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Vol. 76 No. 6
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149 Remain in HoJo After Room Change
www.theminaretonline.com
October 2, 2009
By Sarah Gottlieb News Editor
Over a month ago, 262 University of Tampa students and ten resident assistants moved into the Howard Johnson, occupying a full six floors of the hotel. Today 140 students and nine resident assistants remain in the hotel, occupying three floors. Like all residential students, those in the Howard Johnson were given the opportunity to participate in open room change in September. Ninety-nine Howard Johnson residents moved out of the hotel and onto campus, according to Krystal Schofield, director of Residence Life. Though many left the hotel for rooms on campus, the majority of Howard Johnson residents opted to stay where they were, many because they were comfortable, others because
Photo Illustration by Alex Vera/The Minaret
See page [3] for details Scholarships Provide Umbrella for Economic Downpour See “Hojo” [5]
By Mandy Carr Reporter
In this economy, the deciding factor for choosing a college for many prospective students is the cost. At The University of Tampa, most of the students are being relieved from that financial burden through scholarships. Ninety-one percent of all UT students received a portion of the $35 million in institutional aid last year. Robert Bruns, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, oversees and helps secure money for student scholarships such as the Presidential, Dean and Transfer scholarships. “Our job is to go out and raise money to backfill these scholarships," he said. Bruns said that his office raises money from corporations, foundations, alumni and friends of the university for two additional kinds of scholarships called the Annual and the Endowed Scholarship. The Annual Scholarship is named after a person or corporation donating at least $2,500 to establish a scholarship. These organizations and people donate money each year. The following year it is dis-
tributed through financial aid to the students' scholarships. During the process, the Financial Aid department looks at which students meet the criteria and were awarded either the Presidential, Dean or Transfer scholarships. The money then supplements the aid already given. Scholarship criteria is based on students' GPA, major, whether they are local or out-of-state residents and whether the aid is needbased or merit-based. The Endowed Scholarship works a little differently. The business or person donates a certain amount of money to have a Endowed Scholarship named after them. “It used to be $25,000…now the amount is $50,000…because the price of education goes up,” Bruns said. Then, the interest of the donation goes to scholarships each year. The donors are listed in the "UT Journal," according to Bruns. Financial Aid is making up letters to send out to students to inform them of what scholarships make up their combined financial aid. “What we do is we ask students to write thank-you letters to them...What we want them to
Inside ...
know is that there are real, living, breathing people behind… a lot of these scholarships and without that money…we could never provide the aid for them to come here,” Bruns said. Bruns said the donors and the students receiving money from them are invited to a scholarship luncheon on Nov. 19. Students can meet the donors and possibly find jobs and make connections. There are also two Endowed Scholarships that have not been given away much in recent years, according to Bruns. The first is the Julia I. Dickinson Scholarhsip, the criteria for
SG Not The Same Since No GA
By Nicole Robinson Columnist
which is to show a record of lineal descent from a confederate veteran. This is also renewable each year. The other scholarship is the Charles E. Goulding Jr. Scholarship. Students must show that they have a minimum of one-twelfth Native American blood to qualify. Bruns said that the biggest scholarship that UT offers is the University Scholar. It was given by a local foundation and awarded to Student Body President Kelsie Huth four years ago. The Admissions office will find another student to award it to when she graduates. This scholarship pays for tu-
I would like to thank SG. I know they are under a lot of criticism and speculation at the moment (even from me), but I would like to commend them on some level. As we all know, the format of Student Government has gone under drastic revision. Whereas last year students all met up in social committee meetings and then later for a general assembly meeting every week, now there are only committee meetings.
ition, room and board and books. There is only one local foundation funding this scholarship at the moment and they have donated over one million dollars. UT is in the process of finding other funding for this scholarship, so they can award it to more students. “We don’t raise that much money. Some of it we have to eat [ourselves]," Bruns said. "Some of it the university just accepts as the price of doing business. But, they ask us to go out and raise as much as we can.” For more information about scholarships or where they come from contact Robert Bruns at rbruns@ut.edu.
This was a point of a lot of discussion and ridicule during the first couple of meetings as not everyone was clear on the fact that there was going to be no interaction via SG between different interest groups. Talking with those within my own committee was similar to talking to a friend who always agrees with you; after five minutes, you’re bored. See “SG” [12]
News...................[1-5] A&E..................[8-10] Enrollment Records [5] Diversions...........[7] Beneath Her “Poker Face” [8] Commentary...[11-13] Leadership [13] Editorial..............[11] First Place Finish [15] Fighting for Privacy [12] UT Stays Unbeaten [15] Sports.............[15-16] Alpha Chi Wins Award [2]
Black Box Film Festival [8]
“Nothing was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson]
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009
UTampa and USF Team Up for Health Reform
By Matthew Desousa Reporter
Editor-in-Chief Charlie Hambos
charlie.hambos@gmail.com
Asst. Editor-in-Chief Mel Steiner
mel.c.steiner@gmail.com
News Editor Sarah Gottlieb
minaret.news@gmail.com
A&E Editor Mike Trobiano
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Commentary Editor Derrick Austin minaret.commentary@gmail.com
Sports Editor Kyle Bennett
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Online Alex Vera
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Head Photographer Abby Sanford abbster50@aol.com
In the third-floor meeting room of the Marshall Student Center overlooking the sprawling University of South Florida campus, students from two universities united to work toward health care reform, a lofty goal for those in attendance. On Thursday evening, over a half-dozen enthusiastic College Democrats (CD) from The University of Tampa collaborated with nearly two dozens USF counterparts to write letters supporting proposed legislation for health care reform to Senator Nelson and various newspaper editors. The UT and USF chapter presidents, Kristen Bell and Ralph Reid, rallied and co-presided over the assembly. Robin Rosenbaum, regional director of Organizing for America (OFA), was also present at the meeting. The atmosphere of the meeting was lively; Reid began the meeting with a light-hearted icebreaker in an effort to ease any discomfort within the unfamiliar group and introduced each attend-
ee to their peers. Participants received supportive fliers for President Obama's health care reform plan and a signup sheet, both provided by OFA. A brief outline of Obama's proposal, a "myths vs. facts” sheet about the reform and a three-page packet of letter-writing examples advocating the plan were among the OFA handouts. Before members broke off into small groups to either discuss their composition ideas with others or start writing individually, Rosenbaum expressed her gratitude and encouragement for all the students' participation. Bell, Reid and other CD officers were available to offer support or advice to their peers. Ultimately, few people had utilized the OFA handouts or “talking points,” said Bell. Instead, they mostly wrote their own personal stories and reasons for supporting the proposed legislation. In Megan Shebosky's letter, the UT CD secretary wrote of how her brother, diagnosed at age eight with leukemia, was lucky enough to have health insurance coverage through the Geisinger plan in
Pennsylvania. Without that coverage, her family could have faced financial ruin from medical bills. She noted that Obama, in his recent address to Congress, praised the plan and encouraged the adoption of its costreducing elements. M o s t UT students interviewed expressed concern about obtaining insurance after graduation. “Eventually I'm going to have a job of my own,” said Leslie Gaarder, a UT sophomore, “and I'm going to have to pay for stuff like that [coverage] myself. And with just the ridiculousness of the way the [health insurance] system works right now, it's something we need to work to change now-before it's too late for us.” “Health care reform,” said Reid, “is about reforming the entire health care insurance system. To make sure: a, we've got better quality insurers; b, it's more af-
Lee Hulteng/MCT Campus
fordable; c, it's accessible to all people.” Future efforts in support of health care reform will also be made with campus petitions, circulated by the UT CD chapter, Bell said. In addition, she suggested trips “down to the OFA office, which is in Ybor ... [and] calling people to say, 'call Sen. Nelson, write some letters, and talk to neighbors.'" For more information on Organizing for America, visit http:// www.barackobama.com.
Alpha Chi Omega Wins National Award
Head Copy Editor Shannon Grippando
By Stefanie Hurtault Reporter
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Adviser Stephanie Tripp, PhD. stripp@ut.edu
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Jeffrey Palmer, Reporter JP Busche, Reporter Zach Fraser, A&E Austin Daniels, Cartoonist Max Roberts, Artist Abby Sanford, Photographer Scott Silvestro, Photographer Kara Wall, Photographer Brenton Burkett, Sports Ryan Burkett, Sports Daniel Feingold, Sports Laura Theobald, Copy Editor Heather Gromley, Copy Editor
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The University of Tampa’s Gamma Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Omega was awarded the Campus Leadership award from their national headquarters. “The cool thing about this award is that it’s not what you do with Greek life, but it’s how you’re involved in the non-Greek community,” said Sarah Bernstein, president of the Gamma Phi Chapter. The application consists of 100 pages including different sections for separate awards, but the Gamma Phi chapter didn’t apply for just one award.
whole campus over limiting ourselves to the Greek community," said Bernstein. "And we really pride ourselves on teaming with as many people on campus as possible.” Alpha Chi has been involved in numerous activities. They brought Ethan Zohn, "Survivor" winner, to UT, hosted "The Vagina Monologues" and participated in the Susan G. Koman "Walk For the Cure" for breast cancer. They've opened this walk to anyone who is interested on campus. The Gamma Phi chapter has won other awards such as Sorority of the Year for the past four years
and Best Supporting Sorority by the Order of Omega. These awards helped show their high standing as a sorority during the application process. “We are a smaller chapter of 90 girls, versus chapters around the country that have over 300 and we were still chosen for this award. It’s a huge honor,” said Bernstein. UT’s Gamma Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Omega will continue to go through this application process in years to come in hopes of future accomplishments. Stefanie can be reached at shurtault@ut.edu.
Commissioner Talks About Local Development
By Matthew Desousa Reporter
By improving the local infrastructure, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe said the county would be better prepared for a future economic recovery. In an appearance hosted by
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This year, they filled out every section to show how truly committed they are to their chapter, making them eligible to win the National Council Trophy. The application process started around mid-January with a deadline on March 1. The process was quite stressful. Members had to submit a letter from UT stating that they were in good standing with the school with pictures of their chapter in various events along with the 100 page document. They received the news about winning the award two weeks ago. “We basically focus on the
Lee Hulteng/MCT Campus
The University of Tampa College Republicans (CR) on Tuesday, Sept. 22, he spoke of future development strategies and the need for mass transportation, stressing improved bus service or a light rail. Sharpe, a Republican running for re-election next year, also noted the importance of quality K-12 public education, environmental conservation and healthcare innovation for the future of the county. “Growth in Florida for the past 30 years,” said Sharpe “has been to build houses in a sprawl. Sprawl is expensive. We need to build along transit corridors...but it requires mass transit.” He referred to the success of this strategy in other parts of the country,
including Charlotte, Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta. Sharpe said the transit corridors would have the benefit of keeping large, contiguous areas undeveloped, leaving more space for preservation and parks. The additional park land would appeal to outdoor enthusiasts, such as hikers and campers, and help boost the local economy. A major demand for additional mass transit, he said, would be to support the development of local health care and medical research industries, which need access to the airport and downtown Tampa. The commissioner also predicted that rising gas prices, faced by consumers in a recovery, could be offset by the option of better busing or train service. The president of UT CR, Shane Twaddell, in regard to Sharpe's proposal, said, “Economic stimulus at the local level is always more palatable than at the national level, as citizens have more say in policy.”
Sharpe
“I think his vision about local government spurring a growth of infrastructure is an idea that makes more sense than anything proposed at the national level,” he said. Funding for the mass transit system improvements would come from a penny increase in the sales tax, which could be decided by voters in a referendum next year, according to Sharpe. For more information about Sharpe, visit http://www.sharpeleads.com. Matthew can be reached at mdesousa@ut.edu.
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Faith Resource Team Brings Spirituality to UT By Kourtnaye Lewis Reporter
The Resource Team for Faith, Values and Spirituality was organized by Stephanie Russel Holz this past summer. The group's main purpose is to put on the programming series, including discussions on "Doubt," "The Last Lecture" and "Life of Pi." She created this group with the new chapel on campus in mind and hopes this programming series will create interest in it, bringing more use to the chapel. Holz expressed that the process of creating the group has been very exciting. "It's fun creating a group that will address a need on campus," Holz said. So far, the group is composed of five faculty members, seven staff members and four students. However, many more members of the UT community will be expected to attend the discussion groups, as they have all reached full capacity, shocking the members of the Resource Team. The programming series has been the main focus of the group, so far.
Over the summer, when they created the series, they pitched ideas for what materials to discuss. They voted on works of interest, ultimately choosing the works now in the program. "We are most interested in what the students want," Holz said. After this semesters series, the team will create a survey to gain feedback and chose future discussion topics. The team hopes to have many more ideas for the spring semester. One definite event, in which the team will invite interested students to a leadership and values retreat, is occurring in the spring of 2010. Guest speaker Juana Bordas, author of "Salsa, Soul, and Spirit" will discuss culture differences and how they can bring people together. The retreat promises to be an enjoyable experience. Most importantly, the team hopes to bring together faculty, staff and students, creating friendships between these various members of the UT campus.
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YoUTube Contest Admissions competition begins
Staff Report
The opportunity has finally come to light. It’s the UT student’s time to shine as the Office of Admissions sponsors as “UT Youtube Video Contest.” The contest started in September and ends in November. Each month a “UT Youtube
CONTENT: Book covers
• Innovative or unique imagery and stories about the University…Be creative! • Activities at the Marine Science Field Station • Videos showcasing the city of Tampa • Humorous, yet relevant UT faculty interviews • Video of UT clubs & organizations • UT athletics “top 10” • Cultural events • Candid student experience video • Florida’s outdoor activities • Display your UT pride and spirit • Anything you think might appeal to future UT students
Video of the Month Award” will be awarded a $30 Barnes and Noble gift certificate. Winners will be announced on the UT Facebook. A committee of faculty and staff will judge and select the winner. Any creative video will be viewed but inappropriate material will not tolerated.
VIDEO GUIDELINES: Videos accepted up to 2GB & 10 minutes. File types should be one of the following: • Windows Media Video (.WMV) • .3GP (cell phones) • .AVI (windows) • .MOV (mac) • .MP4 (ipod/psp) • .MPEG • .FLV (adobe flash) • .SWF (shock wave flash) • .MKV (h.264)
SUBMISSION: • Upload your video to YouTube. • Send the link to Anthony Pinto at apinto@ut.edu
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009
A Night For The Books: Diversity Dance Fever
By Nicole Robinson Columnist
Music pulsated and bodies awkwardly moved to the beat in the Plant Hall Music Room. Some stood to the side timidly, looking on at the more experienced dancers who showed off their skills. Little did they know that only minutes later, they would be thrown into a whirlwind of Latin dance (whether they liked it or not) and would be dancing with the confidence of Fred Astaire in no time. The purpose of the dance was to get The Hispanic Scholarship Fund, a relatively new group, known and recognized by students on campus. Often confused with other Hispanic based organizations, like HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latin Americans), leaders from HSF were ready to be recognized as their own entity. “I wanted HSF to be known in the school because most people don’t know we exist. We aren’t restricted to just Latino culture, so we can celebrate everyone’s culture as one,” Ivelisse Ruiz Lugo, HSF president, explained. People began the night by mingling, but soon took advantage of the salsa, merengue and bachata lessons provided by Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Lambda Beta, who donated some of their time to help out with the event. Crowd members looked on and mimicked the movements of those setting the example until they gained the confidence to
Abby Sanford/The Minaret dance on their own and finally with a partner. Students quickly picked up the moves and within no time were thrown into a dance competition where a group of the top five dancers were selected by judges from HSF and ISO. Those top five then competed in a dance-off for prizes for the top three based off of audience applause. Also a Best Sitting Down Award was given to the couple of people too stubborn to dance the entire time. Although there were a few sitters and head bobbers, most students seemed to love the dance. “We are going to do another one next semester,” said Lugo, “We had people from all over the place so now students know about HSF! “ The overall consensus was that the dance was a blast. Students came out sweating, laughing and showing off their moves. Even Lugo took notice of this fact. “People have stopped me and said that they want another one!
The Hispa n ic Sch ola rs hip Fu nd (HSF), the I ntern atio n a l St udent Org a n izatio n (ISO) a nd the I ntern atio n a l Pro g ra ms Of f ic e (I PO) h o sted the Fi rst Di vers ity Da n c e o n Sept. 25. Another girl said she hasn’t seen other organizations put on such a good event,” Lugo said. With a Diversity Dance Part II in the works, students would be unwise to pass up such a wonderful chance to meet others through dance, music and fun.
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009 “Hojo”: Front they did not want to be separated from friends or their queen-size beds. Aside from one common complaint, Howard Johnson residents appear to be happy with their living situation. “The HoJo is awesome, except for transportation,” said resident Ian Johns. But Johns said he decided not to move because his roommate began to like living in the hotel, and he didn’t want to be put with someone new whom he may not have been compatible with. “All my friends live in the HoJo, and I thought I’d stay,” said Ryan McComb. “The commute is terrible but it's worth it.” He added
that he loves the community atmosphere of the hotel. “Everyone has their doors open.” Masae Klepp, another resident, said she stayed because she and her friends couldn’t get a room where they could all be together. “We like the people we’re with. We’ve kind of become a group. [Living in the Howard Johnson] is inconvenient, but it’s not that bad.” Stacey Ladz, another resident, expressed the same sentiment. “I didn’t want to get separated from my roommate,” she said. “And I love my queen-size bed. I love it here.” Another student, Amanda Beaulieu, said she didn’t really care to move.
“I like the whole idea of being outside of the bubble,” she said. “Right now I have a room to myself.” One student who left the hotel to live in Stadium said he is glad he made the move. “I like it a lot,” said KJ Surratt. “I can go downstairs and get food that’s not $15 for breakfast. And I don’t have to deal with that stupid shuttle. My friend is regretting she missed out on roomswitch day.” Surratt did admit, however, to missing some things about the hotel. “I miss my glorious queensize bed and the TV,” he said. Though many students have moved out of the hotel, almost all of the RA’s that began the semes-
that it gains in popularity and esteem nationally and internationally,” wrote Dennis Nostrand, vice president for enrollment. “This has lead to larger freshmen classes every year for the past 13 years.” Overall undergraduate enrollment is at its highest ever, totaling 5,546 students. This is an 8.3 percent increase from last year’s undergraduate enrollment. Nostrand said the 8.3 percent growth is not only due to this year’s large freshmen class, but also due to older classes graduating and larger, new classes moving through the system. He also said that like undergraduate enrollment, graduate
enrollment has been growing significantly over the past ten years. This year, the university accommodates 745 graduate students, an 11.1 percent increase from last year. “During a difficult economy many students continue on for a master’s degree rather than entering a difficult job market,” wrote Nostrand. “This factor combined with high unemployment and people looking for ways to distinguish themselves usually leads to students returning to school for certificates or degrees.” Though the university is proud of its ability to continually attract more students, Nostrand said UT
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ter have stayed put. “We left a strong RA presence so as not to disturb the residential community anymore than necessary,” wrote Schofield in an e-mail. “The RA staff at the hotel has been consolidated down to the three floors and the duties have been distributed out and shared among the staff.” Schofield stated that ResLife anticipated moving most of the hotel residents to campus by winter break. “However,” she wrote, “we are still working with Admissions on enrollment projects for Spring 2010.” Some residents were unclear about when exactly they would leave the hotel. Ladz said she was
told by the front desk that she would be moved out by December. “We have to leave the hotel for winter break, and ResLife didn’t want to pay to put our stuff in storage,” she said. Resident Rob Gannon said he was told the residents might be in the hotel until the end of the year. “We don’t really know what’s going on,” he said. The majority of students, however, appear content with where they are. “I got used to living here,” said Mohammed Afifi. “It’s just an experience. I’m just waiting.” Sarah can be reached at sgottlieb@ut.edu.
UT Enrollment Numbers Set 13th Consecutive Record By Sarah Gottlieb News Editor
The final figures are in for this year’s enrollment count, and, as was predicted in recent months, the numbers are larger than ever. According to The University of Tampa website, this year’s enrollment totals a record 6,291 graduate and undergraduate students, up 8.65 percent from last year’s total, which was 5,790. The university welcomed 1,869 new undergraduates this year, including 1,413 freshmen. This year’s acceptance rate was 61 percent for first-year applicants. “UT has been very fortunate
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doesn’t want to set another enrollment such as this for next year. “The university hopes to bring in a class that is at least ten percent smaller next year,” he wrote. “The
Abby Sanford/The Minaret university, however, is committed to maintain the personal touch, small class sizes and relatively the same teacher to student ratio as in past years.”
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Diversions
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Abby Sanford / The Minaret
7 Week ending Sept. 29, 2009
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© 2009 MCT
FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 13, 2009
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
Horoscopes By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services
Aries (March 21-April 19) You say what you mean today. But do pay attention to the response you get. It matters.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Open your mouth. Try not to insert your foot. Instead, serve yourself some sweet remarks.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Romance extends beyond personal relationships to include your work and extracurricular creativity. Enjoy!
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Actually, the gods are on your side today. Use this advantage to get what you need from a female.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) When talking about your feelings, remember those of the other person. A female may challenge your social position.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) All systems are go. Record your message early, and replay it frequently. That way you believe it yourself.
Cancer (June 22-July 22) You warm up to the subject right after your first cup of coffee. Others chime in, and suddenly you have a plan.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You have a hard time balancing all of your acts today. Respond to e-mails or letters that were on the back burner.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) All systems are go for fun, profit and love! Take advantage of the moment.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Usually talk is cheap. Today, not so much. Spend your words carefully. You may have to eat them.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take care of details today (as if you don’t always do that). Conversations lead in positive directions. Take notes.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) This month you get to do just about whatever you want. Take advantage of that, starting today.
ACROSS 1 Magic amulet 5 With 13-Across, “Lonely Boy” singer 9 UPS deliveries requiring payment 13 See 5-Across 14 Ship to remember 15 Related 16 Window treatment support 18 Christmas trio 19 “__ Beso (That Kiss!)”: 5- & 13-Across hit 20 Prefix with China 21 Lukewarm 22 Proceed cautiously 26 The flu, for one 28 Dynamic start? 29 God 30 Most intelligent 34 Looooong time 35 Blocker of offensive TV material 37 Penn & Teller, e.g. 38 “Put your John Hancock on this line” 41 Desert rest stops 43 Chaplin’s fourth wife 44 Weepy people 46 Sports show staple 50 Orderly display 51 Has a meal 52 Repair 55 Reddish horse 56 No longer in trouble 59 Oklahoma city 60 Numerical relationship 61 One-named Deco artist 62 Personnel dept. IDs 63 Greenish-yellow pear 64 Treos and iPhones, briefly DOWN 1 Riot squad spray 2 Weighty obligation
10/13/09
By Fred Jackson III
3 Harry Potter’s creator 4 Bit of granola 5 Bamboo-eating critters 6 __ superiority: obvious confidence 7 Juan’s “one” 8 Was in first place 9 King Arthur’s realm 10 Giraffe relative 11 “Let’s eat!” 12 Like a catty remark 14 Expensive furs 17 Dance company founder Alvin 21 La., on old U.S. maps 23 Bug in a colony 24 “__ Said”: Neil Diamond hit 25 Minimum-range tide 26 March 15th, e.g. 27 First of 13 popes 30 “__ Believes in Me”: Kenny Rogers hit 31 His name wound up on a lemon 32 Plaintiff 33 Partner of turn
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35 “__, vidi, vici”: Caesar’s boast 36 Mountain goat’s perch 39 Words after “Look, Ma” 40 Sanctified 41 Way beyond pleasingly plump 42 Prez on a penny 44 Kind of electricity 45 Big name in garden care
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46 Rabbit look-alikes 47 Smooths, as hair 48 Smidgen of sand 49 Tests by lifting 53 Greek “i” 54 Vintage Jaguars 56 Planet 57 Toy magnate __ Schwarz 58 Like cool cats
by Austin Daniels
Arts & Entertainment
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Film Society Launches UT’s First Black Box Film Festival
By JP Busche Staff Writer
The future of independent film is as uncertain as the chances of rain in Florida. Yet Professor Tom Garrett kicked off the First Black Box Film Festival with his presentation about the future of independent film. A crowd of 80 people attended the event. Garrett talked about the heydays of independent film and renowned directors such as Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch, as well as legendary producer Ted Hope. He depicted the genre’s development by explaining to his audience about the problems independent filmmakers face today-- the biggest one being a battle for funds. Since the ‘90s and after surviving Y2K, independent film has been facing hard times. Nevertheless, the future is unwritten, as punk legend Joe Strummer said. Garrett concluded his presentation suggesting that independent film is what independent filmmakers make out
of it. At 7 p.m., the Black Box Film Festival presented Logan and Noah Miller, 32-year-old twins who had made a promise to their father who died in a jail cell that they would make a film about their youth and dreams of becoming baseball players. When their father asked who would play him, they told him right away that it must be someone at least as good looking as Ed Harris. What seemed like a far-fetched dream turned into the 108 minute feature film “Touching Home”--a story about the twins growing up with their alcoholic father and their dream that never came true. The two brothers wrote, directed and produced the film, which included a crew of 26 award winners. After the screening, the audience participated with the enthusiastic brothers during a Q&A session. On Friday, Lindsay Guthrie, Guy Balson, Jeanne Corcoran and Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda held a caucus on the topic
of Florida and its current position on its shooting locations. While the state of Florida pays up to 22 percent of a crew’s expenditure in cash (instead of giving a tax rebate), other states like Michigan offer a 42 percent tax rebate. Film is a business like any other, which leads quite a few crews to shoot in states like Michigan. However, in order to capitalize on the rebate, they then must sell their tax rebate to a company that owes taxes to the state of Michigan. Nevertheless, Miami is still a popular city for films, since it’s world-renowned, and its night life so accommodating. When the TV series “Miami Vice” was shot throughout the midto late-’80s, the city drew tourists from all over the world. During that time, the city didn’t have to spend much money for tourism advertisement, which explains why Los Angeles doesn’t advertise at all. UT’s film festival continued Saturday at 1 p.m. with the Extreme Stunt Team in Reeves and in front of the John H. Sykes College of Business. Students were surprised by the quality of the film that was shown and the amount of stunts that the team was able to pull off. The footage depicted professional stunt men hanging from helicopters and in burning cars. The team also showed of some of their equipment, such as
Sam Eckhardt / Special to The Minaret The Miller brothers discuss their promise to their father. a high-speed camera cars and a Bronco cam. At 4 p.m., author Reed Martin spoke about the research he had conducted for his first book, “The Reel Truth.” After seven years of interviewing several people and writing his own script he had collected an abundance of material that he was ready to share with the audience. He mainly showed pictures of his research while narrating, making the event a pleasure for eyes and ears.
Like Garrett, Martin said that independent film is experiencing a hard time, yet things will get better. The festival’s last event was the 80-minute screening of student films representing many different genres, like “813 A,” a dark suspense movie, and “The Source.” The latter was also the audience’s pick, for which director Josh Long received the audience award during an after-party at The Cork.
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“Capitalism: A Love Story”
“The Invention of Lying”
“Whip It”
Rated: R Director: Michael Moore Time: 120 mins
Rated: PG-13 Director: Ricky Gervais Time: 100 mins
Rated: PG-13 Director: Drew Barrymore Time: 77 mins
Moore’s opinion on why the world came to a hault in the year of 2008.
Imagine if everyone on earth spoke the truth and the idea of lying didn’t exist.
Follow one young woman’s journey as she breaks free from suburban life and joins a roller-derby.
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Arts & Entertainment
9
Gaga’s Producer Reveals the Face Beneath the ‘Pokerface’ By Daniella Fusari Staff Writer
After watching the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) the other week, two things kept everyone buzzing: Kayne’s reaction to Taylor Swift’s award and Lady Gaga’s shocking performance and outfit. Lady Gaga’s character is so strong that, as an audience, we sometimes wonder if she’s real, or what she is like behind her makeup, hair and wacky outfits. There is someone behind the poker face, and her name is Stefani Germanotta, and many teens and young adults want to know her better. In March 2006, music producer Rob Fusari was visiting his nightclub, Shine, in Manhattan, when he saw Germanotta perform backed by three men. When he first heard her, he wondered if it was a No Doubt cover band, but “Much to my surprise”, said Fusari, “five minutes into the set, I realized I had stumbled upon something very special.” Fusari invited Germanotta to his recording studio in New Jersey
the following week. Her blonde wig and bubble wrap dress were missing. Instead, she looked more like a mobster’s wife. “Her hair was up high in a bun... She had some strange shade of blue jeans on and a top that looked like she stole it from Cyndi Lauper,” said Fusari. When she started, Germanotta was a rocker chick with a lack of style, not the entertainer we now know, who takes risks and provides her fans with fearless performances. She was just a girl with a good voice from New York City, but after Fusari signed her to his independent production label, Rob Fusari Productions, they teamed up to create something unstoppable. In its beginning stages, her music was not what one would recognize today. It was less dance and more rock. One day, while in the studio, Fusari picked up a New York Times article describing the difficulty women in rock radio were having breaking into the music industry. “I had to mention it to her because I knew at that moment what
we were doing had to change… and it did,” said Fusari. That was the day they recorded “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” and Lady Gaga’s music began to transform into what we hear from her today. Gaga has credited Fusari in interviews for coming up with her stage name, but Fusari explained how it really developed. “I started to sing the Queen song ‘Radio Gaga’ every time she would enter the studio because she began to remind me of a 2010 Freddy Mercury,” said Fusari. “‘Radio Gaga’ started sounding like Lady Gaga, and I texted her one day and all the text said was ‘Lady Gaga.’ And we both knew at that moment that was going to be her name”. One of the most intriguing qualities of Lady Gaga is where she gets her inspirations from. Ta k e t h e “ P a p a r a z z i ” performance at the VMAs: a bloody noose, insanity and a shocked audience. Fans began asking themselves how she came up with these extreme ideas. Fusari said she used to carry around a scrapbook of everything
that inspired her: from shoes and fashion, to streetcars and railroads. Lady Gaga is a mystery to her fans, but her talent continues to evolve into something many may not fully understand. Fans can appreciate that Gaga has qualities just like everyday people. She has inspiration that she bottles up and saves to later reproduce in her own fashion. Fusari said, “She would show me [the scrapbook] every once in a while and to me it meant very little, but I feel it was her way of finding building blocks that she could use to formulate how she wanted the world to see Lady Gaga. Now, if only fans could get their hands on that scrapbook, they’d really be able to understand her.” While continuing to build up the persona of Lady Gaga and producing and writing songs together, Fusari introduced Gaga to Jimmy Iovine, president of Interscope Records. Fusari was executive produce for her first album, “The Fame,” but as the fame grew, so did Gaga’s head.
She started to forget about the people who helped her become who she is. Fusari said, “I believe that there are certain people that come into our lives that influence us, great or small. “Somehow they leave us something... which we either consciously or subconsciously bring into our own style or character. “Gaga didn’t do it all on her own, although she certainly may try to paint that picture. “There were other people beside myself that played an important role. “I think all of those people including myself played a part in the character that is now ‘Gaga.’” So, Stefani Germanotta, if you’re listening, you should start remembering where you came from and who helped you. Look back in that scrapbook of yours, and keep in mind the influences that made you “Lady Gaga.” To listen to tracks from her latest albums or to find out more information on this rising star, visit http://www.ladygaga.com.
- Visit the UT Faculty Fine Arts Exhibition. - Cheer on the women’s soccer team at their game on Sunday at 12 p.m. - Change up your drink order at Jazzman’s. - Read a book in Plant Park. - Study an extra hour for your exam next week. - Play a game of Volleyball. - Have a picnic at the beach.
Images from Quilt’s Open Mic Night on Monday, Sept. 28th.
Abby Sanford / The Minaret
Arts & Entertainment
10
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
‘Scribblenauts’ Falls Short of Perfection on Nintendo DS
By Shannon Grippando Staff Writer
“Scribblenauts� is the much anticipated game for the Nintendo DS by developer 5th Cell (makers of “Drawn to Life�). Here, gamers spell out words to shape the world around them and create anything their minds can imagine (kind of). Players control Maxwell, a curious-looking kid with a rooster hat that’s in search of illusive trinkets called “starites.� “Scribblenauts� is basically a collection of scenarios in which Maxwell must overcome obstacles or help others to obtain starites. The player writes a word, and it pops into existence, ready to be used by Maxwell or plopped somewhere on the map. For instance, if a starite is in a tree, you can give Maxwell an axe, and he’ll cut down the tree. Or perhaps use some TNT. It’s your call. The challenge and fun of the game comes from picking your own mind, trying to figure interesting ways of accomplishing tasks (or, if you can, think of a word that will outsmart the system). “Scribblenauts’� dictionary includes over 22,000 words, ranging from “anteaters� to “grappling hooks,� and “shotguns� to “airplanes.�
It’s pretty impressive how many words and uses for objects the developers included. God and Satan are even spawnable (FYI, God easily destroys Satan, unless you have an army of devils. Believe me, I tried. Call it a Nietzsche moment.) However, no obscenities, proper nouns, or questionable content is included. I can understand why the developers would feel obligated to exclude these, this being a Nintendo game, after all. Nevertheless, I feel cheated when a game’s slogan is “Write anything. Solve Everything.� and I can’t solve a puzzle like “plug the hole� with a human beef thermometer. The game is jam-packed with options, such as a mode that rewards you for reworking levels using all new items, a level editor, an online mode, and a shop to buy, among other things, skins for Maxwell. Ultimately, it’s the little (but most important) things that leave such a sour taste in my mouth when I play “Scribblenauts.� The controls are broken; there’s no sugarcoating it. If I tap an object, half of the time the game interprets it as moving Maxwell instead of selecting the object. It’s frustrating when there’s a man-eating shark in the water just below me, and I suddenly take the
plunge to my watery demise instead of capping the fish’s ass with the shotgun I’m holding. Menu selections are too small for comfort. It’s like I’m playing Milton Bradley’s Operation when choosing options or items. The electric buzz comes in the form of an expletive or two from me. The graphics look like something my four-year-old brother drew the week he broke his arm (or, alternatively, something my best friend drew after the week-long test of endurance he likes to call “Woody-Fest ‘09�). I get it: the game’s supposed to look cutesy, like amateur drawings. However, “Scribblenauts� missed that cutesy mark and went straight for “stuff you draw on a drunk dare with something other than your hands.� “Yoshi’s Island� did the whole cutesy thing perfectly; the world looked like it was a giant Crayola drawing. “Scribblenauts� just got lazy and gives you pure, unfiltered crap. Austin Ashby, another esteemed game reviewer for The Minaret put it perfectly, “‘Scribblenauts’ is more of a toy than anything else. It’s a great sand-box game.� If you look at “Scribblenauts�
as a pure toy instead of a true game, envelope for what a game can do you’ll probably get more enjoy- with interactivity. I give “Scribblenauts� for the ment out of it than I did. Stages ended up becoming Nintendo DS a 3/5. chores. I felt like I was doing work rather playing a game if I played for Subscribe to our RSS Feed more than a half-hour. Visit www.TheMinaretOnline.com It’s certainly a step in the right direction, and I have to give the developers props for having the guts to make something with such Follow us on Twitter range. twitter.com/Minaret I’m hoping for a sequel in which they polish the game’s controls. Join us on Facebook Even so, this is exactly what facebook.com/theminaret the game industry needs: an innovative game that pushes the
Bop It, Twist It, See It? Maybe.
By Austin Daniels Staff Writer
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Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut in “Whip It,� a film that centers around the world of roller derby. Ellen Page stars as Bliss, a shy, seventeen-year-old, highschool student who is pushed by her mother to contend in beauty pageants. As one might imagine, Bliss gets a little sick and tired of the same old routine and convinces her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) to drive her to Austin, to see what the whole roller derby scene is about. There, she runs into her future boyfriend, Oliver (Landon Pigg), a bohemian rocker who frequents the warehouse where the roller derby takes place. Eventually, after a little convincing from one of the roller derby participants, Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Bliss tries out for the roller derby team. Sure enough, due to Bliss’s speed, she makes the cuts. She continues to be successful in the roller derby league, and turns her team of losers into a competitive force. Of course, there are always bumps along the way. Her mother discovers Bliss is participating in the roller derby, and the championship game is on the same day as the big pageant. Oh, no, how will this whole thing work out?! I’m not a jerk, so I won’t tell you. The question is, should you go see it? The answer: maybe. There really is nothing too special about this film. Most of it
is too clichÊ for my taste. In simplest terms, it’s about a nerdy girl (Ellen Page, nerdy?) who finds passion in something her mother doesn’t like. Naturally, these differences are overcome despite the fact that parents just don’t understand. At the climax we’re left wondering if the mother will show up to watch her daughter compete and if Bliss’ team will win. But it doesn’t really matter, given the fact that we will all learn a lesson at the end. However, the movie does shine in some aspects. The world of roller derby is certainly unique and something that I’ve never really seen captured in a film. All the characters in that derby warehouse are fun and unique. Razor (Andrew Wilson) is a serious coach, who just happens to wear skimpy jean shorts. Her teammates, Rosa Sparks (Eve), and Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore) also play fun characters that accompany Bliss on her roller derby journey. Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell) plays Bliss’ witchy rival (because we all know that every competitor needs a
rival.) And even the announcer, ‘Hot Tub’ Johnny Rocket (Jimmy Fallon), is an amusing character in this package deal. The environment that director Drew Barrymore establishes is unique and fun to watch. It almost made you want to be a part of the roller derby. Kristen Wiig did an amazing job as Maggie Mayhem. Maggie served not only as another colorful character in the roller derby crew, but, more importantly, supplied a sense of realism in a very bizarre environment. The film seems to achieve the bare minimum requirements of a decent movie. There is nothing unique about the storyline. I feel like if you’ve seen any sports movie, you’ve already seen “Whip It.� However, adding the flavor of the roller derby might entice some moviegoers to this movie, although I wouldn’t spend eight bucks on it. “Whip It� is good, but not great enough for me to give an overwhelming recommendation. It’s final grade: C+
Commentary
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Editorial: Faith and Values Event Raises Doubts
& Fame circa 1980 October
11
Fame Circa 2009
Jeers
Midterms
Film Festivals
Netflix
Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”
Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”
Picnics in Plant Park
Eating in the Cafeteria
Gaga’s Acoustic “Pokerface”
Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface”
Halloween
Howl-O-Scream
Cheers
The Resource Team for Faith and Values launched their first event last week when they showed the movie “Doubt.” After the movie, Professors Gary Luter and Ryan Cragun facilitated a discussion on the film. A good portion of The Minaret’s editorial staff came to the movie, and we discussed the film. We believed it was unfortunate that the discussion at the end focused on the homosexual impulses that appeared to be exhibited by the priest in the movie. Not only that, but then citing a statistic that 1 out of 6 Catholic priests are homosexual. We understand that values constitute a mutual respect between people, and possibly agreeing or disagreeing on a particular viewpoint is something that may occur. The movie was definitely thought provoking and The Minaret
recommends that every student see the film. The discussion afterwards definitely had good points, and those were all pertaining to the film. However, no one on the panel fought for the church. The church has to have something to say about the film. We understand that we cannot focus solely on one viewpoint and allow only certain panelists to be available, but in an effort to facilitate the potential for a student to grow in a particular faith or reinforce a particular value, there needs to be a more well-rounded discussion. The resource team is a great addition to the network of organizations which are truly excited about the opening of the Sykes Center for Faith and Values. We hope that they are able to create a large following and use the time before the opening to instill a faith
and reinforce the values of the UT students. Many people do not think that the world is a terrible place, but some do. Whether it is the occasional disrespect for their fellow student or the viewpoint of another, faith and values are extremely important. We cannot live our lives on a daily basis without the foundation of our faith and values, whatever they may be, being shaken every once in a while. The world we live in on campus and certainly the world we will live in off of campus test our faith and values. As students graduate, learning the necessary things to make sure our faith and values are strong should be of the utmost importance. Sometimes these are the last things learned in a person’s life, yet it must be difficult to live life to the fullest without them.
has made everything interesting regardless of the topic. “Are you really watching ‘Antiques Roadshow’ right now?” “Dude I know it’s not that exciting, but look how sharp that 15th century rocking chair looks on this TV!” “Is this the same episode you saw yesterday?” “…yes.” And if advancements in TV and film weren’t enough, video games have gotten insane. I’ve mistaken video game graphics for real life on numerous occasions. I walked into a friend’s room and believed the Washington Wizards were playing the Phoenix Suns, until I quickly realized it was 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night (and the Wizards were winning). T h e N i n t e n d o Wi i i s successfully cutting people off from any kind of human contact. Any physical activity, you can now do from your living room! With Wii Fit, who needs to go to the gym (or see the sun) when you can step up and down on a white board for an hour while staring at your TV! I’m hoping Nintendo will
come full circle when it comes to these “active” games. Maybe they can trick people into actually exercising. “It’s called the ‘Wii Bike,’ basically you get on this bike, you take it outside, and you ride it wherever you want! And if your friend has a ‘Wii Bike’ too, you can ride together! It’s crazy how realistic it is!” Finally, coming to the Internet, everything’s become so convenient and entertaining that you really get consumed with whatever you’re doing and don’t realize you haven’t moved in about four hours. With so many great videos on YouTube, you really can’t resist watching something titled “Kid gets in BIG TROUBLE” when it has 12 million views. Curiosity will always get the best of you, but if so many other people have watched it, it has to be good, right? In reality 95 percent of the time, it’s not worth it. It leaves you wishing you could have that part of your life back which you just lost. But the real thing taking over our lives is Facebook, and all the random applications on it keep us online that much longer.
“
Virtual World Leaves Students Out of Touch with Reality
By John Jacobs Columnist
Where has my life gone? People forget how much time they spend watching TV, or sitting in front of the computer. The fact that technology keeps getting more advanced and convenient isn’t helping. While some of these things are headed in the right direction, some are just random and unnecessary. I started thinking about this a lot after the movie “The Final Destination 3-D” came out (how there got to be four of these movies I don’t know). Making 3-D horror movies seemed to be unnecessary for the world. The fact that “The Final Destination” was made 3-D, means that there was some sort of demand or target audience. Somewhere in the world, people were watching the first 3 “Final Destination” movies and
thinking that these movies are great and all, but they’re not feeling as involved in these deaths as they’d like to be. If there was any possible way I could get closer to these teens being brutally murdered that would be great! Watching a rollercoaster derail and kill 10 people is somewhat entertaining, maybe we could have it closer to our faces, maybe in 3-D (like a Disney ride!) that would really get me going. Apparently there’s a large demographic willing to pay $10 to watch people get killed in 3-D (which is a great sign). Then there are the new paperthin TVs (because those damn 2 inch thick TVs are taking up way too much room), which you can basically tape to the wall. Watching high definition is so clear that sometimes it feels like things look better on TV than they do in real life. I’ve actually caught myself looking at something like the Tampa skyline and thinking, “Wow that would look so great on an HDTV.” Then I realize what I thought and die a little bit inside. Seriously, high definition TV
I’ve mistaken video game graphics for real life on numerous occasions. I walked into a friend’s room and believed the Washington Wizards were playing the Phoenix Suns, until I quickly realized it was 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night (and the Wizards were winning).
“
I’ll want to check my Facebook before I start my homework at 7:50 so I can start working at 8. But I’ll look back at the clock and it’ll be 10:30, and all I’ve learned is which character from “Twilight” I would be and that I have a “lonely black sheep on my farm.” I think I’ve taken more quizzes on Facebook than I have in college so far. Sorry, education! I’d rather know whom I most relate to from (insert movie/TV show/ book) than learn about boring chemistry! John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ut.edu.
Commentary
12
Privacy is Priceless in a Public World
Not everyone wants to feel like a celebrity. Lauren / Flickr By Philippa Hatendi people who pass through it to be Columnist private either.
What does it mean to have privacy? The other day, a girl in “shorts” walked past me, and I thought about the level of privacy she wanted in her life. Obviously not much privacy for her privates; those shorts left little to the imagination. I generally admire the way most girls dress here, and I must say shorts are definitely not a crime—I wear them myself—when done in a classy fashion. An outfit makes a statement about who you are, and how much of yourself you give out to the public. An outfit where I could see the better part of your southern regions probably gives the idea that you don’t want your body to be private, nor do you want your life or the
conversations. So whenever my phone rings, I find it necessary to speak at a level where only the person on the other end can hear what I am saying. Phone calls were once as private as personal conversations. Now they broadcast one’s life to the surrounding community. Sure, if you want to broadcast your business to everyone, that’s your business. It becomes my problem when your life intrudes on mine. Like when it intrudes on my lunch or a professor’s lesson as you’re walking through the corridors of Sykes angrily declaring how much you despise your father. That’s your private life and no one really cares about your problems. People complain how much the government or society infringes on their privacy. Yet, they never think about how much they infringe their privacy by turning all their phone calls and private conversations into reality TV broadcasts. There are different levels of privacy, but it’s polite to pick the ones that allow you to live courteously around others. Whenever you’re reflecting on your life to a wide audience, you should reflect on it in a positive and inspiring way. Not in a way that makes people wish you’d be quiet because you’re being such a nuisance. This is a community, have some respect for other people’s ears.
I guess in an age of sexual liberation there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think sometimes a little modesty is in order. Even as a girl, I really don’t want to see all your goodies. So keep them to yourself, please. Eating lunch with a friend of mine, another person walked by who was having a conversation on their mobile. That person stood at least twenty feet away from us, but we still heard every detail. Clearly they have no problem with all passers-by listening in on their problems, woes and bedroom secrets. Privacy is a good thing. No one wants to know who I’m dating, the nuances of our relationship, Philippa Hatendi can be or wants to listen to my phone reached at phatenti@ut.edu.
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
New System Requires SG Work Out Kinks From “SG” [Front Page]
Apparently, this was the concern of many committees and others were demanding the return of the general assembly. Some committee’s even passed resolutions for it. I was thrown and alienated by the new process and started asking some questions and after that, many others started pouring in with their concerns about this brand new format. What I found so impressive during this week’s meeting was that not only did SG members (President, Vice President and others) try and answer the sea of questions, but they also did something about it. Because members said they didn’t understand, they explained to their best ability. Because many were also claiming that they felt alienated as to what was going on in Senate and Executive Board meetings, the Vice President and President came down and actually sat in on committee meetings and discussed one on one some of the issues that needed to be addressed. I commend them on their actions in this sense. It was a good first step toward clearing up this complicated issue. Unfortunately when it comes to political matters, I
automatically start assuming the worst. I had somehow imagined some type of evil take over by the senate/finance committee, who not many people seemed to know anything about and a lot of shadiness on the behalf of some other entities of SG. Well, perhaps not that far but the lack of communication was throwing people off to say the least. What I found was instead of unmasking some maniacal plan to overtake Plant Hall and make us all serve the will of SG, the executive members were very hands on about listening to criticism and working with everyone to solve the problems at hand. Decisions were made to bring back the general assembly and more information was revealed about the format of finances and how the senate works. I was so happy that the people in SG were so instrumental this week in trying to clear up some of the murkier areas of this new system. And although there is much work to be done, my outlook is positive if SG continues to entertain new ideas and criticism with the “Can do” attitude that they have in the past week. Nicole Robinson can be reached at nrobinson@ut.edu.
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The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Commentary
13
The Best Leaders are Defined by the Company They Keep
By Derrick Austin Commentary Editor
Last Friday, all the leaders of campus organizations—myself included—were required to attend a leadership conference to help strengthen our leadership skills. I’m sitting in the ninth floor of Vaughn, the entirety of UT—Plant Hall, the rising chapel, the roofs of Walker Hall covered in green— stretched around us. Us, the leaders of UT. The room was filled with
friends, familiar faces, and strangers. Before the conference started, folks munched on cookies and groaned about exams they had taken, or homework yet to be done, or looking forward to a rest-filled weekend. I, too, took stock of a British literature test I needed to study for and medieval French poems to read. We’re students; we’re twentysomethings, like everyone else on this campus. Sure we may be better organized and able to write out a check requisition, but what makes a good leader? The following Monday on Facebook chat, my art editor for Quilt reads the lamentations of my hectic life. She consoles me in
her sweetly acerbic way, like my assistant editor did the week before baking chocolate chips cookies, or my fiction editor the semester before regaling me with her wild stories. I realized then that a great way to tell the caliber of a leader is the company he or she keeps. Looking at my life, you’d probably think I’m not exactly leadership material. I was the last kid picked for kickball, dodge ball, and four-square; the smart but quiet kid who did most of the work in group projects while the more extroverted members glittered in the spotlight; the one who sometimes wants nothing more than to run away to Rio; the
one afraid to fail. There are innate qualities to leaders like perseverance, kindness and even-handedness. Despite being editor-in-chief of UT’s literary magazine, I wouldn’t be half the leader I am without the staff. With the hours of work I put into the job and patronizing comments from people who brush us off, the brick wall that I call peace of mind often crumbles, but my genre editors are there to clear the rubble and start anew. In an odd way, they help lead the leader. They yoke enough stress to understand where I’m coming from with enough distance to properly assess the situation—or
at least tell a joke. They don’t just dust you off when you fall; they hoist you up, pat your back and kick your behind back into action. Most organizations on campus probably function similarly, at least mine does. Here’s to my editors and staff in Quilt. Here’s to the assistant editors, vice presidents, treasurers and staff of organizations that help us leaders shine and strengthen our groups. Here’s to the folks that may not get the attention we do, but deserve it just as much. Derrick Austin can be reached at daustin@ut.edu.
In Sickness and in Health: A Rocky Relationship with the Health Center By Carolina Medelin Special to The Minaret
Last Tuesday, I woke up feeling awful. I had difficulty breathing overnight, which persisted into the day. My head ached along with the rest of my body. I called my mom and told her about my illness. Immediately, she related the symptoms of the H1N1 virus and told me to go to the Health Center. Once there, I read a pamphlet
at the front desk describing the symptoms for the Swine flu virus, and I could identify all of them, except for the fever. I told the lady at the front desk. Her reply was, “Make an appointment.” Are you serious? You tell me to make an appointment for a virus that if not treated on time can kill people? Then she tells me that there is no available space on Wednesday
but Thursday worked. All I wanted to know was whether or not I had the flu. Then one of the nurses or assistants hears me, lets me in and takes my temperature. With no fever the nurse gives me medicine and lets me go, with an appointment on Thursday. I was researching about Swine flu for a paper for one of my classes, and, as an interesting side note, fever, as a symptom, doesn’t necessarily appear. The Health Center webpage explains how students testing positive are treated on Tamiflu or Relenza and how “these medications work best if started within two days of developing symptoms, so it is important to contact The Health Center as soon as symptoms arise.” My appointment was scheduled for Thursday, which meant that if I had the flu, I wouldn’t be able to be treated. Thursday arrived. I only had a cold. A doctor
who was very nice, whom I have no complaints with, treated me. However, what bothers me is how you let someone who has the symptoms of the H1N1 virus go out without even taking the prevention of at least taking a test. I live on campus and went to class those days. From Tuesday to Thursday, how many other people could I have infected? What’s the point of going “as soon as symptoms arise” as the web page says, if there is no immediate treatment? Then there are the low human resources. The lady at the front desk was not nice to me and the other students there. I don’t know how qualified the people in the Health Center are (for the tuition we pay I hope they are very qualified). When you give someone a job that requires plenty of personto-person interaction (in this case with sick people) you don’t give it to someone who at four in the afternoon is already going to be pissed or tired or disrespectful. There is nothing wrong in not having charisma. Not everyone knows how to deal with people.
What is wrong, is to put someone lacking charisma to work in a place where she would have to deal with people all day. I’m concerned how the Health Center is going to make it through the flu season, when in at the beginning of school they were already scheduling appointments two days later. Students need to react to this. Maybe some of the Health Center staff forget, as I did, that they are not doing any “charity” on treating us. We pay for care. We deserve to be treated on time when we are sick. If they are incapable of receiving so many people in one day, they should not put potentially affected students back into classrooms and on a waiting list. What good is medicating one student when they’ve roamed the campus and possibly infected others? The Health Center should accommodate the students, not the students to the Health Center. Carolina Olaya can be reached at colaya@ut.edu.
Technology Renders Mail, Talking and Talent Obsolete By Kristen Vasquez Staff Writer
We have grown up in an age of endless technology. Right down to our most minute details, everything can be documented and shared with a number of faceless entities over the Internet. The phrase “the world is watching” is scarily true. Looking at all of the social networking sites floating around, it is interesting to see how people who would have never met otherwise are now developing relationships over e-mails, picture comments and status updates. In a way, this “modern” approach to socializing fits in with our society’s fast paced standards, but it also removes the meaning out of many seemingly old fashioned ways of communication. Who writes letters anymore? Mail is becoming some sort of a novelty. To contact someone, I’d typically text/e-mail/tweet or any deviation of that sort. The prevalence of electronic
communication is so wide spread that post offices are closing and postal workers are losing their jobs. No longer do I have to wait a week for the post office to deliver a letter from my dear friend Sally accepting my offer for Sunday brunch two weeks from now. Even cell phone messages are rendered slightly obsolete. No longer do I have to leave an awkward voicemail that might not be listened to for days, completely defeating the purpose of the very message. When sites like Myspace and Facebook first started, the excitement behind them could be captured within each “New Message/Friend Requests/ Comment!” that an individual received. Having a small space on the vast Internet that could be personalized and devoted to your inner narcissist spoke to millions of people, and the first e-celebs like Tila Tequila and Jefree Star were born.
Without the outlet of these early social networking sites, we wouldn’t have met these people, who shocked and amused us with their wild antics, blurbs and photos. Now we can see Myspace is a wasteland for advertisements and pedophiles, and Facebook has developed a sort of code of ethics to its usage. People are no longer seeking popularity through these sites, but now more to keep in contact with their families, friends and various others deemed important enough to share the intimacy and formality of their profiles. Twitter has now deemed itself the new self-important vessel allowing you to pour your heart out in 140 characters or less. So, what’s going to be the new “big thing?” We’ve gone from blogging to micro blogging, Myspace friend whoring to the more “grown up” Facebook, and now what? Are we nearing the end of our Internet excitement?
We’re possessed by the all-seeing Internet.
I am not quite sure what really lies in store for those seeking e-popularity, but sure enough someone pondering this exact thing will find that fame. Sometimes I feel that we are very lucky to have lived our lives
Mikey G Ottawa / Flickr
so encompassed in the world of technology, but at times I feel this is too often an excuse for many of us to lead a parallel life. Kristen Vasquez can be reached at kvasquez@ut.edu.
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15
Sports
The Minaret | October 2, 2009
Spartan Soccer Stays Undefeated After Conference Win By Kyle Bennett Sports Editor
Brian Fekete strikes a shot against Barry
The University of Tampa men’s soccer team came out 5-0-1 with a win in their first conference matchup against the Buccaneers of Barry University on Saturday, Sept. 26. The loss drops Barry to 3-3-1 and 1-2 in SSC conference play. Although Tampa outshot the Buccaneers 10-5 in the first half, they only posted one goal. Freshman Brian Fekete scored an unassisted goal for Tampa in the 44th minute. For the freshman, it was his first collegiate goal. UT continued to outshoot the Buccaneers in the second half of play. Tampa posted 14 shots, increasing their total to 24 shots in the game. Barry managed eight shots in the second half, tallying 13 total shots in the game. The Spartans were able to put Abby Sanford/The Minaret
home one more goal in the second half of the contest. Junior Pascal Milien lobbed a shot over the head of the Barry goal keeper, Johnny Rodrigues, and into the corner of the net at the 64th minute of the matchup. It was Milien’s fourth goal of the season and, like Fekete’s, it came unassisted. U T g o a l k e e p e r, Ry a n Thompson, was looking for his first shutout of the season, but in the 85th minute junior Andres Perez, of Barry, snuck a shot by the senior.
The shot was assisted by junior Sascha Koettig. The goal was Perez’s second of the season; the assist moved Koettig’s total to four, leading the Buccaneer team. The game totaled 18 fouls, four of which resulted in a yellow card. The Spartans were issued one card, while the Barry Buccaneers were dealt a trio of caution cards. The Buccaneer coach was awarded a card along with two of his players. Dan Ingvarsson was slapped with the lone yellow for Tampa. The card came in the 89th minute of the contest and was delivered when Ingvarsson apparently took too long to set for a free kick. Tampa will have a tough matchup during their next game, when they host the Lynn Fighting Knights at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kyle can be reached at minaret. Milien brings the ball up field for UT sports@gmail.com. Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Spartans Take First in Cross Country Pre-Nationals By Daniel Feingold Sports Writer
The women’s cross country team continued their great season last weekend, taking first place at Pre-Nationals in Evansville, Ind. The men’s team finished ninth on yet another difficult course, one described by Coach Jarrett Slaven as “muddy and slippery” due to a heavy down pour. The Spartan women started the day ranked 13th nationally. Coach Slaven wanted to prepare the women’s team for Nationals, which is held on the same course as Pre-Nationals. He was confident it will help them for the near future when they return to Evansville. “If you make Pre-Nationals and made the course, it gives you not a big edge, but a slight edge,” said Slaven. “If you run a course, mentally, you‘re better prepared.” After finishing at the top, Slaven has high hopes for how
successful the women’s team can be, while staying realistic that there is still work to be done. “We’re probably going to be anywhere from 7th to 9th ranked,” Slaven said. “We know we got a lot of work cut out for us [but] our whole goal is to make top five in the nation.” Slaven feels the team needs more hill training. The track in Evansville has runners battle with hills, but in Florida, they are clearly hard to find. The coach takes them to Dover, roughly 20 miles from campus in order to train on hills. For the men’s side, Slaven attributes their season thus far to “some misfortunes” and the young age of the team. He wants this year to be a great experience that will hopefully set them up for more success next year. “[The men’s] team [is] very,
to those who played there for four years. It was he who sparked a debate Loregnard then became a graduate assistant coach on the about himself and other transfers 2001 national championship being excluded. Now every player who graduates from UT receives squad. He has been instrumental as a plaque. Sims, who currently coaches a defensive coach, helping guide at Gaither in addition to UT, was a four All-American goalies. He coaches youth in his Spartan from 1996-99. He was the fourspare time, carrying year starting goalie the elite U.S. Soccer and still holds school Federation “A” records for games, coaching license. He minutes played, saves also helped start a and shutouts. new tradition at UT. Sims played minor At the time league soccer for four o f L o r e g n a r d ’s years, but couldn’t resist graduation, the the temptation to coach school only gave personalized plaques Asst. Coach Loregnard with his alma mater. From “Soccer” [Back]
very young. The bulk of them are freshman,” said Slaven. “We just want to bring them along so they do fairly well at conference.” Chris Catanach, one of the few seniors on the men’s team, led them in running time at Pre-Nationals, placing 22nd overall. The coach highlighted Catanach as a team member who has stepped up. “Chris Catanach has been improving,” said Slaven. “I’d like to see him top ten in the conference.” F o r t h e w o m e n ’s t e a m sophomore Jess Butler has already stepped up. Finishing third at Pre-Nationals and leading the team to victory, Butler was recognized for her accomplishment. She was named the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Female Runner of the Week. “She definitely deserved that. She probably ran better than any girl in the conference this
weekend,” Slaven commented on the star runner. Butler was a stand out in high school, winning state competitions in the two mile run and placing second in the one mile. Red-shirted last year due to a hip injury Butler, in terms of athletics, is a freshman. However she is not missing a beat this time around. “She’s got talent, she’s got a lot of talent,” Coach Slaven said. Next on the cross country teams’ schedule is October 10 in Kissimmee for the Disney Invite. From there, they have the SSC Championships, the NCAA South Regional, and finally the NCAA Championships. With these very important meets upcoming for the women’s team Slaven believes they control their own destiny. “If no one gets injured, I’m pretty sure we’ll go to nationals.”
The Jesuit High School is driving its future. It should graduate started as an assistant with remain this way for a long time to the Spartans in 2004 after helping come -- Bush says it “would take coach Jesuit to two state titles and a lot” for him to leave UT. briefly working at the University of The coaches consider South Florida. themselves to be “like a band of He has coached the goalkeepers brothers.” They work together, pull for both the men’s and the women’s pranks on each other and attend team recreational outings such as pro The historic lineage of the wrestling events, all in family-like staff speaks for itself. harmony. Bush played “It’s a very tight group,” for Fitzgerald, who Bush said. “I’m very lucky learned under Miller. to have Maurice and Eric Loregnard and Sims working here. The biggest played for Keith Fulk, things we have are our work who also taught ethic and our pride for The Bush. University of Tampa.” To the current “It’s in our blood. coaches, the I bleed University of program’s history Tampa.” Asst. Coach Eric Sims
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How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser. - Lou Holtz
3
‘n t u O
Conference Showdown
M. Soccer: The Spartans moved up one spot to No. 4 in the NCSAA Division II National Rankings. After spending a week at No. 5 the men defeated their first conference opponent, Barry University, by the score of 2-1. Next, Tampa will host Lynn University on Oct. 3.
Impressive Strokes Golf: The University of Tampa golf team turned in a fifth place finish at the Flagler Invitational. Junior Kris Shane finished with a 220, good for a third place tie. Ta m p a will return to action on Oct. 12 as they host Kris Shane the Spartan Andy Meng/SI Invitational at Roger’s Park.
Streak Snapped W. Soccer: The Tampa Spartans snapped a threegame skid, while securing their third shut out victory of the season. UT held onto a 1-0 lead to defeat Georgia College and State on Sept. 27. Tampa will travel to Nova Southeastern, before hosting back-to-back conference opponents.
Young Spartan Follows in Sisters Footsteps; Digs UT By Ryan Burkett Sports Writer
A new defensive leader is emerging, as the No. 4 U n i v e r s i t y o f Ta m p a volleyball team continues its ascent through the ranks. Sophomore Julie Howlett is in her first season as a starter and has shined at the libero position. She leads UT and is sixth in the Sunshine State Conference with 167 digs, averaging 3.63 per set. This isn’t the first time Howlett has shown promise defensively. Howlett is a Venice, Florida native and attended Venice High School. A graduate in 2008, she enjoyed success from the beginning. In 2005, she helped the Indians win a state volleyball championship. Howlett also broke the school record for digs in a match on her way to an honorable mention on the Class 5A all-state team as a senior.
In addition to her high school team, Howlett played club volleyball for Tampa United, leading her team to a national runner-up finish in 2007 and a third place the following year. Howlett made her UT debut in 2008, appearing in 28 matches and starting one. This year, she’s capitalizing on her chance to start. “[Howlett] is a key factor in our success,” UT head coach Chris Catanach said. “She can achieve All-American status. It’s going to take extra work, but she has that potential.” Catanach added that the team would not be the same without Howlett as a starter, citing the defensive and serving responsibilities of the libero position. As for the team’s success so far this season, Howlett gives credit to the unit as a whole. “Our team’s bonding is unbelievable,” Howlett said. “The fact that we can play so well together on the court and we can
be so close off the court is the great part about it.” Howlett cited smaller class sizes and the overall success of the volleyball program as reasons for choosing UT, but her journey comes with an additional twist. Her defensive success can,
in part, be attributed to the SSC’s all-time digs leader, Margeaux Sinibaldi. Sinibaldi, a four-year letterwinner who played volleyball at UT from 2004-07, is Howlett’s sister. A star in her own right, Sinibaldi is one of only 22 NCAA II players to reach 2,000 career digs. Howlett now follows in those footsteps, as that link helped make her decision to play at UT easier.
While she has no plans to play volleyball after college, Howlett does have one more goal in mind while at UT. “I would like to win a national championship,” Howlett said. Sinibaldi was an integral part of the 2006 team that captured the national title. With two more years of eligibility remaining and the team on the rise, the dream is very much alive. Ryan can be reached at rburkett@ ut.edu.
Spartan Soccer Bleeds Success as Athlete and Coach camp was run by the Spartans’ first senior. He was inducted into the head coach, Jay Miller, who rated Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame as a player in 2002. Four Bush a nine out of ten. The University of Tampa Bush was a forward for the years later, the school elected him men’s soccer program has a rich, Spartans from 1990-94, winning to its Hall of Fame. successful history. After UT, Bush played soccer the Division II Player of the Year The Spartans have won three professionally for four years, award and a national title as a national championships under three head coaches. For the team’s current coaching staff, this success begins with it a special commitment to the program. Three of the team’s coaches – head coach Adrian Bush, assistant coach Maurice Loregnard and goalkeepers’ coach Eric Sims – all played at UT before returning as coaches. For Bush, it’s all about his lifelong association with the Spartans. “I grew up watching UT as a kid in the 1980s,” Bush said. “I could name the whole roster.” Of the numerous UT keepsakes in his office, perhaps the most interesting is a handwritten evaluation from a youth camp he Abby Sanford/The Minaret attended in 1980 at age seven. The Tampa coaches give signals to Spartan stars By Brenton Burkett Sports Writer
No. 4 M. Soccer Oct. 3, 7 p.m. vs. Lynn
>>>The undefeated Spartans will host Lynn University. Tampa is coming off their first conference win of the season and looks to stretch the undefeated streak to six games.
W. Soccer
during which time he coached at Gaither High School in Tampa. He won a state championship there in 2000 and helped form the local youth club HC United, which now contains more than 2,000 kids. Bush returned to UT as an assistant coach in 1996 during the pro leagues’ offseason, staying through 1998. He returned again as a full-time assistant in 2004, and was promoted the following year after the passing of Hall of Fame coach Tom Fitzgerald. “I was very fortunate, being able to work with Tom for the last eight months of his life,” Bush said. “He’s one of the greatest coaches of all time.” Loregnard’s path was paved differently. A native of Trinidad, he started at Young Harris (Ga.) Junior College before transferring to Tampa for his junior season in 1999. He became a team captain and was voted the team’s best defensive player as a senior. See
“Soccer” [15]
No. 4 Volleyball
Cross Country
Oct. 4, 12 p.m. vs. Lynn
Oct. 3, 4 p.m. vs. Saint Leo
Disney Invite (Kissimmee)
>>> Tampa improved their record to 4-5-1 with a win over Georgia College and State on Sept. 27. After facing Nova, UT will look to begin a new, winning, streak.
>>> Following a Sept. 30 match against Florida Southern, the 13-1 (4-0 SSC) Spartans will host conference opponent Saint Leo. The Lions bring with them a No. 23 rank.
>>> The women’s cross country team earned a first place finish in the Pre-Nationals The men’s team has turned in back-to-back ninth place finishes and look to rebound.
Oct. 10