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6,432 Students; Enrollment Record Higher Freshmen Registration Numbers Break Undergraduate Population Size By SHIVANI KANJI News Reporter
The freshmen class at the University of Tampa has increased again this semester, and this time in record-breaking quantity. Vice President for Enrollment Admissions Dennis Nostrand said that due to the current state of the economy, the number of students that were expected to enroll this year was unknown at the beginning of last semester. However, officials were attentive to the academic value of the incoming students. Sixty percent of the accepted students enrolled for the fall 2010 semester. The number of full-time undergraduate students increased from last year’s 5,289 students to 5,443 this year. This 154 additional students have created a growth rate of 2.9 percent. Norstrand said that the strategic market plan for the University of Tampa is to grow at a slow rate, allowing the university to gradually upgrade its facilities. The increase in revenue from a slow growth rate would offset the energy costs, as well as cost of outdoor renovation, new technology, clubs, etc. File Photo/The Minaret It is a three to four year plan and is Students waited in line to receive tickets to President Obama’s townhall meeting in January. An additional 154 intended to follow a similar to this year’s students have been accepted this semester. and to eventually level off at a total enrollment of 7,000 students. There are currently 6,432 students, including undergraduate and graduate students. Eventually the increase will allow the university to build a new residence hall (the goal is to have it completed by Myers High, before becoming a four-sport 2013). By KYLE BENNETT athlete at the University of Georgia. This semester, the income from Asst. Sports Editor He lettered in football, baseball, the increase of students went towards The university lost a Spartan legend this basketball and track. improvements in the chemistry building, Bailey played professionally for four the Student Health Center and other week, as former Athletic Director, football, baseball and basketball Coach Sam Bailey years with the Boston Yanks, Richmond classrooms. Rebels and Erie, Penn. football teams. Twenty-nine new full-time faculty passed away on Sept. 22. His salary with the Boston Yanks was Bailey died at the age of 86, after members are teaching this semester, according to Nancy Wietholter, having dedicating over 60 years of his life $3,000 per season with only a $600 signing bonus. administrative assistant at the Provost’s to the Spartans. Following his four-year professional Bailey was born on Sanibel Island, Office. career, Bailey began his 60-year Norstrand says that this has brought the before it was even linked to the mainland. As a boy in the ‘30s “Sanibel Sam,” relationship with the University of Tampa, student-to-faculty ratio back to what it was in 2008 (which according to the university as he is still known as on Sanibel Island, although Sanibel Island was never far from played football with coconuts before it was his mind. profile on ut.edu is 16:1). Former Sanibel mayor Marty Harrity Students have mixed reactions to the time to take a ferry to Punta Rassa, where said that Bailey gave every teenager he would attend Fort Myers High School. increase. Bailey spent school weeks staying at graduating from high school a $100 check, “I don’t really notice it much. Parking Ma Alderman’s boarding house at a time according to an article at tonews-press. is the only real [issue] I have noticed. Photo courtesy of tampaspartans.com com. I have come in before and [driven] when breakfast cost only 25 cents. Bailey served the UT and greater Tampa Bailey’s collegiate coaching career community for over 60 years. He earned 12 varsity letters at Fort around for 20 minutes and still not found
Former Coach, Athletic Director Dies at 86 Students and Faculty Remember Campus Benefactor, Sam Bailey
[See Enrollment, 2]
NEWS Student Sets Up Tent in Dorm Room for Alternative Living Space [Page 4]
[See Bailey, 3]
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
COMMENTARY
Professors and Students Present Poetry in 3D
Visiting Ground Zero Mosque Shows the Truly Icy Attitudes Towards the Mosque
[Page 11]
[Page 13]
2 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET MINARET
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alex Vera
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ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Trobiano mike.trobiano@gmail.com
NEWS Cara Fetzer, Senior Editor Josh Napier, Asst. Editor minaret.news@gmail.com
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Mandy Erfourth, Senior Editor Robert Pierce, Asst. Editor minaret.arts@gmail.com
COMMENTARY Philippa Hatendi, Senior Editor John Jacobs. Asst. Editor minaret.commentary@gmail.com
SPORTS Daniel Feingold, Senior Editor Kyle Bennett, Asst. Editor minaret.sports@gmail.com
ONLINE Yara Abbas
NEWS
Record Enrollment Growth at UT [From Front, Enrollment] parking. This never used to happen,” said senior Chris Campo. Most students say they have noticed that there are more people on campus and agree that it has made a big difference in parking. “I have seen several people late to classes because they can’t find parking,” said junior Cassie Monsees. “I am sure the number of parking tickets have increased as well, since students can’t find parking anywhere since there are so many new people,” said Nathalia Pirpla. Freshmen are mainly unaffected by the enrollment growth. As for most, it is their first experience in college. “The dorms are not so crowded. I grew up with a big family so I am used to living with people,” said freshman Brianna Simon. “The classes are about the same size I had in high school.” Many freshman are enjoying the relatively small class sizes and number of students on campus, and were not aware that this numbers has been smaller in the past. A lot of freshmen say that they chose to come to UT due to its small numbers. The goal is that more students will choose Abby Sanford/The Minaret UT for the same reason in the future. Shivani Kanji can be reached at shivani. The number of full-time undergraduate students increased from last year’s 5,289 students to 5,443 this year. This 154 additional students have created a growth rate of 2.9 percent. kanji@spartans.ut.edu.
Obama Talks Higher Education with Students
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President Barack Obama told college students on Monday not to set their life goals any lower despite a challenging economy, and urged the college-aged population that catapulted him to victory in 2008 to support Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections. Obama took four questions from student journalists in the conference call that touched on student loans, the economy, health care and public school affordability. “Don’t let anybody tell you that somehow your dreams are going to be constrained going forward,” Obama said, arguing that citizens of the Great Depression rebounded to make the nation’s economy stronger than ever. “Right now we’re going through a tough time but I have no doubt that you guys are going to be successful.” The president opened by saying that the country had “fallen behind” the rest of the world in education. One goal, which Obama introduced in the 2009 State of the Union address, is to reclaim America’s position as the country with the highest proportion of college graduates by making college more affordable, strengthening community colleges and improving graduation rates. “It’s up to students to finish, but we can help remove some barriers, especially those who are earning degrees while working or raising families,” Obama said, adding that the post-9/11 G.I. bill and health care legislation that keeps students on their parents’ health care plans until they turn 26 are keys to college affordability. When asked how to combat the rising costs to attend public schools, the president remarked that some institutions seem to be too concerned about building the nicest athletic facilities and food courts instead of focusing on education. “You’re not going to a university to join a spa; you’re going there to learn so that you can have a fulfilling career,” Obama said. “And if all the amenities of a public university start jacking up the cost of
Pete Souza/White House Press
President Barack Obama participates in a conference call with college and university studentjournalists in the Oval Office, Sept. 27, 2010.
tuition significantly, that’s a problem.” The president acknowledged that many who voted for him may feel that the change he promised is not happening fast enough. Obama said that as he has battled Republicans to get his legislative programs passed “some of the excitement and enthusiasm started to drain away.” “Change is always hard in this country. It doesn’t happen overnight. “You take two steps forward, you take one step back,” he said. “This is a big, complicated democracy. “It’s contentious. It’s not always fun and games.” On that note, Obama tried to rally younger voters for the midterm elections in November that many are predicting will be rough for Democrats. “You can’t suddenly just check in once every 10 years or so, on an exciting presidential election, and then not pay
attention during big midterm elections where we’ve got a real big choice between Democrats and Republicans,” he said. College of Arts and Sciences freshman Meagan Bernatchez, who supported Obama in 2008 even though she wasn’t old enough to vote, said it was unlikely that college students would be as enthusiastic in this election. “I think it’s really hard to rally people for something that’s less well-known,” she said. Bernatchez said many Americans have been too quick to judge the president. “In his campaign he ran on ‘change everything’ and there’s no way you can possibly live up to that,” she said Liza Townsend, also a CAS freshman, agreed Obama deserves more time. “You can’t judge his progress until he’s had his full term,” she said. “He came in at kind of a hard time.”
NEWS
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
Families Visit Tampa For Weekend Festivities By CARA FETZER News Editor
On October 1, UT will be hosting their annual Family Weekend. Various UT organizations are holding activities that will give families a chance to learn about the campus and community and what it has to offer UT students. The events kick off on Friday at 12 p.m. Families can register for activities in Vaughn Center, where free massages will be given. The events throughout the weekend include a tour of the Henry B. Plant Museum, a viewing of the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery exhibits, a ghost tour, the Minaret Climb (where participants climb to the top of the minarets), a production of A Night at the Movies IV: From the Stage to the Silver Screen (performed by the UT Wind Ensemble), and the screening of Toy Story 3. In addition to these free activities, families have the option of participating in even more events at an extra cost. On Saturday Oct. 2, a yacht outing has been scheduled for a lunch cruise in the bay. This premiere dining yacht is leaving from Channelside Dock for a two and a half hour boat tour of Tampa. “Last year my parents and I did the Minaret Climb, which was awesome,” said sophomore Emily Schwartz. “This year I can’t wait to do the lunch cruise on the yacht around Tampa.” UT is continuing their tradition with the 8th Annual UT Family Weekend Golf Outing, which will take place at the
Pebble Creek Golf Club where “each hole is unlike the other, varied and unique in its challenges — you won’t be bored,” according to pebblecreekclub.com. The school is also offering a package for the Florida Aquarium and restaurants and bars at Channelside. The package includes tickets to the Florida Aquarium and 20% off or more on food and beverages at Bennigans, Splitsville, Tinatapas, N.Y.P.D. Pizza Delicatessen and Cold Stone Creamery. These packages are available for purchase Friday and Saturday during registration. But something else happens on campus this weekend: the food gets better. Many say that the food quality increases around this time of year. “My parents don’t come down for Family Weekend, but I love it,” said senior Keith Piesco. “It’s like another company comes in to make the food for the weekend because it tastes so good.” Some students say that the food in the cafeteria is affected the most in that it looks and tastes better when parents come in to town. “The cafeteria food is way better on Family Weekend, most likely to make parents think their money is going towards something other than an abundance of palm trees,” said senior Andy Eicher. Whether your parents come to visit or not, UT’s Family Weekend offers a variety of activities for everyone. Cara Fetzer can be reached at cmfetzer@spartans.ut.edu.
Sports Legend Bailey Dies at 86 [From Front, Bailey] began in 1950, when he began serving as the head basketball coach and the head line coach for the football team at UT. Two years later, Bailey was named the head baseball coach, while still assuming roles as the head basketball coach. It wasn’t until 1955 that Bailey stepped down as the basketball coach. After two years, Bailey was named as the assistant athletic director. He was named the athletic business manager and public relations director in the athletic department four years later. Five years later he was promoted again, this time, in 1962, becoming athletic director.
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team was shut down due to financial issues. Bailey fought hard to keep UT on the football field and was subsequently fired by the former president of the university. But Bailey continued to stay true to Tampa.“In spite of his departure, Sam always remained loyal to the university and to the student athletes,” said Larry Marfise, current athletic director. “He was a great mentor to those who came after him and was always willing to help to ensure that the athletic department stayed vibrant and successful. “Sam supported the university in many ways and an endowment was started in his name to help future student athletes.” Bailey was inducted into the UT
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“He was a great mentor to those who came after him and was always willing to help to ensure that the athletic department stayed vibrant and successful.”
In 1962, he became the school’s ninth football coach. Under Bailey, UT named seven players to the Little All-America Team. Former 49ers great, Freddie Solomon played for Bailey. Solomon was a second round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 1975 NFL draft. He played 11 NFL seasons and won two super bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. John Matuszak also played football for Bailey at UT. Matuszak was the first overall pick of the 1973 draft, and like Solomon, won two super bowls. On top of being a football player, Matuszak also finished ninth in the 1978 World’s Strongest Man competition and played the Sloth in the 1985 film, The Goonies. In 1967, Bailey took over as the sole athletic director and in 1971 was named UT’s special assistant to the president for athletic affairs. In 1975 the Spartan football
Athletics Hall of Fame in 1966. He is also honored each year by the “Sam Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award,” which is presented to an individual that provides exceptional service to the University of Tampa in numerous areas including: employment, financial support, voluntary services and a lifetime fan of UT athletics. As if Bailey didn’t already leave a legacy at Sanibel Island, he also wrote a book in 2008 entitled A Sanibel Son Looks Back, which depicts his life of growing up on the tiny island. Bailey had a brain tumor and underwent surgery on Sept. 13, according to newspress.com. He came through the surgery, but developed a blood clot soon afterwards, which led to his death. Sam Bailey left behind his wife Cookie three daughters and three grandchildren. Kyle Bennett can be reached at minaret. sports@gmail.com
Photo courtesty of ut.edu
This Week’s Student Government Meeting... powder in the northeast stairwell of Brevard Hall. The case is pending further investigation.
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A student board is being formed to give feedback regarding Sodexo dining service. Members will meet on the first Thursday of every month at noon and will receive a free lunch compliments of Sodexo.
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Out of Key At 10 p.m. Sept. 20, a student reported losing keys to the Ferman Music Center.
The Odd Couple On Sept. 25, a student requested a room change due to harassment from a roommate. The roommate was referred to the judicial board.
Students are encouraged to bring dining suggestions, questions and concerns to the student board once it is created.
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Pac Up and Go At 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, security responded to the Spartan Club Game Room for a complaint of students refusing to leave. The students were referred to the judicial board.
California Girls, Were Unforgettable On Sept. 25, an underage student was found in possession of alcohol and a fake California identification card. The student was referred to the judicial board.
A representative from the grassroots coalition-Moving Hillsborough Forward spoke to students about voting for a better public transportation system in Tampa. The representative said that if the bill were passed, Tampa residents could count on a light rail, more buses and better streets and walkways to be established, easing the heavy traffic flow within the city’s limits.
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Disturbia at HoJo At 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 24, security responded to a call of a disturbance at the Howard Johnson Hotel.
Walk This Way On Sept. 26, a previous missing/stolen crosswalk sign was located in a student’s room on the 5th floor of Straz Hall. The students were referred to the judicial board.
On campus residents from out-of-state can vote on these bills by changing their voter registrations in OSLE.
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Sodexo proposed starting a healthy late night meal option for students.
Is Your Refrigerator Running... On Sept. 16 at 12:15 p.m., a refrigerator was removed from a room on the 8th floor of Vaughn without the owner’s permission. The case is still open.
Anthrax or... At 12:25 a.m. on Sept. 25, security responded to a call about an unknown
Compiled from the Sept. 20-26 reports
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For further information or to apply for anything mentioned above, email Student government at sg@ut.edu.
4 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
NEWS
Student Sets Up Tent in Dorm Room for Alternative Living Space By JEFF PALMER News Reporter
The peculiar sight of a red and white camping tent meets visitors to the common area of Brevard dorm room 208. The tent’s proud owner, junior Sean McCleary, first conceived of the novel room-alternative when he learned that he was to be denied his “single” for the semester. “I decided right then that if I wasn’t going to be given a room of my own, then I would just make one,” he said. Although, to most, the thought of living in a tent in college might seem unusual, Sean holds no such reservations. In fact, he expresses satisfaction with his decision to exchange the security of a room for a flap of fabric. With his queen-sized air mattress and a set of satin sheets, he says he is certainly not lacking for comfort. “I have all the best aspects of a single as far as bare necessities,” McCleary said, “A TV and furniture would just be unnecessary luxuries.” Although by-and-large a success, McCleary says the tent experiment has not been without its pitfalls. For one thing, his airbed has been punctured and deflated numerous times. He says he is on his third mattress this semester.
“The first one was already patched because we used it to float down the river back home in Montana,” he explained. “The second was punctured by a girl who crawled inside to have a look and tore the plastic with her heels. Spiky heels are definitely a big hazard,” McCleary cautioned to future tent tourists. The unfortunate result of frequent mishaps is that at one point in the semester McCleary was waking up every two hours to utilize an air pump. “I’m sure it wasn’t fun for him either,” commented suite-mate Thomas Lizza. “But it seemed every time we’d be drifting to sleep there would be a whooshing hurricane in the common room.” The McCleary tent is fast becoming a celebrated landmark on the map of local UT entertainment. Friends and strangers alike frequently visit the room to get a glimpse of the unique arrangement. “Everyone always talks about putting a tent up in their common room,” remarked junior Nick Theobald. “As far as I know, Sean is the first person to have actually done it.” Would he do it again in future semesters? McCleary’s answer was a confident, “Yes.” Jeff Palmer can be reached at jpalmer@ spartans.ut.edu.
Dina Caloma/The Minaret
McCleary has replaced his mattress three times this year due to puncture holes from friends’ heels.
Getting A Masters Degree May Not Be The Answer By KAITLIN EK Daily Nebraskan, U. Nebraska
UWIRE - More than 15 million workers were counted among the unemployed in August, which saw the nation’s unemployment rate climb to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent in July. Naturally, upperclassmen probing the void for job prospects are apprehensive about their chances of snagging a job. To stand out in a highly competitive, straining economy many students are considering graduate school as an option. Despite the high cost of education, especially in today’s budget stretching times, some feel that they are making the right financial decision by pursuing a master’s degree. Jordan Bryant, sophomore biology and pre-pharmacy major, feels that success in his career field almost mandates a higher degree. “Getting a master’s or a doctorate shows companies that you are both experienced and dedicated,” he said. “It shows you mean business. So it is a huge advantage on a résumé.” When asked about how he intends to pay for the initial education, he expressed little concern. “Money isn’t everything,” Bryant continued. “Once you get your degree, you will be able to pay it off in the long run.” Sophomore Luke Smith feels similarly. “I think graduate school definitely makes you more marketable. I can get a job while I am in school and probably get a few scholarships, based on my academic performance here at the U of A. And even if I do not get scholarships, the income I will get from having a master’s degree in aerospace engineering will more than make up for it,” he said. Thus, a future-oriented mindset can be observed in students pursuing graduate degrees. Student loans, perhaps two of the foulest words in a college student’s vocabulary, are of no consequence, provided that the end result is a steady, respectable paycheck. “It is an investment,” Smith said. “You are investing in your future. And you are
counting on that investment to bring greater returns in the future.” Some career fields are more demanding than others when it comes to education. The importance of distinction and specialization in broad career fields, especially within science, is extremely high. Salaries in such academic focuses are directly proportional to extent of education. Johnathon Faught, senior psychology major, said that “it really depends on your field. For example, a bachelor’s degree in psychology will get you nowhere; you have to go to graduate school if you want to get any sort of job.” Claud Lacy, a UA physics professor put it even more bluntly: “Publish or perish,” he said. As a physicist and a repeatedly published astronomer, he understands the Sarah McCormick/The Arkansas Traveler cutthroat nature of science firsthand. To stand out in a highly competitive, straining economy many students are considering graduate And there are some credentials one school as an option. simply must possess to even be considered for a job. shift in an ER may not seem so appealing scholarships for top employees to obtain “If you are an astronomer and you want anymore. advanced degrees. to teach, you have to get a Ph.D. “Someone can set themselves up for Education in today’s market is a winAll science fields are like this,” Lacy success and happiness if they do not win situation for both parties involved. said. “A bachelor’s degree in this field can handcuff themselves to a pile of debt they The most vital concept to understand get you a job in research and development, have to pay off in a job they may end up in the realm of education is very much like engineers, but you cannot teach disliking.” straightforward, and twofold. without a higher degree. It just doesn’t Breffle himself took a “year off” after Where do I want to go with my life? happen.” completing his undergraduate degree, And what is the best way for me to get It follows that record numbers of working a job, saving money and taking there? students, heeding the advice and examples time to decide if he wanted to attend Quoting Joseph Campbell, the noted of their elders, are applying to graduate graduate school. author, Lacy again answered with schools this year. During that reprieve from academia, succinctness. However, it would be a mistake to see he found himself able to reflect on what he “You should follow your bliss.” graduate school as a necessity, and certainly truly wanted to achieve. one to see it as being universally beneficial. “I had a delayed launch,” he said, “but The stakes are high, nothing is by the time I started graduate school a year guaranteed and a plain, razor-edged after finishing college, I had developed a question remains even after one has a Ph.D hunger for the knowledge and experience I in hand: “Is this really what I want to do would gain which drove me to be successful with my life?” in my venture.” Jack Breffle, Gregson CRE, gave his For those concerned about paying Do you plan to get your input on the question of graduate school. for graduate school, resources exist to Master’s Degree? “What may seem like a certainty now help guide you on your path to higher may not be as much of a home run as a education. student continues to grow and mature,” The Princeton Review annually compiles Give us your response on The Breffle said. a list of the best graduate schools, sorted by Crescent at minaretblog.com “Life can change, folks may start size, cost, quality and area of study. families, and working through an on-call Many large corporations will also grant
Poll:
NEWS
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
Spartan of the Week Walter Pimentel: Sophomore Nightclub Owner By RICHARD SOLOMON News Reporter
Walter Pimentel is a sophomore international and cultural studies major during the week, but on Saturday nights, Pimentel becomes a nightclub owner. The Minaret recently had the opportunity to interview his about his work and ask him how he came to be an unusually young nightclub owner. The Minaret (M): So give us the breakdown on this nightclub. Walter Pimentel (WP): It’s called Estela’s and it’s a three minute drive from campus down on Davis Bullevard. On Saturday nights the restaurant becomes a
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turn this thing into a club,” and he went with it? WP: From the start he was down with the idea. It’s so close to school and after we went over how it would be a safe place for UT students, he agreed to it, since [safety is] important to him. Once the money started rolling in, he liked the idea even better. Up until recently, we had been open on the weekends until late for the locals. I figured, let’s take it a step further for the college kids. Everyone at UT goes clubbing, and all of my employees are students at UT. So here is this group of inexperienced people making this really cool thing happen and getting business experience at the same
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“Let’s just say the nightclub definitely hasn’t hurt my game when it comes to the ladies.”
nightclub: 18-20 year olds get in for $6 and 21 and over get in for $4. We’ve got the best sangria and margaritas in Tampa. M: How is it exactly that you run your own nightclub? WP: Well, my dad owns Estela’s. It’s always been a good restaurant. I had the idea that it could be an awesome nightclub too. M: So you just said, “Hey dad, let me
time. It’s lucky for me to have a dad who owns a restaurant and I want to let other people to have the opportunity to work and get experience too. Even the DJs are kids from UT. If anyone wants a chance to DJ they can contact me at the club with their stuff. M: What kind of music do you play?
Academic Forgiveness Programs Help Eliminate Troublesome GPAs By KAITLIN EK Daily Nebraskan, U. Nebraska
UWIRE -Some colleges and universities, including Rutgers U. and Penn State U., are reaching out to former students who left school before completing a degree. Offering academic forgiveness programs, the schools allow students to erase their previous GPA and start over with a clean slate. Earl Hawkey, director of the U. of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Registration and Records, said UNL offers similar programs. However, unlike other universities’ programs which only offer academic forgiveness to returning dropouts, UNL’s program allows any student to reset their GPA. “Some programs are based on the fact that a student has to leave before they can gain access to academic forgiveness. They have to be gone a certain amount of time first. The period varies. It can be eight or nine years, or just one or two,” Hawkey said. “The other type of program, which is what we have here, doesn’t require students to be gone for any length of time.” Hawkey points to two programs in particular that returning UNL students with low grade point averages can take advantage of. The first is called academic bankruptcy. It allows a student to declare up to two terms as “bankrupt,” so all courses and credits in those terms are taken out of the GPA equation and do not count toward a degree requirement. The courses do still appear on the transcript, but are marked as academically bankrupt.
In order to qualify for this a student must either complete 15 credit hours with at least a 3.0 GPA, or 30 hours with at least a 2.5 GPA after the bankrupt semester. Hawkey said this option is useful for students who had one or two bad semesters, but expect to do better. “It’s a policy where a student needs to show that their performance in the term they want to bankrupt is not consistent with their abilities,” he said. Another option Hawkey mentioned is repeating a course. If a student takes a course and gets a grade lower than a C, that student may retake the course for a higher grade. The original grade still appears on the transcript, but is taken out of the GPA calculation. There is no limit to the number of times a student may repeat courses. Sean Kenney is one student who plans to take advantage of these programs to raise his GPA. A former general studies major, he dropped out of UNL after his freshman year and plans to return in the spring semester of 2011. He said he thinks UNL’s repeat policy is just as useful to him as the academic forgiveness programs of other universities’ would be. “The classes that make my GPA lower are classes I’m planning to retake anyway for my degree,” he said. He hopes to use the option of repeating courses to help raise his GPA, which will have several benefits for him. “I screwed around for my first year and my parents told me they wouldn’t fund screwing around,” Kenney said. “I’m going back this spring semester with my own money. If I get my GPA up above a 3.0, my parents will pay for the rest.”
WP: A lot of hip-hop, reggaeton — all house music. Like I said, all the DJs are from UT. Anyone with good music taste from UT can have a shot. M: When did all this happen? WP: I came up with [the idea] about three and a half weeks ago, and the opening was two weeks ago. M: How have the past two Saturdays gone? Tell us what it’s like. WP: The first week was good, but last Saturday things went really well — the place was poppin’. Estela’s is still a restaurant until 11 p.m., so about 11:1511:30 p.m. is when the party starts, and it goes until 3 a.m. M: Something like this isn’t exactly common for a college student. Did you ever feel like you couldn’t do it? WP: Well with anything important you always get negative thoughts, but I just kept at it. After we saw how great the first night turned out, I knew it could only get better. I expect this to turn out really well. I try not to let it go to my head. I couldn’t have done it all on my own, I had amazing promoters. Matt “Chiky” Davis, Austin “Vinny” Fetzer, David “The Black Tiger” Humphrey and Juan “Poppy” Pablo Bejarno helped a lot. M: How much “action” have you gotten from this? WP: People have come up to me both Saturdays and asked me if I’m the owner. It’s a pretty cool feeling being able to say “Yeah.” And let’s just say the nightclub definitely hasn’t hurt my game when it
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comes to the ladies. M: What — if anything — are you getting out of all this? WP: Now I’ve got experience and I know more about running a business. I’m getting paid and some day I’ll have my own club. Think you or someone you know qualifies as “Spartan of the Week”? Let us know! Email the person’s name, contact info and a short explanation of what makes that person awesome to minaret.news@ gmail.com. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
6 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
NEWS
Training Begins for the Spartan Challenge 5K By ALYSSA NAJOR News Reporter
In ancient times, the Spartan army was widely known as the strongest in all of Greece. Their power and prominence has echoed throughout the history books landing them a prestigious and unforgettable name. Avidly devoted and disciplined in their goals to achieve military supremacy, the Spartans were a private society that trained their soldiers from birth, barbarically weeding out the weak from the strong, but proving time and again just how frightening a foe they could be. On Saturday, Oct. 16, UT students, athletes, staff, faculty, and community members will be able to put their Spartan strength to the test. They will compete in a physically challenging race, full of obstacles and mazes, around the campus. This race is known as the Spartan Challenge 5K. During Homecoming weekend, UT’s Cross Country Team will be hosting its fourth annual Spartan Challenge 5K at the Pepin Rood Stadium. It will be a day of giveaways, prizes, food, fun and of course the race. Unlike a typical 5K race that one may see in the Olympics, this has a more innovative and creative design.
Competitors will not only be running laps, but running through tires, jumping over hay bales, and crawling under cargo nets. While the race is set to start and end on the track, the course itself is campus wideincorporating areas such as the swimming pool, Plant Hall, Boathouse, the chapel, the baseball field, the volleyball courts and all of the university streets. At the end of the race, runners will have completed 3.1 miles and winners will be chosen based on their time. But UT’s cross country coach Dror Vaknin said that people interested in participating in the Spartan Challenge 5K should not be turned away because of the course or physical aspect of the race. “It’s no big deal what level the person is at….there is no super hard training you have to do to prepare,” said Vaknin. He wants to get as many people as possible involved in this race and make it an enjoyable event. Sororities, Fraternities, clubs, organizations, faculty, staff and all other students are all encouraged to participate and make it their own. “It’s a great opportunity to come out and do a different kind of race,” Vaknin said. He hopes that different groups on campus will come out and promote a healthy and active lifestyle. The Spartan Challenge 5K kicks off
Photo courtesy of spartan5k.com.
The race involves jumping barrels of hay, crawling beneath a cargo net and maneuvering through tires formations.
Saturday, October 16th at 8am. Whether one chooses to jog, walk, sprint or run through the track, it is sure be an exciting and exhilarating event for everyone. Pre-registration for the race ends September 30th. For more information and to register please visit http://www.spartan5k.com. Alyssa Major can be reached at amhoward@spartans.ut.edu.
Fast Facts: Male Group Overall Winner: Jorgen Tresselt with a time of 18:05 mins Female Group Overall Winner: Denise Steuer with a time of 21:24 mins.
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By SHAWN ADDERLY Daily Illini, U. Illinois
UWIRE - In 2008, former President George W. Bush signed a re-authorization of the Higher Education Act. It had three provisions aimed at driving down textbook costs. U.S Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was the original sponsor of the provisions that went into effect on July 1 of this year. On a conference call to reports on July 21, Durbin said that it is “very clear to me that textbook costs have gotten out of control,” which is why he sponsored the provisions. The provisions require textbook polishers to disclose textbook prices to professors that evaluating publisherprovided copies. It also requires that textbook supplemental material such as software of workbooks be unbundled from the textbook, and that colleges are required to include the prices of textbooks and their ISBNs on the course listing website. Ed Slazinik, director of the Illini Union, said the University has complied with the act by providing a link from the course listing website to the Illini Union Bookstore website. However, the act has also spurred bookstores to find new ways to reduce costs. In the spring of 2009, the Illini Union Bookstore started a textbook rental program, which allows students to rent textbooks instead of purchasing them. “After the re-authorization of the Higher Education Act, we had to find different ways to reduce textbook costs,” said Bradley Bridges, associate director
for retail operations for the Illini Union Bookstore. Bridges said that textbook rentals have grown by almost 400% since the fall of 2009 to the spring of 2010. The other two major bookstores, Folletts and T.I.S., also began offering textbook rentals in the spring of 2010. One of the problems the rental program has run into is textbooks that come with online content and a passcode, which cannot be re-rented next semester, said Brian Paragi, store manager at T.I.S. Offerings of rental books at T.I.S., Illini Union Bookstore and Folletts have increased. “We have tripled the number of titles that are available for rental since the program started,” Paragi said. Students that rent books must sign a rental agreement that stipulates when the book must be returned and in what condition. The fact that the credit card holder must sign a rental agreement could be a potential problem for students. The bookstore uses their credit card as collateral if the book is damaged. Students can write or highlight text, but if excessive damage is incurred, there could be an additional fee that totals to the full cost of the textbook, said managers from all three stores. Another option also being offered to students looking for lower textbook prices is e-books, a fully online text. Students can purchase access from the bookstores, which gives them access to the URL and password. “Typically, you get access to the book for a set period of time typically from six months to a year,” Paragi said.
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THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
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8 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
Diversions FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 22, 2010
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Kara Wall / The Minaret
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Cabo locale 5 Fall, as home prices 10 Havana howdy 14 Distant start? 15 Insured patient’s med cost 16 Mideast nation 17 *Coconut dessert 19 State bordering eight others: Abbr. 20 Krazy of comics 21 Backsliding event? 22 Tourist attraction 23 *Facetious name for a fund-raising circuit entrée 27 Some campus sisters 29 Big repair bill reaction 30 “Hee Haw” prop 31 Kuwaiti currency 33 Fairy tale legume 36 Where it’s laughable to see the answers to starred clues 40 Old curse word 41 Overhangs 42 Canal that Sal worked on, in song 43 Stud farm stud 44 Groundbreakers 46 *Mixer holder 51 Mindful 52 Rankles 53 TV channels 2 to 13 56 Lisa’s title 57 *Yellow slipper? 60 “Agreed!” 61 Put an __: stop 62 Janis’s comics mate 63 Sale caution 64 County northeast of London 65 Oceanic flora DOWN 1 Eponymous German brewer Heinrich 2 Caribbean color 3 “Don’t worry about it!” 4 River isle 5 Surgical coverage?
Check out Miles Daisher’s B.A.S.E. jumping from SkyPoint on The Crescent. Visit minaretblog.com for an exclusive interview and video.
9/22/10
By James Sajdak
6 Raccoon ___, “The Honeymooners” fraternal group 7 Like some echelons 8 Printemps month 9 Joe-__ weed: herbal remedy 10 Like smart phones, e.g. 11 Vacuum shown lifting a bowling ball in TV ads 12 Tilting pole 13 1997-2006 UN leader 18 Goya’s “Duchess of __” 22 Prefix with scope 24 Sch. near the Rio Grande 25 Bops 26 ’50s Red Scare gp. 27 Kitchen meas. 28 Saintly circle 31 One going down 32 Assure victory in, slangily 33 Gut it out 34 Cut out, say 35 Bridge assents 37 Take by force
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
38 Container allowance 39 Keyboardist Saunders who collaborated with Jerry Garcia 43 Range rovers? 44 Loc. with billions in bullion 45 “__ girl!” 46 Island where Robert Louis Stevenson died
9/22/10
47 Furry Endor inhabitants 48 Hawaii’s Pineapple Island 49 Pickles 50 Speak formally 54 War, to Sherman 55 Hardly a big ticket-seller 57 Sewing circle 58 T or F, on tests 59 Karachi’s country: Abbr.
Horoscopes By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Critical thinking at work blends logic and intuition. You know when you have the right balance when changes flow seamlessly and tension eases.
Logical intuition reveals a creative path toward change. Acknowledge to the group what’s working already, and release what’s not for this new direction.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Pay attention to minute details for any creative process, from cooking to career. A partner contributes by suggesting alternatives.
Week ending Sept. 28, 2010
#1 Album
Top tracks
( ) Last week’s ranking in top five
United States
You Get What You Give Zac Brown Band
Just the Way You Are • Bruno Mars
(2)
1
Like a G6 • Far East Movement
Gemini (May 21-June 21)
(3)
2
(5)
3
(1)
4
Stresses at work involve both genders whose research produced very different results. Analyze and share the data from your own perspective.
Just a Dream • Nelly
Only Girl (In the World) • Rihanna Teenage Dream • Katy Perry
Let the Sun Shine • Labrinth 25 Simply Red
Make You Feel My Love • ADELE Teenage Dream • Katy Perry Dynamite • Taio Cruz
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
(1) 1 2
Mujeres de Agua Various Artists
(4) 5
Alejandro • Lady GaGa
1
Loca • Shakira
2
Club Can’t Handle Me • Flo Rida Waka Waka (Espanol) • Shakira Source: iTunes
Exchange feelings with loved ones out loud. They may not be able to guess how you feel otherwise. Get out of the house for emotional clarity.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Awareness increases as you connect with an older person. That source of knowledge is integral to writing or other projects you have going on now.
3 (3) 4
Spain
Cry Cry • Oceana
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Group activities involve an older person with fresh ideas. Handle disagreements offstage. Allow someone else to be in charge for best results.
5
United Kingdom Just the Way You Are • Bruno Mars
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
At last, you and a partner re-connect. Recent stress has kept you apart, but now you get to play together and enjoy the magic.
3 (2) 4 (3) 5 © 2010 MCT
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Males and females clash at home because of imagined slights. Bring this issue into the open, and it may dissolve in bright light as misunderstandings often do.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Check your information before you begin a conversation. Others have unique ideas that may (or may not) match the facts. Extra care pays off.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
To overcome objections at work, issue questions rather than demands. That way, everyone’s helpful input is allowed to contribute for harmony and efficiency.
Pisces (Feb. 19-rch 20)
Say what’s on your mind early. You’ll be surprised at how little objection you received. Others appreciate your changes and go right along.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
9
Arts + Entertainment Campus Cribs: ‘Zen Den’ Your Dorm and Relax By LAUREL SANCHEZ Arts + Entertainment Columnist
What do you expect when your friend puts the key in the lock and begins to open the door of their dorm room? Most rooms reveal a mess of clothes on the floor that beg for washing, while others, a museum-like tidiness that feels surreal. How about this for a change: walking into a room after a busy day of classes and finding relaxation in the calming colors and Zen-like decor of your surroundings? Want this room? Take some tips from our friend, Morgan Biggs. A psychology major with a leadership minor and a transfer student, Biggs is currently a junior at the University of Tampa from Palm Beach, Fla. She lives in an inspiring and cozy single room in Urso Hall. The Minaret (TM): I see that you have a lot of “far East” inspired decor. Buddha, candles and other items. What inspired you to decorate your room in this way? Morgan Biggs (MB): I knew that college life would be hectic sometimes. I felt that I just needed a place to relax. I like to call my room the “Zen den,” because I just come in here and I feel instantly relaxed. I feel at home. M: What is your favorite item in the room? MB: I have a few. I like the candles I have above my desk and around my room. They’re electric candles, so I don’t have to worry about them and they look so real. Also, one of my favorites is the bamboo stickers I put on the wall. They pulled the theme of the room together. M: What item do you have that does not belong in this room? MB: I don’t have any items that don’t belong, but there are some things about the room that are strange. The tiles [on the floor] are awful. I managed to make it work by mostly covering them up with area rugs.
Another thing is the concrete slab over there [on the wall]. I just put another bamboo sticker on it to help it blend in. Finally, the chair that they gave us is kind of weird. It’s not very comfortable. M: Was there anything else about your room that you did not like? MB: Another thing I did was change my shower head. I like my new shower head because, again, I like to be comfortable. It’s the little things that make you comfortable, even a little thing such as changing my shower head. M: Describe your room in one word. MB: Serenity. I feel so relaxed here and I feel like this is my home now. I still go home to visit my parents, but I find myself saying, “I’m going home [to Tampa,]” and it’s like, did I just say that? M: You have awesome stuff in here, yet there is no clutter. How do you utilize your limited space? MB: I utilize all of my space by having storage containers under my bed, under my desk, everywhere. When I first came here, I had way too much stuff. I took some of it home, but everything else is in organizing bins under my bed and around my room. M: How does your room reflect your personality? MB: I’m a pretty relaxed, laid-back person. I think that my room brings a sense of tranquility to not only me, but to people who hang in here also. M: Is your style affordable? MB: I think that my style is affordable. Most of my stuff I got for $20, like the area rugs. IKEA is the place to go. Of course, I like to splurge on nice things. I
Do you want your dorm room featured in The Minaret? Contact us at minaret.arts@gmail.com
splurged a lot on my bed — I think it was around $350. That includes the comforter and sheets. I got something to cover my mattress to make it more comfortable and I have a lot of pillows. My room is place for me, it’s all mine, a place to do whatever I want. Also, I think my whole floor is like a “mini family.”
My floor is a non-traditional floor. My ResHall is my home and my dorm room is my room. As I said before, my dorm is becoming my home more than my home down in Palm Beach. Laurel Sanchez can be reached at laurel.sanchezgmail.com.
Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Zen elements like the Buddha featured on her vanity help establish Biggs’ room as a relaxing retreat from her active school schedule
Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Decorated with Eastern decor, Biggs adhere bamboo stickers to the wall bringing together her rooms theme
Iranian Feminist Film Premieres at Tampa Theatre By JP BUSCHE Arts + Entertainment Writer
A film that does not rely solely on a huge marketing budget or an A-list cast can now be seen at Tampa Theatre. Women Without Men will be shown for the very limited time of Oct. 1 through 4. Shirin Neshat’s first feature film is a great example of an independent picture that relies mostly on word of mouth as its form of advertisement. Based on Sharnush Parsipur’s 1989 novel of the same name, the picture had previously opened on just three screens, netting a combined $14,404 revenue and grossing $175,995 as of June 13. Like other cultural pictures, the
[
cinema features like Women Without Men give us a glimpse into other cultures and sometimes we discover that the people we watch on screen are not so much different from ourselves.” Neshat, a native Iranian who was born in Qazvin, eventually left Iran to study painting and printmaking at UC Berkeley where she earned her MFA. Her subsequent move to New York exposed her to working with nonprofit art organizations. In 1990, Neshat moved back to Iran, though she eventually found her way back to New York City. “I have been alone in [the] USA since I was 17 years old, so I’ve learned to adapt to all lifestyles and people of various cultures. But ultimately, I would say I’ve
“I would say I’ve remained Iranian emotionally and Western rationally.” - Shirin Neshat, Filmmaker
filmmaker relied heavily on international funding and ultimately obtained funds from France, Germany and Austria. Rights for U.S. distribution have been obtained by Indiepix. I was able to reach Tara Schroeder, the film’s programming director in an email exchange. “We are honored to bring Shirin Neshat’s beautifully evocative film to Tampa Theatre,” she said. “Indie and world
]
remained Iranian emotionally and Western rationally,” said Neshat. The film takes place during the 1953 Iranian coup d’état, the overthrow of then Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. It revolves around four different women and their struggles in an unstable country influenced by western culture and government. Women Without Men is not popcorn entertainment though definitely a
period piece. Western audiences have an opportunity with this film to get a glimpse of the tumultuous circumstances many people had to cope with during this time. Neshat has managed to depict the period with stunning cinematography and with emotionally driving force. It comes as no surprise that last year, Women Without Men won Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion for Best Director and was the Official Selection of both the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. When asked about what hopes she had for the future, Neshat said: “In relation
to my work, I hope that I can continue to make feature-length films that are at once a work of art, but also have the power of communicating important social and political issues to all people. In regards to the state of our world, I hope [the] future will bring peace, particularly when it comes to the conflict between the West and the Muslim world.” JP Busche can be reached at jbusche@ spartans.ut.edu.
Want Free Tickets? Send an e-mail with the subject “Free Tickets for Shirin” to jbusche@ spartans.ut.edu. The first three will receive the tickets, good for any of the Tampa Theatre screenings of Women Without Men. Women Without Men (99 min.) will run for four days only: at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 and 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4.
Cover Artwork
Women Without Men revolves around four women and their struggles in an unstable country influenced by western culture.
10 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Mid-Morning Snacking at The Brunchery By MORIAH PARRISH
The Dish
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
Ah, brunch: that wonderful invention for those who find the chance to avoid an alarm clock and instead wake up at their leisure. Finally, a dining establishment exists to suit those mid-morning or early-afternoon hunger pangs. The Brunchery on South MacDill Ave. is just such a haven. The dining room, simply one long room extending back to the kitchen, is filled with every sort of ideal home-imagery one can imagine. Wooden and granite tables and one long wooden bench extend the length of a side wall. A silk yellow rose and one mug for each place setting adorn the quaint tables. No two mugs are alike, just as if they came from the average home kitchen cabinet. Bygone Coke products, ceramic figurines and small trinkets adorn the shelves lining the yellow and sage green walls, reminding me of a certain grandmother’s home in rural Ohio. Adding to the home-style feel, the menu offers an array of breakfast or lunch choices including omelets, crepes, eggs Benedict, pancakes, waffles, French toast, sandwiches, hamburgers, items spread with lox — every type of brunch fare imaginable. The sign read, “Please seat yourself,” so I did, meanwhile perusing the whiteboard of items offered for that day. When my server arrived, she strongly suggested the Coconut Cream gourmet coffee du jour and I agreed to try it. Truly, it tasted like pie with coffee. I’m still not sure how they did that.
Coffee: Crepe of the Day: Rum Cake: Average Entrée: Atmosphere:
$1.79 $5.99 $3.99 $5-$10 Homestyle
Variety:
Breakfast & Lunch
Service:
Friendly but Forgetful
Service:
8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Every Day
Moriah Parrish/The Minaret
The Brunchery, on South MacDill Ave., is a place with a down home atmosphere that serves breakfast all day.
After careful consideration, I at last decided on the crepe of the day, a hearty version of the delicate creation stuffed with spinach, feta cheese and bacon. I chose fruit as my side dish. My meal arrived quickly, but the glass of water I had asked for to cut the sweetness of the coffee did not,arrive for the remainder for of the meal, much to my chagrin. The crepes, however, were steaming and had been wonderfully smothered in a honey mustard Hollandaise sauce. I dug in. They were everything a good crepe should be: the fillings were piping hot, the crepe itself thin and light and the sauce
was the perfect compliment to the blend of meat and cheese. Sadly, they were gone too soon. Although served with a muffin and fruit — which was fresh, clean and crisp — the main items were fairly small and there were only two. For a person who normally cannot finish a meal when dining out, I found them easily manageable and was almost still hungry when the meal had disappeared. Thankfully, they have a dessert menu, and even though the server had already placed the bill on the table without mentioning the last course, I inquired about it and opted for a slice of rum cake, reminding her again about the water.
The cake appeared shortly, minus my beverage, and I was surprised to find it had two layers of ice-cream, one chocolate and one vanilla, in between two layers of cake. It had been topped with almond slivers and served drizzled in caramel sauce. The rum part must have been mixed in with cake, because its presence was slightly overwhelming. The ice-cream made a nice touch, and was better than the actual cake. By the end of the visit, I had decided that The Brunchery was a good destination for a light midday meal, but the casual home-style feel extends to the portion size and service, and that may not be such a good thing. Moriah Parrish can be reached at krakat0a13@gmail.com.
11 ‘Writers at the University’ Series Begins with Poet Nin Andrews ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
By MIKEY RUMORE Arts + Entertainment Writer
The Writers at the University series commenced on the night of Sept. 23 with Poet Nin Andrews’ reading in the ScarfoneHartley Gallery. Nicknamed the “Wonder Woman of poetry” by Entertainment Weekly, Andrews read highlights from her many poetry collections. Her works are winners of awards including the Pearl Chapbook Contest for Spontaneous Breasts, the Kent State University Chapbook Contest for Any Kind of Excuse and the Gerald Cable Award for Why They Grow Wings. A diverse cast of students and faculty attended to hear Andrews’ distinctive poetic style, which walks the fine line between prose poetry and very short storytelling. Despite the difficulty of defining Andrews’ work, she carries with her a reputation as a provocateur. “I heard Nin Andrews is a crazy sex writer,” said senior Cody Waters. Such an expectation is understandable.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
One of Andrews’ most notable and well known works, The Book of Orgasms considers the orgasmic bliss extant within everyday life. But Andrews refuses to let herself be known as “the orgasm lady.” She avoided reading from Orgasms, and instead recited charming poems that recalled innocent youth in an essentially dirty world. Her sweet Southern drawl made each poem a distinct performance, rather than a simple narration. Those who attended were charmed by stories of a superstitious father, a bickering mother, the Virginia family farm where they lived and all the growing pains inbetween. A closing series of poems titled “Dear Professor” describing fictional studentprofessor emails, elicited so much laughter that the atmosphere became more like a comedy club than a poetry reading. And those expecting the more orgasmic side of Nin Andrews got it by way of “Bathing in Your Brother’s Bathwater,” a poem from her latest work, Southern
Comfort. A definite highlight, the poem described a Catholic schoolgirl fearful of becoming impregnated by taking a dip in her brother’s dirty bathwater. “As crazy as it sounds,” said Junior Liza Pichette, who particularly enjoyed the poem, “that was the kind of paranoid lunacy I was fed at early sex ed. talks in Catholic school.” Along with Nin Andrews’ accessible reading style, the Scarfone-Hartley Gallery’s artistic atmosphere was wellreceived. “Isn’t it great that we are in an art gallery instead of a classroom?” English Professor Dr. Mathews asked the crowd during the introduction. The audience agreed with a healthy applause. The event was sponsored by the UT Department of English and the Florida Literary Arts Coalition. Despite some scattered empty chairs, the reading hopefully laid the groundwork for larger attendance at future Writers at the University events. Thai-American writer Ira Sukrungruang
will be the next author hosted. The reading will take place at Reeves Theater on Monday, Oct. 18. Doors open at 7 p.m. and attendance is free to the public. Mikey Rumore can be reached at mrumore@startans.ut.edu.
Donald Morrill/UT
Poet Nin Andrews, nicknamed the “Wonder Woman of poetry,” has won many awards for her works. Andrews’ most well-known poetry collection is The Book of Orgasms.
Halo: Reach Breaks First Day Sales Record By TODD SANBORN Arts + Entertainment Columnist
New ‘Spartans’ have entered UT and I don’t mean the freshman class of 2014. As of September 14, Halo: Reach officially became available to the general public and in doing so brought a favorite franchise of many XBOX 360 owner’s back to the limelight. Grossing $200 million dollars opening day, Reach broke the record for the Halo franchise in first day sales. No longer do players control Master Chief, the green supersoldier most gamers are accustomed to but instead an unnamed new recruit only known as Noble 6, a replacement for a victim of the war against the Covenant.
Reach, meant as a prequel to the rest of the series aims to give a more detailed story of the events leading up the 2001 smash hit Halo: Combat Involved. As in the other games, the Covenant force is the battling point between the aliens and humans. Reach introduces a multitude of new features to game play such as upgraded weapons, the addition of a jetpack, active camo, the ability to sprint, and a feature called ‘armor lock’ which gives Noble 6 the ability to become invincible at the cost of being fixed to one position. The multiplayer portion of Reach has also been tweaked since the latest version of Halo. Playing via XBOX Live, players earn ‘credits’ which they can spend to customize
armor, hence a more player immersive experience. The ability to play has a woman or man has also been added along with new multiplayer games outside of the typical ‘capture the flag’ and ‘king of the hill’. ‘Headhunter’, a game where players drop skulls upon death has been added, along with ‘Stockpile’, ‘Generator Defense’ where literally the goal is to defend the installation of three generators, and ‘Invasion’ have been added. Upon meeting checkpoints during the campaign on the game, more features will be unlocked in multiplayer such as weapons and vehicles. Anthony Siviglia, a freshman here at UT has a very strong opinion on Halo: Reach.
‘Halo Reach was a legendary and revolutionary as George Washington’s mission across the Delaware River.’ Kyle Burns has different opinions though, he said ‘I’m not really a fan, I’m not much of a gamer. Bungie, the game’s developer has announced that Halo: Reach is the last game in the franchise they will be producing as the studio 343 Industries, a Microsoft owned company takes control. A vailable exclusively for the XBOX 360, Halo: Reach is available now at your favorite retailer. The number of ‘Spartans’ on campus is sure to climb as more copies land in the dorms of those around school who play video games. Todd Sandorn can be reached at toddalan@me.com.
Professors and Students Present Poetry in 3-D By AMANDA SIERADZKI Arts + Entertainment Columnist
Imagine the University of Tampa as it it might have looked in the times of ancient Greece: Plato and Socrates are philosophizing in the Spartan Club,and you’re outside chilling with Homer in Vaughn Courtyard. All of a sudden Homer remembers he hasn’t told you about the insane party his roommate Hesiod and himself had Saturday night, so he launches into an -length poem detailing the events.
Justin Davis/The Minaret
Tracy Ann Morse used sign language to portray poetry with great emotion.
When you get back to where you live in Stadium, you run into that crazy math cat Pythagorus. You start to retell Homer’s story and consequentially are considered a rhapsode. At 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, the Edison Building was transported back into the time of ancient Greece, when it hosted the free event Reverberance: A Poetic Rhapsody. The minimalistic set was made up of a sofa couch, wooden side table and fancy chair, all of which overlooked the rows of audience seating, so that Edison was transformed from a dance studio to a theatre fit for Homer himself to perform in. What is a rhapsode, you ask? Well in ancient times, those who performed classic poetry were called rhapsodes. They were considered “song-stitchers” because they “stitched” together the works of Homer and Hesiod, improvising their words in the process. Assistant Professor of Speech and Theatre Bob Gonzalez orchestrated Reverberance to be a throwback to the days of rhapsodes in Greece. The show consisted of two acts and no intermission. The first act was performed by Gonzalez, along with special appearances by assistant Professor of English Tracy Ann Morse and assistant Professor of Music Bradford Blackburn. Gonzalez’s repertoire for the evening included poetic greats such as Walt
Whitman, Alfred Tennyson, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and many more. Gonzalez set a rapid-fire pace for the show and launched into rhapsodizing by describing one of the first poems he recited as a “kiss on consonants.” Morse introduced the additional element of American Sign Language (ASL) into the set with Alfred Tennyson’s poem “The Splendor Falls”; Walt Whitman’s poems “Smile,” “O Voluptuous” and “CoolBreath’d Earth” and William Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” and “My Heart Leaps Up.” During the talk-back portion of the evening, audience members were given the opportunity to provide feedback about the performance. Crowd members felt very strongly about the ASL interpretation of “My Heart Leaps Up,” because it was the only piece in which both Morse and Gonzalez signed together to the spoken word. An audience member said that the combination of voice and hand gestures created an even stronger emotion within the poem. Some of the other crowd-pleasers of the night included Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” and John Donne’s “The Flea,” in which Gonzalez created characters that he said, with eyebrows raised, “do what men had been trying to do [since] before man could speak.” An example of what he means can be clearly interpreted by Marvell’s tongue-in-
cheek stanza that states that if the lovers do not make hay while the sun shines, “Then worms shall try / That long preserved virginity / And your quaint honour turn to dust / And into ashes all my lust.” Gonzalez’s Act One hauntingly continued with Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Conquerer Worm” and “The Bells,” with live accompaniment by Blackburn. Bubbling electronic beats gushed from Blackburn’s guitar and MacBook, marrying poetry to writhing sounds that sent shivers down my spine — a horror soundtrack fit for Poe’s disturbing works. During the talk-back, USF senior Heather Blalock commented on how having the music go along with the words brought the performance to a whole other level. Blalock, a former student of Gonzalez’s who had traveled just to see Reverberance, memorably described the music as taking the performance “from 2-D to 3-D.” Gonzalez ended his rhapsodic act with a bow, letting Horace’s poetic words of “Happy the Man” as translated by John Dryden, echo in Edison: “Happy the man / and happy he alone / He who can call today his own ... But what has been / has been / and I have had my hour.”
To read the rest of this article, check out The Crescent at minaretblog.com.
12 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
Commentary Students Fail to Make Love Go the Distance in College
By HANNAH WEBSTER Love and Sex Columnist
As much as I tried to hold it in, the tears came quickly when I said goodbye to my high school sweetheart. We had spent the last two years together, with more ups and downs than a soap opera. But when things were good, they were incredible. He was the first boy to tell me he loved me, and the first I said it back to and meant it. As we said goodbye, I reveled in the security of his arms around me, the softness of his lips and the ease of just being together, no words required. Four days later, he slept with someone else. Though I’d known for a long time that we wouldn’t attempt an international long distance relationship, I was admittedly surprised at his ability to move on so quickly. For him, it seemed to be a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind,” or perhaps the flood of girls celebrating graduation from Catholic school by opening their legs to any guy with his own apartment was just too much to resist. My story is not unique. Young couples around the country separate every fall when school begins. And even though everyone tells them not to bother, to not even waste their time on attempting to stay together, they try it anyway. They do it in hopes of being that couple: the one that survives the rigorous test of long-distance love through college, the one that ends like Sleepless in Seattle. Long distance relationships are risky on their own — regardless of age, experience
and the extremity of the distance inbetween. But the college experience begins with meeting new people and discovering types of people that were completely unknown until that moment. Temptation is everywhere, boyfriend or not. Finding the “right guy,” the “right girl” or simply that night’s hook-up is on the minds of everyone; anyone who says otherwise is lying. Take it from a girl in my dorm. On the first night after move-in, she immediately marked her territory on a boy across the hall. No, she did not pee on him, but had her legs constantly draped over any reachable part of his body while freely letting her hands roam in a manner far beyond what was considered publicly appropriate. And that was just what happened when people were around; who knows what went on behind closed doors when one of them kicked their roommate out for the night? Actually, everyone knew; it was the HoJo for goodness sake. About two weeks into the semester, silence filled the hallway as the girl in question strolled to her room with her boyfriend from back home following with a suitcase. “My first thought was, ‘I hope her dorm boyfriend doesn’t see that,’” said an anonymous witness. “My second was that I just couldn’t believe what a shady person she was.” The dorm buzzed with drama and concern for the feelings of the neighbor she had sunk her claws into. But sympathy quickly turned into outrage when it was discovered that he also had a girl back home. “No one plans on cheating or beginning a long-distance relationship unsuccessfully, it just happens,” said another anonymous
Hannah Webster / The Minaret
Maintaining communication with one’s love is harder in college because of distance.
neighbor. “You don’t plan on meeting someone you’ll be interested in, but there are just so many new people,” she said. And perhaps she’s right. Sure, in the beginning it’s constant texting, nightly Skype dates, and plentiful phone sex. But what happens after the habits start to slip and that “good morning” text isn’t as important to send anymore? A male UT student, who also wished to remain anonymous, talked about his own long-distance relationship. “It’s really more of something to fall back on when I go home,” he said. “There are just people here from all around,” he finished with a shrug. While long-distance relationships usually start with the best intentions, they
can end with the worst betrayals. Try starting out your new life as just that: your new life. If you find that you simply can’t live without the love you left behind, see where they are. Don’t be crushed if you find that they have moved on; you can do the same. It might even be easier without them looming in the back of your head. If you are truly determined to make your relationship work, I honestly wish you the best of luck. Letting go of someone is far from easy, but give your new surroundings and your new neighbors a chance and most importantly, take advantage of the opportunity you have to grow as a person; not as a person tied down to someone else. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannahkarine31@gmail.com.
The Making of a Good Lover Can Never be Judged by Experience
By DOMINIQUE C. BARCHUS Love and Sex Columnist
Let’s all think back to a time when everyone happened to be a great sex partner. Sigh. Great memories, right? Oh, wait, there has never been a time when everyone has been or has had a great sex partner. Let’s be fair though, sometimes you do get those guys or girls who are just natural pleasure givers — lucky you — other times you’ll stumble upon the person who wasn’t the best lover in the sack, but has gotten a lot of practice and is now, for a choice of better words, adequate. But let’s not forget the ones that are just completely inexperienced and pretty much don’t know their own parts from their partner’s. This raises the question: would you prefer someone who is experienced and possibly have the best night of your life or someone inexperienced, but able to be molded into the lover you want them to be? Seems like this answer would be easy, but it’s actually not. Insecurities pop up whenever sex is involved. What if the person you’re with has had more sex partners than you? You may feel as if you don’t measure up to the people they’ve been with in the past (in more ways than
one, if you‘re a guy). On the other hand, what if your partner has less experience than you do? This can turn the night that you thought would be full of fireworks into a night that might have been better spent had you done the job yourself. Freshman Isabella said in response, “I’d rather have a guy that’s experienced, this way if I didn’t know what I was doing, at least he does. I just don’t want it to suck.” Many girls seem to agree, but junior Jaymee had a different take on this question. She said, “I don’t care too much if they are experienced or not. I’ll take control.” The guys, on the other hand, had varying responses. Ryan Dember kept it short and sweet, “No virgins. End of story.” Conversely, Thomas Gentil and Mike Moretti seemed to be on the same page. Moretti said, “It doesn’t really matter to me, but virgins are fun.” Gentil’s response, though, was, “Experienced is fine, but I kind of like how virgins are naive.” With these glorious “for” and “against” virgin comments, there were two guys who actually seemed not to care. Kyle Kinch explained, “It doesn’t matter to me, I’m not picky. I have love for everyone.” Along with him there was another guy who cared more about the time the female was going to have and that was Christian Perry. He said, “Experience doesn’t matter to me, the girl is going to be blown away regardless.” As you can see, there is a bit of a stigma that comes with being a virgin. Many people believe that virgins aren’t going to
babydollstarr/ photobucket.com
Chemistry is more important in making sex exquisite than experience.
make good lovers, regardless if the virgin is a male or female. Let’s look at this another way: not everyone that has had sex is “good” at it. Also, everyone started out as a virgin. No one came out of the womb knowing how to have sex. Just to be clear, coming out of a vagina does not in any way, shape or form count as a sexual experience. It took time, experience and someone willingness for them to have sex when they were virgins. How good or bad your sex partner is has a lot to do with the chemistry that exists between the two of you. Don’t get me wrong, the skill factor does play a role, but that is not the most important thing. If it
was, then there still wouldn’t be people that wait until they are married to have sex for the first time. Now, I know there are people out there that say, “I know I’m a good sex partner, I’ve been told.” You may be right — maybe you are — but that really doesn’t entitle you to anything. It could be a good or bad thing for you. It may be a better idea to keep that information to yourself and let your next sexual encounter be impressed by the fact that you know your way around the bedroom. Lesson for today: life is a learning experience, so take the good with the bad and just learn from it all. Good luck loving! Dominique Barchus can be reached at dominique.barchus@spartans.ut.edu.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
COMMENTARY
13
Editorial: Getting Over the ‘Honeymoon’ Phase Each year, the University of Tampa Residence Life office is given the challenge of pairing incoming freshmen and other students with roommate preferences. Students receive roommate questionnaire forms that ask questions pertaining to cleanliness, sleep schedule, personality traits and whether someone smokes. Incoming freshmen fill out the form, some hoping they don’t get an awful roommate, while others, are indifferent to the outcome. It’s part of the college experience, gaining the opportunity to tell the tale many avoid. The selection process is the time many hate to think about; it’s like when you get assigned a group project with people you know are not the right fit. Some people, however, go into meeting new suitemates with a positive outlook; they look forward to hanging out and getting to know the other person as if they were their own siblings. Many recall the day they move in. That’s the first impression. You meet the person you are going to be living with –well at least if you don’t switch rooms. During this time, which we will nickname the “honeymoon” phase, roommates are getting to know each other. Generally, during this time, the suitemates
are either more respectful than they would be or just plain standoffish. In terms of UT students, many residents bring up the noise issue as one of their top annoyances. Parties can get a little out of hand, leaving roommates without sleep or unable to study. Others recall waking up to use the bathroom and finding it a mess. There have been times, where random hair is found in the drains or over countertop space. But that’s the worries. It’s not until you notice going for your favorite cereal in the morning or getting your cup of coffee. Your cereal is gone and that special brand of organic milk is finished. When do you draw the line? There are some things you can do to cope with these kinds of incidents. Try sitting down with your roommate and talking about “house rules” and set some boundaries. If all else fails, consider finding other roommates. If you’re a person who needs your own space, consider getting a single. Finding the right roommate isn’t always possible, but it’s part of the college experience. The Editorial Board can be reached at editor@theminaretonline.com or you may submit a Letter to the Editor form online at www.theminaretonline.com.
Nathaniel St. Amour / The Minaret
Students don’t know what to expect until that moment of truth in which they realize their roommate’s hygiene is not up to their expectations.
Visiting ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Shows the Truly Icy Attitudes Towards Mosque By MIKEY RUMORE Commentary Contributor
The battle lines over the proposed “ground zero mosque” have been drawn. I must stipulate that I use the term loosely and only as a frame of reference — what is being proposed is not a mosque, but an Islamic Cultural Center. Nor is the site at ground zero. It is two blocks away. But make no mistake, the two blocks are brisk. As I visited the Park51 site in Lower Manhattan this past Sept. 11, the most politicized 9/11 anniversary in recent memory. I expected a war. I got a war. I first paid my respects from just outside St. Paul’s chapel overlooking ground zero. A man sat nearby playing “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” on his flute. Many brought flowers to place in the links of Gate 3H. Others gathered around the famous ground zero cross, an intersection of beams found in World Trade Center debris that resembles a Christian cross. The scene was at first somber, though the vitriol soon became apparent. Behind my shoulder I overheard an irate student who appeared about my own age. “That’s ground zero,” he said to a group of friends, pointing at the ghosts of the Twin Towers. He pointed two blocks over, towards the intersection of Park and Church. It was so close that I could just make out the street signs. “That’s the mosque. It’s right there.” “How do you feel about it?” I asked. “It’s a disgrace,” he said. With violence in his voice he added, “And you better be against it, too.” In the wake of the initial controversy over the mosque, President Obama said, “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community
center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” He later added, “I was not and will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there.” At the time I found the President’s words ambiguous and inconsistent. Only in the heart of the chaotic opposition around ground zero did I understand him. Viewing the true passion of the proposed mosque’s opposition firsthand, I couldn’t help but question the wisdom of insisting on the construction of a project that brings out such violent insecurity in the American people. A recent Quinnipiac poll reported that just over three out of five American voters believe that it is wrong to build a mosque so close to ground zero. However, in light of my experience at the site, I am grateful that the religious freedom of a minority is not subject to public referendum. Hundreds came to Park51 in protest. A speech by Rusty Lee Thomas, assistant director of Operation Save America, characterized the mood of those opposed to the construction of the mosque. “[Supporters of the mosque] call us intolerant,” he wailed, his voice echoing through lower Manhattan. “Try to build a church in Egypt or Syria. We are not intolerant. They are intolerant.” During the speech, a shofar, a traditional Jewish horn, was blown, sounding off like a righteous trumpet. A woman behind me became disgusted. “This has gone too far,” she said as she scurried away from the site. I shared her sentiment. I turned and took a free postcard from a man soliciting. “God bless America,” he said. And I agreed with him, though I felt sick examining the cartoon on the card he gave me, which depicted a terrorist guffawing
Mikey Rumore / The Minaret
The site of the Ground Zero Mosque is a source of fury for many Americans.
over the ruins of the Towers with an elaborate mosque behind him. The Constitution bulged from his pocket, as if to suggest our cherished rights and institutions benefit terrorists over our own fallen heroes. The mosque controversy is ultimately a test of how deeply America values its dedication to religious freedom. I’ve continually studied the cartoon on the postcard I received, haunted by the suggestion that the rights of the people are among America’s weaknesses, rather than its greatest strengths. At ground zero I found much memorializing, but the mood was mostly hostile. I was chilled for hours afterward — my goosebumps did not recede until I was away from the specter of the Towers. The magnitude of the 9/11 tragedy hit home — and it hit hard. Heading back to Midtown Manhattan, I immediately began considering which
words would capture the essence of mood at ground zero. Moving was not right. Crushing, suffocating, overwhelming — all three do the truth more justice. At nightfall I took the night tour downtown. Eventually the bus stopped in Brooklyn Heights and from across the river our group admired the 9/11 tribute lights rise to the heights of the night sky, glimmering like ghosts of the Twin Towers. We clamored to take pictures. It was there, away from the political tension, that I could finally have my own personal memorial to our fallen heroes of Sept. 11, 2001. To that experience, the word moving definitely applied. It was abundantly clear that there is no easy solution for either side of the debate over the so-called ground zero mosque, whatever becomes of it. Mikey Rumore can be reached at mrumore@spartans.ut.edu.
14 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
COMMENTARY
Spend Hundreds on Botox and Cosmetics or Die a Lonely Hag?
By NICOLE ROBINSON Columnist
Poor Mariah walks the streets in ragged clothes. Men with silver hair scoff at her, children squeal and run away because Mariah’s sheer ugliness is just too overwhelming to them. This poor woman walks this world alone because her wrinkles have overtaken her face. Her features have caused her to lose her friends, her boyfriend and even her mother denied her asylum out of the pure shame of being associated with a “wrinkly aging” daughter. Mariah thinks in her misery “If only I had started using those anti-aging products when I was 25, I wouldn’t be 26 1/2, all alone and hideously wrinkled.” Perhaps this seems like an exaggerated example. Let’s provide a real life one. The scene is a group meeting together in Austin Hall for a “beauty consultation” to help some friend (who works for a cosmetic company) meet her quota of people so she can make some money. I was there to witness the warning signs of unavoidable wrinkles and of my own slowly aging skin. The excitement of being able to play “make up” created an electricity around the room when the “beauty representative” took her place in the center to address us all. “Did you know that once you hit your 20s your skin’s elasticity diminishes and you start to age, ladies?” The sales representative looked solemnly into the
eyes of every girl in the room for dramatic effect. The once-giggly crowd of girls who were told that they were coming for a “girls night” slumber-party-feeling event are now quiet. One girl even starts to feel her face self consciously. It’s obvious that this isn’t an escape or opportunity to experiment with purple lipstick for fun, it’s an all-out attack upon the confidence and self-esteem of each person present. She continued to tell us that even though our skin is deteriorating by the second, there may be a small sliver of hope. There is a chance that we might be able to reverse “uglification.” A solution that is so graciously being offered to us by the cosmetic company she represents? Yes! Sweet salvation! All you have to do is spend $39.95 on a cleanser that prepares your face for the $49.99 moisturizer that helps the anti-aging overnight cream take its full effect. Oh yeah, and since she’s nice it comes 50% off, so it’s only $25.99. Of course you will need the mineralizing foundation as well. Apparently, if you do all this you will be able to put off mandatory BOTOX for a few years. Wonderful! Now, these college-age girls are essentially told that if they already don’t look like crap now, not to worry, they will soon and they need to drop serious cash every month for tiny, over-priced bottles filled with lightlyscented lies. The clear message from magazines, billboards, T.V. shows, you name it: fix your face ladies, or die alone. No one will marry you if your smile betrays a single line on your face — wait doesn’t that happen naturally? Yes. But apparently if you’re a woman you should resent anything that doesn’t mirror the photo-shopped images that pepper advertisements everywhere. There is an
Dominated by Time, Society Needs To Take Back Control
By CAMILLA CHEBET Commentary Contributor
Time is something we prescribe a lot of importance to the extent that we almost can’t function without noting the time at various points during day. Conducting meetings, completing tasks or achieving anything significant in the modern world would be impossible without using time as a limit. It’s hard to think about a period during which time was not defined. Once there was day and there was night. The day was meant for working and the night was set aside for resting and sleep. Since then we have developed an insatiable need to do create clocks and watches, add numerical value to time and structure our lives around it. We have been become so dependent on time that we use it to justify our inability or lack of desire to do something by claiming that we “don’t have time.” This has become a technique used to sneak out of commitments or gatherings we would rather avoid. The truth is, being busy is subjective. We all get the same amount of time every day; in those hours, you can choose what to commit your time to and gauge the importance of a certain task, event or meeting. What has been evident and rather saddening is that half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. We limit our involvement in college life, the time we spend with loved ones and family, the things we do just for fun and
the time we set aside for ourselves. We feel we need to be busy constantly to make “the most out of our time.” This is commendable to a certain extent. Of course we need to prioritize our lives, but we have to enjoy what we have while we still have it and enjoy it. As college students, these are our prime years. This is the time we should be using to get involved in clubs and organizations, to make friends and try new things. Some people use lack of time as an excuse not to do these things. The sad truth is time wasted can never be recovered and wasting time does not just mean not using it well. During high school years we are taught to manage time and set aside time for work and balance it with time for fun or play. It is surprising that we have swayed so far from the simple rules we learned. Time heals all wounds, they say. This is a lie. We give time so much credit for things that we do, but it’s an inanimate idea. It continues to pass no matter what we do. When we are hurt, broken-hearted or grieving we heal our own wounds, we move on with life, we stop grieving, pick ourselves up and choose to get ourselves out of such situations. We choose to grow by keeping ourselves busy and learning from painful experiences. If time was what healed all wounds, then we could choose to stay stuck in the past and things would be fine, but we all know if we did this, we would still remain in that situation. It’s about time (no pun intended) we take credit and responsibility for the decisions we make and stop giving time more power than it has. We ought to stop living under the thumb of time and instead be on top of things and not let our own invention rule us. Camilla Chebet can be reached at cchebet@spartans.ut.edu.
advertisement that is running the Oct. issue of InStyle that shows a large Iguana that reads “shed wrinkles.” That’s right: if you don’t use anti-aging products, then sooner or later you will turn into an iguana-like creature and everyone will hate you. The fact is, cosmetic companies are making tons of money every year by telling women of all ages that showing any sign of age outside of pre-teen youthfulness is a mortal sin. It’s worse than robbing a child of candy. Even at the age of 19 I was offered a product by a certain “beauty representative” that guaranteed users “20 years off your skin!” You know I always wanted to have the skin complexion of an embryo! The womb really does have a lot of anti-aging qualities! detochkina/ photobucket.com The truth is, these seemingly harmless It’s time to embrace yourself and know that you “beauty representatives” are manipulating a can grow old with grace like this, fact. They tell you that by your 20s you start aging because your skin stops producing serum. It also seems ridiculous that women collagen, which will immediately result in subject themselves to so much panic over an “aged” appearance. The unadulterated the dreaded “age monster” when men are truth, however, is that your skin produces able to embrace their aging. A close up of natural collagen and elastin slower in your Brad Pitt’s wrinkled face graces the cover 20s than it did earlier in life. According to of magazines. There is even a line of men’s the American Academy of Dermatology, hair coloring that leaves enough silver in the “While these changes usually begin in hair to evoke respect from colleagues and our 20s, the signs of intrinsic aging are younger women who slather themselves typically not visible for decades.” That’s with anti-aging moisturizers everyday. right: not visible for decades. Why can’t women embrace and love I have yet to meet a 25 year-old who their aging as much as men do? Women is wrinkled, let alone wrinkled so much must ignore the voices that tell them to that they must seek immediate treatment ignore their beauty as they progress in life, through BOTOX or daily creams. if not for the sake of their self-esteem, then But I have met plenty of people our age for the sake of their own sanity. and beyond who are beautiful and have So the next time you encounter an been effected by condescending looks from advertisement or “well meaning” cosmetic the perfectly plucked and powdered eyes salesperson, tell them where to stick it and of “beauty specialists” so much that they what they can kiss: your wrinkly face. can’t throw their money away fast enough Nicole Robinson can be reached at to get their hands on the newest miracle nrobinson@spartans.ut.edu.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
COMMENTARY
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A Wasted Night: The Art of Babysitting Drunk Friends
By JOHN JACOBS Asst. Commentary Editor
While in college you’re going to face a good amount of problems you’re not used to, and one of the most common (and annoying) is taking care of your friend who gets too drunk. It happens at least once a week (or night, depending on how “cool” you are): you’ll be out and realize that your role for the night has turned into that of the babysitter. It helps to know the warning signs when you suspect your friend is getting to that point, just in case you get the chance to prevent the inevitable. The easiest opportunity to determine how drunk your friend has become is by observing how much space he takes up while dancing. Anytime you go out to a club you’ll notice at least one guy who is “really feeling the music” and has started his own one-man-show on the dance floor. It’s not even really dancing as much as it is a drunken march or a fight with an invisible person. Given that some people are just really obnoxious dancers, a sure sign to tell that someone is overly drunk is when you notice they don’t even have their eyes open anymore. Then it’s time to intervene. Start asking your friend questions, like “Hey, how’re you feeling?” If he responds with something normal like, “fine,” “good” or “great,” he’s probably got things under control. But when the answer becomes “So good! So, so good right now,” “The best! You don’t even know,” or “Oh my god, bro. I love you,” you need to try and slow down his pace or stop him from drinking
anymore altogether. Be careful how you go about this though; nothing offends a drunk person more than telling him he’s drunk. Even if you say something as simple as, “Hey, maybe you should slow it down; you seem pretty drunk,” don’t be surprised if your friend decides to make an announcement to the room like, “Hey everybody! Sorry for my behavior. According to this guy (points finger in your face), I’m too drunk right now and I need to stop! I thought everything was fine and we were all having fun, but I guess not! Everybody say ‘sorry’ to this guy!” Next he’ll try to prove to you that he’s still sober by doing something that should prove it, but that in reality only furthers the point that he is in fact wasted out of his mind. It’ll be something like, “Oh yeah? Well, if I was drunk, would I be able to do a back-flip off of this dumpster?” And even in the rare amazing chance that he executes the stunt, never in the history of time has anyone said the next day, “Yeah, I thought Danny was drunk, but then when he did the back-flip off the dumpster in the alley behind the bar, I knew he was fine.” Sometimes he’ll try to prove it with something even more counterproductive, like “If I was drunk, would I be able to drink these four shots?” That’s a bad question, because if he were drunk, physically his body shouldn’t be able to take down another four shots, but you can’t ask him to prove it, no matter how good of a Youtube video that would make. Once your friend realizes he’s lost the argument and admit that he “might be a little drunk,” his final attempt to get you off his back will be to say something completely irrelevant as a last excuse. He’ll get serious all of a sudden and say, “Hey come on; my
merfam/ flickr.com
Taking care of drunk friends can be like taking care of an out-of-control infant.
dog just died like three months ago and you’re really going to come to me right now telling me I’m too drunk? Come on, man; just let me have fun.” As long as you don’t fall for it, he’ll have to give up. As you’re walking your friend back to his room, remember: a drunk person is like a child: he’s going to try to touch everything and will say whatever he wants to anyone in earshot. Make sure to be one step ahead of him around fire alarms, fire extinguishers, anything made of glass and anything with bright colors, because those are the things your friend will inevitably find the most interesting and try to grab. Also, make sure to avoid any contact with girls as you’re walking back, because in your friend’s mind, he’s “the man” right now and whatever he says to this girl will be golden. He won’t hesitate to yell something classy like, “I want to nail you right now!” Not only will it be offensive, but borderline sexual harassment in most cases.
Once you get back to your room, just put your friend to bed. So he doesn’t try to escape just say, “Hey, we’re going to take a break for a bit, but we’ll go back out. Don’t worry!” Before he realizes you’re not going back out, he’ll probably pass out. Finally, before leaving him for the night, just make sure to hide his phone, because if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he’ll most likely drunk text every exgirlfriend from the past four years telling her to “comm ovarr grl,” which he’ll definitely regret the next day. When he wakes up the next morning and asks what happened, just tell him “You had a great time and everything went well.” It’s never worth it to try to explain the trouble he put you through the night before, because he either won’t believe it or appreciate it. It’s better to let him think everything went well. John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ spartans.ut.edu.
Today’s Music Screams ‘Out With the Gold Diggers, In With the Fancy Girls!’
By PHILIPPA HATENDI Commentary Editor
The music industry is a very powerful engine in society, not only for entertainment, but also for socialization. It’s one of the strongest contributors to the stereotypes and mentalities we see in society today. One of the strongest of those stereotypes is its portrayal of women. We all remember Kanye’s song Gold Digger, for example. Despite the fact that I didn’t agree with the ideology presented in that song, I still found myself learning the lyrics. Gold Digger was about the kind of woman who uses her looks to trap men into relationships. From what I understood, the “gold digger” is pretty soulless: she’ll trick you into supporting a child that wasn’t yours, use child support to get liposuction and drill massive holes in your bank account. She is the type of woman who never loves a man for himself, but only for his money. The music industry has managed to successfully create this stereotype about women and, in doing so, has managed to create the male mentality that all women are after their pockets and not their hearts. T.I.’s song Whatever You Like depicts women in another light, wherein even though the woman is not portrayed as a
gold digger, her sole purpose within the relationship is to reap the benefits of the man’s wealth — wealth, of course, that she never worked for. As a result of these types of songs being produced in the music industry, girls around me have started to adopt the attitude that if he isn’t wealthy, then he isn’t worth an ounce of her time. I suppose gold diggers succeed for so long because they had the ability to suck a man dry (very vampire-ish), yet manage to preserve his ego at the same time. I know: you’re wondering how it’s possible. It seemed to me that men love gold diggers because even though they are so parasitic, they make a man feel needed as a provider in their lives. They give men a purpose. This concept, however, is changing both in music and society. Recently I saw a change in the way that the music industry portrays women and the mindset that it is creating about the type of woman who is typically attractive to a man. It seems that the idea has gone from one extreme to the other, and this time it’s not in the negative way. Hail the birth of “Ms. Independent”: the fancy girl who has acquired her wealth through her own hard work and intelligence, not via filching from her boyfriend’s pocket in the name of “love.” She first appeared to our generation’s music industry in the Destiny’s Child song Independent Woman, but was ignored by a majority of men. Not until Ne-yo came out with two songs of the same theme: Ms. Independent and She Got Her Own (and now Drake’s song Fancy) has the image of an independent
woman entered the stratosphere. I have begun to see men look for women who have more substance than good looks and sex appeal. They have started to look for women who are driven, career-oriented, who could be their equals in relationships, who don’t have to depend on their men in order to survive and who actually have the ability to love a man simply for his heart. I worried initially that the male ego would prevent the rise of the independent woman, simply because a woman who can provide for herself financially supposedly “doesn’t need a man” for anything (this is partially true). But it seems that men in the industry and in society have recognized that financial independence in a woman doesn’t mean that a man’s ability to satisfy her sexual and emotional needs will become obsolete. ranicayao/ photobucket.com Vibrators don’t have much of a personality, Independent, smart, classy...yeah, she fancy! after all. Some people have said to me that it thus in culture. would be better if women were portrayed These more progressive songs should as men’s equals by not having the focus lie be blasting in our hallways and cars. so much on a girl’s physical appearance, Hopefully they will create the healthy, but rather on her academic achievement or balanced relationships that we are supposed success. to have between sexes. I partly agree, but I also say, why Thank goodness men have finally shouldn’t she physical be acknowledged? caught on and started to praise the fancy There are a lot of smart girls at this girls (who have been there all along) and university and as much as they want you to uphold them as the examples of what a see their brains, they also want you to see woman should be in society. their beauty. So, men, next time you see a fancy girl Sexuality isn’t something that should pull up in her M3 BMW, don’t be afraid to be used to make a woman feel inferior. If ask her out to dinner. she’s successful and sexy, she shouldn’t be When your tummy’s full, trust me, she bashed for the latter. won’t expect you to pay. It’s wonderful to see a little progress in Philippa Hatendi can be reached at the way women are portrayed in music and phatendi@spartans.ut.edu
16 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
Sports Women’s Soccer Follows Loss with Shutout Victory By DAVIS FOX Sports Writer
The University of Tampa women’s soccer team had a long ride home on Sunday, Sept. 26 after losing to a Barry team that they out-shot, out-possessed and arguably out-played. The 3-1 loss was Tampa’s second of the season and moved the team down to fifth in the conference standings. The Spartans had 16 shots to Barry’s nine and placed nine shots on goal, while their opponents only managed five. The advantage in corner kicks also went to the Spartans, and they seemed to dominate play. Unfortunately for the Spartans, Barry struck first just 26 minutes into the game. The Spartans seemed to have rebounded a minute later when Carolyn Simon put one in the back of the net to even the score, but
in the end, youthful mistakes seemed to be Tampa’s undoing. Barry’s Sylvia Lugo cleaned up a rebound to give Barry back the lead. Another error by the Spartans sealed the deal; a late goal put the game out of reach. This is the second time this year the Spartans have let down after gaining momentum in a game. The first time resulted in a loss to Tusculum on Sept. 17 after having a 1-0 lead at half time. “We didn’t really play for ninety minutes,” said junior Spartan Jazmin Perry. “We scored a goal, but we kind of let down in the second half just thinking, ‘Alright, we sort of have this in the bag.’ But they came out much harder in the second half and they wanted to win and they knew that if they kept working hard they could get a goal.” Tusculum would get three in a 25-minute
Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Spartan freshman Cina Salemi locks arms with an opposing player attempting to get the ball.
span. Still, senior forward Luana Miessa felt that the loss might have been good for the team in the long run. “I think [it was] kind of good [that we] lost this game because it makes us realize, ‘Ok, we need to pick it up, the conference is coming.’ We were hungry and said, ‘Let’s go get it,’” Miessa said. Tampa seemed to have overcome their mental mistakes in a 2-1 come-from-behind win in overtime against Lander on Sept. 19. Miessa seemed to have truly stepped into her leadership role, netting the lone overtime goal to lead the Spartans to victory. Perry felt that the team showed patience, kept playing for ninety minutes, and continued to work hard even in overtime. However, going into their game against Barry, Miessa, a team captain, felt that communication and leadership were still issues for the squad. “One point that I think we are not very strong [is that] we do not have a lot of people that can communicate. We don’t have a lot of leaders on the team,” Miessa said. “I think we should talk more.” Perry echoed Miessa’s concerns, stating that the team gave up too many goals due to communication problems. Defensive communication problems were the Spartans’ undoing against Barry, when an issue between keeper Leah Cesanek and a defender caused the Spartans to score in their own net to make it a 3-1 game. Despite coming up short in two matches thus far, Perry and Miessa still believe that the Spartans have a chance at a national title. “I think we have a really good shot this year,” said Perry, “I know we’re a new squad getting to know each other, but I think we’re
XC Runner Making Her Presence Felt
Andy Meng/Sports Information
Sophomore cross country runner Kaia Hampton
[From Back, Hampton] Hampton did just that. Knowing Coach Slaven was the coach made the decision to enroll at UT easy. “He’s a University of Florida running legend. He also made me feel comfortable here, and running for a phenomenal coach helped me pick UT,” said Hampton. Hampton is a Biology major, which can be difficult to balance school work and her cross country commitment. “Trying to study and get my work done in time is hard, especially knowing I have to get up at 6 a.m. everyday for practice,” she said. Her full plate proved to be a success last season. Hampton was named the SSC Freshman of the year in 2009 after placing three top-10 finishes and making the SSC alltournament team. “I was very surprised; I haven’t won anything like that before. I was extremely humbled and honored,” Hampton said. As Hampton won the award, her track and field season at UT turned to the wrong
direction. She had sinusitis which would eventually lead to another problem. Hampton had her tonsils taken out this summer and underwent tonsil surgery. Hampton is still healing because it takes 68 months to fully recover from surgery, but she is back and running this semester. Since returning, Hampton has done very well in 2010. Last week, she recorded her personal best time, 18:35, at the University of Florida Invite finishing the race in 20th out of the 208-runner 5k race. Hampton also finished fourth at the Florida Tech Invite on Sept. 11. UT’s is a completely new team this year. “We lost a lot of seniors, and we have eight new freshman girls. One of our best runners, Jess Butler, has been hurt but we are staying strong as a team and constantly encouraging each other. It is good competition of team unity,” said Hampton. Hampton also stated that they have a really close team this year, and believe that the outcomes of the upcoming races will be a success. Success is a big role in a runner’s attitude, and how you get there sometimes goes unnoticed. “We go through a lot of pain and sweat together, but the hard work will pay off in the end,” Hampton said. Hampton believes running is a unique sport because you get both the personal and team satisfaction all in one. “It is a big individual sport, but on the other hand, you must work hard together to do well as a team,” she said. As Hampton believes in her talents and her team, her teammate Heather Nicolosi
believes Hampton is a big part of their squad. “She works very hard and wants to get better every race. Kaia is a very crucial part of our team because we need strong girls up front to score, and she does just that,” stated Nicolosi. As her teammates have confidence in Hampton, Coach Slaven enjoys her talents and personality. “Kaia is young but already one of our leaders. She continuously runs with confidence starting in practices and ending in the races,” Slaven said. As the Spartans have completed three races, the team now starts to prepare for the Lehigh, Pa. Invitational. The Invitational is a 6k race, longer than any other race the Spartan women have ran this year. “It’s only a little longer of a race but it is still a mental block. We only have three girls on the team who have actually ever run a 6k,” said Hampton. Other runners who have run a 6k on the team are Katie O’Brien and Heather Nicolosi. Hampton also looks for a personalbest time like usual and finds the race great competition and preparation for regionals and nationals. As Hampton keeps up her impressive performance as an individual and a runner, UT can get used to Hampton for two more years of talent and grace. When it comes to life and running for Hampton, she referenced the famous “Rocky” quote. “It’s not how hard you get hit, it’s how hard you get hit and keep going.” Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
starting to mesh really well, and I think we can go pretty far in the tournament.” The Spartans may have a talented side, but if mental errors persist, it could hinder Tampa’s run at a title. They have eight games to get things sorted out, but their remaining schedule will be a true test of the Spartans’ mettle, with Florida Tech, Columbus State and Rollins rolling into Pepin Stadium. With a 6-0 victory over conference opponent Eckerd College on Sept. 28, the Spartan women improved both their overall and conference record. They are now 7-2 on the year with a 2-1 conference record. Brittan Spench notched two goals for the Spartans, while Courtney Peffley, Natalie Gibson, Carolyn Simon and Caroline Spencer all had a goal each. Eckerd fell to 1-8 on the year sit at the bottom of the SSC. A tough matchup at conference rival Florida Southern, who last season advanced to the SSC Championship game but lost to Rollins, on Oct. 5 will also test the Spartan’s resiliency. “I know last year was pretty rough for us, but I feel like we have a [much stronger] squad, a lot more technical and people that work a lot harder, not just on the field, but also on the bench,” Perry said. “I felt like we were lacking that last year, and I feel like this year we’ll have a lot more depth.” When asked what the team needed to do in order to compete with Florida Southern, but lost to Rollins Miessa’s answer was short and to the point. “Play simple,” Miessa said. “And again, communicate.” Davis Fox can be reached at davison. fox@spartans.ut.edu.
OCTOBER SPORTS SCHEDULE Friday, Oct. 1 Cross Country Lehigh Invitiational Volleyball Lynn 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 2 Volleyball Florida Tech 4 p.m. M. Soccer at Barry 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 3 M. Golf Spartan Invitational
Monday, Oct. 4 M. Golf Spartan Invitational
Tuesday, Oct. 5 M. Golf Spartan Invitational W. Soccer at Florida Southern 7 p.m.
SPORTS
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
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Fresh Out of Daycare, These MLB Rookies Can Play Ball By MILES PARKS Sports Writer
The Rookie of the Year process in Major League Baseball is a fun one to watch. It’s one of the only times in professional sports that men get rewarded for having mildly above-par seasons. Similar to the Comeback Player of the Year Award, it basically says, “We knew you were pretty good, but you exceeded our very low expectations! Congrats!” Jonathon Niese should be the N.L. Rookie Of the Year. Niese has a nice 2.5
to one strikeout to walk ratio, and two complete games to boast. Does he have the best numbers? No. Does he have a losing record? Yes. Does he carry his team? No. But he does play for the Mets, and he actually tries. For that, a man should be rewarded. In all seriousness though, the N.L. R.O.Y. race is tighter than most would have expected after the first month of the season. By May, Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves was basically christened Rookie of the Year, if not rookie of the decade. His walk-off homers were featured on Baseball
dbking/flickr.com
Atlanta Braves rookie outfielder Jason Heyward avoides the tag as he slides past home plate.
Tonight every evening, and his right field play was on Sportscenter every morning. Heyward battled through a thumb injury and has still been a staple of consistency this year for the Braves, but others have emerged, even within the National League East. Gaby Sanchez has shined for the Florida Marlins, even in spite of the Marlins’ average record. Sanchez and Heyward have both been flirting around the .280 mark in batting average, but Sanchez has the RBI edge by twelve, which is the reason Heyward is going to be named N.L. R.O.Y. The Rookie of the Year award has nothing to do with numbers, though. The two budding superstars have much too similar stats to contrast based solely on slugging percentage or doubles. It comes down to defense. Heyward plays a solid rightfield, whereas Sanchez plays an unchallenging first base. It also comes down to leadership. The Braves have found themselves in the postseason hunt in spite of a batting order that includes Nate McLouth with a .169 batting average. Heyward has put Atlanta back on the map. Honorable Mentions: Gaby SanchezFlorida, Jaime Garcia- St. Louis, Buster Posey- San Francisco. The A.L. Rookie pool lacks quantity but the Detroit Tigers make up for it. The Tigers
have the top two A.L. rookie hitters at the front half of their lineup in Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch. All year, it has been up for debate: Which one of these tykes will take home the trophy? Jackson has speed and average (26 SB, .299 average) where Boesch in a home-run threat as well as an RBI machine. It has to be one of these guys.Whoops. Never mind. Don’t mess with Texas. Ranger’s closer Neftali Feliz has the thing voters love most: records. When someone breaks into the MLB and immediately starts writing his name on all the big books in Cooperstown, it gets hard not to notice. Feliz now holds the record for most saves by a rookie, and soon he’ll be A.L. Rookie of the Year. Honorable Mentions: Austin JacksonDetroit, Brennan Boesch- Detroit, Wade Davis- Tampa Bay. It’s fun to take stock of what the kids do in the spring and summer. Some of them might even get a trophy out of all of this. But there’s a week left in the season. It’s time for boys to become men. Let’s see what these little brats can do in the postseason. These statistics are accurate as of Sept. 27. Miles Parks can be reached at mparks@ spartans.ut.edu.
NFL Week 4: Anticipating the League’s Premiere Games By DANIEL FEINGOLD Sports Editor
The Denver Broncos, 1-2, will travel to Tennessee to face Chris Johnson and the 2-1 Titans. Broncos QB Kyle Orton has had an impressive start to the season, to say the least, and while Chris Johnson may not be posting the ridiculous statistics people expected, he has still looked like the best running back in the league this side of Adrian Peterson thus far in 2010. On offense, these teams are almost polar opposites; while Denver has found success through the air with a ragtag group of receivers, Tennessee has run the ball 34 times per game, third most in the NFL. The undefeated Pittsburg Steelers will play host to the 2-1 Baltimore Ravens. With backup QBs Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch at the helm, the Steelers have beaten down the Falcons, Titans and Buccaneers, all teams with winning records. It seems as though the steel curtain is in full force this season, only allowing 33 points thus far. Baltimore’s defense is top notch as well, giving up 41 points in 2010. Scoring chances in this matchup will come sparingly, so this game may be decided by which team’s offense capitalizes on those opportunities. Under the command of veteran QB Donovan Mcnabb, the Washington Redskins, 1-2, have looked inconsistent after three weeks. They started the season with a victory over the Cowboys, then followed that up with a tough loss to Houston and a poor performance against St. Louis. Maybe what the Redskins need is another divisional matchup, and in week four, they’ll get one as they face off against
Talk of the Town Professional Sporting Events in the Tampa Bay Area
the 2-1 Philadelphia Eagles. It will be interesting to see how far Mcnabb’s will to win can carry the Redskins in this game versus his former team, who is now led by versatile Michael Vick. Though Vick has looked much improved at the QB position from his years in Atlanta, he has won two games against Detroit and Jacksonville, two of the worst pass defenses in the league. Who would have thought that the Chicago Bears, 3-0, would be the NFC North leaders after defeating Green Bay on Monday Night Football? In fact, they are now the only team in the NFC to be undefeated. Maybe just as surprising is how the New York Giants, 1-2, are playing to begin the season. The Giants only win of the year came against Carolina, and even then, Eli Manning was picked three times. However, they will be playing at home, so expect to see the Giants fight hard to get back to relevancy. The New England Patriots, 2-1, haven’t seemed like the same Patriots from recent memory, mainly because they aren’t. New England has a very young defense this season, and it has showed, allowing 82 points, in which 30 of those points came against the Buffalo Bills. The Miami Dolphins, 2-1, have proved so far in 2010 that they will be a force in the AFC, both on offense and defense. Despite falling short of a victory, QB Chad Henne had a great game against the Jets defense on Monday night en route to scoring 23 points. However, if the Patriots defense can shape up in time for the Dolphins, Tom Brady and his high powered offense will find a way to win. Daniel Feingold can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com.
TAKE YOUR SHOT: SPORTS STAFF FOOTBALL PICK’EM Join The Minaret sports staff right here every week as we highlight the top five NFL games and give our predictions on each game’s outcome. We will keep a running tally of the staff’s record and see who wins at season’s end.
Week 4: City of Brotherly Love Hosts QB They Didn’t Love Enough
Broncos
Titans Kyle John Mike M. Mike P. Miles
Daniel Davis
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@ Ravens
Steelers
Mike M. [2-2] Mike P [2-2]
Kyle [2-2] Daniel [2-2] Miles [3-1] John [2-2] Davis [2-2]
Eagles
Redskins Mike P
Kyle Daniel John Davis Mike M. Miles
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@ Bears
Giants
Patriots
Kyle Daniel Miles
John Davis Mike M. Mike P.
Mike P. Miles
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After being embarrassed at home versus the Steelers, The Buccanneers [2-1] will take on the bye week, which could very well be a tougher opponent than the first two they faced this season.
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The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched their second playoff birth in franchise history, and will travel to Kansas City in hopes of taking reigns as A.L. East Champions over the New York Yankees.
Dolphins Kyle Daniel John Davis Mike M.
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The Tampa Lightning look to enter the regular season on a high note as they will host in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers for the final game of the preseason, set for Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
18 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Fifth-Ranked Spartans Look to Earn Back Top Spot By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer
Kara Wall/The Minaret
Julie Howlett leads the Spartans with 194 digs on the year, averaging more than four per match.
As the Spartan volleyball team enters conference play, expectations stay the same for the team. The University of Tampa is currently ranked fifth in the nation for Division II schools, posting a 3-1 conference record and an overall record of 11-3. After starting conference play with a win against Eckerd, the Spartans spiked their way to a 3-0 victory over conference foe Florida Southern. In the first set, senior Melissa Vanderhall had five kills, along with Kaleigh Cunningham and Jessica Yingling adding four kills a piece. The second set turned out victoriously for the Spartans, winning the set 25-19. To finish the game for the Spartans, Sam Macks had six kills to lead the team with a third set victory and a match win. Coming off an impressive performance against Florida Southern, UT’s next opponent turned sour. After climbing the rankings to become the top ranked team in the nation, the Spartans fell to conference opponent Rollins in three sets on Sept. 25. It was the first time since 1995 the Spartan volleyball team lost to Rollins College. The team found themselves trailing in every set. Although there were constant battles to cut the lead, the Spartans could not find their groove. Jessica Yingling led the team with 11 kills while senior Sarah Mendoza recorded 15 digs and 16 kills. As the Spartans start conference play, expectations stay the same for Coach Chris Catanach. “Our goal is to win another SSC championship. We have a great tradition
here at UT and we expect nothing different,” said Coach Catanach. Spartan volleyball finished the 2009 season with a 15-1 Sunshine State Conference record while posting an impressive 31-3 overall record. Knowing that winning the conference is important, Coach Catanach realizes that the upcoming game with Lynn on Oct.1 is a key game in the season. “Lynn already has a couple conference loses this season, but they have a good team. This game is no doubt important for us,” said Coach Catanach. Lynn had a pre-season ranking of third in the Sunshine State Conference poll. A win against conference rivals and 25th nationally ranked Saint Leo on Sept. 28 may help the Spartans climb back up in the national rankings. UT defeated the Saint Leo Lions in three sets, 25-22, 25-15 and 25-22. Vanderhall and Yingling once again led the Spartans to the victory, both with 11 kills on the night. Vanderhall also added to her impressive stats with 15 digs. Julie Howlett, a junior, was second for UT with 12 digs versus Saint Leo. Saint Leo fell to 8-6 with the loss. With the Spartans being nationally ranked every year, preparation keeps the women working hard. Coach Catanach enjoys the high national ranking that UT touts. “It’s a good thing; it keeps the girls working hard and focused on our goals as a team. We find ourselves with a target on our back, but I enjoy it,” stated Coach Catanach. The aforementioned game versus Lynn on Oct. 1 will be the next time UT will be in action. Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010
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Men’s Soccer Suffers Tough Loss to Eckerd College [From Back, M. Soccer] The scoring did not end there. “Once we found our rhythm, we dominated the game and had the majority of the chances,” Goddard said. With less than six minutes left in the game, the anticipation was rising. Junior forward Gregory Sasser answered the call when he netted the Spartans second goal of the game. Senior Karl Swan collected the assist. UT was up 2-1 on the Lions. When the clock ran out, the scoreboard showed a Spartans’ victory. After falling behind fairly quickly into the game, UT came back to score two unanswered goals and return to Tampa with its first conference win.
Tampa’s record improved to 6-2 on the year and 1-0 in conference play. “With hard work and character our team came back and overcame a tough conference opponent,” Goddard said of the comeback win. Head coach Adrian Bush also was pleased with the team’s perseverance. “Credit is to the players; they played to the system and it truly was a team effort. In looking at the full game, I felt they deserved the win,” Coach Bush said. A game against conference opponent Eckerd College on Sept. 28 resulted in a 21 loss for UT, dropping their season record to 6-3. They also fell in terms of their conference record to 1-1. The game had no score going into the half, but the Tritons came out in the second
half with back-to-back goals in the 55th and 58th minutes. Though Tampa outshot Eckerd by a total of 15-14, the Spartans only put two shots on goal for the entire game. Lister Warren scored the lone goal for the Spartans, assisted by junior defender Matt Karn. Coach Bush explains the feeling of the squad at this point in the season. “We know we have talent, but talent must play with discipline, talent must play in a system, talent must work hard – more importantly talent must work together.” Coach Bush continued to mention further, “It’s an identity that all the great UT men’s soccer teams of the past dating back to the early 1980s have had; it’s the identity we are striving for.”
On Oct. 2 and Oct. 6, the Spartans will be facing two more Sunshine State Conference teams, giving them two more chances to improve their conference record. The Spartans will be traveling to Barry University in Miami Shores. Four days later the squad will be returning home to face Nova Southeastern University on its own turf, Pepin Stadium. The last time these teams met were under high-tension conditions. Tampa defeated Nova Southeastern last year in the SSC Tournament Semifinal 3-0 only to be shut-out by Barry in the SSC Tournament Final two days after. These are two events that should be leading up to a pair of vengeful matches. Maya Todd can be reached at mtodd@ spartans.ut.edu.
Spartan Stats: 2010 Men’s Soccer Statistical Leaders
Justin Davis/The Minaret
Name
Category
Statistic
Karl Swan
Minutes Played
656
Ryan Griffin
Goals Scored
5
Kemal Malcolm
Assists
4
Kemal Malcolm
Points
12
Kemal Malcolm
Shots
28
Lister Warren
Shots on Goal
10
Brock Jennings
SoG Percentage
1.000
UT, ranked 9th in the nation, fell to SSC opponent Eckerd, ending their five game win streak.
Statistics as of Sept. 28.
Athletics Department Announces Women’s Golf Program By DANIEL FEINGOLD Sports Editor
Women’s golf will now join the 16 other Division II sports teams that the University of Tampa has to offer. The program’s establishment was decided upon after discussions between the university’s athletic director, Larry Marfise, and President Ronald Vaughn. “We talked to him and went back and forth over what we would like to do and the reasons why,” Marfise stated. “We’re looking at opportunities for student athletes. We wanted to do something that gives kids the opportunity to compete and golf was just a natural in Florida.” With the announcement of the women’s golf program, UT hired a coach for the team. Current assistant golf pro at Silverado Golf and Country Club, Head Coach Missey
[
I’ve just always loved [golf]. I’ve had phenomenal instructors,” said Coach Jones. “I continue to have an instructor now. She played pro. I feel like I’ve learned a lot just from her, having a phenomenal instructor. It’s made me a better instructor actually.” Marfise said that upon interviewing Coach Jones as a candidate for the position, he felt she had a good personality and liked the fact that she greatly values the studentathletes’ education. “She’s very personable and she’s the type of person I think that will be very successful and will be able to coach the young ladies and work with them,” Marfise said. Because the school year is already underway, scholarships cannot be given out to student-athletes who want to compete for women’s golf this year. However, Marfise and Coach Jones are planning on giving out
“We would like them to be competitive on the national level. That’s very difficult within our conference, but I think it’s very doable,” Marfise said.
Jones was brought on board to begin recruiting and fielding a team. Coach Jones has never actually coached golf before, she has coaching experience with basketball on both the collegiate and professional level. She was an assistant basketball coach at the University of Houston, East Tennessee State University and Colorado State University. She also spent time in Brazil coaching for a national basketball team and recruiting American athletes to join the squad. Coach Jones said she heard about the job opening from UT men’s head golf coach Rick Christie, and applied online for the part time position.
to play on the team. “If you’re dedicated and want to compete and represent UT and continue with a lifelong sport and be competitive at it, come out and get in contact with me,” Coach Jones said. “If you played high school golf and you can shoot 80 and below, you need to come out. Low 80s is even fine too.” The Sunshine State Conference, in which UT is a member of, has tough competition for women’s golf. Marfise believes, however, that in a few years, the Spartan women will be able to be relevant not only on a state-wide level, but a national level as well. “We would like them to be competitive on the national level within four years. That’s very difficult within our conference, but I think it’s very doable,” Marfise stated. Marfise said that the school has been
looking to add other sports to the plethora already offered at UT, but women’s golf was the most economical of sports for the resources the school has to work with, in terms of both finances and space. Though he could not give specific numbers, Marfise said that the women’s golf program will be funded mostly by the university’s general fund as well as fundraising from the athletic department, similar to how the men’s programs are funded. “The easiest sport to add right now would be women’s golf because we don’t need additional locker room space and it’s not a high cost sport in regards to equipment and so on,” Marfise said. To contact Coach Jones about tryouts, email her at missey.jones@ut.edu. Daniel Feingold can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com.
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scholarship money once next school year rolls around. “In the spring, I hope to take some girls to compete and when those girls do well, then the following year, we see about scholarship money and financial aid and everything on how they performed,” Coach Jones said. Coach Jones said she has received several e-mails from high school seniors interested in becoming a member of the women’s golf team next year, but would like more collegiate women this year to contact her so they can start competing sooner rather than later. Coach Jones described the demographic of women who she thinks would be suited
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Volleyball [18]
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The Win
UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933
UT Swim Team Set to Begin 2010 Campaign
A brief rundown of Spartan Sports
M. Soccer [6-3, 1-1] Oct. 2 at Barry [4-1-2, 1-0] at 7 p.m. Coach Adrian Bush on Barry: “We will find out what we are made of Saturday night. Coming off an embarrassing [loss to Eckerd], our character is on the line. We will see how the big talkers perform versus Barry. Matt Noble on Barry: “Barry is a very tough opponent. We need to get a good result this weekend so that we put ourselves in a better position for winning the conference.” Spartan goalie David Niepel was recently named SSC Defensive Player of the Week.
W. Soccer [7-2, 2-1] Oct. 5 at Florida Southern College [5-2-1, 1-1] at 7 p.m. Jazmin Perry on Florida Southern: “We have to go out there and play for ninety minutes. I think we can beat any team out there as long as we play how we play.” The Spartans have an advantage over the Moccasins in the all-time series record, with 12 wins and five losses. Florida Southern finished 2009 with a 12-8-1 overall record.
Volleyball [11-3, 3-1] Oct. 1 vs. Lynn [9-4, 2-2] at 7 p.m. Coach Catanach on Lynn: “Every conference game is important; this game is just as big as any other.” UT is still undefeated against Lynn all-time in 26 matchups.
Cross Country Lehigh Invitational on Oct. 1 in Lehigh, Pa. Coach Slaven on the Lehigh Invitational: “[It will be] phenomenal preparation for regionals and nationals.” Kaia Hampton on the Lehigh Invitational: “[This will be some] of the best competition we’ll face all season.”
Pro Sports Page [17]
Chelsea Michealson/The Minaret
The Spartan swim team begins their 2010 season versus FSC on Oct. 9. By JOHN HILSENROTH Sports Writer
The University of Tampa men’s and women’s swim teams both had superb seasons last year, finishing 11th and 12th in the nation, respectively. There were a combined 11 AllAmericans from both squads, as well as some standout freshmen. Sophomore David Humphrey was one of those standout freshmen last year. Humphrey spoke very highly of the coaching staff last year and credits them with helping out the team, especially freshmen such as himself. “Last year the coaching staff was really above par; they were
looking for us to be independent and take the lead, and it really helped by the end of the season,” Humphrey said. After a successful year of excelling in relays and the 100 meter free, Humphrey said he is ready to continue growing as a swimmer and as a leader. “Last year was a lot of fun, but I was just a freshman,” Humphrey said. “This year I’m looking forward to stepping up and taking on more of a leadership role.” What makes Humphrey different from other swimmers is his ability to stay focused and determined. “I have one goal; to get better, and I’m not fading from that goal. I know I have the year
long dedication to improve as a student and as a swimmer. When it comes to swimming, it’s all about perseverance,” Humphrey said. “I’m excited for this year. We got a huge recruiting class and everybody has to prove themselves. I love the competitiveness of it all.” With 20 new freshmen on both swim teams, the competition is more existent than ever. The women’s team had their fair share of standout freshmen as well last season. Madeleine Clark and Hilary Stetekluh had a great deal of success in 2009, helping the team earn the number 12 ranking in the country. “What makes us different from other swimmers is that we never get too discouraged. We know there is always another chance to shine,” Stetekluh said. “Too many swimmers let their emotions get the best of them after a disappointing performance. We swim because it’s fun, and we leave the past behind us and look forward to the future.” This laid back attitude has been very effective for Clark and Stetekluh, as well as the rest of the team. Clark credits her mother for helping her play through pressure. “You can’t take life too seriously,” Clark said. “Simply having a positive attitude on
whatever it is you are doing will make you enjoy it much more, without worrying or stressing.” While Stetekluh and Clark like to have fun, they also understand what it means to be a student athlete, and they put academics first. They take every practice seriously, and hopefully that rubs off on the freshmen this year. “For us, the key to doing well and being happy is balance,” Clark said. “It’s important to work hard in school and swim hard, but there’s nothing wrong with having some laughs along the way.” Coach Kiner shared his thoughts on the upcoming season. “We lost a lot of seniors and All-Americans, but we had a great recruiting class and we filled up a lot of holes.” Coach Kiner said. “We just missed out on the top ten nationally last season, for both the men’s and women’s teams. We really want to get into the top ten this year.” For the first time this year, there is going to be a conference meet featuring all of the teams in the SSC. It will take place in Orlando and Coach Kiner expects UT to come out on top. The swim team will start their season Oct. 9. John Hilsenroth can be reached at jhilsenroth@spartans.ut.edu.
Men’s Soccer Faces Off SSC Freshman of The Year Returns for Against Conference Foes Sophomore Campaign By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer
After moving nine times in her life, sophomore cross country runner Kaia Hampton has made the University of Tampa her home. Before her life as a Spartan, Hampton ran cross country and track at McIntosh H i g h Andy Meng/S.I.D. School in Kaia Hampton Peachtree C i t y , Ga. before transferring to Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee for her junior and senior year. Born into a running family, Hampton knew as a young kid that running was something that she loved to do. “I was one of those kids who got shoved into everything, and running was the best thing I was good at,” Hampton said. Running has always been a
hobby and sport for Hampton and her family. “One of those things we all did as a family was run, it’s been great to me and my family,” she said. One of her biggest influences and mentors for running is her sister Maria, who ran Track and Field for Georgia Tech (20042008). Maria is married to Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters. Hampton started to realize her skills were above the average runner when she attended middle school in Westpoint, NY. After going to Nationals for multiple years since fifth grade, her talents were apparent. Running as a kid started to become an everyday enjoyment and a future college commitment for Hampton. The Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year in 2009 came to Tampa to run competitively at the collegiate level. A goal for Hampton and her parents was to pick a college with an amazing and experienced coach. [See Hampton, 16]
Justin Davis/The Minaret
Spartan Lister Warren and Eckerd defenders fight for possession of the ball. By MAYA TODD Sports Writer
The No. 9 nationally ranked Spartans showed their persistence last weekend versus Saint Leo when they came back from a deficit. On Sept. 24, the men’s soccer team traveled to Saint Leo University to face the Lions in a difficult conference game. The game was the Spartans first Sunshine State Conference matchup of the season. The Spartans had not won at Saint Leo since 2002. Saint Leo is also the only place in the SSC that Head Coach Adrian Bush had not won at since the beginning of his coaching career at UT. Saint Leo put one past
goalkeeper David Niepel to gain the early lead twenty minutes into the game. Both teams remained silent for the remainder of the first half. Senior Clete Goddard observed the feeling of the team at the start of the game. “Against Saint Leo, we came out slow and found ourselves in a hole going into the second half,” Goddard said. Nine minutes into the second half, the spirit came back to the UT squad. Sophomore defender Brian Fekete fed the ball to sophomore forward Kemal Malcolm, who shot into the left corner of the net, tying the game at 1-1. [See M. Soccer, 19]