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WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 28, 2012
Wednesday High 66, Low 45 Thursday High 72, Low 57
VOLUME 98 ISSUE 43 FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
CRIME
Hunt Scholar indicted for sexual assault JULIE FANCHER HALEY THAYER Staff Writers jfancher@smu.edu hthayer@smu.edu
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a medical correspondent for CNN, spoke about his life experiences among other issues in McFarlin Auditorium Tuesday.
Leave no stone unturned Embrace every passion, Gupta says
KATELYN GOUGH News Editor kgough@smu.edu “Media and medicine is the intersection of where I’ve lived for the past decade.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta, medical correspondent for CNN since 2001 and national health figure, delivered an inspiring lecture Tuesday night as part of the Tate Lecture Series. Going against many expectations of health advice and discussions on obesity, Gupta spent the majority of the evening speaking to enlighten the audience on the importance and the gift of following diverse passions. “I was a right-brained kid who picked a left-brained career,” Gupta said of his decision to merge his passions for science and storytelling. He told attendees that he always
embraced his creative side growing up, and yet chose a very calculated and analytical career path. He soon realized that he would never be fully satisfied using only the left side of the brain as a surgeon. “Americans are increasingly living in these walled-in silos,” Gupta said. “Was there a way to meaningfully use both?” He transitioned into journalism after asking himself that question and he explained that his determination to “experience [his] brain in ways [he] had not before” offered him the motivation to commit to both interests. Gupta posed questions to the audience of “whether or not we are born with a [definite] passion.” “Is it something that’s preordained or is it something that evolves?” he asked. Gupta expanded on his question, by explaining that passions evolve
alongside the brain and it is what he called “transformative experiences” that guide this progression. His worldwide reporting with CNN has offered diverse groups an outlet to share their experiences, he said. “We don’t always know what kind of impact [we] will have.” Gupta said that the “brain is constantly changing on it’s own,” and it’s through indulging in a multitude of one’s passions that “we can direct some of that change.” Using the idea of training the brain he delved into the idea that “it requires some idea of what motivates you as a core person.” The brain is proven to be most active when a person is working for the “universal reward,” which Gupta asserted reaches beyond material or even self- serving possessions. “Humans are in some way hard wired to be altruistic,” Gupta said.
“Being compassionate toward each other may be that trigger for the universal reward.” SMU senior Brittani Boukather said Gupta’s priority on being “a well-rounded person” captured her attention most as he related the work of training the brain back to tangible habits attendees could connect to. “I thought it was fascinating how he was saying to exercise the brain like a muscle,” Boukather said. Trent Warrick, a senior neuroscience student, came from UT Dallas to attend the night’s lecture. “I was expecting science things, but actually it was more life advice that I found interesting,” Warrick said. One of his greatest takeaways was Gupta’s insistence on embracing, rather than quieting, passions. “It’s a happier life being more balanced.”
ACTIVISM
Fight against cancer comes to SMU DEMI STANLEY Contributing Writer dstanley@smu.edu The 37th annual Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society took place earlier this month. It is held every year on the third Thursday of November. This day is used as a beginning date for smokers to become quitters. The Smokeout brings awareness to the many supports available for those who would like to break their habit. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths (or about 443,000 premature deaths each year) in the United States. The American Cancer Society also hosts the Relay for Life to help fund its cancer research. On Friday, April 12, 2013, the relay will begin at 5 p.m. on Bishop Boulevard and will continue until the following morning. Many students, groups and organizations participate and form teams to raise money for Relay For Life. For those who are new to the event, each team will be required to have at least one member walking around the boulevard at all times.
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Relay for Life raises money for cancer research.
SMU junior Eleanor Rosler attends the event because her aunt has cancer. It is something she holds very close to her heart. “She is my inspiration to live life to the fullest. It amazes me to see how many SMU students and people in the community have been affected by cancer in a similar way,” Rosler said. She thinks that it is one event everyone can relate to and that is what makes it special.
SMU junior and Relay For Life Board member Greg Pasiadis is the director of finance for the event. Pasiadis wants sponsors to see Relay For Life as a way to promote their business within the SMU community by helping SMU students support the American Cancer Society. “We approach our sponsors with sponsorship booklets that outline the different ways to be a sponsor and how their donations helps our event and
more importantly, how the event helps those battling cancer,” Pasiadis said. SMU strives to make this night a fun filled event with food and entertainment that benefits cancer victims and their families in the Dallas area as well as all Americans. In 2011, tobacco killed almost six million people. On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. 43 trillion cigarettes have been smoked in the last decade globally.
SMU sophomore John David Mahaffey was indicted Nov. 23 by a Dallas County grand jury for sexual assault, according to Debbie Denmon, director of communications for the Dallas County District Attorney's office. Mahaffey, a Hunt Scholar and a former member of the Student Senate, was arrested on Sept. 25 and charged with sexual assault following a Sept. 23 incident involving a fellow SMU male student in two separate locations, according to SMU Police. The Dallas County grand jury hearing for the 19 year old finance major
was Nov. 19. Following his arrest, Mahaffey was subsequently barred from SMU's campus, according to SMU officials. Denmon said Mahaffey is being represented by lead attorney Chis Mulder and Reed Prospere of Prospere and Russell. The Daily Campus has made calls to Mahaffey's attorneys, but they have not yet been returned. Mahaffey is the second SMU student to be indicted this semester by a Dallas County grand jury. In September, Donald Cuba, a 20-year-old junior, was indicted on sexual assault charges related to the Feb. 10, 2012 incident involving an SMU female student. Cuba's trial is set for March 25, according to Denmon. The Daily Campus will provide further updates as warranted.
2013
Maya 2012 predication a myth, professors say MARISSA BUDZYNSKI Contributing Writer mbudzynski@smu.edu According to the “2012 Doomsday” prediction, there may only be a few more weeks to live. During Monday evening’s panel, Maya Apocalypse 2012: Fact or Fiction, two SMU professors dispelled the myth of the impending apocalypse. Those who believe in the 2012 apocalypse often use Mayan calendars to support their claims. The Maya used many different, complex calendars, which are often misinterpreted. Those who believe that the world will end on Dec. 21 often reference the Mayan long count calendar. The long count calendar counts forward from the Maya creation date of Aug. 11, 3114 BC for 13 baktuns. A baktun is a Mayan measurement of time, which represents approximately 400 years. Although the longcount Mayan calendar may end in 2012, during the 13th and final baktun, it does not signify the end of the world. At that time the Maya would merely start the calendar over from the beginning, much like an odometer on a car. However, end of the year predictions cannot be entirely based on this calendar. At one point, the Maya changed the way they accounted for time and created the shortcount calendar. This change in calendar systems has led to discrepancies in which day would supposedly mark the apocalypse. “For you Doomsday preppers, if the 21st rolls around and the world hasn’t ended, don’t worry because it could still happen,” Professor
Brigitte Kovacevich said. Even though projections from the Mayan calendar are used to support beliefs in the apocalypse, the year 2012 is rarely seen on the calendar. 2012 is only seen on the Mayan stela, a type of monument inscribed to commemorate specific dates. However, when a specific year was referenced, it was used in a rhetorical fashion rather than as a prediction. Another major contributor to the apocalypse myth is confusion between Mayan and Aztec cultures. Unlike the Maya, the Aztecs made apocalyptic and fatalistic predictions for the future. The idea of large-scale natural disasters causing the end of the world comes entirely from Aztec tradition. “I find it interesting how the Maya and Aztecs were two completely different cultures, but so much of Aztec culture is incorporated into this myth which we attribute to the Maya,” sophomore Kristen Carreno said. With so much evidence to disprove apocalypse myths, why do people choose to believe them? Entertainment value is one of the key factors. Rumors of the apocalypse peaked in 2009 when the movie 2012 was released. “As humans we like to be fearful. We jump out of planes, go on roller coasters, and watch scary movies. Being afraid is just something we enjoy,” Professor Michael Callaghan said. Callaghan also said most people choose to believe these myths simply because its easier than learning what is true about such an old and complex civilization. Though apocalypse rumors have officially been put to rest, SMU students cannot relax just yet. While they no longer need to stress over the end of the world, the end of the semester is just around the corner.