MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933
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Volume 79 Number 5
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September 27, 2012
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Professors’ History of UT to be Unauthorized
Residents Fight Back for Outdoor Hangout
University declines support of publication proposal
By ZOE FOWLER News Writer
A picnic bench near the sitting area outside of the Austin Hall was taken away when a group of students violated a rule on campus that regulates the distance that students can smoke outside a building. This rule is called the 25 by 25 rule and states that students can only smoke outside at least 25 feet from the doorway of every building on campus. Chris Futch, Area Coordinator for Austin Hall and Res Com stated that the picnic bench was also removed because it wasn’t put there by the university. As a result, the group of students replaced the picnic bench with a gray table labeled “The Stoop.” Freshman film and media arts major Haley Cerasuola, stated that they were only aware of the policy after the table was taken away. “They never warned us and never said anything. They just kind of took it. If they really wanted to promote that rule, ‘no smoking unless you’re 25 feet away’, they should’ve hung up signs or better advertised it,” said Cerasuola. Breathe-Easy UT is a tobacco free group on campus working towards a smoke-free campus through awareness. Senior international cultural studies major Monica Mansour, is the president of Breathe-Easy UT. She stated that although the 25 by 25 rule has been in effect for years, it hasn’t been advertised around campus as it should’ve been. However, they are in the process of getting cards to educate students about the policy so that everyone is aware of it. The 25 by 25 rule states that you can’t smoke within 25 feet of any building on campus. “Second-hand smoke is a huge issue so it’s not only that we’re concerned about the smokers, we’re concerned about the environment,” said Mansour. Contrary to popular belief, the sole purpose of the “stoop” wasn’t for smoking. The students used it as a means of socializing with their friends. That’s where they went to
See STOOP, Page 5
In Other News...
Photo courtesy of Sean Maddan
The pictorial history of UT will include photos, like the one above, and detail the history of the university from its start as the Tampa Bay Hotel. By JESSICA KEESEE Associate Editor
Efforts to publish a pictorial history of The University of Tampa were turned down earlier this month by administration, leaving one UT professor and alumnus/former UT professor frustrated and left to seek another means of publication. Sean Maddan, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at UT, has been working on a book that will document the history of the university all the way back to the Tampa Bay Hotel years with co-author James Beckman, an alumnus and former UT faculty member and now chair of the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida. Maddan met with Beckman during the summer to talk about another project when he asked Beckman if he would be interested in co-authoring a pictorial history on UT through Arcadia Publishing. Although reluctant, Beckman agreed. Twice before Maddan approached him, Beckman had pitched the idea of a history on UT to be published by the Arcadia Publishing Company’s Campus History series. Beckman
had previously written a book on said Beckman. He continued, Harpers Ferry, which has sold “Given that the UT Alumni “in excess of several thousand journal has run two articles on my copies.” The book was also Harpers Ferry book (articles in written on in two UT Journal Fall 2006 and Fall 2008), I didn’t articles (“Professor Published see this requirement as much of a Third Book This Year,” in Fall problem.” 2006, and “Alumni Take a Trip According to Beckman, after Back in Time,” in Fall 2008). he contacted Marrs, Marrs spoke The UT Journal is a magazine with President Ronald Vaughn, published three times a year for who quickly turned the project UT’s alumni, parents and friends. down, which Beckman said was Beckman was contacted twice by “I remember thinking at the editors from Arcadia time what a shame it was that an while he was a alumnus of the university and faculty member at two well respected members of the faculty (with good publication the university to records) couldn’t get the approval write a history book to write such a book at their own on UT, similar to that university.” of Harpers Ferry. He -Sean Maddan reached out to Todd Marrs, then-director of Alumni Affairs for institutional without explanation. The first support, which Arcadia Publishing proposal for the pictorial history required in order to publish the was in fall 2006. history of UT. The second proposal was “My understanding is that pitched in 2008, after Beckman ‘institutional support’ meant had been contacted again by a minimum pre-order of a another editor from Arcadia reasonable number of books Publishing, asking if he was still (e.g., 400-600) at a significantly interested in writing UT’s history. discounted rate...and that UT Once again, the proposal was will generally support the book rejected by UT administration. through the UT Alumni Office “No further explanation was (through at least one article),” provided, except that President
4A Typical Day in Bahrain
10 Furbies Ascend From the Dead
8 K-Pop Takes Over U.S. Music Charts
11 Video vs. Video: Columnists Debate over Videos of Candidates
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12 Practice Safe Sex: Use a Condom Every Time 17 Men’s Golf Features Few Familiar Faces
Vaughn wasn’t ‘interested’ in the project, or so it was relayed back to me,” said Beckman. “I remember thinking at the time what a shame it was that an alumnus of the university and two well respected members of the faculty (with good publication records) couldn’t get the approval to write such a book at their own university.” Beckman eventually gave up and forgot about the idea for the pictorial history and left UT in May 2011 when he was offered a position at UCF, after 11 years as a UT faculty member. When Maddan brought the idea up again this summer, Beckman agreed to co-author on one condition: that Maddan would handle the issue of institutional support. Maddan agreed. Maddan began the process of obtaining institutional support from the university, writing a letter to Interim Dean Joseph Sclafani, who, according to Maddan, approved the idea for the project. In a letter provided by Maddan between Sclafani and Maggie Bullwinkel, a publisher at Arcadia Publishing, Sclafani wrote, “I am aware of Dr. Jim Beckman and Dr. Sean Maddan’s
See MADDAN, Page 3
News..................................2 Diversions.........................6 A+E....................................7 Opinion............................ 11
Sports..............................17
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SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
MINARET
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Napier
joshua.napier@theminaretonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR Chelsea Daubar
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Keesee
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NEWS + FEATURES Mia Glatter, Editor
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Yasaman Sherbaf, Asst. Editor
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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Natalie Hicks, Editor
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Kelly St. Onge, Asst. Editor
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OPINION
Paola Crespo, Editor
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Annabella Palopoli, Asst. Editor
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SPORTS
John Hilsenroth, Editor
john.hilsenroth@theminaretonline.com
Miles Parks, Asst. Editor
UT’s Own “Tower of Terror”
Brevard’s Elevator Drops Students Unexpectedly
By PRANAV LOKIN News Writer
The University of Tampa seems to have its own thrill ride, rivalling Busch Garden’s roller coasters. “I thought I was going to die,” junior Connor Sequeira said. According to students, one of the Brevard elevators starts jumping from the sixth to seventh floor, and then down to the fourth. During the fall, the lights for all the floors darken, leaving students stranded unless they re-select their floor. “It was a very nerve racking feeling,” sophomore Charlie Mager said. The Facilities office questions the validity of the reports. “The elevators will not drop a floor(s). They occasionally might drop a foot or so. Traction elevators are equipped with governors and safety breaks. The governor is a device that mechanically monitors the speed and acceleration of the elevator cab.” The statement continues, “Should the elevator ‘drop’ then the governor would trip the safeties and literally clamp onto the rails to stop the elevator in place and this would happen in seconds.”
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A junior communications major who wished to remain anonymous said that she and her friends were so “freaked out” that they pried the doors open. Some students refuse to get back on. Sophomore Michelle Karangu said she was in it once when it fell. “I started screaming. My friend stayed in it and I took the stairs from the fourth to the ninth floor because I was scared it was going to drop again.” The elevator much like the famed thrill ride causes intense reactions from unexpected people. “I was in the elevator with like 10 of my fraternity brothers and all of a sudden it dropped. We were all screaming and I thought a couple of people were going to need to change their pants. I bet the people living on the floors or waiting downstairs totally heard us,” said sophomore marketing major, Tevin Christopher. Safety questions have arisen. The fact that it has been dropping since the start of the semester makes people wonder if their personal safety is a priority.
Samantha Battersby/The Minaret
Students fear Brevard elevator that has reportedly dropping floors.
According to Philip Ash, a sophomore biology major, “It kind of scares me that whenever I go up that particular one, I hear a squeaky sound. I’ve heard that it drops but it definitely needs to get looked at just due to the squeaking.” Kade Ross, the Brevard Area Coordinator and Assistant Director of ResLife, want students who have experienced the elevator drop to come forward. “It should be reported
to facilities, the office of Residence Life or an RA in the building. It’s important that when these type of issues happen that students provide plenty of information. Which elevator? When did it fall? How many floors? This type of information lets us provide a complete picture to facilities or those outside contracts that work on the elevators.” Pranav Lokin can be reached at pranavlokin@ yahoo.com.
West Speed Bumps Spur Student Fears Over Car Damage By STEF CROCCO News Writer
The University of Tampa students fear for their cars every time they go over the speed bumps that lead in and out of the West Parking Garage. “My car sounds like it’s gonna fall apart every time I go over them,” said junior Beth Perry. Before the fall semester started, UT put in additional speed bumps to the entrance and exit of the garage. “While speed bumps are not mandatory, we want everyone to drive slowly in the garages, including the exits and entries,” said Linda Devine, Vice President for Operations and Planning. “A
potential exists at the entries and exists of both garages for vehicles and people to collide, and we want to have vehicles moving as slowly a possible, acquiescing to pedestrians.” It is not known by Devine how many accidents occurred before the speed bumps were put in place. However, “The intent was to be proactive,” said Devine. Regardless of safety, students are unhappy with the speed bumps. “Seriously, those things are awful and I fear for my car every time,” said junior David Messmer. “I have a fairly low riding car with mud flaps, so every time I go over them I hear this awful scraping sound.”
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Donny Murray Justine Parks
STAFF WRITERS Stef Crocco Zoe Fowler Pranav Lokin
COLUMNISTS
David Adams Alex Caraballo Hannah Webster Jack Whitaker
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NEWS + FEATURES
Samantha Battersby/The Minaret
Students were complaining of speed bumps in West garage causing harm to their cars.
And the scraping sound isn’t the only thing that makes Messmer nervous; it’s going over four speed bumps in a row. “Every time my car makes it over the bumps my car bounces, making me worry about my shocks and suspension,” said Messmer. For senior Nick Trocchio, he noticed that the speed bumps scratched the underglow LED tubes under his silver 2008 Acura TSX. “Those speed bumps are out of control,” said Trocchio. One student, sophomore Chelsea Hanna, knew immediately that something was wrong with her red 2011 Toyota Corolla after she entered the parking garage. “I turned the wheel and the tires didn’t turn with it,” said Hannah. “There was like a delayed reaction.” As it turns out, Hannah’s alignment was off and if she wanted to get it fix, it would cost her more than what is in her college student budget. “I was going to report it to security, but I figured the school wouldn’t do anything about it,” said Hannah. “I thought they would make me prove to them that the speed bumps ruined my alignment.” Hannah has also noticed that the speed bumps make her car bottom out and she has scratches underneath her front bumper from them. The university received one report from a student whose vehicle had particularly low-
riding side skirts. Other than that, students have not come forward about any damages to their vehicles caused by the speed bumps. Kathy Guvercin, a junior, always feels like the speed bumps are hitting the bottom of her car. “I think speed bumps are horrible,” said Kathy, “and obnoxious to go over. I think they should be changed to a different type.” “The speed bumps are way too high,” said junior Kyle Denny in agreement with Guvercin. “The plain and simple fact,” said Messmer, “is that these new speed bumps are at too steep of an angle. I don’t mind having speed bumps to prevent crazy drivers from going too fast, but these new ones are just ridiculous.” Unfortunately for UT students, “These bumps are standard issue (not custom made) and conform to the specifications of other devices that we use,” said Devine. The first speed bump leading into West was removed sometime last week. The bump was coming out of the ground, so instead of four speed bumps, there are now three on each side. Though not much can be done to the other speed bumps, that hasn’t stopped students from voicing their opinions. “They’re ridiculously unnecessary,” junior Josh Jacobs wrote via Facebook. Stef Crocco can be reached at stefcrocs@yahoo.com.
3 Maddan, Beckman Move Forward with Project, Despite Setbacks NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
FROM MADDAN, Page 1 project on the history of the University of Tampa and Plant Hall. I am supportive of their efforts.” “I wrote the letter, but Joe Sclafani, who was my dean, signed off on it, right? Makes sense. So basically, that’s support of the university, right? I’ve done my due diligence. I’ve gone through the right paths,” said Maddan. A contract was then drawn up in “basically a month,” according to Maddan. The contract included a second addendum, an addition made to the contract, which asked for an upfront agreement that a piece on the book would be published in the UT Journal. Maddan then contacted Director of Public Information Eric Cardenas, who, in an email provided by Maddan between Cardenas and Maddan on Aug. 31, said, “While we do eagerly look to
Photo courtesy of ut.edu Maddan is set on publishing book through different publisher despite UT’s final rejection.
publish information about faculty books, [the alumni magazine staff] would want to review the galleys/proofs/press copy prior to committing to writing an article. We’d want to reserve the right to not publish an article for whatever reason.” Cardenas continued, “Honestly, I would think a book like this would be something we’d want to write about in the Journal, but our ‘policy’ is to review any publication before we include it. However, we can discuss if you think it will hurt your publishing deal.” He then mentioned that Sclafani would be in discussion with President Vaughn and Provost Janet McNew and that it would “make sense to hold [Cardenas’] communication to [Maddan’s publisher] until after the conversation.” On Sept. 5, Maddan received another email from Scalfani, this time, clarifying that there would in fact be no official endorsement from the university. In the email provided by Maddan, Sclafani wrote, “I have checked some more into your request for endorsements to publish a history/picture book about UT. The University’s response is no.” He continued stating that a book like the one Maddan and Beckman proposed would have to be “commissioned by UT and have official UT involvement from the earliest stages of production.” “Since neither of these conditions are met, neither I nor the University can endorse or sign off on any permissions for you and the Arcadia Publishing group,” Sclafani wrote. “So now the question becomes, am I not allowed to write the book period, which I think it actually suggests in [the email] at one point based upon one of the clauses... or is it a matter of am I precluded from
doing the book just through that publisher,” said Maddan. “Now I met with Joe Sclafani and he said, ‘well that just means you can’t do it through that publisher’, but, upon reading, the reading’s pretty tough about the fact, and quite frankly, why would they not want me to write a book? I wonder why,” continued Maddan. Even though Maddan thinks that Sclafani “has really done a good job [with] this,” he thinks the rejection of the proposal was a personal attack. “I bet money [it’s] personal,” Maddan said, believing that his past with the university had more to do with the proposal’s rejection than the issue of institutional support. Last fall, the UT faculty senate voted to censure Maddan on the grounds of alleged violations of confidentiality. Sclafani redirected questions to Cardenas, who affirmed, “No approval for university sponsorship was ever given to Prof. Maddan. When approached by Maddan about his support of a book proposal, Dean Sclafani misunderstood what was being asked of him. As dean, he wanted to encourage any scholarly effort by a faculty member, but he had neither authority nor inclination to offer institutional support for an official history project.” He stated that the condition of institutional support was an issue because “the project was not endorsed by UT administration” and therefore, “[the UT Journal] most likely would not publish an article about it, specifying that the university “cannot give publishers an assurance that a book is an official history of the institution when the University has neither commissioned nor had significant involvement in its production.” “The rationale for doing the book, at
least in my perspective, was because I’ve taken so much grief from this university over the last couple of years.... I thought this would be a good way to get my name back to a certain extent,” said Maddan. Maddan and Beckman have secured another publisher who does not require institutional support from UT. The book is projected to be finished sometime near the end of the month. “I am a proud alumnus of the University of Tampa and spent 15 years of my life at UT (four years as a student; 11 years as a faculty member). My intention in working on this book with Dr. Maddan was (and is) to ultimately produce a pictorial history book for which my fellow alumni and students of the University can be proud. Dr. Maddan and I have already spent countless hours deciding what images and text will appear in such a work. It has been a labor of love, thus far,” said Beckman. “There’s too much work that’s been done and I’m not going to stop now... I know to some extent, you know, they probably don’t personally care for me for the most part or think that I have anything positive to say about the university, but like I said, my goal was basically to do a book and to have something very positive,” Maddan asserted. Beckman added, “The topic of the history of UT is not owned or controlled by an administrator. If the history belongs to anyone, it belongs to the alumni. The book will be targeted and marketed to alumni, not the ‘senior staff’ at UT. In fact, the book is being dedicated to the alumni, without whom the institution wouldn’t exist.” -Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica. keesee@theminaretonline.com.
From the Sept. 17 to Sept. 23 reports
On Tuesday Sept. 25, Student Government met in Reeves Theater There Goes the Freshmeat! On Sept. 17 at 12:02 a.m., RAs requested a room search for drugs. Students were referred to conduct for underage possession of alcohol and possession of marijuana. Yeah, You Better Run! On Sept. 18 at 8:30 a.m., a student reported damage to her car caused by another vehicle in the West parking garage on the second floor. What’d You Say About My Car? On Sept. 18 at 10:30 p.m., a student walked into Safety Office and reported being harassed by an unknown person about his vehicle.
Yet They Spend Money On More Speedbumps On Sept. 19 at 11:51 a.m., a staff member’s vehicle was damaged by a entry gate arm malfunction. Professors Gone Wild! On Sept. 20 at 6:10 p.m., a faculty member was reported to be intoxicated while in class. Report forwarded to Dean of College for handling. He Drinks Free At MacDinton’s On Sept. 20 at 9:35 p.m., a student complained about a belligerent taxi cab driver.
New candidates for Student Government were initiated. Voting for the 2013 spring concert is now available on Blackboard. The Fall Leadership Retreat will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 in Fletcher Hall. Check-in for this year’s Fall Leadership Retreat begins at 9:30 a.m. A trial period for library hours will take place from Oct. 8 - Oct. 21. On the first day of the trial, Oct. 8, free food will be provided in the library. Monday through Wednesday and Sunday library hours will be extended. Follow UT Student Government on Twitter and Facebook.
Reports compiled by Yasi Sherbaf
4 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
A Typical Day in Bahrain
NEWS + FEATURES
UT Student Experiences First-Hand Corruption in Homeland By Mohamed Bardastani Contributer
A couple of years ago, poverty, corruption, dictatorship, inequality, discrimination, unemployment and economic hardship were the main headlines covering the Arab region. Today, many of these struggles still exist. However, now, with a single big change: hope. This hope stems from the aftermath of the Arab Spring, which is a series of revolutionary protests that took place in the Middle East and North Africa. Protests across the Arab world, generally speaking, shared very similar demands. The people protested primarily against the power balance in the Arab region where the few elites control the wealth and power of the country while the rest of the population is completely sidelined from any real involvement in the political decisionmaking mechanism. The people also demanded greater freedoms and an end to prolonged years of unelected autocrats and dictators. Ever since the Arab Spring started,
answer: “We’re going to the mall.” As if the police didn’t already know from our faces and names (it is very easy in Bahrain to distinguish people based on their sectarian affiliation) that we intended on going to the funeral. He was very polite and said he’d prefer if we went back home. My friend and I insisted that we would get out of Muharraq quickly, so he let us in. As we continued driving around to pass time, the signs of a police state in Bahrain were too conspicuous. Police cars and checkpoints were everywhere, armed cars barricaded almost every corner and a helicopter hovered over the locked down area where riot police were in a state of alert preparing to face the angry mourners. We finally parked our car somewhere we thought to be smart, between the cemetery, where the martyr is buried, and the Ma’tam (a Shiite religious establishment) where the crowds typically initiate protests in the case of a martyr’s funeral. The area surrounding the Ma’tam was in complete lock-down. Police were everywhere. We had to walk around carefully and maneuver through
Photo courtesy of Mohamed Bardastani
Protestors charge the streets of Bahrain in opposition of a martyr’s funeral in red and white.
I was distanced from it geographically. However, I kept a close eye on the socio-political changes that swept the region. My participation was confined to observing, reading the news and tweeting about the events that took part in the Middle East and North Africa. Things changed as I headed back home to Bahrain for my break in August this year. I found myself this time at the height of the events, and I feel compelled to share my experience. Just a week after landing in Bahrain, Hussam Al-Hadad, 16, was killed by Bahraini riot police as a result of excessive use of force; mainly bird’s shotgun, an internationally prohibited weapon. He was apparently taking part in clashes between riot police and protesters. First of all, let me explain that Bahrain, as a part of the Arab Spring has been rocked with prodemocracy protests since Feb. 14, 2011. The government dealt with the protests using sheer brutality, and since then clashes between police and protesters have been the norm of Bahrain for the past year and a half. I decided to go to Hussam’s funeral to honor him. I purposely went very early to Muharraq, where the funeral took place in order to avoid the hassle of being questioned by the police about my destination. Nevertheless, as my friend and I approached Muharraq, there was a police checkpoint. A policeman asked us, “Where are you going?” We replied with our rehearsed, fully memorized
Zaraneeg—narrow streets—of Muharraq to get to the Ma’tam. We were completely lost. There were a couple people that seemed to be heading toward the same destination. Nevertheless, it was too risky to ask them for directions, as they might not be Rabu’ena (our allies). We tried to follow the voice of a Quran recitation until one man volunteered to take us to the Mat’am. At last, we were among the crowds of men and women waiting for the procession to begin. We waited for people to gather up and then started heading to the cemetery to honor the martyr. The angry crowds of men and women started shouting the usual slogans, “down with the king; people want to overthrow the regime; we kneel only to God.” As I passed through the narrow streets of Muharraq, I noticed the very expressive graffiti; a culture in Bahrain, whether for pro or antigovernment. Given the tight security and censorship of newspapers and opposition websites, many people resort to graffiti to express anger and frustration against the Bahraini government, especially in the more impoverished areas. Most anti-government graffiti read: ‘down with the king, step down Khalifa’ (the prime minister), pictures of martyrs and detainees, or Rumooz (the prominent political and human rights activists). On the other hand, pro government graffiti read: ‘we are all Khalifa’, ‘Khalifa is the glory of the country’, etc. Graffiti serves as just another proxy of the
Photo courtesy of Mohamed Bardastani
Armed forces patrol the roads of Bahrain as uncontrollable citizens roam around in outrage.
political friction in Bahrain. As we continued marching, it did not take too long before I heard the sound of shots and the crowd retracting. I felt something strange. My eyes, nose and mouth were burning. I was reacting to the infamous Bahraini tear gas. A man offered me a bottle of water and I grabbed it and washed my face thoroughly. The police dispersed us very well. I, among others, headed back to the Mat’am while the majority of people headed to the cemetery. Though in small groups, defying the role of riot police. We were in a state of anticipation, waiting for an imminent danger, because the policerioters clashes usually end up with a large number of causalities. There were too many events and emotions going on; I had a hard time processing them altogether in a short span of time. I saw one mother with her eyes telling what her tongue couldn’t, wondering whether her son was coming back home safely that night. Bahraini prisons are very notorious; the BICI report documented cases of electrocution, torture and sleep deprivation. I saw a father standing firmly for his beliefs and rights, “Why do they arrest us? We’re only mourning whom they killed! What’s wrong with that?” It was a long day. I spent most of my time back and forth in the Ma’tam and outside of it. I managed to leave with my friend unscathed, after making sure no riot police were close by.
I knew the people I met that day will indeed achieve what they yearn for. Sooner or later, democracy will have its way to Bahrain. That day I had an epiphany. As a student in the United States and as a citizen of Bahrain I could compare and contrast between the striking differences among the two countries. Many people in the U.S. take freedoms and rights for granted. For instance, the level of apathy in American politics is evident by a poll that shows American voter turnout is the second lowest of all developed countries. In contrast, the entire Bahraini population seems to be invested in politics nowaday, especially the younger generations. They seem eager and enthused to be involved in politics. Just to make the picture clearer, I will end with numbers and a personal anecdote. In Bahrain, more than 30 Shiite mosques were demolished, thousands were arrested, thousands were sacked from their jobs, hundreds of cases of torture were documented by international human rights agencies, six cases of rape in Bahraini prisons were documented by the BICI report and more than a hundred were killed – the third highest in terms of per capita in the Arab Spring. I remember last year I was Skyping with my 12-year-old brother and you would essentially think he was telling me about his schoolwork, friends or video games. But no, he was
Photo courtesy of Mohamed Bardastani
Signs of standing up for one’s rights often ended in violent attacks instead of peaceful ones.
In Muharraq I saw the elderly showing utmost defiance, strength, frustration and anger, children who were nurtured by a culture of resistance and mothers with their eyes preceding their tongues to narrate the unspoken words. I also realized the very unfortunate, how Bahrain became so divided because of politics. People became “them” and “us.” It was, and is heartbreaking. Yet,
showing me pictures of empty tear gas canisters and rubber bullets that he collected as souvenirs after a riot police raid of our neighborhood. The loathing will continue to persist in Bahrain as the government refuses to offer a real, genuine political solution. Mohamed Bardastani can be reached at mohamed.bardastani@spartans. ut.edu
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
Best Cities for College Graduates Although the semester just began, seniors will spend this year preparing for graduation, when they will be forced to face the job market. While searching for a post-grad plan, students will set their sights on a number of potential employers all over the world. The question is, where will your job search take you? Rent.com researched the top cities based on unemployment rates, mean annual income, cost of living and rental inventory to provide a list of places most welcoming to college grads.
Seattle Unemployment rate: 7.2 percent Median household income: $60,665 Raleigh Unemployment rate: 7.2 percent Median household income: $52,219 Houston Unemployment rate: 7.6 percent Median household income: $42,962 Kansas City Unemployment rate: 8.2 percent Median household income: $44,113
Austin Unemployment rate: 6 percent Median Household Income: $50,520
Dallas Unemployment rate: 7.9 percent Median household income: $41,682
Minneapolis/St. Paul Unemployment rate: 6.2 percent Median household income: $46,075
Washington Unemployment rate: 9 percent Median Household Income: $58,526
Boston Unemployment rate: 6.8 percent Median household income: $50,684
Baltimore Unemployment rate: 11.1 percent Median household income: $39,386
Photo courtesy of Donny Murray
Seattle has the highest median household income of all the cities on this list.
FROM STOOP, Page 1 do their homework, eat and hang out. A freshman psychology major who wishes to remain anonymous wrote an email to Mansour regarding concerns about the words that were said about the students who hung out at the table under the covered verandah outside Austin. The purpose of the email was getting Mansour to understand what they actually do at the table. Towards the end of the email, the freshman psychology major wrote: “The other kids and I were deeply insulted by the comments you made and maybe you should take some time to get to know us. We might just surprise you and you are more than
“We thought that if we showed them that it wasn’t just us that they would probably bring it back but they didn’t,” said Bordley. The petition received approximately 250 signatures. When Bordley and the group of students realized that they were never going to get the table back, they decided not to submit the petition. When and if someone approaches them about not smoking in front of the building, then they will consider smoking 25 feet away. “We don’t want to punish them. We want to have them understand why we’re doing it…We’re trying to educate them of the dangers,” said Mansour. “Second-hand smoke is a huge issue so it’s not Every year, the only that we’re concerned about the smokers, we’re American Cancer Society’s Great concerned about the environment.” American Smokeout -Monica Mansour, Freshman takes place on the third Thursday of November. This year it will be on welcome to come and sit down with us.” Nov. 21. This is a nationwide event to help However, Mansour didn’t receive the smokers quit on that day or to help them plan email because the email was sent to the in advance when they will quit. Breathe Easy wrong person. participates in this event every year. A petition was started when freshman In addition to the Great American criminology major Kate Bordley and another Smokeout, Breathe-Easy UT will be working student who no longer lives on campus, heard on awareness. They are going to give out that they were going to take away the table flyers and talk to people about the dangers because of health concerns. It wasn’t just a of smoking. Cessation classes are offered for small group of people who were upset about people who want to quit smoking. this issue, but other people in the building that Zoe Fowler can be reached at zoe. hung out at the stoop. fowler@spartans.ut.edu.
]
University of Illinois/UWIRE
Students Draw Petition to Get Table Back
[
By JORDAN SWARD
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6 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
Diversions
Sudoku
The Weekend Update Tampa Boat Show Sept. 28
Tampa Convention Center 10 a.m. $12 adults, 15 and under free
Celebrate Oktoberfest! Sept. 28
Pinellas Park 5 p.m. $6 adults, children 12 and under free
Brad Paisley Concert Sept. 28
1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$64.75
Fall Leadership Retreat Sept. 29
Location TBA 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net
Picture
WEEK of the
Photo by Samantha Battersby/The Minaret Violinist Lindsey Stirling combines classical and rock n’ roll during her performance in Vaughn Lobby last week.
$10
$5 Day at MOSI Sept. 29 MOSI 9 a.m. $5
Arts Alive Free Museum Day Sept. 29
Dali Museum 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free
Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day Sept. 29
Tampa Museum of Art 11 a.m. Free, but tickets must be printed from www. smithsonian.com in advance
Manhattan Film Festival Sept. 30
CineBistro at Hyde Park Village 2 p.m. $14.50, $12.50 before 4 p.m.
Farenheit 451 Play Sept. 30
Shimberg Playhouse at David A. Straz Jr. Center for Performing Arts 4 p.m. $28
Arts + Entertainment
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
7
Quintessential Greece Found on Mykonos Island By SAMANTHA DELLE Arts + Entertainment Writer
Turquoise, glass-like water was the first thing I noticed about Mykonos, Greece. Having lived all of my life in Huntington, N.Y., I have never really seen water that spectacularly clear. I am used to the murky green color of the Long Island Sound. The water in Greece is the antithesis of that. When I waded into the ocean up to my shoulders, I could actually see my toes wiggling at the bottom. The windmills of Mykonos are some of the Greek islands’ distinguishing charming attractions. In their heyday, the windmills were used to power the refinement of grain before it was packed for transport. While their purpose may be antiquated, several windmills remain on a steep hill on the coast. Just a short walk from the windmills is the area referred to as “Little Venice.” The restaurants hug the water’s edge with tables placed so close that it looks like the patrons’ ankles were frequently getting splashed as they ate. The labyrinth streets of Mykonos are very narrow and filled with people and tiny shops. While I had a very difficult time navigating, the journey and the exploration were the most enjoyable experiences. I just wandered through the streets, taking photos of the quintessential, white-washed buildings frequently splashed with bright colors. I particularly loved the rich shades of royal blue that were on some of the buildings. Walking through the streets, I could not help but notice the large prevalence of cats. Almost analogous to seeing squirrels in New York or lizards in Florida, the cats are everywhere in Mykonos. They bask and sleep underneath the Grecian sun. While the cats are wild, they don’t necessarily look mangy. I made it a personal mission to take pictures of all the cats I spotted in the streets, almost like a cat scavenger hunt. Eating lunch at Ruovera, a restaurant right next to the ocean, there was a magnificent view of the cliffs and the harbor full of boats. I would have been satisfied with just the scenery, but the food happened to be phenomenal as well. I ordered spanakopita, otherwise known as spinach pie. It was light yet flavorful. I noticed the Greek cuisine I ate on my vacation appeared to be cooked in a healthier method than the Greek food I have eaten in New York. The food did not taste greasy; it had more of a freshness about it. Still, the best dish on the table was my brother’s chicken souvlaki. Chicken souvlaki has chunks of grilled meat served in a pita with lettuce, tomato, onions and yogurt sauce. I would highly recommend Ruovera to anyone planning on visiting Mykonos. Additionally, for those technologically inclined, the restaurant offers free and strong WiFi signal. Mykonos has a pelican mascot, Petros, who is said to have made Mykonos his home after a local fisherman rescued him during the 1950s. The original Petros passed away, but the locals opted to replace him with another pelican to keep his spirit and tradition alive. Currently, several pelicans inhabit the island. Coincidentally, my family and I were talking about trying to find a pelican after lunch when one strolled past the restaurant. Many tourists flocked around him with digital cameras in tow, trying to document the moment. The pelican was actually enormous; he must have stood somewhere between three and four feet tall, because he was waist-high on most of his surrounding admirers. Though I visited several Greek islands this summer, Mykonos resonated with me the most. The island was aesthetically unforgettable with its beautiful buildings, brilliant colors and stellar views of the Grecian ocean. There was enough to do to keep me and my family busy, yet it was not overwhelming like a big city. The island has a relaxing and charming vibe that rests in the hands of its tradition. Samantha Delle can be reached at samanthadelle@ aol.com.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Delle
From top: The view of the ocean from Little Venice on Mykonos Island; a cat perched on a stairway watched people stroll by; tourists flock to the iconic and historic windmills of Mykonos.
8
SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
K - P o p Ta k e s O v e r U . S . M u s i c C h a r t s
By ALEXANDRA TOWNSEND Arts + Entertainment Writer
Ever since the times of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Michael Jackson, several music styles and performers have gained their fame by catching the interest of a generation. At the moment, one of those fads is K-Pop. K-Pop is a South Korean music phenomenon that has made it to the top of the Billboard music charts worldwide. K-Pop’s style is a mix of dance, electronic, electro pop, hip-hop and R&B. It has been popular in South Korea since the 1990s, but it became popular on a worldwide basis in the 2000s. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube made this music available globally. These sites make it possible to share music and videos instantly. Because of this, fads have the ability to grow in popularity more rapidly now than ever before. Time Magazine considers K-Pop to be
“South Korea’s greatest export because it is rocking the world with its widespread popularity and rapidly growing influence.” It is giving South Korea more of an international appeal. In fact, according to soompi. com, “K-Pop has been embraced by the South Korean government as a tool for soft power abroad, particularly towards global youth.” In 2011, YouTube launched a K-Pop channel. American celebrities have caught to the genre as well. According to Spin magazine, “American socialite, Paris Hilton, will star in an upcoming video by South Korean singer Kin Jang-hoon.” Americans have realized the popularity of South Korean music and K-Pop music producers are using this knowledge to increase the fan base. A part of the K-Pop craze is Girls’ Generation, which is an extremely prevalent girls singing group. Girls’ Generation debuted their first single, “Into the New World,” in 2007. The Girls’ fame rapidly increased. In 2009 and 2010, Girls’ Generation won the Grand Prize at the Golden Disk Awards which is one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the Korean music scene. Girls’ Generation has become well-known in both Japan and Korea. According to their fan page, “in the U.S., Girls’ Generation will release a Maxi Single in December through Interscope Records.” Vibe responded to the Girls’ popularity by stating that, “Interscope’s choreographed sorority of sisters can import K-Pop into the girl-group deficit States.” Vibe also noted that the Girls’ sound is “Spice Girls meets the Pussycat Dolls.” With a group of nine talented girls, it makes sense that they are gaining notoriety as quickly as they are. Their unique sound and energy is extremely popular in Asia and that popularity has quickly spread westward. Another South Korean sensation that is taking
over the internet is rapper Psy. Psy is best known for his popular YouTube video, “Gangnam Style,” which has received over 220 million views. It is easy to see how Psy’s video received so many hits at such a rapid pace. The song itself has a heavy, electronic dance beat that makes it impossible to sit down and not dance to it. The lyrics themselves are pretty simple and repetitive. However, in this case, having basic lyrics works to the rapper’s benefit. It makes it easier for individuals to sing along with the catchy tune and leaves the lyrics lingering in their heads long after the song ends. During the video, Psy dances around doing the “gangnam style” dance move to his song in a variety of random locations while dressed in a tuxedo. Freshman Amita Gelinas said about K-Pop, “It seems to be this new, emerging dance style. I think it’s crazy and fun because it’s not your typical dance style and it’s already widely popular.” The contrast between the strange locations, dance moves and other characters is completely random. Psy said that the idea behind his performance was to “dress classy, but dance cheesy.” This interesting combination has given the performer fame that he could have never imagined. According to the Chicago Tribune pop culture columnist, Jae-Ha Kim, “Part of the initial interest was a kind of freak show mentality, where people are like, ‘This guy is funny,’ but then you look at his choreography and realize that you really need to know how to dance to do what he does.” Psy’s quirky style, self-confidence and talent were enough to expand his fame from South Korea to the United States. With the help of social media sites, KPop has gained a generation of global fans. Alexandra Townsend can be reached at staddancer@ gmail.com.
E n t e r t a i n e r s U s e Yo u Tu b e t o G a i n F a m e S i t e C a t a p u l t s C a r e e r s a n d S h o c k i n g Vi d e o S e n s a t i o n s
By GRIFFIN GUINTA
Arts + Entertainment Writer
It’s safe to say that YouTube, the popular user video sharing website, is no longer what it used to be. Gone are the days of mindlessly browsing the website in hopes of stumbling upon a whimsical video that will make you laugh for a few seconds. Instead, many see YouTube today as a massive frontier of ideas and opportunities. With the site’s re-designed layout and features, users can now “subscribe” to other people and receive instant updates about their videos. Since the website opened in 2005, the production value of many of the videos has soared to new limits, with thousands looking to showcase their array of talents in a bold way. Granted, you can still find silly videos of cats playing the piano, but the main shift in the identity of YouTube is that it is a legitimate platform for raw talent just waiting to be discovered. For example, Grammy winning artist Justin Bieber first swooned his audiences with a collection of YouTube videos featuring him playing the guitar. His popularity attracted R&B artist Usher, who eventually signed Bieber to his record. Thanks to his start on YouTube, Bieber is now one of the most popular artists worldwide. Despite YouTube helping to catapult Bieber to stardom, others have declined to sign with labels or go mainstream, preferring to retain star status in the YouTube world. Youtubers like Ryan Higa (more commonly known as NigaHiga), KevJumba and Smosh take pride in their YouTube popularity and consistently make videos every week to entertain their viewers. Another aspect as to why YouTube is generating such popularity is the aspect of “monetizing” videos. If a user channel becomes popular
enough, they can optimize their video to contain advertisements which, in turn, leads to them making a profit off these ads. To be clear, not all users are hauling in the Benjamins just because they have a few videos. In order to actually make a living off YouTube, which
some people, in fact, do, consistent uploads with enough popularity is essential. Beyond just popularity and ad revenue, YouTube has given the people a sense of voice and power in our society. Whether it’s a political or societal issue, you can count on people to flock to YouTube to display their feelings about a certain problem or event. In one instance, Canadian musician Dave Carroll vehemently expressed his disgust for United Airlines in a video titled “United Breaks Guitars.” Disgusted by the fact that the airline broke his guitar while mishandling it and refused to provide reparations, Carroll composed an original piece that mocked the company’s shoddy mishandling of the event. Due to the outcry from the general public, United’s stock massively plummeted the next day. Embarrassed, United offered to fix Carroll’s guitar. By that point, however, Carroll had amassed enough money to buy hundreds of guitars. It’s safe to say that this was not music to United’s ears. UT students had a chance to see a musician who gained a substantially large following on YouTube last week. Lindsey Stirling, most notable for her “Dubstep Violin” act, performed a free concert for students in the Vaughn Center Lobby. She was a quarter-finalist on the fifth season of America’s Got Talent where she described her style as “hip-hop violin.” She is also a dancer and composer, and she performs her violin in the styles of hip-hop, dubstep, classical and pop during her shows. Stirling’s incredible performance reminded us all why YouTube is now an abundant Internet land filled with lots of hidden gems of musicians, comedians, performers and filmographers. Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffinguinta@gmail.com. Graphic by Natalie Hicks/The Minaret
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
9
Mumford and Sons Is Back with More Banjo The Englishmen Continue Their Folk-rock Revival
By Eric Duffert
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Thank God for Mumford and Sons. In a world of Ke$ha, Justin Beiber and the sheer awfulness of Nicki Minaj, Mumford and Sons is like manna sent down from the heavens. Standing like a lone rose in a field full of weeds, they are a consummate and delightfully different kind of band. Defying convention is what they do. Shooting down all preconceived notions of what a rock band is and should be is their forte. Besides destroying musical clichés, Mumford and Sons has another rare talent: bridging the generation gap. Teens and grandparents alike can find something of value in Mumford and Sons’ music. Parents and their children find themselves grooving to the same infectious banjo groove. What is it about this band that makes them so popular with baby boomers, generation Y and everyone in between? This question is surprisingly not a difficult one. Mumford and Sons have captured the ears and hearts of the world by possessing what is sorely lacking in today’s music: Musicianship. Coming off the enormous success of their multi-Grammy-nominated first album Sigh No More which featured such hits as “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave,” the English foursome are back with their sophomore effort entitled Babel. Like Sigh No More, Babel has its fair share of sing-along choruses, poetic lyrics and, yes, raucous banjo. The album opens with the title track which, honestly, sounds like it could come from either album. The energy level gets cranked up to ten with hits “Whispers in the Dark,” “I Will Wait” and the track “Lover of the Light,” which contains the band’s most penetrating lyrics to date. “Holland Road” brings the energy level down a few notches as hypnotic piano compliments the soothing harmonies perfectly and ends with huge percussion and brass sections reveling in rhythmic glory.
From left counterclockwise: wfuv/Flckr.com, albun cover, laviddichterman/Flckr.com
After listening to Babel a few times through I came to a troubling realization. First, let me give the issue some pretext. Mumford and Sons do not sound like anyone else. This is fantastic. It’s a rare feat to distance oneself from the hogwash polluting today’s airwaves while still maintaining relevancy. Here is where the trouble arises, though. The potential problem lies not with the band’s striking individuality but with their indifference towards building on that individuality. Basically, what I’m suggesting is that Mumford and Sons might start sounding too much like themselves. Before you crumple up this review
and toss it in the trash in a fit of rage, let me explain. Cycling through the tracks on Babel, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Well this one sounds like it’s from Sigh No More,” and “Didn’t I just listen to this?” You see, Mumford and Sons has reached a point in their still-budding career where, in order to keep the critics happy and the fans interested, they must show some sort of musical evolution. What Mumford and Sons has done in an ironic twist of fate is destroyed the worn out musical formula that was diluting the airwaves and inadvertently exhausted their own—at the time—fresh and original formula. What they are doing is verging on stylistic flatness. I’m not saying that
they must entirely reinvent themselves, but dipping one’s toes in the pool of artistic creativity every once in awhile never hurt anyone. Luckily, it’s not too late. There is still time for artistic progression. If I could give any advice at all to the lads it would be to take heed of fellow Englishmen Radiohead, who reign as the undisputed kings of musical evolution. Like Mumford and Sons, Radiohead has sounded like nobody else in the business but, unlike Mumford and Sons, Radiohead has consistently brought something new and exhilarating to the table with each release. Progressing from album to album was like discovering a new facade to their musical talents you didn’t even know existed. Mumford and Sons can learn a thing or two from Thom Yorke and the boys. Though this may come off as a harsh critique, it is merely friendly advice. It would truly be a musical travesty for such an original band to be pigeonholed by, well, their own originality. Advice and comparisons aside, Babel is still a solid album that will delight longtime fans and newcomers with its catchy hooks, meaningful lyrics and abounding triumphant choruses. With Babel, Mumford and Sons has proven that there’s a place in today’s music scene for folk-rock anthems, poetic lyrics and country-picked banjos. They have shown record execs that there’s still a place for true musicianship in today’s industry with music that goes past synthetically-driven beats and auto-tuned voices. And for all this and much more, I salute you Mumford and Sons. Rock on. Eric Duffert can be reached at eduffert@aol.com.
Critic’s Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
No Doubt Ain’t So ‘Hella Good’ Anymore By KC PHILLIPS
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Finally, after more than a decade, fans of No Doubt will get what they’ve been holding their breath for since 2001. No Doubt started as a ska band in the early nineties, but didn’t reach commercial success during the reign of grunge. As time went on, their music evolved and transformed. More than a mere ska band, No Doubt never seemed to let one genre of music be their sole influence. Until now, that is. When I first popped in their newest album Push and Shove, I wasn’t upset. About half way through, it seemed like every other song screamed, “Look at me, I‘m new wave!” I still wasn’t upset. But when I finished the album I was overcome by a harsh tsunami of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I thought No Doubt was a band with an adorable charm that I couldn’t bring myself to stay angry at. On the other hand, I was disappointed. No Doubt had always been so unique, but now all I could hear was a girl trying to sound
like the unholy offspring of Adam and the Ants and every other club song from the last two years. New wave music has its place, and that place isn‘t an entire No Doubt album. What happened, No Doubt? You won my heart over with a cheerful fusion of funk, ska, pop and what-the-heck-am-I-hearing? But this new album feels more like an empty shell of the band I once knew. On the surface, Push and Shove is a perfectly inoffensive album. Every song is just cheery enough to leave you smiling and just poppy enough to get your foot tapping–– but that’s just the problem. There are no risks. There are no crazy hooks. There are no impressive solos. There is nothing selling the album to me, nothing calling to me and saying, “Don‘t forget about me, I‘m different!” In 1995, Tragic Kingdom featured everything from the cool, smooth single, “Don’t Speak,” to the grandiose thrill ride that was the titular track. “Rock Steady” (2001) brought us to our feet with iconic groovy tracks like “Hella Good” and “Hey Baby,” but it wasn’t
afraid to rock out. It paid respect to the ska that gave No Doubt their start. But Push and Shove does so little to excite the listener. There are no tracks that make my ears perk up, no tracks that bring a grin to my face. In some songs, the drum beat feels like it could’ve been lifted out of any Top 20 song in the last six years. Gwen Stefani puts a slight effect on the vocal mix in nearly every track that detracts from the raw beauty of her natural voice. She seems afraid, even, to show off just what she’s capable of and just how wonderfully weird she can sound. Perhaps she has lost her edge in the last decade. It’s not what Push and Shove offers that disappoints, no. Push and Shove is an acceptable album. What leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the wasted potential. Push and Shove wasn’t some no-name pop band’s debut album. It wasn’t some Depeche Mode wannabe’s new album, either. It was No Doubt’s new album, and I really expected more out of it. Especially after waiting 11 years. If your first taste of No Doubt was “Hella Good” and you’ve been
following Gwen Stefani’s solo career, this is the album for you. However, if you’ve been following the band since the 90s, you’re probably going to be left feeling empty. KC Phillips can be reached at charismatic_stallion@yahoo.com.
Critic’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
10 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Alternative Types of Skateboarding Gain Popularity By KATHERINE LAVACCA Arts + Entertainment Writer
As I rushed out of the West Parking garage a little flustered from the hunt for a parking spot I check my phone in hopes that I would have enough time to get to my first class. All of the sudden, a person seemed to fly by me at a quickening speed. I jumped back and noticed it was only a skateboarder coasting on his way to class passing not only me but all the other students scurrying around campus. By the time I hit the beach volleyball court I saw two others skate across the Syke’s courtyard. I noticed there are a lot of people skateboarding that don’t embody the stereotypical “skater” look. Students from various styles such as sporty guys and hipster girls people have found this means of transportation much more efficient than walking or riding a bike. Skateboarding was born on the laid-back coast of California during the 1950s. A few surfers thought it would be a great idea to slap some wheels on pieces of wood or boxes and “surf the street.” Thankfully, the boards themselves have proved to be more durable, reliable, safer and much more accessible. There are two major types of boards today: skateboards, which are smaller and can be used for tricks and sports, and long boards, which are more for coasting around town. A fairly recent addition to the skateboard family is the Penny skateboard, this lightweight board is made of a special plastic and is available in many bright neon colors. Throughout the years, boarding has evolved from a groovy idea to a competitive sport. There’s no better place to explore the culture of boarding than right here on our own urban college campus. Freshman John Young, a Tampa native, says he boards as a major means of transportation. Pedestrians don’t get in the way much; however, the brick streets make navigation difficult. “The bricks suck. It’s possible to board on them, but if you’re tired and your wheel gets caught you’ll fall off. I’ve never fallen … at least no one saw,” Young said.
Furbies Ascend From the Dead By KELLY ST. ONGE
Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor
Do you remember the long winding lines at the toy stores during the 1998 winter season? If you were looking for the Furby you might. It was the best selling toy that year and based on the Hot Toys of 2012 list it might be as successful this year with its re-release that took place on Sept. 16, 2012. Some UT students aren’t too convinced that the Furby is a good comeback. Senior and digital arts major, Meagan Glennon, said re-releasing the Furby held no purpose. “It’s kind of random,” she said. “There’s so many other things they could have done and to rehash old ideas seems uncreative and uninspired.” The Furby has been re-released with technological upgrades including LCD eyes that show different expressions. The new Furby has a “mind of its own;” you will never know what its reaction will be to different things like petting it, pulling its tail and holding it upside down. Hasbro warns, how you treat your Furby will shape its personality. The 1998 and 1999 “Toy of the Year” award winner, according to www.toyretailassociation.co.uk, shows it still has popularity in 2012. Furbies are sold out online at ToysRUs, Walmart and Target, according to www. hottoysofchristmas.com. Senior digital arts major Danielle Duet said she didn’t expect the return of the Furby. “It’s not something to bring back ... It was kind of a nineties thing,” she said. “They look weird to be honest. They look like little owl monster things,” she said. “They kind of freaked me out a little bit when I was a kid.”
Sophomore Shaquille Glover agrees that the on campus and around South Tampa outside of campus, brick roads are a little hazardous to boarders. there are some major sidewalk cracks that might make it “The roads are not at all friendly to boarders challenging to have a smooth ride. because they are so bumpy it messes up your legs and There’s also many tutorials on YouTube and it messes up your board also,” Glover explained. other sites to help introduce the technical aspects When asked about the different types of boards of how to build and maintain your board, do tricks they both said long boards were the way to go and become a more skilled boarder. Once you get compared to other boards for various reasons. the basics down the trick possibilities are endless on Young and freshman Zane Moulton agree they’re a skateboard, provided you don’t mind a little road good for transportation. rash and a slightly bruised ego. “They’re better for getting around. The ride is Katherine Lavacca can be reached at katherine. smoother and you look cool on them too,” Young said. lavacca@spartans.ut.edu. “I long board just to get around college. It’s a lot faster. I’m just learning because everyone around here does it,” Moulton said. “People teach you how to long board and that is usually why I do it because a lot of my friends are doing it.” When Moulton was asked if different types of boards express different riders’ tastes he replied, “It can. Some people choose long boards because they surf. Surfing and long boarding are similar. Glover focused more on the growing trend of Penny skateboards in the skating world. “Yeah you see a lot of people with the Penny board now. They are not real long boards, they just thought the penny boards look cool,” Glover said. Young prefer the brand Sector 9. “They’re pretty good to start out with,” he said. “They’re sturdy and they come complete so you don’t have to worry about custom trucks and wheels.” Young has six long boards in total. “You just take one, push and you can coast forever,” Young said. Skateboarding and Penny boarding make getting around campus easy. Just like with riding a bike, learning how to skateboard takes time. Erica Fremming/The Minaret You might wipe out a Sophomore Chris Nunnari skates in the Vaughn Courtyard. Long boarding and Penny few times at first. Skating boarding have become popular alternatives to skateboarding on college campuses.
The new Furby recognizes music and will dance your Furby and translate his native language. along to your favorite tunes. It will respond when you Senior graphic design major, Sarah Kortraght, said talk to it too. The new Furby still speaks the “Furbish” she never liked them to begin with. “I thought they were language when you first take it home and will learn kind of freaky so I never bought one,” she contested. English over time. She also thought For all things Furby, it was not a very you can visit www. innovative move by furby.com. Hasbro. “It’s not so This site allows great that it could you to create your be brought back and own Furby online be successful,” she and “meet” the new explained. Despite Furby by learning all the technological what it likes and updates made for the dislikes. You can 2012 toy generation, also learn the Furbish students seem to be language with the on the same page online dictionary. when it comes to The site also their opinion on the advertises a free Furby’s remake. Furby App that works Kelly St. Onge with iPod touch, iPad can be reached and iPhone with iOS at kelly.st.onge@ windy234/Flckr.com 4.2 or later which Furbies aren’t just for the 90s. These little guys are back on toy store theminaretonline. you can use to feed shelves across the U.S. in a wider variety of colors. com.
Opinion
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
Video vs. Video
11
Romney Disparages 47% of U.S. Obama Statement Hints at Socialism By ALEX CARABALLO Opinion Columnist
Things have really gone from bad to worse for the Romney campaign, especially for the candidate himself. On Sept. 17, a secretly recorded video of Mitt Romney at a private fundraiser in May in Boca Raton was released. Among the most controversial statements by Romney is the now infamous remark in which he disparaged 47 percent of the country as lazy, dependent Obama voters.
response to Occupy Wall Street, popularized a view that only 53 percent of this nation’s households pay federal income taxes and that the rest are essentially lazy moochers. Of the 46.3 percent of Americans who don’t pay income taxes, 61 percent pay payroll taxes, 22 percent are retired elderly and 15 percent are the poor and students who make under $20,000 a year. Ironically, it’s a Republican policy that allows the poor to escape paying income taxes. Those working a full time job while
MotherJonesVideo/Youtube.com
A leaked video reveals Romney making controversial statements at a private fundraiser.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax.” Romney later went on to say, “My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” The release of the video by Mother Jones magazine caused an immediate uproar over the comments and created immediate backlash, even among prominent Republicans and Conservatives. A significant number of Republican Senate and gubernatorial candidates released statements or spoke in interviews against the remarks made in the video. Scott Brown (R-MA), who is running for re-election in Massachusetts, stated, “That’s not the way I view the world,” and Senate candidate Linda McMahon (R-CT) said, “I disagree with Governor Romney’s insinuation that 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims who must depend on the government for their care.” These aren’t Democrats or even center aligned moderates but rather Republican candidates for office that are distancing themselves from Romney in order to save their own campaigns. These Republicans are speaking out for good reason. The 47 percent that Romney disparaged aren’t solid Obama voters, but rather a giant cross section of America that includes retired elderly, disabled veterans, students and the working poor. To trace how Romney’s line of thinking can come about, one needs to look at the popular meme of the “53 percent” which was started by CNN contributor Erik Erikson in 2011. Erikson, who famously stated to “suck it up you whiners” in
earning less than the federal poverty line are eligible to receive the earned income tax credit. This policy was the brainchild of conservative economist Milton Friedman and was expanded significantly under President Reagan in 1986. Romney may believe that 47 percent of the nation may be lazy, entitled government dependents, but that is far from the truth. Rather than apologize for insulting half the nation, Romney doubled down in another hastily organized press conference. He stated that while the remarks were “ineloquent,” he stands by the central idea of the comments. In a desperate attempt to get the focus off of Romney, the campaign publicized out-of-context remarks from Barack Obama, in 1998 at Loyola University, stating that he believed in redistribution. Of course, there is now the confusion of false equivalency between the two comments. Obama stated, “I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level, to make sure that everybody’s got a shot.” Obama went on to say, “How do we pool resources at the same time as we decentralize delivery systems in ways that both foster competition, can work in the marketplace and can foster innovation at the local level and can be tailored to particular communities.” Redistribution is one of those scary words that come up every election to scare the general electorate despite them not knowing what it actually means. The government already distributes wealth on a vast scale. Social Security, Medicare, VA benefits and student aid, are all programs that takes wealth from some and then gives it to others. If someone believes in having or using any of these programs, they too believe in redistribution. Romney may not believe that it is his job to worry about half of the country, but as president, his job is to worry about the entire country, not just the half that voted for him. Once again, Romney has shown himself to be unfit for the office of the presidency. Amateur hour has now become amateur month at the Romney campaign. Alex Caraballo can be reached at alex.caraballo@spartans.ut.edu.
By JACK WHITAKER Opinion Columnist
Following the heat generated by the attacks on U.S. Embassies all over the Middle East, politics in America have likewise taken a feverish turn. During the past week, both the Romney and Obama campaigns have attacked one another via two short videos (one against Romney, the other against Obama) released wherein each candidate was memorialized voicing controversial statements. Both of these commentaries can be found with a quick search on YouTube. First, the Obama campaign jumped on the opportunity to attack Romney for the now infamous “47 percent” video. In this clip, Romney opines that his campaign will not be able to reach 47 percent of the American population because those people receive vast amounts of government-sponsored handouts, do not pay taxes and are not interested in reforms to place the nation back on the right path. Although a great number of folks may be left scratching their collective heads as to why this is a controversial statement, the Obama campaign has twisted Romney’s words to make him appear as a non-inclusive candidate whose policies would not provide equal opportunities. In response, Romney fired back with a rediscovered clip of Obama promoting redistribution of wealth. Both clips are incredibly interesting (especially given their interdependent relevance) and will undoubtedly provide something to consider between now and November. The Obama video was filmed in 1998 while he was giving commentary on a plethora of topics involving economic revitalization to a Loyola University audience. At the time this video was taken, President Obama was still a state senator for Illinois.
occurring around city hubs, such as universities and professional sports stadiums. Thereafter, he changes his focus to the largest prevailing issue: inequality and the lack of entry-level jobs. I have to agree with what this younger version of Obama asserted in regard to the status of the economy and improving the educational system. Unfortunately, he unwisely leaps to the word “redistribution” when he speaks of these civic and economic improvements. While job creation is a form of redistribution of wealth, it is the type of redistribution that Conservatives support, accomplished through education, individual work ethic and perseverance. In regard to the 30 second segment which is provided in the Romney campaign advertisement, Obama speaks to the form of redistribution that serves as the foundation of both socialism and communism, taking from those who work and succeed and giving to those who do not work and do not succeed. America was built on capitalistic ideals; a citizen is responsible for their own success. Success is the sum of ambition and willingness to work. This is the belief upon which America was founded and served as the master plan for her success. The clip documents Obama directly ascribing to the primary theme of both socialism and communism, which is the exact opposite of the American formula for success, and is also the path our nation has followed over the past three decades into increasing economic ruin. Again, in fairness, Obama’s comments must be analyzed in context. I believe you must factor in the time period between when this comment was made and present day. A lot may have changed in Obama’s mindset from when he made this comment 14 years ago. He might not have meant that the government must directly take money from the successful to give to the less successful. On the other
Fisherman C/Youtube.com
Obama comments on the redistribution of wealth at Loyola University in Chicago in 1998.
I see no real purpose in discussing Romney’s comment, because he simply articulated the basis of his campaign; there is nothing new in his words. I suggest that voters should simply listen to and watch the video first-hand and make up their own minds. I am encouraged that he has the courage to speak his mind plainly and consistently. As for Obama’s comments... well, those deserve some analysis. Before I give my opinion on the 30 second video that provides the essence of the Romney campaign’s attack, I would like to talk about the prior eight minutes of Obama’s speech before that clip. Quite honestly, even as a Conservative, I have to admit that these comments were taken slightly out of context. Obama begins his exposition with some good points about the specific district he represented as an Illinois senator, the Thirteenth District of Illinois, which includes the southwest suburbs of Chicago. During his speech he points out that his district was home to some of the wealthiest housing developments in America as well as some of the poorest. Obama then goes on to elaborate on the improvements being made and how these improvements are
hand, however, recent evidence seems to argue frighteningly in the other direction. Obamacare is a perfect example: it does not seek to eliminate the expenses of health care, but it simply redistributes them to those who work hard and succeed. Based on the implementation of the first tier of this program, the cost of my health care insurance doubled. In fact, I was forced to carry two entirely redundant health care policies. Obamacare not only increases the cost of health care for working Americans-- it simultaneously eliminates the prestige of being a health care professional. These professionals will be paid lower wages, thus diminishing the rationale for our brightest minds to seek a job in this particular profession. He is literally destroying capitalism within the health care field, and in doing so, will degrade the high quality for which the United States is known. This is just one example, but a powerful one. This is the path America has been on since we launched our first social programs...look around. Has it worked? The answer is no. Jack Whitaker can be reached at richard. whitaker@spartans.ut.edu.
12 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Practice Safe Sex: Use a Condom Every Time By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Writer
Late last semester, I went to the on-campus health clinic for a routine woman’s exam. Because of the nature of the appointment, I was asked a variety of questions about my sex life, my views and practices with contraception and general sexual health questions. After the second or third time that the nurse emphasized the importance of using barrier protection (like condoms) to protect from STDs, my curiosity piqued and I asked if she had specific concerns. She went on to tell me about how common it was for someone to come in after their first sexual encounter and leave with a diagnosis of genital herpes. However, herpes is not the only thing students should be concerned about. A study conducted by nursingschools.net showed that one in four students has an STD, and an alarming 80 percent don’t have any noticeable signs or symptoms. The most common of these is the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, which is known to increase the risk of cervical cancer in women. These facts are out there, but many do not take significant notice of the risks. Or they just think nothing like that would ever happen to them. On a college campus, students come from many backgrounds. Some may have learned about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases before entering college, whether it was through their parents or perhaps a program at their high school. Others could have been raised by a family that still claimed babies were delivered by the stork, or attended a school that offered little sex education outside the realm of abstinence. The fact is that no matter how you were brought up, how much you know
about sex, or whether or not you’ve of shared responsibility between health,” she said when I asked if she sworn to yourself that you’ll never go couples for engaging in safe sex thought sexual health education was out without a condom, you might find activities. While the prevention of geared more toward one sex than yourself in a situation where you are pregnancy can fully be taken into the another. “I don’t think it’s fair to say tempted not to use one. Whether you woman’s hands now with multiple someone is more responsible when it is are steady with one person and you two people that are engaging… just don’t have one, or you are too two people are being sexually drunk to think about it when you active, both need to be equally bring home yet another different educated.” person from SoHo, it’s a situation Outside of the physical that could come up. risks of becoming sexually I asked Courtney Casper, a active, it is also important to senior majoring in biology, if examine your own personal she thought this was a common emotional risks. Starting situation. “I think in college, it’s college, you may feel the the combination of alcohol and need to conform to the sex,” Casper said. “Protection lifestyle you see in movies just isn’t a factor that they’re or on television shows. Yes, thinking about.” In fact, the there are people having casual same study mentioned earlier by and promiscuous sex, but nursingschools.net reported that like Petonic emphasized, not only about 54 percent of students everyone is doing it. reported using condoms regularly If sleeping with someone robertelyov/Flickr.com you know will never speak to during vaginal sex (the number was Health Center provides free condoms for UT students. you again makes you feel bad even less for anal and oral sex). So what are colleges doing to about yourself, you don’t have combat this risqué risk to their student forms of female contraception, the use to do it just because your friends would. body’s health? Sure, they keep free of condoms, which is the most effective There is no shame in telling someone condoms in the health center, but does way to prevent STD’s, is still largely you’d rather wait. Their reaction will anyone know what to actually do with considered the male’s responsibility. be enough to tell you if they are worth them? I spoke to Charlotte Petonic, But that shouldn’t necessarily be the waiting for. And always be aware of newly appointed Wellness Coordinator case. those who will burst through the dorms here at UT. Her position includes “I feel like it’s the mans’ in a tank-top like a virginity-stealing running various programs, ranging responsibility seeing as condoms troll that reeks of Chanel cologne and in topic from alcohol and drug use to protect from STDs, “ said junior public charm. nutrition and sexual health. health major Drew Buckley. “And we On the other hand, if your goal in Along with the importance of are the ones with the penises . So we life is to see how many beds you can everyone being responsible for their should try and protect ourselves from get into and back out of in one night, own health, Petonic emphasized that getting an STD.” I’m not here to talk you out of it. But though not everyone on a college But Buckley also agreed with the do yourself and the people you are campus is having sex, her goal for idea that safe sex practices in general sleeping with the courtesy of using the sexual health program is to give should be a combined effort, no matter protection. For most, college is just the students “education on, if and when who is providing the means. “Both are beginning. You don’t want to spend the they choose to decide on partaking in control of what decision they make. rest of your life starting out every date in any sexual activity and help them Safe sex is their choice.” with a disclaimer about your genitals. to make the healthiest decision they Petonic also agrees with the idea Condoms are free here. Use them. can.” of combined effort. “Everyone needs Hannah Webster can be reached at We also discussed the importance to take responsibility for their own hannah.webster@spartans.ut.edu
Publishing Middleton’s Topless Photos is Invasion of Privacy By LAUREN RICHEY
scandal with Prince Harry that exploded only last month, England’s royalty is Prince William and Kate Middleton fed up with the paparazzi. According to were vacationing at a private chateau in CNN.com, Closer has been court ordered southern France earlier this month when to pay 2,000 euros (approximately $2,600) worth of damages a celebrity and to hand over the photographer original photos. I trespassed on think they should be the property. paying a lot more. The royal couple Middleton is not was sharing an just a public figure; intimate moment she is a universal when the sign of propriety and intruder snapped grace. She knows her a few shots role in royal society of Middleton and she plays it well. without her Beautiful, kind and bikini top on always with a gracious and in other smile on her face, she compromising is a perfect person positions. The for the media to prey photographer on. Although it might scurried back have been a slight to Closer, the cave in judgment to French tabloid expose herself in any he worked for, way at all, the legal and published Beacon Radio/Flickr.com a series of the Kate Middleton’s private life should be respected. ramifications should still be extensive. photos to the In America, the royal family’s horror. The photographer is now facing a paparazzi have an overwhelming power possible $60,000 fine and up to one year in to poke their noses into any celebrity’s prison according to French Law, as stated in business if they want to. If you’re a public abcnews.com. The images were taken with figure, you’re fair game. There is a similar a long zoom lens, and even though they situation in the U.K. and the royal family were pixelated, were a disgusting invasion will always be under close watch by the of the couple’s privacy. After the nudity public eye. It’s something they have all come to accept. Yet this particular Opinion Writer
incident is disturbing not only because it’s an invasion of privacy, but because for me it brings back bitter memories of the late Princess Diana, William’s mother. The Princess was constantly hounded by the media, making her daily life extremely difficult. She was killed in a tragic car accident at the age of 36 and the paparazzi took pictures of her in the mangled wreck. She was the “People’s Princess” and a despairing example that prying media has no boundaries. What that photographer and magazine did regarding Middleton’s photos was not only questionable legally, but it was morally wrong, and England’s royalty is completely justified in filing a lawsuit. Alexander Benedict Craggs IV, a UT sophomore from England, gave me a little perspective on what he thinks of the incident. His grandfather is a Lord in Parliament and was even in attendance at the royal couple’s wedding. Craggs stated that, “The whole event was blown out of proportion. It’s only big because of who they are, but it’s still an invasion of privacy. Closer is a low quality magazine anyways.” When I asked him what his thoughts were on the Prince Harry scandal he said, “As a young Englishman, to me it’s really not that big of a deal. It’s different for guys. He’s done stuff like that before.” We also discussed the royal family’s role as heads of state. They are the country’s figureheads and have a “moral responsibility to the public.” They simply don’t live by the same rules as the general English community.
The media culture in Europe is also quite different than what we see in America. Newspapers are printed every day in the U.K. with nude pictures of women, colloquially known as the “page three girl.” Regardless of the seriousness of the newspaper’s content, nudity is commonplace. Even on television, profanity is not that big of a deal. Yet Middleton’s photos do not only concern England. The Duchess of Cambridge is such a public figure that it became global news when her photos were published. It wasn’t reported as big news in England, or any other country, when Kim Kardashian’s sex tape was revealed or when Britney Spears shaved her head. Middleton is much more renowned and respected as a celebrity. However these celebrities are also human beings, and are not incapable of error. When you’re a figurehead, you’re not going to have a private life and even the smallest decisions you make have the potential to create serious problems. No, it’s not fair, but in Middleton’s status position there’s really nothing she can do about it. It’s a shame that the newlyweds don’t get to enjoy their lives like everybody else, yet it’s their duty to uphold a proper public image. The photographer took those pictures wrongfully, and both he and the magazine should be reprimanded. Middleton exposed herself to this kind of attention, and even though it was a private area it’s better to be safe than sorry. Lauren Richey can be reached at lauren.richey@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
OPINION
13
Seventeen UT Rep’s ‘Inappropriate’ Blog Post is Nothing to Worry About By ELAINA ZINTL Opinion Writer
Lesley Rowland, a freshman communications major from Dallas, Texas and current student at the University of Tampa, is a blogger for Seventeen Magazine. She is a member of Seventeen’s new “Freshman Fifteen” class. These fifteen college freshman serve as first year advisers to the readers of Seventeen. They are expected to share their experiences as they learn and adjust to college life and to advise girls on balancing work and play, dating and staying in shape. Rowland’s first appearance in the magazine was via a quote in the October issue. It was placed adjacent to a picture of her and stated, “I want to find my school’s ‘makeout point’ - and if they don’t have one, I’ll create my own!” This quote suggests a fun loving party girl who is more excited for college social life than academics and as such has sparked the question, do remarks like this add to our school’s rising reputation as a party school? In the magazine, Rowland is listed as a member of UT’s class of 2016. So, was the post appropriate? I believe that the post was acceptable and that it won’t have an effect on our school’s reputation. Rowland is one individual writing for a stylized magazine. She is not your typical party girl and she told me during an interview that she submitted multiple things to Seventeen when asked to share her college goals. However, the magazine chose to use the quote about finding the ‘makeout point.’ Her reaction to the feature in the magazine was to laugh out loud. She declared that she found it hilarious because she understood what Seventeen was doing. The magazine has a specific style and Rowland understands her position in writing for them. Through her application and first quotes she fit a character type that Seventeen wanted to include, so she was portrayed as such because the editors of the magazine
have the final say on what is published. “I am rather conservative, not necessarily on she had applied and decided to attend. She The magazine publishes different purpose, but I have a side that is fun and admits to coming to UT because she fell in things in print than online. Rowland has a games and would “up my kiss count,” love with the campus during a visit, but also video post available on Seventeen’s website but you won’t find me doing the walk of described her nervousness upon hearing that about her day at Busch Gardens during UT shame.” the university was a place for people who orientation, but that hasn’t attracted nearly as I respect Rowland’s attitude. She is love partying. much attention as her feature in the October confident in herself and understands that in I hadn’t heard of UT being a party issue of the magazine. This school until recently. Based on my video shows off her fun and experience here I still wouldn’t adventurous side and a genuine consider it one, but according to part of her personality. reviews from past and present UT Rowland enjoys blogging students on StudentsReview and because she likes to be heard Campus Confidential, the University and she has already submitted of Tampa is indeed a party school in several other posts to Seventeen. despite of being beautiful, friendly The topics she covers in them and enriching. range from dorm life in a single One student is not going to change room to a fun activity to do the school’s reputation for better or with friends. A picture and worse. Besides, Rowland is a lovely quote of hers are also expected young woman and intends to open to be featured in the November up and show her full personality issue. I respect the fact that she during the course of her writing for intends to cover a wide variety Seventeen. of topics in her posts. You shouldn’t judge her based on One part about writing one published quote. She has many for Seventeen that Rowland more posts to come, some of which appreciates is that although they she is really excited about. Rowland are casual about submission states, “I really take time to think about deadlines and aren’t pressing what I’m saying… it’s a challenge to for new information all of the pick a topic and go all out with it but time, they do ask the Freshman I love it.” Fifteen to touch on personal Although you may soon be hearing topics such as drinking on about the make out spot she recently campus. Rowland believes that discovered (the docks behind the honesty is the best policy and boathouse), her future posts will be fun, writes accordingly. She admits substantial and relevant to the freshman that although she cringed a little experience. Rowland is a girl intending after reading the description to live life to the fullest. She is motivated of herself that Seventeen had to get out there and make friends. chosen to post on its website, We have nothing to be worried or Taylor Sanger/The Minaret she was not offended but rather Controversy stirred by Rowland’s Freshman 15 blog in Seventeen. upset about. Rowland is not going to amused. embarrass the school; she is writing about She is aware that all of the her experience as a UT freshman. Her information that she submits to Seventeen college you and your habits are often exposed writings for Seventeen are not going to spark is theirs to use. The possible reputation that by living in such close proximity with other a mass of party animals to vie for a spot in the quote and description posted online may people and you have to be secure and break the class of 2017. create for her does not bother her one bit, out of your shell. UT’s growing reputation Elaina Zintl can be reached at elaina. because she knows herself well. She states, as a party school didn’t reach her until after zintl@spartans.ut.edu
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14 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Newly Discovered Papyrus Suggests Jesus Was Married By DAVID ADAMS Opinion Columnist
Jesus Christ, the only son of God, famed miracle worker, prophet and husband? Professor Karen L. King, a religious scholar from Harvard University, recently unveiled an ancient piece of a papyrus scroll dating back to the fourth century. Scrawled on the scroll in Coptic script were fragments of writing describing Jesus speaking to his disciples about his wife, as well as a female disciple who may or may not be the same person. Dubbed “The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife,” this discovery is the first of its kind. No writing describing Jesus as married had ever been found and it could potentially change the current rule in the Catholic Church of priestly celibacy. Last Tuesday in Rome, King revealed the piece of scroll, no larger than a business card, at the International Congress of Coptic Studies. According to the New York Times, where the scripture originated is a mystery and the owner has requested anonymity. This has led to much debate on the authenticity of the scroll, with skeptics claiming that it could be a forgery. King holds the Hollis Chair of Divinity, which, according to Harvard University’s website, is the oldest endowed chair in the United States, dating back to 1721. Until King’s appointment, the Hollis Chair had never been occupied by a woman. An expert in religious studies, she currently teaches several courses on early Christianity in Cambridge, Mass. Until the Coptic Studies Congress, King had only shown the scroll to a small circle of trusted colleagues, who are experts in papyrology and Coptic studies. According to the New York
Times, the experts who have viewed the scroll agree with King that the paper is most likely not a forgery. Last Thursday, King gave an interview to several news outlets from her Harvard office. “This fragment suggests that some early Christians had a tradition that Jesus was married,” she said to reporters from the New York Times, Boston Globe and Harvard Magazine. “There was, we already know, a controversy in the second century over
this “doesn’t prove that Jesus was married.” Although she stated that the papyrus was not damning evidence, King alluded to the fact that Jesus’ marital status is something that should be questioned. Jesus’ marital status has always been a heatedly-debated issue. According to Reuters, “King said that it was not until around 200 A.D. that claims started to surface, via the theologian known as Clement of Alexandria, that Jesus did not marry.” The notion of Jesus being celibate was adopted by religious leaders to back up their stance on Christians marrying and having sex, according to King. In a Q&A article published on the Harvard University website by King, she writes how Christians have debated this topic for centuries, noting that the only surviving claim in the Christian tradition is that Jesus was unmarried. With the discovery of “The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife”, King says that Jesus being married was a topic long before Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. On the other side of the issue, many scholars believe that the scroll could be a forgery, or that it is being taken out of context. Professor Jacques-Noel Peres from the Protestant Faculty of Theology in Paris and Professor Ben angelofsweetbitter2009/Flickr.com Witherington III from Asbury Jesus’ marital status has always been a heatedly debated subject. Theological Seminary in Kentucky both claim that whether Jesus was married, caught up the term “wife” doesn’t always refer with a debate about whether Christians to marriage. Both men claim that should marry and have sex.” “wife” could be describing a spiritual According to an article in Agence relationship Jesus may have had with France-Presse, King also mentioned one of his female followers. The that despite the discovery of the scroll, Vatican has also responded to King’s
discovery, in its traditionally rigid Catholic manner. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi talked to the AFP and while he refused to question King’s credibility, he stated, “We do not really know where this little scrap of parchment came from…this changes nothing in the portrayal of Christ and the gospels. This is not an event that has any influence on Catholic doctrine.” So what are the implications for believers? The discovery of “The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” does not change the fact that Jesus Christ was a hugely important historical figure, who taught goodwill and the importance of faith throughout the Roman Empire during times of religious and racial turmoil. Jesus was not a fraud and the papyrus scrap doesn’t call into question his divinity, it only states that some early Christians believed that he was married. This belief will hopefully lead to pleasant changes in the way some sects of Christianity operate, namely the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church has refused members of its clergy the right to marriage, citing Jesus and Saint Peter’s celibacy as their reasons. With new writings that state Jesus was married, perhaps the Catholic Church will lift this ban and priests will be able to marry. I see this discovery as a positive event, reinforcing the sacredness of marriage, not as an indictment on the divinity of Christ. Whether or not you believe in Christianity, Jesus was a real historical figure who preached about faith in God and living life in a meaningful way. His abstinence or lack thereof does not change what he taught or how he lived. David Adams can be reached at dadams@spartans.ut.edu
Internet Explorer Bug Leaves Users Vulnerable to Hackers
By SARAH GARRITY Opinion Writer
Microsoft reported on Sept. 18 that a bug had been discovered in the Internet browser Internet Explorer. According to USA Today, the breach was discovered by the German government’s IT department, and found that the bug in the Internet browser could cause users to be vulnerable to possible hacker attacks. Microsoft stated that most browser users will not be affected and that they are working on fixing the technical issue. USA Today also stated that the German government has advised users of Internet Explorer to switch to another browser to avoid the security breach altogether. But, if your personal choice of an Internet browser is Internet Explorer, The Washington Post reported that Microsoft released a patch on Sept. 21 that will permanently fix the security issue. You can now wipe the sweat off your forehead, or can you? This is actually the second time that the German government has put out warnings to stop using Internet Explorer. According to an article from The Guardian in 2010, Chinese hackers were stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies. A report from Wired stated that the Chinese hackers used Internet Explorer to execute an attack on Google and many other companies, including Adobe and
McAfee, and that the attack was highly sophisticated. As a result, the German and French governments told their citizens to stop using the Internet browser. While the latest threat on Internet Explorer is not the same magnitude as the Google hacking two years ago, the German government has definitely been top notch on their surveillance. Maybe we should be listening to the German government more often on these matters. In an age where technology and the Internet are expanding every day, more Internet browser options have become available. Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari are all Internet browsing alternatives, depending on what your operating system is. With the past security threats and other options, you would think that most people would have listened to the Germans and the French and done away with Internet Explorer and switched over to another browser. A review done of Internet Explorer 9, by PC Magazine, said that it was an improvement of Internet Explorer 8 but is still behind other advanced browsers. However, even with these factors, Internet Explorer is still a strongly used web browser. From statistics done by StatOwl, StatsCounter and NetApplications, 48-50 percent of the web browser market share in the United States this past year was from Internet Explorer, while only 18-20 percent
of the web browser market share was five, and was “highly competitive.” from Google Chrome. However, on The reviews for the browser go on a worldwide scale, research done both ends of the scale, and probably by StatsCounter states that Internet will continue to be that way. These Explorer declined from 41.89 percent opinions may change with the release to 32.85 percent in the past year, while of Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 Google Chrome accelerated from in October, but for now we wait until 23.16 percent to 33.59 percent, slightly reviews are published and the new passing Internet Explorer. While our operating system is released. In the end international friends have been keeping up with the times, Internet Explorer continues to be a popular browser here in the States. It can be mind-boggling to understand why so many people use the browser. But in fact the reasons are endless and no definite reason can be pinpointed. It could be a case of being unaware that other options are available. After all, the only way to download another browser requires using Internet Explorer or Safari for Mac users, and 48-50 percent of the web browser’s share was from U.S. only then can you get to your browser heaven. For some, it is easier to stick with though, it all comes down to personal what is already installed on their preference and what works best for computer, and it is not necessary to you. For me, I will continue to avoid change it. It could also be a case of the hacker threats and stick with good preference. One review of Internet ol’ Google Chrome. Explorer 9, done by cnet.com, said that Sarah Garrity can be reached at the browser was given a 4.5 stars out of sarah.garrity@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
OPINION
15
Children Exposed to Porn While Watching Disney on Dish Network By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Writer
Lilo and Stitch is one of Disney’s delightful animated tales. It begins with Jumba, a scientist, on trial for creating alien experiments like Stitch. Suddenly, a woman sits herself onto a naked man and they … wait, I don’t remember the story going like this. However, this is how the story went for the children of Georgie Brown in North Carolina. Brown, whose satellite provider is Dish Network, had recorded Lilo and Stitch from the Disney Channel for her three children: a 5-year-old son, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son. She started the movie and left the room. It didn’t take long before Brown heard strange noises coming from the television. She went back into the room and the Disney movie was not on the screen. According to Michael Walsh’s article in the New York Daily News, Brown described what she saw as “a woman, on top of a man, full penetration.” Her oldest child ran from the room with his hands over his ears. Her daughter sat bawling. After about six minutes, the porn ended and the movie came back on. I’m fine with pornography as long as the parties involved are of age and are aware they are being filmed for pornography. I’m not going to pretend people under 18 don’t get curious and look up porn on the Internet, but these were small children. I’m not sure how the porn popped up, but this was not something that should be exposed to someone that age. I only hope the children are not traumatized by the event and are not put off Disney films
Twisted Thursday
4-pack as lowas
for the rest of their lives, especially Lilo and Stitch. If this was not by accident, I hope whoever did this is apprehended. Brown blames Dish for the pornography that was exposed to her children. John Hall, senior manager of corporate communications for Dish, told the New York Daily
explicit act. Within five years of each other, there have been two incidents in which pornography has popped up in broadcasts of Disney-owned products. However, sexual images have been a part of Disney for years. There are many websites that expose hidden, sexual messages in Disney movies. The following exposés are from listverse. com: Promotional artwork for Disney’s The Little Mermaid contains a part of a castle that resembles a penis. While the artist claims he was in a rush and did not notice that part of the castle looked like a penis, it is still suspicious. To make matters worse, if you ever watch The Little Mermaid, keep an eye on the priest’s lower region. You’ll notice a suspicious bulge where his crotch should be. On the one hand, it could have just been the priest’s knee, but on the other, with two different penis-like images, the movie is looking less and less innocent by the minute. Aladdin, another Disney movie, appears to be clean, but if you have a good ear and Cayusa/Flickr.com the volume at just the right Lilo and Stitch is a great Disney movie. Unless, of course, it’s interrupted by a porn movie. level, you can hear Aladdin say to Jasmine’s tiger Rajah, “Good teenagers, take off your News, “Our engineering groups explicit adult images on Dish’s clothes.” While the script apparently are actively investigating these network. Whether or not Dish is the one read, “Good kitty, take off an go,” reports.” However, Brown claims to blame, an apology would be a nice the audio did not sound like Aladdin. that not only has Dish not offered an gesture. None of the articles I read said Did a member of this apparent secret that Brown would be changing Disney sex organization sneak into the television providers. Even if recording booth and insert that line? she does, Brown’s children There must have been another member may not be safe from another of the organization working as an artist sudden pornographic display. for The Lion King: In one moment, In 2007, Paul Dunleavy of when Simba rests himself on a cliff, New Jersey, who uses Comcast a flurry of dust rises into the breeze. as his television network, If paused at the right moment, you thought his 5-year-old son was can see that cloud spells out “SEX.” watching Handy Manny, a show These examples from Disney on the Disney Channel about a animated movies are blink-andhandyman and his talking tools. you’ll-miss-them type scenarios. Instead, porn was broadcasted Maybe they were complete in place of the show. According accidents and subconsciously to an article by 9news, imagined by perverted minds. Dunleavy told New York Daily Maybe animators and voice actors News, “It was two people doing added them in so the adults could their thing; it was full-on and have a little giggle. The porn seen on it was disgusting.” Apparently the broadcast of Lilo and Stitch and there was a programming error, Handy Manny, on the other hand, is but, according to Comcast not something to giggle about. Small spokesperson Fred DeAndrea, children should not be exposed to it was an “isolated issue in something so explicit. It is not clear the local New Jersey facility.” if the networks or hackers somehow Along with Brown’s caused porn to appear. I don’t know incident, the two seem to have if this was an accident or on purpose. been isolated events. Although Regardless, small children were hurt by only a small amount of people this mistake and whoever did it should were affected, these were accept responsibility and apologize. children. No child should be Jake Koniszewski can be reached tricked into seeing such an at john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu
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apology, but also that “the children have been doing a humping motion.” I can understand why Dish has not offered an apology yet. This is an odd and terrible situation, and they want to find out if the company is really the one to blame. Still, no matter whose fault it is, small children witnessed
16 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET OPINION High School Unfairly Confiscates Rosaries Allegedly Linked to Gang By ELAINA ZINTL Opinion Writer
Manuel Vigil, a high school junior in Loveland, Colo., had his rosary confiscated twice by staff at Thompson Valley High within the first three weeks of school this year. Vigil told Fox News that he wears his rosary in reverence and because it makes him feel safe, but the school officials think they are symbols of violence and gang support. The school’s accusations are ridiculous. I was born and raised in the Catholic faith and for us, a rosary is a sacramental, blessed object used in devotion and prayer. If you remove someone’s right to have or wear a rosary, you are taking away their religious freedom. The most commonly used rosaries have five decades, each with 10 beads, that represent a mystery or event in the life of Jesus. These decades are separated from each other with a single bead. This rosary is also deemed the traditional rosary, often referred to as the Dominican Rosary, but it is not the only type. Other rosaries will have varied numbers of decades or beads in each decade, but do not change the meaning or use of it for those of faith. According to Denver’s Fox news station KDVR, the Thompson Valley District claims that the beads can be linked to gangs and gang violence because Vigil’s rosary had 13 beads per section. District officials told KDVR that those 13 beads “can be associated with the Sureño gang.” Sureño means “southerner” in Spanish, and according to the Gang Prevention Services these gangs are largely made up of MexicanAmericans or “Chicanos.” These gangs identify with the Mexican mafia and use the number 13 as an identifier, symbolizing “M” as the thirteenth letter
of the alphabet. The Thompson Valley but received one demand and had his principal, Mark Johnson, told the beads removed. Reporter Herald that they meet with Crespo told Vigil that he didn’t give the gang prevention unit regularly and them any option but to confiscate the the unit tells them what to look for. They rosary because of his refusal to cooperate. then use that But why should information to confiscation be keep track of an option? The “what is the second rosary latest gang that he wore stuff” and to school had make rules the traditional accordingly. 10 beads per It is important decade. So the that the district impression the is doing all it district is giving can to keep is that it is not gang violence okay to wear and promotion any rosary, and out of its high that is wrong. schools, but I understand confiscating restricting the an item of 13 beaded prayer is going rosary if there is too far. a gang problem Vigil had in your area, but two rosaries to deny students confiscated, the right to wear and though their rosaries is one of them disrespectful to did have 13 their religion beads in each Taylor Sanger/The Minaret and traditions. decade, the Denying right to wear rosary hinders religious freedom. Catholic other had only rosaries are the traditional 10. What was the reasoning not meant to be worn as a necklace. for confiscating the second rosary if it The superficial wearing of a rosary is had no symbolic link to gangs? Margaret blasphemous, but if you feel unsafe, are Crespo, a Thompson Valley District afraid of losing it or want to hold it closer spokesperson, told Fox News that Vigil to your heart, you can wear it. Vigil told had other options. She said that before reporters that he wore his rosary to feel they confiscated the beads, he had been safe, and his mother, Antoinette Ramirez, given two opportunities to remove it or told the Reporter Herald that he started tuck it inside his shirt. However, Vigil doing so after the recent murder of told reporters that he wasn’t given the his uncle. chance to tuck his rosary into his shirt, I believe that the Thompson Valley
school district is unwise in its handling of the situation. According to the district, Vigil has had no prior problems in school and is not affiliated with a gang. Even so, the school is denying him religious freedom based on the number of beads per section on a rosary. One of my main problems with this fact is that as soon as a gang’s symbol is restricted, the group will most likely come up with another symbol. So, to include this religious item of reverence in a list of banned objects is ridiculous because rosaries have been around for hundreds of years as a means of prayer. A modern affiliation should not be allowed to disrespect religious traditions and practices. An editorial in the Denver Post argues that Thompson Valley High is treading on unsteady ground with this situation due to its strong link in our constitutionally protected right to freely exercise religion. The paper also notes that a federal court previously ruled in favor of students that had rosary beads confiscated for a separate case. The court noted that the school dress codes “can be used to restrict gang activity on campuses” but concluded that “the rosary ban unduly burdened the students” because “they were not affiliated with a gang.” This is a remarkably similar situation. Vigil stated that he is not a member of a gang or trying to start a turf war but just wanted the feeling of safety that comes with wearing his rosary. I feel that the school should apologize to Vigil and his family for all of the chaos and confusion, return his rosaries and remove the restriction they have placed on the wearing of rosaries. People of faith deserve the right to the comfort that they are provided by their traditions, prayers and sacramentals. Elaina Zintl can be reached at elaina. zintl@spartans.ut.edu
KONY 2012 At UT: Too Late And Ineffective
By VANESSA RIGHEIMER Opinion Writer
As I walked to class last week I noticed a banner in Plant Hall announcing that there would be an Invisible Children presentation on campus. It was to be held in Reeves Theater on Tuesday, Sept. 18. I had to take a second glance to make sure I was reading this correctly. Invisible Children? Kony 2012? Didn’t that trend fizzle out last spring? To some, my use of the word “trend” to describe a charity that aims to end the use of child soldiers in Africa may seem insensitive and cruel. However, I firmly believe that is exactly what Invisible Children and other powerful charities have become: nothing but a trend endorsed by celebrities and followed by young Americans. The Invisible Children bandwagon is a prime example of “slacktivism” which Jesse Davis, a writer at Evidence Based Marketing defines as, “the act of passively supporting causes in order to tap into the satisfaction that accompanies philanthropy, without having to do any heavy-lifting (or heavy spending).” Slacktivism is becoming increasingly popular via social media where a user simply has to click a “Like” button to show their support towards a cause. So much hype was built up for the Cover the Night event after the Kony 2012 video received millions of views on Facebook. However, when the day came to actually graffiti their towns, it came to no surprise that the majority of these slacktivists weren’t able to make it past their Facebook or Twitter page. It was hard for me to believe the fact that Invisible Children was still touring and putting on presentations after all the criticism the organization had received in the past few months. The Kony 2012 video made the idea of a youth revolution so appealing
that you would think on the morning of the Cover the Night project you’d find Joseph Kony’s face everywhere, even on your bedroom ceiling. Instead, the Cover the Night event fell short by the time the date was reached in April, leaving a few posters dangling on a telephone pole here and there. Having the co-founder of Invisible Children walking around naked while talking to himself in San Diego last spring didn’t do much good to the Kony 2012 image either. In order to see if I was the only one surprised by this organization still touring schools, I asked students around campus. A lot of people had heard of Invisible Children and Kony 2012, but didn’t know too much about it in detail. When asked whether or not a presentation on campus was appropriate after it had received so much backlash, sophomore biochemistry major Courtney Ragan answered, “I think it’s a good cause and I don’t think one person’s actions (Jason Russell) should reflect an entire organization.” As cynical as I am about the organization, I do agree with this. The original purpose of Invisible Children was pure and rooted in a desire to help others. This noble purpose should not be tarnished by one man when the charity was established by so many other people. Laura Yarrow, a UT freshmen studying biology, was very familiar with the Invisible Children and Kony 2012 organization after having watched the original Invisible Children documentary during an assembly in high school. However, she expressed mixed emotions about it. “When I watched the first film I thought it was heartbreaking, but as I got older and looked more into it, I realized that all of the films have lacked a lot of key facts needed to understand more about the war in Uganda.
To be honest, I found the Kony 2012 film to using the majority of their money to create be a load of propaganda bullsh*t. I think the movies instead of direct donations to Africa. organization has good intentions, but after If the organization was to put films into a the Cover the Night failure, Jason Russell’s short hiatus and donate all the money to erratic behavior victim rehabilitation and and criticism education in Africa, this revolving around could help rebuild their their use of image drastically. They funds, Invisible should also strongly think Children should about what audience they probably lay want to target and how to low a bit and execute future protests. take time to We live in a society reevaluate the where technology gets program before faster everyday. Because they continue to of this, we expect instant tour.” gratification. Slacktivism Indeed, strives off of social Invisible media tools which can Children should be useful in some ways, hold off on their but when trying to reach tours and make an audience outside of some changes Facebook and Twitter, to the program slacktivists usually first. For starters, fail. Invisible Children Chun Lam/Flickr.com the films need The Cover the Night event failed expectations. should encourage its to be more hopeful donors to attend factually based. community meetings In the Kony 2012 film, co-founder Jason and research more about the conflicts in Russell is able to explain the entire Africa. By doing this, they will be building conflict in Africa to his toddler son in up their army of strong-willed people only a few sentences. He oversimplifies who are truly interested in it for the cause the conflict to make viewers believe itself, and not just hooked into it as a fad. that as long as they take down one man, I’m not completely against Invisible Joseph Kony, all the children will be safe. Children or Kony 2012. I just believe The easier it seems to get rid of a that this charity has gone through its problem, the more likely viewers are to fair share of problems, including loss of dole out donations. By not giving them credibility. Because of this, I am against all the information needed to make a them touring schools until they address clear judgement, you are using unethical and fix these problems in their program. marketing strategies. Secondly, Invisible Vanessa Righeimer can be reached Children has received a lot of criticism for at vanessa.righeimer@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
Sports
17
Men’s Golf Features Few Familiar Faces UT Golf Quick Strokes 2011-2012 Top Performers Taylor Noel Average: 77.8 Low Round: 71
Kendra Bishop Average: 81.9 Low Round: 76
Steve Embree Average: 78.3 Low Round: 75
Allie Steffens Average: 99.4 Low Round: 89
2012-2013 Top Performers Kendra Bishop Webber International Average score: 75 Team Result: 2 out of 6
Taylor Noel
By JORDAN LLANES Sports Writer
As the PGA Tour’s season comes to a close, college golf begins. After having the summer and first couple of weeks of the fall semester to get back into the swing of things, the men’s golf team looks to capture their first NCAA Division II championship since 1988 as well as their first Southern Regional title since 1994. These goals won’t be too easy as Coach Rick Christie returns only four golfers from last year: seniors Kevin Genuardi, Taylor Noel, and Parker Wingfield, as well as junior Steve Embree. These four will be the core of the team this year, while newcomers who made it through tryouts will round up the rest of the team. Last season was a mediocre one at best for Coach Christie’s squad as the best finish they had as a team was a fifth place effort at the Florida Tech Invitational with a collective three round score of 943, or 79 over par. The team also looks to improve upon its last place finish at the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championships last
season, as the team failed to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships. However, the four golfers that are returning have plenty of experience, and will only continue to improve this season. Embree, the lone junior, is arguably the best and most seasoned player on the squad. Embree was the top Spartan in many of the tournaments that the team participated in last season, finishing in a tie for 32nd at last year’s Flagler Invitational, a season best 12th at the Florida Tech Invitational and a tie for 29th at the North Alabama Meng/tampaspartans.com Invitational, which was only a two round Steve Embree isAndy the youngest returning member tourney instead of the usual three rounds of the UT men’s golf team. the team plays. Noel is the top returning senior and in a tie for 32nd at the North Alabama was the Spartans’ best returning player Invitational. at last season’s SSC Championships, as As long as Embree and the rest of the he finished in a tie for 37th, only behind core four can continue to improve, and graduating senior Mark Cleary. the newcomers play solid golf, there is no He also finished 22nd at the Florida reason to doubt that Coach Christie cannot Tech Invitational and a team best tie for get this team past the SSC Championships 17th at the North Alabama Invite last and into the NCAA Division II season. Genuardi and Wingfield, the other Championships. The team next competes two returning seniors, also improved as October 8 and 9 at the North Alabama the season went on. Invitational in Destin, Fla. Genuardi placed in a tie for 35th at Jordan Llanes can be reached at Florida Tech while Wingfield finished jordan.llanes@spartans.ut.edu.
Sophomore Bishop Shines Brightest By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer
With drive, dedication and love for the game, the University of Tampa women’s golf team is ready to kick off their new season. To start the season, the women’s golf team competed in the Webber Invitational hosted at the Lake Wales Country Club on Sunday. Originally, the Spartan team was going to participate in the Flagler Invitational as their first tournament but chose to participate in the Webber Invitational instead. Returning sophomore golfer, Kendra Bishop is really looking forward to this season and hopes that she can bring what she practiced over the summer to the Spartan Team. “I’m really excited for the season, I
practiced a lot over the summer, I can’t wait to start and get the season going and show Tampa spirit out there,” said Bishop. “I played a lot of tournaments over the summer. I played one tour in the OhioMichigan area and I ended up winning that tour so that was kind of a big thing.” The UT women finished in second place out of six teams in the Webber Invitational. Bishop led the way for the Spartans, with a round of 75. Her expectations for this past weekend’s Webber Invitational and for the rest of the season were more like future goals then expectations. Along with that, Bishop also has high potential goals for the team this season. She is looking forward to working hard and placing in more top spots and overall improving together as a team. When asked about how she is going to help accomplish her goals for this year’s
Flagler Invitational Average score: 76.3 Individual Result: 19 out of 81
In The Distance October 8-9 Men:
N. Alabama Invitational Destin, Fla.
Women:
Nova Invitational Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Samantha Battersby/ The Minaret Kendra Bishop flaunts her new driver. Bishop excelled last year, her freshman year, finishing the season with two top-five finishes in eight tournaments.
season, it was no surprise that she was excited about her favorite and brand new driver in her golf bag. “I actually just got a new driver! It’s the white Rocketballs with the white driver head and I’m just having so much fun with it. Its longer and its fun to hit. I can’t wait to use it in more and more tournaments this season!” Bishop is not the only member on the Spartan women’s golf team with goals for this year. Entering her second year as head coach, Coach Missey Jones has her own goals to help improve the team and to have a great season. “I’m looking forward to our practices becoming more organized and specific. I love UT! I want to build this program and I want to be here until I can’t coach anymore. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most, building the program and spending more time with the girls.” One thing that Jones knows will make her goals possible is having Bishop as a returning member. “Kendra is a really dedicated player. She’s the kind of player I’d like to have 12 players of. She knows her background and she knows how to work at that when I’m not around,” stated Jones about Bishop. “We only have a limited amount of practices, so on the days when I’m not there, she knows how to work on her game. She’s very aware on what is going on in her swing and, for the game of golf, it’s knowing how to work at it and she knows how to work at it. She is someone I never have to worry about.” With the Webber International now in the past, the Spartan women’s golf team will now set its eyes on the Nova Southeastern Invitational on October 8 and 9. Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.
18 SEPTEMBER 27 2012 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Soccer Squeeks Out Last Minute Win By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer
The University of Tampa women’s soccer team kicked off SSC play in fashion, beating rivals Eckerd and Saint Leo. The Spartans beat St. Leo 1-0 on an 89th minute goal by freshman Cici Gonzalez, her eighth goal of the season. The Spartans are now 7-2 as well as 20 in the SSC. St. Leo’s record dropped to 2-5 with a 1-2 record in the SSC. Though the Spartans were able to win this game, it was too close for comfort, given that they not only outshot St Leo 19-4, but also had more shots on goal (4-2).
Thankfully, the Spartans were able to win, but if St. Leo had had more shot opportunities it could have been a different game. “We had a lot of opportunities and we should have beat them by a lot more, we just had a hard time finding the back of the net,� said sophomore Gabby Russo. Russo, who is coming off of a FirstTeam All- SSC season with four goals and 12 assists, had four shots on goal during the St. Leo match. Despite this too close for comfort game, Russo still thinks that realistically the team can win the conference, the NCAA tournament, and bring home a national
Leah Beilhart/ The Minaret Gabby Russo fires off a ball during UT’s win over Florida Memorial. Russo is tied for third on the team with 13 points in nine games played. She leads the team with seven assists.
Fast-Starting Forwards Lauren Moore
Cici Gonzalez
Games Played
9
9
Goals
10
9
Assists
3
4
Game-Winners
2
2
championship to Tampa. The two teams that could ruin this parade, according to Russo, are Lynn and Rollins College, but Russo still believes the Spartans can prove themselves to be the team to beat in the SSC. Any coach wants nothing more than having his team come away victorious. Coach Gerry Lucey was, for the most part, pleased with his team’s most recent outing. “The team played well and kept discipline and motivation throughout the game.� Coach Lucey also added that it was “frustrating that we weren’t scoring goals but give a lot of credit to the team for keeping focus�. Coach Lucey also agreed with one of Russo’s picks as one of the teams he deemed the hardest to beat in the SSC. He agrees that Lynn College is a tough competitor but he believes that Florida Tech is the second team the Spartans really need to look out for. “It’s a tough conference,� he said. “ The teams will lose one game and then they win
the next. They just beat each other up.� The Spartans next game is September 29 against Rollins College. The game offers the Spartans a shot to bury the last-place Tars even deeper in the SSC standings. They stand at 0-1 in the conference and 3-4 overall, as of Sept. 25. Tampa is 14-5-2 alltime against them. “To prepare for this conference game, I want the team to practice and work on focusing on being better the last 20 yards of the field, crossing and finishing better,� Lucey said. “I also want to be more clinical in that area of the field and doing this will allow the Spartans to win more games�. When asked what his realistic goal for the year was, Coach Lucey laughed and said, “It’s the same as it is every year. Get to the final four, win, and then win the national championship.� He paused slightly before adding, “We have a young team. I’m hoping we can continue to have them grow and get enough wins to get to the NCAA tournament�. Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu.
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THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 27 2012
19
Scab Refs Ruin Another NFL Week By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer
There’s a flag on the play. A saying that the National Football League players, coaches and fans are far too familiar with hearing this 2012 football season. The NFL locked out their full-time referees in June after their contract expired. Replacement referees were brought in and they have made a lot of people scratch their head in confusion and frustration. This is the first NFL season since 2001 where the league has used replacement referees. Some refs being used are Division II and III refs who have never officiated a
Jeffrey Beall/Flickr.com
Shoddy officiating led to a Monday Night Football fiasco this week.
professional game. There is a problem with that. There is also a problem with a current replacement official that told a player that he needed the player to perform well in order to better his fantasy football team. Yes, that actually did happen. A recent ESPN article stated that Philadelphia Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy was told by one ref this season that he needed McCoy to have a good game for his fantasy squad. Let me pause for a second and try not to laugh. Was this a grown man saying this or was it a 21-year- old college student bragging to his friend at happy hour that he finally got to meet a professional athlete? Regardless, these 2012 replacement referees have caused a lot of controversy. Is this their own fault, or should we be blaming the NFL and the regular refs? There is no doubt that this NFL season has been full of pass interference calls and no-calls such as obvious holding and illegal contact, but all this mayhem would not matter if the NFL and the regular officials finally come back down to earth and agree on a new deal. What is in the way of making this a reality are the retirement benefits and the
NFL owners’ idea of new accountability standards for referees. A recent Fox News article discussed what the regular referees are upset about with current negotiations. “On the retirement issue, refs currently have a guaranteed pension that the owners would like to convert to a market-vulnerable 401(k) plan,” their website posted on Sept. 20. “The NFL owners are seeking new accountability by gaining the ability to pull poorly-performing refs and replace them from what would be a new pool of backup referees.” The NFL is a league where this should not be happening. The NFL racks up over $9 billion in revenue a year. The fans, coaches and players do not deserve replacement referees. Just look at last Sunday night’s game between the Patriots and Ravens. There were a total of 24 penalties in the game for a total of 218 yards that no doubt dictated the outcome of the game. Watching the game first-hand, half of the calls were inaccurate, just ask the team’s coaches as they were yelling and disputing with the replacement refs all game. There was even a chant led by the Ravens’ fans that was heard clearly on TV,
a chant that rhymed with “bull mit.” You catch my drift. This past Monday night had one of the worst calls I have ever seen, and it actually decided the outcome of the game. On the last play of the game, Russell Wilson scrambled around as time expired, heaved a ball to the end zone and it was caught...by a Green Bay Packer. The play was ruled a touchdown, reviewed, and upheld even though the replay clearly showed the defender had possession. Not to mention, wide receiver Golden Tate pushed off before making this “catch”. Students at the University of Tampa have shown their concerns and opinions on the current referee disasters. “They are definitely worse,” said UT senior Matt Brennan. “They have made many mistakes this year that the regular refs would never make. Games have been dragging and taking a long time as well.” As the NFL approaches week four, one must have to wait and see if the NFL and the regular officials will agree on a near deal that brings the experienced, knowledgeable and worthy officials back to the field. Michael Paonessa can be reached at michael.paonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
Fourth Week Brings Intriguing One-Win Teams to Tampa
By JOHN HILSENROTH JR. Sports Editor
Through three weeks of the NFL season, we have seen some good football overshadowed by horrible officiating. Two of the worst officiated games were on primetime. First, on Sunday night, the Patriots got completely screwed over after 24 total penalties. Monday night, the Packers lost because of an atrocious call that even got reviewed. Easily one of the worst calls of all time, the referees, and the Seahawks stole a win from the deserving Packers. Although the normal referees make a lot of mistakes anyway, until they are brought back, the integrity of the NFL is at stake. Washington at Tampa Bay Despite RGIII’s solid fantasy numbers, the Redskins are 1-2. After the Skins beat the Saints in week one, many people were assuming the Redskins were going to be a playoff team, but with the Saints at 0-3, that win doesn’t look so impressive after all. The Buccaneers also started 1-0, with a commanding win over the Carolina Panthers, who just got stomped out by the Giants in their home opener. One could argue that the Bucs could be 3-0, after letting the Giants come back and beat them in week two, and the Cowboys win an ugly game this past week. The Redskins, too, could be 3-0 after losing by a field goal to the Rams and a touchdown to the Bengals. However, both teams are 1-2 and one will be 1-3 after Sunday. I think that team will be the Redskins.
Talk of the Town Professional Sporting News in the Region
Tampa won its only home game thus far, and I think Doug Martin will have a big day and the Bucs will be able to slow Griffin down just enough to edge out the Skins. 24-20 Buccaneers Chicago at Dallas Dallas looked pretty good when they beat the Giants in week one, but the last two weeks have scored a combined 23 points against two teams who missed the playoffs a year ago. Seattle scorched Dallas 27-7 but the Cowboys were able to get a 16-10 win against the Bucs last week. That was one ugly game. Tony Romo turned the ball over three times against the Bucs and was sacked four time, but the Cowboy defense dominated Josh Freeman and the rest of Tampa Bay. Albeit ugly, Dallas came out on top. DeMarco Murray is going to need to step up in a big way if they hope to stay relevant in the NFC East. The Bears are sitting at 2-1 and couldn’t be happier with the horrendous call against the Green Bay Packers that cost them the game Monday night. The Bears dominated the Colts and the Rams this year, but looked horrible against the Packers in primetime. This Monday night Jay Cutler will have a chance to redeem himself in front of all of America (and hopefully the old referees). However, I don’t think he will be able to step up to the plate, especially considering how impressive the Cowboys defense looked last week. Cowboys win a sloppy one. 26-16 Cowboys John Hilsenroth Jr. can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com
@ After losing a close game to the Cowboys this past Sunday, the Buccaneers will play an NFC East team for the third straight week this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
TAKE YOUR SHOT
Week 4: I’d Hate To Be a Ref In Lambeau Standings Nathan [7-3] Shawn [6-4] Jordan [6-4] Connor [5-5] John [5-5] Miles [4-6] J.P. [4-6] Paige [3-7]
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Currently five games back of the A.L. East, the Rays head to the southside of Chicago to take on the White Sox for a four-game series. Thursday’s game starts at 8:10 p.m.
In the wake of the NHL’s fourth work stoppage in the past 20 years, Lightning players have begun to look elsewhere for ice time. On Tuesday, Victor Hedman signed a deal with Russia’s KHL.
MINARET
UT Golf Spread [17]
UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933
SPORTS
Ref Debacle [19]
Goalie Leads Men’s Soccer Revival By NATHAN KROHN Sports Writer
Leadership is vital on every team. A leader can bring a team together and push them to achieve more than they believed they could. A leader keeps the team focused and recognizes when morale is low. Some lead by force, yelling their words into the heads of fellow players. Others lead by example, showing up to practice earlier and staying later than the rest. “Yes, I see myself as a leader,” said Spartan’s goalkeeper David Niepel. “In order to keep the team together, I keep them positive and motivated. I lead through my actions, not through my words. I lead through example.” Niepel, a 6’2” junior playing in his third year with the Spartans, was recruited
by the University of Tampa from where he grew up in Hamburg, Germany. “I went through an advisor in Germany. He had me fill out lots of applications,” said Niepel. “I considered going to Dayton, Ohio and California State. I ended up choosing UT because of the academics and environment.” Niepel, an international business and management major, would like to, if possible, return to Germany after he graduates. “If I don’t get an opportunity to play soccer professionally, I would like to return home for work,” said Niepel. “ I guess I’ll just have to see where everything takes me.” At the age of four, Niepel chose to play goalie over all other positions, and while he can’t remember why he chose goalie, he stands by his decision all those years ago. “I
Samantha Battersby/ The Minaret David Niepel makes a save during UT’s 1-0 loss against Barry. The goaltender made a pair of saves in the match but allowed the winning score 20 minutes into the game.
can’t remember exactly what made me pick goalie over the other positions, probably because I wanted to play uninterrupted in the mud,” Niepel said with a smile. “I realize now it’s the most exciting position and it comes with great responsibility.” The men’s soccer team finished last season with a disappointing 3-10-2 record but has begun this season at 4-2-1 and have already gained national recognition for their positive play. “This year we are able to stay focused late in games,” said Niepel. “We finish games strong instead of giving up late goals.” Head Coach Adrian Bush reiterated Niepels comments. “We had something like nine overtime games in our last 17 matches. We could have been 10-3-2 last season. We just couldn’t win the close games.” In spite of the way last season unfolded, Niepel decided to step into a bigger leadership role and lead his team through example. “I’ve been on this new diet, the Paleo diet,” said Niepel. “No wheat, no grains. Just vegetables, meat and fruit. I’ve lost 8 percent body fat.” While he admits the diet can be difficult at times, the results he is seeing have improved his game mightily. “It can be tough to stick with the diet, especially when I walk by the pastries in the cafeteria,” Niepel said as he giggled. “But I feel better, I recover after games quicker and my training has been more efficient.” The team as a whole has been training harder and has refocused their work ethic. “We have a hard working mentality. We never give up,” said Niepel. “We play
PROFILE: DAVID NIEPEL HOMETOWN: Bad Breisig, Germany CAREER RECORD: 21-16-3 CAREER SHUTOUTS: 10 CAREER SAVES: 137 every minute of the game as hard as we can and we finish every game strong.” As a result, the team is winning games and the chemistry between the players is higher than last year. “Last game, next game,” said Neipel with a serious face. “I always say that because the next game is the most important.” When he was younger, Niepel was given advice that he still remembers and tries to pass on to his teammates. “Work harder than others and you will get what you want,” said Niepel. “That’s what I try to do and what I want our team to do.” The Spartan men next play Sunshine State Conference rivals Rollins College at Pepin Stadium September 29. Nathan Krohn can be reached at nathan. krohn@spartans.ut.edu.
Volleyball Rolling Into Florida Southern Throwdown
only team from the SSC in the Top 25. Even though UT is the highest ranked team, there are no easy victories in such a Although the University of Tampa competitive conference. Women’s Volleyball program has won 21 Despite the Spartans’ high national Sunshine State Conference Championships ranking, this season has not been without since the program began conference play in a few bumps in the road. After an early 1983, there are no guarantees that the 2012 season loss to No. 5 Central Missouri, the Women’s team will win the SSC this year. team went on to win four straight games. The only guarantee in sports is that During the four-game win streak, the it takes hard work and determination team only lost one set. The smooth sailing for a team to win any game, let alone a came to an abrupt halt when the team was conference title. swept in straight sets by then-No. 14 West The Sunshine Texas A&M during the Colorado Premier State Conference is an Challenge in Denver. extremely competitive “This year we have had some early conference that boasts losses which is different from last year, some of the nation’s when we went undefeated for such a long best volleyball teams time,” junior Holly Reschke said on the and players. team’s losses. However, as of “Even though it is hard to lose, I think Holly Reschke Sept. 25, UT was the we have become a better team from it. We By J.P. HANEY Sports Writer
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A brief rundown of Spartan sports
No. 14 Women’s Soccer [7-2, 2-0] Tampa’s soccer team was unranked last week, but is now No. 14 in the country. Tampa has won three straight games and the team is undefeated at home this year. With eight regular season games remaining, Tampa has high hopes to continue this season strongly.
are learning where we are vulnerable.” The team managed to regroup after its loss to West Texas and defeat No. 22 Flagler College in an away game. Last weekend UT kicked off its SSC schedule with games against Rollins College and Florida Tech. During its first game against Rollins, the team displayed its eagerness to begin conference place by defeating Rollins in three straight sets (25-13, 25-19 and 25-14). The Spartans showed their offensive prowess with four different Spartans recording at least three kills. It was more of the same from the Spartans against Florida Tech, where they swept their second SSC opponents in three straight sets and improved their record to 9-2 overall (2-0 in SSC play). The real test comes Friday Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. against UT rival Florida Southern College for Tampa’s home opener.
With the season nearing the halfway point and conference play getting underway, it will be interesting to see how the Spartans can handle the tough competition of the SSC. Furthermore, even though last season ended with the Spartans coming home from the NCAA tournament emptyhanded, that has only motivated this year’s team to push itself in order to position itself for a potential NCAA Championship run. “Right now we are working really hard to get better,” Holly Reschke said on the team’s work ethic. “It would be so awesome if we could win the conference, it would show that all our hard work has paid off!” The volleyball team will play this Friday Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. in the first ever game at the newly renovated Bob Martinez Athletic Center. J.P. Haney can be reached at johnpatrick.haney@spartans.ut.edu.
Men’s Soccer [4-2-1, 1-1]
No. 7 Volleyball [9-2, 2-0]
The Spartans have already won more games than they did last year, but the team has dropped two straight games. This Friday UT will host Rollins College in a crucial SSC showdown. Tampa went from being ranked No. 8 last week, to unranked this week.
After a slow start to the season, the Spartans have won three straight matches, two of which were against SSC teams. This Friday and Saturday the volleyball team will take on both Florida Southern College and Saint Leo University, respectively at the newly renovated Martinez Center.