University of Tampa
Vol. 75 No. 4
www.theminaretonline.com
minaret@ut.edu
Lower the Drinking Age?: National Push Divides Students, Admin
Ultraviolet or Ultra-violent?
By Journalism I
By Journalism II
Burning has turned into the new beautiful for some students whose favorite pastime is achieving that bronzed body.
current laws don’t really stop youth from obtaining alcohol and even “I’m 19, I can buy a gun, but encourage binge drinking. I can’t have a beer? A beer won’t “I think it’s great that presidents accidentally go off in someone’s are supporting this,’’ said Katie face.’’ Carey, 20. “No one would take That was UT sophomore Clint under-aged students seriously if Hanaway’s reaction when asked they suggested this.’’ about the Amethyst Initiative, a If drinking weren’t taboo, said movement launched in July with the Paige Burwell, 17, there would backing of more than 125 college be less “drinking for the sake presidents. The of getting drunk, reform-minded because students Binge drinkgroup urges wouldn’t have to reconsideration ing comes from being do everything in of the current rebellious. It attracts secrecy.” legal drinking students because it’s Julie Roth, a g e o f 2 1 t o breaking the law. a 19-year old combat alcohol-- Julie Roth s o p h o m o r e , related campus agreed, saying: problems and “Binge drinking encourage safer comes from being drinking practices. rebellious. It attracts students Among its members are the because it’s breaking the law.” The presidents of Eckerd College ways students get around those laws in nearby St. Petersburg, Duke, can be risky, she explained. “If a Dartmouth and Ohio State. student can’t drink at the bar, they The Amethyst Initiative takes will pregame, drink a lot, before its name from ancient Greece, going out and drink a lot in a small where the purple gemstone was period of time.’’ believed to protect its owners from Senior Caroline Reuschel the effects of drunkenness. added that “people using fake IDs Here at UT, administration is are excited when they get into a bar, not ready to sign on—in fact, they leading to them drinking more just strongly oppose it. because they can.” Gina Firth, Associate Dean But Gina Firth said that of Students, gave many reasons lowering the drinking age would for rejecting the idea, saying “it’s hurt, not help students. amazing that this discussion is even (UT President Ronald Vaughn’s taking place.’’ spokesperson referred an interview However, students interviewed request to Firth.) by The Minaret last week mostly said it’s time to end this 21st See “Drinking” [2] century Prohibition, that the
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By Journalism II
W hether on the lawns of Delo, by the pool, in Plant Park or in a salon, tanners can go to extremes that some experts compare to addiction to alcohol, heroin and even cocaine which is worse. Tanorexia is the term often used to describe a potentially cancer-causing condition in which a person excessively tans to achieve darker skin because they perceive themselves as unacceptably pale. But the sun-worshippers are soaking up not just rays but permanent damage to their cell’s DNA, scientists say. The American Cancer Society states that up to 90 percent of skin cancers are associated with ultraviolet radiation.
September 12, 2008
Tanning also causes other longterm effects like wrinkles, darkened freckles, moles and premature aging, bringing compulsive tanning under increased medical and social scrutiny. As the number of skin cancer cases rises, so do the images of celebrities flaunting burnt skin. Some celebrities like Lindsay Lohan avoid the ultraviolet exposure by airbrushing their tans. Tanning addiction can go along with other cosmetic enhancements like smoking (to lose weight) and working out. Tanning Beds Joel Hillhouse, an East Te n n e s s e e S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y professor, says categorizing indoor tanners can lead to more effective ways of warning tanorexics about
the dangers they face. Hillhouse and his colleagues broke indoor tanners into four categories: *Special event (tan numerous times over a short period associated with a special event, followed by extended periods of no tanning); *Spontaneous or mood (nonregular tanners with spontaneous patterns strongly influenced by mood); *Regular year-round (tan weekly or biweekly) and *Mixed (have both regular tanning periods and shorter periods associated with special events). “The results of this study emphasize the fact that ‘one See “Tanorexia”
[8]
UT Urges Students to “Go Green” with Paper By Sarah Gottlieb Asst. News Editor
In the last year, it seems that UT has been going especially “green,” creating various solutions to encourage students to become more conscious of their environment. In Sept. 2007, the university did an energy audit to evaluate its use of electricity, natural gas, and water consumption in order to identify ways to use less energy and save more money. UT also recently began to use “green seal” products. And now with the addition of Secure On-Site Shredding, the university is becoming more conscious of its paper usage. With the nation’s growing concern for the environment, and the cost of everything going up,
Inside ...
many colleges have begun to charge students printing fees in campus computer labs. One school, Western Kentucky University, recently proposed a quota that would allow for 500 free pages per semester for undergraduates. After the first 500 pages, students would be charged 5 cents per additional page. Other schools have already begun charging for printing usage, including Johns Hopkins University and Syracuse University. Currently, UT’s computer labs have no printing limit, though that doesn’t mean that won’t change. Jennifer Jamison, Computer Lab Coordinator, says that a paper printing limit on computers could become a possibility.
Austin Hall Turns 10 [3]
Jamison says that students often don’t realize how much paper they use. “There is quite a bit of paper that is wasted,” Jamison said. She explained that, for example, a student may want to print 1 page off a website, but will sometimes accidentally print the additional 50 pages that go with it. By putting a restriction on student’s paper usage, Jamison believes it would make students more aware of how much paper they actually use and encourage them to curb excessive printing. While the university does not currently have a limit on student See
“Paper” [7]
Student Volunteers in Peru Director of the month [12] [10] Volleyball Winning Homesick? Long Streak Continues [18] Advice inside! [7] Community Supports Sick Child[14]
Illustration by Max Roberts
News....................[1-8] Features ...........[10-11] A&E ................[12-13] Commentary....[14-16] Editorial................ [17] Sports ..............[18-20]
“Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.” [Albert Schweitzer]