INSIDE
Spring break fashion essentials
PAGE 2
Homosexuality and Uganda
PAGE 4
Mustangs host Louisville
PAGE 5
Graffiti artist Chor Boogie redefines art
PAGE 6
wednesday
march 5, 2014
Wednesday High 55, Low 34 Thursday High 55, Low 37
VOLUME 99 ISSUE 67 FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
Lecture
Politics
Your move, Obama Chess master, activist Kasparov speaks at Tate Meredith Carey Contributing Writer mbcarey@smu.edu To start his Tate Lecture Tuesday, famed chess player Garry Kasparov cracked jokes about hair loss and heritage. Within 20 minutes, Kasparov compared Russian president Vladimir Putin to a rising Adolf Hitler. In one of the timeliest Tate Lectures to date, Kasparov, a native of Azerbaijan, then part of the U.S.S.R., spoke of the growing dictatorship of Russia, the plight of the Ukraine, and the West’s duty to make decisions to stop missing opportunities to prevent the past. “Each time you show weakness, dictators grow stronger. And each time you fail to confront them, the price goes up,” Kasparov said. Kasparov, who was the youngest World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22, became a pro-democracy activist in 2005 after retiring from chess. As the author of “How Life Imitates Chess,” Kasparov began to view each decision in life, political or financial, with the precision of a chess move. “Western powers expect to play chess with Putin. But, Putin does not have to play by the rules. He’s a tactician. He allows himself to change the rules whenever he thinks he’s in danger,” Kasparov said. “While the Western powers are obliged to follow regulation, because every decision made by the United States’ president or the prime minister of Great Britain should be somehow confirmed by the respective legislation, Putin can make a decision, he can change a decision.” If not stopped, Kasparov said,
Courtesy of AP
Dedman Law School alumnus Dan Branch has advanced to a run-off against Ken Paxton for Attorney General.
ELLEN SMITH / The Daily Campus
Garry Kasparov speaks at the Tate Lecture Tuesday.
Putin could turn Russia and its surrounding neighbors into a bloodbath. “We are on to something that is not within our ability to truly predict, but I don’t see Russia in five to 10 years survive within its current geographical borders,” the Russian native said. To that end, Kasparov urged for the support of the United States in the fight for Ukraine, which fell into turmoil last week after the fall of its government and the Russian invasion, deemed by Putin as military exercises, in Crimea. “There is no longer credibility in the West. Who is going to believe the president of the United States when he already broke his promise to Syria?” Kasparov asked. Speaking on President Obama’s soft words to the Russian
government, Kasparov showed slides of past American presidents, including Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan, who both stood up to what Kasparov deemed a stronger Russia than today’s Putin-led Russia. “If President Obama was the president in 1985, I would still be living in the Soviet Union,” Kasparov said. Describing a shift in American values — from risk to security, from excellence to equivalence, from unity to comfort — Kasparov highlighted the need for the American government to reconsider its priorities and decisions, both internationally and domestically. “Today the most pressing topics in Washington are what? National debt and ‘too big to fail.’ I do not
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Lecture
Spring break marks the halfway point in the semester, where students have survived midterms and are looking forward to a week of freedom. Regardless of desentation, safety is a recurring issue during the mid-March break. Drinking is the cause for most of the concern over safety. According to a University of Wisconsin study, 75 percent of college males and 43.6 percent of females reported being intoxicated on a daily basis during spring break. About 50 percent of students reported being drunk to the point of vomiting or passing out at least once during break. “I would tell travelers to keep their heads about them when traveling, especially if you are drinking,” Elliott Haifleigh said.
Associated PRess
Texas state lawmakers Dan Branch and Ken Paxton have advanced to a runoff for the Republican nomination for attorney general. Branch, a state representative from Dallas, and Paxton, a
senator from McKinney, are vying to replace Greg Abbott, who is running for governor. Branch and Paxton finished ahead of Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman. Each claimed he was the most conservative candidate in the race. Branch and Paxton have
both served in the Legislature since 2003. Branch co-authored the 2005 state constitutional amendment banning samesex marriage in Texas and is chairman of the House higher education committee. Paxton served in the House from 2003-2012 before being elected to the state Senate.
World
Putin talks tough on Ukraine Associated PRess Stepping back from the brink of war, Vladimir Putin talked tough but cooled tensions in the Ukraine crisis Tuesday, saying Russia has no intention “to fight the Ukrainian people” but reserves the right to use force. As the Russian president held court in his personal residence, U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Kiev’s fledgling government and urged Putin to stand down. “It is not appropriate to invade a country, and at the end of a barrel of a gun dictate what you are trying to achieve,” Kerry said. “That is not 21st-century, G-8, major nation behavior.” Although nerves remained on edge in the Crimean Peninsula,
with Russian troops firing warning shots to ward off Ukrainian soldiers, global markets jumped higher on tentative signals that the Kremlin was not seeking to escalate the conflict. Kerry brought moral support and a $1 billion aid package to a Ukraine fighting to fend off bankruptcy.
UKRAINE page 3
FE ATURE
Staying safe during spring break Jehadu Abshiro News Writer jabshiro@smu.edu
SMU alumnus Branch advances to run-off
According to Flordia’s state laws, if pulled over and there is an open container of alcohol in the car, the driver, the passenger or both can be given a ticket. Haifleigh is an accounting and Spanish double major is traveling to Cabo with a group of friends for the break. Haifleigh, who frequently travels during spring break, finds catching cabs in Cabo stressful. “Best part is getting there and the worst part is going through customs,” Haifleigh said. “Takes forever.” Cabo San Lucas, on the tip of Baja, is “one of the safer places in Mexico for foreign tourists,” according to a recent Forbes article. Haifleigh emphasizes the importance of staying in groups “because even though Mexico is so Americanized, it is still Mexico
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theSkimm brings brevity to news Avery Stefan Contributing Writer astefan@smu.edu
There is no denying that the era of traditional journalism is quickly changing into a fast-paced, progressive and collaborative age of news distribution. The once dedicated audience of readers with enough time to sit down with a cup of coffee and read the paper front to back every morning has all but disappeared. Today, articles posted online are browsed through and only opened for further information if the header or blurb is particularly enticing. Even more of a rarity is an article read in its entirety — once the main facts are grasped by the reader, she will move on. While working at NBC News, self-proclaimed news junkies Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin recognized the reality of the omnipresent shift
Courtesy of isntthatcharming.com
Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, founders of theSkimm.
in journalism. On the forefront of a generation that characteristically dedicates just minutes to the daily news, Weisberg and Zakin decided to accept the trend and develop a solution (which would later come to be known as theSkimm) to share the news effectively and efficiently. “We understand our readers have five minutes to stay informed and we want them to be able to jump into
conversation,” Weisberg said. “So we give them information that fits into their morning routine.” When initially developing a template for the newsletter that would engage readers, Weisberg and Zakin turned to their own daily rituals. They realized that upon waking up, they, along with all of their friends, would roll over in bed and spend a few minutes on their
phones checking emails and social media updates. That’s when the idea formed: the news doesn’t always have to be confusing and complicated. What would draw readers in would be an abridged account of goings-on that read like an email from a friend and explained complex current events in a concise and entertaining fashion. “We saw a huge void in the marketplace for a news product geared towards [our friends’] routine and needs,” Weisberg said. “And so, we started theSkimm.” Upon signing up for a free account, subscribers receive a daily review at 5:59 a.m. of the must-knows in order to stay informed. Each email begins with a quote of the day and is followed by witty recaps. In order to expand readership, theSkimm relies heavily on its “Skimm’bassadors” (college representatives) for the establishment. “Our ‘Skimm’bassadors’ understand their peers’ needs and
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