Feb. 9, 2017 The Minaret

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9, 2017

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MINARET

M EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tess Sheets MANAGING EDITOR Bianca Lopez

NEWS AND FEATURES Arden Igleheart

Liz MacLean ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Regina Gonzalez Ivy Velazquez OPINION Carissa Economos Andrew Foerch SPORTS John Feltman

HEAD COPY PHOTOGRAPHY GRAPHIC DESIGN MULTIMEDIA

VOL. 83

NO. 15

NEWS

Lifetime achievement award given to UT professor

BY KIMBERLY CONROY PAGE 3

Black History Month inspires UT clubs and students with events and education

BY LEAH FOREMAN PAGE 4

Resist Trump every Tuesday at Marco Rubio’s Tampa office

BY RICH TADDONIO PAGE 5

New club aims to help students struggling with substance abuse

BY LIZ MACLEAN PAGE 6

UT dropout succeeds as entrepreneur and motivational speaker

BY NEVA WARREN PAGE 7

Katelyn Massarelli Julia Albini Christian Maldonado Regina Gonzalez

A+E

WRITERS

Raving at the Ritz: EDM keeps Ybor nightlife alive

BY ARDEN IGLEHEART, CASSI MANNER, MAURICIO RICH PAGE 8-9

Hannah Farrow Kayla Jacobus

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COVER

Photo by Bianca Lopez Art by Gabriela Curtis Models: Carter Haines and Alexa Sheridan

BY BIANCA LOPEZ PAGE 13-16

Sex and love advice

BY CARISSA ECONOMOS PAGE 15

Valentine’s Day is for the single ladies, too

BY FAITH PONTI PAGE 16

OPINION

Who’s new in the White House: Trump’s appointees spark controversy

BY BILL DELEHUNT PAGE 19

Americans concerned after two weeks of executive action from Trump

BY BILL DELEHUNT PAGE 20-21

Steve Bannon the puppeteer behind Trump

SPORTS Coach Jessee joins Spartan’s 300th win club

BY KATELYN MASSARELLI PAGE 23

Battling Star Wars bandwagoners

A game of inches: Pats complete historic comeback, win Super Bowl LI

BY SIMON BRADY PAGE 24-25

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Allie Crump Hannah Hughes Harsh Rokad

COVER

BY VERONICA SANSUR PAGE 10

BY IVY VELAZQUEZ PAGE 11

COPY EDITING

F E B R U A R Y 9, 2 0 1 7

BY INDIRA MOOSAI PAGE 22

The biggest celebration on Earth

FACULTY ADVISER David Wheeler

Simon Brady Kimberly Conroy Devon Conway Elena De Alfredo Bill Delehunt Leah Foreman Cassi Manner Indira Moosai Faith Ponti Mauricio Rich Veronica Sansur Rich Taddonio Neva Warren

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Spartans open year with sweep

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NEWS

Photo by Harsh Rokad/The Minaret INNOVATE: Rebecca White, is a professor at UT and director of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. White has led the development and launch of a M.S. in entrepreneurship and other programs.

Lifetime achievement award given to UT professor

Professor of entrepreneurship recognized for her work in education Kimberly Conroy Contributing Writer kimberly.conroy@spartans.ut.edu

Rebecca White, professor and director of the Lowth entrepreneurship center, was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship.

The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Max J. Wortman Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship, is presented in recognition of achievement that encompasses the ideals of entrepreneurial activity. The Awards Committee also extends the award to those whose life supports and advocates entrepreneurial ideals. White is the 14th person to receive this honor.

“I’m extremely honored and really excited,” White said.

“It feels like it should be the end of your career, but I still have a lot left that I’d like to do.”

White has a long history with USASBE. In 2012, White served as president for the association. In 2014, under her watch, the entrepreneurship program here at UT was named the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship program in the country by the association. She has also received a 2010 President’s Award for Distinguished Service from USASBE along with a handful of other awards.

“No one is more deserving that Dr. White,” said current president of USASBE Heidi Neck. “Her contributions to entrepreneurial education have defined and are redefining

the field.”

She also said how this award was even more meaningful because Jeffrey Timmons, founder of the Babson College program, also won the award. Timmons happened to be White’s mentor.

White started working at UT in 2009. Since joining the university, she has led the development and launch of an M.S. in Entrepreneurship and developed and built academic programs in entrepreneurship education. She was also involved in designing the entrepreneurship curriculum.

“I have known Dr. Rebecca White since 2012,” said James Zebrowski, Jr. a student in the graduate entrepreneurship program at UT. “She was unquestionably the most genuine and strategic leader I had met to date. I so greatly look up to her wisdom and leadership.”

Zebrowski currently works full time as the Managing Director for The Global Headquarters of the collegiate entrepreneurs organization.

“She has helped me reach my success both figuratively and literally simply by welcoming me into her life, outpouring wisdom and guidance when I felt crippled or overworked and taught me that passion drives everything and as an entrepreneur, there is no greater gift than following your passion.” Zebrowski said.

One thing White would like to do for UT in the future is to build a bridge between the students at UT to companies in the area.

“I want to help students make connections so they stay here and begin building their own companies,” White said.

Prior to coming to UT, White received an MBA and a doctorate in strategic management, marketing and entrepreneurship from Virginia Tech University.

Her primary research and teaching interests are in strategic leadership in equity-backed companies and entrepreneurship education. “[White’s] work ethic, her ability to connect with entrepreneurship, the community and the best in the entrepreneurship education field, is by far her most amazing talent,” said Kevin Moore, director of operations at the Entrepreneurship center.

Before coming to UT, White worked as the Director at NorthStar Bank located in Tampa and as a professor and director of the Institute for New Economy Technologies at Northern Kentucky University. There, she built a top 25 nationally ranked entrepreneurship program.

White was named the Tampa Bay Business Journal Business Woman of the Year in 2010 in the Education Category. She also founded and directed the Women’s Entrepreneurship Institute, an educational program for female entrepreneurs.

Currently, White is on the board at NorthStar Bank, the board of Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, and is focused on building the education programs here at UT for entrepreneurship majors.

“I’m still trying to figure that out,” White said, speaking about her next goal. “I love what I’m doing, so I’m living in the moment. There’s a satisfaction of creating and building something of value that makes life better for people.”

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

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NEWS

Photo by Liz Maclean/The Minaret KNOW YOUR HISTORY: Studente gather on Feb. 6 in Vaughn Lobby for a Black History Month open-mic night, hosted by the Black Student Union. The next Black History Month event is on Feb. 10 and is a luncheon with Eric Deegan, an NPR TV critic and author of Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.

Black History Month inspires UT clubs and students with events and education Leah Foreman Contributing Writer leah.foreman@spartans.ut.edu

In celebration of Black History Month, UT has several events planned, including an MLK Day of Service, a Black Student Union Stroll-Off, and a talk by Eric Deegan, NPR’s first full-time TV critic and author of Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.

The month of February is dedicated to recognizing the achievements made by black Americans and celebrating their role in history. It is the month that includes the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

To celebrate Black History Month here at UT, there are several events that pay tribute to the contributions made by black people to our society and to encourage the black community of UT. Feb. 5 -10 is also the Black Student Union’s (BSU) celebration of Black History Month.

BSU kicked off the week with an open mic night in Vaughn lobby on Feb. 6. Over a dozen people performed dances, songs and original poetry.

The Black History Month Luncheon is on Feb. 10 from 12-2 p.m. in the Sword and Shield room in Martinez. It is presented by the Diversity Fellowship of UT and Deegan will discuss how the media portrays race and culture. In his book, Deegan discusses how prejudice, sexism and racism fuel some of the elements of modern media. Visit OrgSync to RSVP. The MLK Day of Service presented by the PEACE Volunteer Center is Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in

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Vaughn Courtyard. The event is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the service he performed by working for civil rights and equality. In that same spirit, the event honors Dr. King and Black History Month by coming together to serve local non-profit organizations such as Metropolitan Ministries, Zaksee Florida Bird Sanctuary, Habitat for Humanity and Glazer Children’s Museum.

Register on OrgSync and for more information, email peacecommunity@ut.edu.

On Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in Cass Gym is the BSU Stroll-Off, the dance competition that involves various organizations on campus. The cost is $5 in advance and $7 at the door. For any questions about this event or any of the others presented by the BSU of UT, email BSU.uoftampa@gmail.com or visit OrgSync.

“I want to go Black History Luncheon on the 10th to hear the speaker,” said Toni Jones, a senior writing major.

“It relates to my major and I want to learn how to better analyze the more insulting aspects of the news for the message they are hiding beneath.”

In addition to participating in the events to celebrate Black History Month, some students celebrate by educating the campus about their culture so others can understand and better appreciate black individuals for their contributions to society.

To educate the campus about Black History Month, Jones shares facts about black people on Facebook every day.

There are 10 everyday items that many people do not know were invented by black people: traffic lights, potato chips, the United States Postal Service collection box, blood banks for donating blood, refrigerated trucks for transporting

perishable foods, closed-circuit tv, 3D special effects, the touch-tone phone, laser cataract surgery and the super soaker water gun, according to The Huffington Post.

“As a black woman, I enjoy these facts all year,” Jones said. “I just get to share them with the rest of society for a month.”

Like Jones, many other students use Black History Month to teach others about how black people have benefitted society today.

“I plan on educating individuals on black history and constantly appreciating what black people have done for America and culture,” said Tiana Benoit, a freshman cybersecurity major and member of the BSU. Benoit has been educating individuals by posting tidbits of information to her Snapchat story, such as quotes from famous and accomplished black people.

One of the quotes Benoit shared to her Snapchat was, “We’ve been floating this country on credit for centuries and we’re done watching and waiting while this invention called whiteness uses us and abuses us, burying black people --out of sight and out of mind-- while extracting our culture, our dollars, our entertainment like oil, black gold, ghettoizing and demeaning our creations then stealing them, gentrifying our geniuses and then trying us on like costumes before discarding our bodies like rinds of strained fruit. The thing is though… the thing is that just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real,” originally said by Jesse Williams.

The quote references the struggles black people have overcome and continue to persevere through.

NEWS

Resist Trump every Tuesday at Marco Rubio’s Tampa office Rich Taddonio Contributing Writer rich.taddonio@spartans.ut.edu

A group of about 50 people formed a rally in front of Senator Marco Rubio’s Tampa office on West Kennedy Boulevard on Tuesday, Jan. 31. They were there to protest President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, policies, and his recent executive order banning immigrants and refugees from seven countries. The rally was part of Resist Trump Tuesdays and the protesters plan to be there every Tuesday for as long as they can, according to the event’s Facebook page.

Demonstrators carried signs with messages like “Resist Trump” and “We Are Watching & We Will Not Be Silent,” while chanting “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here.” Along with demonstrating their discontent with Trump, his cabinet picks and his policies, the protesters also hoped to express their opinions and share personal stories with Senator Rubio face-to-face.

“There are some folks who have very personal experiences with or personal reasons why they don’t agree with [Trump’s] cabinet picks,” Lori Hulvey, organizer of the rally said. “Lots of folks who feel that Jeff Sessions’ checkered past with civil rights and African Americans is reason enough that he should not be allowed in.”

Sessions has received media coverage for opposing immigration reform, including legal immigration, and his career as a politician was almost ended in the late 1980s when he was called out for joking about the Klu Klux Klan and using the n-word. He was rejected from a federal judge position during the Reagan administration for wrongly prosecuting black political activists.

Along with his cabinet picks, demonstrators at the rally were also protesting President Trump’s recent executive order, which bans citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for a period of 90 days, as well as suspends the refugee system for 120 days.

Sophia Ral, a protester who has family in Iran, said she fears for her family’s safety, as well as her own, even though she is a legal U.S. citizen.

“This is personal to me. This is my country, my family,” Ral said. “It’s discrimination and it’s definitely unconstitutional.”

Photo by Rich Taddonio/The Minaret RESISTORS: Protestors shout “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here” outside of Senator Marco Rubio’s Tampa office on Tuesday, Jan. 31 as part of Resist Trump Tuesdays. Over 50 people gathered to protest President Trump’s new immigration order and cabinet picks.

Several protesters were at the rally, Hulvey said, in the hopes of telling Senator Rubio about how the Affordable Care Act has improved their lives. Congress Republicans announced intentions to repeal it after the election of President Trump. Senator Rubio was not at his office to speak with protesters, but his staffer, Shauna Johnson, was at the edge of the crowd listening to individuals voice their concerns.

Despite the cooperative efforts by Johnson, Senator Rubio voiced his feelings on the demonstrators and other recent movements against President Trump, like the Women’s March, in a comment obtained through his press secretary Matt Wolking via email: “There is a deliberate, all-out effort to slow down all of the president’s cabinet appointments.”

Wolking also included in the email a statement from Senator Rubio regarding his position on the Affordable Care Act, which was published in a press release Jan. 17.

“ObamaCare has led to rising premiums, a collapse of the individual insurance market and fewer choices for patients,” Senator Rubio said in the statement released by his office.

“The law is an absolute failure and its proponents insist it must be salvaged with a taxpayer-funded bailout of health insurance companies.”

The demonstration was a part of Resist Trump Tuesdays, a national movement coordinated by an organization called MoveOn. Although the demonstrations are not directly related, the movement gained a lot of momentum from the Women’s March on Jan. 21, and saw the number of participants in Resist Trump Tuesdays surge as a result.

“With the Women’s March being so successful, people are saying, ‘What can I do; where can I go?’” Hulvey said.

Despite Senator Rubio’s belief that the protests are attempting to delay cabinet appointments, some think the demonstrations are not making much of a difference.

“I’m not exactly sure how much good it is going to do,” said Dylan Seidle, a senior government and world affairs and writing major.

Seidle went on to say that even though he doesn’t think the protests will do much to change cabinet picks and executive orders, he believes in the right to protest.

“When you’re unhappy with what your government is doing, voicing your discontent is always the way to go,” Seidle said.

CAMPUS CRIMES THAT DIDN’T REGISTER

USE THE FORCE

SCIENTOLOGY?

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

On Jan. 30 at 1:30 p.m., a student’s vehicle registration sticker was stolen from his car at an off-campus location.

On Jan. 31 at 12:00 a.m., a student was trapped in an elevator. It was determined that they had attempted to force the doors open, causing it to malfunction.

On Jan. 31 at 6:44 p.m., a student filed a delayed report concerning an encounter with a non-student who claimed to be a member of the Church of Scientology.

On Feb. 5 at 1:53 a.m., three students were referred to Student Conduct for an off-campus incident. Two of them were also found with fake drivers’ licenses.

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

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NEWS

Photo by Liz MacLean/The Minaret RECOVER: Nicholle Bates, a UT graduate, is the founder of the new club, University of Tampa Recovery Community, along with Gina Firth, associate dean of Wellness. The club is dedicated to helping those struggling with addiction.

New club aims to help students struggling with substance abuse Liz MacLean News Editor liz.maclean@theminaretonline.com

Two UT graduates have created the first on-campus organization for students who are struggling with addiction: the University of Tampa Recovery Community (UTRC).

They developed a comprehensive plan for the club, which includes steps on how to create a community, educate members and gain support from the university. The club is now holding meetings and preparing for a semester of support and healing.

Gina Firth, associate dean of wellness, has been trying to create a student-based recovery community at UT for 10 years. Finally, in late 2016, she met two students who were up to the task.

Nicholle Bates, who graduated from UT in Dec. 2016 and is one of the founders of UTRC, struggled with substance abuse herself. So did the other founder, who would like to remain anonymous because he doesn’t want to risk his job.

When Bates came to UT, knew she needed a support group on campus to keep her moving in the right direction.

“You have to build a community,” Bates said. “You have to build a safe space. We want to create an alternative: ‘Hey, here are people just like me who understand what I’m going through.’”

Both of the UTRC founders knew this couldn’t be just another organization run by the Dickey Health and Wellness Center. It had to be run by students and it had to offer a sense of security.

“Anonymity is one huge thing in this community that

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we do,” Bates said. “What is said in our safe environment doesn’t leave the room. It’s not going out to your girl friends or your guy friends; it stays here.”

UTRC is modeled after the college recovery community, which has been successfully used at other universities like Texas Tech and the University of Texas, Austin. It involves a 12-step program to help students struggling with addiction, along with a supportive community for students to engage with one another and help each other through the process.

USF has their own recovery community, and UTRC will share a master calendar with them. They will go on the same outings and attend special events together in order to grow the support system and recovery community. USF started with only three people, and there are now 18 to 20 members. Bates hopes that UTRC grows in a similar way.

“Now we’re just building our community,” Bates said.

“It’s a day-to-day process. We have our long-term goal, but right now it’s making sure that everyone feels safe in the environment.”

Once UTRC grows in size, Bates and Firth plan to take members out into the Tampa community and perform service for those in need. Two organizations they are hoping to volunteer for are Trinity Cafe, which serves meals to those who can’t afford them, and The Well, which helps impoverished people in the Ybor area find jobs and equips them with food and other essentials. They will also host events like rollerskating, dinner outings, celebrations, guest speakers and movie nights.

“It’s important when you’re in that recovery process to rebuild your social skills and learn that having fun doesn’t have to involve mood-altering substances,” Firth said.

“Providing that outlet and opportunity to have fun is so important.”

Although UTRC meetings will only be for students who have been addicted or are currently addicted to drugs or alcohol, people who are recovery-friendly will be able to attend open events and community service opportunities with the members.

The meeting times and locations are not made known to the public. Instead, students who are interested in coming to a meeting or speaking to one of the club founders can call 240-457-1141 or email utamparecovery@gmail.com. Bates says that anyone interested in joining who may not feel comfortable attending a meeting can meet separately with her until they are ready to talk with the other members.

She hopes that friends of students who are suffering from addiction will also reach out to the club so they can work together with the goal of recovery.

Although UTRC just became an official organization, they have already held two meetings, the last of which had seven attendees. In their meetings, UTRC members will discuss relapse prevention, how to build a positive support system, methods of resolving conflict, any spiritual or emotional issues members may be having, and all-around wellness of meeting attendees. Bates and Firth are confident that their one official member will turn into many more as the semester progresses.

“Someone reached out to us last week,” Bates said. “It’s not about how many people are in the room. We want to make the difference. It’s about their recovery and our recovery, at the end of the day. If I can help one person today, at least I did something to make a difference.”

NEWS

Photo courtesy of Ramon Berrios/Facebook NEW GENERATION: Ramon Berrios, who dropped out of UT in 2014, learned to cope with his ADHD and created a number of successful entrepreneurial ventures. One project is Next Gen Summit, a worldwide conference for young entrepreneurs.

UT dropout succeeds as entrepreneur and motivational speaker Neva Warren Contributing Writer neva.warren@spartans.ut.edu

Former UT student Ramon Berrios has had massive success in the business world. He created an event called “Next Gen Summit,” during which he hosted a panel of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. After that, he created his first retail business, an event venue in Puerto Rico, which he gave to his mother as a gift. He then started his own software business, which helps companies grow their Instagram accounts (and which works with prominent names like Four Seasons Hotels and Hard Rock Hotels). Now, he is currently creating his second software company, a communication company, and third retail business, a marijuana dispensary in Puerto Rico. Berrios succeeded in doing all this without a college degree and with a learning disorder.

Berrios was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in third grade. ADHD affects the parts of the brain controlling attention, concentration, impulsivity, activity levels and memory.

“ADHD is something I need to manage running a software company and launching two other businesses at the same time,” Berrios said. “ADHD has also helped me a lot on a social level, which has made me develop a unique networking skill. This has helped me build a very powerful network and be fearless when it comes to negotiations.”

After years of struggling with the medication that stunted his growth, he decided to go off it. When he started

at The University of Tampa as a marketing major in 2010, he discovered that college was difficult for a student with ADHD. “I have a very short attention span, so paying attention in class was very difficult,” Berrios said. “I had a block with classes that were related to numbers and those classes were a real emotional struggle for me.”

For Berrios, coming to college helped him learn to cope with his disorder as much as possible without medication.

He said beginning college is when his life really turned for the best.

“With college, I started to see things differently,” Berrios said. “I became mature enough to control myself in a classroom without a pill.”

Berrios decided to use self-help literature to help his ADHD, which he says has worked for him, although it doesn’t work for everyone.

After going to college and studying marketing for six years, the classroom experience proved too difficult for him, so Berrios dropped out in his final semester at UT in 2014.

“The fact that I couldn’t pass accounting, statistics and finance are what made me drop out of college in my senior year,” Berrios said. “That’s when I decided to make the leap and design my own future.”

Berrios’s main goal now is helping other students with ADHD overcome the challenges imposed by social norms. He does public speaking and encourages students with ADHD to focus less on the degree and more on the education.

“If there is a topic in which you’re interested and your

school doesn’t offer it, don’t abandon it,” Berrios said. “There is no such thing as too much knowledge.”

Berrios has used this philosophy to fuel his public speaking appearances. He says that learning to cope with his ADHD has helped him on his road to success.

“I often used self help books, YouTube videos, and business podcasts in my commute,” Berrios said on his methods of coping. “This was all derived from meditation and learning to fall in love with the process rather than the outcome.”

Mark Citron, a friend of Berrios, graduated from UT in 2015 with a communication major and business minor.

Citron also struggles with ADHD. He uses some of the same coping methods as Berrios, like meditation, but unlike Berrios, Citron also takes medication.

“Medication. My goodness. I could go on all day about it,” Citron said. “I need it. Can’t live without it.”

Citron also accepted the extended test taking time offered by disability services. He took a very different approach to managing his ADHD, and acknowledges that every person is unique and medication was a good fit for himself but wrong for Berrios.

“I couldn’t study unless I was an a isolated area away from the library,” Citron said of the difficulties caused by his disorder. “Too much distraction would reel me off track.”

Despite the setbacks that ADHD has caused him, Berrios is thankful for it.

“I can’t imagine my life without ADHD,” Berrios said.

“And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

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Raving at the Ritz:

EDM keeps Ybor nightlife alive

Photo Courtesy of Cassi Manners/The Minaret

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FEB.9.2017 THE MINARET

A+E Arden Igleheart News Editor arden.igleheart@theminaretonline.com Cassi Manner & Mauricio Rich Contributing Writers cassandra.manner@spartans.ut.edu mauricio.rich@spartans.ut.edu Bass blaring, lasers flashing, fans head-banging – this is The Ritz Ybor.

Seven Lions, one of the biggest electronic dance music DJs to come to Tampa this year performed at the Ritz Ybor on Jan. 27. The sold-out event also featured local artists Blunts & Blondes, Smugglr, and Winta, attracting UT students and others from Tampa’s growing EDM scene.

Tampa’s EDM scene is unique to other cities in Florida for the diversity of subgenres that it exhibits, according to Alex Schamback, production manager for the Ritz Ybor and for Sunset Music Festival.

Tampa, he said, is the second biggest city in the state behind Miami for EDM events. Tampa hosts Sunset Music Festival, which began in 2012, every year in Raymond James Stadium.

Big names perform in Tampa every year. In 2014, Skrillex performed at Hogan’s beach, and Zedd performed in 2015 at the USF’s Sun Dome.

Schamback expects the popularity of EDM to grow, especially in Tampa, and partially credits artists like The Chainsmokers, who get a lot of radio play, for promoting the genre.

“A lot of people like to say that it’s in a bubble and the bubble’s going to pop, but I’ve been doing this for over five years now and everybody’s been saying that and it’s only gotten larger and larger,” Schamback said.

Breandan Carroll, a senior film and media arts major, was at Seven Lions’ show at the Ritz and also saw them last year at Sunset Music Festival.

“The show was absolutely incredible,” Carroll said about the Ritz Ybor show. “I saw him back at Sunset 2016 and was blown away as he closed out the trance stage on day one. It was a life changing experience.

When I heard he was coming to the Ritz I was actually kind of nervous that he maybe wouldn’t be good as I’d hoped for, but he completely shattered expectations.”

Carroll attended the show with friends who were not big fans of Seven Lions like Carroll, but by the end of the show, Carroll’s friends were just as impressed by the performance.

Seven Lions is known for performing a variety of EDM subgenres, such as trance, characterised by a pounding beat and repetitive melody; dubstep, characterised by a heavy emphasis on the bass; and more. Omar Lopez, a sophomore business major, is a fan of Seven Lions and was drawn to EDM because of the diversity that the music displays.

“It’s because it’s such a mixed genre,” Lopez said.

“For example, I was listening to an interview with Calvin Harris and he was explaining about how his songwriting is affected by so many different genres.

It’s a big combination; he would listen to tracks from the ‘60s like The Beatles and use those melodies, try to convert them into dance music with R&B. It’s powerful, it has emotion, and it combines the old and the new.”

Mike Guard, a local EDM DJ who goes by the stage

name Blunts & Blondes, opened for Seven Lions at that event.

Guard said that Tampa’s EDM fans have a particular enthusiasm unlike people from other cities.

“Every time I go out to any show, anywhere, I’m approached by a Tampa fan,” Guard said.

Guard will continue to open for festival headliners like Tchami, Excision, Slander, Cash Cash and more in the upcoming weeks at the Ritz Ybor.

Tampa’s EDM scene is popular, but it has been met with its fair share of critics. Last year, of the roughly 30,000 people that attended, two people died at Sunset Music Festival due to ecstasy use, and 57 people at the festival were hospitalized.

“Obviously, that type of music tends to attract a certain type of fan that engages in certain types of drugs,” Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn told the Tampa Bay Times in May 2016.

Disco Donnie Presents, the company that operates SMF, issued a statement after the deaths were announced. The Minaret reached out to Schamback but he would not comment on this issue.

“Any loss of life is a tragedy and we extend our deepest heartfelt condolences,” the statement said. “The health, safety and welfare of our fans and community are Sunset Music Festival’s top priority and we take extensive measures to create a safe environment.”

Guard, however, feels particularly at home when he

is performing in Tampa.

“It’s amazing how much love Tampa shows me,” Guard said. “Nobody turns up like Tampa.”

Future EDM events in Tampa: Green Velvet District 3, Feb. 10 at 10 p.m. $25-$35 Excision The Ritz Ybor, Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. $46-$50 Slander The Ritz Ybor, Feb 17 at 10 p.m. $15 Dash Berlin The Ritz Ybor, March 10 at 9 p.m. $31.50 Cash Cash- Must be the Money Tour The Ritz Ybor, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. $15

Photo Courtesy of Seven Lions/Facebook LIONS: DJ Seven Lions is one of the many artists to pump up the crowd as fans sweat and dance the night away. The popular venue in Ybor City has a number of performers lined up to continue bringing some great tunes.

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The biggest celebration on Earth

Photo courtesy of Chris Phutully/flickr NEW YEAR: What many may not know is that the lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the date of Chinese New Year. Each stage represents different animals, whose meanings and importance vary from each other, some taking the zodiac signs for each year very seriousl and often taking their preferences into consideration when planning to have a child .

Veronica Sansur Contributing Writer mvsansurzapata@spartans.ut.edu It is a celebration that never stops. Big cities are filled with colorful parades, food, drinks, fireworks, lights, music and dances that brings joy to people. Imagine all this for more than a week. Believe it or not, this is how the Chinese celebrate their New Year.

Also known as the “Spring Festival,” the 4715 year that corresponds to the rooster began on Jan. 28. According to Chinese mythology, those born in the rooster’s year are talented, hardworking, brave and creative people. Per Chinese calendar, this year will be a year to seek prosperity and justice.

Mathematics instructor Antony Cheng was born and raised in Taiwan. He explained that the lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the date of Chinese New Year. Each stage represents different animals, whose meanings and importance vary from each other.

“The 12 animals have their own meaning and characteristic. If you talk about the tiger, which I am, it means strong and mighty,” said Cheng. “There are always some preferences, people always set up when they have a kid to be born in a year of dragon.”

To Chinese, the dragon signifies wisdom, power and wealth. One of the most important and popular parades is the dance of the lion and dragon, characterized by the red and gold. In Chinese communities around the world,

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the red and gold colors represent the signature of China’s first empire, which keep the celebrations alive and bring brightness to the streets.

“The red means joy and celebration, so it has always been very popular for other celebrations in China,” Cheng said.

“The gold is more royal and kingship so people like to mix those colors while they celebrate.”

Traditionally, children would be given red envelopes stuffed with “lucky money” and positive wishes. Assistant Professor of Communication Harrison Gong, from the Communication department, lived most of his childhood in Shanghai. To him, this practice represents “the beauty of the holiday.” As a child, Gong remembers how the youngest family members received money instead of toys in his native country.

“You are supposed to put the money underneath your pillow for a day or two, then you can go and expend the money as you want,” Gong said. “So instead of kids saying that they want something from Santa, they always get the red pocket from somebody older than them. You cannot give a red pocket to somebody who is older, that is really offensive.”

Throughout all the days, there are several traditions that Chinese follow for this festivity. Nevertheless, celebration of the New Year cannot end without the Lantern Festival, where children use lanterns to illuminate the darkness of the night.

Mengyuan Zheng, a graduate student studying accounting and a native of China, said that this festival

always brings brightness to any city celebrating in China.

This year, the festival will fall on Feb.11.

“There are a lot of fireworks as well, in many places we have these light shows, where there are a lot of lights in shape of flowers, dragons and pretty figures,” Zheng said.

“My best memories are always going to be those lanterns, as a kid it was so beautiful to see how they fly in the sky.

Photo courtesy of Choo Yut Shing/flickr

CELEBRATE: The year of the rooster can be seen an exciting one as the rooster represents punctuality, beauty and independence.

A+E

Battling Star Wars bandwagoners

Photos Courtesy of Julia Albini/The Minaret STAR WARS: (above) Julia Albini embraces her love of Star Wars and stands ready to defend against any who dare insult the franchise. There are many who have never seen the movies and she is one of the ardent fans who seeks to save them from the Dark side and help them become one with the Force.

Ivy Velazquez A&E Editor ivy.velazquez@theminaretonline.com With the release of Rogue One this past December and the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi to come on Dec. 15, the franchise is as successful as ever. However, despite its 40 years of success and overall popularity, there are still those who have never seen any of the movies. There are still those who do not know who Luke Skywalker is, what the Force is and probably think a lightsaber is little more than a glorified flashlight.

One might wonder, how is this even possible? To say that someone has never watched Star Wars is almost comparable to saying they’ve never heard of iconic stories like Cinderella or Snow White. Well believe it or not, there are those who just never got around to it or were simply never interested in the movies.

“I am not into sci-fi and I don’t really watch movies that often. I guess my family never was into it and so it was kind of like a bandwagon thing,” said Emily Sanner, a sophomore biology major.

Despite not having seen the movies, Sanner did say that she knows some of the characters, like Chewbacca, Leia, Darth Vader, as well as the iconic phrase “Luke, I am your father” (though any real fan of the movies will tell you how even that is wrong).

However, this does not stop her from occasionally getting crap from friends when they discover that she has, indeed, not seen the movies. She’ll get people telling her that she’s crazy, though she said that no one has been particularly mean about it.

Sanner did admit that if the chance came with a group of friends to watch the movies, she would take it. However, she doesn’t see herself watching it on her own. She is one of the few though. There are those who have absolutely no interest in ever watching the movies and most likely never will.

Many hardcore “geeks” of Star Wars tend to get offended when they discover that someone dare not to have seen the movies they so love. “I would call them Bantha Fodder and they would be so rattled by the fact that they don’t know what that means that they would have to go watch every movie to find out,” Nathan Bleckley, a sophomore biology major, said There are exceptions, such as senior criminology major Shelley Gress. “I guess I would be a little offended but ultimately I don’t really care, it’s their decision,” said Gress, who grew up watching the movies. However, she is among the minority.

According to thenumbers.com, the Star Wars franchise has a total accumulated worldwide box office of $7,595,193,305, making it one of the most successful to ever grace the big screen. So to say that one has not watched the movies or that they refuse to ever even give them a chance is quite outrageous.

Is it so hard to just pop in one of the movies? It doesn’t even have to be one of the classics (though it really should be), just something so that you may have an actual opinion on whether or not you like the movies. Because saying something is stupid when you’ve never even tried watching it is just ridiculous.

Don’t knock it until you try it.

Photo courtesy of pixabay

VADAR: Even Darth Vadar does not want those who’ve never seen the film to vear to the dark side.

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

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THE VALENTINE’S DAY ISSUE You a

re ju s

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n o i t c e n My con u is with yo an h t r e g stron fi i w T U e th

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r o f e k o r a b s ’ o e r o T e h o s e , h s t r f e o flow cut out r I e p d r a a p c l o o h sc

Happy Valentine’s Day to the per son I text when I’m dr unk

Roses are red, Chocolate is pricey Use our cards and... things might get spicey!

COVER

Celebrating during every relationship stage Flirtationship/Hooking Up:

“I would probably just get them like the regular box of chocolate, maybe a little teddy bear. Depending how deep you’re going to get. [I would not expect a gift], personally, I feel Valentine’s Day is just for the girls.” - Kevin Ospino, sophomore management information systems major

Dating (< 1 month): “I would take [someone I’ve been dating less than a month] to dinner, movies. Someplace fancy.” Mario Villavicencio, senior film major.

Relationship (1 - 6 months):

SEX ED. 101

Where students had sex on campus (and got away with it) These quotes and stories are kept anonymous for the students’ privacy.

Starbuck’s study room - junior “It was 4 a.m., I pulled an all-nighter, turned the lights off. I had brought a blanket. A guy that was cleaning came by and we just froze.”

Student Government office - junior

“Hopefully you know your human well enough by then to know what they like, so if you have somebody who appreciates acts of service more, like a massage. I don’t think there’s like a cookie cutter gift that you can give them, but I think something that’s really thoughtful [is a gift that is] kind of an undertone of your relationship so that they see that you’re recognizing that and paying attention to them.”

- Dan Holahan, junior entrepreneurship major

Relationship (> 6 months): “[I would expect] dinner, a card, flowers and/or chocolate, and jewelry. Valentine’s Day is the day you celebrate love and affection so you should do it up.” - Jordan Hessinger, senior psychology major “I guess it’s kinda hard because [my boyfriend] lives kind of far, but I expect to get at least a card.

Hopefully, I’ll get like a bear or like chocolate because I love chocolate, he knows that. I already sent him this book that he wanted to read. I know what he likes and just like showing him I know what he likes. I got him like Hot Cheetos, too, because he likes that.” - Sheri Warner, freshman media productions major “Normally, a night out by ourselves. Dinner and a movie or something. Reservations. [My girlfriend and I] are pretty chill, I guess.” - Dan Howell, junior management information systems major

Plant Hall generator - sophomore “The higher the risk, the greater the sex.”

Library second floor study room - junior West parking garage - senior “Whilst singing Elton John.”

Lacrosse field - junior “Didn’t have sex but gave a bj behind the lax field.

Lowest moment of my life.”

Palm Apartments janitor’s closet - junior “Don’t put your leg on the mop bucket, it won’t support your weight.”

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Photos by Bianca Lopez/The Minaret Models: Mason Whitlam and Gabriela Curtis

COVER

Your Valentine’s Day on your budget Under $10/person: • • •

Catch a new movie in an old-fashioned way at Funlan Drive-in movie theater (2302 E Hillsborough Ave) **for bonus points take a truck and fill the bed with blankets and pillows for the movie!

Cook dinner at home or decorate your significant other’s room/apartment McDonald’s, because chicken nuggets are the way to her heart

• • •

Share a milkshake and burgers at Goody Goody in Hyde Park Have a heart-shaped cake at Portillo’s (2102 E Fowler Ave) Experience a new way to eat ice cream at Snobachi (2206 E 7th Ave)

• • •

Get dressed up for brunch at Oxford Exchange - no driving required Skip the steak and go straight to the dessert room at Bern’s on SOHO Head to International Plaza and enjoy a nice dinner at Brio or Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen

$10-$15/person: $15-$20/person:

$20 or more/person: • • •

Indulge in cocktails and fine cuisine at On Swann Enjoy the water views at Jackson’s Bistro and stay late for a memorable nightclub experience on Saturday night (601 S Harbour Island Blvd) Dine at Capitol Grille in International Plaza if you’re really looking to ball out

Advice:

“How can couples celebrate valentine’s day in a long distance relationship?”

Carissa Economos Opinion Editor carissa.economos@theminaretonline.com

Valentine’s Day for those in long distance relationships can sometimes leave you feeling single even when you have somebody to love.

Although there is nothing like physically being with the one you love, there are ways to celebrate this special day when being apart.

FaceTime Date Technology makes long distance much easier.

FaceTime is as easy as making a phone call, and if bae is #TeamAndroid, Skype works just the same.

Put on a nice outfit, do your hair, and look your best for your virtual date, your boo will love it!

Who knows, maybe things will get a little hot and steamy ;) Send Valentines Everyone loves getting care packages in college,

so why not send a Valentine’s box to your sweetie?

Send them a gift and a love-filled card to show them how much you care, maybe even through in a nude or two.

Surprise Pizza Nothing says “I love you” like a large, cheesy pizza. Order a pizza online and have it delivered to your partner as a surprise. If you’re really trying to send a message, be sure to get extra pineapple on top.

Watch the same Rom-Com Netflix and Chill is at its prime on V-Day, so plan a movie party with your honey. Select your favorite romantic comedy and push play at the same time. For added closeness, live text the whole movie, commenting on the flick and talking trash on every character.

No matter the distance, as long as you’re acknowledging bae on their day, you can’t go wrong.

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

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COVER

Photo by Harsh Rokad/The Minaret SELF LOVE: Junior Kiko Ikeda sits by the water in Plant Park holding her hands in a heart for Valentine’s Day. In the past, February 14 was a day for couples, but now singles are owning it.

Valentine’s Day is for the single ladies, too Faith Ponti Contributing Writer faith.ponti@spartans.ut.edu

I didn’t have my first kiss until I was 18 years old. 18. High school was a confusing, puberty-filled, acne-enveloped nightmare in which I was terrified of boys and in which they were likely terrified of me. As other girls were given teddy bears, singing grams and roses every Valentine’s Day from baseball or football players, I sat across the cafeteria, eating alone, watching with boiling envy and inescapable self-loathing. I witnessed homecoming requests and “promposals” fill my Facebook feed, knowing that they would never be for me; I didn’t go to any school dances save my freshman homecoming, to which I went alone and wore way too much black eye shadow (seriously, mom, why didn’t you stop me?). As my friends’ love lives were budding and growing, I felt mine become more and more stagnant every day. I didn’t know what it felt like to have a boy “like like” me. I didn’t know how to hold hands.

French kissing was a concept only seen in movies.

I felt inexperienced, uninteresting, unlikable and unattractive…constantly.

I remember confiding these hyper-hormonal feelings to one of my teachers and role models at the time. She taught my favorite class and let me make cell phone calls in her office during school hours, so

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we were pretty tight. I expressed to her my intense jealousy over the other girls in school. I told her how I wished I could be prettier. I asked her why boys didn’t want to be with me. I cried. She hugged me.

And then, my happily-married role model told me something I would never forget; something that, to this day, I still use to encourage myself and my friends when unattached. She told me how, though she got

“It feels appropriate to remind

my single friends and readers how absolutely valid you are, how incredibly made up this holiday is and how much fun you can have if you stop hating your single life.

Own it! Love it!” married in her late 20s, she wished she’d had five more single years to herself. That she envied the single women around her at the time. How she wish she’d traveled alone before traveling with a partner, learned more about herself before saying yes to someone else, figured out her spirituality before entering a sacred union. She was jealous of single women.

What?! Being in a relationship isn’t the most magical, flawless state in which one can be? Getting married isn’t always the best thing ever? Being single

doesn’t have to be a nightmare? In that one short conversation, my teacher taught me that being single could be a serious blessing if treated correctly. It can be a time to pamper and get to know yourself in ways that are more difficult while in a relationship. It can help you gain the kind of independence that allows you to live a fruitful life regardless of your attachment status. It can bring to light your true passions before putting someone else’s first. Being single could, in essence, be the most important time of your short life.

I don’t want to be a hypocrite; I am currently in a stellar relationship with someone I am very much in love with and would like to be with for a very long time. But, as Valentine’s Day approaches, it feels appropriate to remind my single friends and readers how absolutely valid you are, how incredibly made up this holiday is and how much fun you can have if you stop hating your single life. Own it! Love it! Kiss everyone or no one! Ask four boys out on Valentine’s Day then cancel on all but one of them! Or go to dinner with your best friend in the whole world and color coordinate your outfits! Buy some chocolate and relish in the fact that you don’t have to share! The world is quite literally (but not literally at all) your oyster—there are no conditions that have to be met.

You can paint the town whatever color you’d like.

You’re single, you lucky dog. Go do whatever the hell you want this Valentine’s Day.

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DIVERSIONS ON CAMPUS

OFF CAMPUS

FEB 9

FEB 12

Sykes Chapel 8 p.m.

Free

Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg 4:30 p.m.

Free, outdoor

Full Moon Meditation

FEB 10

Black History Month Luncheon Sword and Shield Room 12 p.m.

Free RSVP

FEB 14

Self Love Open Mic Night

Sykes Chapel 8 p.m.

Free

SUDOKU

Romeo & Juliet â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;96 Movie

FEB 14

Vow Renewal & Sleepless in Seattle Tampa Theatre 7:30 p.m. $10

FEB 14

Jon Bon Jovie Amalie Arena 7:30 p.m. $39+

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COLORING CORNER

STUDENT SUBMISSIONS "TRIPPING DOWN"

-Bay Simpson, senior graphic design major

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THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

OPINION

Who’s new in the White House: Trump’s apointees spark controversy

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr YOU’RE HIRED: President Trump has begun appointing new members to his Cabinet as well as removing White House staff that he deems unfit. A number of his replacements have sparked national controversy.

Bill Delehunt Contributing Writer william.delehunt@spartans.ut.edu It is almost impossible to keep up with the puzzling, bizarre and bewildering actions and positions taken by the Trump White House. The Minaret only publishes once a week, and there’s so much to cover. Here’s an abbreviated version of what’s happened recently.

During the 2008 Republican primaries, former Texas governor Rick Perry said, in a nationally televised debate, that he wanted to eliminate three departments from the federal government. Unfortunately, he had trouble keeping his three key government agencies in mind. Here’s the transcript, thanks to the Los Angeles Times, “It’s three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: Commerce, Education and -- the, uh -- what’s the third one there? Let’s see ...” Perry said. Take two. “Commerce, Education, and -- uh. The, uh ...” Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney tried to assist. “EPA?” “EPA! There you go,” Perry said, laughing (at least on the outside). Moderator John Harwood pressed Perry: Was it really the EPA he was looking for? “No, sir. No, sir.” Take three. “I would do away with Education. The, uh, Commerce. And let’s see.

I can’t. The third one, I can’t,” he said. “Oops.” This was known as Perry’s “oops” moment and it effectively ended his presidential bid. The cabinet position Perry wanted to eliminate was the Secretary of Energy.

In 2015, President Trump, while still Candidate Trump, ridiculed former Texas Governor Rick Perry as not too intelligent. He mocked Perry for now wearing glasses, hinting that Perry was attempting to appear smarter than he was, and implying the lenses were simply untreated

glass. Now, President Trump has nominated the “nottoo-bright” Rick Perry to be Secretary of Energy, the department Governor Perry wanted to eliminate in 2008.

Apparently, Governor Perry has learned the Department of Energy is more helpful and more complicated than he’d thought a decade ago. For the record, the Department of Energy spends 60 percent of its budget maintaining and certifying the nuclear weapons arsenal of the United States.

As the Daily Beast pointed out, Governor Perry will follow President Obama’s two Energy Secretaries, Nobel Prize winning physicist Steven Chu and MIT physicist Ernest Moniz. According to his bachelor’s degree transcript from Texas A&M, Governor Perry took chemistry four times, getting two Cs, a D and an F. An Animal Husbandry major in college, Perry also got a D in a course entitled, “Meats.”

Apparently, Governor Oops needs a strong prescription for his fake eyewear.

President Trump has also made some changes to the National Security Council (NSC), baffling and angering some in the military community. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) has been removed as a member of the NSC, although he may be required to attend if the subject in question is within his purview. Each branch of the military has a Chief of Staff that is the highest ranking four-star general in that branch. Above those four-star generals, who comprise the Joint Chiefs, sits a military officer even higher in rank: The Chairman. He is, by law, the principle military advisor to the President of the United States. But, President Trump apparently does not need this man’s advice on matters of National Security. National. Security.

You are probably hard pressed to think of a national security issue that does NOT require some input from the military. Disease outbreak threatens the U.S? Former President Barack Obama sent members of the military to Africa to help local governments deal with an outbreak of Ebola. Natural disasters? When hurricanes strike the

U.S, or volcanoes erupt, the military responds, often, but not always, in the form of the National Guard. How could removing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs from the National Security Council possibly improve the security of the United States?

In addition to dissing the Chairman, President Trump says he no longer needs the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to sit on the NSC. The DNI, established in 2004 by former President George W. Bush, serves as an umbrella for the 17 intelligence agencies of the U.S. government. Having all the intel agencies reporting to a single official ensures they work in concert instead of at odds with each other.

In place of both the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump has placed Steve Bannon on the NSC. Bannon was the chief of Brietbart News Network and is a strong proponent of the “alternative right (alt-right)”, a thinly disguised white nationalist movement. Bannon ran the Trump presidential campaign and has long been a political advisor to the current president. He was a junior officer in the United States Navy, which really isn’t equitable to the 40 years of military experience that General Joseph Dunford, the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has.

Now, President Trump has a NSC that is devoid of intelligence, and he has blocked the highest ranking members of the military from being involved. The nuclear arsenal is under the direction of an unqualified individual in Bannon; even the president who appointed him to the senior security post has called into question his intelligence. Imagine for a moment if Obama had done this.

Conservatives would have blown a gasket. Instead, with Trump, they meekly nod. Is there a world leader who would benefit from the dumbing down and military emasculation of the NSC? Yes there is. His name is Vladimir Putin.

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

19

OPINION

Americans concerned after two weeks of executive action from Trump 20

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons .

OPINION Bill Delehunt

Contributing Writer

william.delehunt@spartans.ut.edu Donald Trump has been in office for two weeks. Let’s take a quick look at what he’s done.

Trump has threatened to invade Mexico. From a Washington Post story, “‘You have a bunch of bad hombres down there,’ Trump told (Mexican President) Peña Nieto, according to the excerpt given to Associated Press. ‘You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.’” That would be an act of war against a neighboring country.

Trump has insulted and alienated the Prime Minister of Australia, calling their conversation the worst phone call he had made all day. Are we really going to pick a fight with Australia, a country which has stood with us in every war since 1917? He’s willing to throw away a century of close cooperation in a thick-skinned snit?

Trump has continued his bromance with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Politico reports, “In an excerpt of an interview set to run Sunday before the Super Bowl, Trump was asked by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly if he ‘respects’ Putin.

‘I do respect him. I respect a lot of people but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him,’ Trump replied. ‘He’s a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not.’”

O’Reilly followed up by saying Putin “is a killer.” “There are a lot of killers,” Trump responded. “We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country’s so innocent?”

Trump has now compared his own American people to a murderer and former Soviet security officer for the KGB. In addition to crimes that didn’t make international news, Putin and his minions have shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, imprisoned, poisoned and murdered political opponents, rigged elections in his own country and possibly in ours. Trump has placed Putin on the same level as Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, our strongest ally in Europe. Rumors continue to circulate that Putin and the KGB allegedly have a video of President Trump in the company of Russian prostitutes, partaking in sexual activities involving human urine. Additionally, the Kremlin claims that Trump has personal financial interests in Russia, perhaps including large debts he has incurred. The President’s obsession with promoting Putin and making excuses for his murderous activities, not to mention his refusal to release his tax returns, makes large swaths of Americans question his judgement and his true autonomy as a leader.

Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Flynn claims, “We are officially putting Iran on notice,” for launching a ballistic missile. No one knows what that means. Trump and his administration have said that could include military action. War with Mexico and Iran? Don’t expect support from Germany or Australia for those actions.

Still, even above these dangerous relationships and heinous comments, the most concerning moves made by the Administration so far are the executive orders Trump is signing, 20 in his first 10 days of work. Executive orders (EOs), which Republicans called “lawless” when implemented by former President Barack Obama, are now acceptable, once again showing the hypocrisy of power – when your guy does it, it’s illegal, but when my guy does it, he’s a man of action and change.

Photo courtesy of Karl-Ludwig Poggemann/Flickr NO TIME TO SPARE: Trump signs a stack of executive orders after being sworn in as President of the United States. His exective actions throughout the last two weeks have raised eyebrows across the nation and have American citizens questioning his ability to lead.

As of Super Bowl Sunday, Trump has signed 20 executive orders, which is more than John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe signed, combined. EOs have the weight of law, as they instruct government agencies on enforcing laws passed by Congress, but they cannot replace laws. That distinction is important, as the first order Trump signed was concerning the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare. Primarily for show, the EO states in ambiguous language that Obamacare should be loosely enforced, at least until the Republican-led Congress can formulate a replacement. Given that Obamacare’s policies (parental health insurance coverage until age 26; individuals cannot be denied insurance for pre-existing medical conditions) are wildly popular, and are tied at the DNA level to funding and implementation, Republicans have been unable to devise a replacement over the last six years. It is unlikely they will produce one soon, so the implication of this EO is unknown, but it’s a good bet any costs associated with looser enforcement will be picked up

by American taxpayers and not insurance companies.

Another EO loosens the environmental regulations sanctioned in response to increased business activities.

This could mean fewer impact studies for companies and less enforcement of the regulations that still apply. This would result in greater profits for private corporations and increasingly polluted water, smoggier air and a less safe food supply for the rest of us.

Building a wall across the border with Mexico was a major reason an older white demographic voted for Mr. Trump. Vilifying Hispanics was a central theme of his campaign, and the president signed an executive order to start construction. No funding source was identified for this $30 billion project, so expect the federal deficit to reverse course and become larger under Trump instead of smaller.

The most controversial of Trump’s orders prevented individuals from seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lybia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) from entering the U.S. This hasty and disastrous order applied to people who had already been vetted, including those who had legitimate U.S. visas or green cards. After causing chaos at airports

across our country and around the world, Federal Judge James L. Robart put an end to the pandemonium caused by this reckless, slipshod executive order. Trump responded by insulting this judge, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush. This is not the first time Mr. Trump has belittled a federal judge, calling into question U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel’s objectivity when plaintiffs were suing Trump over Trump University’s fraudulent practices. Trump claimed Judge Curiel’s Hispanic heritage made it impossible for him to be impartial in the case. Trump was later forced to make a large out-of-court settlement when it became apparent he was going to lose.

Trump also signed a toothless EO on lobbyists and a second EO which reduces government oversight of businesses, which will allow them to increase costs to consumers while making us less safe.

While there is a legal distinction between executive orders and presidential memoranda (PM), PMs have almost the same effect as EOs, and Trump has signed several. Among the memoranda are a hiring freeze for the government, with notable exceptions for the Department of Defense, which constitutes over 30 percent of government personnel positions; a halt to new regulations until reviewed by the new administration; withdrawal from the TransPacific trade agreement, which now allows China to become the economic leader of east Asia; three different PMs devoted to the construction of more oil pipelines, despite another pipeline spill of 176,000 gallons in North Dakota in December, which are being cleaned up by, you guessed it, the American taxpayers; Finally, he signed a PM to rebuild the U.S. military, as if it isn’t already the finest the world has ever seen.

After 10 days of work, Trump, who vowed during his campaign that he would not take time off as president, left Washington for his home in Florida for Super Bowl weekend to meet with business executives and arrange deals, since working in the White House is only his day job.

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

21

OPINION

Steve Bannon: the puppeteer behind Trump

Indira Moosai Contributing Writer indira.moosai@spartans.ut.edu

Much of the country has watched in shock as President Donald J. Trump, commonly referred to as “not my President” Trump, has already begun stirring huge waves in the White House. We may see the situation at face value and think, “hey, this might just be the biggest disaster in American history -- where does he get his radical ideas?”

Maybe the better question would be, “is he even thinking for himself?” He claims to be an even-handed Washington outsider, but from the looks of it, he could be a puppet. And Stephen J. Bannon could be the puppeteer.

Steve Bannon is the senior counselor and chief strategist of the Trump administration. He is well-educated and successful, having studied at Harvard Business School.

Bannon has had several careers, including investment banking at Goldman Sachs, and executive producing in Hollywood. However, he is known for his overly strong nationalistic perspective and his far-right extremism.

Scarily enough, he somehow landed himself a permanent seat on the National Security Council where he gets to have significant input in the government’s top secret affairs.

The most concerning part is that his deranged input has already begun taking shape and it’s only been three weeks since Trump was sworn into office.

To Bannon, America is what he calls the “Judeo-Christian

“war” to describe an ongoing battle against the religious views of a massive demographic. Using this hostile language provokes extremism and terrorist action - war is violent, so if we talk about war, we need to expect violent responses. Secondly, saying “we” implies that well-adjusted people who follow Islam peacefully are not included in that “we,” and are considered targets in the war on terror. That is outright ignorant. It promotes an “us vs. them” mentality, the exact mentality that leads to brutality, inhumanity and a lack of oneness around the world.

With these personal ideologies in mind, we can see the clear connections between Bannon’s beliefs and Trump’s executive orders. Trump issued the Muslim ban, preventing travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) from entering the United States. This order is perfectly crafted to exclude people of Islam, just like Bannon wants for his “perfect” American society.

When Homeland Security said that the ban should not be applied to people with green cards, Steve Bannon personally overruled them - he wants the public to know who’s really in charge.

Bannon and his credences disrupt the original American vision, a melting pot full of diversity, freedom and culture. It’s a place where people can come to build a future and experience a life of opportunity. We may think Trump is the mastermind behind all this chaos, but given Bannon’s perspectives, it is likely that we have a presidential puppeteer pulling strings behind the curtain.

“With this logic, our values shouldn’t be taken from the Constitution -- our values should come from the Bible or the Torah. Because that’s what America is about, right?

Selectively applying religious values to law in order to eliminate freedom of thoughts and actions?”

West,” which is essentially a term of exclusion of other religions. He also said that the “golden era” of capitalism was dictated by Judeo-Christian values; that we have to go back to those values in order to attain the peace and prosperity we once had. These values he talks of are rooted in faith, specifically Christianity and Judaism. He believes that applying these religions to all aspects of life would be the utopian America. With this logic, our values shouldn’t be taken from the Constitution -- our values should come from the Bible or the Torah. Because that’s what America is about, right? Selectively applying religious values to law in order to eliminate freedom of thoughts and actions?

For a glimpse at his disturbing thoughts, at the Vatican in a 2014 conference, he said, “We are in an outright war against jihadists, Islam, Islamic fascism.”

This is a terrible thing to say. For one, he uses the term

22

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

Photo Courtesy of Steve Bannon/Flickr (above) Photo Courtesy of Ben Alexander/Wikimedia Commons (below) BAN BANNON: Steve Bannon is a political activist and businessman who was recently appointed Cheif Strategist of the Trump administration. His far-right extremist views generated controversy and protests in the nation wide Women’s March that took place on Jan. 21.

SPORTS

Coach Jessee joins Spartans 300th win club

Photo by Allie Crump/The Minaret

300 CLUB: Tom Jessee instructs his team during practice. Jessee achieved his 300th win after being with UT since 2002, as he has led the team to nine SSC championships.

Katelyn Massarelli Head Copy Editor katelyn.massarelli@theminaretonline.com Just above women’s basketball head coach Tom Jessee’s office door in Martinez Athletic Center is a picture of last year’s women’s basketball team. They had become Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Champions and were huddled together holding their trophy. On the outside, Jessee is standing by and supporting his players.

The tables turned at the away game against Saint Leo on Jan. 29 when the women pulled out another win ending the game with a score of 66-39. It was Jessee’s 300th win in his 14 years coaching for UT. His players were playing for him.

“I think it means a lot to us girls to grab Coach’s 300th win because we know he doesn’t coach for himself, but instead he coaches for us,” freshman point guard Rachel Warden said.

For 23 years, Jessee has coached at the collegiate level.

Before UT, he coached for nine years at Bluefield State College in Virginia where he attended college. Throughout his coaching career at both schools, his record stands at 470-227.

Since finding a home at UT in 2002, Jessee has taken pride in creating a family environment amongst all his players. Creating a family unit and a mutual respect within the team translates into hard work on the court, according

to Jessee.

“All players come into the program knowing we care for them on and off the court,” Jessee said. “We are a family.”

Though his milestone is based of his ability to coach his team to victory, Jessee’s 300th win is not a milestone he credits to himself, but to the many players who have stepped on the court since taking on head coach at UT, especially his team this year.

“It’s about the players,” Jessee said. “I’m honored for the players. They all achieved something and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Jesse was clear that it is not about winning, but helping the players and supporting them throughout their collegiate career. He’s proud of all the players who have come into the program and graduated.

Jessee’s ventures in basketball started as a player in high school and college. Becoming a coach stemmed from his love of the sport, but he stuck with it because he saw it as way for him to help players transition into adulthood.

For junior transfer guard and forward Faith Sanders, confidence was one thing she lacked when she first came to UT, and Jesse has helped her gain it again.

“He’s helped my decision-making processes on and off the court,” Sanders said. “I’ve matured so much in the five months that I’ve been in Tampa.”

This is something women’s basketball assistant coach Caitlyn Mitryk has seen in her six years coaching beside

Jessee. Mitryk being the only coach beside Jessee, she sees him continue to study and learn how to motivate each player because no one player is the same. Most coaches just have one style, but Jesse has many different styles, according to Mitryk.

“Coach Jessee has an uncanny way of motivating players like I have never seen before,” Mitryk said. “He knows how to prepare teams, how to challenge teams, and how to get the best out of teams on a nightly basis.”

Mitryk was a former UT women’s basketball player for Jessee and her performance on the court led her to awards like SSC Defensive Player of the Year. Mitryk believes her experience as one of Jesse’s players has aided in their ability to work together and trust that they are on the same page as far as strategy and technique.

Mitryk and other players on the team felt pride in being apart of Jessee’s 300th win. Jessee noted the last two practices before the game against Saint Leo as the best practices they have had all season.

“It means the world. It’s amazing to be able to say, ‘I was a part of the team that won Coach Jessee’s 300th win,’” Sanders said. “One day he’ll have 500 and then 1000, but it all starts from somewhere. I’m just thankful that I was a part of the 300th and proud of Coach Jessee. We would not have won without carrying out his plan. He deserved it.”

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

23

SPORTS

A game of inches: Pats complete historic comeback, win Super Bowl LI Simon Brady Contributing Writer simon.brady@spartans.ut.edu Tom Brady and the New England Patriots completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime Sunday night in Super Bowl LI. In an ultimate tale of two halves, the game dramatically flipped from a lopsided blowout in favor of Atlanta, to a finish for the ages as New England captured its fifth Super Bowl championship.

The high powered Atlanta Falcons offense, led by this year’s league MVP quarterback Matt Ryan and league’s best wide receiver Julio Jones, played as advertised in the first half getting out to a huge lead early.

Whether it was Ryan and the Falcons’ passing attack, or the Falcons’ ground game led by the star studded running back tandem Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, Atlanta was clicking on all cylinders. Two scoring drives for Atlanta capped off by a Freeman five-yard scamper and a 19-yard reception by tight end Austin Hooper gave the

Falcons a quick 14-0 lead.

Late in the first half, it was the youthful and underrated Atlanta defense that made the play that took the spirit out of New England. Thanks to a few penalties on the Atlanta defense, quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots were in position to finally put some points on the board and cut into the Atlanta lead.

From Atlanta’s 18-yard line, Brady threw a pick six to cornerback Robert Alford, who took it back 82 yards to give the Falcons an emphatic 21-0 advantage. This would be Brady’s first pick six in his seven Super Bowl appearances.

After place kicker Stephen Gostkowski’s field goal to end the first half, the Patriots desperately needed a rally down 21-3 at half.

With 8:31 left in the third quarter, running back Tevin Coleman found the end zone on a six-yard pass from Ryan to extend the Falcons lead to 28-3. At this point, many felt this was the dagger that would seal an Atlanta victory. ESPN had the Falcons win probability at 99.5 percent following the Coleman touchdown.

From that point on in the game, an undying belief and will from Brady and head coach Bill Belichick would help

erase the daunting 25 point deficit in just about a quarter and a half of playing time. The rally began with a five-yard touchdown reception by the game’s x-factor, running back James White, as New England cut the score to 28-9. Totaling 100 receiving yards on 14 receptions, White was Brady’s go-to guy all night through the air.

The Patriots continued to methodically mount a comeback in the fourth quarter. New England eventually would outscore Atlanta 19-0 in the final period. A 33-yard field goal from Gostkowski with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter would begin the 19-0 run, as the Patriots were down 28-12 at one point.

The following possession, a strip sack by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower on Matt Ryan, set up New England with great field position as they were posed to score again. With 5:56 left in the game, Brady found wide receiver Danny Amendola from six yards out for the touchdown. An additional successful two-point conversion on a direct snap and run to the end zone for White, cut the Falcons lead to just eight.

What once seemed an impossible task, New England was finally in striking distance of tying the game up with a stop

Photo Courtesy of Edmund Moller/Flickr STICK EM: Patriots wide reciever Julian Edelman makes an absurd catch late in the fourth quarter in between three Falcons defenders in Super Bowl LI. Edelman somehow maintained focus while catching the ball off of a deflection before the ball touched the turf, as it is already in the talks of one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.

24 THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

SPORTS

Photo Courtesy of Mundo33/Flickr HIGH FIVE: Super Bowl LI MVP Tom Brady gets swormed by the media after earning his fifth Super Bowl ring. Brady now stands alone as the only player to earn four Super Bowl MVP awards, surpassing hall-of-fame quarterback Joe Montana.

on defense and score. The Patriots defense stood tall again and stopped the Atlanta offense on the ensuing possession forcing a punt.

With 3:30 remaining the in fourth, Brady and the New England offense took the field, needing a touchdown and two point conversion to tie the game. Finding five different receivers, Brady dissected the Falcons defense, leading the Patriots down the field on a 10 play, 91-yard drive in 2:33 minutes. White continued to shine and find the end zone, as he completed the drive with a one yard touchdown run.

At this point down 28-26, the Patriots needed to complete one more two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. No surprise New England put it in the hands of Brady to complete the two-point conversion. Brady threw a quick screen to Danny Amendola, who muscled his way into the end zone to the tie the game.

With the game now knotted up at 28, a failed last minute drive by Atlanta would force the first overtime in Super Bowl history. The first touchdown for either team would seal victory. And luckily for the Patriots, they won the coin toss and had the first possession.

Brady made quick work of the Falcons defense one final time, spearheading the game winning Super Bowl drive in just 3:58 of game time. After five completions of fifty yards from Brady and 10-yard run by White, New England was in the red zone, and in prime position to end the game.

From the 15-yard line, Brady targeted tight end Martellus Bennett in the end zone, and a pass interference on Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell advanced the ball to the two yard line for New England. And with a two yard touchdown run on a toss to James White,

the Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28, completing the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. In 64 minutes and two seconds of total game time, the final James White touchdown was the only point New England led for the entirety of the game.

Among all the memorable Super Bowls the Patriots have won, this was certainly the most satisfying. Although this was an unprecedented comeback and victory for New England, the outweighing factors for pulling it off remains constant. The brilliant play of Brady and outstanding game planning by Belichick led New England to the win even Patriots fans felt may have been impossible at certain points in the game.

Brady solidified himself into the conversation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history Sunday night, completing 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards, including two touchdown passes. Brady now holds the record for most completions, pass attempts and passing yards in Super Bowl history. Brady’s incredible performance earned him his fourth Super Bowl MVP and fifth Super Bowl title. His five Super Bowl victories are now the most of all time among quarterbacks, surpassing former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who each won four.

On the flip side, Belichick’s fifth Super Bowl title is the most among head coaches in the game’s history, surpassing former Steelers head coach Chuck Noll, who won four.

Along with Brady being the greatest quarterback in NFL history, many believe Belichick should now be considered the great coach of all time following Sunday’s victory.

In many people’s eyes, the only coach in NFL history

with an argument against Belichick in terms of greatest is the late Vince Lombardi. Lombardi also totaled five NFL championships, three prior to the Super Bowl era, and Super Bowls I and II,coaching for the Green Bay Packers.

For many Patriots fans, seeing White score the winning touchdown may not have actually been the most satisfying component of Sunday night’s Super Bowl win. As an NFL tradition, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell annually presents the winning owner, coach and Super Bowl MVP the Lombardi Trophy.

Given that Brady served a four game suspension imposed

by Goodell at the beginning of the year for the “Deflategate” scandal that began late in the 2015 season, there was expected be some tension in this trophy presentation. To the tune of thousands of booing Patriots fans, Goodell reluctantly handed the trophy over to those who he imposed the punishment on.

New England’s long time owner Robert Kraft had no issue raising the awkwardness on the podium when presented the trophy, as he directly took a shot at Goodell for what he believed to be an unfair suspension for his quarterback.

“A lot has transpired during the last two years, but I don’t think that needs any explanation,” Kraft said.

Kraft’s powerful speech and insulting words toward Goodell, that all of Patriots nation had anticipated since the season’s beginning, were wrapped up an amazing night from NRG Stadium in Houston. The New England Patriots celebration for their unprecedented victory in Super Bowl LI was well under way from there.

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SPORTS

Spartans serve up victories Elena De Alfredo Contributing Writer elena.dealfredo@spartans.ut.edu

The Spartans played three nationally ranked teams in their season opener last week: Florida Tech, Florida Southern and Saint Petersburg College. UT earned the highest winning percentage of the matches as they finished with a 19-10 overall record, and also won eight of the nine double matches played.

Freshman Ava Sowell and sophomore Maddie Stephens went undefeated for the weekend, each winning three double and three single matches.

“Our team this year is simply stronger,” head coach Al DuFaux said. “We have great team harmony and all the girls get along really well.”

UT started their pre-season workouts on Jan. 17 and prior to their opening weekend, the Spartans obtained their first win of the year in a scrimmage against Hillsborough Community College on Friday Jan. 27 with a 7-3 score.

With his 18th year under his belt as the head women’s tennis coach, DuFaux has plenty of confidence in his team to continue with the progress from last campaigns.

According to the Tampa Athletics site, tampaspartans. com, in three of the last four seasons under DuFaux, the Spartans were nationally ranked each year.

The team is set to play in one of the toughest conferences nationwide. The Sunshine State Conference (SSC) has 11 teams, 10 of which are usually nationally ranked. Also, in Division II women’s tennis, only 50 teams are ranked out of 230 total teams in the nation.

The Spartans finished their 2015-16 season with a 7-10 overall record after a tough schedule. UT faced four of the top 10 best teams in Division II and one Division I school, Seton Hall.

Based on the results from last season, the SSC the 2017 pre-season women’s tennis coaches poll released on Jan. 25, where UT received a total of 15 votes to land in the eighth spot out of the nine teams that form part of the SSC. Despite their position, the Spartans are looking to improve last year’s record, leaning on experience and hard work.

“We learned how to get the most out of each other both within matches and practice,” junior player Emily Hewland said. “Last year we had a young team that had a lot of potential and we learned from close matches.”

The team improved its strength as they return five players to the roster and added two new freshmen and one

transfer from a Division I school. This last one, Caroline Lozo, a Tampa native, will be playing No. 1 or No. 2 for the Spartans, as she was top 10 in Florida and the No. 1 tennis player in the Tampa Bay area in her senior year of high school.

Freshman tennis player Ava Sowell, native of Clearwater who just enrolled at UT this spring, is also going to be in the starting lineup.

“These two additions to last year’s lineup will push us down [the rotation adding depth], which will already make us stronger,” DuFaux said. “We also have great double combinations.”

As a boost of confidence from the results from this weekend, the Spartans are thrilled to face this new season’s challenges. The team’s motivation is to reach their full potential even though the road is not easy. Their team chemistry, work ethic and experience will be the tools they will use to accomplish their objectives.

“I think we have a team this year that has great potential,” Hewland said. “Our goals for this season are definitely to reach this potential and make it to our conference playoffs and become nationally-ranked.”

Photo by Julia Albini/The Minaret ADVANTAGE: Spartans tennis getting reps in at practice. The Spartans finished strong in their first week of matches, as they look to carry the momentum into conference play coming up this weekend.

26 THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

SPORTS

Spartans open year with sweep

S

PARTANS

TANDINGS MEN’S BBALL

14-8 WOMEN’S BBALL Photo by Hannah Hughes/The Minaret PLAY BALL: Spartans line up down the third base line as each player is anounced to the crowd during their home opener. The Spartans swung the bats very well during their opening series, totaling 21 runs throughout the weekend.

Devon Conway Contributing Writer devon.conway@spartans.ut.edu Buy some peanuts and cracker jacks, The University of Tampa baseball is back. The No. 2 Spartans battled the Bentley University Falcons from Massachusetts.

The home opener took place at the UT baseball field.

The Spartans have won four consecutive season opener games against the Falcons. With a final score of 8-0, the Spartans have extended their season opener winning streak to five wins against Bentley. The Spartans lead the all-time series with Bentley 15-1.

“This opening weekend is always a lot of fun. We get to play with wooden bats but it’s great for our players since we try to get as many guys in the lineup,” head coach Joe Urso said. “We get to see what guys can be in the lineup everyday.”

In the Sunshine State Conference (SSC), players use metal bats, so playing a team from up north that regularly uses wooden bats is exciting for the Spartans.

Another interesting factor about the home opener was the ceremonial first pitch. Kevin Kiermaier, the center fielder from the Tampa Bay Rays, threw out the honorary first pitch and cheered for the Spartans during the entire game.

Another big factor of the game was Spartans pitcher, Garrett Cave. Cave, a current junior transfer from Florida International University, has been a rising star for the Spartans. Cave is among the 2017 Baseball America Top MLB Draft Prospects, currently ranked 56th. Multiple MLB scouts attended the home opener, scouting Cave. At the game, Cave pitched four innings and recorded 10 strikeouts and only allowed two hits.

Cave was also named the SSC Pitcher of the Week for his performance this past weekend.

Other key players for the Spartans include second base senior Laz Rivera, who was named to the second team of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers

as a preseason All-American. Senior pitcher Chris Williams was also named to the NCBWA preseason All-American as honorable mention.

The first three innings of the game remained scoreless. To start off the third inning, Junior utility Darren Miller doubled, which lead to senior first baseman Adrian Chacon ripping an RBI triple that plated Rivera. UT baseball took the lead 1-0. Senior J.D. Osborne roped an RBI single that brought Chacon home and set UT at 2-0. As the hits and runs added up, UT lead Bentley 4-0 in the fifth. Junior pitcher Cody Martin came in from the bullpen to relieve Cave in the top of the fifth.

Senior pitcher Chris McCormick made an appearance for the Spartans pitching one and a half innings, facing 10 batters from Bentley. Right hand junior pitcher, Cheyne Bickel made his debut for the Spartans with a strikeout to close out the top of the eighth inning. Osborne smoked a two run double that brought home Rivera and senior shortstop Kevin Santa, making UT lead Bentley 6-0 in the eighth.

Senior catcher Chris Gaffney rocked an RBI single that brought home senior out fielder Vin Cosenzo and set the game at 8-0. This score marked the end of the exciting battle between the Spartans and the Falcons.

“This was an exciting game for us Spartans,” said senior pitcher Nick Nolan. “We look forward to this season and we have our sights set on a National Championship.”

This season, under winning head coach Joe Urso, the Spartans are on another quest for its eighth National Championship win in program history. A highlight for UT this season is their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Feb. 23 at Bright House Field in Clearwater as the Spartans set their sights on playing in Grand Prairie, Texas starting May 27 for the National Championship series.

14-6

MEN’S BASEBALL

3-0 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

3-0 MEN’S LAX

1-0 Intramural Schedule VOLLEYBALL Feb. 9: 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.,Martinez Athletic Center Feb. 12: 2-5 p.m, 9-11 p.m., Martinez Athletic Center

DODGEBALL

Feb. 13: 8-10:30 p.m., Cass Gym basketball games:

BASKETBALL Feb. 9: 10 p.m.-11 p.m., Martinez Athletic Center Feb. 12: 2-11 p.m. in Martinez Athletic Center

Sideya Dill contributed to this list

THE MINARET FEB.9.2017

27

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