Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) find themselves buried under a mountain of debt. Neither of their dead-end jobs can make up for their backed utilities bills.

Desperate to make money and inspired by a man they meet at their high school reunion, the two decide to make a porno.

In true Seth Rogen fashion, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” is a hysterical mix of sexual references and true-life satire.

Kevin Smith, the mastermind behind cult classics like “Clerks” and “Dogma,” wrote the role of Zack specifically for Rogen.

Rogen shows audiences a new side of himself in this film,.

The chemistry between him and co-star Banks is undoubtedly

It isn’t going to be easy, but it will be worth the effort.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’re able to reach out a little farther and make the difficult look easy. Accept input and support from far away. It can light a fire under you and encourage you to stop procrastinating Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Better check the balance sheets while you’re in the mood.

You’re making big plans and it’s always good to know where your resources are. Some you may even have to create.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Don’t be distracted by somebody who’s trying to get your attention. Finish whatever you’re working on first, or there will be trouble. Hardly anything you do goes unnoticed lately.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You’re in the mood to get things done, but caution is advised. Make sure you get a contract, so you’ll know how much you’ll be making. Don’t accidentally volunteer to do the job for free.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You can dream about adventures, but it’s not easy to get away. You’d have to leave a whole pile of stuff that you’ve been meaning to do. Well, maybe you could escape for dinner and a movie.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) It can be difficult to listen to people who don’t agree with you. It’s a marvelous skill to acquire, however. Just let them know you understand, and that you’ll think about it. They’ll love you for it.

some of the best pairing done in recent movie history.

Though potentially a true break-out role for Banks, the entire supporting cast puts in a great performance and makes the movie something really special.

Bottom line: You don’t want to miss this! It’s funny, raw and different.

Arts & Entertainment Stars Get Set For Gwyneth Walker Nights

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

By Mel Steiner Arts & Entertainment Editor

On Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 15 the University of Tampa will celebrate the musical creations of composer Gwyneth Walker. Located in Fletcher Lounge at 7:30 p.m. Walker will be attending both momentous performances.

Dr. David Isele, UT’s resident composer and organist met her many years ago at the Hartt’s International Contemporary Organ Music Festival. As the two strangers began talking, they bonded over their dreams of writing operas.

They then decided to write one together.

Being long distance, they exchanged music scores through the mail. Finally their opera was complete and ready for performance. Entitled “Opera Buffet,” the opera was a celebration of debauchery.

Isele was a full-time faculty member at the University of Tampa upon the opera’s completion.

During this time, Gwyneth Walker had come to UT as a guest music history teacher. As the two reunited, the opera was set for show.

Dr. Gary Luter took on the role of director, Susan Taylor Lennon

as choreographer and Dr. Isele as music coordinator. “Opera Buffet” was performed four times, three as a staged show and one as a music concert.

Since then, Walker and Isele have written a second opera entitled “Taking It Off,” which celebrates diet and exercising.

In the summer and fall of 2008, UT’s brass quintet, “The Tampa Brass,” began working on Gwyneth Walker’s Shaker tunes.

At a music faculty meeting, many professors expressed interest in her works. It was then decided to bring her to Florida and celebrate her music.

Gwyneth Walker currently lives in Vermont on a dairy farm. A former professor at Oberlin Gwyneth Walker Conservatory, she left her position in 1982 to become a full-time composer.

Since then, she has written for all genres of music. This unique quality as a composer is what makes her music well received. All ensembles can participate and will in the two-night spectacular.

“She writes in an accessible style; it is well-constructed and makes emotional sense. She and her music are well-loved,” Isele says.

Dr. Traster, chair of the Music Department, is more than

excited for Walker’s arrival. He explains that having direct contact with the composer is an effective experience.

“The students will get an insight of how a part in the music is supposed to be played as well as visualize the imagery that Walker had in mind,” Traster says. “Having the composer work with the players and then watch them perform her compositions is reminiscent of the traditional style of musicianship. Way back when, when nothing was published, the composer would write something and the music would be performed that same night.”

On Nov. 14, the students will take the stage. Performing will be the Collegiate Chorale, Women’s Glee Club, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and OPUS. OPUS will be performing a number from Walker/Isele’s “Opera Buffet.”

On Nov. 15, the faculty will take the stage in celebration of Walker’s dedication. Performing will be the Quartet de Minaret, Dr. Libor Ondras, Lowell Adams, the Tampa Brass, Dr. Grigorios Zamparas and Dr. Hein Jung, with narration by Dr. Isele.

It will surely be a night to remember and hopefully the first composer celebrations of many.

“It is a thriving dynamic to be a composer and a musician.

The Music of Gwyneth Walker performances will definitely be the pilot for what’s to come,” says Traster.

So come out to this two-part musical affair Nov. 14-15 at 7:30 p.m. in Fletcher!

Tampa Brass Brings Down The House

By Mel Steiner Arts & Entertainment Editor

At the University of Tampa, there are various faculty music ensembles that perform quarterly in Plant Hall. These performances, entitled “The Minaret Concert Series” hold tradition to the Music Department.

Among these prestigious groups at UT, The Tampa Brass ranks high. Including four of the university’s own faculty, students can learn both from practicing and watching.

Dr. Jeffrey Traster, Chair of The Music Department, founded the band with Lyle Manwaring.

In 2006, he invited Professor Aric Brian to play trumpet. His addition rounded out the sound that has become the Tampa Brass today.

“Before coming to UT, I didn’t have a steady group I was a part of. The Tampa Brass is a great opportunity to play chamber music and it really is the most difficult thing I’ve done as a musician,” Brian said.

The five members presently include Lyle Manwaring on trumpet, Richard Sparrow on horn, Don Zegal on trombone, Jeff Traster on tuba, and Aric Brian on trumpet.

Together the band has performed at St. Petersurg College, The University of Tampa, and many high schools in the region.

“It’s good to perform at high

schools and work with high school band classes for recuruitment purposes. It gives the students a look into how careers are made out of music,” Zegal said.

Similar to OPUS, UT’s Broadway/Show-tunes ensemble, The Tampa Brass is looking into traveling outside of the Southern region. “ W e ’ d love to get up North and do a tour sometime.

It’s all still in the works, but I’m hoping it will happen soon,” Brian said.

As a brass quintet, the name is unique as it does not portray a specific number of musicans.

They purposely picked the name “Tampa Brass” to leave the group open for options.

Upon arriving at one of their performances, you might only see three of them performing or perhaps even a solo.

It’s this flexibility and spontenaity that make this band stand out.

Being a music student, I’ve often been amazed at watching my professors perform nearly hours after attending one of their lectures.

“My hope is that when they see their mentors perform, they will be exposed to the level of excellence that can be achieved in performing chamber music.

Through their attendance they receive the epitome of the music

experience,” Zegal explains.

Aric Brian, the youngest member of the Tampa Brass remembers his college experience.

“I never had these opportunities; UT offers free, top quality, oncampus concerts every weekend.

Everyone should take advantage of them; they are incredible.”

After a long day of giving lectures and teaching lessons, the five guys practice weekly.

“We did a Simmons piece back in September that we had been working on for awhile. To this day we are still working on it. This doesn’t just include playing our instruments; it’s about interpreting the music, developing a sense of its theme and building all of the parts to perfection,” Zegal explained.

This idea of pure dedication is definitely ingrained in their students, as all of them are involved in the various student ensembles offered.

Summed up in one line, Zegal explains, “There is simply no experience that takes you to a higher level than participating in performance groups.”

The Tampa Brass will perform Saturday, Nov. 15 in Fletcher Lounge at 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Damian Searles (www.sxc.hu).

17

By Professor Creature Staff Writer

The B-Movie genre is rife with films that are described as “so bad they’re good.”

“Manos: The Hands of Fate” is not one of those films. Simply, it is bad.

Emphatically, unequivocally bad.

“Manos” is not the sort of film you watch with your buddies to laugh at the strings holding up the UFOs and chuckle at the wooden acting.

It is the sort of film you trick someone into watching to exact revenge upon them.

It is the sort of film that would be mentioned in the Geneva Conventions.

It is the sort of film you would expect to be directed by a fertilizer salesman on a bet.

Oh, wait, it is.

“Manos” was written by, produced by, directed by, and starring Harold P. Warren, a fertilizer salesman from El Paso, Texas on a bet with a local talent scout that he could make a horror film on a limited budget.

Unfortunately, the bet included no provisions regarding quality.

The movie follows a family taking a long road trip to a hotel.

After an eternity wandering aimlessly through the Texas desert, the family is trapped at a lodge maintained by a polygamous pagan cult, where they attempt to escape as the sinister cult plots their demise.

I think.

The plot isn’t really clear.

Suffice to say, the longest coherent plot line is the several minutes spent showing the rolling countryside outside of the family’s window.

Once the dialogue and acting begins, the film descends into a dark, deep place, an abyss human eyes weren’t meant to behold.

Deciphering the plot of “Manos” is like trying to map the bed of the Mississippi River with a flashlight and a pencil: dark, muddy, and inconsistent.

The plot constantly shifts from the main story to one or two completely disconnected, irrelevant subplots.

The main story is baffling and inconsistent, and the film is peppered with long, awkward periods of little to no dialogue or character development.

Finally, as a sort of testament to the bubbling mound of wretch that is “Manos,” not even the B-movie geniuses at “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” could make this film palatable.

They made it better, sure, but better in the same way a couple of packets of sugar would spice up a steaming mug of bear dung.

The movie still ended up being boring and incomprehensible, almost physically painful to watch.

In the end, not even the wisecracking silhouettes of the MST3K crew can distract from the undying horror that is “Manos.”

I recommend staying far away from this movie at all times.

I also plan to write a letter to my Representative, urging Congress to pass a law requiring a warning label on all copies of the film.

However, if you are feeling daring, I would recommend watching only the MST3K version.

Watching “Manos: The Hands of Fate” without the protective cover of wisecracks and puns would probably lead to unfortunate viewers being melted like Nazis in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Professor Creature can be reached at professorcreature@gmail. com.

18

Cheers

& Jeers

Veterans

War

Obama Family Code Names

White House Security

Mutts

Peruvian Hairless Dogs

Bond Girls

007

Linda Carter as Wonder Woman

Megan Fox as Wonder Woman

Christmas Break

Thanksgiving Break

Procrastination

Term Papers Due

James Monroe

Andrew Jackson

The Inferno

The Paradiso

Commentary The Minaret | November 14, 2008 UT Plays Legal Games With Students Sometimes a court case raises more questions than it answers. In the case of Andrea Knight vs. the University of Tampa, the courts are trying to resolve various debates between the parties. But they also seem to be raising more questions about the school’s ability to follow its own rules.

A judge has ruled that the university didn’t follow its own rules when it denied Knight an appeal of her plagiarism conviction.

They first referred her to a set of rules on the Web site that didn’t have an appeal clause, but failed to remove an old set of rules that said she did. Knight’s lawyer contended that the mere existence of the old set of rules is technically an invitation to view them and consider them true, and cited a previous court ruling that supported his argument.

Ultimately, the judge ruled that both sets of rules were fair game, and that since there was ambiguity, they must follow those that the defendant prefers.

This deep, intricate case also raised a significant question in The Minaret staff ’s mind, and that was the exclusion of Knight’s community support person in her hearing. Students are allowed to

have a member of the university community to be with them during their hearing, but this person cannot speak for them in front of the board.

Knight brought with her Eileen Arnold, a UT alum who lived in the area, but Arnold was denied access. Academic Integrity board members ruled that Arnold no longer fit the definition of a member of the community since she had graduated.

However, this is in stark contrast to the school’s current definition of the university community. Students who are caught violating laws off campus but within the Tampa area are often subject to judicial referrals and hearings. Numerous people have been sentenced to community service and some have received heavier sentences.

What is the university’s reasoning for charging these students for off-campus violations?

They claim that some students are “wreaking havoc” in the university community. Since the City of Tampa chartered the school in 1933, we are indissolubly linked to the Tampa community, they argue, and students must uphold the image and interest of the school in their dealings with locals.

How can they find that an alumna and Tampa resident is not a member of the community when she is trying to support a student, but that a student who is arrested in Ybor is somehow adversely affecting the same community?

It seems that the university again wants to cherry pick from many sets of rules, and to only choose the one that fits their agenda.

When it protects a tenured professor, they will deny the student an appeal that he or she is right to request. When a judge asks them if that student has an appeal, they will deny it until they are caught.

When a student needs help and seeks it from a local advocate and UT graduate, they will shrink their definition of the community.

But when a student goes out into the community and is accused of violating state laws, their definition of the community will swell and reach into areas that only sworn police officers and judges should handle.

The university’s actions during this entire plagiarism case ring of only one word: absurdity. End the tomfoolery, UT. Be open with your students. Trust us, and we will trust you.

Rap Music Idolized Despite Its Reinforcing The Worst Of Black Culture

By Amadu Wiltshire Columnist

us.

The change has to begin with

The pitfalls of slavery are still evident in the daily lives of many African people globally.

The speech and music we constantly listen to and the dress codes, which we promote among ourselves, in many instances, are leading to the degradation of our race.

It is imperative that we stand against these negative connotations, which have been handed down to us from the horrible history of slavery.

As Africans across the globe— whether in America, the Caribbean and Europe—continue to refer to each other as “nigga,” “hoes” and “bitches” we are perpetuating Willie Lynch’s plan for our race.

I know many people are extremely offended by the statements I have made.

However, I encourage you to observe what the majority of black rappers are singing about; look at the images, which we are selling our race, too.

The black woman should be respected and the regality of her femininity should be celebrated and not degraded.

The word nigga should be banned from our vocabulary so that future generations of Africans across the globe can be spared the negative emotional damage, which comes with such a word.

Why are we not fighting and lobbying for the promotion of the images of positive role models such as the current president elect of the

United States of America Barack Obama, Miss Oprah Winfery, Dr. Eric Williams and the many African people who have contributed to the development of the world in their own way.

Thug life is endorsed by the music we listen to that it is now associated with our race.

As a black man, I hope for a world where more black professionals and the common black man and woman can fight for the change which we need in this society.

A change where the negative connotations of slavery are not facilitated in our race and the many disguises of style and fashion that are used to disgrace our race are eradicated.

While I do recognize the fact that there are many African people who are preventing their children from using the aforementioned negative connotations many of us are not.

The things our ancestors fought against should not be what we embrace whole-heartedly.

Many people see me and call me a house nigga because I write the things that I see.

But please understand I am not looking down on our race but I am voicing my opinion because I have realized that we are in a time where if we don’t fight for the building of our race everything will be lost.

We have to make the change that we need for our survival and progression.

Amadu Wiltshire may be reached at awiltshire@ut.edu.

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Do you share Amadu’s point of view?

Leave a comment on our Web site and let us know!

www.theminaretonline.com

I

n many rap songs, African-Americans are constantly calling each other “nigga” and many of our women are referred to as “hoe” and “bitch.” Here the are lyrics from 50 Cent’s “Many Men,” which don’t need to be perpetuated by our people.

Photo by luvuman / Flickr.com

“Many Men”

Verse One

Now these pussy niggaz putting money on my head Go on and get your refund Lloyd Banks: Man we gotta go motherf-cker, I ain’t dead get something to eat man I’m the diamond in the dirt, that I’m hungry as a motherf-cker ain’t been found I’m the underground king and I 50 Cent: Ay yo man, damn ain’t been crowned what’s taking homie so long son?

When I rhyme, something special happen every time Lloyd Banks: 50, calm down, I’m the greatest, something like here he come Ali in his prime I walk the block with the bundles [9 Shots] I’ve been knocked on the humble Swing the ox when I rumble Banks and 50: Ahh, ohh, what Show your ass what my gun do the f-ck!?

Got a temper nigga, go’head, lose your head 50 Cent: Ahh! son, pull up! pull Turn your back on me, get up! clapped and lose your legs I walk around gun on waist, chip on my shoulder Intro Till I bust a clip in your face, 50 Cent [singing]: Many men, wish death upon me pussy, this beef ain’t over Blood in my eye dawg and I Chorus: can’t see Many men, many, many, many, I’m trying to be what I’m many men destined to be Wish death ‘pon me And niggaz trying to take my Lord I don’t cry no more life away Don’t look to the sky no more I put a hole in nigga for fucking Have mercy on me with me Have mercy on my soul My back on the wall, now you Somewhere my heart turned cold gon’ see Have mercy on many men Better watch how you talk, when Many, many, many, many men you talk about me Wish death upon me Cause I’ll come and take your life away

by 50 Cent

Many men, many, many, many, many men Wish death ‘pon me Lord I don’t cry no more Don’t look to the sky no more Have mercy on me

Verse Two

Some days wouldn’t be special, if it wasn’t for rain Joy wouldn’t feel so good, if it wasn’t for pain Death gotta be easy, ‘cause life

is hard It’ll leave you physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred This if for my niggaz on the block, twisting trees and cigars For the niggaz on lock, doing life behind bars I don’t see only god can judge me, ‘cause I see things clear Quick these crackers will give my black ass a hundred years I’m like Paulie in Goodfellas, you can call me the Don Like Malcolm by any means, with my gun in my palm Slim switched sides on me, let niggaz ride on me I thought we was cool, why you want me to die homie?

Chorus

Verse Three

Every night I talk to god, but he don’t say nothing back I know he protecting me, but I still stay with my gat In my nightmares, niggaz keep pulling techs on me Psych says some bitch dumb, put a hex on me The feds didn’t know much, when Pac got shot I got a kite from the pens that told me, Tuck got knocked I ain’t gonna spell it out for you motherf-ckers all the time Are you illiterate nigga? You can’t read between the lines In the bible it says, what goes around, comes around Almost shot me, three weeks later he got shot down Now it’s clear that I’m here, for a real reason ‘Cause he got hit like I got hit, but he ain’t f-cking breathing

19 Commentary Black President: 2 Steps Forward; Gay Marriage Ban: 12 Steps Back

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Negative attitudes toward homosexuality prove how far the United States has to go

By Derrick Austin Commentary Editor

Gay marriage needs to be legalized in this country.

It’s not about marriage, or the sanctity thereof—quite possibly the biggest red herring in current political discourse—it’s about rights.

Rights that every American citizen deserves and is entitled to as full-blooded Americans.

During a week when America and the world celebrated a black man ascend to the White House, a symbol of forward progress, the nation took a dozen steps backwards.

Arkansas passed a ban preventing gays (and all unmarried couples) from adopting children, and California banned same-sex marriage after legalizing it months prior, a glaring example of rights being revoked.

Florida is no better.

Amendment 2 passed, and the is protected, yet gays are the last tragedy of it is it doesn’t only affect minority where it is socially gay couples (not that it affects gay acceptable to degrade us and act couples anyway because there are as if we’re such a progressive already laws banning gay marriage country. in the state).

This issue angers me further I t a ff e c t s h e t e r o s e x u a l because I’m African-American. couples that aren’t married but I have lived my life with the are in committed relationships; knowledge that my people have such couples can’t protect each been enslaved, lynched, beaten, other with health care plans, for scapegoated and discriminated example, when they could before against. the amendment passed.

My philosophy about life is Even here at UT, the backwards inclusion. administration stubbornly battles Knowing where my people with its faculty who are largely have come from, blacks are the in support last people of domestic in this nation “This is the biggest t o a c c e p t p a r t n e r n o n - d e b a t e i n the blatant benefits.

As a gay c o n t e m p o r a r y degradation student here, American history.” of another I can’t sit in group of silence while people. my nation—a nation that has filled According to the LA Times, me with immeasurable joy this past 70 percent of blacks and Latinos week—looks me—and thousands supported the California ban on gay of Americans—in the face saying: marriage—the very demographic You are below everyone else. who overwhelmingly voted for This is the biggest non-debate Obama. in contemporary American history.

And to others who support Every other minority in this country such medieval thoughts, I can only

Obama Steers Course For New Direction In American Politics Republican party transforms and reorganizes for the

By Chris Brown 2012 election Columnist

Photo by grizzly_lightning / Flickr.com

The world of politics is organic. Therefore it is difficult to predict what will happen to each of the major political parties as world and domestic events shape the future.

Frankly, there were few Americans a year ago that took Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy seriously.

Both his and Senator Hillary Clinton’s bids were considered noble but far-fetched.

Furthermore, it seemed impossible that Obama could overcome the Clinton legacy.

But the truth is America was looking for a generational leader.

Some Democrats found that in Clinton, but apparently the majority of us were leaning toward Obama.

Now that Obama is president elect, we feel that it’s the time to show the world the importance of the youth vote—not just by measure of the numbers we voted in, but to prove we can step onto the stage with our leaders and help guide our nation.

Together we can move out of Iraq, out of recession, restore confidence in government and our government’s image within the international community.

We must hold leaders accountable for their actions and restore integrity to the Oval Office.

I cannot say with certainty what will become of our future, but I am certain that Americans will have more to say in the process of getting from here to there.

Naturally, the party in power has to adapt to the mood of the nation and international community. The party who is out of power consolidates and adapts in an attempt to regain power. So what will the Republicans do

now to regain its former glory?

Social Conservatives out.

Fiscal Conservatives in.

The changes are already in the works.

John McCain’s staff and the conservative elite are assaulting Sarah Palin’s character. Fox News has come out saying Palin did not know the countries involved in NAFTA: America, Canada and Mexico.

She thought Africa was a country and was curious if South Africa was a separate region. The telling point isn’t that she wasn’t acquainted with foreign affairs; we already knew that.

The telling point is that Palin is one of the most well-known Republicans in the United States. She can be trained to appear smarter in a few years.

Yet the salvo is being directed away from McCain, a man who cannot run for president again.

Palin is young; she can run again, so why ruin her chances?

It’s because her brand of social conservatism is outmoded.

McCain’s gamble didn’t pay off and the unpleasant economy proved to be final nail in the coffin.

Had Mitt Romney been chosen during the Republican Primary, the election would have been much more interesting.

Republicans will have the power of retrospection during the 2012 elections.

They can capitalize on every mistake Obama makes over the next few years and claim, via hindsight, fiscal Republicans would have done it better.

We will be in for an interesting election a few years from now. Just the same, I have confidence in my party and am sure Obama will remain in office for the next eight years.

But where will America go after eight glorious years of an Obama administration?

Perhaps back to a Republican President: I’m fine with that.

But I do have one last prediction and it concerns the future of the Democratic Party.

Two words: Joe Biden.

Chris Brown may be reached at cbrown@ ut.edu.

stand bewildered.

How does two men or two women getting married affect heterosexual marriages?

How is it that you will allow heterosexual couples to get drivethrough marriages and divorces when they don’t value such a commitment?

How can you judge love as if it were a commodity?

If you want to keep marriage within your religious beliefs fine, as personal as religion is I can’t abridge you that, but don’t impose your religious beliefs on a country as diverse as ours—especially when civil liberties are involved.

Marriage ceremonies can be religious, that’s fine; but marriage is a social construct, a legal contract.

This whole debate has been horribly misconstrued. We’re not even debating the same issue.

To gays it’s about equal rights; to opponents, it’s about religious interpretations of marriage; it’s about names.

Everyone deserves equal rights, and marriage should be about love. I don’t care what you call it: civil unions, gay marriage—call it

super gay commitment ceremonies, whatever, because at this point we’re just arguing semantics.

Marriage is about two people in love, willing to be with one another.

If you want to protect the sanctity of marriage (whatever that means) then get rid of divorce, which threatens more marriages than the “gay conspiracy” people seem to be afraid of.

There’s such a profound disconnect in this nation when a black man can represent this country, and states are fighting to legalize Jim Crow laws for homosexuals.

There is no place for discrimination and the revocation of rights in this nation. Those days are gone.

Derrick Austin may be reached at daustin@ut.edu.

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How do you feel about gay marriage?

Leave a comment on our Web site and let us know!

www.theminaretonline.com

Got Questions About Love or Life?

E-Mail Advice Columinst Gabrielle Slater for Answers to Your Problems! gslater@ut.edu 08TJS071_U_TAMPA_MINARET_GFY_10_17_08_PRESS.pdf

10/10/08

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20

Commentary

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

End Of Semester Procrastination Hits Students Right On Time

By Alyssa Lum Columnist

The semester is winding down and all of us are enjoying life.

Everyone is working hard trying to finish and prepare for projects, papers, quizzes, tests and anything under the blue moon a professor decides to assign.

We’ve started assignments a week in advance—something must be in the air to stop the usual procrastination techniques of college students.

It’s a relief. I don’t feel so alone anymore.

Labs are packed all the time, even at the graveyard shift on Sunday morning in Vaughn (I know—I work it), and everyone has a look of calm on their faces.

It’s just another college semester finishing up before the bliss of the holidays.

Whenever I’ve been in a class where my professor has given a pop quiz, everyone is ready to add some extra needed points to their

grades.

Whenever a test comes back with a not-so-perfect score, no one panics; the final is what really matters.

Compared to past semesters, I think what has most improved is how papers are done in advance, not turned into the professor five minutes after class has started because the paper is literally hot off the presses. I haven’t seen any of that.

No one is ever really out in the courtyard anymore.

Everyone is either in their rooms, the labs or classes studying with books and papers scattered everywhere trying to figure out the deconstructionist literary theory before the seminar paper is due.

I never hear anyone partying in ResCom outside my room at three in the morning anymore.

There hasn’t been the constant music session with the boys across the hall playing “Whatever You Like” twenty times in a row as part of a pre-game ritual. Everyone has

been relatively quiet while catching up on some ZZZs to gear up for the weeks of hell to come.

But suddenly something’s changed.

Everyone grumbles when a professor gives out a quiz or a new paper to write in a week.

Energy levels have dropped and students try to get out of class earlier by not participating, if they show up at all.

We hang out in the courtyard at all hours and stay up too late jamming on Guitar Hero.

When Thursday hits, I hear nothing but high heels from the floor above me until Sunday morning.

And I literally have every bass hit of “Whatever You Like” memorized. I can hear that song thumping from a mile away and tell you exactly what hit comes next thanks to the boys across the hall.

When it comes to the last few weeks before Thanksgiving, everyone would prefer to leave everything to the last minute because thinking is too difficult.

Our brains are on constant overload and we think procrastination might make things better; such are the effects of working under pressure.

But in reality, procrastination doesn’t help.

It’s just an excuse to throw the books down in your room and go hang out enjoying the wonderful fall weather of Florida.

It’s another way to avoid thinking about all the work piling up on our desks and to pretend we don’t have any work to do, at least

Photo by gruen_t / Flickr.com for a day.

So I guarantee over the next few weeks, we’ll see all of us with dark circles and stress marks on our faces over our grades that are slowly digging their own graves.

Who needs a break?

Thanksgiving? Nah. I’ll be diligently working on said seminar paper while eating turkey dinner and watching the Bondathon on Spike.

Alyssa Lum may be reached at alum@ut.edu.

Voting Empowers Student To Make Her Mark On U.S. History www.

collegefishing.com

BOATS FURNISHED TRAVEL ALLOWANCE

I was a first time voter.

While some may not find Election Day significant, I looked forward to it ever since my first foray into politics my senior year of high school.

I took a Presidential Politics elective that year, and it forever changed my view of the world.

Instead of being apathetic, I actually cared about the world’s problems and who would inevitably solve them, or try to.

I learned about the candidates’ policies and where they stood on all the issues. I watched the debates and kept up with all the latest news.

Because of that Presidential Politics class, I had a vested interest the election.

I couldn’t imagine not voting.

When the day finally came, I was a little bit nervous as to how the whole thing would go.

What would the booths look like?

Wo u l d t h e p e o p l e b e informative or just expect me to know where to go and what was going on?

The first thing I saw when I reached my polling location were hordes of signs labeled “VOTE,” “VOTE HERE” or some other variation of the simple phrase—as if people needed to be reminded.

In a perfect world, they shouldn’t have to be.

Still, the signs empowered me: “I see you, I am going to vote!”

Once inside, there were more signs directing potential voters to the exact floor and place where the polling stations were.

As I boarded the elevator, poised to make my trip up to the sixteenth floor, I thought: Will my vote make a difference?

To me, the question was irrelevant; the enormity of the building made me feel like I was going to do something important.

There were smiling faces all

Photo by farlane / Flickr.com

NO ENTRY FEE

By Samantha Presicci Columnist

over my voting floor, the line wasn’t too long, which surprised me, and the voting room itself looked entirely different than I had imagined.

Whenever I’ve seen my parents vote, they’ve done so on electronic machines in booths that seem altogether extremely secretive.

The booths in this building weren’t booths at all but makeshift stations set up to give the voter just enough privacy.

The ballots were printouts (rather than electronic) that the voters themselves filled out. This made the process seem personal and all the more monumental.

When I filled in the oval next to my candidate’s name (Barack Obama in case you were wondering!), I felt like I really helped him.

When I filled in the NO oval (I wish I could have added a few choice expletives) next to the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, I was overjoyed yet indignant that something like that would ever even be debated.

As I left the polling station,

there was a man handing out “I VOTED” stickers.

I felt a little ridiculous wearing it, but it seemed like my duty to get the word out.

That sticker on my shirt was a symbolic image for me.

It represented the loss of my political indifference and the birth of a mature and socially conscious individual.

I hope every other first time voter, no matter what age, can say something similar.

We need to exercise what little control we have and try to make a difference rather than lament what we do or think does not matter.

As a collective whole, we can accomplish what we want to, and we must always remember that.

Samantha Presicci may be reached at spresicci@ut.edu.

GO ONLINE

Share your voting experiences!

Leave a comment on our Web site and let us know!

www.theminaretonline.com

21

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22

Sports

Photo by Abby Sanford

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

Photo by Abby Sanford

Where They Stand: Teams Battle through Postseason

Tampa faces familiar foes as most teams enter the second level of play.

By Bobby Winsler Sports Editor

The University of Tampa men’s soccer team, coming off a loss in the Sunshine State Conference finals, advanced to the NCAA South Region Tournament on an atlarge bid. The Spartans square off against Montevallo in the first round. Tampa fell to Montevallo in the South Region finals last year on penalty kicks.

If the Spartans were to obtain redemption and move on, they will face the winner of Lynn and West Florida. Though both games played against Lynn have been tallied in the loss column, the Spartans did snag a victory against West Florida during their only match up of the regular season.

Women’s soccer will have more work

to do. The Lady Spartans need to battle through Saint Leo and West Florida in their bracket of the tournament. Should they win in Pensacola, UT will face the winner of Rollins and the victor of Florida Southern and Florida Tech.

Winning the South Region tournament would send either team home for the Final Four hosted by Tampa. A single loss ends the season.

Volleyball works differently. The women have a single game remaining in the regular season on the road against Lynn.

The SSC champion will be named based off the record established throughout the season. Either UT or Florida Southern will be named the champs but both will advance to the NCAA South Region. Starting December 2, the winner will continue to the Elite Eight.

Bobby Winsler can be contacted at minaret.sports@gmail.com

Photo by Chelsea Michelson

Sports Blog:

MLB Awards as Decided by Student

By Jesse Yomtov Sports Blogger

2008 SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION II • TAMPA, FLORIDA

Hosted by The University of Tampa Pepin Stadium Dec. 4-7 Tickets Per Day: Adults $10 College & younger: $5

Advance sales at UT home games and through the athletic department. www.tampaspartans.com

NCAA.com

Forget ESPN, they suck. Here are my awards for the 2008 MLB season: AL MVP: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox. .312/.390, 29 HRs, 115 RBIs There’s no clear cut candidate in the AL, and Carlos Quentin certainly would be getting this award had he not been injured and missed the last month of the season. Youkilis stepped up with David Ortiz injured and Manny Ramirez traded, becoming the Sox’ big run producer. There’s a movement for teammate Dustin Pedroia to get the MVP, but I can’t bring myself to hand it to him.

Honorable mentions: Pedroia (BOS), Quentin (CHW), Francisco Rodriguez (LAA) NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals. .357/.462, 37 HRs, 116 RBIs. Pujols needed Tommy John surgery this year (usually for pitchers), but played the whole year, ravaging NL pitching yet again. He walked twice as many times as he struck out and posted the highest OPS in the majors. So maybe the Cardinals didn’t make the playoffs, but Pujols had hands down the best season in baseball.

Honorable mentions: Ryan Howard (PHI), David Wright (NYM), Ryan Braun (MIL) AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee, Indians. 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 170 KsAfter a couple of down years, Lee bounced back, posting the fourthbest single season winning percentage since 1959. Lee emerged as Cleveland’s ace in 2008, a season in which CC Sabathia was traded, and Fausto Carmona sucked. One can make a case for Francisco Rodriguez

and his record 62 saves, but his ERA was merely fourth among AL closers, and his WHIP was 69th among relievers with at least 40 innings pitched.

Honorable mentions: Rodriguez (LAA), Roy Halladay (TOR), Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS) NL Cy Young: Johan Santana, Mets.

16-7, 2.53 ERA, 206 Ks. Santana may have only won 16 games, but the Mets bullpen was to blame for that. Johan easily should have had 20+ wins, and led baseball in innings pitched, quality starts and ERA, not to mention that he went 9-0 with a 2.07 ERA in his last 17 starts.

Honorable mentions: Tim Lincecum (SF), Brandon Webb (ARZ) AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria, Rays. .272, 27 HRs, 85 RBIs. A no-brainer here. Longoria ripped it up all season for the surprising Rays, made the All-Star team, and managed to put up the big numbers in less than 450 at bats. Without an August wrist injury, Longoria would have easily gotten to 30/100.

Honorable mentions: Alexei Ramirez (CHW), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS) NL Rookie of the Year: Geovany Soto, Cubs. .285, 23 HRs, 86 RBIs Soto followed up a great September in 2007 with a huge 2008 campaign that saw him play a huge role in the NL Central Champion Cubs’ offense, finishing the season with a start for the NL in the All-Star Game.

Honorable mentions: Joey Votto (CIN), Jair Jurrjens (ATL) For more sports opinion go to www. theminaretonline.com/overtime.

Player Says Team not Defeated

Photo by Chelsea Michelson

Swimmers Continue Success, Alex Hetland Making a Splash

By Kyle Bennett Sports Writer

The University of Tampa’s Alex Hetland turned in four first place finishes for the Spartans, including a record breaking 100 Breast performance of 55.33. Assistant coach Jim Kiner previously held the record before Hetland overtook the top spot.

“It was funny to see the look on his [Kiner] face,” said Hetland. “We had a tough week of training and I was able to take it easy the day before the meet.” Hetland alluded that the additional rest helped him to be ready for the dual meet. “It is cool and feels great to be on the board,” added Hetland.

The Spartan men brought home a 139123 victory over Indian River State College.

On top of breaking the 100 Breast record, Hetland turned in a first place finish in the 200 Breast.

He also played a part in the first place finishes in the 400 free relay and the 200 medley relay for the UT men. The win brings the Spartans to a perfect 3-0 early in the season. Head coach Ed Brennan spoke very highly of the transfer student.

“Alex is a bona fide Division I finalist.

This record doesn’t come as a tremendous surprise” said Brennan. The head coach explained that the only reason the record is a surprise at all is that it came in a dual meet, very early in the season. “Jimmy [Kiner] set the record at the NCAA championship. I didn’t expect Alex to break the record this early on.”

The NCAA rule for Division I athletes states that no athlete can participate once he turns 25-years-old.

In Division II however, there is no age

limit to their play. This is Hetland’s final year of eligibility, as he comes to UT enrolled in the MBA program.

At Southern Methodist University (SMU), Hetland was more of a roleplaying swimmer.

“Alex only swam three events while in Division I. For us, he will be needed to swim seven different events.

He is probably our best swimmer in every stroke, not just the breast,” Brennan said. “By the end of the season I hope he breaks the national record.”

Hetland had the opportunity to go to a number of other Division II schools and not pay the kind of money he is to attend UT. “I have known the coach for years at SMU, he recommended UT to Alex.

Upon meeting Alex, he and I hit it off.

We got along great right away. I am very happy to have him on the team. He is a good person, a valuable teammate, and acts as another coach. He enjoys and understands the sport,” Brennan stated.

Hetland feels lucky that Brennan has been so cooperative with him.

“I came to improve. I am faster right now than at this time last season,” Hetland said. “I need to toughen up to be able to compete in the added events.

The school is going to use me for what I’m worth.”

Hetland went on to say that the performance against Indian River State College was a good first step.

He will lead the Spartans off the blocks in Winter Park to take on Rollins College on Saturday Nov. 15.

Big Game Boozing Won’t Happen at UT “drinks”

from

[Back Page]

events all failed to get more students on the bleachers.

“One day we did a close game keg party as a promotion. I had fewer than 50 people who came. Not only did I have some beer that I was giving away, but you had to come to the game to be eligible. We only gave everyone one glass, we weren’t trying to get everyone drunk. It was a novelty thing: come to the game and we’ll give you a beer when the game’s over. We thought it might attract some students. We had chips, water, soft drinks, prizes; it was a total feed. This was a total flop and we had fewer than 50 kids go to that game. It was pitiful.”

A few years later, a similar thing happened.

“Pre ’95 we had a sponsor Hops that had a little mobile brewery wagon to promote their restaurant. We had them come to a soccer game and the same thing happened.

We brought a wagon out, and told students if they came to the game we’d give them a glass of beer. I was watching the game, monitoring it, and the students would come, take their glass of beer and would turn around and walk back without going to the game. It was not a good game promotion.”

Students think that maybe administration should try a promotion like that again. The times have changed a lot since the 90s and maybe now students would be more responsive.

“Maybe they tried these things years ago, but they haven’t tried events like this in a long time. I think if they tried to do another promotion now, a lot of students would want to come to the games. The school should go

23

Sports

The Minaret | November 14, 2008

get a beer license, it’s not like they are expensive to get,” said UT sophomore Katie Bolton.

Swalls looks at this situation differently.

“First of all, just like tobacco and other culturally distained things, we do not want to promote its use. It is not the right message to send college students. On one hand you have one side of campus saying not to drink at all, and on the other side you’re going to serve it at the game? It’s a mixed message, so we respect that and don’t do it for that reason. I supposed if we were selling out every night and we could pinpoint beer as the reason, it might be worth an argument. We don’t really generate any revenue from it, and we don’t charge students to come to the game. Yes, it’s our goal to promote school spirit and big crowds, but I’m not sure beer does that…it never has.”

Swalls continued to speak about the possibilities of bringing the old alcohol policy back to UT. “The national trend is to try and be more strict. I don’t think it’s possible to go back to our old policy because on a national level the trend of the NCAA is getting away from any kind of beer sponsor or any kind of beer involvement. It’s not about my opinion or anyone else’s opinion. The national trend is probably centered around the good health of students.”

Students must learn to be sober fans because the possibility of alcohol being served once again at UT sports games is very unlikely.

By Sara Belsole Sports Columnist

If we had it our way, we would be playing at home, not in a different time zone. We would be ranked number one in the region and be granted a bye for the first game. If we had it our way, we would certainly be favored to make it to the next round of NCAA. In reality, things are not exactly going our way.

We are the fourth seed in the region and have to travel to West Florida in Pensacola to face fifth ranked St. Leo University on Friday. If we win, we will play number one seeded West Florida on Sunday.

To some, it looks like this weekend will be a challenge to say the least. After going out in conference semifinals, we are set to play against the conference champions.

We have gone into overtime twice and let in six goals in the last two games. The defending National

Champions are not ranked in the top of the region.

But to us, we are in the perfect position.

So what if we have to travel? The field we play on does not dictate how we play. We are fully confident facing off against St. Leo, who we beat 3-0 earlier in the season.

The Saints are one of our biggest rivals; we are always motivated and ready to play against them.

With a pair of victories this weekend, we will be in perfect positioning for the next round of NCAA, even possibly hosting the next round.

We know we are going to be very underestimated this weekend, which will work to our advantage. St. Leo is coming off of a big conference win and will have trouble refocusing and regaining modesty.

We are ready to show the region that it was not luck that got us a bid to the tournament. We deserve it. There is not one team in the region that is better, and we are prepared to show everyone that past losses were a fluke.

This is the first step in bringing another National Championship back to Tampa.

Sara Belsole can be contacted at sbelsole@ut.edu.

X-country Trains with Track Back

By Sam Gerb Sports Writer

The track is back and University of Tampa cross-country could not be more excited. The men’s and women’s teams have been waiting for quite some time for the track to be fixed in order to restore their home advantage.

Coach Jarrett Slaven said, “The rubber track is a welcomed asset. Like a gift from the running Gods.” Slaven was ecstatic to say the least when this new track was being constructed.

The University of Tampa is now the only Division II school with a rubber track at home. Runner Kathryn Cummins said,

“The track absorbs the pounding on your bones and your muscles. Running on asphalt just hurts a lot more and your bones take much more of a beating.”

Runner Amber Eisenberg said, “Concrete is really stiff to run on, but the rubber track seems to absorb the pressure better. In high school I ran on a cement track and frequently got shin splints, and now since running at UT have not encountered this problem anymore.”

Slaven continued by saying, “Running on rubber versus asphalt really makes a world of difference.

UT is planning on hosting more track meets and hopes that more students will come out for support.

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3

‘n t u O

Alcohol, Attendance Thought Not to be Related

Senior Success

Volleyball: The volleyball team improves to (24-4) overall after defeating Florida Tech on Senior Day. Leading the team with nine kills and four blocks, senior Danielle MacDonald, along with fellow seniors Gabriela Saade, Annalea Warren and Camila Saade, will face Lynn University in Boca on Raton on Friday

Champs Again Cross-Country: The women’s cross-country team won the NCAA South Regional title for the second year in a row.

The team was led by Jessica ForForrester rester, who becomes the first runner from UT to hold the title for an individual championship race.

The men also competed in the tournament, finishing in fifth place overall.

Next up for the women is the NCAA II Championships on Nov. 22, in Pennsylvania.

Second Chances Men’s Soccer: Despite four players being named to the SSC All-Tournament Team, the Spartans could not get one past Lynn’s goalkeeper, losing 4-0 in the conference finals.

Although out of the SSC Tournamnet, the team goes on to play at the NCAA South Region Tournament against Montevallo. Montevallo defeated the Spartans last year in the South Region finals.

Photo by Kasey Colucci

By Alex Natiss Journalism I

Students constantly wonder why alcohol is not served at University of Tampa sporting events. Many students are unaware that there was once a time when administration enabled alcohol to be served at these events.

“We used to have a license to sell beer at our games, and that was actually done in my first couple years here. I came in 1989 and it seemed like we were selling beer out of a concession stand probably for two years, not very long,” said Associate Athltic Director, Gil Swalls.

Swalls elaborated and explained why the alcohol policy

see “Drinks” continued on [23]

USF Plays Exhibition, Only in Selective Sports

By Olivia Glynn Sports Writer

Last week, the University of South Florida men’s basketball team complied to an exhibition game against the University of Tampa after the graduation of two of Tampa’s star players.

Exhibition games are played before the start of the regular season in order to prepare the team for the competition to come, but with recent 30-40 point margins of victory for the Bulls, how much is really being gained by these practice games?

The men have finally seen some competition on the hardwood,

W. Soccer

Nov.14, 2:30 p.m. CT vs. Saint Leo

changed to not allow beer to be served at sporting events.

“I think the number one reason why we don’t offer alcohol at our games is because we are concerned about the health of our students.

Alcohol is not a healthy substance to use now. That’s not to say that in moderation you can’t occasionally have a beer or something, but when it gets abused it’s not good for you; just like anything else. In athletics I don’t know that we’ve had an issue with binge drinking.

I don’t mean I don’t know because I’m not aware, but I can’t think of any situations where drinking has been a problem in our events. I know there are people on campus that think this school might have

an issue, and I don’t know if we have those issues or not. It seems the message comes back to us that we’ve got to fight this drinking problem, and we’re looking at each other like ‘well no one seems to be drunk at our games, and I don’t know what the problem is but it must be somewhere.’ ” He continued to describe more reasons administration changed the policy.

“Another major reason we quit was because the food service probably allowed their license to expire. They probably didn’t feel like commercially it was worth dealing with.

They probably weren’t selling enough beer to make a difference. Later on as time

progressed and as culture changed, people became more aware of different things. Doctors used to smoke while they were doing your physicals in the 50s, so things change. At some point, everyone just decided that it wasn’t the right thing to do.”

Swalls explained that when the policy allowed alcohol to be served at events, there were no problems with the policy.

“We never had any issues with event drunks or any of that kind of thing. There was not a lot of underage drinking from what we were selling; not at all. We always had security and they always ID’d people. It was actually served through whoever the food service was at that time. They had the license. It was fun and we were okay with it; the school made money.”

Some students are angered by this, and blame the change in alcohol policy as the reason UT is lacking in school spirit.

“If the school sold alcohol at the games to students and faculty who were 21 and over I think it would bring a lot more people to watch the games,” said Germaine Souza, a UT senior.

Swalls had a different take on the issue.

“In our case people don’t come to the games to drink beer. They might go to big stadium games to drink beer, but they don’t come to ours. Alcohol is not really a factor for attendance.”

Swalls had many experiences at UT where he has tried to use alcohol sponsored events to increase game attendance. These

>>> The lady Spartans will take on Saint Leo at the NCAA South Region Tournament hosted by West Florida.

but the women are yet to compete with the Bulls in preseason play.

Given the close proximity, it is unclear as to why the two schools have not participated in more exhibition games.

USF Oracle Assistant Sports Editor Kerry Klecic assumed that the lack of games between the teams could be due to money and scheduling.

“I don’t know if it’s a scheduling issue, it would make sense to me.

Basketball

Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. vs. Puerto Rico-Cayey >>> Spartan men and women host Puerto Rico-Cayey in the first home games of the 20082009 season.

The men are doing it, it seemed to work out,” he said.

As for the two exhibition games that the USF women did play this year, both have been blowouts in favor of the Bulls.

Their opponents have been teams of ex-college and ex-WNBA players who proved to be no match to the deep bench coached by Jose Fernandez.

Although the experience gained from playing these women could be positive, it seems as if

playing a college team close to the same skill level would be more beneficial.

“I’m sure that they’re trying to get some competitive play so they can work things out with the team,” added Klecic. “The don’t want to play a cupcake team every year, that doesn’t help your team.

You learn most when you lose, or you have a tough test. “ For a team that could very well make it to the NCAA Tournament this season, perhaps an exhibition against UT would have given them a better assessment of their weaknesses, rather than playing up their strengths.

No. 10 M. Soccer Nov. 14, 11 a.m. vs. Montevallo >>> Tampa starts play in the NCAA South Region Tournament in Boca Raton. The victor will play the winner of Lynn and W. Florida.

Blogger disagrees with MLB awards, Picks his own. [22]