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Alumnus photographer wins award

What does Peruna have to say?

VOLUME 97, ISSUE 16

WEDNESDAY High 93, Low 68 THURSDAY High 83, Low 60

A SIDE OF NEWS

Poker Ponzi scheme busted

The U.S Justice Department is launching an investigation on Full Tilt Poker executives on grounds of operating a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded players out of hundred of millions of dollars. Also accused are poker celebrities Howard Lederer and Christopher Ferguson. The Justice Department claimed that these executives deceived players by misappropriating money from their online accounts, totaling $444 million.

Typhoon nears Japan Japan readies itself for Typhoon Roke. Over 1 million people have been advised to leave before the typhoon hits, and almost 80,000 have been ordered to evacuate. The typhoon may harm repairs to the Fukushima nuclear-power plant. Earlier this month, Japan faced Typhoon Talas, which caused mudslides and floods that killed 67 people and left 26 missing. Officials expect Roke to take three days to pass over the country.

Police discuss serial killer Long Island police released information pertaining to the suspected serial killer’s victims found in Gilgo Beach, including sketches of two of the unidentified victims. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said there is reason to believe there are 10 victims in total, including 8 women, one man and one female toddler. Only 5 of the 8 females victims have been identified. Many of the victims had been working as prostitutes at the time of their murders. Remains from three of the victims were found in other areas of Long Island.

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senate

Android debuts secret weapon By STEPHANIE BROWN Staff Writer stephanieb@smu.edu

In two highly combative categories — Android vs. iPhone and the ongoing battle for wireless phone service — Google just settled the score. And it’s secret weapon: the Google Wallet. Google Wallet, released Monday, is Google’s attempt to allow users to combine credit cards with the user’s cell phone. This nifty Wallet uses the near field communication (NFC) system built into select Android phones that allows users to tap his or her phone to a compatible card reader in lieu of using credit cards as payment. Now you might be thinking, which services and mobile devices support this consolidated gem called Google Wallet? That’s where it gets interesting. Sprint, ranked number three in wireless service providers under Verizon Wireless and AT&T, was the only recipient of the intimate debut of this new accessory. More specifically, the Sprint Nexus S is the only device that is compatible with the Wallet, for now. But don’t worry; this exclusivity won’t last for long.

According to technology blog Tech Crunch, the reasoning behind the small introduction of the Wallet is to ensure the technology of NFC before launching it to a broader user-base, seeing as it’s your money they are responsible for safekeeping. With security as a high priority for the Google Wallet, the accessory is intended to be more secure than a physical credit card. To access the Wallet, the user is required to enter a PIN code before accessing any card information, which would inhibit the stealing of such information. This eliminates the fear of leaving behind or losing a physical credit card that hardly has any protection against fraudulent users. As of now, the Google Wallet is only compatible with Citi MasterCard and the Google Prepaid Card, which users can use any credit card to fill and subsequently use. Google announced Wednesday that they have licensed three other credit cards: American Express, Discover and Visa cards. The goal is to support these cards in the near future. Now, which retailers support

Senator resigns, re-elected

By PATRICIA BOH

Associate News Editor pboh@smu.edu

Courtesy of google.com/wallet

the card readers for the new Google Wallet? Google hosts a page that allows users to type in his or her zip code to locate nearby retailers. When typing in the SMU zip code of, 75205, there are four locations that are within a onemile radius: CVS on Mockingbird, Snider Plaza,7 Eleven on Hillcrest and the Jack in the Box on Greenville..

If this Wallet phenomenon catches on, you can expect more retailers to have these particular card readers. And don’t think for a second that Apple isn’t planning its counterpart for the Google Wallet. For now, it’s probably safe to say that plastic still has a couple of years left before becoming completely absorbed into the digital world.

Tuesday’s Student Senate meeting opened dramatically when Meadows Senator Roza Essaw addressed the senate regarding one senator’s controversial election. Former Dedman I Senator Christoph Schmidt was inaugurated as a Cox Senator at the Sept. 13 Student Senate Meeting, filling the previous vacancy. Schmidt’s resignation and subsequent reelection occurred without the Senate’s recommendation. This change is unprecedented in the Senate. Essaw decided to publically voice this concern because “I cannot sit there and watch as rules are broken and not take an action to address the

See SENATE page 5

campus

Quidditch — ­ not just for Hogwarts anymore By CAITLIN SHAUGHNESSY Contributing Writer cshaughnes@smu.edu

Calling all muggles, witches and wizards! A new club sport will be present on SMU’s campus this spring that is bound to excite all Harry Potter fanatics. It is the competitive game portrayed in the Harry Potter books and movies, Quidditch. Currently, SMU students Jenna Peck, Daniel Peck and Kate Petty are in conversation with SMU Club

Sports to have a Quidditch team officially sanctioned by SMU. Although the club team is not yet official, those hoping to get involved can still participate immediately. This fall the team will hold scrimmages and small tournaments to attract interest in the club. If the team has enough members by the spring semester, they will begin to compete against other schools. Sophomore Jenna Peck invites all “SMUggles” to get involved. While some may think of Quidditch

as a game reserved for fictional characters, Peck says it is a “legit sport.” She said once the team becomes sanctioned, it will be offered next to well-known club teams like SMU Club Baseball. Quidditch is a sport that requires athleticism and drive, as it incorporates aspects of soccer, dodgeball, flag football and basketball. There are seven players from each team on the field at once, plus one neutral player that participates

lecture

as the “Golden Snitch.” Once the “Golden Snitch” player is caught, the game is over. While players on the Quidditch field may not actually fly, as seen in the books and movies, there are other elements to the club sport that reflect the game For example, competing players wear robes and are required to either carry a broom or run with it between their legs. In addition, the positions are the same from the Harry Potter series, including chasers, beaters, keepers

and seekers. There are already a number of schools with competitive Quidditch club teams, leaving no lack of competition for the SMU squad. Middlebury College in Vermont currently holds the top spot in the standings. There are also many talented teams representing colleges in Texas. Some of these schools include Baylor, TCU and Texas A&M. Currently, Texas A&M is fourth in the rankings.

tower center

life as diplomats

By RAHFIN FARUK

The 1993 law that prevented gays from openly serving in the military was appealed on Sept. 20. All service members who were discharged for openly admitting to homosexual orientation will be allowed to re-enlist. Preexisting standards of personal conduct, such as public displays of affection, will continue to be enforced regardless of sexual orientation.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Journalist talks water insecurity Ambassadors discuss

Gay ban repealed

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Contributing Writer rfaruk@smu.edu

Charles Fishman, author of “The Big Thirst,” delivered a lecture on the implications of water insecurity in different parts of the world during the O’Neil Lecture series, a collaborative effort by the Meadows School of Journalism and the Cox School of Business, Tuesday. Fishman, a Harvard graduate and the author of “The Wal-Mart Effect,” outlined the ironies of water today. “Americans spend $21 billion on bottled water while we only spend $29 billion on our entire, 100 year old water infrastructure. We use more water in four days than the entire world uses in an entire year,” he said. Many international pundits have criticized America’s lack of concern about its use of water However, Fishman warned that water is an endemic problem. “There is no global water crisis,” he sid. “Water is a completely local phenomenon.” Questions of water inefficiency, local governance, international law, climate change and geographical location all contribute to an intricate picture. “For Americans to understand water, we must be willing to assess three fundamental issues,” Fishman said. “First, the West must be willing to worry about the cost, safety and finite levels of

By MEGHAN GARLICH Contributing Writer mgarlich@smu.edu

SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH/The Daily Campus

Author and journalist Charles Fisherman speaks on the implications of water during the O’Neil Lecture Tuesday.

water available. Second, we must learn about the remarkable water infrastructure that we have. Third and most importantly, we must be willing to work on a local level to fix our problems.” A crowd of mostly journalism students appreciated his honesty about the topic and his ability to

ask the right questions. “I think he asks mundane questions to come up with a great story line,” senior Logan May said. “Not many people could turn a thought about Fiji water into a book.” Fishman started to research

See ONEIL page 5

Ambassadors Ronald Neumann and Wendy Chamberlin revealed some surprising and humorous truths about diplomatic life on Monday at the Tower Center Series: Ambassadors Unplugged. An eager audience of students, faculty and members of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies fell silent as Dr. Seyom Brown, the event moderator, began an open discussion with the former ambassadors. Chamberlin said U.S. diplomats face struggles most people do not understand. She experienced this while serving in Pakistan before and after 9/11. “The strength of the Taliban was a lot more permeated even before 9/11 than we thought,” Chamberlin said. “We don’t understand from our media how intense the Taliban is.” Neumann, who served as Ambassador to Afghanistan, Bahrain and Algeria, further communicated that the press conceals a great amount. “Life is more dimensional than you will ever know,” Neumann said about the oddities of being in the

Foreign Service. Chamberlin and Neumann both emphasized the importance of getting to know everyone around them and creating all types of allies. “Give people a chance, and talk to them first,” Chamberlin, who became close friends with her Pakistani chef, said. Neumann said he was also connected with members of his staff, especially his security officers. She even became close friends with the King of Bahrain. Chamberlin explained how U.S. ambassadors compare to other foreign leaders. “Their sense of what leaders do is so completely different from ours,” Chamberlin said. Ending the discussion on a more serious note, Chamberlin said U.S. diplomats and politicians are obligated to take responsibility for their decisions. The Tower Center is dedicated to promoting international affairs and politics. Ambassadors Unplugged is a series that occurs several times throughout the year to in order to connect U.S. citizens with the diplomats who represent them. “The idea is to get some insights we would not be able to get anywhere else,” Dr. James Hollifield, director of the Tower Center of Political Studies, said.


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