INSIDE
What’s next for women’s basketball
How to study and stay healthy
PAGE 2
Change opinions toward HIV
PAGE 4
Actress starts storytelling show
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PAGE 5
tuesday
December 10, 2013 TUESDAY High 39, Low 25 WeDNESday High 45, Low 28
VOLUME 99 ISSUE 46 FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
A-LEC helps students study
State
Andrew Berry Contributing Writer arberry@smu.edu As reading days commence and finals preparation begins, students will undoubtedly put themselves through a string of all-nighters and endless cramming. But before cracking open the first Red Bull or 5-hour Energy, students should consider if they are studying correctly. Sue Bierman, director of the SMU Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC), offers students some advice on how to have a healthy and successful finals week. While a student’s first inclination may be to cram for exams in the order they will take them, Bierman warns against this. “Students should study some material from each of their classes everyday, with an emphasis on the nearest test,” she said. “Thirty minutes each day will do more than a four hour block.” Studying in small chunks helps keep test anxiety at bay and will ultimately help students feel more prepared. Students also shouldn’t spend all day in the library or their favorite study spot. Bierman advised students to “Eat well and go out and exercise. Studying can be frustrating and going for a run or hitting the gym can provide a relaxing break.” No matter how tempting an all-nighter can be, students should also focus on getting a good night’s sleep. “Keeping a normal sleep schedule is important for being at your sharpest during an exam,” Bierman said.
Courtesy of AP
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks to supporters during his re-election campaign kickoff rally in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15.
Sen. Cornyn faces primary challenger Courtesy of NYUlocal.com
The A-LEC offers tutoring for struggling students overwhelmed by the stresses of finals week.
Struggling students should also know that help is still available. Tutors will be available on a drop-in basis from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night of exams week. While the A-LEC offers tutoring in most courses, students should call the center before dropping in to make sure tutors for the subject they want are currently working. Bierman also recommends that students take advantage of professor office hours. “Professors are a student’s best asset,” she said. “After all, they’re the ones writing the exams.” Meaghan Poulin, a junior majoring in Communications and PR, likes to attend as many review
sessions as possible. “I like to go to every review session offered, professors often use example questions very similar to the one on the final,” she said. Students who are doing poorly in one class but well in all their other courses should be realistic when they study. “If you need to get a 150 percent to pull off a C in a class, you should focus on classes where you have a better chance of succeeding,” Bierman said. While students should obviously study for all their exams, it’s important to realize where you can be most successful. Brannon Bradshaw, a junior majoring in mechanical
engineering and minoring in math, prioritizes his studying. “I look at what days I have my tests, figure out what I need to study for each of them, and then think about what which ones I need to study for the most,” he said. Ultimately, the most important thing a student can do to prepare for exams is stay true to their successful study habits. “Don’t abandon what makes you successful,” Bierman said. For Poulin, that means getting off campus. “I like to study off campus. Getting away from Fondren is much more relaxing and productive way to study for tests,” she said.
Associated press In a last-minute surprise late Monday, U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman filed paperwork to challenge fellow Texas Republican and powerful incumbent John Cornyn for the U.S. Senate next year. Cornyn is the Senate’s minority whip and had appeared likely to escape a major primary challenge from the tea party or other conservative factions. But Texas Republican Party spokesman Spencer Yeldell said a Stockman staffer walked into headquarters shortly before the 6 p.m. filing deadline, withdrew the congressman’s previously submitted House re-election bid and entered the already
crowded race against Cornyn. Stockman was elected to a district outside Houston last year after a low-profile campaign where he largely ignored the media but urged voters to support his “re-election.” He previously served one term in Congress starting in 1994 — and was perhaps best known for accusing the U.S. government of “executing” members of the Branch Davidian cult after the siege near Waco. Cornyn is well-funded, has been endorsed by GOP Gov. Rick Perry, and should remain the race’s clear favorite.
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Student Life
Residential Commons may affect party culture Jenna Veldhuis Contributing Writer jveldhuis@smu.edu The SMU campus has celebrated some exciting events over the last few years. The school’s centennial anniversary was celebrated in 2011, the George W. Bush Presidential Center was unveiled to the world in 2013, and the new Moody Coliseum is set to open in early 2014. As the construction on the new Residential Commons comes to a close in this next year, another big change will happen on campus. Summer 2014 will mark the end of construction on the new Residential Commons. The sophomore dorms, as they are known to most, were based upon student housing at schools like Harvard University and Vanderbilt University. A description from the Residential Commons’ website states that, “Each commons will develop unique traditions, gatherings and meaningful activities that build community and long-term bonds among residents. Students will have a close-knit, living and learning environment where a rich intellectual, social and community life can flourish.” The dorms will consist of five buildings and aim to create a supportive community for students with live-in faculty and staff members, as well as resident assistants and student leaders. The opening of the dorms, and the addition of all sophomores living on campus, will represent a change in student life at SMU, a change that should be for the better. Jeff Grim, associate
ELLEN SMITH / The Daily Campus
The Residential Commons project is expected to be completed in summer 2014, ready to be opened up to students for the 2014 fall semester.
director of Academic Initiatives and Campus Partnerships, noted that the new residential commons are more than just new buildings and “a transformation of the residential experience at SMU.” With the close community the dorms hope to provide, drinking among the underage dorm residents could be lowered. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that four out of every five college student drinks. Of those students, half of them will consume alcohol through binge drinking. This drinking
culture results in 1,825 alcohol related deaths a year for college students aged 18 to 24, injures approximately 599,000 students, and causes academic problems for 25 percent of college students who consume alcohol. SMU is no stranger to the drinking culture and, in 2012, the university was ranked the college with the “Best Nightlife,” according to Playboy magazine’s annual list. The article stated, “At SMU, Dallas is your never-ending house party,” and mentioned the approximate 2,000 bars within the city limits of Dallas County.
The university has taken proactive steps, joining the National College Health Improvement Project, along with universities such as Stanford University, Duke University, Dartmouth University, and more than 30 others, in the 2007-08 academic year. The NCHIP press release states that the group will evaluate and measure techniques “to identify and implement the most effective ways to address the problems of high-risk drinking.” In June 2011, SMU became a charter member of this group and continues to collect monthly
data about alcohol consumption among students. The data collection has shown that though the SMU student body’s rate of high-risk drinking is lower than the national average, there are spikes during certain times of the year. The 2012-13 President’s Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention Annual Report attributes these spike times to “big party” times such as spring break, the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester. Through being aware of the times where the highest risk drinking will
occur, the school can “specifically target prevention education and intervention strategies” among the student body. When asked if he thinks on-campus drinking will be lowered with the addition of the Residential Commons, Jeff Grim said, “maybe,” adding that, “We know that in most of our communities we currently have that have both upperclass and first-year students live together, we see significantly less damage and alcohol violations.” Senior Alessandra Neason, agreed, as she recalls that “after every Thursday night there would be something in the lobby or hallway that was broken, that’s just how the dorms are when you’re a freshman.” She sees the Residential Commons as an opportunity for sophomores to stay more involved with campus life. Grim said that with “more money dedicated towards programming and activities with faculty, there will be more and better options for activities for students than drinking.” And with half of the student body living on campus, school activities will be more likely to be attended said RJ Winters, an SMU senior. When he lived on campus Winters said he and his friends went to a majority of athletic events because they were able to walk there. “It’s important to recognize that we are hoping to build a more cohesive, connected and engage[ing] community with the Residential Commons,” Jeff Grim said. “But this will not be a simple fix to any of SMU’s issues it continues to face such as underage and more importantly binge drinking.”
2
STYLE
TUESDAY n DECEMBER 10, 2013 feature
Cancer survivor creates chemo care packages Geenah Krisht Contributing Writer gkrisht@smu.edu On May 5, 2012, Heather Owens answered the phone call that changed her life. A few months earlier, Owens found herself lactating, but she was not pregnant and never had been. Months later, Owens felt a lump in her breast. She had the lump removed May 3. Her doctor then revealed the lump tested positive for cancer. After Owens was diagnosed, her husband Derek Owens started a blog to share her story. “We were being bombarded with texts, phone calls, emails, etc.,” Derek said. “Heather [Owens] and I, both, are big into social media, so I figured this would be a great way to keep everyone up to date and allow people that we might not know personally, but have a connection with, follow her story as well.” Heather Owens’ nieces and nephews call her “Aunt Fancy,” so Derek Owens titled the blog “Fighting Fancy.” Heather Owens began searching for support groups and financial aid for her treatment. Twenty-eight years old at the time, she found that there were not many outlets for younger women with breast cancer. At her last doctor’s appointment before beginning chemotherapy Heather Owens met a 22-year-old
woman who was about to begin chemo as well. After comforting her, answering her questions and listing some expectations, Heather Owens decided that she wanted to make this woman a care package. “I made her this bag filled with all the products people had told me I need, like stuff for hair loss and joint pain,” Heather Owens said. “She loved it, and we just called it a Fighting Fancy bag because that was the name of my blog.” Soon after Owens made her first bag, she began chemotherapy. Her longtime friend Jeanne McNeill realized that Owens loved making the care-package-style bags and wanted her to continue making them. “She bought 250 bags,” Heather Owens said. “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. What am I going to do with 250 bags?’ But she ordered them, and she had ‘Fighting Fancy’ written on them…so, I started collecting all of the [necessary] items.” Originally, the bags were intended for young women with breast cancer, but now reach women of all ages with any type of cancer. Owens carefully chose each of the products inside the bag. She used her personal experiences and advice from other women to determine what would be included. “You learn really quickly,” Owen said. “For example, you can’t
get your teeth cleaned when you are going through chemo because your white blood cells are so low, so there is this special toothpaste and mouthwash.” Derek Owens described the most difficult part of his wife’s journey as seeing her upset over the physical changes. “It is very difficult to have to sit back and watch helplessly while your wife is forced to go through chemo...especially at age 28,” Derek said. “But she carefully selected products that serve a purpose. When we first started getting the products in, I had to keep asking Heather what everything was because I didn’t know all of the symptoms that went along with chemo.” Inside the bag are the following essentials: Nioxin Cleanser for hair growth, Purell hand sanitizer, Poise pads for leaky bladders, Biotene mouthwash, Queasy Pops for nausea and Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel. In addition to these, Owens worked with several cosmetic brands to include beauty products in the bag: Burt’s Bees lip balm, Maybelline eye palette, Laura Mercier makeup, L’Oreal makeup and a custom pink OPI nail polish. “OPI donated nail polish, and they let me make my own color—my own little ‘Fighting Fancy’ color,” Heather Owens said. Several women knit hats for the bags, and others made hand-sewn scarves. Owens wore a special
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
December 10
December 11
December 12
Reading Day, no classes
Reading day, no classes
Student Filmmakers Association Fall Film Festival, O’Donnell Hall, Owen Arts Center, 7 p.m.
Liudmila Georgievskaya, piano and Silvia Nunez, mezzo-soprano, Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY
FRIDAY September 2 Final exams
Final exams begin
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
September 3
September 4
Final exams
University Worship, Perkins Chapel, 7:30 p.m.
Courtesy of Heather Owens
Aside from Fighting Fancy, Owens also runs Georgia James, her own interior design company in Scarlet Clothing, a store in Little Rock, Ark.
necklace to each chemotherapy session and now gives the same necklace to each Fighting Fancy bag recipient. “I wore this necklace every week that’s really thin and gold and has a heart on it. I want all of them to have the necklace,” she said. These handpicked items are those that make “Fighting Fancy” different than any other non-profit. Owens has carefully selected products that serve a purpose and connect all of these women. She takes the time to write a personal note to every woman receiving a bag. “I have talked to every single person I’ve ever sent a bag to. It’s hard sometimes, but it makes it more
DECEMBER 8 Time Reported: 12:52 AM. Time Occurred: 12:52 AM. Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. Boaz Hall. A student was referred to the Student Conduct Officer for underage drinking. Closed. Time Reported: 1:27 AM. Time Occurred: 1:27 AM. Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor/Possession of Fictitious License or ID. 2900 SMU Blvd. A student was referred to the Student Conduct Officer for underage drinking and having a fake ID. Closed.
special,” she said. As more people began buying, requesting and nominating others for the Fighting Fancy bags, Heather Owens began to receive lots of local attention. She was featured on the cover of Soiree magazine, central Arkansas’ most-read monthly magazine, proudly showing off her bald head. Shortly after this cover story, she began receiving national attention. Heather Owens was chosen as the Elvis Duran “Badass Chick of the Day,” and was interviewed on Fox News Live. “I think we both expected it to be a local thing, but little did we know, we would be shipping bags to Scotland and Ireland a couple of months
Time Reported: 1:37 AM. Time Occurred: 1:37 AM. Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. Boaz Hall. A student was referred to the Student Conduct Officer for underage drinking and having a fake ID. Closed. Time Reported: 2:44 AM. Time Occurred: 2:44 PM. Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Phi Delta Theta House. Four students were referred to the Student Conduct Officer for smoking marijuana at this location. Three of the students were also referred for underage drinking. Closed. Time Reported: 4:54 PM. Time Occured: 4:54 PM. Possession of Fictitious License
after starting the organization,” Derek Owens said. With the help of Scarlet Clothing, Heather Owens and her team put on their first annual Rock the Runway fashion show benefitting Fighting Fancy in June. It was a high end fashion, New York-inspired runway show in which several of the most popular boutiques in Little Rock , Ark. participated. The models wore outfits from the following designers and stylists: Monique Lhuillier, Cynthia Steffe, Chan Luu, Nicole Miller, Scarlet, Beyond Cotton, and Michael Kors. A cancer survivor modeled each boutique’s final look. Rock the Runway raised over $80,000. Fighting Fancy has turned into much more than a non-profit that sends out chemo care-packages to women. It has become a networking group where young women can reach out to other women. After being diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age and feeling thrown into a world that she had deemed only for the elderly, Heather Owens made the decision to turn her life around, raise awareness to women everywhere and give back — a decision that not only changed her life, but continues to change women’s lives everywhere. The Owens describe this experience as the most rewarding of all. Derek said, “The smiles we see make the bald heads and scars all go away.”
or ID. 6229 Hillcrest Ave./7 Eleven. An Uber cab driver gave a Highland Park Officer a purse left in his vehicle belonging to an SMU student. The purse contained a fake ID and the student was referred to the Student Conduct Officer. Closed.
DECEMBER 9
Time Reported: 7:53 AM. Time Occurred: 7:53 AM. Fire Alarm. Moody Coliseum. The fire alarm system was activated at this location. Closed. Time Reported: 7:55 AM. Time Occurred: 7:55 AM. Fire Alarm. Delta Delta Delta House. The fire alarm system was activated at this location. Closed.
NEWS
Tuesday n DECEMBER 10, 2013 Politics
3
Experts, activists discuss future of abortion law Katelyn Hall Contributing Writer khall@smu.edu Texas is embroiled in a battle over abortion rights. The Supreme Court in November refused to intercede in a legal dispute over the recent Texas law that restricts access to abortion clinics, but it could be months before either side can claim a victory. Texas House Bill No. 2 was signed into law July 18. The law bans 20-week abortions and requires that abortion clinics have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles in order to stay open. Planned Parenthood decided to fight the admitting privileges aspect of the bill because it affected the most women immediately, said Kelly Hart, senior director of government relations at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. “We determined which of the pieces is integral in delaying if we could because they would harm the greatest number of women in the shortest period of time, and that’s primarily the admitting privileges,” Hart said. The admitting privileges aspect means that an abortion clinic must be within 30 miles of a hospital that will take the clinic’s patients in an emergency. SMU political science professor
CORNYN Continued from page 1
Although he insists he’s one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Congress, he’s drawn the ire of some grass-roots groups for not being enough like Texas’ junior senator, tea party firebrand Ted Cruz. “Senator Cornyn looks forward to discussing his conservative record with Texans,” Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser said in
and constitutional law expert Joe Kobylka explains why Planned Parenthood and others question the constitutionality of the law. “The question will be does this unduly burden the abortion right embedded in the privacy right of the Constitution,” he said. Kobylka said this poses a constitutional issue because access to abortion is more restricted for some than for others. “The problem is if you are in East Texas or West Texas and hospitals are few and far between is what you have to do is haul yourself to Houston or Dallas or one of the major cities where the clinics may have on staff admitting privileges,” he said. The laws affect members of certain socioeconomic classes and geographic areas differently. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure all women in Texas, regardless of their zip code, their income level, or whether or not they’re insured, have access to the services that they need,” Hart said. One in three women will have significantly decreased access or no access to abortion clinics due to the law, according to Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court decided in November not to hear the case against the admitting aspect of the law. This is not the final ruling in the case. The Fifth Circuit Court
of Appeals will hold a hearing in January to decide the matter. “We’re disappointed,” Hart said. “We just know it’s not the last word in the story.” While Hart and others are upset with the Texas law, others support the restrictions. Collette Marchesseault, an SMU sophomore, co-founded Mustangs for Life last spring and supports laws that limit abortions. “I think any step you can take
toward causing fewer and fewer abortions is moving toward a prolife cause,” she said. For Marchesseault, the issue revolves not only on abortion, but also on women’s health. “We are pro-woman, promother and pro-child. A lot of these rules are increasing the care that a mother receives,” she said. In a survey of 130 SMU students administered on SurveyMonkey in November, 63
percent said they thought it was not within the state’s rights to make restrictions on abortion. “Access to reproductive healthcare should have nothing to do with where a person lives,” first-year Katie Anne Head wrote in the comment section of the survey. “The abortion issue has strayed away from the idea of ‘saving babies’ and has become about controlling women.” However, 57 percent agreed
with the mandate of the law requiring a clinic to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Many Texans simply don’t fully understand what the law means. “People don’t know a lot about the law and the full ramifications of that law,” Kobylka said. “Part of that is because it hasn’t been applied.” The anti-abortion legislation became national news beginning with Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis’ 11-hour filibuster on the Texas House floor this summer. Davis is now running for Texas governor. While 72 percent of students surveyed had heard about the anti-abortion legislation, only 53 percent knew the bill had gone to the Supreme Court on appeal. Kobylka expects more debate will be created as the law begins to be applied more fully over the coming months. “When a law’s been applied, stories and narratives arise that help to inform debates to a degree,” he said. Hart and the rest of the Planned Parenthood team are preparing for the long fight ahead. “Planned Parenthood is still open, we are still here for women and we haven’t given up,” Hart said. “We will continue with this fight. If we don’t prevail in court, we still aren’t giving up.”
response to Stockman’s filing. The Stockman shocker capped what had otherwise been a newsy day for Texas Democrats, as the party couldn’t find candidates to run next year for three key judgeships — meaning it failed to field a full slate of statewide office hopefuls despite the excitement triggered nationally by Wendy Davis’ gubernatorial bid. There was some good news for Democrats, however. Will Hailer, the party’s executive director, announced
that Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence Meyers was leaving the Republicans to run as a Democrat for the Texas Supreme Court. Because he’s keeping his current post while running, Myers becomes the Democrats’ only statewide officeholder. Meyers did not return phone calls seeking comment. Still, the party said the 20 statewide candidates were the most it has had for any election cycle since 2002. In all, 15 statewide offices are
up for election in 2014, and both parties’ March 4 primaries are now set. Despite Myers’ switch, a Democrat hasn’t won statewide office in Texas since 1994. The party said Monday night that the streak is guaranteed to continue next year in one Texas Supreme Court seat race and two of the three Court of Criminal Appeals races, because only Republican candidates filed for them. Meyers, the longestserving appellate judge in
Texas, is challenging incumbent Republican Jeff Brown in Supreme Court Place 6. Meanwhile, the mostwatched race basically wasn’t affected by Monday’s deadline. Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott is running against Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth who became an overnight national political sensation for staging a 12-plus hour filibuster that temporarily blocked new restrictions on abortion from passing the Texas Legislature.
Abbott needs only to top three little-known Republicans to secure his party’s nomination, and just a single, longshot Democrat is challenging Davis. Perry has decided not to seek re-election. If no candidate wins a majority in primary races, a runoff will be held May 27. Even before Stockman, six little-known Republicans and five Democrats had field to challenge Cornyn, but he’s not expected to have much trouble with any of them.
Courtesy of AP
Texas State Senator and candidate for governor Wendy Davis gained notoriety for fighting against the proposed abortion law with an 11-hour-long filibuster in July.
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4
OPINION
Tuesday n DECEMBER 10, 2013
health
politics
Erase the HIV positive stigma michael graves Contributing Writer mwgraves@smu.edu Six months ago I received a call from a close friend during which he told me he is HIV positive. I was stunned. I had never had a friend tell me she or he was HIV positive. I always assumed that HIV would never affect me, that no one in my inner circle would ever be HIV positive. It was a concept that I had never seriously contemplated. I was scared. I was scared for him, for his boyfriend who was also infected, and for his new life as a positive man. I didn’t know how to react. I started to look for ways that I could support my friend as he started to live his life as an HIV positive guy. I came across the “Needle Prick Project,” an initiative to encourage HIV testing and erase the stigma that comes with being HIV positive. I learned several things that I hope have helped me support my friend, but also support others who I may not know as well who live with HIV. First, I realized that I was very proud of my friend for getting tested for HIV, something that I had not done until recently. I realized that if you are sexually active, it is your responsibility to get tested regularly to protect yourself and your sexual partners. You can do this through a blood test now (which is much less invasive than previous methods of comprehensive Sexually Transmitted Infection testing), which can test for an array of STI’s that include chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis A, B and C, herpes I and II, HIV I and II, and syphilis. SMU’s health center and SPECTRUM often team up together to provide free HIV testing on campus. If you look up how expensive
HIV tests can be, you’ll realize this is a great opportunity to save money and be aware of your status. Second, I understood that being HIV positive didn’t change my friend one bit. He was still the person he was before. He was not “damaged goods,” nor was he “sick.” Just because my friend is now positive does not make him a lesser person. He and I have the same conversations we used to have before he found out he was HIV positive. We still support each other in incredible ways, and our conversations regarding his HIV status are not different than our conversations regarding my latest check-up. We talk about health, how we can maintain healthy bodies, and how our daily routines promote our longevity. Finally, I realized that my friend’s new positive status isn’t about me, and that I should be honored he shared his status with me. I knew that this meant he would look to me for emotional support when his viral load levels were up, and would want to rejoice with me when they were undetectable. Most importantly, I realized that my friend trusted me with this information, which warmed my heart. Indeed, we have continued to grow closer as we talk about how he is to live with HIV. As a community of young people, I hope we can continue to erase the stigma that is associated with HIV/AIDS, and I encourage you to read about the “Needle Prick Project” so when you encounter a friend or family member with HIV/ AIDS, you will know how to respond, be supportive and love them as the person you always have. Graves is a senior majoring in communications and religious studies.
To respond to any pieces on our opinion page, tweet us at @thedailycampus with the hashtag #hilltoptweets.
Courtesy of AP
Immigration reform protesters gather outside the fence for the lighting of the 2013 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, an 88-foot Engelmann spruce, from the Colville National Forest, in northeast Washington State, during an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013.
Immigrants face unfair identity sania ahmad Contributing Writer sahmad@smu.edu In the past few weeks, the topic of immigration has been brought up on university campuses. Between the controversy behind the University of Texas’s “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” game and the University of California at Berkeley’s student body resolution that deemed the phrase “illegal immigrant” as racist and dehumanizing, immigration continues to be a hot topic. Oftentimes, arguments on immigration focus on economic or social policy. Yet there is another factor that is rarely brought up, the idea of national identity. National identity is the shared sense of belonging and sentiment toward a nation. It is a vital part of fostering community. Yet, it can also be used as a means to exclude individuals. This is particularly true for individuals immigrating into a new country. To understand the significance of national identity, let’s take the example of the United Arab Emirates, a country in which 80 percent of the population
quote worthy
is considered immigrants or expatriates. The U.A.E strives to create a “nationally uniform culture,” a culture that is rooted in Arab, Sunni Muslim tradition. However, about 70 percent of these immigrants come from Asia, believe in a diverse array of religions, and have a limited amount of education. The overwhelming number of expatriates in the country has created a psychological identity threat for Emiratis. The Emirati government has responded to this threat through the use of repressive policy such as a lack of collective bargaining rights and strict language laws toward expatriates. Additionally, the U.A.E. has a policy which favors the employment of Emiratis over expatriates. Policies like these are oppressive and lead to a greater socioeconomic disparity, as seen through the deplorable conditions many of these people live in. Even though the legal process of immigration in the U.S. and the U.A.E. are different, both countries systematically deny and oppress individuals who are viewed as contrary to the national identity. Yet more specifically,
the oppression does not target a single identity but rather an intersection of several identities. People conceptualize identity as a sole trait such as white versus Mexican when in reality it is an intersection of different identities such as social class, gender and education levels. Discrimination against immigrants works within this matrix of identity. When intersections of identity align with the national identity, the more privilege a group has. When these intersections oppose the national identity, the more oppression a group faces. This past spring the U.A.E. deported 400 Shiite families to South Asia. Vague explanations were given for the deportations. Yet one fact was clear, these families had an identity that was different than the accepted national identity. While it may seem like an extreme case of oppression, the U.S. also systematically oppresses certain groups. From low-wages to systematic raids at local businesses, these actions are often targeted at lowincome, minority groups with little education, an identity that is viewed as “anti-American.”
While people may make legal arguments for the acceptance of one practice over the other, at the end of the day governmental policies are hindering people’s daily lives and disempowering certain groups of individuals. This is no longer just an economic, legal or political issue but a human rights dilemma. In our country, “illegal immigrants” are associated with minorities, often Hispanics, who are part of a low social class. When the student body at UC Berkeley deemed the term “illegal immigrant” as offensive, it did not do so as a stance on the issue, but rather as recognition of this association. It doesn’t matter if an individual is legal or not, the term illegal immigrant is used to associate with everything that is considered not “American.” In order to ensure dignity for all individuals who reside in the U.S. boundaries, we must move beyond these labels that oppress certain groups of people and understand how to create a national identity that is truly inclusive of everyone. Ahmad is a senior majoring in human rights and psychology.
cartoon
“I will always love you Brian, as the brother you were ... on and off screen.” —Actor Vin Diesel, remembering his late costar Paul Walker’s character in “Fast and Furious” “Now, when you first become President, one of the questions that people ask you is what’s really going on in Area 51...When I wanted to know, I’d call Shirley MacLaine. I think I just became the first President to ever publicly mention Area 51. How’s that, Shirley?” —President Barack Obama, teasing actress Shirley MacLaine, who claims to have seen several UFOs “I think, and she believes, that the country should spend at least another year working very hard on the problems we have...We have very serious challenges in America, and we have responsibilities around the world. ” —Bill Clinton on wife Hillary’s uncertainty in running for president in 2016
Courtesy of MCT Campus
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SPORTS
TUESDAY n DECEMBER 10, 2013
5
woMen’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
Previewing the Mustangs’ competition over break
The Mob: One body, one purpose
Billy Embody Sports Writer wembody@smu.edu Dec.21 — at North Texas:
The University of North Texas Mean Green are 4-4 on the season at this point and have big losses to ranked teams, Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University. Forward Briesha Wynn leads the way for the Mean Green, averaging 12 points and six rebounds per game. Acheil Tac, a sophomore, is UNT’s leading rebounder, averaging close to nine rebounds per game so watch to see how SMU contains her.
Dec. 29 — at Louisville: The University of Louisville Cardinals are the defending NCAA runner-ups to the University of Connecticut and are off to another strong start at 9-1. Shoni Schimmel leads the team with an average over 13 points per game and 44 assists this year. The Cardinals rebound the ball well as a team, with all five starters grabbing over four rebounds per game.
Jan. 1 — at Cincinnati: The University of Cincinnati Bearcats are 4-4 on the season so far, but SMU will have to contain
top scorers Jeanise Randolph and Dayeesha Hollins; both average over 11 points per game. Hollins and Bianca Quisenberry are solid rebounders, averaging 6.8 and 5.3 respectively. Jan. 4 — vs South Florida:
The University of South Florida Bulls are 5-3 on the season without any major games played so far, but do face Oklahoma State Dec. 14. USF is also SMU’s first game back at Moody Coliseum for the women, so expect the Mustangs to come out with great energy and passion. The Bulls are led by Courtney Williams, who is averaging over 15 points per game while coming off the bench for the majority of the Bull’s games.
Jan. 7 — vs Memphis: The University of Memphis comes to SMU to visit the Mustangs in their third American Athletic Conference game at that point. The Tigers are 4-5 on the season right now and their top scorer by far is Ariel Hearn, who is averaging over 17 points per game while logging over 34 minutes per game. Hearn shoots over 45 percent from three-point range so SMU will have to make sure they close out on Hearn whenever she has the ball from beyond the arc.
Jan. 11 — at Rutgers: The Rutgers University Scarlet Knights are 6-2 on the year as of right now and are playing well, after winning two games in a row. Rutgers will be one of the tougher teams that SMU faces in conference play and due to their balanced scoring. Three of their five starters average over 10 points per game and one player off the bench is averaging over 10 per game as well. The Scarlet Knights’ leading scorer is Kahleah Copper, who is averaging over 16 points per game.
Jan. 14 — at Temple: The 4-2 Temple University Owls have had an up-and-down start to the year, but as the team settles in, SMU will have to be ready for another balanced scoring attack. Four of the five starters average over 10 points per game and Feyonda Fitzgerald is averaging close to 15 points per game. Natasha Thames is another player to watch, who is averaging 12.8 points per game and seven rebounds, but Thames has just as many offensive rebounds as she does on the defensive side so SMU will have to limit her second chance opportunities.
For more SMU sports news and opinions follow @Matt_costalot, @SMUSportsDesk, @Demo36
SMU P ICK S
Stephanie Gentile Contributing Writer sgentile@smu.edu With the excitement following the SMU basketball program and the opening of the new Moody Coliseum this year, students are taking advantage of this enthusiasm to create an official new student group. Today, 150 of the most spirited SMU students making up “The Mob” are eager to support the SMU basketball team as the new Moody Coliseum opens in less than a month. The Mob is the official student spirit group for SMU Athletics. It is named after Head Coach Larry Brown. He is nicknamed “The Godfather” and students are his “Mob.” For $49, SMU students can join The Mob and get all kinds of benefits: premium courtside seating, limited edition T-shirts and giveaways, exclusive private events with Coach Brown and the team, and the first opportunity to obtain post-season tickets. Students can sign up for The Mob by going tosmumustangs. com/TheMob or emailing athletics@smu.edu. “Students have been looking for a way to be more spirited at SMU basketball games and we hope that The Mob gives them that avenue and makes Moody one of the toughest places to play in college for opposing teams,” said Skyler Johnson, director of promotions and game day experience. Students are excited for The Mob to create a community and family, something SMU has not seen before. Ryan Kaul, a senior Mob member, has been a dedicated and passionate SMU basketball fan for the past four years, but this year is different. “It [The Mob] will hopefully build into something that
the university can be proud of,” Kaul said. “It is a way of blurring together all different frats, sororities, nonGreek affiliated and clubs together. This is the beauty of The Mob.” The Mob will make its official debut next month when the newly renovated Moody Coliseum will open, just in time for conference season. Moody Coliseum undertook renovations beginning in August 2012. This $47 million renovation includes a renovated main entry lobby, expanded concourses with raised ceilings, club seats, loge boxes, private suites and group suites, new event space, offices, team locker rooms and meeting space and an expanded volleyball locker room suite. The arena that could previously hold 9,000 fans will now accommodate 7,021. This 2,000-seat decrease is an attempt to completely fill the stadium. Tyler Scott, a senior Mob member, agrees with the decision to minimize the number of seats. “As long as SMU basketball continues to win,” Scott said. “A brand new coliseum with fewer seats will increase demand to go to a game and hopefully become a rowdy packed-house environment, only sparking more enthusiasm in our players to continue to win.” There are 725 tickets for students at each game. A new ticket policy is also being put into effect. This policy requires students to pick-up their complimentary game tickets in advance. This helps to ensure that the seats will be filled on game day in support of studentathletes and a national television audience. Section 112 will be reserved strictly for The Mob. Seating in all other student sections is
available on a first-come, first-served basis. The SMU basketball team agrees that both The Mob and the new Moody will help with its performance. Nic Moore is a redshirt sophomore who transferred here last year from Illinois State University. He sat out last season due to transfer rules, but this season leads the team as point guard. Moore is ready to give SMU students what they have been waiting for. “I just want y’all to come out and support us, y’know Pony Nation, SMU. We are gonna give y’all a show if you ride with us,” said Moore in an interview for Ponyfans.com. The students in The Mob are also expecting a strong performance out of their Mustangs this year. “I am hoping for a solid finish in the American Athletic Conference with a trip to the NCAA Tournament in March,” Scott said. “A winning record, a post season birth in either the NIT or NCAA, and hopefully a strong foundation for years to come,” said Kaul about his expectations for the team. These students think that Brown is a major part of the change and success that will follow the team this season. “Passion, drive, intensity, prestige, awareness. I can go on and on. Larry Brown has been a miracle for SMU as an entire university. He has shown he cares about Dallas and cares about SMU and believes in the future of the Mustangs as winners in all that we do. He has also greatly connected with the student body and inspired more students to be aware of what is occurring with SMU basketball,” Scott said. The countdown has begun: only 26 days until Moody opens Jan. 4 — with The Mob in attendance.
FSU vs. Auburn
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Stanford vs. Mich. St
Okla. St. vs, Mizzou
Clemson vs. Ohio St.
Fresno St. vs. USC
Packers vs. Cowboys
Chargers vs. Broncos
Bengals vs. Steelers
Ravens vs, Lions
overall
Demetrio Teniente
FSU
Alabama
Stanford
Mizzou
Ohio St
USC
Cowboys
Chargers
Bengals
Ravens
73-67
Matthew
Auburn
Roll Tide!
Stanford
Mizzou
Ohio St.
USC
Cowboys
Broncos
Bengals
Ravens
95-45
W. Tucker Keene
Auburn
Alabama
Stanford
Mizzou
Clemson
USC
Cowboys
Broncos
Bengals
Lions
87-53
Christopher Saul
Auburn
Alabama
Mich. St.
Mizzou
Clemson
USC
Packers
Broncos
Steelers
Lions
77-63
Billy Embody
Auburn
Alabama
Mich. St.
Mizzou
Clemson
Fresno St.
Packers
Broncos
Bengals
Lions
76-64
GAME
costa
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Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9. There is no guessing or math involved, just use logic to solve.
Solution: 12/09/13
Across 1 Says "I do" to 5 Harvest bundle 10 Bone below the knee 14 Big name in skin care 15 Sculpture subjects 16 Jay with a column in Popular Mechanics 17 Smokes 19 Speak wildly 20 Dated song 21 Computer repair pros 23 Fizzle out 24 2013 Literature Nobelist Munro 26 Words sighed after a defeat 28 Ice cream maker Joseph 30 Cultural funding gp. 31 Let loose, as pigs 32 Large group 34 Two-time Oscar-winning director Lee 35 Turkish general 38 Pop star 39 Fortuneteller's deck 41 Corp. moneymen 42 Sidewalk eatery 43 Suffix for a school of thought 44 Chopper blades 46 Classic role for Nimoy 48 Highchair protection 49 Be a fink 50 "Zip it!" 52 "Aida," for one 54 Sewn edge 55 Catches in a sting 58 Until now 61 Poor box deposit 63 "Tell me about it" 65 Kennel pest 66 "You've Got Mail" co-screenwriter Ephron 67 Complete failure 68 Civil suit cause 69 Philosophy test component 70 Shade trees Down 1 Home of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame 2 Villainous 3 Sultry stretch 4 Slow mollusk 5 Fr. holy woman 6 Drink with dim sum 7 Art Deco artist 8 "Be there in __" 9 Vacation with worms? 10 Nikon product, for short 11 Destined for one's comeuppance ...
or what the last words of 3-, 9- and 25-Down are doing? 12 Navel type 13 Well-known 18 Queen, in Quebec 22 Additive sold at Pep Boys 25 Slogan on a Boston basketball fan's shirt Solution 27 Flinch, say 28 Long heroic poem 29 Pop, to baby 31 One, for Juan 33 Got some shuteye 34 Pitcher's asset 36 Jewish wedding dance 37 Lead-in for prof. or D.A. 40 Show curiosity 45 More than heavyset 47 Not at home 48 __ and Herzegovina 50 Golf club part 51 Greeting word 53 John who married Pocahontas 56 Top pilots 57 Buds
59 Molecule part 60 Crunch count 62 Used a chair 64 Boxing's Sugar __ Leonard
12/09/2013
36
ARTS
TUESDAY n DECEMBER 10, 2013 profile
Dallas native shares stories with show ‘Oral Fixation’ michelle hammond Associate A&E Editor mhammondtova@smu.edu
Courtesy of Nicole Stewart
Nicole Stewart, creator of show “Oral Fixation” at The MAC.
When Allison Hatfield first started going to “Oral Fixation” at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary museum a year ago, she was only there to support her friend Sara, who was sharing her story for that night’s “Cooking with Gas” show. But it wasn’t long before Hatfield, a 42-year-old Dallas native, became a loyal member of the audience. Every month she would go see the one night only story-telling performance, and every month she would hear Nicole Stewart, the creator of “Oral Fixation,” give an introduction before each show. The introductions always varied depending on the theme of the show, but there was one thing Stewart would always say: “The story tellers go through a very rigorous editing process.” As a bit of a pessimist and a skeptic by nature, Hatfield always had the same reaction. “Really? How rigorous could it actually be? You’re an actress, not an editor…” she would think to herself. Hatfield has been working as managing editor of “Daily Candy,” a web-based fashion, beauty and entertainment publication, for almost nine years. She was confident that if anyone knew a rigorous editing process,
she did. When the time came to submit stories for the theme of last February’s show, “Playing the Field,” Hatfield decided she would give it a try. She felt she needed to reconnect with a part of herself she had silenced over the years, and the fact that she would finally experience this rigorous editing process she had heard so much about for herself was definitely a plus. “So I submit my story… and I realize it’s a freaking rigorous editing process,” Hatfield said, shaking her head as if still in disbelief. Many might find it hard to believe that Stewart, a 34-year-old petite, peppy, Southern redhead would be capable of imposing such an intense process on her storytellers, but those who know her well understand there is so much more to Stewart than meets the eye. “Nicole is one of the most creative, go-getter types I’ve ever met,” Hatfield said. “She will absolutely ask for what she wants and isn’t afraid to hear the word ‘no.’” Stewart attended Northwestern University’s theater department, lived in New York for two years and Los Angeles for six before finally returning to Dallas, her hometown. “It was great,” Stewart said about her travels as a young, aspiring actress. “I felt like I was at the center of everything. Looking back I don’t think I was at the center of much, but I was at least close to people who were at the center of the fields that I was interested in,” she said. It was while living in LA at the age of 26 that Stewart first encountered “Spark Off Rose,” a storytelling show, and immediately fell in love with the idea of storytelling within a community. “Especially in LA where everyone is working so hard to put on a persona...I thought, how revolutionary to have people being real on stage as opposed to acting,” Stewart said. It was something Stewart never
knew existed before, and because she felt her experience in L.A. had not been the most genuine, she felt ready for a certain kind of realness in her life. She became involved in the community and when she moved back home, she was disappointed to see there was nothing like it. However, Stewart’s disappointment was short-lived. Upon realizing there wasn’t a storytelling show in Dallas, she simply decided to take on the challenge of creating one herself. By this time she had already successfully set up her pilates business as a side career, so Stewart fearlessly began to take writing classes, personal non-fiction writing classes and began working with a writing coach to get her new project off the ground. She mentioned the idea to her husband, Anton Schlesinger, who works in marketing, and he was on board and willing to help right away. “I’ve known him my whole life, or, more accurately, his whole life,” Stewart said. Her light blue eyes brighten as she recalls the rare story of how she met her husband.Their parents were friends from the time they were both born and when she was three years old she was taken to his house. They grew up and went their separate ways, reconnected years later and eventually got married and moved back to Dallas. The phrase “It was meant to be” has never seemed more appropriate. Besides her husband, who offered to help with marketing and as well as being co-producer and art director of the show, Stewart received help from Gail Sachson, former chair of the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission. Sachson knew Stewart’s parents, and when she heard of the artistic endeavor she was taking on, she jumped right in and became an unofficial mentor to Stewart. Stewart had always admired The McKinney Avenue Contemporary
and didn’t hesitate to approach it about her project. Even though the show was still without a name, she was able to get a space to perform in. After signing the contract with The MAC, Stewart had just one month to spread the word, name the show and get people to share stories. With the help of her small team, Stewart got the show a Facebook page and a logo, and began to spread the word. Meanwhile, Sachson created the show’s bold name: “Oral Fixation.” “It was obvious after hearing what she was thinking about doing,” Sachson said. “I thought, ‘sexy, serious, welcoming… this is just too tempting its got to be ‘Oral Fixation’.” The first show had an audience of 55, the second show had one of 75 and by the third, “Oral Fixation” had sold out with an audience of 125. After the third performance, “Oral Fixation” sold out every single night it was on. “We all have stories to tell, and Nicole [Stewart] helps us realize their significance, drama and universality,” Sachson said. For each of the monthly “Oral Fixation” performances, there is a different theme, which is always an idiom of Stewart’s choice. “I basically text myself every time I hear someone say an idiom,” Stewart said. “I have this database I’ve created, it’s...like 300 idioms or something, so if everyone loves the show we can basically live on forever.” Evidently, when Stewart wants to make something happen, she will. “Luckily I’m pretty persuasive,” she says smiling. Randy Brooks, a musician from Kentucky who has lived most of his life in Dallas, fell victim to Stewart’s canny gift of persuasion. “She’s tiny but she’s just so confident,” Brooks said. When Stewart first reached
out to him, Brooks, the man who wrote the lyrics to the novelty song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” he didn’t think he had a story to tell. Stewart encouraged him to tell the story of how he came up with the iconic Christmas song and that’s exactly what he did. “It was a little off-putting not knowing someone and having them tell me how to tell my story but she’s always right,” he said. As someone who is certainly not a newcomer to the show business world, Brooks, 65, admires Stewart’s drive to make the show a success. “If at her age I had been trying to direct other people...I think I might have been intimidated but she’s not. She knows exactly where she is going and what she wants,” he said. Paul Scott, a human resources manager at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, shares the same appreciation for Stewart’s commitment. “She’s got the magic formula and she knows what she wants the audience to experience,” Scott said. Scott, 44, participated in the show with the theme “Baby Steps” in season two. He shared a very personal story in which he described a medical procedure he underwent and decided to make the story humorously over the top. Like Hatfield and Brooks, Scott reaches the same verdict when thinking back on his turn at “Oral Fixation.” “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” he said. For Stewart, “Oral Fixation” is the bridge between being an actor and not being an actor. She dedicates countless hours to perfecting the show, from editing with her storytellers to constantly trying to get the show’s name out there and encouraging more people to share their stories. It has become a huge part of her life, and even more so a few months ago, when she decided to share onstage one of the most difficult and devastating moments of her life. When Stewart picked “Bun in
the Oven” as this season’s opening theme for “Oral Fixation,” she was inspired by her own pregnancy at the time. Just a month after deciding on the theme, at 20 weeks pregnant, Stewart discovered her fetus had an abnormality. At 22 weeks, she had to have an abortion. While she was initially tempted to change the theme, Stewart decided to share her story, regardless of the painful turn it had taken. “I just decided that if I can’t be a role model and show my community what I’m really asking people to do then why am I doing it in the first place?” Stewart said. Despite her family’s attempts to talk her out of it, and the fear of what the reactions to the story might be in a place like Dallas, Stewart did it anyway. “I felt like it was a gift for me to be able to let it go in that way,” she said. “It was one of the best nights of my life.” Stewart said the feedback from the audience of 200 that night was more supportive than she was expecting. Some audience members even came up to her after the show and shared similar stories. It’s only been five months since Stewart had the misfortune of losing her baby, but she tells her story with grace and tranquility. “Nicole [Stewart] puts together shows where there’s something for everybody,” Scott said. “Whether you’re there to laugh or work through your own demons, every piece has a moment you can relate to.” After having experienced the show both as an audience member and as a performer, Hatfield believes Stewart has enriched what the Dallas cultural scene has to offer, and said “Oral Fixation” is undoubtedly one of the best nights in Dallas. “She’s a person that surprises you because she’s pretty, she’s sweet and she’s funny, but there’s a lot of depth there that maybe you’re not expecting,” Hatfield said.