1 New Friend Request: It’s Your Professor Do You Confirm?
By JEFF PALMER
As the popularity of Facebook continues to soar, it becomes one of the most ubiquitous means of communication in the 21st century, college professors are considering academic applications of the social networking site. While many still believe in the strict delineation of the student-teacher relationship, others express no hesitation whatsoever in making their profile public to their pupils. A handful of professors and students were asked for their views in an attempt to get the scoop on the University of Tampa’s popular opinion on the issue. Erica Dawson, assistant professor of English at UT, said that while she owns a Facebook account, she does not allow her social and academic lives to mix. She did, however, believe strongly in the potential of the site. “Even though I have a no-friending-students policy, I think Facebook groups created by/for a particular class or club are fantastic.” Dawson said. “They can be great forums for discussions that can’t fit into class time and, maybe more importantly, groups like that can create a real sense of community for the students.” She seemed less confident about the site’s value within the classroom itself. “I’m not sure if it serves any academic purpose, but that’s a hard phrase to define,” said Dawson. She said that Facebook had been tremendously effective in allowing her to promote her own literary works and spread awareness of poetry readings that she had participated in. Echoing Dawson’s views, Charlotte Moscardini of the writing department also expressed her firm belief that Facebook should have no place in the unique relationship between teacher and student. “I do not share my Facebook account with students,” Moscardini said. “There’s News Reporter
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6 Years, 500 Million Users Later, Facebook Has Gone Viral Facebook has been an addiction Asst. News Editor for active users since creator Mark Zuckerberg launched it in his Harvard University dorm room in February 2004. Now six years later, more than 500 million people worldwide have become members of the social networking site. Each month more than 700 billion minutes are spent chatting, posting or scrolling on Facebook making it the second most visited website in the world today. “Facebook has allowed [students] to maintain connections with family and friends who aren’t so close,” said Scott Paine, chair of the University of Tampa department of communication. “But it can be a distraction.” Paine understands the allure. He created a profile of his own and admitted to friending his high-school sweetheart and catching up with her after many years of no contact.
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NEWS Spartan of the Week: Alexander Solomita More Than Just ‘Special Effects’ Page 5
By JOSH NAPIER
Facebook Addiction Disorder Sophomore writing major Amber Koski is one of many UT students who have trouble working when Facebook is up. “I have to unplug my computer if I have to get homework done,” Koski said. “You can easily spend four hours on Facebook and not even realize it…. It’s a disease.” According to studies conducted by clinical and school psychology researcher Michael Fenichel, Koski is right. U.S. psychologists have even introduced the term Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) into the national lexicon, referring to those who have allowed their lives to be controlled by the social networking site. “The irony of who is most pathologically addicted . . . is that nobody may be left to observe or treat this huge behavioral phenomenon,” Fenichel said. “Everybody is too focused on walls, apps, networks and finding old and new friends.” Psychologist Lynlee Howard-Payne agrees. “Universities, [See Addiction, 2]
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Blockbuster Bankruptcy: Video Store Giant Faces Bleak Future Page 9 ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT ‘The Social Network’ Defines a New Media Generation
Page 10 COMMENTARY Anticipating the Future: What Technology May Look Like In 2020 Page 9
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Facebook Addiction Keeps Students Wanting More [From Front, Addiction] schools and companies are forced to limit accessibility to Facebook because some people seem to be unable to perform other tasks if they have access to this online social network,” said Howard-Payne, a lecturer at South Africa’s University of Witwatersrand. “While Facebook is often a great way of maintaining both social and professional relationships, it seems to take on a destructive force with certain personalities.” Ultimately, what is it that makes the website so addicting? Facebook is available 24/7 anywhere the Internet is accessible. Because of this, it is easy to be distracted and even obsessed by its constant availability. Chatting with friends in the comfort and privacy of home adds a convenience factor, combining the opportunities to relax and socialize in one place. A More Productive Fix Launching and maintaining a Facebook presence may seem attractive, but sometimes students use the social networking source to a point that it negatively affects their education. “Facebook addiction is not healthy,”
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Checking Facebook multiple times a day has made users obsess over their profile pages.
Paine said. “What good are you doing for yourself, and what are you accomplishing [when being addicted to Facebook]?” Paine advises students to consider these questions the next time they find themselves choosing between the computer and the textbook- with hopes that Facebook addicts find a more productive “fix”. Josh Napier can be reached at joshua. napier90@gmail.com.
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By KRISTI MARSILLI
Every time I sit down at a computer I have a routine. I turn the computer on and then sign into Facebook, even if my class starts in 20 minutes. I always have the justification, “I’ll only be on for two minutes.” Then 25 minutes later, I’m late for class, but I’ve managed to find out the kid’s name that sits beside me in that class, who he is dating, how long they’ve been dating, his favorite TV shows and that he attended the same party I did last weekend. My first question to my fellow creepers was what constitutes stalking on Facebook? Facebook stalking is a gray area that is defined differently by everyone. I discovered that Facecreepers come with different intensities; five to be exact. The five levels are the Casual Creeper, the Consistent Creeper, the Conniving Creeper, the Cool Creeper and the most dangerous and dedicated, the Ex-creeper. The first category of Facebook stalking, the Casual Creeper, is the most innocent of the creeps. Facebook was designed to “keep in touch” with friends, family and coworkers as well as “networking,” so of course looking at the mini feed for updates on your friends is normal. Even the sporadic “Liking” of a post or picture is fine. But that’s about as far as the Casual Creep will creep. Moving up with intensity of stalking will be the Consistent Creeper. This person will say “Happy Birthday” to their close friends every year, actually clean out their Inbox and event invites and will update their status and comment on someone else’s. Again, innocent, they are just keeping up with the buzz. The Cool Creeper is a deceiving a name but fits the actions of these people. They tend to have pictures in bikinis and bars. The Cool Creepers are going out of their way to find these pictures and they’ll judge someone for what they have to show. Some would call this stalking while others might call it research. The second to highest level of Facebook stalking is the Conniving Creeper. This individual is going to ‘Like’ or comment
every single wall post, picture, status update, event confirmation, info change and friend acceptance. Don’t worry, they won’t stop there, now you are on their radar. Next they will click on you and go straight to your pictures. If you have several pictures with someone of the same sex they will assume that is your best friend. If you have several pictures with someone of the opposite sex (and your ‘sex interest’ indicates you are straight and your ‘relationship status’ is single) the Conniving Creeper will assume you and this person are hooking up and one of you doesn’t want to admit it. Just remember, it’s not official until it’s on Facebook. Most of these gossip queens will have alternative motives when they stalk someone out. “My friend that is in a sorority friended everyone in another sorority and started acting like the were friends until they thought she was actually in that sorority. Now, she gets all the dirt on this sorority and her sorority can plan accordingly to sabotage,” said Steph Roland. The final and most extreme of our
creepers is without a doubt, the ExCreepers. These people should have some sort of detective certification for the information that they can uncover. These ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends will be very consistent with their stalking. Log in times will multiply any Conniving Creeper’s and the depth of information they will go through is more research than most people will do for a thesis paper. They will do pretty much anything to make sure that they are happier and cooler than you are after the break up. This could get very ugly and keeping your password secrete is recommended. Facebook doesn’t make it difficult to stalk someone. Especially after introducing their newest iPhone app, Facebook Places. This application will be able to tell anyone exactly where you are if you’re signed into the application as well. Facebook stalking is what our generation does. It is our job to control which category we fall under and which ones are become victims of. Happy Creeping! Kristi Marsilli can be reached at kmarsilli@spartans.ut.edu.
sultmhoor/flickr.com
Don’t worry, they won’t stop there, now you are on their radar. Next they will click on you and go straight to your pictures.
OCTOBER 8 2010 NEWS
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Social Networking Sites Thin the Lines of Online Privacy By SHIVANI KANJI News Reporter
Social networking sites can potentially allow felons such as identity thieves and sexual predators to access all of your private information. Users of these sites must remember that almost anyone is privy to the information they post online — even though many sites have cracked down on privacy. When creating a profile on a social networking site, avoid putting things like where you live, your phone number, birthday and anything else that could potentially be used by people who are trying to steal your identity. Keep in mind that when you allow your Facebook to be visible to everyone, even people who don’t have a Facebook account can view it by simply Googling you. This is true for many other sites as well. To check if your privacy settings are working correctly, view your page without logging in to see what is visible to others. When it comes to adding friends, only friend people you know — not everyone on social networking sites are who they say they are. Remember to check that your friends haven’t posted comments or pictures on your site that you don’t want people to see. It is better to be safe than sorry, so always be careful about what information you make public. On Facebook, be careful not to “like” too many things, this information can potentially be used by identity thieves and sexual predators. Don’t Tweet (or post on any social networking site for that matter) your exact location.
Although this is easy to do with today’s cell phones and other technology, it can potentially put you in danger. Most social networking sites are made in such a way that they maximize security, as long as users take proper precaution. “[The sites] are pretty good about privacy. If there is something you don’t want someone to see it’s pretty easy to make that happen,” said freshmen Josephina Purpura. Many people put themselves in harm’s way by not making use of these privacy settings. It’s important not to put your whole life on the web for everyone to see. “The only people who have things happen to them are people who are stupid and friend people they don’t know,” said sophomore Annie Lesko. Always remember that you are responsible for what you post, because universities and potential employers may be looking at your page. Remember, even if you erase something it will be in cyberspace forever. Article 7 (personal abuse) Part B (harassment) of the Spartan Code states, “Personal Abuse is defined as but not limited to action or statement including electronic that threatens harm or intimidates another.” When it comes to universities accessing the profiles of potential student, the director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Tampa, Brent Benner, said that they don’t “proactively go out and look [at people’s social networking pages], but sometimes they have been pointed out.” When these questionable pages are pointed out to the administration, they have to take action. Benner said it only happens about once a year — they “didn’t have a single bad
Breaking and Un-zippering On Sept. 27 at 7:40 a.m., an unknown person(s) entered Walker Hall and took an unattended backpack from a classroom.
Wash-ed Away On Sept. 29, a student reported a laundry card was stolen from a machine in the laundry room in Stadium Center.
Like a Good Neighbor... On Sept. 28, an unknown person(s) intentionally scratched a student’s car in West Parking Garage.
Shady On Sept. 29, a student reported that his sun glasses from his backpack were stolen.
Mario, Duck Hunt and Beer Pong? On Sept. 28, security responded to a report of a student with an open container of alcohol in the Spartan Club Game Room. The student was referred to the judicial board.
The Real World On Sept. 30, security responded to the 4th floor of Straz Hall about a roommate dispute.
Tokyo Drift At 8:20 p.m. on Sept. 28, a student reported that a fellow student made unauthorized long distance calls from his cell phone. Back for More At 1:27 a.m. on Sept. 29, security responded to the Vaughn Courtyard about a suspicious individual near bicycle rack at Austin Hall. He was arrested for trespassing on campus due to a previous incident involving a bike theft.
Trojan Horse At 2:36 a.m. on Oct. 1, the Tampa Police Department arrested a student for trespassing and a fraudulent use of an Spartan ID card. 2-4-1 On Oct. 2, a student was arrested outside of Austin Hall for obstruction of justice after trying to intervene during the arrest. A non-student was also arrested for trespassing after warning. Compiled from the Sept. 27-Oct. 3 Reports.
Facebook,” however, this past year. “We don’t have time to go through them, especially since applications have gone up thirty-two percent this year,” said Benner. “There once was an international student who was talking about excessive drinking and partying on his Facebook page, which is pretty normal, but then he began talking about fake ID’s and at that point I had to resend his admission,” said Benner. In regards to future employers looking at the profiles of potential and current employees, the associate director of Career Services Ellen Goldman, said that it is recommended that you set your account to the “highest privacy settings.” “The larger your network of friends, the more likely an employer may be connected to a friend of a friend and in that manner may be able to access your profile, depending upon what level of privacy settings you’ve designated for your account,” said Goldman. “Un-tag yourself from your friends’ pictures if you feel they are not appropriate for a prospective or current employer. Just because you have set your to the highest privacy doesn’t mean that they have,” said Goldman. “A general standard is ‘would you be comfortable with your mom or grandmother seeing this?’” She also suggests to take the same precautions your quotes, the groups that you are a part of and anything else potentially controversial. According to Goldman, social networking sites can also be helpful when it comes to jobs, because there is a lot of good content on them. “Many companies are on Facebook and you can be a fan of them. When applying for a job or going for an interview, it is
Becksta1/flickr.com
With wireless access, updating a status has never been easier.
nice to say you are a fan of theirs and to reference information you learned from their Facebook page,” said Goldman. “It may allow you to gain the edge over other candidates because the company can see that you’re really very interested in them when you bring up on-point information you learned from them on Facebook.” Social networking sites can be seen as an asset as well as a hindrance — depending on how you use them. It is best to make use of all the privacy settings they offer when enjoying them. For more tips on how to stay safe on social networking sites, visit ftc.gov. Shivani Kanji can be reached at shivani. kanji@spartans.ut.edu.
This week’s Student Government meeting ... * “Tampa Tuesdays,” where students wear UT-related garb, was suggested to promote school spirit. It was also suggested that $5 t-shirts be offered in the Vaughn Lobby to encourage this. * It was asked what SG could do to increase awareness of its proceedings. Some ideas for this included encouraging independents, those not associated with an organization, to attend, as well as having information sessions at the beginning of each semester. * It was suggested that more areas on campus be well-lit at night to promote safety. * A Focus Food group is being organized to voice student opinions to Sodexo, the campus dining service. * Dory Estrada encourages students to check out the Fall Leadership Retreat. Information on this event happening Oct. 23, as well as sign-ups for it can be found in OSLE. For more information, email spartanleadership@ut.edu. For further information to apply for anything mentioned above, email student government at sg@ut.edu.
MINARET 24 2010 | THE MINARET 4 SEPTEMBER
Homecoming Schedule Monday, October 11 - Homecoming Kick Off Event and Organization Toga Contest Vaughn Courtyard: 8-11p.m. Tuesday, October 12 - Battle of the Bands Vaughn Courtyard: 8-11p.m. Wednesday, October 13 - Casino Night Vaughn Lobby: 8-11p.m. Thursday, October 14 - Spartan Games Vaughn Courtyard: 4-7p.m. - Die! Mommie! Die! Falk Theatre: 8p.m. - Midnight Madness Martinez Gym: 11p.m.-1a.m. Friday, October 15 - Tailgate Party McNiff parking lot: 7p.m. (before the Women’s Soccer game at 8p.m.)
NEWS
Online Dating Reaches Colleges
Students Across the Country Look for Love on the Web
By SAMANTHA COOK Special to The Minaret
In a world where we can do everything from grocery shopping to getting a college education online, it is no surprise individuals are fleeing to the web in hopes of finding their perfect match. Last year, 12 percent of U.S. marriages were created through online dating sites, according to Online Dating Magazine. Let’s be honest, most people are looking for “the one,” even when they are young in college. According to Business Insider, online memberships are up 15 percent since 2007 for daters between the ages of 18 and 24. The new trend is sites that aim at the college student demographic. Online magazine reports that 30 million members are gaining dating options everyday with these additional sign-ups. Bestselling author of Dating Rocks, Steve Nakamoto said, “Online dating is a great resource for women because they can hunt out the men who are looking for committed relationships. A lot of times I find my clients are looking to push men into serious commitments they are not ready for.” Most people think online daters are divorced 35 yearolds with kids, but now the younger generation is logging on to find their perfectly matched partners. “In college all you can find are ‘drunken hook-ups.’ It is a very rare occasion in a bar you come across any potential for a relationship,” said University of Tampa senior Christina Samale. There are lots of benefits to online dating. Instead of dating someone for a few weeks to realize you are not compatible, you can tell immediately by a person’s profile if you won’t be a great fit. Religion, smoking preferences, family views, you can find out about all these potential deal-breakers instantly through the Internet.
[
husband,” says graduate student Lauren Askanazi. “They forced me to join JDate and in return they pay for car payments. Within my first 24 hours of creating a profile I had 22 emails. I met up with one guy and he obviously didn’t update his picture since his hair plugs. And my parents wonder why I don’t date.” JDate has over 600,000 active single Jewish members of all ages. With over 30 million people looking for love on the Internet, it helps to have specific sites to limit down the number of potential daters. One hundred UT students were randomly questioned around campus if they would ever consider online dating. Twenty-three said they were open to the online love search. “I would never make an online profile. Not only do I think it seems desperate, I also think it takes away the important physical chemistry you have in the beginning of a relationship,” said senior Kirk Hansen. “I haven’t gone online to date, but I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. It is obviously working for a lot of people, so why not,” said senior Casey McClear. Although some people may think going online is the easy way out, they are not completely right. While you may not need the perfect pickup line, you do need the perfect profile. Cyber Dating expert Julia Spira, who has been featured in the New York Times and Glamour magazine, gives these five tips to follow to guarantee a successful response from other cyber daters: have a catchy screen name, smile in your photo, limit the length of your description, avoid clichés and be specific! “You can’t believe people’s profiles,” said graduate student Christina Breaden. “My dad went on a few dates with women and they would show up being someone completely different than their profile picture.” Be aware: it is not uncommon for Internet daters to embellish their looks and character traits. If someone’s
]
“My parents are scared I’m never going to find a husband... They forced me to join JDate and in return they pay for car payments.”
University Love Connection has over 130,000 members, some of whom attend the University of Tampa. On a positive note, these sites can connect you with a potential boyfriend or girlfriend from your campus that you may have not even known attended you school. Student-driven dating sites are free. It’s no secret that students are on a budget, so shelling out the $107 for a six-month membership to Match.com doesn’t seem so appealing. Cornell University created their own online dating site. At Cornell’s GoodCrush, you log in and list five crushes you have on campus. Those students then receive an email telling them someone has a crush on them, but it is anonymous unless you join the site expressing interest in finding a potential partner. Over 20 universities have joined in this trend. Is getting hammered at a bar and waking up next to a complete stranger a better option than online dating? If analyzing someone’s interests and aspirations in life before you considering dating them is “weird,” then you may need to reevaluate online dating. “I don’t see that much of a difference between my profiles on eHarmony compared with my Facebook page. Let’s face it: at one time or another, everyone has Facebook-stalked someone they are interested in,” said graduate student Stephanie Wheel. She said she chooses eHarmony over the college dating sites because it is a more reputable service. It is now more common for college students to be graduating without being in a serious relationship. This generation has come a long way from past generations, when women were properly courted through romantic dates and gestures. “My parents are scared I’m never going to find a
profile seems too good to be true, it just may be. “My friend went out with this guy she met online and he started following her to work until she threatened him with a restraining order,” said senior Sarah Inkapool. Make sure you are dating safely on the Internet. Never reveal information about your home address or personal place of work. College females in particular must always be on guard to avoid a stranger taking advantage of them. It doesn’t seem that the online dating industry’s growth is going to slow down anytime soon. The industry is projected to bring in $932 million dollars by 2011. In the past few years online dating went from creepy loners, to the hot spot for singles of all ages. Samantha Cook can be reached at scook@spartans. ut.edu.
Don Hankins/ Flickr.com
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OCTOBER248 2010 2010 THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER
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Spartan of the Week: Alexander Solomita
More Than Just ‘Special Effects’ By RICHARD SOLOMON News Reporter
For this year’s tech issue, The Minaret got in touch with Alexander Solomita, the 21 year-old film major who runs “the cage” (camera, editing and photo-equipment room) down in Cass Hall. Solomita’s mastery of the devices inside the cage allows him to create and do the special effects for all of his own films. The Minaret (TM): How long have you been the head of the cage? Alexander Solomita (S.M.): I started working at the cage last semester and through the summer. Now I’m kind of like the second-incommand to Stokes, the professor who runs the program. T.M.: Word on the street is you make movies and do your own special effects. Care to elaborate? S.M.: Well that’s true. Last year we made a film called The Ground Is Lava that I did the special effects for. T.M.: The Ground Is Lava? Sounds cool. Or hot, I guess. S.M.: You know. Based off the childhood game where you can’t step on the ground. We covered the entire floor with green screen and I used spaghetti sauce to simulate lava boiling. I’m also working on the project for my senior seminar, but I’m not talking much about that.
T.M.: And by “not talking much about that” you mean, “about to explain the mystery project right now,” right? S.M.: It’s called Pendulum. It’s about a macho-manly geek that finds a superhero suit with a force-field and puts it on to impress a girl. There’s a lot of ice special effects going on for the villain too. The whole thing is an homage to superheroes. T.M.: You said he wants to impress a girl. Does that mean that this is kind of a romance story? S.M.: Actually yes. I needed a story arc and everyone resonates with romance. Superheroes, aliens, sci-fi, historical shows; there’s always some sort of girl in there. And with Pendulum it’s the same. Take away the special effects, the costumes and the set design and it’s really just a guy trying to get a girl. T.M.: He’s just doing it in a cool way. I wore a cape once to woo a girl, but she called her brother and he beat me up. Is this going to be like Spiderman where he’ll have corny one-liners for every fight that takes place? S.M.: In a way. I really, really love puns, so there will be plenty of those. T.M.: Being this close to making movies and making the magic happen, would you say that it’s caused movies to lose some of the magic when you watch them? S.M.: Kind of. Being around all this equipment makes me demystified as a film-
maker. The other night I was watching Dexter and found myself analyzing the angle of the shot and how the camera frame was reflecting his emotions. I almost yelled at myself, all I wanted to do was just enjoy the show, but I couldn’t. T.M.: You mentioned you do most of the work yourself, but surely you have help. Do you pay people? I kind of need a job, a recent article may be getting me fired soon. S.M.: It is difficult to get others to show up to help out, but I offer food and that helps. Never underestimate the power of food: paying in cookies really does work. T.M.: I’ll work for you. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard. solomon@spartans. ut.edu
New Site Advocates Social Privacy BRIDGETTE TAYLOR
The Dartmouth, Dartmouth College
For students worried about snooping parents or potential bosses with penchants for Facebook stalking, a new social networking site available only to college students, CollegeOnly, may provide a solution, according to its founder, Josh Weinsten. The site promises an online environment devoid of parents, employers and “other folks that shouldn’t see what you are up to on a Saturday night,” he said. With its membership limited to users with college e-mail addresses, CollegeOnly imitates the original Facebook site before it became accessible to users of all ages, Weinstein said. “There’s a lot we can learn from Facebook, especially Facebook 1.0,” Weinstein, a 2009 Princeton University graduate, said. “I feel like a lot of people have said we’re Facebook classic, or the purest version of Facebook.” CollegeOnly will premiere at New York University and Columbia University on Oct. 2, and at Dartmouth in “a month or two,” Weinstein said. Students at Cornell University, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton currently have access to CollegeOnly and serve as sources of feedback for the site, according to Weinstein. “Everyone in these schools is a part of this focus group that we’re running,” he said. “The feedback has been really positive.” During the first month of its operation, CollegeOnly has attracted a few thousand users from the schools to which the site is open, Weinstein said, adding that there remains an untapped market of over 10,000
students at schools that cannot yet access the site. Some Dartmouth students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they found CollegeOnly’s offer of privacy appealing. “Parents I don’t care about, but if I was guaranteed to know that no employers were on there, it would make a big difference,” Max Gelb said. “Facebook has become very commercial.” Other Dartmouth students, however, thought Facebook’s privacy settings could offer the same exclusivity as CollegeOnly. “I guess it’s nice that your mom can’t see your statuses, or what you did last night,” Marion Ruan said. “But I just don’t see the point. There’s already one website that does everything that [CollegeOnly] does. If you know how to work the privacy settings, then there’s no point to having a whole other website.” To gauge where to introduce CollegeOnly, Weinstein said he takes into account geographic proximity to the site’s headquarters in New York City and interest expressed by students. “A lot of the social dynamics at Princeton are similar to the social dynamics at Yale,” he said. “The excessive amount of work, lack of sleep, et cetera — it makes sense that the service would be similarly popular at a schools that are very similar.” To spread word about the site, CollegeOnly representatives hosted a tailgating event at Yale, and will hold an event for its current and potential users in New York City on Oct. 2, according to Weinstein. Before CollegeOnly, Weinstein created GoodCrush, a “college only social network with a dating twist,” followed by RandomDorm, a site where college students can video chat, according to the
CollegeOnly site. “We proved there were opportunities to offer special networks — social websites — to college students in a way that wasn’t offered by other sites,” Weinstein said. “Then, over time, we realized a much better model would be just one website with a bunch of different features.” Aside from offering an exclusively collegiate network, CollegeOnly includes features such as a campus news feed, multiple profile pictures, chat rooms and video chats. “People in your fraternities and sororities, you can have a group chat with them throughout the day,” Weinstein said. “People are pretty pumped about that.” An anonymous posting option where users can share overheard conversations is also available.To prevent students from using anonymity to post cruel comments reminiscent of those displayed on JuicyCampus and Bored@Baker — two gossip sites — the CollegeOnly staff will moderate discussion, according to
Weinstein. “Anonymity with Juicy Campus was a weapon that people used against each other, whereas here it’s a way of approaching a subject in a very controlled manner,” he said. “I definitely learned a lot of lessons from Juicy Campus.” A feature called “Missed Connections” enables users to “connect romantically” to other students without necessarily revealing their identities, according to Weinstein. “The routes a lot of people are taking are going to a party and hoping to hook up with someone,” he said. “This is a more traditional way to meet someone and make a connection.” But the presence of another social networking site may increase the risk of procrastination, according to some students. “I don’t want another website to maintain and keep track of,” Megan Jang said. “It will just be another website to distract me from my homework and make me procrastinate.”
Screenshot from collegeonly.com
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MINARET SEPTEMBER 24 2010 | THE MINARET
That Time I Blacked Out (From The Internet) A Diary of Abstinence from Technology
By RICHARD SOLOMON News Reporter
My phone rang. “I need you to do the technology blackout,” my editor greeted me. “No.” “You’re perf—“ “No.” “—ect for it, and we really—” “No.” “—need you to do it. Thanks.” “I hate you.” She hung up. A new media blackout: no phone, no Internet, no computer — nothing for three days. My texting thumb started shaking. The withdrawals had already begun. I rubbed my eyes. Fine. It was fine. No problem. How hard could it be? Minute Four of No Technology: My phone pinged to let me know of an incoming text message. It was from a girl I had been pursuing, earnestly trying to convince her that I was worth spending the night with. I wasn’t, but she was gullible and I was good at lying. The message said, “Come ovr 2nite.” I reached to respond, but heard my editor’s shrill voice sounding in my head, forbidding me. I began to cry. No sexting for me. I was in blackout mode. Minute 11: My phone received three more text messages. I have not been this popular since eighth grade prom, when a bunch of kids mistook my bottle of DayQuil for Vodka and orange juice.
Minute 16: After texting the girl I like to let her know I’d be out of touch for a bit due to a technological abstinence assignment, I restarted the blackout. Hour 1: My phone keeps pinging to alert me to the fact that I have seven emails awaiting me, two of which are from Facebook. I continue to cry. My nearby computer keyboard cries with me. The screen goes dark. Hour 2: I remember that I haven’t updated my profile to include that movie I just saw. If I don’t do it now, people won’t know how trendy and hip I am. And if I don’t use my status to quote the movie, then no one will realize I have some serious depth to my soul. I resist the urge to lunge for my computer. Hour 5: I know I need to distract myself, so I hunt for one of those old printtext-bound things: a book. The only reading material in my house though is my iPhone’s instruction manual. Somewhere Steve Jobs is laughing in his black shirt. Hour 7: Without Facebook, I can no longer remember my own name. Hour 14: I woke up with my phone in my hand and a game of Brick Breaker going. I don’t even recall picking my phone up, let alone using it. It appears that I have failed in my sleep. I now think that my high school gym teacher is narrating my life. Hour 16: I go outside in order to escape the notifications from my phone. It’s hot and I want to know what temperature it is, but I can’t. I feel like my editor is punishing me. Abstinence and technology are
two words that should not go together. Hour 22: It’s been nearly 24 hours. To celebrate, a twitch has developed in my left eye. It complements the shaking of my texting thumb. Hour 23: I AM NOT AMISH. I say this repeatedly into the bathroom mirror. By the fourth attempt, it comes out as a question. Then, I stop using the word “not.” Hour 26: I have forgotten who my friends are. Without Facebook, how will I stay active in their lives by poking them and writing “Happy Birthday” once a year? How will I keep tabs on my exes to make sure they are not happier or cooler than I am? Every second that passes strips me of another piece of my identity. The only name I remember with clarity is my editor’s. It reads a lot like Beelzebub. Steve Jobs continues to laugh inside my head. Hour 31: I chewed off two fingernails. It was worth it. I refrain from tweeting about it. Hour 39: After sleeping, I realized that my behavior over the last few days has been slightly ridiculous. I have given up pining for the Internet and instead I am now focusing on a revenge plan. So far, I have the last step sketched out: my editor is cooked in a soup while I wear her tears for a hat and dance all night long with the baby who bit Charlie’s finger in that YouTube video. Hour 44: I don’t know what the word “frangible” means. I want to just type it into a search bar, but instead I pick up a dic-
tionary. I don’t even remember how to use one. I sob uncontrollably, missing Google like a lost lover. I have been playing darts using a doodle of my editor as the bull’s eye. I have yet to hit the picture, but I have succeeded in breaking everything valuable in my room. I have memorized my iPhone’s instruction manual. Hour 47: Something has changed. I feel… at peace. At one with the earth. I now revel in the absence of the devices that previously ran my life. This is purity. This is nirvana. I nearly understand the meaning of life, the purpose of it all, the one — BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! As the alarm sounds, letting me know my period of abstinence is over, I lunge for my phone, gibbering like an idiot. My first sent text message reads something like, “Ggghurrr, I’m back biatches.” 2 hours A.B. (After Blackout): I’m a bit embarrassed reading over my diary. Apparently I lost the ability to tell time, because what I thought was two days was actually only about nine hours. In that time, I sent four text messages, checked my email twice, posted to Facebook six times and watched California Girls 19 times. (Katy Perry is too sexy for Sesame Street.) Longest amount of time passed without using technology? Twentysix minutes. 3 hours A.B.: I text the girl I like: “Come ovr 2nite.” Abstinence, over. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
UT Professors on Facebook [From Front, Relationships]
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a line between professional and personal life.” Moscardini stated that she too uses her account primarily as a vehicle for her literary and scholastic ambitions. “I established this account at the insistence of my editor. I rarely post on facebook, and when I do, it is only to indicate a professional accomplishment,” Moscardini said. Other UT professors, like history professor Terry Parssinen, said he and his wife and fellow academician Carol Parssinen do not subscribe to the Facebook craze at all. In stark contrast to these fairly conservative views on Facebook use among faculty, a few teachers are considerably more open to sharing aspects of their social life with pupils. One notable exception to this pervasive hesitancy, Marie Ingalls of the language department, openly invites students in her classes to friend her on the social
networking site. On the whole, UT students seemed every bit as unsure about the academic future of Facebook as did their professorial counterparts. Senior Michael Hannon expressed the concern that Facebook in the classroom has high potential for damaging reputations among the student body. “Most student profiles are obliterated with drinking pictures. I don’t think most professors want to see that,” said Hannon. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Fellow senior Nina Pieri agreed with this evaluation. “I have a few adults friended on Facebook, but I’ve never even considered the possibility of adding professors,” said Pieri. “Kids would have to start setting their accounts on super-private if they had any sense.” Jeffery Palmer can be reached at jpalmer@spartans.ut.edu.
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Justin Davis/The Minaret
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 A teaspoon, maybe 5 It may involve splashing 9 Old hat 14 Quechua speaker 15 Return from the Alps? 16 Sticky resin used in paint 17 Hot quaff 18 Love god 19 “Thelma and Louise� car 20 “Oh, yeah?� 23 __ manual 24 Canadian sentence enders? 25 Start using 28 High degree 29 Prone 33 “Carnival of Harlequin� surrealist 34 Angler’s accessory 35 Silas Marner, e.g. 36 “Oh, yeah!� 41 Garden bulb 42 Sharp ridge 43 Repose 44 Journey 46 Merit badge org. 49 Quarterback’s cry 50 Time in a pool 51 Willow tree twig 53 “Oh, yeah ...� 58 Virile one 60 Cranny’s partner 61 First name in Indian music 62 Church chorus 63 Tackle box item 64 Mars counterpart 65 Opinion giver 66 Cravings 67 Word with cheap or bike DOWN 1 Unearths 2 Assault
Sophomore Jessica Yingling lobbing the ball over the net for the Spartans volleyball team.
9/23/10
By John Pounders
3 Homered, say 4 Thirsty 5 Overseas network, with “the� 6 Polis leader? 7 Commandment pronoun 8 Hiker’s stopover 9 Rustic ways 10 Jessica of “Sin City� 11 People-wary, as a horse 12 Turk. neighbor 13 Byrnes of “77 Sunset Strip� 21 Dreaming, perhaps 22 Not just a 26 Space 27 Sea side 30 1969 Super Bowl 31 Colony dweller 32 Secure, as a ship’s line 33 Tick cousin 34 Whole alternative 35 Falling star 36 Allergic reaction
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
37 Place to see grass skirts 38 Poorly planned 39 Bank offering, for short 40 Powder container 44 Animation 45 For all to see 46 Native of NE India 47 Pitcher known as “Tom Terrific�
9/23/10
48 Escape __ 50 Crowded 52 Valuable violin 54 “You __?� 55 Pout 56 Conceived, as an idea 57 Barely manages, with “out� 58 Muslim’s duty 59 Source of lean meat
Horoscopes By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today feels like magic, with just the right atmosphere for romantic activities, social successes and personal growth. Relax and enjoy.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Week ending Oct. 5, 2010
#1 Album
Top tracks
All systems are go at work and in social venues. Your partner sees the way to transform a space into a party atmosphere. Get set to play.
( ) Last week’s ranking in top five
United States
Hemingway’s Whiskey Kenny Chesney
Like a G6 ‡ )DU (DVW 0RYHPHQW
(2)
1
Just the Way You Are s "RUNO -ARS
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2
Just a Dream ‡ 1HOO\
(3)
3
(4)
4
Only Girl (In the World) ‡ 5LKDQQD Club Can’t Handle Me s &LO 2IDA
5
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
United Kingdom Just the Way You Are s "RUNO -ARS Shame ‡ 5REELH :LOOLDPV *DU\ %DUORZ Monster Floorfillers 9DULRXV $UWLVWV
(1) 1 2
Let the Sun Shine s ,ABRINTH
(2) 3
Make You Feel My Love ‡ $'(/(
(3) 4
Forget You ‡ &HH /R *UHHQ
5
Spain
Clapton (ULF &ODSWRQ
Club Can’t Handle Me s &LO 2IDA
(4) 1
Loca s 3HAKIRA
(2) 2
Waka Waka (Espanol) s 3HAKIRA
(5) 3
Alejandro s ,ADY 'A'A
(1) 4
DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love s 5SHER Source: iTunes
By: Nathaniel St. Amour
Gemini (May 21-June 21)
You achieve your goals today, almost regardless of what you do. Everything falls into place as if by incredible coincidence. You get fantastic results.
5 Š 2010 MCT
Everyone uses their talents in optimum ways today. Plenty of good ideas surface, and each person runs with one of them. Expect great results.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Everyone appears to be on the same page now. Take advantage of this agreement to move any important project forward.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Make the most of today in every area of your life. Questions give way to logical answers, so you have time for a joyous celebration with friends.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Make the most of today in every area of your life. Questions give way to logical answers, so you have time for a joyous celebration with friends.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Obstacles dissolve as you get into action, diving in with your natural talents. Everyone agrees that you’re on the right track. This one’s easy.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Keep lines of communication open, and listen for nuances in each person’s statements. Multiple ideas gain impressive results simultaneously.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
The ball is definitely in your court, and you score big. You haven’t been on your game like this for a long time. Bask in the success.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
A lucky catch keeps you from spilling the beans. The secret will come out when it’s supposed to, so smile and hold it until then.
Pisces (Feb. 19-rch 20)
Get everyone on the same page by breakfast, if possible. There’s a lot to get done today, but it’s all possible with cooperative effort.
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OCTOBER 8 2010 MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010 THETHE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 24
Arts + Entertainment
Blockbuster Bankruptcy: Video Store Giant Faces Bleak Future By MANDY ERFOURTH Arts + Entertainment Editor
Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, last week. According to a press release from Blockbuster, the company submitted First Day motions to enable them to stay open for their domestic customers, employees and vendors. Blockbuster was granted permission by the court to stay open and conduct business as usual allowing them to continue to provide for its customers and vendors. “I’m very surprised. I would think that a big company like Blockbuster that has been around so long wouldn’t have that happen,” Robert Louis, a sophomore said.
[ ] “I’m very surprised. I would think that a big company like Blockbuster that has been around so long wouldn’t have that happen” - Robert Louis, Sophomore
Blockbuster’s plan to recapitalize involves handing over the equity stake of the company to senior bondholders. This will significantly reduce the company’s debt from $1 billion to an estimated $100 million or less. The senior bondholders are lending the
company $125 million to enable them to stay open during bankruptcy. “After a careful and thorough analysis, we determined that the process announced [Thursday] provides the optimal path for recapitalizing our balance sheet and positioning Blockbuster for the future as we continue to transform our business model to meet the evolving preferences of our customers. The recapitalized Blockbuster will move forward better able to leverage its strong strategic position, including a wellestablished brand name, an exceptional library of more than 125,000 titles and our position as the only operator that provides access across multiple delivery channels — stores, kiosks, by-mail and digital. This variety of delivery channels provides unrivaled convenience, service, and value for our customers,” Jim Keyes, chairman and chief executive officer, said. Part of the process involves evaluating the store portfolio with the goal of enhancing overall profitability. At the moment there are no plans on closing down any more of their 3,000 U.S. stores, although numerous Blockbuster stores have closed all around the country. “[It’s] so sad, but kind of cool because when they close I get to buy their movies for really cheap,” Joanna Hynes, a freshman, said. Blockbuster’s non-U.S. operations and domestic and international franchises are
PhillipsRoofing_Don/photobucket.com
Blockbuster is the only operator that provides access across multiple delivery methods--stores, kiosks, mail and digital.
not a part of the filling, because they are legally separate entities. However, Blockbuster will no longer be funding operations in Argentina because they have not been making much profit. According to the New York Times, on the day of Blockbuster’s bankruptcy proceedings, NetFlix stock rose to a record high of $163.72 a share before closing the
day up 2.26 percent to $160.47. Because Blockbuster has other competitors like Redbox and iTunes some students are indifferent to the status of the company. “It won’t really effect me because I haven’t used it in five years,” Keila Hampton, a freshman said. Mandy Erfourth can be reached at mandy.tt.carr@gmail.com.
Ping: Part Facebook, Part Twitter, All Music By AMANDA SIERADZKI
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
When Apple introduced the new iTunes 10 on Sept. 1, music lovers got a little surprise: therewas an entirely new service attached to their iTunes store account. A little purple cloud greeted users who explored iTunes’ updated interface. Apple’s chief executive officer, Steve Jobs announced that Ping is “is sort of like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes,” according to an article from Google News. Like Twitter, users “follow” their favorite artists, and much like Facebook, users can search for and read about their friends. Ping has been approved by music giants like Lady GaGa and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin. Users and music artists alike can update their statuses, “like” music purchases, comment on friend’s purchases and rate music in the iTunes store. Your Ping account will announce when artists are coming to your city for concerts, as well as preview songs that are available for downloading. Ping is currently available in 23 countries, and was launched with one million users. Ben Eres, a UT graduate student was not one of those million. Eres had heard about Ping in his integrated marketing communications classes from a fellow colleague as they were looking at social marketing strategies of today’s technologically charged environment. When asked if he’d ever use Ping to follow his favorite alternative rock artists and friends, Eres was unsure. “I would if more friends were into it,
arniestrong/photobucket.com
Ping is like Facebook and Twitter meets iTunes. With Ping, users can follow their favorite artists, comment and rate their friends’ music purchases.
if it becomes more established ... I don’t know of any of my friends having [an account] yet.” Sophomore marine biology major Dory Estrada knows where she stands when it comes to Ping. She hasn’t updated her iTunes yet, but heard about Ping from friends. As a die hard Coldplay fan, Estrada says she doesn’t need Ping updates to
know when the band is touring or what Chris Martin is thinking at the moment. “I love Coldplay and already get email updates... I don’t care about [Martin’s] personal life, just about their music.” She believes that being able to share thoughts on iTunes purchases won’t really make for a friendly music scene among users. “It’s allowing us to become more
self-promoting in our musical interests,” Estrada says, “You like the music you like and Ping won’t change that.” While Eres and Estrada had opposing views on Ping, it is still too soon to tell how this social networking hybrid will run on the Internet superhighway. After all, it is only a month old. Amanda Sieradzki can be reached at asieradzki@spartans.ut.edu.
MINARET 10 OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET
‘The Social Network’ Defines New Media Generation By MIKE TROBIANO Asst. Editor-In-Chief
On Friday, I attended an opening night showing of the highly anticipated film The Social Network, directed by David Fincher. As I sat down in the theatre, I pulled out my Blackberry, ready to update my status, but thought otherwise. During this movie, I would ignore texts, emails, BBMs and any other communication and simply focus on the movie as if it was 2004, before the brain of online networking became a reality. The dark, ominous color palette and immediate emphasis on rush acceptance made me believe I was watching Dead Poets Society: The College Years.
[ ] We’ve compressed ourselves into 140 character messages, instead of expressing our full thoughts freely.
With it’s dictated rugby flavor, reminiscent of a Ralph Lauren campaign, I felt insubordinate watching these Ivy League students grope each other over spilt beers. As it’s not my intention to expose the movie’s plot, I do think it is part of my social responsibility to inform you of some key points. Stating that I enjoyed the movie would
be underselling my opinion. It was intellectual, witty and cleverly written, which leads me to my next point: the vernacular of the movie was entirely over embellished. I feel pretty confident that not every college student speaks in such a way that would rival a poem by Maya Angelo, but then again, not every student is a Harvard student. I won’t pretend to imply that enrolling in Harvard would be less than honorable (after all, it’s the school of choice for every student in the United States). But I question whether I really needed Harvard school spirit drilled in my mind for two hours of my life. Regardless, the movie’s agenda was to question friendship and how society has overvalued an acquaintance with the title of “friend.” It glorified geeks as badasses, while simultaneously portraying them as the scapegoats of postmodern American capitalism. It is the plot of this movie that addresses why we no longer have the time to share information with friends verbally, as opposed to clicking a button to notify them. We’ve compressed ourselves into 140 character messages, instead of expressing our full thoughts freely. I highly recommend you see this film at least once. There is an important message we should all remember: a chicken doesn’t eat a chicken. Mike Trobiano can be reached at laura. mike.trobiano@gmail.com.
Facebook has reached 500 million followers since its conconpution in 2004.
Cover Artwork
Facebook Behind-the-Scenes Story, The New Movie to ‘Like’ By SEAN RANDALL
The Crimson White, U Alabama
UWIRE - If you’re a college student, chances are you’ve gotten on Facebook at least once today before reading this review. If you’re a college student and don’t have a Facebook, congratulations. You and four other people in the nation have resisted a very popular growing trend.
bluesbr8ker/photobucket.com
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg ( Eisenberg) is the worlds youngest billionaire.
But how did that trend even start? That’s what David Fincher’s new movie The Social Network aims to uncover. Director David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), along with writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), takes the story of former Harvard student, Facebook’s creator and the world’s youngest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, as told by fellow Harvard attendee Ben Mezrich (Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions on which the film 21 was based) in his book The Accidental Billionaires. The movie opens with a simple collegiate atmosphere. Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) are talking with one another at a bar. Eisenberg immediately lays out the type of character Zuckerberg will be in this film: socially awkward, somewhat tactless, yet still desperately seeking the approval of others. And when he loses the approval of his girlfriend, who within 10 minutes becomes his ex, Zuckerberg decides, in a bit of a drunken stupor, to lambast his girlfriend on LiveJournal (remember that?) and create Facemash.com, a website where people judge women’s attractiveness by comparing them to each other. While Facemash.com is getting programmed, we’re shown that college social networking before Facebook moves along, via drinks, partying and doing some rather outrageous things to ensure attention and affection. (This is, of course, something that Facebook probably hasn’t
changed all that much, if at all.) When Facemash.com goes viral and crashes the Harvard servers, Zuckerberg becomes an overnight celebrity. Somewhere around this point, the movie stops going in the direction of typical, chronological story-telling and the pace of the film picks up to a near frenzy as it is revealed to the audience that Zuckerberg is actually facing two different depositions about Facebook and being brought up on charges by the very people he once called colleagues and friends. This pace, a rapid-fire trip through three different events, creates this mesmerizing atmosphere that is almost certain to draw the audience in. There is not a dull moment in the entire film. And even when it seems there might be, music composers Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails, and Atticus Ross, a producer for Nine Inch Nails, come to the rescue and combine a compelling soundtrack with intense camera work to keep the audience drawn in. During one seemingly unnecessary scene, we see the Harvard crew team compete in England with Hollandia’s crew team. But before one can ask, “Why is this scene even here?” Reznor and Ross bring out their version of the classic Grieg piece “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” attach it to some amazing direction by Fincher and create one of the most memorable and engaging scenes in the entire film. And since the rest of the film, through the acting and writing, is one of the most engaging films I’ve seen all year, that’s a feat.
Sorkin’s writing takes what could easily have been a dull story and creates some amazingly humorous moments to break up the drama, allowing us to feel the realistic nature of it all. The Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer Jr. and Josh Pence) get to deliver some of the best comic scenes I’ve seen in a long time, causing more laughter than I ever expected from a Facebook film. The acting stands solidly as well. There are several familiar faces throughout the movie, but perhaps the most surprising and pleasing performance comes from Justin Timberlake, who plays Napster founder and Zuckerberg mentor Sean Parker. Charisma seeps out of him, but you feel the entire time that there’s something off about him. And future Spiderman Andrew Garfield portrays Zuckerberg’s former partner and friend Eduardo Saverin with a very intense realism that kept me completely enraptured in his struggles. The Social Network was a movie I was skeptical about when I first heard the idea. A Facebook movie sounds boring, but Fincher, Reznor, Ross, Sorkin and the cast don’t bring a movie just about how Facebook came about. They bring a compelling story of a young college boy who suffered heartbreak and struggled to become amazing, perhaps no matter who was sacrificed in the way. But, as can often happen in a drunken stupor when you have access to the Internet, perhaps there were regrets for those involved. One thing you probably won’t regret? Seeing The Social Network.
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THE MINARET |OCTOBER OCTOBER882010 2010
Facebook Phone Plans Leaked to Tech Crunch By LAUREL SANCHEZ
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Earlier this month, technology website Tech Crunch reported a “leak” pertaining to a new social media-geared phone created and powered by Facebook.Other tech sites such as Gizmodo.com and CNET immediately picked up the story. What Facebook wants to do is not clear yet, but a spokesperson told CNET that “Facebook is not building a phone. Our view is that almost all experiences would be better if they were social, so integrating …into existing platforms and operating systems is a good way to enable this.” The idea is that the company is planning on creating software that will reflect the “social” aspects of a phone and invest with a major phone company like HTC or Samsung to build the platform. A Gizmodo.com representative said, “Facebook employees Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos are leading the charge on the OS [operating system], using their previous careers as Firefox browser creator and Chrome OS builder, respectively, to launch something Facebook can be proud of.” In spite of the leak, many University of Tampa students have not heard anything about the new phone. Kourtnaye Lewis, a sophomore, said, “I haven’t heard anything at all.” She is not the only one; many others responded in a “similar fashion or just had a confused look. Those that do know about this are either surprised or just don’t care. Liza Pichette, a junior, said, “The
article was kind of confusing. I think they are trying to create a phone network for Facebook. That’s kind of what I got out of it.” Why would Facebook want to create something like this? Remember back in January when Google created the phone that they named “Nexus One”? That flopped. Due to the lack of support from major wireless networks, the phone was short lived. Another phone that took this route was the “Kin.” Around Super Bowl, these phones were advertised like crazy as the new “social phone.” Then, it vanished from television. However, the Android or Droid, which is often credited towards Google, took off and competes with the ever successful iPhone. After the release of their article, Tech Crunch took the opportunity to sit down and interview Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, at their headquarters in Palo Alto, California to clarify the story. From the interview, one can ascertain that Facebook is not revolutionizing the
phone, just the way it works. Instead of signing into each of your “social networks” only one sign-on will be required. Zuckerberg said in his interview, “We can do a single sign-on if we do a good integration with a phone, rather than just doing something where you go to an app and it’s automatically social or having to sign into each app individually…Just make it so that you log into your phone once, and then everything that you do on your phone is social.” A few questions come to mind such as the look of the phone, the release date and the name, all of which as of now go unanswered. It would be revolutionary, just like Facebook itself, but would anyone buy it? Taylor DeMesa, a freshman, said she would buy the “Facebook phone.” “I’m already on Facebook on my phone anyways, why not have a Facebook phone?” she said. Others say no way. T.J. Koziol, a sophomore, said, “I really don’t see the point. I use my phone to call and text; I use my computer for everything else.
It’s just really redundant. I’m sure there are many people who will buy it because of the brand name. [Just] like Apple.” Another pressing question is whether it will surpass the iPhone. Many students say no. When asked if she would purchase a “Facebook phone,” Lewis, owner of an iPhone, said “Probably not, I have an iPhone and it does everything I need. I’ve had it for two years. I don’t think I’ll ever get a different phone. Competition might be a problem for them. Just look at the competition already between the iPhone and BlackBerry.” Most students prefer their iPhones over anything else. Pichette said, “The iPhone is easier to deal with the Internet.” DeMesa believes that no matter what Facebook comes up with, the iPhone will be first. Whether it is the new movie The Social Network, or the constant checking of our account, Facebook will always be a subconscious thought to many people. Laurel Sanchez can be reached at laura. sanchez1@gmail.com.
MINARET 12OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET 10
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
BlackBerry Releases Its First PlayBook By TODD SANBORN
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
terryray_photos/photobucket.com
The 3D TVs require better quality glasses then the ones used in movie theaters.
Home Theater Entertainment Introduces 3D By JUSTIN CAUCHON
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Imagine watching Sunday night football in 3D. You’ll get the front row seat to your favorite games, where every throw of the football looks like it is coming right at you. This dream is becoming a reality as more and more people are purchasing 3D TVs. First introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, 3D TVs are now available in the U.S. with most major TV manufacturers producing them. But this new technology is not cheap: early adopters will spend anywhere from $1,700 to $4,000 to be one of the first with a 3D TV, hundreds of dollars more than consumers would spend on a comparable non-3D TV. All of the 3D TVs currently on the market require glasses to be worn when watching 3D programming. Most TVs come with one or two pairs of these glasses, but additional ones will usually run you over $130 a pair. Marcus Cooper, a UT senior, explains, “I think it is ridiculous that the glasses cost so much. It’s not right. I probably will never buy a 3D TV unless they are worth the cost.” There are not many programs broadcasted in 3D, so it is important to note that all of these TVs also support 2D high definition programming without glasses. The technology behind the 3D TVs is complicated. The polarized glasses work to allow only one polarized image into each eye. Your brain combines these polarized images into one 3D image. The technology is different from the ones used in movie theaters, so cheap glasses will not work on these TVs. Christina Ou, a Univeristy of Tampa senior, does not plan on immediately buying one of the 3D TVs, but may consider it when the 3D TVs do not require glasses. “It is a really cool technology, but I wouldn’t purchase it, personally, because I don’t want to wear glasses. If I want to see something in 3D, I will open my eyes because people are in 3D. Toshiba unveiled the first 3D TV that does not require glasses on Monday, October 4, at the Ceatech IT show in Japan. Other TV Manufacturers are working hard to catch up, so it may be worth it to hold off on buying a 3D TV until ones that do not require glasses are introduced in the US market. Justin Cauchon can be reached at jcauchon@spartans.ut.edu.
Whoever said “this town ain’t big enough for the two of us” wasn’t referring to the tablet computer market. It seems like every other week a new mini computing device is introduced to the masses. This past week belonged to the BlackBerry PlayBook. Produced by RIM (Research In Motion), the PlayBook aims to takeover the tablet field by offering features not found on other popular devices like the Apple iPad. Announced Sept. 27, the PlayBook features a 7” high resolution display, 1 GHz dual-core processor (similar to those found in laptop computers) and a new BlackBerry OS that promises to uphold true multitasking. RIM has also included Abobe Flash 10.1 and HTML 5 support to ensure thorough web browsing capabilities. Flash is a feature missing on the Apple iPad and a drastic disadvantage, since millions of websites rely on Flash to present materials and videos. Also included are two HD cameras which can both take pictures and record full HD video.
The camera n the front of the device is for video chatting and the one on the back is for picture-taking and recording video clips. Another feature which current BlackBerry users are sure to enjoy is the ability to integrate the PlayBook with their current device. Using a secure Bluetooth connection, the tablet’s larger screen can act as the phone’s display to view emails or other documents. Any data on the devices will also be seamlessly synced to ensure you have your information available at all times. The PlayBook weighs in at less than a pound and is less than a half an inch thick, making this new tablet in a class of its own compared to other devices on the market and in production stages. Just recently announced is the addition of the Kobo e-reader service to be included on the PlayBook, making the device an allin-one tablet.
asepublishing/photobucket.com
The Blackberry PlayBook includes Abobe Flash 10.1 and HTML 5 support into the tablet to ensure web browsing abilities, a feature missing on the Apple iPad.
Border’s, the subsidiary company of Kobo, has over two million books online available for instant download and of those over one million are free to download. During the unveiling of the tablet, the President and CEO, Mike Lazaridis delivered his new product with a powerful statement. “RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems.” He said, “The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with the industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromising web browsing and high performance multimedia.” Aimed as a direct threat to the iPad, RIM seems to be slightly behind the metaphorical “eight ball.” According to apple.com, since April 3 the iPad had already sold three million copies before the end of June and that number is sure to have climbed dramatically since then. RIM has announced that the PlayBook will be available the first part of 2011 in a WiFi only model. 3G and 4G models are said to be expected in the future so users can venture out of WiFi only zones and use their tablet on the subway or train for instance. Finding students around campus with positive things to say about the PlayBook proved difficult, with the biggest complaint being that they can’t judge something without actually seeing it. Elizabeth Robie, a sophomore and BlackBerry user hadn’t heard about the new PlayBook. Freshman John Tolstad said, “The PlayBook is no competition for the iPad.” When asked about the possible uses of phone integration between the PlayBook and a BlackBerry, Madeline Stolberg, a BlackBerry owner said, “Why would I do that? I can read my emails on here just fine.” Todd Sanborn can be reached at toddalan@me.com.
Tampa Theatre Presents Gay and Lesbian Film Festival By JP BUSCHE
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
The Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, in its 21st year, will take place from Oct. 7 through Oct. 17. Offering 37 different pictures, this years TIGLFF film series will open at 7:45 p.m. with Casper Andreas’ comedy Violet Tendencies, revolving around a woman trying to obtain a straight boyfriend by neglecting her gay friends. On Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4.30 p.m., audiences will have a chance to see Kareem Mortimer’s Children of God. The picture strikes a serious tone by depicting the hate crimes and unwelcoming treatment of the three homosexual protagonists. Just one day later, I Killed My Mother will screen at 9:00 p.m. The picture was written and directed by 21 year-old Xavier Dolan, who had a successful festival run and eventually earned three awards at last years Cannes Film Festival. Naturally, all movies screened have
some relation to the LGBT community, yet are intended to draw audiences of every sexual orientation. Ticket prices are $9.50 each or $125 for the Crown Circle Pass, which includes admission to every film screened and a complimentary drink before each screening at Tampa Theatre. A few pictures, such as Rob Epstein’s Ginsberg biopic Howl, will be screened at Muvico in St. Petersburg. The lion’s share of the films, however, will be shown at Tampa Theatre. John Thomas, board director of the festival, said “This is my seventh festival and this year really marks a shift in where things are headed, you can see it very clearly when you look at this year’s schedule. GLBT film-makers at home and around the world are gaining access to more resources to tell their stories and you can see it in the production values across the board.” JP Busche can be reached at jbusche@ spartans.ut.edu.
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Commentary
Sour (on) Apple: Why the iPhone Does Not Make You Cool By RICHARD SOLOMON News Reporter
It really doesn’t. I’m sure every elitist Mac user is whining right now, claiming the opposite. A few months ago, I was one such whiner. But now, like an attractive prophet, I’m here to open your eyes. A few months ago, I threw away my dated Razr (hot pink, no joke) and bought an iPhone 4. For the first month at least, I was preening like I did in high school when I stole Sally Higgin’s diary and showed everyone the part where it said I was cute. I couldn’t stop myself from flashing my new phone, usually flexing at the same time, hoping that through operational conditioning everyone would think of my muscles whenever they saw Apple products. “Why, yes, I do have the app for Glee Karaoke.” I was insatiable. I downloaded apps for every occasion; at parties we played Naughty Truth or Dare and people told me how awesome my phone was (and by association, I was too). At a family reunion I used a bartender app to mix a complicated drink called “Jack and Coke.” My drunk uncle was impressed enough to verbally abuse my cousin, so I considered the day a success. With the LoLCats app, I had girls cooing at my phone, exclaiming how cute it was, while I used the opportunity to flex. My phone was more popular than I was. But let me break the news to you with as much compassion as a misanthropic clown: I didn’t invent the iPhone. I know I know, you’re all gasping. I didn’t. And neither did you. All I did was buy the phone. Anybody can buy a phone.
I purchased something that is available to everyone and then downloaded an app that makes me look like Indiana Jones in my Facebook pictures. Awesome as it is, this app is also used by millions of people. I’ll reiterate: I bought a phone. That doesn’t make me cool. I don’t even use it well. I end up playing Sudoku on it for hours at a time. I use it to check my email when I’m right next to my computer. Now that everyone has had a chance for my wisdom to sink in, I’ll show you the path that took me to this enlightenment. I was with a group of friends and someone took out their iPhone 3. I sneered and immediately held up my iPhone 4, informing the entire gathering that I was superior and should be worshipped, preferably by topless women. At that moment another friend took out a 30GB iPhone 4. Mine is only 15 gigs. As we exchanged looks I saw victory in his eyes: he was better than me because he had bought a slightly more expensive phone. That was when I had the earth-shattering realization that I’m sharing with you all right now. Now I know some naysayers are trying to hold onto their fragile belief that their phone really does make them cool. A few of you are trying to claim that you make full use of your phone and don’t use it for the trivial purposes I do. That’s entirely possible. Except that the iPhone is packed full of more useless things than a Swiss Army knife (you know, the bulky kind, where you have seven different kinds of can opener, a cork-screw and a spoon and toothpick that are actually the same thing). My iPhone has a compass feature.
Ninja M./ flickr.com
The iPhone trumps all other phones, but it’s just the gadget which is cool, not the person.
While the deer hunter in me was overjoyed that if I ever was going to “rough it” I could bring my iPhone, the lazy part of me was incredulous. The compass is right under the Stocks app, which lets me check the stock market at my leisure. Both these apps come with the phone, and I know all the Wall Street-campers out there are thrilled. For everyone who doesn’t fit into that category, we have to admit the iPhone has some useless junk. A very few people are still holding out that despite what I say, they are still cooler as a result of owning one. You are wrong. Remember at the end of high school when people would quote songs in their yearbooks? Using an excerpt from the song “Wonderwall” does not make you unique. They didn’t come up with the terrible
chorus they’re quoting from. Instead of writing something original, they chose to let someone else’s words summarize their year, showing how deep and mature they were. You didn’t write the song, you didn’t design the iPhone. You quoted the song, you bought the phone. Congrats! While the iPhone doesn’t make you (or me) cool, no one is saying you’re not cool. You’re awesome all on your own. Your phone has nothing to do with it. So don’t puff up with pride because you have an app that plays Family Guy clips; be proud of you and just accept that. Ultimately, you don’t need useless technology to make you an interesting person. Although my phone is still better. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
Waking Up In 2020: What FutureTechnology May Look Like By TODD SANBORN Commentary Contributor
It seems like just yesterday I was the only person at my school that owned Apple devices. I would walk the halls listening to my iPod while texting on my iPhone and feel like I owned the world (and yes, I own both an iPod and iPhone). Daily I would have random people walk up to me and ask to see my iPhone closer and occasionally someone would ask if they could touch it (rarely though, did I ever let that happen). I literally felt like I was the most technological person at my high school, and honestly, I probably was. Upon entering college in 2010 though, the tables have turned. Those not texting on an iPhone or smartphone are looked at as crazy and God forbid you don’t have an iPod. Technology has become intertwined with our daily lives. I use my GPS almost religiously while driving in Tampa because the area is so new to me, the radio has grown beyond annoying (why listen to commercials?), and I’ll admit I’ve never stopped at a tollbooth on a highway (ePass!). Over the past decade, technology has taken over and I love it. I type away on my MacBook Pro in class, sneak the occasional text under the desk, and browse YouTube during those times in lecture when I just don’t care anymore. Imagine life ten years from now; but first step back in time ten years, to 2000. You probably remember the distinct sound of your dial
up modem connecting … (or not) to AOL. You would cross your fingers that Grandma wouldn’t call because if she did you would be immediately kicked off the Internet. Loading a web page would take minutes, not seconds. A gallon of gas was $1.60 and I can still hear my parents yelling about that as we would pull into the station. Life has dramatically changed in just ten years, and technology has played a major role. So now let us imagine life ten years down the road. Step into the year 2020. No longer do you carry a cell phone, wallet and keys. They are all built into one single device embedded in your clothing. Answering a phone call is as simple as raising your hand to your ear. Paying at the grocery store is once again just a swipe of your hand. Upon returning home, you have a detailed list of exactly what you bought, the quantity that remains and the date at which each item expires. Any door that you have permission to open will immediately unlock, allowing you entrance without the hassle of finding keys at the bottom of your purse or pocket. These technologies won’t even be expensive, it’s something that every person will become accustomed to. Anyone can walk into a gas station right now and purchase a fully functional cell phone for under $10. Without the aid of automated technologies like GPS systems, typing programs and cameras, the average 2020 citizen will have no idea how to navigate, better yet live without technology. It won’t
frankdasilva/ flickr.com
In about 10 years, we may start to see the emergence of more complex technology like the digital keyboard.
have a bearing on us in ten years though; we won’t appreciate life any more then because we will have grown accustomed to it over time. I don’t look back ten years and think to myself, “Damn, Todd, I don’t know how you even functioned without Facebook and YouTube.” I look back ten years ago and think of how the most difficult part of the day was riding my bike home from elementary school. Nowadays, it’s finding your lost cell phone when you’ve had a few too many drinks in Ybor, forgetting your password for your bank account or trying to convince your parents the ‘sext’ you sent them was actually a forward from your “creepy suitemates.” (I’ve personally lived through this … miserable experience!) In 2020, I predict we will no longer have
to do these things: as we all know America is lazy and being lazy is awesome. In ten years I don’t want to be touching real keys on a keyboard anymore. Really, I don’t want to be touching anything. I should be able to think what I want to write and have the computer type it for me. Automation is the key to the future. I can’t wait for the day when my wildest dreams come true. Though, honestly, my dreams will have changed and I will have forgotten about this article. Watch out 2020, I’m ready for whatever you have to throw at me, be it some kind of new crazy cell phone, computer system or anything else “super techie” the inventors can think of. I’ll be waiting! Todd Sanborn can be reached at toddalan@me.com.
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Editorial:
Think Before You Tweet Late last month, Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student, committed suicide after finding a web stream of him and his boyfriend having sex. The freshman did not know his privacy had been breached until he saw his roommate’s status updates on Facebook and Twitter. Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate tweeted, “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it’s happening again.” On Sept. 22, soon after seeing that status update, Clementi leapt to his death off New York’s George Washington Bridge. According to police, Ravi and another Rutgers student, Molly Wei, were responsible for hiding web cams in Clementi’s dorm room. One of Ravi’s previous tweets: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” By comparison, Clementi’s last Facebook status update: “Jumping off gw bridge sorry.” The death of Clementi, a talented violinist, is a mournful event. It also brings attention to the sad reality that sometimes users don’t really think before they post. In this case, while Ravi’s deplorable actions and words seem somewhat premeditated, he undoubtedly did not fully consider the consequences- for Clementi or himself.
It has become a common trend for many social media users to constantly post what is happening when it happens without thinking about who is going to read it. For example, even as this editorial was being written, an editor came across a tweet from an individual saying, “I have a few more things to add on my to-do list before I commit suicide.” It is upsetting from a cultural perspective that someone would broadcast this type of message online, even for comic effect. Twitter and Facebook have proven to be two resourceful tools to “get the message out there,” but users need to be mindful of what information they post and how it might affect another individual or even themselves. The highest-profile example: In the wake of Clementi’s death, Ravi and Wei now face criminal charges of invasion of privacy. Hate crime charges are also being considered. Social media have transformed society in ways we could have never imagined. With the positives have come the negatives. Including the rampant spread of cyber bullying. No one can stop what users post but it is their responsibility to take various things into consideration before sharing it with the world. 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
Be careful what you post online. Social media has grown so advanced that anything users publish leaves an imprint and can lead to a breach of privacy.
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Wreck-nology: The Ups and Downs of Our Tech Advancements
By JOHN JACOBS Asst. Commentary Editor
The three main technologically advancements in our lives are TVs, phones and computers, and each started with its own purpose. Now you can use the Internet from your TV, watch TV and use the Internet on your phone and you can watch TV and make phone calls through your computer. We’re paying thousands of dollars on three different sized screens that do pretty much the same thing (and if they could figure out a way to make the screens feed us and be our friend, I’m convinced most people would never leave their homes). The purpose of technology is to make things in our life more convenient, help us be more efficient and entertain us, but at the same time it’s just encouraging us be lazy. Now if you approve of something your friend did, like their status of “Just got into college! Omg! I’m so happy!” instead of going through the trouble of stringing together a set of words to make a sentence, you can just hit a thumbs up button to let them know “I like this.” Remember when making friends consisted of being introduced to someone and then having a conversation with them? Now all you need to do is scroll through a list of names and pictures until you figure, “Hey, I vaguely remember seeing
that person, they must be my friend” and then click “send a friend request.” Also, if you want a quick, easy way to meet new people without being forced to go outside, now you can do it from the comfort of your basement on chatroullette. com. You can be as picky and shallow as you want. If you don’t like someone, just hit the “next” button to meet someone new. Making friends has never been so easy! (And by “making friends” I mean seeing grown men masturbate on camera.) And with the advancement in video game graphics, we’ve gotten so close to replicating the look of actually being outside, you’ll feel like you’re actually Sammy0716/ flickr.com there and forget you’ve been on a couch for One of the benefits we have gotten from technological advancements is spell check. the last six hours with the blinds closed. Besides obvious benefits like these, the advancements of technology over the to look for in the future are flying cars, however, sometimes we get so excited years, we’ll still continue to advance and teleportation deices and time machines. about some new technology that we don’t look back at times when we didn’t have Even if that technology does come to exist realize it could potentially make something things and think of how ridiculous it was. one day, it doesn’t matter, because you we’ve been doing for ages seem completely Try to think about living life without won’t be allowed use it. worthless, like printing books. cell phones or the Internet. Whenever someone explains how they Look at Kindle: the new, digital media The absence of just those two things would use a time machine it either ends in reader from Amazon which can hold up to would make your day feel so much more “...then I’d be really rich” or “…then I’d 5,000 books on something smaller than the boring (and productive). kill him.” size of one. It’s funny to think that the way we feel Considering the way people are obsessed It’s perfect! about the iPhone and iPad is a feeling similar with the constant evolving technology, But now what are we going to do with to the one people felt hundreds of years ago I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie the millions of hardcopy books we have? when the light bulb was invented. Surrogates come true. (Don’t feel bad if We have a choice to make now: you can “Whoa did you see that thing! It’s like you don’t get that reference; nobody saw either save trees by using Kindle or save having a tiny sun that you can turn on Surrogates. It’s really not that good). jobs by buying those boring old hardcopy and off whenever you want! Even after As long as I can still be sitting in my books. nightfall! car yelling out, “GPS! McDonald’s!” and It’ll probably just work itself out like We’ll never be satisfied with how far then have my car pull it up for me, I’ll the introduction of Netflix. Everyone we’ve come and we’ll always be looking forever be grateful. profited from that one, right? forward to what we could have. John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ Even after all we’ve done through The most common things people tend spartans.ut.edu.
Substituting Personalized Professional Skills For Technology
By CAMILLA CHEBET
Commentary Contributor
Technology has been praised for the ease and speed it has added to daily mundane tasks. Just click a button, and it’s done. For the past century technological advancements have improved our lives, but recently things seem to be taking a turn for the worst. Technology is going beyond its intended purpose: it is replacing us. Our biggest competition now is no longer that gentleman or lady with a perfect resume and good credentials, it’s the machine that can type twice as quick, calculate in seconds, diagnosis symptoms and do your taxes. It began with technology making time consuming tasks quick, storing tons of information and enabling ease of movement between long distances. It was logical to use technology then. Now, we have machines for everything. Even with basic tasks that do not require a machine, someone somewhere became too lazy to complete a task and invented a machine for it. It would not be surprising to find a machine that picks up the remote from the coffee table that’s a few meters away from the sofa. Today, not all inventions can be considered true inventions, most have lost their ingenuity. They have become devoted to finding solutions for our laziness. Many would argue to the contrary: that it is good that technology has allowed for inventions that make our lives easier. I would agree with this, but only to a certain
extent. The inventions that have made our lives easier are those that were developed out of necessity. They make our lives easier when we use them as an aid; the success of the task depends on how we use our brain. The problem with too many technological advancements is that there will always be innovations to inventions and this eventually leads to machines that think for us. What more do you need if you can replace the human mind? Exactly: nothing. By continuing with these innovations, people’s skills become obsolete. Machines do our tasks for us now and are making us complacent. This problem is opening up the floodgates to a series of bigger problems that are already becoming evident: people’s skills are lost as businesses lay off workers to decrease costs and in place of these hundreds of people, purchase one or two pieces of machinery. This is efficient where tasks are repetitive and mundane, but technology is now replacing professionals. In every professional field there is some kind of advancement in technology that is threatening to increase unemployment in that field. Take medicine for example. People spend about eight years in college and medical school to become doctors, only to have their job taken up by a computer that can diagnose a patient with 99.9% accuracy. Has it really gone as far as patients not even needing to go to a hospital to find out what’s wrong with them? They just get on their computer, go to a website and have a diagnosis complete with a prescription that can be ordered online and probably even shipped to their home. Sure, it’s easy, but what happens
-sel/ flickr.com
Eventually people are going to hand their position over to technology, machines replacing us.
when you’re the doctor whose job is now unavailable because of that machine? You have wasted eight years of your life studying to be a professional with hopes of high annual incomes, only to be met with the same problem that faces many other industries: unemployment. On top of that, you’re probably not well-off financially if you have just paid for school. The cost of education outweighs the income you earn in the industry and this paired with unemployment gradually destroys an economy. If machines are working for us, we earn no income. Since we are consumers as well, few people even have money for purchases, which leads to a decrease in aggregate demand. Further along the line, it also results in a decrease in national income and a lower gross domestic product based on the income per capita for the country.
Since all professions now are threatened, we are between a rock and a hard place. If we aim to decrease costs and become efficient, we cause unemployment. If we do not use machinery and keep our workforce, we incur high costs that decrease profits and may reduce national output, if it reaches a substantial level. It seems like a lose-lose situation, but there is a solution: it’s called balance. If we can learn to balance the use of machinery with the developing and sharpening of human skills, we can limit the negative effects of technology advancements. We must allow humans to do their part for the economy, and apply machines only where necessary. After all, necessity is the mother of invention; if we keep to this principle we can avoid problems we need not deal with. Camilla Chebet can be reached at cchebet@spartans.ut.edu.
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OMG FML: Textspeak a Sharpened Dagger Bleeding English Language Dry, TTYL
By PHILIPPA HATENDI Commentary Editor
Technology has created its own languages, one of the most popular and influential of which is textspeak. Textspeak makes it easier to convey a message without wasting time and it has given us the ability to express things that we feel inside without physically doing them. It even contains synonyms of abbreviations such as 2nite/2nyt/2nte, BFF/ BFFL/BFFNMW, Ayt/Aite/Aight which speak of its complexity as a language. It is so influential that its phrases are becoming frequently used in popular culture and music (who has Usher’s “OMG” playing in their heads right now?) But sometimes I think to myself “Technology these days, smh.” Technology has taken away many of the things that made human communication sacred and is leading to startling amouts of illiteracy. Especially in the younger generation who have fallen victim – albeit willingly – to textspeak. Over the years textspeak has advanced to the point where everything that is contained within is an acronym or an abbreviation for a real word. Even the word “text” has been shortened to “txt.” I find the whole thing utterly ridiculous and shameful that speaking like this deemed a language by some, it can be put on the same levels as some of the most intricate languages humanity has ever produced.
Now this mockery of the English language actually has its own dictionary (as if it were worthy of such a thing). Textspeak is an example of how technology has not only made us lazy, but dimmed our intelligence in the process. To the point that we are not only too lazy to use whole words, but in some cases actually couldn’t do so if we had the energy, because we don’t even know the proper word to use. This not only translates into our conversations, but also into our scholarly literary essays. Imagine: I actually had a class where at least three papers – final copies, I may add – were submitted in textspeak! I was beyond shocked: I was completely horrified and have since decided that people who use textspeak in every aspect of their lives are the enemy — the enemy to the years of my life that I spent learning English so that I could come to America speaking and spelling it beautifully, the enemy to the years I spent learning grammar rules so that textspeak (and its followers) could obliterate them. Textspeak is the sharpened dagger pushing its tip into my beloved English language and ripping it into shreds. Even though I use it, I do not allow it to take over my ability to speak and write coherent English. Some people think I am exaggerating; that the use of textspeak does not exemplify laziness and dimness. Let’s look at a few examples provided on the right of this article. ROTFLMAO screams of the insincerity people use in conveying their emotions. No one really rolls on the floor laughing at any joke. In fact, I bet most of the people reading this article don’t need
all the fingers on one hand to count the amount of times that they’ve actually done that in their lives. Another example of this insincerity is ALOL which translates to “actually laughing out loud” which implies that most people probably aren’t even laughing when they type out the words LOL to their friends in conversations. Textspeak also kills off the genuine beauty of words and the emotions inspired by actually seeing words like “I love you” on the screen as opposed to “I <3 u.” Personally, when I see the textspeak version of these three words it feels as though the person can’t be bothered to genuinely express how they feel about me – it’s like a shortcut for feelings. Who wants that? As for the dimness that comes with textspeak, let me give you a few more examples. BISFLATM is a ridiculous phrase. The fact that it’s referring to a turquoise monkey makes absolutely no sense. The replacement of the word “dude” with “d00d” is another pointless aspect of textspeak. I thought the whole point of textspeak was to shorten a word; “d00d” has the same amount of letters as its predecessor, so why not just type out the actual word? In my opinion, textspeak should only be used in the nether regions of one’s social life, when a person really has to convey a quick message; not as a replacement for the English language. In the growth of this stupid language, I find myself using the phrase “FML” to describe my despair. Don’t even get me started on emoticons. Philippa Hatendi can be reached at phatendi@spartans.ut.edu.
Textspeak Definitions ROTFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off. LOL or ALOL: laugh out loud or actually laughing out loud i <3 u: I love you 2nite/2nyt/2nte:Tonight 2moz/2mor: Tomorrow Ayt/Aite/Aight: All right brb: Be right back ttyl: Talk to you later BFF/BFFL/BFFNMW: Versions of “best friends forever”, the adage NMW meaning “no matter what.” OMG: oh my God d00d: Dude smh: Shake my head FML: F*** my life dats/datz: That’s TWSS: That’s what she said ZZZZ: Sleepy or bored
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18 MINARET
When Sexting Transcends From Private Affair To Public
By DOMINIQUE C. BARCHUS Love and Sex Columnist
You know when you’ve done something you really regret? Something simple, like telling a secret that you weren‘t supposed to tell or procrastinating on something important. There are those moments where you wish you could do things over again, but since you know you can’t. What do you do when something you thought was private is not so private anymore and you can’t take it back? Sexting can be considered one of those moments. Once you press send, there is no going back. Let’s be clear on the definition of sexting. Sexting is the sending of explicit sexual messages, in text form or in pictures, from one cell phone to another. In this day and age, sexting is like a new way of flirting. There are many people who are not comfortable with speaking to someone they like face-to-face or even on the phone. It is much easier for them to send flirty texts. There is a fine line between a flirtatious text message and a sexually explicit one. Telling someone what you’d like them to do to you with a particular body part is not exactly a publicly accepted form of courting. Yes, you may trust the person you’re with, but at the same time there is not a 100
percent guarantee that whatever you send will not be shared with other people. It seems like that’s impossible, right? You can’t imagine you’re loved one doing something like that to you, so you send the message. This can go one of two ways: your significant other will either keep the picture for themselves or be untrue to you and show it to someone else. Information travels very quickly, especially if it is something interesting. Not many people can keep a secret; they usually tell at least one other person. Now think about it, if that one person tells another person, isn’t it logical that whoever just found out is going to tell someone else? This may cause you to think twice before you heed to the ever popular consolation, “Your secret is safe with me.” Between all the networking sites like Facebook, Youtube, Myspace and Twitter, information about you is added by other people daily. Photos you’re tagged in, videos you’ve made and even quotes of things that you have said. Sometimes these things were intended just for fun and were not meant to appear on the Internet. What would you do if one of your sexts ended up on the Internet or was shown to more people than you intended? The news could spread faster than the amount of time it took to send the text or picture. Sexting isn’t something that can just ruin your reputation, but it is also a crime.
minaeditores/ photobucket.com
Sending raunchy pictures in messages can end up backfiring badly.
It can be considered child pornography for people that are underage and since it is most common with teenagers, there is more of a possibility of legal charges. Many get pressured into sexting by the person they are talking to. They feel the need to be accepted and feel that if they do not send the picture (or whatever it is) they will not like them anymore … if they ever liked them to begin with. Don’t feel pressured to send explicit texts to anyone. The excuse “They made me do it” is not going to work. No one can make you take your clothes
off, take a picture of yourself and send it to anyone. It’s a better idea to think about your actions before you do something. There is always a little voice in the back of your head that is telling you to do or not do something. It’s up to you whether or not you choose to listen to it. Next time you decide to send a sext, think twice. Once you press the “send” button there is no turning back. Good luck loving! Domnique C. Barchus can be reached at dominique.barchus@spartans.ut.edu
It’s Complicated: Facebook Relationship Statuses Need an Update
By HANNAH WEBSTER Love and Sex Columnist
The other night, I decided to change my Facebook status from “single” to “in a relationship,” simply out of a curiosity to see how people would react. I mustered some self-control and waited twelve hours before returning to my home page to see what I would get. I had twenty-five notifications and three new messages in my inbox. Comments ranged from “Whattttt?!?” to “Aww <33” to “WHO IS THIS MAN YOU SPEAK OF AND WHY DON’T I KNOW ABOUT HIM? (p.s. Use a condom).” My acquaintances tended to comment on my wall or simply “like” the status change, but my closer friends refused to publicly show that they weren’t the first ones to know about my imaginary new man. They instead resorted to texts, calls and even picture messages concerning the status change, demanding to know what was going on and asking, “Why the hell am I finding this out on Facebook?” It was hard to ignore them, but I stuck it out until I finished my experiment. They were hurt, not that I had met someone, but that they found out in the same instant as my other 773 internet friends. There was nothing personal about it, no giddy phone call, no slumber party secret, no ice-cream outing to share the “big news.” They didn’t even know I had been “seeing” someone, and to my friends back
home, Florida suddenly seemed much further away from the town we grew up in together. I asked one of my best friends from home, Timorei, what her first thoughts were when she saw the status. “A few things ran through my mind: ‘Was it her new boy… No, they’ve only been on one date. But maybe … It can’t be. Why didn’t she tell me herself? Is she mad? What did I do?’ And so on.” My phone even buzzed with an incoming text from my ex-boyfriend, asking, “So who’s the lucky guy?” which was odd, considering he’d been removed from my friends list months ago ... But thanks to Facebook’s limited profile, he could still regularly stalk my activities — and my fake boyfriends. His polite inquiry didn’t hold up for very long, though. He couldn’t help but rant about his debauchery with sorority sluts and exgirlfriends (sometimes two-for-one!) and everything else I couldn’t see on his Facebook, but that he wanted me to know anyway. It reminded me of our own FBO (“Facebook official,” for anyone who has been living under a rock) conversation that occurred many months before: he tried to be cool about it, but I knew he swelled with pride just as much as I did when the word “single” disappeared from our profiles. In many cases, the pressure to be FBO puts a strain on relationships. I knew a girl whose relationship ended before it even began when she and her almost-boyfriend got into a fight over him leaving his status as “single” while hers read “in a relationship.” Sophomore Dave Celluci doesn’t see relationship statuses with quite as much seriousness. “You could say some people are serious
Hannah Webster/ The Minaret
Statuses that are not identical to one’s significant other can lead to disharmony.
about it, but it can also be playful, like when two best friends say they’re married,” he said. “I also don’t think a relationship has to be on Facebook to be official,” he added. As I watched my status gain further attention, I was tempted to up the ante even further by changing it to “it’s complicated,” which is usually reserved for those who have feelings for their friend-with-benefits or having extended periods of break-up sex. But I decided against it — one bomb was enough to drop for the night. I couldn’t understand why people cared so much. Spectators deemed “friends” by Facebook watched my life from the outside in, all because of an accepted request. Some I hadn’t spoken to in months left comments, and random kids who sat behind me in AP European History sophomore year approved of my relationship by hitting the “like” button.
But I did know that the interest circulating around my lie had nothing to do with me. It was simply the next piece of news, the gossip for the day. It would only take hours for something more interesting to pop up in the news feed and I would quickly be forgotten. So I switched my status back to “single” after twenty-four hours and began to console some very annoyed and confused friends. Most that responded to the change in the first place didn’t care or didn’t notice when it went back, probably too distracted by the next round of pictures from bikiniclad girls. I promised the next time I changed it, it would be for real. Whatever “for real” even means. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannahkarine31@gmail.com
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SPORTS Sports
UT Athletics Site Up to Speed on Spartan Sports
By MAYA TODD Sports Writer
When someone types www.ut.edu into their search bar and enters the University of Tampa website, a small link on the left side of the screen often goes unseen. The “Athletics” link, bringing the viewer to tampaspartans.com, happens to be a key feature in the success and expansion of our beloved university. A lot more goes into the University of Tampa’s website than just plugging in a couple numbers and typing a few words. UT Sports Information Director Tom Kolbe explained that you can find just
tampaspartans.com
University of Tampa Volleyball Media Guide
about everything UT sports-related on tampaspartans.com. “The content we feature on the athletics website includes game stories, player bios, full schedules and results, up-to-date statistics, media guides, archived content, photo galleries, live stats,” Kolbe said. Kolbe added that the site also features “webcasts including video and/or audio, recruiting forms, alumni forms, complete department information, text messaging alerts, Sword and Shield info, Hall of Fame info and general athletic info.” One could also find the links to the Spartans Facebook, Twitter and other social network accounts. Clearly the UT athletics website is a huge project that is fairly difficult to tackle and keep updated at all times. Kolbe is not the only contributor to the website; the Sports Information Department, including student workers, adds to it whenever given the chance. Tampspartans.com provides an immense amount of information about UT athletics. “[There is] up-to-date information on all varsity athletic teams and departments within the intercollegiate athletics office,” Kolbe said. The 14 Tampa Spartan teams are covered in full on the site. “Archived content is also available as the website is the most complete source of information on Spartan athletics,” Kolbe added. Also on the website is a link to UT’s
YouTube channel, which includes both video clips of competitions as well as press conferences of select teams. One clip, in particular, was chosen as a Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks Sports Video of the Day in May of 2010. The clip was one of former UT baseball player Mike Blanke hitting a grand slam in the NCAA South Regional title game and being enthusiastically commentated by former Assistant Sports Information Director Taylor Flatt. Media guides are a major factor inside the athletics website. The media guides include current and past data and records as well as both the first year and veteran player biographies. The media guides offer a chance for the fans to become familiar with UT’s athletes and get to know the people they cheer for and support. Kolbe commented on the significance of updating the site when possible. “The vast majority of interested fans will follow our teams via the website. The information is readily available and we have proven ourselves in making information available in real time, meaning short wait times following announcements and events,” Kolbe said. A university’s athletics website is crucial to the fans and opponents who want to know the right information at a moment’s instance. For this reason, it is imperative to keep the information on the site efficient and precise.
Not only do fans and opponents read UT’s athletics website, but prospective students and student-athletes make up a great deal of the viewers as well. Students interested in attending or playing at a Division II university with a competitive athletics program may stumble upon tampaspartans.com and decide to become a part of its history-making. The production and revision of the University of Tampa’s athletics website is a lot more complicated than one would imagine. The importance of it is vital to the increasing interest in the university. “I feel that offering additional features including YouTube, live stats, Twitter, Facebook fan pages and blogging will allow us to reach more people and spread the word of UT athletics and its continued success at the national level,” Kolbe said. Kolbe, along with the rest of the Sports Information Department, work with the website each day in order to extend the Spartan spirit throughout the World Wide Web. Maya Todd can be reached at mtodd@ spartans.ut.edu.
UT Athletics Department Online www.tampaspartans.com
www.youtube.com/user/utathletics www.twitter.com/utspartans www.facebook.com/tampaspartans
Volleyball Prepares for ‘Nuts and Bolts’ of Conference Play
Justin Davis/The Minaret
Sophomore Jessica Yingling digs the ball for the Spartans. She has 101 digs on the season. By JOHN HILSENROTH Sports Writer
University of Tampa senior Melissa Vanderhall and sophomore Jessica Yingling are two of the standout players in the Sunshine State Conference, in which the Spartans play. In fact, Vanderhall has been SSC player of the year each of the past two seasons. But nothing these women do is about only themselves; they firmly believe in the idea of the team, and everything they do is for the betterment of the team.
“I do feel a little bit of pressure to succeed, especially because I’ve been struggling this year, but it’s a team game and the team has stepped up and picked me up personally” Vanderhall said. “It really doesn’t matter how well I do as long as the team is excelling and winning.” The team has been excelling as of late, winning nine out of their last ten matches. The UT women were even ranked number one in the country for two weeks straight this season. Then, on Sept. 25, they were upset by
conference foe Rollins University. “We felt like we weren’t playing our game. We had to keep up with them from the start of the game and play catch up,” said Vanderhall. “We know what we have to do [this season]. We have to take it one game at a time and play our game, no one else’s.” Head Coach of the UT volleyball team, Chris Catanach, has faith that when the Spartans are on their game, they can take on any opponent. “We have the ability to beat any team on any given day” said Coach Catanach. “That Rollins game was embarrassing; it was a poor performance. I can’t remember the last time I experienced something like that.” Coach Catanach said he is still proud of how his team has played thus far, minus the one slip up against Rollins. “We’ve met most of our goals to date. Now we’re getting into the nuts and bolts of conference play and we need to step up,” Coach Catanach said. The Spartan volleyball team was able to rebound after the disappointing loss to Rollins with a shutout of nationally ranked conference opponent, Saint Leo University, on the road. They continued their winning ways with two victories over two more SSC foes Lynn and Florida Tech on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, respectively. Both games were at home. Against Lynn, Yingling led the Spartans in kills, notching 19 for an attack percentage of .409. Senior Kaleigh Cunningham tallied nine kills for UT in the Florida Tech match, while Yingling finished a close second to Cunningham with eight kills of her own. The Spartans now hold a number five
national ranking on the 2010 season, and are currently at the top of the SSC with a 12-3 overall record. UT will play Barry University Oct. 8, which promises to be another big conference battle. “Barry is a big match; we would have a massive advantage if we can beat them down there because they have to come up here and play us later in the season” said Coach Catanach. Vanderhall and Yingling stressed the importance of smarts in volleyball, and knowing the game. “You have to be able to see things and react. Don’t think, just go” Yingling said. “Knowing when to hit and when not to, is crucial to success in volleyball. You’ve got to be able to see where the open court is and attack.” As a sophomore, Yingling looks up to her elders on the team, such as Vanderhall. “Since we’re losing some quality seniors after this year, I know I have to become more vocal. I’ll do whatever it takes to make the team better” said Yingling. After being ranked number one in the country for two weeks straight, the girls know the sweet feeling of being on top, and they are hungry to return to that peak. The SSC is a very competitive conference for volleyball, but the teams “don’t think, just go” attitude can propel them to the top of the conference. After the Rollins upset, the team learned its lesson, and can’t overlook anyone else again. The game against Barry will be an away game and could be for an early lead in the SSC. John Hilsenroth can be reached at jhilsenroth@spartans.ut.edu.
MINARET OCTOBER 1 2010 2010 MINARET OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET OCTOBER 1 || THE MINARET 16 8 24 2010 |THE THE MINARET 18 4 20SEPTEMBER
SPORTS NEWS
Student-Athletes Required to Sign Social Networking Waiver [From Back, Waiver]
Twitter Screenshot
NFL player Chad OchoCinco tweeted to fellow wide receiver, Terrell Owens, about Brett Favre. This tweet is an example of how pro athletes can cause controversy with their online posts.
New York,” Vanderhall said. “Facebook groups are a great way for us to get people to come to our games.” Vanderhall said that she agrees with the social networking waiver that UT student athletes are asked to sign. “We should absolutely have to sign a waiver because anyone who puts something disrespectful up on their Facebook page needs to learn some responsibility,” Vanderhall stated. Social networking is here to stay and will continue to grow as the years pass on. “My belief is that social networking is not going away, thus making it necessary to address the concept. I had not witnessed or had any reason for suspicion with posts
from previous years, but feel that it is important to explain the pros and cons of social networking to our student-athletes,” Kolbe said. “I feel that they were very receptive as our number one interest is to protect the name of our student-athletes and university. I am glad that I was able to implement policies for the sole reason of educating our student-athletes, hopefully avoiding embarrassing incidents in the future” said Kolbe. Social networking isn’t going anywhere, and it is vital that the student athletes respect the University and themselves, and be careful with what they post to their accounts. John Hilsenroth can be reached at jhilsenroth@spartans.ut.edu.
Spartans Swim Into 2010 Season with Confidence By APRIL WEINER Sports Writer
The UT men’s and women’s swim teams will kick off their season with a dual meet at home on Oct. 9 versus Florida Southern College, set to begin at 10:30 am. Both UT squads are coming off excellent seasons last year; they both began by beating FSC. The Spartan men won with a 172-82 score, and the women’s team followed suit, winning 158-101. UT will look to carry over last season’s triumphs into an even more successful
[
season this year. Head swimming coach Ed Brennan talked about the matchup of UT versus FSC. “On paper, the men look to be evenly matched and we might have a slight edge on the women’s side,” Coach Brennan said. While it’s true that the match versus FSC on Oct. 9 won’t make or break the season, the opening meet of the year is considered quite important. “The first conference meet sets the tone for the season and we want to come out and not just beat them, but beat them down,” said UT senior Mike Verdi. “[The] Spartans
“I’m going to go on record right now and say we have the fastest 200 freestyle men’s relay in the nation; there it is.” -Senior University of Tampa swimmer Mike Verdi.
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are here, ready for the season [and] ready to show everyone what we can do.” Coach Brennan was uncertain what kind of results the matchup versus FSC would bring. “It’s a whole new ballgame. With swimming becoming an official conference sport this year, the results have recruiting implications. Naturally we would love to start with a win, but I’m not sure how much it means one [way] or the other after only six weeks of training,” Coach Brennan said. “I don’t think either team is really ready to race. With 20 freshmen on our squad, I can’t even guess how some of them will perform.” However, Coach Brennan stressed the importance of a win since FSC is a Sunshine State Conference foe this year. “For the first time in my 30 years at Tampa, we have a conference,” Coached Brennan stated. “It’s the first time a
Controversy Ensues Over Technology [From Back, Instant Replay] for baserunning calls. If you have it for baserunning calls, you should have it for balls and strikes. But if you have it for balls and strikes, the umpires better start looking for work. The biggest push for video came this season after Armando Galarraga’s perfect game was stripped by a blown call at first base. Galarraga wasn’t angry, but he doesn’t want history repeated. “Instant replay is going to help the game,” he said. “Technology is so involved in the game, I think with really big stuff, you can use it.” Galarraga finished by saying that he only supports it if it doesn’t slow down the game. This is the purist’s biggest worry. If all close calls are reviewed, it could add significant time to a baseball game. A 2 ½hour baseball game with eight controversial calls (at five minutes per review) could end up taking three hours and 10 minutes (simple math, folks.) This doesn’t seem to bother the fans. Rasmussen Reports surveyed baseball fans in 2009 and reported that 55 percent support instant replay in sports. Lee Guilder, a University of Tampa student, president of Hillel on campus and avid baseball fan, was asked about the technology conundrum. “Instant replay in sports, and in baseball should be used to the maximum,” Guilder said. “We have the equipment. I just don’t see what’s holding us back.” But Guilder understands the time constraints and suggests a challenge system
conference win will mean more than how we finish at [NCAA Championships]. It’s important.” Though both Spartan swim teams feature several freshman, Sophomore swimmer David Humphrey had kind words for his new teammates. “[We have a ] great class with a lot of talent,” said Humphrey. Humphrey also spoke of what he wanted to see in the upcoming opening meet. “Hopefully [we’ll] start out the year with a victory and hold onto that.” Meanwhile, Verdi is already looking ahead to the rest of the year with lofty expectations. “The Sunshine State Conference is ours,” said Verdi. “It’s in the bag. That’s not even a prediction, just a fact.“ April Weiner can be reached at april. weiner@spartans.ut.edu.
OCTOBER SPORTS SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct. 8 Women’s Soccer Nova Southeastern 6 p.m. Cross Country FSU Invite 6:45 p.m. Volleyball at Barry 7 p.m. Scott Abelman/flickr.com
An NFL referee confers with a member of his crew after reviewing a challenged play on the field.
similar to football. Another option he mentioned (which has been discussed by the MLB) is video review only for lateinning calls. Others have gone public with their desire for replay, including former Orioles manager Earl Weaver and umpire Tim McClelland. But MLB commissioner Bud Selig is standing strong. Stating that baseball has flourished for years both despite and because of human error, Selig has mentioned that umpires get “98 percent” of close calls right, which contrasts sharply with ESPN’s report of a roughly 80 percent accuracy rate. The
league is still researching how more instant replay could affect the game, and doesn’t rule out the possibility in the future. Baseball, and sports in general will be affected by instant replay for years to come. (Even rodeo recently implemented a video reviewing system, to ensure timing accuracies.) It just comes down to how much, where and when. At what point do we draw the line? Replays in the Olympics? Seven hour Rays games? At what point do we let humans judge a human game? Miles Parks can be reached at mparks@ spartans.ut.edu.
Saturday, Oct. 9 Swimming Florida Southern 10:30 a.m. Volleyball at Nova Southeastern 4 p.m. M. Soccer Clayton State 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 10 W. Soccer Florida Tech 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 12 M. Soccer at Florida Southern 7 p.m.
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SPORTS Sports
Women’s Soccer Standing Strong in Conference Play By DAVIS FOX Sports Writer
After a frustrating loss at the hands of Barry University on Sept. 26, the Tampa women’s soccer team showed no mercy in a dominating performance against Eckerd. The Spartans took the lead in the 11th minute of the game and never looked back. The offensive assault, led by Junior Brittan Spence, tallied 31 shots, 16 of which were on goal, and pounded the ball into the back of the net, making a statement that was geared more toward building belief in their team than silencing their critics. “We wanted to prove to ourselves and to everyone else in our conference, that we are better than that,” said freshman Carolyn Simon. “We needed to come out and really be strong and show each other what we could do for each other.” The Spartans certainly made a statement against a 1-9 Eckerd team that only managed two shots in 90 minutes of play. With a high scoring offense, a stingy defense and a dominating display of possession, the Spartans showed glimmers of brilliance and, as Simon believes, signs that the team is beginning to blend. “I think the more games we play, the more comfortable we get, the more we kind of understand each different person,” said Simon. Tuesday, Oct. 5, the Spartans faced another tough conference opponent, Florida Southern. Head coach Gerry Lucey said before the game that he wanted to make sure the girls were aware of the dangers of this opponent.
He focused on making sure the girls kept their shape on the field so that the offense and defense would be in sync. “One of the reasons we gave up a couple goals against Barry was because of our discipline in maintaining possession of the ball and also dropping back into our shape once possession was lost,” Coach Lucey said. “So giving up those goals basically because we didn’t have the discipline to keep our shape was disappointing.” The Spartans were defeated by the Florida Southern Mocs 2-1. FSC outshot UT by a total of 10-4, which five of those shots being on goal. Andrea Arnore scored the loan goal for the Spartans, assisted on the play by Samantha Kay. UT fell to 7-3 on the season with a conference record of 2-2. The Mocs improved their overall record to 6-3. While the Spartans have the leadership of their coach and captains to guide them, perhaps the freshman class has made the biggest impact for the team this year. “I think all of the freshmen have surprised a lot of us,” said Junior forward Jazmin Perry. Out of the 27 players on the team, thirteen are freshman. As of Oct. 4, seven freshmen had started for the Spartans and all of them had played in at least one game. They have accounted for seven of the team’s 23 goals, and a freshman goalkeeper, Leah Cesanek, has only allowed eight goals out of fifty shots against her. “I think Leah, as a goalie, being a freshman goalie, stood out the most for us
Abby Sanford/The Minaret
UT senior and team captain Pasquale Anderson pushes the ball upfield against an Eckerd player.
because we’ve really been needing a good goalie that’s been willing to go out there and work hard, and she’s been doing a really great job,” Perry said in praise of her keeper. Both Captain Luana Miessa and Coach Lucey also gave credit to Alyson Gregorowicz, a left-side defender. “I would say our most productive freshman to date would be Alyson Gregorowicz, which started and played every game from the left full-back position. She’s naturally a left-footed, left-sided player and gives us a bit of dimension coming down the left side,” said Coach Lucey. “She’s come in here and been very
good during the [first] nine games.” The rest of the season will be a test for these thirteen freshmen, but their development could be the key to success for the entire Spartan team. They have seven games, including two tough conference opponents in Nova and Florida Tech within the next week, to prepare for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, in which they missed out on last season. Tampa will take on Nova Southeastern in Pepin Stadium on Friday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. Davis Fox can be reached at davison. fox@spartans.ut.edu.
HOOKING UP? PROTECT YOURSELF. When you “kiss” someone, you’re kissing everyone they’ve ever kissed. Three out of four men and women will contract an STD in their lifetime. For more safety tips visit www.ut.edu/safety.
Campus Safety (813) 251-5133
LASER Team (813) 257-4515
Tampa Police 911
MINARET OCTOBER 1 2010 | THE MINARET OCTOBER 1 | THE MINARET 8 242010 2010 | THE MINARET 4 18 22SEPTEMBER
NEWS SPORTS
New Technology Brings MLB to Computer and Phone By KYLE BENNETT Asst. Sports Editor
I grew up a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan, but I was left feeling a bit out of touch with the team, since very few of the Braves’ games were broadcast on national television. I did not have the MLB network so I saw only the handful of Sunday night games featured on ESPN during the 2009 season. This year, however, I decided to purchase a subscription to MLB.tv online at MLB. com giving me access to view every Atlanta Braves game online, assuming the game was not being aired in my viewing area. MLB.tv requires viewers to pay a small monthly, or annual, fee and allows them to watch games all of the country. The beauty of MLB.tv is that you can take it anywhere you have an internet connection. It isn’t a service that you have to have through your cable provider, or through a mobile carrier. It is a one-time purchase. It’s a great product of the MLB and a great way to both provide your viewers with a fantastic feature, as well as a great product for the MLB to consistently have its product visible, as often as possible “MLB.tv not just modernized, but it
revolutionized America’s favorite pastime,” Bobby Winsler, UT senior, said. Winsler had not heard of the service until just before the 2010 season, and as a Mets fan, jumped all over it. Many students from the north make their way down to Florida to call UT home. For those baseball fans, it is also a great asset to them. “Being a northern sports fan, and being down here in Florida, it is nice to be able to watch all the games that I want with no problem at all for a low fee,” Sam Gerb, senior, who is from Connecticut said. Another great feature, which is available for iPhone and iPod users, is the MLB AtBat application. Blackberry and Android have also now allowed its users to start using the application. At Bat allows users to pay a small one-time charge of $14.99 and gives them access to listen to live gameday audio of every game. On top of the audio feature, At Bat allows users to watch live streaming video of one, predetermined, game per day. With this feature the user is able to choose any of eight different camera angles to view the game. Since we are now in the post-season, anyone who purchased the regular season
packages is either out of luck, or forced to pay an additional fee for both features. For MLB.tv, the post-season package is $19.95 and will include live streaming video of every game, no blackouts. It will also allow viewers to pause, fast forward and rewind the live streaming game. Other features include: multi-game view, in-game highlights, live game audio and clickable line-scores, batter by batter navigation. The MLB At Bat application is a much cheaper price at $4.99 for the post-season package. The package will include less
features, but will still give a streaming video feed of all post-season games and allow users to view them in quad mode. Quad mode is a feature that will allow users to watch four games, simultaneously, on their iPhone screen. New applications and features such as these are only scratching the surface on the way technology is changing how we watch sports. It’s tough to imagine what could possibly be next to make view a sporting event even easier for the viewer. Kyle Bennett can be reached at minaret. sports@gmail.com.
Screenshot of MLB At Bat application
Screenshot of MLB At Bat application
NFL Preview: Predictions for the Top Week 5 Games By JOE BEAUDOIN Sports Writer
The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs will take on the 2-2 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Colts are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It is shocking that they started last season 140 but have split their first four games of the season. It may be an even greater shock that the Chiefs have gone undefeated so far. The Chiefs are the top ranked rushing team in the NFL, while the Colts have the fourth worst rushing defense. However, the Colts still have Peyton Manning, and you can expect him to pick apart the young Chiefs secondary, handing Kansas City their first loss of the season. Prediction: Colts 31-20 The Washington Redskins, 2-2, will play host to the Green Bay Packers. Although the Packers are 3-1, they have not impressed anyone thus far, as evident by a slim margin of victory against the Lions in week four. The Redskins came out on fire last week against the Eagles, and McNabb showed Philly why they should not have traded him. Washington has the second worse pass defense in the NFL and the Packers are the 11th best passing team. The Packers also have one of the best secondaries, with Charles Woodson who ran a pick back for a touchdown last week. You can expect McNabb to struggle, and if the Packers do not beat themselves with penalties, they will win. Prediction: Packers 20-17 The Broncos, 2-2, will play against the 3-1 Ravens, in Baltimore. Denver has the best passing offense in the NFL, but have only averaged 67 rushing yards per game.
Talk of the Town Professional Sporting Events in the Tampa Bay Area
Even without an elite wide receiver, Kyle Orton has surprised many this year and his stats are up there with some of the league’s top quarterbacks. The Ravens are the best pass stopping team in the NFL, and you can expect that Ray Lewis will play his heart out in order to stop whoever the Broncos start at running back. Joe Flaccos struggles will continue with Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary, which will be the downfall of the Ravens. Prediction: Broncos 17-13 The 2-2 Tennessee Titans will travel to Cowboys Stadium for week five. Both teams have not had the season that they were expecting. Vince Young has played poorly and Chris Johnson has not dominated teams like he did last year. Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys, 1-2, who are coming out of the bye week, will play as if they are 0-3. Tony Romo will continue his success, and if Marion Barber can get some momentum against the 17th best rushing defense, the Cowboys will win. Prediction: Cowboys 24-17 Brett Farve and the 1-2 Vikings will be facing his former team, the 3-1 Jets on Monday night. He will be going up against the 6th worst passing defense in the league. Farve has not had a memorable 2010 season so far, but may be able to turn his season around if his offensive line can protect him and Adrian Peterson can continue running the way he has thus far. Though Mark Sanchez has not thrown an interception this season, he did not play well against the Ravens, the only good defense he has faced in 2010. Prediction: Vikings 24-20 Joe Beaudoin can be reached at jbeaudoin@spartans.ut.edu.
@
Coming off their early bye week, the 2-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to Cincinnati to take on the 2-2 Bengals. The Bengals were upset in week four by Cleveland, a team who the Bucs beat earlier in the year.
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 5: Brett Favre Returns to His Old Stomping Grounds; Not Green Bay
@ Titans
Ravens
Kyle [2-7] Daniel [3-6] John [3-6] Davis [4-5] Mike M. [4-5] Mike P [5-4]
Miles [4-5]
Chiefs
Daniel John Davis Mike M. Miles Mike P.
@ Redskins
Kyle Miles John Davis Mike M. Mike P.
Colts
Kyle
@ Packers
Daniel Mike M. Mike P.
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@ Broncos
Cowboys
Kyle Miles John Davis
Daniel
@ The Rays have now clinched the A.L. East division two out of the past three years. They face the A.L. West champs in the first round of the playoffs. Game three is set for 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 9.
Vikings
Jets
Kyle Miles John Mike M.
Daniel Mike P. Davis
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The Lightning begin their 2010 campaign against Southeast division rival, the Atlanta Thrashers. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 pm on Saturday, Oct. 9.
SPORTS NEWS NEWS
A+E
Commentary COMMENTARY
SPORTS
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OCTOBER 2010 THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1824 2010 THE MINARET | OCTOBER 1 2010 THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER
Fantasy Football Tops Sports Fans’ Priority List By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer
Fantasy football in my definition is: a football competition with imaginary teams which the participants own and manage players with the games based on statistics generated by actual players or teams. The game created in 1962 has rocked and spread across the U.S. in the past decade. Becoming an internet phenomenon, fantasy football has taken the role of a necessity for American football fans. According to Colin Cowerd of ESPN, just prior to the 2009 NFL season there were an estimated 27 million people playing fantasy football. The powerhouse websites who have the most fantasy football participants are ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS and NFL.com. Typically these websites offer no charge to play. As the game becomes more popular every year, it is starting to become a money-making game for many. According to Fantasy Sports Trade Association, 55 percent of fantasy sport players report watching more games on TV since they started playing fantasy football. With that, channels have been created to satisfy and offer premium watching capabilities to fantasy owners. A channel called NFL Redzone is a premium-cable channel that offers up-to-the minute fantasy stats, extended highlights and game analysis. Any time a team is at its opponent’s 20 yard line or closer, the station will switch to that game so the viewer can see if or how that team scored. Fantasy owners can constantly watch when a player on their team is about to score with just the click of a button. With extended television viewers, the average fan is consuming more time on the
TV on Sunday’s than ever before. Along with new channels, television shows have also been created, basing their premises around fantasy football. Premiering on FX in Fall 2009 was the show called, The League. The show is about five friends who are involved in an annual fantasy football league. They live their normal working lives but they are always connected to each other by fantasy football. An average fantasy owner can relate to the show because The League depicts and shows how a league is run and how it affects a person has while playing the game. According to Cowerd of ESPN, the average owner spends nine hours a week playing fantasy football, including checking their fantasy teams and watching the week’s games. Junior John Hickey, a fantasy owner of eight teams says he spends 10-20 hours a week following his teams. An average Sunday for Hickey might be different than the average college student. “I usually have my stat and game tracker up checking all my players and watching the football games,” said Hickey. Entering his 10th year playing fantasy football, he does not let drafting players on other teams get in the way of rooting for his favorite team, the New York Giants. “I’ll always root for the Giants and their players no matter what fantasy impact it has on my fantasy teams. Giants first, then my fantasy players,” stated Hickey. As the way people watch football has changed, ex-NFL players believe fantasy football has affected the game. “I think it has ruined the game,” stated ex-NFL quarterback Jake Plummer in a
Abby Sanford /The Minaret
UT student John Hickey engaged in fantasy football, remains disengaged from his social life.
2006 Washington Post article. When an owner drafts their team, there is a chance that they will draft a player they believe is good enough to be on roster, that might be on the rival team of their favorite NFL organization. The question that then comes up is, “Does fantasy football change the way people root and watch their favorite teams?” If the answer to that question is yes or no, the NFL Network believes that fantasy owners want to know as fast as they can how their players are performing. According to the Washington Post, in 2006 the NFL Network signed a five-year $600 million deal with Sprint that offers fantasy football owners to either monitor or draft players or teams on their cell phone. The country is starting to get used to fantasy football, but is that a good thing? Sophomore Casey O’Connor believes
fantasy football is a waste of time. “I think that there are better things to do with your time than following a fake team. A lot of my friends are involved in fantasy football and it’s funny to see them root for players that aren’t even on their favorite teams,” stated O’Connor. As more and more young adults and college students play fantasy football, some believe that it affects their school work. “I see a lot of people checking their teams in the library during the middle of studying. If people spent the same amount of time on their school work, I wonder what the outcomes would be,” said O’Connor. Whether it’s the team “Waka Waka Wallabees” or “Touchdown My Pants!”, fantasy football owners and leagues are here to stay. Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
SPORTS MINARET
4
W. Soccer [21]
The Win
A brief rundown of Spartan Sports
M. Soccer [6-4, 1-2] Oct. 9 vs. Clayton State [9-1] at 7 p.m. The Spartan men had a five game winning streak that was snapped after falling 2-1 to Sunshine State Conference opponent Eckerd University at home. UT followed up that loss with a hard-fought conference battle versus Barry, losing in double overtime 3-2. Following the game with Clayton State, the Spartans will get back into conference play with a game at Florida Southern College on Oct. 12.
W. Soccer [7-3, 2-2]
Oct. 8 vs. Nova Southeastern [5-3-1, 2-0-1] at 6 p.m. Carolyn Simon on what the Spartans need to do to beat Nova Southeastern: “We need to do the same thing we always do- good passes, and keep the ball moving.”
UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933
UT Athletes Advised to Use Caution Online By JOHN HILSENROTH
Sports Writer
Over 500 million people worldwide have a Facebook page. Twitter has more than 100 million members, and both these numbers are dramatically growing each day. Nearly every college student has a Facebook or Twitter, and they check them constantly. Students at the University of Tampa forget their Blackboard and email login passwords all the time, but none of them ever have a problem logging onto Facebook. Because of the large number of students that use Facebook, UT requires all student-athletes to sign a waiver stating that they are responsible for what is on their page, whether it is pictures, statuses or friends. UT Sports Information Director Tom Kolbe knows exactly what this waiver is and what it entails. “We ask our student-athletes to remain professional in all social networking. Posts including photos, videos and comments using tobacco, drugs, offensive language and sexually explicit material are strictly outlawed,” Kolbe said.
“We also ask our athletes to use discretion in all of their posts and also avoid insulting comments towards opponents, teammates and coaches. An example I like to give is that if there is any doubt, do not post it.” Kolbe went on to speak about how he thinks social networking is changing sports. “The media now cites Twitter posts, and I have embraced the ability to reach more people through these means. I feel that a proper understanding of social networking can lead to countless benefits for our program and student-athletes,” said Kolbe. Junior Spartan baseball player Taylor Wrenn, a transfer student from the University of Southern California, is a firm believer in students taking responsibility for their actions on their Facebook and Twitter pages. “At USC, a few kids got in trouble because of some pictures on their Facebooks. They were lucky they didn’t get thrown off the team,” Wrenn said. “Student athletes have to be responsible. There are dumbasses everywhere you go. Just put it private and don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know and you’ll be fine.”
monkeyworks illustration/flickr.com
Twitter has become a popular outlet for athletes’ thoughts and concerns.
Wrenn also alluded to what social networking does to high profile pro athletes. “Eventually it comes back to the individual. Professional athletes like Lebron James tweet ridiculous things. Their grammar makes them seem uneducated. Some people see Randy Moss as a great athlete, [but] I see him as an idiot because of the way he writes on Twitter,” Wrenn stated. Senior Sports Management major Nick Twing had some strong feelings on social networking in sports as well. “Look at what just happened with David Price and Evan Longoria tweeting about how ridiculous and disgraceful it is to have 12,000 fans at a home game that could clinch a playoff berth,” said Twing. “Before you know it,
Volleyball [13-3, 5-1] Oct. 8 at Barry [8-2, 5-1] at 7 p.m.
Coach Chris Catanach on facing Barry: “Barry is a big match but it doesn’t make or break our season. We control our own destiny.”
Cross Country FSU Invite on Oct. 8 in Tallahassee at 6:45 p.m. The Spartan women placed third and the men placed fifth at the FSU Invite in 2009. Senior UT runner Heath Nicolosi was named SSC Runner of the Week after placing third out of 387 at the Lehigh Invitational.
the Rays are giving away 20,000 free tickets to the next home game.” Twing went on to speak about social networking in sports from a UT standpoint. “You just have to be careful to not look stupid and watch out who you hangout with. Also, you definitely don’t want to release any information to other teams about some kind of injury or something,” he said. Senior volleyball player Melissa Vanderhall loves Twitter, but knows not to put anything stupid up. Rather, she puts social networking sites to good use. “Twitter is great; it’s a good way to post stats. My mom checks it out all the time, so she has constant updates all the way from [See Waiver, 20]
With Instant Replay in Sports, Who’s Losing?
Coach Lucey on UT’s upcoming games against FSC, Nova and Fla. Tech: “We know we’re very capable of beating all three teams, but then again all three teams are strong teams, and it’s not going to be easy. We just take it one game at a time.”
Melissa Vanderhall on facing Barry: “It’s just as important as any other game. We can lose any day in the SSC, it’s a tough conference, but we want to take down Barry.”
Pro Sports Page [22]
Rich Anderson/flickr.com
A debate has started over whether more instant replay should be used in baseball in order to avoid blown calls. By MILES PARKS Sports Writer
On Aug. 5th, the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 on a ball that landed inches inside the white foul line (as was proven later when the TV networks replayed it). Instead, it was called foul by the umpires, the inning continued and the Marlins instead ended up losing 5-4. Technology has advanced at a tremendous pace in the past twenty years, shown nowhere more than the sporting world. Swimmers are wearing skin tight, aerodynamic unitards. Nike has let us sync our iPods with our shoes. And whether we like it or not, steroids are one heck of a science.
But when does technology impede too much on the games we love? Instant replay in sports is perhaps the most obvious example of this dilemma. We have conceded that humans are not perfect creatures. Referees and umpires do, in fact, count as humans. These men and women dressed in black and white keep the game in order. To be a ref in the major sporting leagues in the U.S. takes an extraordinary amount of time and skill. In 2007, the average age of an NFL ref was 51. These guys have been to more referee clinics than most freshmen have been to algebra classes. Yet we still don’t trust them. Instant replay is prevalent in
almost every game played today. In hockey, a score is the only facet of the game reviewed. But all aspects of the goal can be reviewed, including whether the puck was deflected off a hand or a high stick. In tennis, a “Hawk-Eye” system, which uses multiple cameras to measure trajectory and speed, determines the landing location of a ball. Not all calls are reviewed, though, but only those specifically called for by the player. These “challenges” are similar to those in football, in that the number of contested calls is limited. American football relies the most on video evidence. In fact, the referees are really only there to make obvious statements such
as whether a field goal is good or not, and what down it is. In most college football divisions, video review is used on every play of the game. The video ref in the booth pages a field umpire when play needs to be stopped to check the accuracy of a ruling. Though the NFL does check all plays within the final two minutes of either half, all other video review is left in the hand (or pocket) of the head coach. The coach may throw a red “challenge” flag, to signal a dispute. Instant replay is then used to determine whether the coach’s hissy fit is warranted. Replay in baseball is where it gets dicey. Baseball has a rich tradition of controversial games and terrible calls. Since the video era began, audiences have become more and more critical of the man behind each base. Wrong calls are scrutinized more than ever before, since we see how blatantly wrong the same call is, six times a day on ESPN. Replays are already used a small amount in the sport, determining whether home runs clear the fence. The controversial part is, at what point do you draw the line? If you have it for homers, then you should have it for fair and foul calls. If you have it for fair and foul calls, you should have it [See Instant Replay, 20]