University of Tampa
Vol. 75 No. 3
www.theminaretonline.com
minaret@ut.edu
September 5, 2008
Construction Power Outage Sparks Angry Students Journalism II
The lights went out this past Saturday as a power outage swept across Vaughn, Brevard, Austin and some of ResCom. Some students planned ahead and visited their friends in other dorms but others stood it out as they sat in their hallways.
Administrators sent students an email about plans for a power outage, saying it would be from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Residents complained about how hot their dorms were. Saturday night’s temperature was 77 degrees with humidity being 94 percent. Windows are locked shut in all
UT Alumnus’ Family Escapes from Gustav
dorms, causing the air to be sticky and hot. Opening them would be a violation, and many students to suffer. “Where do they expect everyone to go?” said junior Vaughn resident Craig Karner. “People have food in their refrigerators. What were we supposed to do with it all?”
Stars
Not everyone was lucky enough to have friends in other dorms to escape to. If food and or drinks spoiled because of the power outage should the school reimburse the students? “Vaughn was really hot, everyone was hanging out in the See
“Sparks Fly” [2]
Many UT residents were without power and some were not notified.
By Ellery McCardle News Editor
As Hurricane Gustav pummeled the Gulf Coast this past week, a University of Tampa alumnus anticipated the destruction in his home city of New Orleans. For Victor O’Brien, a 2007 UT graduate and former Editor-inchief of The Minaret, hurricanes have always been a threat to his family. O’Brien “I remember in ninth grade, we had to evacuate,” he said. “It just wears you out.” Evacuating With Gustav’s warning signs, O’Brien’s parents did not take any chances. They evacuated late Saturday night to Northern Mississippi where his grandmother lives. The drive usually takes five to six hours, but with people scrambling to head north, the trip took 12 hours. “I can’t believe this is happening again,” he first thought. O’Brien said he has been talking to his family every few hours since they evacuated. As of Monday evening, his family had not experienced heavy storms. “They’re optimistic that everything is going to be okay back at home,” he said. NOLA: High Risk Living in an area with a high risk of hurricanes, O’Brien said when you evacuate you never know what you’ll come home to. “You prepare to lose everything. You can dodge the bullet, but the idea of evacuating is emotionally hard.” With the threat of a repeat of Hurricane Katrina every year, O’Brien said his parents have nevSee
“Escape” [6]
Inside ...
Senior Peyton Lester shows her license to a sheriff. She was not cited or arrested in the routine stop.
Photo by Kara Wall
Keeping the Road Dry: A DUI Check on Campus
By Emily Williams Reporter
Last Thursday, the Tampa Police and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department organized a DUI processing point on UT’s campus last Thursday to catch any impaired drivers. From 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., every driver traveling on North Boulevard was required to stop, present a license and briefly interact with
an officer. One driver stopped but failed to produce her license for the sheriff, according to Minaret photographer Kara Wall. The woman was asked to step out of the vehicle, then sped away, catching the officer’s arm in the window. He was slightly injured and had ice on his arm for the rest of the evening. Three police cars chased after the woman, but it is unknown whether she was caught.
Sergeant Doug Groves, who was on duty during the DUI processing Thursday night, said that the checkpoints are more of “an awareness thing for people” than an attempt to arrest drunk drivers. “Afterwards, we saturate the area with officers. That’s when we’re less noticeable in the unmarked cars and make more of the arrests,” he added. Such checkpoints are not
uncommon around the Tampa Bay area, and this was not the first time local DUI enforcement has set up a checkpoint on North Boulevard. TPD and the sheriffs Department have a DUI road block on North Boulevard twice yearly; the TPD posts details of the upcoming checkpoint in advance on its website for the See “Checkpoint”
[2]
SG Shakeup: Group Reps Get More Responsibility By Charlie Hambos Asst. Editor-in-Chief
Student Government officials spent their summer working on some changes to the way SG will be run this year. Embracing the student’s role as a SG representative by initializing mandatory committee involvement as well as working
hard for new student opportunities for meal exchange at Pandini’s. In a letter addressing the General Assembly on the first official SG meeting of the year, SG President Andrew Learned discussed his goal in the new committee involvement. “The change is being made in order to foster more discussion
RNC Starts with Changes [4]
and involvement of all parties at General Assembly meetings,” Learned said. The meetings will be held at the normal time of 7 p.m. However, organization representatives and independent meeting attendees will meet in Vaughn Center Conference rooms with each respective committee.
Suicide Prevention [8] Video Game Addiction [9]
The Sports Blog [18]
Tampa Goes Hop [3] Pre-Game Sex
[19]
Recipe for Chocolate Cake [11]
Following the committee meetings, the representatives will return to Reeves Theater to attend the weekly General Assembly meetings. If all goes according to schedule that will be at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Attendance is See
“SG Rep” [7]
News....................[1-7] Features ...............[8-9] A&E ................[10-13] Commentary....[14-16] Editorial................ [14] Sports ..............[17-20]
“Reading without reflection is like eating without digesting.” [Edmund Burke]
News
2 From “Sparks Fly”: Front
Editor-in-Chief Peter Arrabal parrabal@gmail.com
Asst. Editor-in-Chief Charlie Hambos chambos@ut.edu
News Editor Ellery McCardle minaret.news@gmail.com
Commentary Editor Derrick Austin minaret.commentary@gmail.com
Sports Editor Bobby Winsler minaret.sports@gmail.com
A&E Editor Mel Steiner minaret.arts@gmail.com
Features Editor Joshua Kratovil minaret.features@gmail.com
Online Alex Vera avera813@tampabay.rr.com
Head Photographer Mindy Tucker mtucker@ut.edu
Adviser Charles McKenzie charles.mckenzie@ut.edu
Staff-At-Large Sarah Gottlieb, Asst. News Editor Elizabeth Harrington, Reporter JP Busche, Reporter Emily Williams, Reporter Delaney Spoerl, Reporter Stephanie Roman, Reporter Zach Fraser, A&E Austin Daniels, Cartoonist Max Roberts, Artist Shanette Lewis, Photographer Elizabeth Harm, A&E Jesse Yomtov, Sports Natalie Insogna, A&E Shannon Grippando, Writer Kristen Vasquez, A&E Alan Mehanna, A&E
You can reach The Minaret directly at (813) 257-3636
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hallways because the lights only worked there,” said freshman Vaughn resident Katy Solomon. “People were propping their doors open to get light from the hallway into their rooms. “ Windows Locked in Heat Only one elevator was designated to work in Vaughn and students complained about how it took forever to go to their rooms because it was such a long line. “I heard that one of the elevators dropped floors and everyone in the elevator fell to the floor screaming and ringing the alarm,” said junior Vaughn resident Brad Myers. “I thought the whole thing was stupid. I couldn’t hang out in my room.” O n e freshman prepared for the outage. “The outage was shorter than I thought,” said Vaughn resident Erin Sheerin. “I planned ahead and went to my friend’s room to watch a movie.” Testing out how long it would actually take to walk from the eith floor of Vaughn to the lobby surprisingly only took a minute to complete. Many Brevard students were also prepared for the power outage. Many planned ahead and were positive about the situation. Loren Pireta and Deanna Deeb said that they and their friends knew about the power outage and were prepared ahead of time. “We bought glow sticks and propped our door open,” said Loren Pireta. “The lights in the hallway were on, so it wasn’t that bad.” “Even though we knew what was going to happen, when the lights went out we all screamed because it startled us,” said Deanna Deeb, a sophomore, “I tripped and bruised my foot.” Kristen Anderson, a sophomore, was also in the group of friends who were there. “The elevators worked, so getting around the building wasn’t that hard,” said Anderson. “Our RA’s accommodated and gave us all candy.” Residents in Brevard Hall found comic relief from a few students running around the hallways. “There was this guy running around the hall joking and acting really funny,” said Mairi Yunits, a sophomore. “Head Resident Lokshman was also there and he was running around. It would have been funny to watch him streak through the hall, but he wouldn’t do it.” Sophomore roommates Marie Tavaruz and Misti Cartwright said they knew about the power outage, but did nothing special to prepare. “We screamed when the lights went out,” said Tavaruz, “It wasn’t that bad except there was only one elevator and it took forever to get onto it.” “It got really hot in the building,” said Cartwright, “We came outside and smoked hookah.”
Alex Herzog, a sophomore, was with his girlfriend when the incident occurred. “When the power went out, my girlfriend and I popped a movie into my laptop, said Herzog, “It got really hot in the building, so we propped the door open.” Many of the residents in ResCom were not affected by the power outage. Only one side of ResCom had loss of power, and most of the residents went on with life as usual. The power was only out for about a half an hour. When asked about the power outage, many of the ResCom residents seemed completely clueless.
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Bringing Back BET to UT By Ellery McCardle News Editor
Last semester The Minaret reported that campus television no longer carried BET. The station was revoked after BrightHouse Networks re-organized its channel line-up. This sparked anger among some students, especially since ResLife did not know the BET was revoked from the usual channel line-up. This semester, ResLife is working to bring BET back to campus television.
From “Checkpoint”:
Senior Cory Porteus was surprised to hear that there was a power outage over the weekend. “I didn’t even know it (the power) went out,” said Poreus. Sophomore Samantha Spalholz had enjoyed the social time with her friends during the power outage. “We went outside, smoked hookah, grabbed blankets and pillows and watched the clouds,” she said. In addition to the planned blackouts in Brevard and Vaughn, an unscheduled power outage at 11:15 p.m. left Austin residents lost in the dark in more ways than one. One group of students left a fully functioning building for dinner around 10:45 p.m. and returned to find that only the lights in the hallways and front desk had power without warning from UT administration. “Security told us it would be back on in 15 minutes, but it took an hour,” said sophomore Mel Girigoria. After they finished their dinners in the darkness, the power returned, but a fire alarm forced them out of the building. Sara Elkorchi’s electric hair straightener stopped working while she was using it. She and her roommate were forced to do their hair and make-up in the hallway. “I wouldn’t have minded if I was warned, but I shouldn’t be taking the fall for Res Life’s lack of organization and communication. It was bad timing, regardless of warning,” said the angry Elkorchi. Even after the power was restored, Austin residents still had to deal with fallout from the fire alarm. The strobe lights on the fire alarms in rooms ending in 16 remained on until 5 a.m. Sunday. “We had to sleep on a futon in Brevard because of the strobes,” said Elkorchi. “It was the worst night of sleep I’ve ever had.” Michelle Magner, Anita Hawkins, Kristen Dyer and Michael Franz contributed to this article.
Front general public to see. An occasional driver is asked to exit his or her vehicle to perform manual dexterity tests to prove sobriety, resulting in only one or two arrests each time. DUI processing points are a small part of the local authorities’ efforts to stop drunk driving. TPD and the Sherriff’s Departments have created plans such as Operation 3D (a DUI public awareness plan) in order to deal with the issue of drinking and driving. As a part of Operation 3D, after holding a checkpoint, it is standard for officers to “saturate” the area (also referred to as sending out a “Wolf
Weed like you to leave campus, please. On Aug. 22 around 4:10 p.m. a non-student was arrested for trespassing and drug possession in Austin Hall. The suspect was arrested on campus for possession of cannabis less than 20 grams and possession of cannabis with intent to sell. A student was referred to Conduct Board. Stabbing people won’t get you upstairs any faster. At 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 22, an incident occurred in Austin Hall in front of the elevators. Student was charged with violation of Article 12, Weapons. Alcohol in Austin? Sounds like a freshman! At 11:00 p.m. on Aug. 23, alcohol possession and consumption was reported in Austin Hall. The bust resulted in a suicide reference. Personnel Abuse At 4:05 p.m. on Aug. 29 a security officer reported personal abuse in the security office lobby. The aggressor was given a Conduct Board reference. “Beer grenades.” Need I say more? Between the hours of 3 and 4 a.m. on Aug. 29, criminal mischief was reported in Straz
President of RHA Molly Murphy said, “We are looking to replace BET with Jewelry Television on channel 97.” During orientation, Murphy passed out a survey to students about on-campus TV. She said that most students wanted to get rid of Jewelry Television. Not only BET, but other stations are being considered to be added. Murphy said ResLife is looking to replace Shop NBC with another sports station such as ESPN2.
Pack”) in order to more effectively patrol for impaired drivers in the area. UT students can expect there to be at least one more DUI checkpoint on North Boulevard before the end of the school year, but whether there is a checkpoint or not local DUI enforcement encourages students to seek alternatives to driving drunk. Sergeant Groves said, “UT has a lot of things to help people not drink and drive … they [students] just need to plan ahead. Zingo and some other companies are out there; they’ll drive you home. They [students] just need to think ahead when they’re going to be drinking.”
Hall. A student was reported hurling beer bottles down a hall, shattering glass and scaring students. The bottles were described and utilized as “beer grenades.” All evidence of the incident was cleared by morning. Somewhere in this span of time… On Aug. 29, a threat to a UT security officer was made. Student referred to Conduct Board. The details are a bit hazy … At 3 a.m. on Aug. 30, a student or students were found with marijuana. Offenders were referred to Conduct Board. This isn’t the “green” that sustainability had in mind. At 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 1, drugs were found in Straz Hall by security. Offenders were referred to Conduct Board. Turn up the heat, man! Why do you always have to have it so cold in here? At 12:25 a.m. on Sept. 1, a fire alarm went off in Austin Hall. Security responded and building was evacuated. According to security, the alarm was set off because an air conditioning fan motor burnt out.
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
In Other News...
News
3 IKEA Coming to Tampa BET Update
SG Report Free Transporation
Tampa to Be Infused with Swedish Furniture Giant
By JP Busche Reporter
Allen wrenches, pictureloaded instructions and Swedish furniture are invading the Channelside district as IKEA nears completion of their newest store. IKEA is currently building a new store in Tampa, which will open its doors next summer. T h e new store will be the third in Florida, sixth in the Southeast and the 37th in the US. It will offer its DIY furniture and food all on 353,000 square feet. The new store will be built on 29 acres along Adamo Drive at 22nd Street and the Crosstown Expressway. Customers will have a variety to choose from the 10,000 exclusively designed items they want to take home. Like most of the other IKEA stores throughout the world (there are stores in 36 countries) this one will have a playground, which will help make shopping more enjoyable.
“Good Furniture for reason able prices,” UT student Hope Waterman said about the new store. “I appreciate the quality of their products and the fact that there is no latency,“ MBA student Phillip Fries said, The company is wellknown for its outstanding work environment which has been honored by several national and international rankings, such as the FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” and the Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers”. Ikea was founded 1943 in Sweden by a men named Ingvar Kamprad and is also known for its charities such as their Cooperation with UNICEF. The company is still owned by the founders Family, which is registered as a foundation in the Netherlands. The store will be hiring 400 workers. Anyone interested in a position can apply at www.ikea-usa. com.
Tampa Goes Hoppity Hop Hop Hop By Delaney Spoerl Reporter
Hopping isn’t the most common way for non-rabbits to traverse the streets of Tampa, but a new company is making it fashionable this year. Last February a transportation company called Hop Tampa started servicing the Tampa area. Started by Tod Tersico, Hop Tampa transports people anywhere from downtown Tampa to Channelside, Hyde Park, Harbour Island and Ybor City just before dark. “If you’ve had too much to drink call us,” said Tersico. The company is currently looking to expand into local areas but is not currently revealing the alternative routes. Sure, you could pay for a three dollar cab ride downtown and back, but Hop service works strictly on tips. With high gas prices during a turbulent economy, The Minaret wanted to know how this service survives only on tips. The beauty of Hop Tampa is that it operates with electric vehicles, so there is no need to worry about high gas prices. However, there is a downside to going green in this business. Drivers work exclusively on tips, so they need time to recharge their vehicles, which does not make
the drivers available 24 hours each day. Hop Tampa is in service seven days each week starting in the late morning and ending business before 10 p.m. On weekends, they are open until 2:30 a.m. Tersico said they will be happy
Hop Tampa in front of Plant Hall.
to come get you, but don’t forget to tip. If you would like further information about Hop Tampa, please call 813-220-0175 or visit their Web site at www.hoptampa. net.
Photo By Anna Burrell
Sept. 2 Meeting
•Now at Dairy Queen, a smoothie can be purchased with a meal exchange. •The Academic Affairs Committee is looking into lower prices for textbooks and UT apparel •Speeches for Student Congress on Sept. 16 voting begins after the meeting •Speech and Election for Speaker Pro Tempore on Sept. 23 •Organization PowerPoint’s during the SG meetings will be replaced with 30 second YouTube commercials broadcasted during General Assembly. Email mkieslor@gmail.com before each Tuesday to make an appointment. •Visit the SG’s website and register your organization at utampasg.org by Monday, Sept. 8 at 12 a.m. •E-mail tlemay@ut.edu for finance appropriations.
Psst... did you hear about.....? The Minaret wants to hear rumors! Let us know what you’ve heard on campus and we just might investigate. Email us at minaret.rumors@gmail.com
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The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Obama Introduces Biden as VP in Springfield By Matthew Tomlin The Daily Vidette
Thousands descended on the steps of the old State Capitol two weeks ago to hear the prospective Democratic presidential nominee introduce his running mate. Obama officially announced Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate via an early Saturday morning text message to supporters and members of the media. “For months, I’ve searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me, and to join in me in making Washington work for the American people,” Obama said. “I searched for a leader who understands the rising costs confronting working people, and who will always put…dreams first, a leader who sees clearly the challenges facing America in a changing world. Above all, I searched for a leader who is ready
disqualified by Biden. It makes the to step in and be President.” Biden then made an entrance foreign policy argument by McCain from the east side of the old Capitol obsolete.” Biden is chair of the Senate building, jogging to the podium Foreign Relations to meet his Committee and running mate long-time critic as Bruce GO ONLINE of Bush foreign Springsteen’s Does Obama’s pick make policy. “The Rising” you more or less likely to “I think he’s played over vote for him? Go online at a good choice,” t h e s o u n d www.theminaretonline.com Mary Zeller, a system. and comment on the story. citizen of the T h e town of Normal, senior senator from Delaware was hailed as a Ill., also in attendance, said. “He brilliant political move by many has the foreign policy experience who say Biden’s experience will [Republicans] criticize Obama for be a welcoming addition to the not having.” Obama took the first few Democratic ticket. “I think it’s a very smart minutes of his speech to introduce choice. Together they’re going his partner, who he referred to as “a to be a very good pair,” Isaac man with a distinguished record and Bloom, a University of Illinois a fundamental decency.” He touted student and Obama supporter, said his running mate as a candidate of Saturday. “Some of the concerns change and an individual eager to thrown at Obama have now been reach across party lines.
“Joe Biden brought Democrats and Republicans together to pass the 1994 Crime Bill, putting 100,000 cops on the streets, and starting an eight year drop in crime across the country,” Obama said. Neither Obama nor Biden missed the chance to slam opponent John McCain, labeling him as “four more years” of the current Administration. The McCain campaign has responded with an ad showing Biden criticizing Obama in the Democratic primary race. Obama’s speech came two days before the Democratic National Convention in Denver, at which the Illinois Senator will officially claim his party’s nomination. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain announced his running mate, Sarah Palin on August 29, leading up to the start of the Republican National Convention, which was moved from New Orleans to Minnesota.
UT Alum Up for Re-election in Temple Terrace By Ellery McCardle News Editor
A UT alumna and former Hillsborough County CityCounty Planning Commissioner is running for local office again in Temple Terrace, according to The Tampa Tribune. Ron Govin, 68, currently the incumbent, is among three others racing to the finish line to win a four-year city council position in Temple Terrace, according to the report. T h e Ta m p a Tr i b u n e reported that this non-partisan race will be filled by two candidates. In 2004, Govin was elected to the council, the report said. It also stated that Govin graduated from UT with a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting.
Young Republicans Take Advantage of RNC's Scaled-back Opening Day By Andy Kroll UWIRE
(UWIRE)-SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Hurricane Gustav may have slowed official proceedings here on the first day of the Republican National Convention, but young Republicans aren’t about to let that spoil their plans for their week-long championing of young voters.
With the first day of the convention featuring only a handful of official events, the spotlight has shone even brighter on youthoriented events taking place in Minneapolis and St. Paul. To kick off the convention, the Young Republican National Federation, the left-leaning Campus Progress Action and several other bipartisan young voter groups on
Monday co-sponsored a youth vote luncheon at the Hard Rock Café. Before a crowd of about 50 people of all ages, Republican politicians and youth leaders spoke about the GOP’s growing support among young people and the need to continue that growth in the coming months. With the gap in youth support between Barack Obama and John McCain significantly smaller than even a month earlier, the mood among the crowd of young implored those in attendance to Republicans, many of them sporting get their friends and their friends’s “Future Leaders for McCain” friends out to the polls this fall and stickers, was noticeably buoyant. cast their ballots for McCain. Jessica Colón, president of “(The Young Republicans) is the Young Republican National such an important part of the margin Federation, used several statistics in every election, but perhaps more from the primaries and caucuses so this time than ever before,” and also a recent Huckabee said. Reuters/Zogby “And I want GO ONLINE poll to illustrate Obamamania? Palin’s to encourage M c C a i n ’ s Progeny? McCainonomics? you to be not increasing youth What do you think? Go to just involved support on the www.theminaretonline. but fanatically national stage. com involved over Colón then urged the next 60Republicans in the plus days.” crowd to continue the momentum The youth of the GOP that McCai+n has built in the past should have more invested in the month among young Americans. presidential election than anyone “I want to let you know else, he added, because “young that we are on a roll,” she said. Republicans are going to be more “(Young people) are starting to affected by the outcome of this really decide in Senator McCain’s election than anybody.” authenticity, his experience, and While many consider national his policies on energy, health care, party conventions more pageantry fiscal responsibility and national than politics, a week of back-patting security are resonating with young and corporate-funded partying, Republicans.” young Republicans are using the Making a surprise appearance convention as an opportunity to at the event was popular former bring together future GOP leaders presidential candidate Mike and offer them organizing training Huckabee. they can use back in their respective The former Arkansas governor states.
Photo courtesy JohnMcCain.com
One such event is the GOP Youth Convention, which began on Friday and continues for the duration of the RNC which ends on Thursday. The youth convention includes daily grassroots organizing sessions for young Republicans at nearby Concordia University, and also a forum featuring former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Although their Grand Ole Party moniker does little to help sell young people on the Republican brand, it’s clear that the Republican Party recognizes the need for a strong base of youth support. Charlie Smith, president of the College Republicans national organization, said his primetime speaking slot on Thursday evening before McCain’s acceptance speech is an example of this recognition by the GOP leadership. “It shows where our party and our candidate is looking -and they’re looking towards the future,” Smith said. “They want to have representatives of the youth movement speaking to millions of Americans and showing them that this is our candidate -- this is candidate of the youth movement.”
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
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Louisiana State University Campus Battered By Gustav By Kelley Bumstead Journalism II
UT To Help Gustav Victims By Ellery McCardle News Editor
After hitting Louisiana and surrounding areas, Gustav left another mark in New Orleans near the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. So The Minaret wanted to know, what is UT doing to help victims? P.E.A.C.E. Spring Break Coordinator Katrina Vidal said the office is still in the preliminary stages of choosing a trip. “P.E.A.C.E. usually will not do the same city twice in a row for Alternative Spring Break, but I feel that the situation in New Orleans could affect some of our decisions here,” said Vidal. She also pointed out that many surrounding coastal towns were affected by Gustav, making those areas other volunteering considerations.
From “Escape”:
Front er wanted to move out since they moved there in 1981. “Hurricanes are frustrating, but moving is a big change,” he said. Remembering Katrina But O’Brien’s family has always been the type to evacuate. During Katrina they evacuated to northern Mississippi. Their home is on the west side of New Orleans, a place where the levees did not break, which saved residents from severe flooding during the 2005 catastrophe. His family was lucky to have only wind and rain damage. “We were pretty lucky. We had some rain in our house, but my neighbor had a tree fall on her house,” he said.
“I don’t think many students at this school are aware of the storm that hit New Orleans these past few days, and how it has affected the lives of people from there,” said Vidal. Every year P.E.A.C.E. send a small group of students to volunteer during Spring Break. Last year, a group traveled to New Orleans. But for now, P.E.A.C.E. will be holding a drive throughout the month and will most likely send donation to Operation Nehmiah, a volunteer group. Items such as diapers, baby wipes, food, hygiene products are among some of the things needed by victims of the storm. Students can drop off donations to the P.E.A.C.E. office in Vaughn 206 until Sept. 26.
But O’Brien’s grandmother lost her home and that is why she has relocated to northern Mississippi. Her house was only a mile from the shore and was located in one of the hardest hit areas. O’Brien was lucky to be out of Katrina’s path. He was well into a week of school at UT when Katrina struck home. The Aftermath Now living near Austin, Texas, O’Brien is a reporter for the Killeen Daily Herald. He has not been back to New Orleans since last November, but so he may be in for a surprise when he flies home this weekend. Knowing his family is safe from Gustav, O’Brien is hoping he will actually make it home. “I’m just wondering if the airlines will do anything with my flight,” he said.
Many LSU students planned on spending their first week back at school moving into dorms, attending parties with friends, and rooting for their reigning national champion football team in the season opener. For many, however, their plans were put on hold when category 3 Hurricane Gustav made landfall Monday, battering the Baton Rouge campus of over 30,000 students. “Large branches have torn themselves off of trees, cars are surrounded by branches and leaves and buildings have seen significant damage,” wrote Daily Reveille reporter J.J. Alcantara. “We’ve heard reports that a giant oak tree has been uprooted right in front of the library. The roads are full of debris and pieces of trees.” According to the Reveille, a tornado generated during the storm touched down on campus, tearing off pieces of the Student University Recreational Complex. “A tour around the campus showed significant damage to the LSU Natatorium, the facility used for swimming and diving,” wrote Reveille chief sports writer Amy Brittain. “Parts of the roof were scattered in the parking lot.” LSU campus safety announced that power was knocked out all across campus but is slowly being restored. University officials placed a 23-hour lockdown on residential students left on campus which was lifted early Tuesday morning. “Only volunteers and essential personnel are being allowed on campus at this time,” stated the university’s emergency hotline.
From “SG Rep”: Front required at both meetings and it will be noted by the committee chairman.. Each SG Executive board member will preside over a committee relating to their position. K e l s i e H u t h , Vi c e President, will oversee the Academic Affairs Committee. This committee is concerned with the bookstore, registration, academic advising, studentfaculty relations and anything involving academics at UT. Molly Murphy, Residence Hall Association President, will chair the Campus Life committee which will work with campus housing, dining services, campus security and all aspects of living on campus. Paola Gonzalez, Student Commuter President, will oversee the Community Affairs Committee. Representing the Spartan Commuter Organization, this committee works with local buses, off-campus housing and the Spartan City Campaign. Lakshman Lohan, Director of Special Events, heads the Committee on Athletics and
“The LSU generation plant is the storm safely,” Student Governnearly online and will eventually ment President Colorado Robertbe reenergizing 60 to 80 percent of son told the Daily Reveille. campus.” “Our University is working to Many students stranded on return everything to normal. I’m campus volunteered during the confident of the Emergency Operstorm, helping to move hospital ations Center as they are assessing patients too sick to evacuate into damages and beginning to clean the campus assembly center. up our beautiful campus.” “It’s very apparent people have planned for this incident,” volunteer Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Judson Moore told the Louisiana, causing severe damage to parts of the Daily Revelie. “There’s a lot of LSU college campus. professional staff and it seems like there’s a lot of volunteers,” said the LSU alum who described freshman and foreign exchange students as part of the mix. According to Student G ernment President Colorado Robertson, university Chancellor Michael Martin has made student safety the school’s primary concern. “Last time it was panic. It was shock,” said LSU alum Judson Moore. “This time around, there are the prayers and hopes we won’t have a repeat from Katrina. I think people are prepared to know what they’ll go through now.” University officials hope to re-open the campus by Monday after damage is fully assessed. “We hope that everyone made it through Courtesy of Daily Reveille (UWIRE)
Involvement. Keeping school spirit alive is the main goal but it also works with Student Productions, the Athletics Department, as well as campus organizations. Tara Lemay, Vice-President of Finance, oversees the Finance Committee. The finances of student government is the main concern in regards to fairly appropriating money to each organization. David Pazmino, Vice-President of Communications, chairs the Social Concerns committee, which is responsible for social concerns resulting from gender equality, “Going Green,” GLBT rights, ensuring a safe environment for students. SG to the Rescue Not only were committees put in place, but several student concerns left at the end of the spring are now resolved thanks to SG. Smoothies at Dairy Queen can now be purchased with a meal exchange. Chicken has been added to the pasta at Pandini’s for a meal exchange, as well as the salads. Jazzman’s has also extended their hours from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.on Monday through Thursdays.
SG Goes High Tech Making it easier for all organizations to stay in contact and SG to keep tabs, they are putting the finishing touches on their website located on utampaSG.org. Also, making the General Assemblies more exciting the Director of Public Relations, Mark Kieslor introduced the idea for each organization to record a 30-second commercial to replace the power-point slides used in the past. As the new executive board takes over, new exciting things are happening for the university’s student leadership. To get involved, attend a General Assembly meeting or contact SG directly at sg@ut.edu.
Suicide Prevention Week: In Crisis? Call 211
8
To Hell and Back
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
One student’s story of his mind-bending ride through the world of mental illness and psychological therapy aims to help others avoid same fate By Thor Nystrom Daily Kansan
wildly. His friend lands a blow to the left side of my forehead that knocks me to my knees. I rise and put my hands behind Editor’s note: Kansan reporter Thor Nystrom was diagnosed my back and tell them to take their with Attention Deficit Hyperac- best shot. A tall guy with dark hair hits tivity Disorder his senior year of high school in Minnesota and pre- a glancing shot across my jaw, and scribed the drug Adderall. When I stagger. I scream: HIT ME. HIT he developed anxiety, a side effect ME. They close in. His friend lands a shot directof Adderall, he was prescribed ly into my right eye socket, and I Paxil. The two drugs, mixed with the drop heavily. I stay on the ground. They laugh, and they kick. beer he consumed as a KU freshman, led to behavior that culmi- One lands in my diaphragm. My nated in a fight in a KU parking wind is gone, and it feels like I am lot, his arrest and his entry into the breathing out of a straw. I’m drooling blood that pools with dirt on mental health system. Using his own medical re- the concrete near my face. Soon I hear the sirens. An cords, police records, his own diaries, interviews with family and his officer puts me in handcuffs and own recollections, he wrote this ac- drives me to the hospital. We’re at the counter, and I am count of what he calls his descent into the “depths of hell,” a journey disoriented and sad and as drunk with an ending that neither he nor as I have ever been. I nod toward his holstered gun his parents saw coming. and ask him to kill me. This is his graduation story. “Shoot me in the head. No one (UWIRE) - Seven and a half months before the day I should has to know.” The officer puts his hands on have died I am in the parking lot of my shoulder and looks me in the Naismith Hall. eye. I am a “We’re go19-year-old GO ONLINE ing to get you freshman. I Has a suicide or help, OK?” have just got- depression affected your I’m transten a ride life? Tell us about it on ported to Storhome from the our Web site: mont Vail Rebar, and I am www.theminaretonline.com gional Medical drunk. Center in TopeI have again ignored the red sticker on ka via squad car in the early mornmy orange bottle of Paxil warning ing hours of Oct. 10, 2003. I meet with the psychiatrist on against drinking alcohol with the medication. My head throbs, and a Sunday morning. We are alone in a sparsely decorated room. I take my thoughts race. A group of students across the empty chair across the table the parking lot yell and swear. I from him. “Why did you ask the police walk over and tell them to shut up. They curse me. I curse back. I take officer to kill you?” “My mind was kind of racing. a swing at the tall one, and I miss
What to Do When You Suspect a Student Is Suicidal Compiled by Journalism II Students
Photo by Christer Austad
I guess it is just what I felt at the furrowed as he scribbles notes. time. It was like a voice inside my “What you are describing head was telling me to say that. sounds to me like schizophrenia. Telling me I should die; that I de- Have you heard of it?” served to die; that I should hurt Nod. myself.” “The auditory hallucinations “Did you want to die?” you have been experiencing are “At that moment, yes.” symptoms of schizophrenia. This “What about right now?” may have changed your sense of “No.” reality, and it explains the delusions “You mentioned voices. Do and suspiciousness. You have a you often hear voices in your head chemical imbalance in your brain, telling you to do stuff?” and I can prescribe you medication “It’s hard to explain. I feel that will make you better.” like I have two tracks of thought. Like, you “Every night I pray, know how you see peo‘God, take me tonight.’” ple with an Angel and a Devil on their shoulder -Thor Nystrom in movies?” “So one of the voices sounds like the Devil?” There isn’t much time to dis“I guess in a matter of speak- cuss the diagnosis. This on-call ing, yes.” psychiatrist had other patients to The young doctor’s brow is see.
He rises and shakes my hand. I’ve given him the right answers to get me discharged. I had no way of knowing then that this doctor’s diagnosis would start a year-long journey into the mental health system and the depths of hell. It would feature seven different diagnoses, 13 different mindaltering drugs, more than a dozen psychiatrists and psychologists, hundreds of hours of therapy, drug overdoses, self-mutilation, a suicide attempt, a weight gain of 140 pounds and being committed by the state of Minnesota for four months into three separate mental institutions. It will end with one last-ditch attempt at a selfimposed cure. To read Thor’s full story, please visit our website at www. theminaretonline.com.
• Talk with them about suicide. Eight of 10 suicide risks verbalize their intention to commit suicide.
the person’s head" or causing them distress -- in fact, it’s the best thing you can do.
do it? What would you do? What method(s) would you use? How available is this method to you?
alone unless you yourself are physically threatened.
• Develop a relationship with them or strengthen your current relationship by being available to listen and talk. Show and say that you care about them.
• Don’t act shocked or scared and don’t argue about morality of suicide.
• Call your college security department or 911. You can also dial 211 for immediate suicide risks.
• Encourage the student to seek professional guidance, such as Associate Dean of Students Gina Firth.
• Ask questions to assess their seriousness, like: Are you thinking about hurting yourself or committing suicide? When would you
• If you’ve determined that the situation is serious enough that they have a plan and means to execute the plan, do not leave the student
• If they refuse help, contact someone in authority immediately -- an angry friend is better than a dead one.
• Ask directly about suicide. You will not be "putting thoughts into
Report: More Than Half of College Students Have Thought About Suicide By Gina Akerts The Daily Vidette
(UWIRE) - Feelings of hopelessness, loneliness and the idea that life cannot just go on reportedly fill the heads of more than half of the college student population. A study conducted by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education found that 55 percent of college undergraduates have thought about suicide. Fifteen percent seriously considered it and six
percent made an attempt. Illinois State University was one of the 70 universities to participate in the study, with 287 student participants out of the total 26,000. According to the National College Health Assessment, in a more comprehensive study, nine percent of ISU students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2007. "We've talked to many students who have thought about killing themselves. Not many have
gone through with it, and we want to keep it that way," Sandy Colbs, director of Student Counseling Services at ISU, said. "Being in college provides some protection against suicide, most likely because of the environment we try to create." Still, Colbs remembers at least four cases in the seven years she has been at SCS. She also said suicide rates have stayed consistent during her time at ISU and that nationally, suicide rates are lower among 18-24 year-
olds in college compared to those who are not in college. "Even if it's a small number of people [who] kill themselves, it's hundreds of people's lives they touch," Colbs said. "Even one suicide is a serious problem." Last year Colbs instituted a program called Question, Persuade and Refer on ISU's campus. The program, known also as QPR, is designed to help people learn how to save someone from suicide. It addresses clues and warning signs and then gives spe-
cific approaches on how to deal with someone who may be suicidal. Andy Novinska, SCS counselor and QPR coordinator, said asking someone if he or she is considering suicide actually reduces pressure in most situations. "At its root, a suicide prevention program…is primarily about instilling hope in people and getting them help," Novinska said. So far, QPR has 20 people certified to teach the course and has trained 500 people at ISU.
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Features
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Pwnage at a Price: Experts Say Video Games Destroy Lives, Create Addicts By Luke Morris Daily Kansan
(UWIRE) - Tony Lewis, a onetime KU freshman, sits at his computer entranced in the video game World of Warcraft. With swift clicks of his mouse and precise strokes of his keyboard, he serves as virtual puppeteer for Surnek Nemaya, a virtual healing druid. Surnek casts healing spells on hunters and warriors as they fight hordes of enemies. The phone rings, but the puppeteer doesn’t answer. When Lewis eventually listens to his voicemail, his boss’ voice asks why he missed his shift at the nearby Phillips 66. The boss tells Lewis not to worry about coming in. He’s fired. Lewis is jobless, but his immediate concern is not how he’ll pay the bills, or that he hasn’t showered since the last time he showed up at work six days ago, or that he hasn’t talked to family or friends in a month. Lewis is focused only on the game, a place where for hours on end he can heal anyone — except for himself. Lewis is among a growing number of young men who have an obsession with video games, which some call an addiction. Lewis says he enjoyed playing the online computer game World of Warcraft a bit too much when a friend introduced him to it in September of 2005, his first month at the University.
“He showed it to me and let me play around and I loved it,” Lewis said. “A few days later I bought the game and paid the subscription for it.” Lewis said that he soon replaced class time with game time. He rarely left his dorm room. He socialized only when his roommate came into the room, or through a microphone when he played with friends he made through the game. Lewis quit attending class in early November, failed three of five courses, and the University placed him on academic probation. He didn’t even enroll for classes for spring semester. “All the time I was on the computer playing WoW, and I couldn’t even take a few minutes to sign up for classes,” Lewis recalled. The Department of Student Housing evicted him from McCollum in February after they discovered he wasn’t enrolled in classes, and he moved back to his mother’s house. After two months, his mother kicked him out of the house, and he moved into an apartment. Lewis worked at a convenience store for a year. The minimum wage job provided him just enough money to pay for rent, bills, a little food, Internet and his $14.95 monthly subscription to World of Warcraft. Lewis said he went from playing 10 hours a day to 16. He started skipping work, then lost his job.
“It was a pretty sobering experience,” Lewis said. “It really hit me hard.” Tanya Camacho, an adult addiction counselor at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, said in a telephone interview that she thought gaming overuse was an addiction, and that the patients she helped were legitimately addicted to video games. “The brain is chemically changed, so when a person is getting ready to get active in their addiction — say they’re getting out school and getting ready to go home and get on the Internet — their body and the chemicals in their brain release the same chemicals as the drug addict who is heading toward their dealer’s house and getting ready to shoot up,” she said. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs, have the most addictive potential of any game because the game is never over. Users can constantly play the game to attain a higher level or to master their skills. Online multiplayer first-person shooter games are also very popular, and potentially addictive. Popular games in this genre include Call of Duty 4, Halo 3 and Counter Strike: Source. Video game addiction is real and personal to Liz Woolley. Woolley’s son Shawn had an obsession with Everquest, a game he literally died playing.
Shawn began to play more his phone, and he quit seeing the and more, and eventually became doctor.” On Thanksgiving Day 2001, socially withdrawn, Woolley said. He didn’t have social contact with Woolley went to Shawn’s apartanyone, not even family or friends. ment and found him dead in front Woolley said Shawn even left in of the computer. With Everquest still on the the middle of his brother’s wedcomputer ding to go back screen, he had home and play GO ONLINE shot himself to more Ever- Are video games death. He was quest. He also addictive or an escape? 21. quit taking his Sound off on our Web “I said, ‘it p r e s c r i p t i o n site: has to do with medicine for www.theminaretonline.com the game. Othepileptic seierwise why zures. She finally got Shawn into a would he do it like this?’ ” she group home with no computers, said. Tony Lewis, whose video where she said he became more game obsession ended his KU social and took his medicine. However, things took a turn career, now knows his priorities. for the worse when he left the Gaming is no longer a problem. As group home and got a new apart- he enters his last week of classes at Coffeyville Community College, ment and computer. “He got the computer and he is in a good position to pass all that’s the last I heard from him,” his courses. Game over. Woolley said. “He disconnected
People We Love
Lakshman Lochan Why:
He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind in person or in print when asked what he thought of the new Student Government president Andrew Learned. Lochan had some choice concerns and sharp criticisms of Learned’s leadership direction in last week’s issue, but conveyed them respectfully.
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Arts & Entertainment
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Professor Produces Movies and A Premiere Film Dept. Tom Garrett’s connections and experiences bring Hollywood to UT
By Mel Steiner Arts & Entertainment Editor
“It’s Mr. Holland’s Opus meets Jim Carrey on acid!” Spoken by the true, visionary, and down-toearth film producer, Professor Tom Garret. For over 25 years Tom Garrett has risen to the ranks of stardom from the classrooms at UT to the sets of major film projects. As a professor in the communication department, he specializes in Film and Media arts. To no surprise of his fellow co-workers and students, he is on a tenure-track. “I love the students. I love the campus. I love coming here everyday. Everyone is always moving forward,” Garrett exclaimed. Garrett is a founder of Circa Films, a production, sales, and distribution company for independent films. He and his wife own Best West Productions. This production service company has brought films such as, The Great Expectations and Palmetto, to the west coast. So, how does a famous producer and well-respected professor rise to this status? Easy answer: education and connections. Garrett graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film program in 1985,
closely following in the footsteps of some of the most famous names in filming history. Spike Lee, Oliver Jones, Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese, Martha Coolidge, and Toss Solondz are just a few on Garrett’s buddy list. Following his experiences in New York, he worked with various directors. One of these happened to be Academy Award winner Jean Charles Tachella. Together they worked on a project titled Cousin Cousine in Sarasota, Florida. Fifteen years later, Garrett still resides in Sarasota and has fallen in love with the Florida scene. Throughout those years, he has worked on films such as Great Expectations, Howling with the Angels, Le sens de affaires, Death Mask, Loser, Undercurrent, Caribbean Kill, and many, many more. He is also in current production of a few more projects. In 1983, his professor at NYU took him to the Cannes Film Festival in Southern France. Last October, he took a handful of UT students on the 17day experience. This year, the trip will be credited and include six to eight students. Their trip was mind-blowing and a life-changing experience. The students walked the Red Carpet, partied VIP-style, and even
got to screen some of their films at the Festival! From Advertising/PR majors to Business/Marketing to Film and Media Arts, the trip has every interest in mind. With a wife, a teaching profession, a movie career, and a hectic travel schedule – how does Tom Garrett do it? “Maybe it’s an OCD thing that comes with people who love what they do, but I’m excited to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, whether it’s thinking about the money, the staff, the crew, anything…I get to teach, write, and talk about what I love to do. And it gives me a reason to wake up in the morning and feel great,” Garrett said. “More will be revealed.” It’s a quote that leaves the lips of Tom Garrett frequently. It’s a phrase that probably captures his personality and visions perfectly. Always having the mindset of moving forward, change is this professor’s goal. His office, located in the Cass Annex, is almost always open. He teaches a couple days out of the week, but still comes in nearly everyday. In his mind, he gets to play executive producer on student films. A role he hopes to continue to take on for many years to come.
Tom Garrett walking the Red Carpet
By Micaela Lydon Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of Tom Garrett
Exploring the city (Top), UT students with Garrett pose for the papparazzi (Bottom)
“Babylon A.D.”, latest from the permanently buff Vin Diesel, is yet another in a long line of action movies that tried desperately to delve deep and emerge as a prophetic social commentary. Needless to say, the movie falls short of the director’s lofty goal and lands somewhere in between completely disappointing and laughably corny. Set in a militant, end-of the-world style Russia, Diesel’s character, Toorop, starts out as a cold-blooded mercenary who lives only for himself. He accepts the job of transporting a young woman from Asia to New York, but what seems like just another mission soon becomes a battle wrought with explosions, combat and plenty of ammo as the woman is revealed to be more important than any of them realize. The storyline had infinite potential but fizzled towards the end as a result of a long, suspenseful buildup and the rushed explanations that lacked the shock factor I am sure they were going for. To the movie’s credit, the special effects and imagery were amazing. The effects sucessfully took on and met the challenge of depicting the world as a vision of the future. As for the acting, not even the convincing performances of the
main females could redeem this movie as being a legitimate hit. The movie’s conclusion was possibly the corniest part, but as I am not one for spoiling an ending, I will only reveal that my reaction was a literal “lol.” I’ll be the first to admit it- a female reviewing the newest Vin Diesel action movie seems pretty biased from the start. But I assure you that this movie left girls and guys alike feeling regret for having shelled out almost ten bucks to see it.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz Running time: 90 minutes (US) Rating: PG-13
11 Arts & Entertainment May Her Spirit Soar as High as Her Kite
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
“The Kite” premieres at UT, director passes on By Alan Mehanna Staff Writer
Choco-lover’s dream dessert By Elizabeth Harm Staff Writer
It began as a joke and now its a common rule in American homes and dorm rooms alike. Parents fiercely defied its growing popularity but every encounter ended in vain. College life assents to gastronomic independence and the once shunned chocolate cake for breakfast can now be guilt-free and devoured by all. The best, quick way, to make chocolate cake is from any box mix requiring three simple ingredients: eggs, water and oil. Following the exact recipe from the box mix results in a dense, extremely fatty, desert contributing to the feared “Freshman 15.” However, tweaking two of the ingredients from the box recipe transforms the cake into a sweet worthy of breakfast food. Begin by using only egg whites in the recipe instead of the whole egg. Egg yolks contain all the eggs’ fat and cholesterol. Egg whites will not alter the taste as the egg whites are only used as a binding and rising ingredient. Next replace all the oil with applesauce. If the recipe calls for
1/4 or 1/2 cup of oil replace with 1/4 or 1/2 cup of applesauce. This conversion works so well because applesauce contains the necessary binding and moisture properties equivalent to that of oil. Stick to no-added sugar applesauce for an extra punch of nutrients. Once you have all of the correct measurements just follow the steps listed on the box.
Ingredients 1 Box chocolate cake mix Apple sauce Water Eggs These simple substitutions can be applied to any variety of box cake but I find the chocolate cake mix even better for breakfast than for desert.
Procedure: Make the conversion with eggs whites equal to that of eggs. Repeat with substituting the required oil measurement with applesauce. Return to the box recipe, prepare the mix and bake according to box directions.
On Friday, Aug 29 the Gasparilla Film Festival sponsored the Global Lens Series in which international films premiere. The film premiering that night was that of acclaimed Lebanese director Randa Chahal Sabbag entitled “The Kite.” The film revolved around sixteen year old Lamia who must cross a border between Lebanon and Israel to marry her cousin whom she has never met. Neither she nor her betrothed are eager to consummate a marriage to a stranger. Lamia then confesses that she is in love with the Israeli soldier guarding the border. Lamia’s spirit feels caged and yearns to be free from the troubles of her world. Set in modern day Southern Lebanon, “The Kite” not only tackles a unique tragic love story, but also criticizes the ongoing political struggles. The beautifully created film has a theme that not only applies for the situation in the Middle East but also to the world. A simple message of stripping down those fences that annex mankind into individuals and destroy the peace and humanity in this world. This being a message that
Sabbag lived by her whole life. “Born to a Lebanese father and an Iraqi mother, I have lived my entire life engulfed in conflicts. I never could escape this state of alert, this feeling of constant danger…never could escape war. With this film, I wanted to learn how to put an end to my anger.” -Randa Chahal Sabbag, director of “The Kite.” The film’s ending was what stood out most to me. Though the film had a very raw and realistic feel and visual style, it concluded with a sequence of ethereal and spiritual symbolism. The symbol of the white kite is portrayed, being that of peace mirroring a white dove. When the film ended, I was so happy to see people in the audience appreciate a film from my home country. Dr. Andrew McAlister led a Question & Answer session which became a big cultural and political lesson. It amazed me that as a Lebanese director, Sabbag was able to put forth a message that was so powerful that anyone could relate to it. That evening, the terrible news of director Randa Chahal Sabbag’s death had hit the media front. My dad and I, who were at the premiere, stood there in utter shock. At the age of 54 (which is young in director years), Sabbag
Randa Chahal Sabbag, director
was taken from the world by cancer. With the film still resonating in our minds, the spirit of Lamia mirroring that of Sabbag sent chills down my spine. Remembering all those taken from us at young ages: Heath Ledger, Bernie Mac, Brad Renfro this year alone and now Sabbag has been added to that list as well. Our hearts and prayers go out to her friends and family and truly may her spirit soar as high as her kite did in her phenomenal film. Alan can be reached at amehanna@ut.edu. Also visit www. gasparillafilmfestival..com for more information.
Quilt’s Corner
Fading Away
Photo by Elizabeth Harm
If you have recipe ideas, contact The Minaret at minaret. arts@gmail.com. Coming soon on www. theminaretonline.com, Cooking the the Dorm recipes on video!
She is lost to the mist A dream, a vision I could never forget If I could only pull back the curtain Separating then and now I’d never let you go
I think it was that I never said goodbye You were gone in a flashing instant Leaving this hole in my life And sometimes, I reach out to touch you Grasp only air, and break again
It’s like Spring or Summer water Or a rose petal falling I can almost see your smile It’s golden glory in the sun Or the shy kisses of the wind Fading away, fading away
It’s like Spring or Summer water Or silver tears falling I can almost see your smile It’s golden glory in the sun Or the shy kisses of the wind Fading away, fading away
Perhaps it was never meant to be But the world seems so cold The sun doesn’t shine like it used to When I held your hand And all the world was right It’s like Spring or Summer water Or the raindrops falling I can almost see your smile It’s golden glory in the sun Or the shy kisses of the wind Fading away, fading away
If I could only pull back the curtain Separating then from now I’d never let you go I’d never let you go… It’s like Spring or Summer water Or a rose petal falling I can almost see your smile It’s golden glory in the sun Or the shy kisses of the wind Fading away, fading away
By Morgan Tanafon
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By Kristen Vasquez Style/Fashion Review
I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a guy. Other than obvious anatomical differences, their style choices differ so greatly from women’s that one can’t help but be jealous. The idea of “effortless” genuinely embodies the whole of men’s fashion, considering their typical options range just in between the shirt and pants spectrum. To wake up and throw on basketball shorts and a t-shirt is not exactly my dream ensemble, but if I could do it and not have to worry about if my skirt makes me look like a balloon, then it’d be a beautiful life. However, I am not planning on a sex change anytime soon. But, I really enjoy men’s fashion this season. With the comeback of the blazer, v-neck and the cardigan, a more polished effort is being lent towards keeping men stylish. While men are seemingly not the first to jump on trends, you cannot help but deny that some of the looks presented for fall/winter 2008 are more then a bit tempting. Top houses such as Dries Van Noten and designers like Tom Ford lent their ideas to a more fashion forward male this season. The looks are simple, but who
Arts & Entertainment
can turn down a man in a good v-neck. To commemorate fall trends, I’ve compiled this list of simple must haves that every man should be looking for this season. V-neck An update on a basic tee, v-necks were everywhere this season. Adding a light bit of sex appeal to any outfit, the v-neck can take a basic jeans and sneakers outfit far. Dare to pair it with this seasons all important blazer for a night out, or even with a cardigan for class and you’ll definitely catch some attention. You can find these in many places for good prices, but the best in my opinion are from American Apparel, $18-24.
Photos by Marco Madeira (www.style.com)
Straight Legs While boot cuts may be the only style you own, consider upping your casual look with a pair of these. Adding a more polished and sleek look to any outfit, your straight legs can go from day to night in a cinch. Opt for a darker wash pair that will be more flattering to every size, and try to avoid the dreaded baggy bottom syndrome: make sure to buy the perfect length for your height. Levis is a great place to find an affordable and stylish pair, with prices ranging from $48$59.50. Blazers The blazer was this season’s must have. With a blazer, you can up the “wow” factor of any outfit, as well as make an entrance. It is sometimes hard to find one that doesn’t resemble your grandpa’s old suit too well, but if you have a keen eye or a good tailor, you are definitely in luck. Try to stick with a two button style that is less stuffy then a traditional three button, and please try to stay away from tails, unless you’re planning on channeling a penguin for your night out. I’d recommend any suit shop, or even ebay to find a great one. Old Navy actually has a multitude of colors for $44.50-great steal! White Button Down This is a quintessential piece
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
in anyone, man or women’s, wardrobes. The white shirt can be rolled up or down, tucked in or out, and used to either take an outfit from office to street style in mere minutes. Paired with a pair of dress pants and a tie for day, or a sweater vest and blazer for night-who doesn’t look good in a crisp button down? Try to get it tailored to fit so that you won’t end up with a too wide shirt and heaps of extra fabric. The Gap has tons in all styles-even in this season’s very popular plaid-ranging from prices such as $15-50. Moccasins Footwear is often a tricky one when it comes to style. While some sort of sneaker is the typical norm for our generation, I firmly believe moccasins will make a comeback. They are the perfect mix of comfort and a sort of home-y chic. Now, chic may not be the most appropriate word to describe men’s footwear, but trust me, moccasins definitely add a certain appeal to
every outfit. Try for a pair, minus the traditional fuzz inside-your foot’s temperature will thank me. Worn with a pair of jeans, and my favorite, the v-neck, you will be set. Woolrich and Minnetonka all have pairs for under $50. Cardigans Now, the cardigan is ultimately considered a piece of clothing more designated with a certain “geek chic”. However, you can make this look modern in a few simple ways. First, PAIR IT WITH THE V-NECK! I feel like I’m getting predictable with that. Next, try it with a button down with the sleeves rolled up. Finally, try it under a blazer. It’s a simple, cozy way to look stylish but manly at the same time. Heritage 1981 has some really nice ones ranging from $18-25. Kristen can be reached at kvasquez@ut.edu.
Morris on Campus Life According to an Upperclassman
Forming a
world viewstarts by having enough money to see the world.
For more free financial life lessons, like how to get the Student Package with free checking,* a savings account with Keep the Change **and Online Banking service, check out my online show at bankofamerica.com/oncampus
249 S. Hyde Park Avenue 101 E. Kennedy Boulevard
813.251.2786 813.225.8153
September 27, 2008 www.atlantafootballclassic.com *CampusEdge® Checking is free of a monthly maintenance fee for five years while you are a student. Student status will be validated upon account opening. After the first five years, your CampusEdge Checking account will be automatically upgraded to MyAccess Checking®. The monthly maintenance fee of $5.95 for MyAccess Checking will be waived as long as you have a monthly direct deposit. Fees for overdrafts and other account-related fees still apply. **You must open both a new personal checking account and a new Regular Savings account (referred to as “Linked Rate Market Savings” in ID and WA) at the same time, sign up for our Keep the Change service, and use your check card to make a purchase within 90 days of account opening. This offer does not apply to current Bank of America customers or existing accounts. We may change or terminate this offer at any time. The monthly maintenance fee (referred to as “monthly service charge” in CA) waiver on your Regular Savings account begins after your first Keep the Change transfer from your new personal checking account to your new Regular Savings account. Excess transaction fees on Regular Savings still apply. See our Personal Schedule of Fees for information about these accounts and our Keep the Change service. Keep the Change, Patent Pending. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2008 Bank of America Corporation.
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The Minaret | September 5, 2008
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Commentary
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Louisiana Outlaws Noose, Inspires Confederate Flag Debate
Photo courtesy PSIplus / Wikipedia By Eric Freeman The Daily Reveille (UWIRE) Hundreds of new laws went into effect Aug. 15. Louisiana became the fiftieth state to ban cockfighting while the fleur-de-lis became an official state symbol. It is now illegal for a noose— whether actual or drawn—to be displayed publicly with intent to intimidate, punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or imprisonment of no longer than a year. The law defines a noose as “a rope tied in a slip knot, which binds closer the more it is drawn, which historically has been used in execution by hanging, and which symbolizes racism and intimidation.” Louisiana is now the third state, after Connecticut and New York, to ban the noose. The noose always symbolizes intimidation; hanging it at all demonstrates the intent to intimidate. This rationale applies to the Confederate flag. In my eyes, the noose and the flag only differ in symbolism because the noose is the actual weapon used to lynch.
But the flag has long been defended as a symbol of Southern pride. “The flag is seen by some Southerners simply as a symbol of Southern pride, [but] the flag is often used by racists to represent white domination of African-Americans,” according to the Anti-Defamation League, which lists the Confederate flag as a hate symbol. The “pride” some Southerners are adamant about perpetuates the stereotype the Confederacy was established on—that whites and blacks are not equal. Tailgaters who support the purple and gold Confederate flag will stop at nothing to argue otherwise, pretending this symbol of “pride” is not at its core racist and intimidating. Don’t take my word for it— consult the Cornerstone Speech of Alexander Stephens, the only vice president the Confederate States of America ever knew. His speech in Savannah, Ga. in March 1861 defined the foundation of the Confederacy. “Those ideas [of the U.S. Constitution] were fundamentally wrong…Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite
VP Candidate Sarah Palin Helps John McCain Lean to the Right
By Chris Brown President of UT Democrats
Do you know Sarah Palin? You may know her as the delightful flautist who won Miss Wasilla in 1984, or maybe as Mrs. First Dude. Most likely, you know her as the Republican nominee for Vice President. Since John McCain has only recently introduced Governor Palin to America, I thought I might help break the ice. Palin is married to a champion snowmobile racer, Todd. He’s the aforementioned First Dude. They have five children: Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. Governor Palin may have pulled these names from a tipsy sorting hat. Unfortunately, they are destined to be Slytherins, each and every one. You see, John McCain has studied the neo-con handbook closely. He has fooled everyone into thinking that he’s trying to woo dissatisfied Clinton voters when in reality, it’s the Religious Right being courted with this selection. Palin is less like Hillary Clinton
and more like Ann Coulter, only female. Let’s look at Palin on the issues. Palin calls herself as “prolife as any candidate can be,” and even opposes rape and incest as exceptions for women who seek abortions. She strongly opposes same-sex marriage and is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. As governor of Alaska, you might imagine that she would have a special place in her heart for the delicacy of the environment. Regrettably, that’s not the case. Palin wants to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration, believes that global warming is not man-made, and plans litigation to challenge the listing of polar bears in the Endangered Species Act. She claims that the listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitats off the state’s northern and northwestern coasts. We can’t overlook Palin’s political experience. She was a City Council Member of Wasilla, Alaska from 1992-1996 and was Mayor of Wasilla from 1996-2002.
“Palin” continued next page
idea; its foundations laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery— subordination to the superior race— is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.” For the record, it was also the last. “It is, indeed, in conformity with the ordinance of the Creator,” Stephens continued. “It is not for us to inquire into the wisdom of His ordinances, or to question them. For His own purposes, He has made one race to differ from another.” The noose law slipped through the House and Senate unanimously, with eight legislators absent from voting. The author of the bill, Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, expressed his joy in the bill’s passing to The Daily Advertiser on June 17. “[Passage of the bill] really shows the heart and mindset of the state has changed,” Hardy said. “I hope no one will be prosecuted under this law. We should not fight but do what’s right.” Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the law as a disingenuous attempt to resolve the controversy involving the Jena 6. Presumably, Jindal would not want to appear racist by vetoing this feel-good legislation. But by its mere definition as a “symbol of racism and intimidation,” if the noose is now illegal to display, why stop there? Why can’t we ban every symbol of racism and intimidation? More importantly, how many people does it take to classify something as intimidating? If one person—say, myself—finds the Confederate flag intimidating,
which I do, can we successfully ban it? But then again, can we successfully ban anything? Alcohol was banned during Prohibition in 1920, forcing bootleggers to work underground until 1933 when the twenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution repealed the 18th. Marijuana is still banned by federal law, yet according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 94 million Americans, nearly one-third of the population, have admitted to marijuana use at some point in their lifetimes. It’s one thing to ban an herb. It’s another to ban a symbol of an ideology, which—when pushed underground—forces zealots to educate by example, indoctrinating intolerance in their children. This example has already been seen through egregious acts across the country. Last Thursday, 19-year-old Jeremiah Munsen was sentenced to four months in prison for disrupting Jena 6 demonstrators in Alexandria. Munsen drove his pickup, with nooses in tow, back and forth in front of demonstrators. According to the Associated Press, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor federal hate crime, which carried a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Munsen has a KKK tattoo on his chest, as he and his family are members of the Ku Klux Klan. Brass knuckles and an unloaded rifle were also found in his truck, according to the police report. The noose law was not instituted at the time of his arrest. In education we find the secret to creating a culture of acceptance, unfortunately coupled with the secret to breeding future agents of
by Austin Daniels
racism and intimidation. The last sentence of every flier distributed by the Imperial Klans of America (IKA), the largest current Klan organization in America, implores the importance of “proper” education. At the end of its fliers, the IKA pleads, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” While the noose and the Confederate flag are vile, despicable symbols of our nation’s history of hatred, they are also constitutionally protected pieces of speech. However horrible the noose is, its ban will only encourage those who wish to display it to do exactly that, claiming free speech while ignoring the hatred sparked by its display. Pretending to dismiss a symbol by banning its display only encourages said use, only less publicly. The law cannot afford liberties to one symbol of racism and intimidation while banning another. Either the Confederate flag should be banned, or the ban of the noose should be lifted. In either case, we have a responsibility to teach our children exactly what happened in our history and why. Banning a noose will not end racism, but teaching and spreading the truth will. While tailgaters fly the purple and gold, and racist, Confederate flag, I’ll be getting a tattoo of a fleur-de-lis. That’s Southern pride. And for any of you, who wish to display your racism publicly with intent to intimidate but fear imprisonment, don’t fret. There’s no law against making a noose out of a Confederate flag. Yet.
Commentary
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Editorial: Ridiculous Racism
Louisiana
Hurricane Gustav
Vice Presidential Nominees
Presidential Hopefuls
Staycation
Vacation
Listening to “Paper Planes” before Pineapple Express
Listening to “Paper Planes” after Pineapple Express
Salsa Rico’s old rules
Salsa Rico’s new rules
Serena and Venus Williams
Misty MayTreanor and Keri Walsh
Planned power outages
Unexpected eight -hour blackouts
The Minaret obtained a copy of the adjacent textbook advertisement featuring a picture of two orangutans. Scrawled to the side is the phrase “Obama Family.” This election could prove to be one of the most racially significant events in American history since the Civil Rights movement. Even if Obama is not elected, the nation will have its first female vice president—eighty-eight years after women earned the right to vote. Although there will be change in November, ignorance and blatant racism will always boil beneath the surface. And here, in a place of higher education, where young minds endeavor to solve the world’s social issues, something like this has no place. The beauty of democracy is that everyone’s voice can be heard. Dialogue can take place, without which we can never hope to escape the legacy of discrimination. We entreat this person— anyone—to voice their opinions, rather than hide behind a silent act.
Hola and Spanish Club: Every Wed, Vaughn 219, 7:11 p.m Open Mic: Sept 12, Music Room, 8 p.m. Freedom Walk: 8 a.m.-Noon
Sign Up Sept 13, Vaughn 206 (Peace Office)
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Weekly Bible Study:
Mondays @ 8 p.m. - Vaughn Commuter Lounge
Tuesdays @ 12:35 p.m. - Vaughn Commuter Lounge
Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. - Nurses Lounge for nursing students
Fridays @ 1 p.m. - Mckay Community Room
Organizations to Join Student Government: studentgovernment@ut.edu Quilt, UT’s literary magazine: quilt@ut.edu College Republicans: kcastillo@ut.edu UT College Democrats: utcollegedemocrats@gmail.com Campus Moviefest: sdutka@ut.edu PEACE: peace@ut.edu
“Palin” continued from page 14 To put this in perspective, Wasilla is approximately 12.4 s q u a r e m i l e s a n d Ta m p a i s approximately 170.6 square miles. The University of South Florida has 34,447 Undergraduates, and the USF Sun Dome can fit over 10,000 people comfortably. The approximate population of Wasilla is 9,000 and the approximate population of Tampa is 342,060. We’re talking about making Crocodile Dundee Vice President. When Palin was asked about her placement on McCain’s short list on July 31, she replied, “I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day.” As if she were the young Padawan of Alberto ‘Darth’ Gonzalez, Palin is already under
investigation for firing the commissioner of public safety because he refused to fire a state trooper who happened to be the ex-husband of her sister. She has also stated that she was upset by Clinton’s whining during the primaries. Palin doesn’t have the goods to appeal to Hillary’s soldiers. Her strength lies in her ability to appeal to the far right. In the mean time, she can teach John McCain how to use the Internet and help him count all those houses. Chris Brown can be reached at cbrown@ut.edu
Campus Involvement Can Improve Outlook on College By Alyssa Lum Staff Writer
Upcoming Student Events
Have an opinion? Send your Letters to the Editor and Commentaries to
daustin @ ut.edu
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A lot of us come to college and expect it to be what we see in the movies: a constant party. Then after a few weeks, maybe even days, you think all those movies don’t even begin to show what college is really like. There are classes and— GASP!— homework assignments and studying to do. It’s harder to find good friends you relate to than finding acquaintances that you can hang out with when you’re sick of sitting in your room. You start missing home so you begin to ponder transferring back to your family and friends, to the people who love and understand you. If you find yourself in this position, think long and hard about what attempts you have made to become a part of the UT community. There is a student organization or club on campus for everyone, but it can only help you if you take the time to become involved. I used to be one of those kids. I came to college alone with big dreams on my shoulders. During my first semester I got sick and missed a lot of class. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet new people or to find an organization to join. My second semester, I worked hard, too hard perhaps, in classes. I missed out on fun and a chance to make myself apart of UT. This is when I thought about transferring, but I knew involvement was the key to my happiness. I walked into what was then the Student Activities Office (now the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement) and I picked up some applications for Orientation Team and Gateways Mentoring. I wanted to join those cool kids wearing red jackets to alumni events (Diplomats). Two years later, that first day in SAO is the best of my college experience.
My involvement has made me a better person and a more fulfilled person. It’s made me love UT. I have more lasting friendships here than I ever had in high school. I still miss my family but UT and my friends have become my new family. I am a part of this university, and I don’t see how I could ever have thought of leaving. Becoming a part of the university is easy. You can go to the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) in Vaughn 215 or to the UT website (search organizations) to view all our campus has to offer. There are over 120 campus clubs for all majors and religions, numerous Greek Life Councils to choose from, diversity and special interests groups. You can also create your own. Keep in mind, there are probably students with similar interests, so take initiative by going to OSLE to create an organization. Anyone in the office can help guide you in this endeavor. And remember, during these first few weeks of school all associations are starting back up. Greek Life recruitment is happening right now! Diversity Fellowship applications are out searching for new fellows! Student Government and Student Productions are always looking to hear your ideas to make campus a better place! Keep an ear out for meeting times, read global student emails, and have fun finding your place at UT. I can guarantee your time will be more wisely spent, you will find lasting friendships. And on the whole your college experience will be the best it can be. Alyssa Lum can be reached at alum@ut.edu
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Commentary
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
New Century Calls for New Definition of Manhood Culture and economic difficulties prevent boys from entering adulthood
By Derrick Austin Commentary Editor
Last weekend, I happened upon a news report explaining how German biologists created artificial sperm for mice earlier this year, which successfully impregnated females in test trials. It’s never before scientists make the leap from mice to man, the thought of which made me ask this question: Are men redundant? Not simply in a biological way, but culturally as well. What exactly constitutes a man and manhood in twenty-first century America? These days, women don’t physically need men present to complete the most basic biological act, childbearing. Fatherhood, once the hallmark of attaining manhood, isn’t represented very much in culture except when one hears about deadbeat dads. Being a mother has a rich historical and biological inheritance, what makes a good mom—keeping one’s kids alive, loving them, preparing them for the world—has been pretty straightforward. Fatherhood is a bit of a blank slate. Whatever the culture demands of them—which has traditionally been very little beyond bringing home the bacon—varies.
I can think of myriad images of phenomenal mothers from Maria in “The Sound of Music” to Clair Huxtable of “The Cosby Show” to Marge Simpson. Even American literature was progressive in its depiction of women handling business by themselves like “The Scarlet Letter’s” Hester Prynne. I’m hard pressed to think of any father figures in popular culture who work as hard as their female counterparts. Women don’t need men for much these days. Blessedly, we live in a culture that uplifts women and grants them range to seek out self-fulfillment. But, we also live in a culture that doesn’t know what to do with men, or at best treats them as a peripheral figure or near accessory: Great if you can get one, a good one, but ultimately not at the expense of my goals and standard of living. Granted, the vast majority of American women probably want family and love, but do men know what they want? Do they even know who they are? I’m not going to take the easy route and say feminism murdered the American male because it didn’t. However, feminism changed the game. It altered female consciousness; and what women are, men are not—that is according to the gender dichotomy that defines gender relations. The funny thing is that women have become what men were traditionally associated
with: breadwinning, often navigating domestic and financial affairs, strong, independent, and multifaceted. In major cities like Chicago and New York City, women make upwards of 15 percent more than their male counterparts according to research performed by Queens College in 2007. In addition, more women than men attend college and graduate with a degree according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau last February, one-third of women aged 25-29 graduated with a bachelor’s degree last year compared to 26 percent of men. Single-parent households in which mothers are the sole parental figures are a norm in contemporary life at the same time popular culture extols the ideal of the independent woman, the gal that can have it all—without a man. Listen to just about any song on the radio by a female singer and if she’s not teasing a man then she’s probably giving him a kiss-off. Still, it’s not so much what women are accomplishing than what men are having difficulty doing. The traditional milestones of American manhood—marriage, getting a steady job, having kids in one’s twenties and early thirties— are no longer the norm. Men and women marry much later in their lives, often postponing children even longer, which aids in the creation of a uniquely twentyfirst century “endless adolescence” among young men.
After graduating high school or college, young men are often stuck living with their parents. In 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-third of men aged 22-34 live with their parents, a near 100 percent increase in the last 20 years. To make matters worse, the average income has declined, and, coupled with student debt, high gas prices, a weak economy and an unsafe housing market, life spares nothing this generation of young men. Not only is this a social crisis, but a cultural one. Images of men in popular culture haven’t exactly evolved as dynamically as women. Though stories about women have a long way to go, they’re certainly an improvement. But, there’re still only three basic images of men: the “Classic Man,” or your adventure hero, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Batman—the manly man; the “Sensitive Man,” your classic romantic comedy guy; and, finally, the “Beta Male.” This third guy has been around for ages, but is probably the most reflective image of the uniquely twentieth century male. He’s Archie Bunker, Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, and any sad sap from a Judd Apatow film—the hapless, boy-man eternally drifting between an emotionally stunted teenage wasteland and adulthood. The classic stiff-upper lip, lone-wolf hero figure is more wish fulfillment in a society where the old definitions of masculinity have
either been thrown out the window or have come into question. Though that figure remains the defining acceptable image of masculinity, his cold exterior is seen as impenetrable and distant in an era marked by emotional access in parenting and relationships. Sensitive guys will always have it rough, regardless of a cultural climate calling for a softer masculinity. Because, despite changes in the perception of how a woman can act, cultural ideals of men haven’t evolved with the times. Men are so afraid by the prospect of being called gay as to avoid sensitivity altogether. The problem with defining masculinity and manhood in this century is society’s inflexible contradictions. There seems to be a malaise among young men, all the old road marks on the path to adulthood are gone; there’s an excess of the Peter Pan twentysomething, yet there’s an incredible demand for these men to step up in ways which they often have not been taught to do. That is the inflexible contradiction. There are multiple images of manhood, yet one prescribed version of it still dominates. There is a fundamental lack of choice in how each man defines within him what qualities determine his masculinity. Derrick Austin can be reached at daustin@ut.edu
The Minaret |September 5, 2008
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Sports
Overtime: The Minaret Sports Blog The Minaret | September 5, 2008
Visit www.theminaretonline.com/overtime to make comments, questions and write posts on the latest professional and campus related sports issues Instant Controversy By Sam Gerb Sports Blogger
Finally, instant replay has been implemented into the game of baseball. This has been way overdue, and frankly, I’m kind of surprised baseball actually conceded to this new part of the game. What I don’t understand is what took so long. Every time there has been a controversial play that has decided a game, all sports networks in the following weeks have expert analyst s discuss the idea of implementing instant replay.
If the ball is a homerun, then it is a homerun. There should be no debate whatsoever. I know umpires are part of the game and there is nothing wrong with them making calls, but if they are wrong it doesn’t mean that we have to listen to their false judgments. And granted, most of the time the umps make the right call, but I’m not even going to say anything more about the name Jeffrey Maier back in the day. If the ump is wrong or unsure, why would he not want
What Overtime Is By Bobby Winsler Sports Blogger
Photo from www.sxc.hu
to get the call right? Sam Gerb can be reached at sgerb@ut.edu Continued at www. theminaretonline.com/overtime
The Minaret sports section is finally expanding to include professional sports. The venue will be a blog called Overtime. Students can now log onto www.theminaretonline.com/overtime and read about college, both Division I and II, and professional sports. Each sport is categorized on the right side of the home page. Take some time to learn the simple navigation. Make game day predictions in any sport on every level of competition. Brag about favorite athletes or rag on a rival team. A link will also be available at
Brett Basher By Jesse Yomtov Sports Blogger
I hate Brett Favre. Seriously, I do. Since he killed his team’s Super Bowl dreams (and got my Giants in) with an Photo from www.sxc.hu ill-advised interception in
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SEC Spells Certain W-I-N By Bobby Winsler Sports Blogger
The Southeastern Conference dominated the college football opener. Perhaps the biggest upset was 24th ranked Alabama topping ninth ranked Clemson. Now I know quarterback John Parker Wilson is hit or miss, but if
Shawne Merriman Risking Career By Sam Gerb Sports Blogger
Why would a star NFL player disregard a doctor’s medical opinion and still play through a career-threatening
the bottom of every sports article on the Minaret Online website. Now I know what you’re thinking. This blog has been pushed for the last year and it is updated for two weeks and stops. This year it’s different. Three writers are designated to blog writing to make sure it is updated daily, sometimes multiple times daily. If you feel too passionately to settle for a comment, email in submissions to minaret.sports@ gmail.com. Appropriate work will be posted as soon as possible. Keep checking back in print for more teasers. Well written stories will make it into the paper even if you’re not a staff writer. Bobby Winsler can be contacted at bwinsler@gmail.com January, this man has driven me insane. In case you missed it, Brett Favre retired. Then unretired. Then whined. Then got traded... ...Here’s the truth about Favre: he’s old, he’s overrated, and he’s an attention whore. Continued at www. theminaretonline.com/overtime Jesse Yomtov can be reached at jyomtov@ut.edu
he hits his receivers for the rest of the season like he did last Saturday night, then any team, regardless of conference, better beware. Also player above par was the Rolling Tide’s defense. Running back duo James Davis and C.J. Spiller will likely run over many defensive schemes but Alabama contained everything the two had. A surprising loss for the conference was out west on Monday night. Tennessee fell to UCLA in
overtime. The Volunteers capitalized on one of four Bruins’ turnovers in the first half. After that, they were stunned. UCLA made their second half surge courtesy of rebounding quarterback Kevin Craft. But is Craft that good or did he just get lucky? The answer is easy. He got lucky. Continued at www.theminaretonline.com/overtime
injury? I consider it arrogance and stupidity. The player I’m most specifically referring to is Pro Bowl linebacker for the San Diego Chargers Shawne Merriman. Merriman tore both his PCL and LCL in the last three seasons and has refused to seek medical treatment to repair his injuries. I’m wondering if Merriman’s
injuries stem all the way from his knee to his brain. How dumb can one man be to put his entire career at risk over something that can easily be fixed by medical professionals? Continued at www. theminaretonline.com/overtime Sam Gerb can be reached at sgerb@ut.edu
Rays Success Worth the Name Change? By Bobby Winsler Sports Blogger *See SunTrust branch representative for official rules. 1 SunTrust does not charge a fee for the use of SunTrust Mobile Banking. If you do not already have a data plan with a wireless service provider, normal data rates will apply. NO PURCHASE OR OBLIGATION NECESSARY. Participants will NOT be required to apply for and/or hold a SunTrust Checking Account. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., 18 or older as of date of entry and students who are enrolled or will be enrolled in an accredited college or university in the U.S. for the Fall, 2008 semester or quarter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sweepstakes begins on 8/1/08 and ends 9/30/08. To Enter: Complete the official entry form available at any SunTrust Student Checking booth during the promotion period and deposit official entry form into official ballot box, or mail a completed official entry form or 3” x 5” card with your name, date of birth, address, city state, zip, phone number and school attending, in a stamped #10 envelope to: SunTrust Student Checking Sweepstakes, Dept. H317429, P.O. Box 15128, White Bear Lake, MN 55110-5128. Limit one entry per person. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by 9/3/08 and received by 10/15/08. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Subject to Official Rules, available at Official Ballot Box, or by mailing a first-class stamped envelope to: SunTrust Official Rules, Dept. # H317429, P.O. Box 100451, White Bear Lake, MN 55110-0451 for receipt by 12/1/08. Sponsor: SunTrust Banks Inc., 303 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta GA 30303. Vehicle shown is 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid model. SunTrust Client Commitment: SunTrust will never send unsolicited emails asking clients to provide, update, or verify personal or account information, such as passwords, Social Security numbers, PINs, credit or check card numbers, or other confidential information. SunTrust Bank, Member FDIC. © 2008 SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust and Seeing beyond money are federally registered service marks of SunTrust Banks, Inc. ema 84001-08
The continued Cinderella story that is the Tampa Bay Rays has been wonderful for the faithful fans of the area. But subtle changes have made me question if I’d trade in the AL East to get the devil back in the name. The first change was the change of real estate for the manta ray. Sure a small patch is no reason to sound the alarms, but there’s more. Replacing where the ray once was is now a yellow ameba. The new graphic is so nonchalant that I would have never given it a second
thought had I not connected it to something else. It’s second half, of course, lies in the center of Tropicana Field. While not yellow like it’s jersey counterpart, the emblem is a red flag. The name change was intended to be rays of sunshine. Now I was born and raised in Florida so I can appreciate the sunshine as much as anyone but I do not want my beloved sports team to be represented by some shining rays. I want a mascot who can sting things like prey and tourists. I want my team name to be so fierce
Photo from www.sxc.hu
that people are reminded why they don’t go in the water. I will not be satisfied by a symbol of tourist entrapment. Continued at www. theminaretonline.com/overtime Bobby Winsler can be reached at bwinsler@gmail.com
The Minaret | September 5, 2008
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Sports
Does Pre-Game Sex Help or Hurt Athletes?
Contrary to popular belief, sex before games may not affect athletic performance theory that sexual frustration leads to increased aggression, and that the act of ejaculation draws testosterone from the body.” The original “Rocky” movie Cupp said boxing in particular is 32 years old now, but one scene lends itself to that myth because still provides a small window into of its aggressive nature and that the mindset of sex and the athlete: abstaining could increase anxiety Rocky Balboa hacks away on level. a punching bag inside a tiny, dingy “The object of the sport itself boxing gym. Sweat runs down his is to give someone a concussion,” face and seeps through his grey Cupp said. “To be successful, the T-shirt as trainer Mickey taps more aggressive you are.” Balboa on the shoulder. Justin Montgomery is the Upset with Balboa’s newfound co-owner of the Lawrence-based love interest and laziness leading Walt’s Boxing Gym. An amateur up to a big fight, Mickey informs fighter and trainer himself, him, “Women weaken legs.” Montgomery said he had heard No less than five seconds of the myth over later, Mickey has Balboa the years — even convinced not to fool “Basically, the best way to continue Muhammad Ali around anymore. positive performance outcomes would was said to have The notion of be to not change your pre-game ritual.” gone six weeks pre-game abstinence without sex from sex to enhance before a fight — athletic performance is a but Montgomery didn’t believe in stray from it.” longstanding one. But is that notion According to an article that it. as fictional as Rocky Balboa? “As a fighter, you don’t want appeared in the October 2000 University of Kansas sports to be all tensed up,” Montgomery edition of the Journal of Sport team physician Sean Cupp sure said. “You take care of business thinks so. Cupp, a sports medicine Medicine, “The long-standing and you’ve got your head cleared. myth that athletes should practice specialist, said no true scientific That’s my opinion, and I would abstinence before important studies proved night-before sex say that would be the opinion of competitions may stem from the impedes performance in any way. By Jesse Temple The Daily Kansan (Uwire)
In fact, Cupp said if sex was part of an athlete’s typical nighttime routine, the person shouldn’t suddenly abandon lovemaking. “Basically, the best way to continue positive performance outcomes would be to not change your pre-game ritual,” Cupp said. Cupp, who was an athlete in high school, said he had been around plenty of coaches and athletes who had perpetuated the abstinence myth. “You won’t find a more superstitious bunch of people than coaches and athletes,” Cupp said. “If they feel like they have a pretty good system, they’re not going to
several young boxers.” Few tests exist that definitively answer the question for men, and none exist that answer the question for women. The Journal of Sport Medicine cited just three scientific studies, all using a small male sample size, showing no major physiological differences before and after sex. Last year, the cable television show “Sports Science” set out to prove or disprove the theory. Former heavyweight boxing champion Chris Byrd was put through a series of the same tests. One set occurred before sex, where Byrd abstained for one week leading up to the tests. The other tests occurred the day after Byrd had sex with his wife. The tests measured leg strength, heart rate and punching power, as well as testosterone levels. Byrd’s leg strength on a squat machine was 909 pounds afterward compared to 908 pounds before. His heart rate remained at 180 beats per minute in both tests. His punching power, measured on a punching bag containing impact censors, was actually higher after sex (1,304 pounds
compared to 1,128 pounds). And his testosterone levels were also higher after sex (462 nanogramsper-liter compared to 325 ng/l). While the test by no means definitely answers this question, it does raise an interesting point. Can sex the night before competition actually increase performance? “It seems to help because it relaxes you,” said Carl Inzerillo, a sports medicine specialist at Inzerillo Family Practice in Lawrence. “Number one, they get a good night’s sleep. Number two, it takes their mind off the competition. Number three, it increases testosterone.” Cupp said that too many confounding factors were present to warrant a definitive answer. The Journal of Sport Medicine cited time of day, frequency and duration of sex, diet, fatigue and stress as possible complications to gathering accurate findings. “Although,” Cupp added, “you would probably get a lot of guys who would want to do the study.” -- Edited by Rebekah Scaperlanda
in our stadium in Tampa. The Lakers will come out still cocky from their last win, just in time for the Spartans to show them
what real champions are made of.
Championship Team Seeks Successful Season “Loss”
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and coach will take full advantage of every opportunity. With another upcoming road trip on the horizon, we are ready to focus on this week’s
practices. We will review game tape, revise strategy and tighten up formations. Mediocre practices are not acceptable. Every run, every touch and every pass will be sharp and with purpose. Starting this weekend against
top-ranked Columbus Sate University and Tusculum, we will treat each game as one step closer to facing Grand Valley State again. The next time we face them will be in the final four, and this time
Sara Belsole is a member of the women’s soccer team. She can be contacted at sbelsole@ut.edu
Three ‘n Out SSC Player of the Week
Men’s soccer goalie Ryan Thompson snags SSC Defensive Player of the Week Honors. Thompson registered two shutouts last week. His five saves in game one and three saves in the second match up helped propel UT to a 1-0-1 record. Thompson will look to continue his scoreless streak against Florida College during the men’s home opener. They will then face Truman State at Lynn University.
On the Move Two years ago the volleyball team won the national championship. After coming up short in conference, the squad was tabbed preseason at seventh in the nation. The team exploded in the season openers staying perfect through three. Dominating the Labor Day Classic including a win over 21st ranked Ashland moved UT into the fifth spot. Tampa stays in Martinez gym for the Tampa Classic this weekend. Opponents will be Minnesota State- Mankato, Colorado State- Pueblo and round it out against Ferris State.
Walk-on Tryouts Changed On Saturday, Sept. 6 the men’s soccer program will host open tryouts for anyone enrolled in the university. All students must have a copy of a valid physical taken within the last six months. Starting at 8:30 a.m. the tryouts will be located on the practice field.
Weekend Wrap-up as Season Starts kill. The team effort held Ashland under 20 points a game. The next day Tampa continued their dominance. Once again seniors controlled the court as Annalea Warren led against Central Oklahoma with 14 kills. In the following game, MacDonald posted a team high eight kills which proved enough to propel UT to a 3-0 start. Whereas volleyball took the national title in 2006, the more recent champion women’s soccer struggled. Grand Valley State’s offense finally found a way passed freshmen keeper Kendall Bourdon in the squad’s opener. Bourdon saved six in her debut. She was not alone in her inexperience. The Spartans started five other freshmen and substituted two more once play commenced. With only a single game Courtney Evans shoots passed a defender File Photo played, the freshmen returned to make an impact on both sides of conference title last year. By Bobby Winsler The Ashland game opened the field. Jazmin Perry and Brittan Sports Editor the season. UT utilized 11 players Spence surged in the second half Two teams started on the road in total which allowed the new to both find the net. The two added while one opened at home but no freshmen to prove they belong on to senior Courtney Evans’ earlier matter where the University of a national championship program. to give Tampa a three goal lead Camille Hanks and Brianne over Ferris State University. Tampa competed, the Spartans Bourdon, joined by fellow had success. The women’s soccer Yeates had seven and four kills team recovered from an early loss respectively in their Tampa debut. freshmen Catlin Fox, combined to to bounce back to even wins and Hanks was redshirted last year, not keep FSU scoreless notching UT losses. Settling for a tie in the first seeing any action but keeping her their first win. Lastly, the men played two on of two games, the men worked to freshmen eligibility. Seniority showed as the the road as well. score their first win improving to a upperclassmen led by example. Neither Tampa nor Christian 1-0-1 start. Senior Danielle MacDonald Brothers was able to score sending The real story is volleyball. Though plagued by injuries tallied eight kills but was outdone the game into double overtime. and graduation, the volleyball by sophomore Melissa Vanderhall Ryan Maxwell took a pair of UT’s team kicked off the year with who led the team with nine. 16 total shots but was unable to perfection. Three early wins, one Vanderhall also registered a team connect. At the other end, Ryan Thompson saved five ending the against 21st ranked Ashland, set the high eight digs. Nine players had at least one contest in a tie. theme for a team that fell short of a
Thompson continued keeping the goal clean and three saves was all it took to edge AlabamaHuntsville out for the program’s first win of the 2008 season. Maxwell connected on a cross from freshmen Greg Sasser for the game winner. Men’s soccer and volleyball continue play at home next weekend while women’s soccer stays on the road for another two weeks. Bobby Winsler can be reached at bwinsler@gmail.com
Where They Stand W. Soccer Nationally Started: No. 1 National Now: No. 6 SSC Prediction: No. 1 SSC Now: No. 9 M. Soccer National Started: No. 14 Nationally Now: Out of Top 25 SSC Prediction: No. 1 SSC Now: No. 5 Volleyball Nationally Started: No. 7 Nationally Now: No. 5 SSC Prediction: No.2 SSC Now: No. 3
Former National Champion Reflects on First Loss By Sara Belsole Sports Columnist
After two weeks of preseason, the University of Tampa women’s soccer team set its sights on the first regular season game. Not only was it the first game after winning the National Championship in December, but also a game against the Grand Valley State University Lakers, one of the toughest teams in the nation. The last time we faced the Lakers was in the national semifinal game. The win propelled
us into the finals, but also fueled the ongoing rivalry between Spartans and Lakers. We knew we would meet again. This time, we didn’t have to wait until December to play. We met the Lakers at their home turf in Michigan to start the season off answering the question, who is really the better team? Unfortunately, we were the team who fell short. Playing in front of 1,000 Lakers fans on unfamiliar turf and starting four freshmen, we ended the game defeated. One goal was all it took for the Lakers to believe that this season would be different; that this season
they will be the superior team. Too bad for them that not a single member of our team feels that way. We are not extremely disappointed with the result. The Lakers have the returning players from the last two years the team appeared in the Final Four. We have added many new faces to our roster and are still using this early time in the season to gel together on and off the field. We immediately bounced back in our second game against Ferris State University. We came out confident and ready to show the nation one loss would not get us down.
Instead, it gave us the inspiration to play our best. We could only pity the Ferris State Bulldogs, who were the victims of our revenge. Losing is never an option for us, but the registered loss this weekend in no way causes any insecurities. Rather, we will use the game as a building block. We saw the level of competition out there and where we need to be. We have three months to improve every time we step out onto the field, and I know that every player See “Loss” Continued on Page 19
Men’s Soccer
Volleyball
Women’s Soccer
Monday, Sept. 8 vs. Florida College
Sept. 5, 6 Tampa Classic
Sept. 5, 7 Columbus State Invitational
>>> Two shutouts are only enough to stick Tampa in the middle of the SSC standings. A win at home could boost UT to the top.
>>> After opening perfectly, the squad looks to keep the streak alive in three more at home all against unranked teams.
>>> Dropping to sixth in the nation, the defending champions bounced back from the season-opening loss to get back on track.