The Daily Gamecock 2/17/20

dailygamecock.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Inaccurate records call into question student senate practices ERIN SLOWEY Editor-in-Chief

Members of t he s t udent s en at e h ave eit her been keepi ng i nacc u rate records of meet i ng s or have failed to follow their ow n governing r ules concerning non-elected positions.

P o w e r s a n d responsibilities chairman and uncontested speaker of t he senate ca ndidate J D Jacobu s sa id t he i n ac c u r ac y of t he s e d o c u m e nt s w a s t h e re s u lt of a m i st a ke.

H o w e v e r, m u l t i p l e people have reported d iscrepa ncies i n t he way t heir inter v iews were conducted, specif ically w it h t he number of committee members present during the interviews.

Every person

VOL. 114, NO. 6

SINCE 1908

Victory over Vols

who applies for a senate posit ion or is nom i nated to a position by the student body president is required to interview wit h t he powers a nd re s p on s ibi l it ie s committee, according to Section 2-6-10 and Section 2-7-20 of the St udent Government codes.

“It is a good fa it h system,” speaker pro tempore Brandon Patrick said.

Posit ions approved by t he senate, rat her than voted on by the student body, include the executive cabinet, e xe c ut i v e s t a f f , t he elections commission, compt roller, senator and the constitutional council.

ALYSSA RASP // THE GAMECOCK

ONLINE

Senior forward Maik Kotsar celebrates a win against Tennessee on Saturday with a final score of 63-61. Kotsar had 13 points and eight rebonuds in this in-conference battle. He made four free throws at the end of the game to secure a win for the Gamecocks.

For more coverage of men’s basketball, visit dailygamecock.com

The Resiliency Project aims to support mental health of students TYLER FEDOR News Editor

Col lege is st ressf u l, a nd failure is a part of life. In an effort to support the mental hea lt h of USC st udent s, the universit y has started a series of seminars called The Resiliency Project, an initiative u n i v e r s it y P r e s id e nt B o b Caslen announced in an op-ed published by The State.

“Life is going to happen,” A pr i l S cot t , t he a s so c iate d i re c tor of ment a l he a lt h initiatives, said. “You’re going to continue to hit roadblocks a l o n g t h e w a y. T h a t i s something that’s guaranteed in life.”

T h e R e s i l ie n c y P r o j e c t aims to help students “bounce back” from failure or personal challenges in life. The project will consist of group meetings

SEE SENATE PAGE 3

ALYSSA RASP // THE GAMECOCK

Senator JD Jacobus speaks during the student senate meeting on Feb. 5.

over a period of four weeks, and anyone who reser ves a spot is able to attend. Students can reserve spots through the email sent by student services or on the reservation website.

“You’re learning skills that you’re going to use for t he rest of your life,” Scott said.

“We’re really addressing the prevention and the overall wellbeing side of mental health.”

Fou r t h-ye a r p s yc holog y

student Alia Pease attended the first Resiliency Project meeting Feb. 3. Pease said the meeting was a “very open conversation.”

“They openly asked for any dialogue that we gave, asked u s to sh a re wh at we were comfortable sharing,” Pease said. “If we weren’t comfortable sharing, we didn’t have to.

They didn’t push us. It was just a very SEE RESILIENCY PAGE 4

GRAPHIC BY MORGAN WAGNER// THE GAMECOCK

CIVIL RIGHTS SERIES

Chief diversity officer John Dozier advances inclusion on campus

INSIDE

For med f rom a cou nc i l of pa s sionate fac u lt y work i ng to make students feel more welcome, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion serves as an integral part of campus today.

The committee w a s f i r s t i nt r o d u c e d b y for mer u n i ver s it y President Harris Past ides i n 2010 w it h faculty members joining on a volunteer basis. In 2013, the committee and Pastides recommended there be a specific person to lead diversity efforts at the university.

Joh n Dozier was brought to the university as a consultant before being promoted to the inaugural chief diversity officer.

“In this role as chief d iver sit y of f icer, I ’m able to do the work that changes hearts,” Dozier said.

able to do “theI’mwork that

“

CHLOE BARLOW News Writer

changes hearts.

The initial committee still stands today, but in a different form. Now called the President’s Diversity

and Inclusion Advisory C om m it tee , it work s to ensure “all members o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y ’s community feel that they are welcomed, valued and supported” and is headed by a faculty chair.

“T he composit ion of t hat com m it tee today is largely people who a re responsible for or con nected to student, faculty or staff o r g a n i z at io n s w h e r e d iver sit y, equ it y a nd inclusion is some central part of their mission,” Dozier said.

SEE DOZIER PAGE 4

Christina Lappin swims through adversity ALYSSA RASP // THE GAMECOCK

CAM ADAMS Sports Writer Athletes often talk about the heart it takes to succeed at their sport, but for senior swimmer Christina Lappin, it was her heart that provided the greatest obstacle.

Lappin, an Iron Station, North Carolina, native, has been diagnosed with many heart conditions, having undergone five heart procedures since the age of 12.

The first of these was WPW, or

The plot of “Birds of Prey” is nothing special, but its action, captivating visuals and good performances make for a fun watch.

Page 6

SEE LAPPIN

Carmen Mlodzinski is ready to pitch for Gamecock baseball this season.

LAWSON ESTRIDGE // THE GAMECOCK

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PAGE 12

OPINION

Sports

A&C

ILLUSTRATION BY PARKER KNIGHT // THE GAMECOCK

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which is when “an extra electrical pathway between your heart’s upper and lower chambers causes a rapid heartbeat,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

“I kind of passed out in church one day, and so I went to the hospital, and they told me I had that,” Lappin said.

“Found out I had to have surgery kind of immediately because it can be deadly.”

ZACHARY MCKINLEY // THE GAMECOCK

Music directly affects our mood, so we should be intentional with what we listen to.

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2 NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: What issues do you think Student Government should tackle?

—compiled by Robbie Greenwald “I live in Columbia Hall, and the biggest thing, I don’t know if St udent G overnment does that, but washers. Washers and dryers are a big thing that are always a struggle. That’s just something that has always been a struggle since the beginning of the semester. ‘Cause we have 500 people, and sometimes we only have 4 washers available for 500 people.”

—Jeremy McBurney, thirdyear sport and entertainment management student

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“Diversity, I guess. You don’t see a lot of — not to sound racist or anything — you don’t see a lot of groups mixing, and ethnic groups, at that. You see a lot of people singled out, or they’ll go with their own kind, and it shouldn’t be like that because it’s 2020. It’s my opinion. I think they should bring everyone together in a community.”

—Lyric Moses, third-year criminal justice student

The Daily Gamecock @thegamecock @TDG_arts @TDG_sports @dailygamecock

“I think they do a pretty good job of diversit y and inclusion, but probably a little more of that ... Maybe focus on more outside activities. We did the club fair on Greene Street, but we only did that once.”

—Mia Green, second-year public relations student

Mental Health Hotlines 24-Hour Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255 USCPD: 803-777-4215 Columbia Area Mental Health Center: 803-898-4800 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 The Trevor Lifeline (for LGBTQ individuals): 1-866-488-7836

“I guess better facilities, I don’t know. I think Capstone has mold, and I don’t think anyone does anything about it.”

—Sam Swisher, first-year biochemistry student

Taking Care of Yourself If you are thinking of ending your life or hurting yourself, there is hope.

Things can get better. Tell someone who can help.

Call Counseling and Psychiatry at 803-777-5223.

Reach out to the people closest to you. It may feel as if there is no one available, but you are not alone. You have people who love and care for you. Reach out to them. If you believe you cannot talk to your parents, find someone else: a relative, a roommate, a friend, a professor, an adviser or a mentor.

HELPING SOMEONE ELSE Students in emotional distress are more likely to approach friends before they speak with a professional. If a friend sends out signs of distress, either in person or via social media, take it seriously and follow up with them.

If someone makes comments about suicide, find the person help as soon as possible. Don’t leave the person alone if possible and offer hope.

“I think they should focus more on the activities on campus and getting students more engaged on campus. I feel like there isn’t a lot going on. Some things are going on, but not as much as they should.”

—Faisal Aldajani, second-year chemical engineering student

“ I t h i n k t he y shou ld foc u s on quicker lines in the Chick-fil-A line at Russell House, ‘cause I’m late for class sometimes.”

—Kyle LaMay, second-year sport and entertainment management student

NEWS 3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020 FROM SENATE PAGE 1

Some duties of these positions include passing legislat ion, programming, ensuring fair elections and allocating the $185,367 in funds made available to all student organizations.

These are the primary responsibilities of Student Government as a whole.

The main role of the powers and responsibilities committee is to conduct interviews and the consideration process for vacant senate seats and positions nom i n at e d b y t he s t ude nt b o d y president.

T he power s com m it tee c a n not conduct interviews unless four members of the committee are present, according to Section 2-3-200 of the codes.

According to a cabinet member and two former senators who interviewed with the powers and responsibilities committee, there were less than four committee members participating in their interviews. But the attendance on the meeting minutes for these interviews states there were four people present in each case.

Jacobus said he does not understand why interviewees stated there were fewer than four people in the interview.

“I would not risk my job for anyone,” Jacobus said. “I would not ever put myself in that position to be impeached … I would never risk that. I respect my job too much.”

Patrick Ellis, who was speaker of the student senate for the 2018-2019 school year, applied for a senate seat in May 2019.

“Everyone must receive an interview,” Ellis said. “In my sophomore year, we had 108 applications in one week, and we had to interview every one of them.”

During the application process on Aug. 28, Ellis’ name was read by the clerk at a senate meeting, along with the names of others applying for positions.

This practice is known as being “read across the desk,” and it is the first step for a candidate to be considered for a senate position.

After Ellis was read across the desk, Jacobus texted Ellis asking if he “had come to [his] senses” about applying for senate.

Everyone who applies for a senate position is read across the desk at the

(From left) Senators Dylan Butler, Brandon Patrick and Morgan McDonald speak in front of the student senate during a meeting Feb. 12.

next meeting then is referred to the powers and responsibilities committee for an interview, according to Section 2-7-10 of the codes.

“I told him I still wanted the interview.

He told me that, ‘Okay, you can have your interview on Sunday, Sept. 8,’ which would have been after the next senate session,” Ellis said. “I told him the codes dictated that I get one within a week and then I wanted my interview before the fourth if at all possible. He said, he basically said no. He said, ‘I disagree with your interpretation.’”

Speaker of the Student Senate Davis Latham said the codes are not clear, and there is a bill to replace chapter two of the Student Government codes to elim inate conf usion about t he interviewing process.

Ellis’ interview with the powers and judiciary committees was scheduled for Sept. 8.

On Sept. 4, Jacobus texted Ellis “are you positive you want an interview, you know, I’m going to vote unfavorably personally.”

“What I meant by that was Patrick, like, I’m a good friend of yours,” Jacobus said. “I would appreciate it if you listen to my advice. I didn’t say that my whole committee would unanimously find him

unfavorable ... I imagine if he had done the interview, he probably would have been found favorable, to be honest.”

On the day of his scheduled interview, Ellis was nominated to be elections commissioner, so he withdrew his application for the senate seat, and his interview for that position never took place. He interviewed with the powers and responsibilities committee and the judiciary committee for elections commissioner on Sept. 29, where he was found unfavorable by both committees.

The powers and responsibilit ies minutes show that Jacobus, his vicechair Emma Scott and senator Katherine Zeller voted on Ellis’ suitability for the elections commissioner position.

However, a memorandum discussing Ellis’ favorability sent to Latham states Jacobus, Scott, Zeller and Michelle Long voted on Ellis’ favorability.

Jacobus said the discrepancy between the minutes and the memo is due to Scott. He said Long called into the interview.

Scott and Long were contacted over the weekend and have yet to respond.

“I would say the purpose of the minutes is to know how we voted as a committee and how the interviews went,” Jacobus said. “Chairman Scott definitely

EMILY FAST // THE GAMECOCK

shou ld have put Michelle on there because she did contribute entire time to the interviews.

I would say that’s her mistake.”

Ellis said he was not aware of anyone attending the meeting by phone.

T he co de s do not sp ec i f y i f a committee member can call into an interview to meet the required minimum of attendees.

Lat ha m sa id t he i nter v iew was conducted correctly, though he was not present.

“I promise the committee did [the Ellis interview] independently with Paul, the attorney general, present in the room,” Latham said.

The attorney general is a non-voting member of the judiciary committee.

The judiciar y committee conducts interviews for positions that relate to “judicial matters,” such as the elections commission and constitutional council.

According to attorney general Paul Schwarzentraub, he did not attend Ellis’ interview.

On Feb. 4, Ellis was nominated for a general elections commission position but was found to be an unfavorable candidate after being unable to schedule an interview.

—Meghan Crum contributed to the reporting of this article

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4 NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

FROM DOZIER PAGE 1

Dozier moved into education about 18 years ago after a career in the private sector.

“I knew that I wanted to be committed to ensuring that there is as broad of access as there could possibly be to highquality education and education support services that can be provided,” Dozier said.

His work in high education started in Chicago, where he served in roles such as vice president for academic and student affairs, and eventually president in the Chicago community college system.

Dozier made his way back to his hometown of Columbia, where he was presented with the position of chief diversity officer.

The most astonishing reaction to this news was his grandmother’s, who had a complicated relationship with the school.

Dozier’s grandmother attended school at Booker T. Washington High School in the 1940s and would cut through USC’s campus as a shortcut.

“She said, most frequently, they had to walk around campus as opposed to walking straight through campus to get to high school because of the threat of either verbal or physical assault that they would receive from students,” Dozier said.

Dozier’s grandmother was surprised at his acceptance of the position at USC, a place where she said she didn’t feel safe.

“It’s also not lost on me the fact that

FROM RESILIENCY PAGE 1

friendly conversation with a few skill learning along the way.”

K i r sten K en ned y, associate vice president for student housi ng a nd wellb e i n g, s a id d e s p it e t he a r ray of ment a l health programs and i n it i at i ve s at US C , t he y m ight not be reaching enough people.

ALYSSA RASP // THE GAMECOCK

John Dozier speaks onstage about what diversity means to him at a town hall meeting in the Russell House Theater Feb. 7. Dozier serves as the chief diversity officer at USC, but he will be moving to a position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology..

I am doing the work to help create conditions that she would never have experienced, creating conditions where people feel a sense of belonging and never fear the verbal or physical assault that might come merely from someone’s identity,” Dozier said.

Today, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has tack led a number of issues facing USC’s campus, including introducing markers noting the use of slave labor in not only the construction of the school, but also in the school’s overall success.

The office has created a framework for ensuring the practical application of diversity and inclusion throughout t o d a y ’s c a m p u s : “c o m p o s i t i o n , ach ievement , engagement a nd inclusion.”

“I’m not sure the net is cast w ide enough, given t he number of st udent s t h at I feel are being impacted by that,” Kennedy said.

According to a 2018 s t ud y f rom SU N YBuf falo from t he Nat ional A lliance of Ment a l I l l ne s s , t he base national college attrition rate, or the nu mb er of st udent s who drop out before f i n ish i ng college, i s 2 7% . Fo r t h o s e suffering from a

ment a l i l l ne s s, it is 64%.

A s of Feb. 14, t he current enrollment for The Resiliency Project is 14 reservations for t he ma i n ser ies a nd 33 in at tendance for the smaller 30-minute meetings led by resident mentors. “ We ’r e h o p i n g t hat people w il l get somet hing out of it, and t hen, like, form a small communit y,” Rebecca Caldwell, the director of st rateg ic

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Composition and achievement relate to the demographics of the university and how those demographics perform, comparatively. This is measured by graduation and retention rates for students. For faculty and staff, there are other factors considered, such as promotion, tenure and salary.

E ng agement a nd i nclu sion a re measured by campus climate surveys, which began in 2018, and the bias complaint process.

Another way students can get engaged with the university’s administration is through monthly “Dive-In” lunches, where students are invited to voice their opinions about the university to senior administration officials.

Dozier said the idea that the university has to continue to work towards diversity

healt h i n it iat ives i n St udent Hea lt h Ser v ice s, sa id. “ We really looked at the idea of really connect ing with others, is one of the big outcomes.”

W he n it c a m e t o getting the word out about t he project, C a ld w e l l s a id , “ w e did heav ily focus on residential students.”

She sa id t he y sent out a n e m a i l t o a l l re sident ia l st udent s based on st udent responses to t he fall freshman survey.

Going for ward, C a ld wel l s a id word of mouth from part icipants and interacting with other organizat ions in t he university would help ex pand t he project’s presence on campus.

To “c a s t a w i d e r net,” Kennedy worked with universit y hou si ng to put t h is project, and the idea of resi l ience, at t he forefront of students’ minds, starting with the freshmen who will be living on campus.

“We kind of have a captive audience with f irst-year st udent s,” Kennedy said. “We’ll be shifting the programming model to have t hat inf used i nto t he re sidence h a l l s , ab out f a i l i ng forward and learning how to fail and what are your coping

is “unequivocal.”

“I don’t think that diversity, equity and inclusion is a destination. I mean, it’s a constant journey,” Dozier said.

The chief diversity officer currently repor t s to t he provost. However, u niversit y President Bob Caslen’s adm in ist rat ion recent ly made t he decision to promote the position to a vice president role reporting directly to the president.

“It’s an important elevation,” Dozier said. “I think that a large part of it speaks to symbolism. But another part of it also speaks to, again, having a direct voice with the president and making sure that the president’s vision around diversity, equity and inclusion is being exhibited through the work done by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.”

Dozier, however, decided to resign from the role and has since accepted a position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A search is currently being conducted for the new vice president position.

The University of South Carolina will always be on his mind, though.

“W hen I t h ink about t he work around being a chief diversity officer, and I think about, again, the broad experiences that I’ve had in higher education, I think it’s those experiences that have truly prepared me for doing this work,” Dozier said. “I feel very strongly that this work is maybe the most significant work of all of those roles that I’ve had in higher education.”

st rateg ies when you fail.”

The Resiliency Project tries to build sk i l ls i n st udent s, ranging from coping met hods such as a g rat it ude jou r nal to reframing past failures.

“We’ll think about, when you get in those high-stress situations, what coping skill can you use, are t here some t hought s t h at run through your head automat ica l ly t hat really are harmful, and how can we repurpose those,” Caldwell said.

C a ld wel l s a id t he goal of these different methods was creating a n “i m mu ne s y stem for life” and being able to realize that failure is a part of life. “ Wo u l d y o u b e w i l l i n g t o p o s s ib l y accept that this experience that you’re hav i ng, t h is ha rd break-up or this class t hat look s like right now you got a C average in, that that’s a human experience?”

Caldwell said.

According to Scott, resiliency is not just a trait needed for times of crisis, either. Scott said it’s important to know these skills can be used whenever to b et ter one’s ment a l health.

“I think oftentimes st udent s — not just

st udent s, people, conflate mental health a nd me nt a l i l l ne s s .

They only think about t hei r ment a l hea lt h i n t imes of cr isis, whereas resilience is a l ifelong sk i l l t hat y ou c a n i mple me nt at any stage. So when things are going well, you ca n st il l ut il ize these skills so that you can continue to have t h is posit ive ment al health,” Scott said.

Caldwell said besides b e i n g ac ade m ic a l l y successf u l, st udent s should also be “satisfied and feeling whole a s a per son,” a nd s he w a nt s t h at to be a key takeaway from The Resiliency Project.

“So for folk s to really come away from it feeling more con f ident i n t hei r own abilit y to grow; maybe more confident i n recog n izi ng t he s t r e n g t h t he y h a v e inside and how to do it , to [ be] k i nder to themselves,” Caldwell said.

Resilienc y Project meetings are 7 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays in Sims Classroom 118, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays in Capstone Keystone Room a nd 2 to 3:30 p.m. T hu r sday s i n Pre ston Re sident ia l College Classroom.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

ARTS & CULTURE 5

CAROLINA

CULTURE MOVIE OF THE WEEK: “Dolittle” R o b e r t D o w ne y Jr. s t a r s i n “Dolittle,” a film to help relive your childhood. Similar to the original “Doctor Dolittle,’’ released in 1998, this 2020 version focuses on a physician who has the ability to talk to animals. In the 2020 remake, Dr. John Dolittle sets off to a faraway island with his furry companions on a mission to find a cure for England’s Queen Victoria.

This adventurous film is fun for the whole family. “Dolittle’’ came to theaters on Jan. 17.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: “Mystic Familiar” by Dan Deacon Dan Deacon’s first full album in five years dropped Jan. 31. This 11-track album is instrumentheavy and includes the sounds of saxophones, pianos, synthesizers and more. The album’s electroindie-pop blend is perfect to add to your study playlist, and the myst ical beats are t he perfect d iversion f rom t he t y pica l songs that usually dominate the billboards.

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Some Kind of Disaster” by All Time Low All Time Low presented its loyal fan base with multiple teasers in the weeks before the drop of the new single on Jan. 21. It’s even rumored that this single is the foreshadowing of a future fulllength album. Regardless, the dark lyrics and melodic tune All Time Low creates are the perfect recipe for an alternative-pop hit.

TWEET OF THE WEEK:

How ma ny safar i t abs do you have open on your phone rn be honest

COURTESY OF DANIELLA SMITH

USC student turns crocheting hobby into business at Soda City IAN ROBINSON Arts & Culture Writer A fourt h-year market ing and supply cha i n st udent at USC , Da n iel la Sm it h e x pa nded her hobby of crocheting into a small business by selling her handmade items at a st a nd at Soda Cit y, which happens every Saturday on Main Street.

Similar to knitting, crocheting t ransforms yarn into garments and other accessories but uses one needle and loops the yarn onto a hook , wh ich holds t he piece together. Smith’s grandmother, or “abuelita,” as Smith calls her, taught her how to crochet when she was 7 years old.

“I would get frustrated with it, put it in the box and put it up on the top of the shelf in my closet, but there was something that just always would attract me to that box,” Smith said.

In middle school, Smith said she saw her older cousin crocheting, which inspired her to try her hand at crochet again in order to learn how to be as good as her cousin

and create the same crafts.

Taught by her grandmother and inspired by her cousin, crocheting was a hobby Smith shared with her family. Smith soon began to share her creations with others; she said her first customer was her sixt h grade g y m teacher. A f ter that, her mother encouraged her to sell her items at a local market

“

T he most rewarding thing is not the money; it’s the satisfaction of seeing other people - like, they’re super excited to buy a product of mine.”

in her hometown of Aiken, South Carolina.

Smith said she always wanted t o w o r k S o d a C it y, a n d l a s t seme ster, she wa s f i na l ly able to set ever y t h i ng up, wh ich

included finding the time between c l a s s work a nd obt a i n i n g t wo licenses.

“The most rewarding thing is not the money; it’s the satisfaction of seeing ot her people — like, t hey ’re super excited to buy a product of mine,” Smith said.

Smith took part in her first Soda Cit y market i n November a nd said it was “awesome.” She has done two markets since then and plans on doing more later t his year, though recent bad weather has kept her from going.

W it h hot ter weat her come s unique challenges for crocheting.

Smith said some of her favorite t h ings to crochet are hat s and inf in it y scar fs, wh ich are successful in the fall and winter but not so much in the spring and summer heat of South Carolina.

To better fit the weather, Smith said she will be trying out market bags and face scrubs made out of cotton.

Although she will still continue to crochet the basics, the bottom line is that she loves her hobby.

“This has always been something I’m passionate about,” Smith said.

Fern Studio Flowers launches daily flower service, flower bar SAVANNAH TRANTER Arts & Culture Writer

—@dereksteez

EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Paint Nite: Design a Sign Vista Union Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.

The Dating Game with Mike Johnson from “The Bachelorette” Russell House Ballroom Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

T h u r s d ay A f te r D a r k : Hypnotist Josh McVicar Russell House Ballroom Feb. 20 at 10 p.m.

Zoso - The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience The Senate Feb. 22 at 8:30 p.m.

—compiled by Ashlee Gainey

A s f lorist shop Fern Studio Flowers celebrates 10 years of business this year, it is extending its branches into daily f lower orders af ter p r i m a r i l y c at e r i n g to weddings and events.

Located on Devine Street, the shop offers a peaceful oasis of f lowers, blooms, leaves and thriving greenery in the busy Columbia landscape.

W hile f lorist shops are often thought of as sacred ground for those planning a wedding or special occasions, many people purchase flowers to brighten up their homes.

Sarah Shell, the owner of Fern and a floral designer, said the people of Columbia let her know they wanted Fern to be available to the general public.

“I got calls, probably close to daily, of people wanting us to be able to deliver our sort of artisan, designer flowers because we just had such a different look,” Shell said.

Ashley Thigpen, one of the floral designers at Fern, said opening up its services to the public has been a constant demand from customers.

“It’s been a long time coming. We’re really excited for it, and that’s where people can come in, order 24 hours in advance some days,” Thigpen said. “We’ll have a stem bar featuring really fun stuff that you can’t find anywhere else, and then sometimes local blooms when they’re in season.”

To accommodate for the public’s interest in custom, daily flowers, Fern launched its “flower bar” just under a month ago. The flower bar, or stem bar, happens every Thursday and welcomes anyone inside to order a single flower, build their own bouquet or have the designers build a bouquet around a particular vase.

“It’s a great way for people to come and to look and, you know, buy one thing, or come and meet us and hang out for a little bit,” Thigpen said.

As Fern focuses on listening to what customers

ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE FRAZER // THE GAMECOCK

want, it is also attempting to master the art of online ordering and added an option for customers to order directly from its Instagram.

“We have really tried to streamline our website and online shop to make it very easy for our customers to purchase flowers online,” Shell said.

Described as a marketing maneuver and a way to impact the community, Fern has started decorating art installments and statues around town with “flower flashes.”

“A lot of what we want to do is connection with our community,” Shell said. “So far, we have had a really good response to it, and the public has been really excited.”

Thigpen said Fern wants to showcase the art around Columbia.

“We picked, like, the statue in Five Points we wanted to show because it’s new and not a lot of people notice it, and it was done by a local artist in Shandon,” Thigpen said.

“We kind of pick stuff like that, that we wanted people to go to; it was easily accessible for people to walk around.”

Fern Studio Flowers is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

6 ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Review: ‘Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey’ a fun watch despite flaws SEBASTIAN LEE Arts & Culture Writer

“Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey” Release Date: Feb. 7, 2020 Director: Cathy Yang Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes Genre: Action

B-

“Bi rd s of Pre y,” w it h g reat ac t ion, g reat v isua ls a nd a st rong lead per for ma nce, is a surprisingly fun film even with its many flaws.

“Birds of Prey” acts as a quasisequel to 2016’s “Suicide Squad” in the sense that Margot Robbie is play ing t he same version of Harley Quinn and the events of that f ilm still happened in the story of this film. However, the film does what it can to distance itself from “Suicide Squad” by ne ver d i rec t ly show i ng Ja red Leto’s Joker and only mentioning the events of “Suicide Squad” in passing. It’s a very smart move.

With that, the plot starts with Quinn and t he Joker break ing up, making Quinn an emotional train wreck.

Seeing Qu in n deal w it h t he break-up is one of t he best — and most realistic — parts of the film. The film shows her sobbing, impulse buying pets and drinking her pain away at the seedy bars of Gotham.

These parts of the movie really show how perfect Robbie is for t he role. Her m a n ner i sm s a s Quinn feel st raight out of t he source material.

Besides Robbie, Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask is a lot of fun to watch despite his lack of character development.

Bl ac k M a s k i s w r it t e n a s a dastardly villain, the k ind that peels people’s faces off for the f un of it. However, McGregor is hav ing so much f un play ing him and hamming up t he wickedness of the character that

it’s impossible not to enjoy any scene he’s in.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast doesn’t get much screen t i me , a nd when t he y do, t he scenes without Quinn or Black Mask are uninteresting. The only other character that really stands out is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, but again, she doesn’t get much screen time.

It’s odd t hat a mov ie named “Birds of Prey” is more focused on Quinn than the actual Birds of Prey. Interestingly, the film has been renamed since release to “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey,” which is much more apt.

T he plot of t he mov ie isn’t anything special. The characters all have a limited time to obtain a particular item, which inevitably c a u s e s t h e m t o c r o s s p at h s .

Though, to be fair, the plot isn’t the reason anyone should watch this film.

De spite t he st a nda rd stor y, some of the themes of the movie are done very well. The overall theme of female empowerment is particularly good, especially when consider i ng it’s a com ic book movie.

The f ilm’s best decision was to h i re t he f ight c hor e o g r ap he r from the “John Wick” films, Jonathan Eusebio.

T h e f i g h t scenes i n this film are f un to watch. They’re b r i g ht , c olo r f u l a nd b omb a st ic , but they’re not hard to watch,

and it’s easy to tell what’s going on. The final fight, which takes place in a funhouse with Quinn on roller skates, accented with Heart’s “Barracuda,” is one of the best f ight scenes from any DC movie.

W it h t he br ight color s a nd over a l l z a n i ne s s , t he f i l m i s captivating. It even has a scene w it h a n e g g s a nd w ic h b e i n g cooked that contains such detail t hat it cou ld r iva l somet h i ng out of t he Food Net work.

That scene would truly be something mesmerizing under the influence.

“Birds of Prey” cer t a i n ly has it s flaws, but it is still a fun watch that’s hard not to enjoy.

ILLUSTRATION BY VANESSA PURPURA // THE GAMECOCK

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ARTS & CULTURE 7

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Fitz and The Tantrums rock The Senate LILY SHAHIDA AND MADISON POINDEXTER Arts & Culture Editors

Fitz and The Tantrums brought their “All the Feels” winter tour to The Senate Feb. 11. The tour showcases the band’s fourth studio album in addition to older songs, such as “HandClap” and “Out of My League.” Their most recent album, “All the Feels,” lives up to its name with upbeat songs that are about love, self-confidence and facing your darkest days.

Lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick formed the band in L.A. in 2008, originally as a neo-soul group. The band transitioned to their indie-pop sound with their second and thirds albums, “More Than Just a Dream” and “Fitz and The Tantrums,” respectively.

The group is on the road with alternativeindie trio, Twin XL. Columbia was the fourth stop on their winter tour, which ends March 13 in Ventura, California.

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ILLUSTRATION BY VANESSA PURPURA // THE GAMECOCK

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8 ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

The Cocky Chronicles

WRITTEN BY JOSHUA MATTHEWS AND SEBASTIAN LEE ILLUSTRATED BY STEPHANIE ALLEN

The “my love life is epic enough so I need a method with no drama” birth control.

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SPORTS 9

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Carmen Mlodzinksi to ‘set the tone’ for season, Kingston says

HANNAH WADE // THE GAMECOCK

Junior Carmen Mlodzinski pitches during a game against Utah Valley in the 2019 season at Founders Park. The Gamecocks defeated the Wolverines 15-3 and finished the season 28-28 overall.

NATE SHIRLEY Sports Writer

R

edsh i r t sophomore r ight-ha nded pitcher Carmen M lodzinsk i opened up the 2020 baseball season wit h last weekend’s series against Holy Cross. Head coach Mark K ingston said in a press conference t hat he is look ing for M lodz i nsk i to “set t he tone” for t he ser ies and season.

K ingston spoke of t he excitement reg a rd i ng open i ng day, st at i ng t hat to a ny lover of baseball, “those are magical words.”

Mlodzinsk i, though, does not feel any added pressure, as it’s “just another game.”

W hile he did gain pitching experience as a Gamecock during his true freshman season, last season was abr upt ly ended by a foot injur y early on. He was shut down and given

a medical redshirt for t he season. However, he did receive the opening day start.

Follow ing his recover y, Carmen spent his su m mer pitch ing in t he Cape Cod Baseball Leag ue for the Falmouth Commodores. The Cape Cod Baseball Leag ue is one of several prem ier i nv ite -ba sed s u m mer leag ue s t h at feat u re t he top amateu r baseball players i n the world.

D e s p it e b e i n g u n a b l e t o p it c h t h e v a s t majorit y of last season, M lodzinsk i pitched well during his time with the Commodores.

Throughout six appearances, he racked up t wo wins without recording a loss and added a save to that total. He also f inished with an ER A of 2.15 and only gave up 15 hits in 29.1 total innings pitched.

“He dominated,” K ingston said.

Due to his incredibly strong showing over t he su m mer, M lodzi nsk i has shot up Major Leag ue Baseball team’s draft boards.

Fangraphs.com ranks him as the 29th best

d raf t-el ig ible prospec t for 2020. Draf t site. c om pred ic t s t h at he w i l l b e d r a f t ed 10 t h overa l l by t he Los A ngeles A ngels i n 2020 wh i le Dia mondd ige st .com h a s h i m f a l l i ng one spot to the Chicago W hite Sox at 11th.

W hile his t ime in t he Cape Cod Baseball Leag ue def initely helped him gain a national spot light, K ingston also believes t he experience he gained was “ver y, ver y key” to his development and that his conf idence is at an “all-time high.”

His play throughout the summer cemented h is st at u s a s a leg it i mate f i r st-rou nd M LB prospect heading into his redshirt sophomore season despite on ly pitch ing a total of 10.2 innings last season for the Gamecocks.

The nex t ser ies of t he season has t he G a me c o c k s t a k i ng on Nor t hwe s t er n f rom Feb. 21 to 23 at home w it h t he f i r st g a me starting at 4 p.m.

Assistant coaches leave South Carolina football program PAIGE DAVOREN Sports Writer

Following a 2019 season that was full of ups and downs for the South Carolina football program, coaches Thomas Brown and John Scott Jr. are leaving Columbia after just one season to continue their careers elsewhere.

Their depar t u res come at a transitional time for the Gamecocks.

In the offseason so far, the program has introduced Mike Bobo, formerly a coach at Colorado State and the new offensive coordinator, and Paul Jackson, the new strength and conditioning coach. Joe Cox, a former Georgia quarterback, left Colorado State with Bobo and was hired to coach South Carolina’s tight ends.

Former Gamecock quarterback Connor Shaw also joined the staff, taking over

for Marcus Lattimore as the director of player development.

Brown, who is leaving the running backs coach position at South Carolina, landed his first NFL gig as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams, replacing Skip Peete.

“I remember playing against him when he was the top recruit in the country,” Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said in an introductory press conference. “He was a really good football player and you can see why he’s seamlessly transitioned to become a really good football coach.”

Brown will join Todd Gurley, a player he became close with despite Gurley leaving just a year before Brown joined Georgia’s staff. During his time at Georgia, Brown coached Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, Division I football running backs.

B r o w n p l a y e d a v it a l p a r t i n recruitment for Gamecock football’s 2020 freshman class, as he was named a Rivals Top-25 recruiter. Five-star recruit Marshawn Lloyd, four-star junior college standout ZaQuandre White and three-star prospect Rashad Amos were all secured by Brown.

Scott Jr., who is leaving the defensive line coach position after just one season, will be moving on to become Penn State’s defensive line coach. Prior to coaching at South Carolina, he coached for the Arkansas Razorbacks and the New York Jets.

Scott Jr. will be joining Brent Pry, his defensive coordinator, during his playing time at Western Carolina, and will replace Sean Spencer, who took a job with the New York Giants in the NFL. “I have known Coach Pry for more than 20 years as a player, graduate

assistant and position coach, and he has definitely had an impact on my career,” Scott Jr. told WLTX19. “I can’t wait to get rolling with the defensive line and continue to build on the tradition they have established.”

Scott Jr.’s previous position with the Gamecocks has been filled by Tracy Rocker, the former defensive line coach for the Tennessee Volunteers.

“Tracy has great experience playing and coaching in t he Sout heastern Conference,” South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp told Gamecocks Online. “I’ve tried to hire him before and am glad we were finally able to get him to Columbia and be a Gamecock.

He’s had great success in this league in developing defensive linemen and has coached a lot of guys who have played in the NFL, which is the goal for many of our players.”

INFOGRAPHIC BY ALEX FINGER // THE GAMECOCK

10 SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Third-year student Sam Silber named production assistant for Super Bowl 54 MICHAEL SAULS Assistant Sports Editor

W hat 20 -yea r-old Sa m Silber t hought wa s a job shadow i ng opportunity turned into a big-time job offer on one of sports’ biggest stages: the Super Bowl.

After receiving an opportunit y to sh adow profe s sion a l s i n t he op er at ion s dep a r t ment for t he Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, the third-year sports and entertainment management st udent worked her way i nto a produc t ion assist a nt p o sit ion for K reate Event s , a n event management and hospitality company that works with the NFL. I n order to get t he i n it ia l shadow ing posit ion, Silber interviewed with Scott Paul, vice president and executive director of stadium operations for the Carolina Panthers.

“I suggested a non-ga me day, ‘cause I wa nted to get t he work experience and didn’t want to come off like I was trying to get tickets to a game, ‘cause that’s not, that doesn’t look good. A nd he was like, ‘No, you’re going to come shadow at the Buccaneers game,” Silber said.

Si lber sa id Pau l put her i n cont ac t w it h t he d i rec tor of stadium operat ions. From t here, she shadowed t he head of ever y department in stadium operations, i nclud i ng sponsorsh ip, g uest relations, security and the control room. She was inv ited back to a second game, when a situation arose in which certain VIPs couldn’t get t heir t ickets, so Silber delivered the tickets to the VIPs outside the stadium.

Silber’s supervisors were surprised by this, she said. “ T he y ’re l i ke , ‘ W hy a re you working? Like, you don’t work here.

That’s way too much. You don’t have

to do that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, well, who’s going to do it?’ and then they start freaking out. They’re like, ‘We should hire you,’ going off, like, freak ing out that the ‘shadow’ is helping,” Silber said.

Silber kept in touch af ter shadowing the game and continued to foster the relationships she had built, and eventually was invited to work guest relations game days for the season. However, when Silber a r r ived for t r a i n i ng, she learned she had been named to a managerial position on the Panthers guest relations staff.

W h i le work i ng for t he Panthers, she put on an event with Leah Linke, senior vice president of Kreate Events.

Linke reached out to Silber to set up a phone call, Silber said.

“I had talked to her about USC . I t hought t hat she wanted her son to transfer into sport management, and I’m a student mentor, so I was all on board for t hat phone call. That’s what I totally thought it was,” Silber said. “I get on the phone with her, and she invites me out to be her production assistant for the Super Bowl.”

Li n ke i nv ited Silber to Miami and told her to create her ow n team of t h ree production assistants and 10 volunteer students.

Of t he “four major hospitality parties” during t he Super Bowl, Silber and her team were placed in charge of t he Legends Pregame Party.

“We built an entire venue out of this parking lot … I got there, and it was bones, and by the time it was done, it was gorgeous, t he most

beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and it was insane, and it was awesome,” Silber said.“We had people like Dan Marino walk ing around. Marcus Allen was our host. We had 13 total, but those were just two off the top of my head, walking around, hanging out w it h f a n s a nd ma k i ng s u re everyone is having a good time.”

Si lb e r w i l l b e g r ad u at i n g i n December, and she said she hopes to find a full-time job in management

for the sports industr y. She’ll be back work ing w it h t he Pant hers again this summer and fall.

“Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Keep your eyes open and really, r e a l l y, r e a l l y p a y at t e nt io n t o what’s in front of you because an opportunity might present itself and not look like an opportunity,” Silber said. “If you can just get one foot in that door, you can wedge it all the way open.”

COURTESY OF SAM SILBER

Sam Silber (third from left) poses for a photo outside the venue she operated during Super Bowl 54.

11SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

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12 SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

COURTESY OF SOUTH CAROLINA ATHLETICS

Christina Lappin glides through the water during the 100-meter butterfly. Lappin has had five heart surgeries since the age of 12 and continues to competitively swim for South Carolina.

FROM LAPPIN PAGE 1

Then, af ter Lappin’s second procedure to correct complications from the first, doctors found out she had a bicuspid aortic valve, also known as BAC. BAC is when the “main artery that leads to the body (aorta) — has only two (bicuspid) cusps instead of three,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

Despite these setbacks, Lappin has built up quite a resume with four high school state titles and three school records at South Carolina in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and the 100m butterfly.

This is especially impressive, considering just how demanding the sport of swimming is on the heart.

“It’s a very cardiovascular heavy sport,” Krista R ichards, the swimming and diving athletic trainer, said. “So they train a lot in an anaerobic state. So longer distance, but they’re also pushing tempo and pace so they’re sustaining that for a long period of time, so that’s a lot of pressure on the heart and the cardiovascular system in general.”

Lappin’s heart issues have also helped her to become an inspiration to others.

“My sister-in-law’s sister called me and said she’s a school counselor, and she showed the [interview] to her classroom,” Lappin said. “When [the students] saw that you could be a swimmer and have physical injuries and stuff like that, and they were amazed … that’s incredible that, like, my story has gotten that far and it opened the eyes of those little kids.”

Now, with the SEC and NCAA championships

coming up, Lappin says she’s excited for both herself and her teammates.

“This has been the best season I’ve had in my career,” Lappin said. “I’ve learned to really consume myself with the team, especially being a captain. It’s really fun to lead this team … I’m really excited just to see how I do and the team does.”

Wit h her last season wit h t he Gamecocks coming to a close this spring, Lappin said the sport has taught her a lot. “[Swimming] has taught me so much of, kind of, perseverance, especially with my heart issues and health overall,” Lappin said. “It’s taught me really things just, like, perseverance, dedication and just really how important it is to know what, like, family is and overcoming things and dedication again and just hard work.”

SPORTS 13

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Gamecock Sports Review and Preview Men’s Basketball

Women’s Tennis

This Past Week

This Past Week

Won, 4-1 Women’s tennis at Texas Tech Friday, Feb. 14

Won, 75-59 at Georgia Wednesday, Feb. 12 Won, 63-61 vs. Tennessee Saturday, Feb. 15

This Week

This Week

vs. Oklahoma State Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. vs. Coastal Carolina Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.

at Mississippi State Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. vs. LSU Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.

EMILY FAST // THE GAMECOCK

VANESSA PURPURA // THE GAMECOCK

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Tennis This Past Week

This Past Week

Lost, 4-2 vs. North Carolina Friday, Feb. 14 Lost, 4-2 vs. Columbia Saturday, Feb. 15

Won, 70-52 vs. Connecticut Monday, Feb. 10 Won, 79-53 vs. Auburn Thursday, Feb. 13

This Week HALEY SALVADOR // THE GAMECOCK

vs. Vanderbilt Monday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. vs. LSU Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at Kentucky Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.

Track and Field

ETHAN LAM // THE GAMECOCK

Men’s and Women’s GolF This Week

This Week

Men’s

Track and field USC Indoor Open Saturday, Feb. 22

A l l - A m e r i c a n I nt e r c o l le g i at e t ou r n a me nt Su nd a y, Feb. 16 t o Tuesday, Feb. 18

Women’s I JG A C ol le g i at e I nv it at io n a l Sunday, Feb. 16 to Tuesday, Feb. 18

COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

KAILEE KOKES // THE GAMECOCK

THIS WEEK IN GAMECOCK ENTERTAINMENT KAILEE KOKES // THE GAMECOCK

Swimming and Diving Sw i m m i ng a nd d iv i ng SEC championships Tuesday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 22

FEB. 17

This Week Carolina Productions

Interest Meeting 7 pm

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Baseball

This Past Week

Won, 10-0 vs. Holy Cross Friday, Feb. 14 Won, 9-4 vs. Holy Cross Saturday, Feb. 15 Won, 5-0 vs. Holy Cross Sunday, Feb. 16

FEB. 19

ALYSSA RASP // THE GAMECOCK

with the Bachelorette’s

7 pm

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Softball

Lost, 5-1 Lost, 8-6 Lost, 5-4 Softball 2020 St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational Thursday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 16

This Week VANESSA PURPURA // THE GAMECOCK VANESSA PURPURA // THE GAMECOCK

Hypnotist 10 - 11:30 pm • RH Ballroom Are you able to go under the spell?

Come watch or take part in hypnotist Josh McVicar's hypnotic performance like no other!

This Past Week

vs. North Carolina Central University Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. vs. Boston College Friday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. vs. Iowa State Friday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Michigan Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. vs. Elon Sunday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

FEB. 21-23

KAILEE KOKES // THE GAMECOCK

vs. Winthrop Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. vs. Presbyterian Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. vs. Northwestern Friday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. vs. Northwestern Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. vs. Northwestern Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:30 p.m.

FEB. 20

This Week

8 pm • RH Theatre

@gamecockent @gamecockentertainment

14 OPINION

Column: Choose your music wisely

W it h as much t i m e as we invest listening t o music, it Meredith Edwards can have Second-year h u g e mass effects communications on our student moods, our perspectives on others and our general outlook on life, and we need to be intentional in our usage of it.

Music is the soundtrack to our lives. Whether you prefer listening through AirPods, headphones or straight out of the phone, A mericans listen to an average of 26.9 hours of music per week, according to a 2019 study by Amy Watson.

Music has major effects on how we view the world a rou nd us. I n a st udy performed by Jacob Jolij and Maaike Meurs at the University of Groningen in 2011, test subjects brought in 15 minutes of songs that made them feel happy and 15 minutes of songs that

made them feel sad. They then had the subjects find and identify happy and sad faces in a noisy simulation image. The subjects were able to identify more of the happy faces when they were listening to music that made them happy and more sad while listening to sad music.

Mark Fisher, Larry Shay and Joe Goodwin were on the right track when they wrote the lyrics, “When you’re sm i l i ng, / T he whole world / Smiles with you.”

If we use music to see more of the good in the world, we can be more of the good in the world. In my experience, being in a good mood can make me more patient, forgiving and generally better to be around. I want those traits to be more evident in my life, and intentionally using uplifting music to improve my mood is a small thing I can do to help produce those aspects.

There have also been various studies on how the lyrics of songs change our behaviors with some rather interesting results.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Column: Late-night TV is too political ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH SULLIVAN // THE GAMECOCK

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH SULLIVAN // THE GAMECOCK

Listening to songs with pro so c ia l ly r ic s m ade subjects more likely to be helpful and generous with their time and money.

Dr. Sandra Garrido of the MARCS Institute said music has different impacts on people based on their mental health. While, for mentally healthy people, sad music can help them to work through negative emot ions and improve t heir overall mood, in people who struggle with depression, sad music can promote rumination, or an unhealthy pattern of negat ive t hought s and feelings.

Researchers Em ily Carlson, Suvi Saarikallio, Petri Toiviainen, Brigitte Bogert, Marina Kliuchko a nd Elv ira Brat t ico published a study in 2015 that studied the effects of music therapy. They tested strategies they classified as solace, diversion and discharge.

Solace occurred when a listener in a negative mood listened to music t h at c or re s p onde d t o their mood and left them feeling comforted, and

diversion happened when listeners chose music that helped them forget their negative mood altogether.

When subjects reported listening to “aggressive or sad music” to express their negative feelings, it was labeled discharge.

The study’s conclusion st ates, “T hese resu lt s suggest Discharge may be an ineffective or harmful l i s t e n i n g s t r at e g y i n response to negative affect, while Solace and Diversion may provide more effective mood regulation.”

The researchers inferred that, because of discharge’s similarity to rumination, it can be harmf ul even though it feels like it is helping.

Though music plays a big role in our lives and has a big impact on us, we often don’t pay attention to what we are listening to at any given moment. We need to pay more attention to the effect music has on us and choose music that will help us be the best person we can be, both in action and in personal wellbeing.

Column: ‘Love Island’ more authentic than ‘The Bachelor’

“The Bachelor” has capt ivated audiences across the U.S., but over the years romance has faded into the back g rou nd a nd drama has become the main attraction, Audrey Elsberry whereas in “Love First-year Island,” romance journalism trumps conflict. student “The Bachelor” franchise consists of 12 or 13 episodes where a single man must date 30 women at the same time. The show’s endgame is for one contestant to be chosen by the bachelor to get engaged with the intention of marriage by the time the show airs.

“The Bachelor” franchise has seen massive success in the U.S., earning $86 million in advertising revenue in 2017. While “The Bachelor” has captivated viewers, the romance aspect of the program has waned as the drama emerges at the forefront of almost every episode.

“Love Island” is a reality dating show originally out of the U.K. that spread to Australia and the U.S. While its success has not matched the British program in its other locations,

“Love Island” continues to entice viewers with its uniquely authentic feel.

Thirteen singles enter a tropical villa looking for love. They must couple up with whoever they find the most attractive, and one person is left single. They spend around 50 episodes re-coupling, adding and sending home islanders. Specifically in the U.K. version, the winning couple receives a grand prize of £50,000.

While drama and re-coupling give the show its fair share of tear-filled interviews, the non-romance related drama is squashed fairly quickly in order for the focus to stay on the relationships.

“Love Island” gives its contestants a more realistic and fair chance at finding love on the show, unlike “The Bachelor,” which has turned into a drama-filled, manufactured storyline between the contestants in the house.

The portrayal of dating on “The Bachelor” is completely unrealistic in terms of fostering a genuine relationship with someone.

G r o u p d at e s , i n w h ic h o ne contestant ‘wins’ the date, is in no way facilitating the connection between the bachelor or any of the women on the date. These dates are made to force the contestants to compete against each other while the bachelor watche s, ma k i ng for great television but not moving any relationship forward.

Though “Love Isla nd” also feat u res competitions between couples, each contestant participates with his or her assigned part ner, testing their teamwork a nd c o m mu n ic at io n sk ills. Ot her competitions on the show require the couples to test how well they know ILLUSTRATION BY LEXIE CHUFAR // THE GAMECOCK their partner, rewarding

couples who show genuine interest in the other’s life outside of the show.

The couples share a bed every night for around a month, while the bachelor remains out of contact with the women he is dating unless on a date or at a group cocktail party.

“Love Island” allows the contestants to spend much-needed one-on-one time with their chosen partner in order to accurately gauge whether or not they would work as a couple in the outside world.

W h ile bot h prog ra ms create a distraction-free environment by taking away all electronic devices, “Love Island” allows the couples to explore their relationship in a far more realistic and successful way than “The Bachelor.” Additionally, “The Bachelor” has only produced two weddings in 18 seasons, while “Love Island UK” has had eight successful couples exit the show since season two in 2016.

There is no supposed promise of marriage during the finale of “Love Island,” allowing the couples to explore their relationship without the pressure of winning meaning being together forever and the entire fandom breathing down their necks.

Having marriage be the endgame m a ke s “ T he Bac helor ” h a rder to root for because the 20-yearold contestants aren’t ready to tie themselves down to the bachelor.

Not to mention, the contestants don’t know who their potential husband is or what he looks like when they audition for the show.

“Love Island” is less produced, creating a better environment for the fostering of real relationships that can last in the real world. Even with a cash prize at the end, without the expectation of a wedding at the season finale, “Love Island” couples are more likely to let their relationship progress as it would if they were not on a reality show. “The Bachelor” is better at creating influencers than married couples.

I n t he last f ive years, the content of late-night television has seen a shift so profound that it quite literally only takes a single v iew ing to not ice — everything is too political.

11:30 p.m. once marked the beginning of a tranquil Gavin Cuff few hours of benign comedy First-year and entertainment news journalism for weary Americans. This student wasn’t so long ago, either: Jay Leno, only a generation behind Jimmy Fallon in NBC’s “The Tonight Show” dynasty, took delight in his own political ambiguity.

“I would get hate mail from both sides equally and go, ‘Well, that’s fabulous. That is exactly what I want,’” Leno said in a March 2019 Today Show interview.

Now, as Leno said, “everyone has to know your politics.”

Late-night hosts shouldn’t be so political because it’s not their job — or at least it wasn’t.

Americans fell in love with the late-night format because at the end of a tough day, they could wind down with mostly benevolent comedy.

It wasn’t always so serious, and entertainers such as Jay Leno stayed true to their roles as entertainers.

The same can’t be said for Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Jimmy Kimmel or Seth Meyers, to name a few, whose shows have become largely synonymous with political commentary, like segments from network news.

It wasn’t until the 2016 presidential election when things got out of hand. Donald Trump naturally became a favorite target of the late-night hosts. His fledgling administration offered a lot to talk about, but the trouble is it still hasn’t stopped three and a half years later.

Hearing the same jokes on a nightly basis is boring, especially when the jokes aren’t as much ‘jokes’ as they are political commentary, and Trump fatigue, that feeling of dread you get while scrolling through endless news articles about the president, feels even worse when what’s at hand is supposed to be funny.

Data suggests the mind-numbing barrage of Trump-centered humor is just as numbing to late-night ratings. In an article titled “Trump Fatigue levels the late-night playing field,” Anthony Crupi analyzes Nielsen commercial data to compare the commercial impressions of several late-night shows since the 2016 election and draws some unsurprising conclusions. “[S]ince Trump won the W hite House in November 2016, the six insomnia-hour broadcast shows have squandered more than 40 percent of their commercial impressions,” Crupi wrote.

Less surprising still is that despite an initial boost in ratings during the 2016 election, Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” now boasts a statistically identical commercial impression to the mostly apolitical “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Incessant political comedy couldn’t give the program a leg-up over one that largely shied away from the same jokes, which speaks to how poorly the humor is received.

Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” is an outlier among the late-night shows, and one that I think honors the art form more closely than its competitors. Fallon avoids the nightly political commentary that his counterparts have wedded, and it makes for an easier watch.

In an interview for Variety, Fallon shared his thoughts about when to get political on air, and I think the industry needs to hear them.

“I have feelings about [political] stuff, but my job with this show is to entertain and make lots of people laugh. I don’t want in any way to incite anger or fear or violence — I’m the opposite of that. If you like that type of stuff, you should watch other things. I want my show at the end of a long day to be a wind-down,” Fallon said.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

We deserve better than the mindless barrage of irate politics that has come to characterize so much late-night TV. Our attention is a resource not to be mishandled by angry talk show hosts. To them, I say save it for Twitter — or the dinner table.

COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Posters promoting Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” line a hallway. Fallon said he believes the show should remain separate from politics and instead serve as a wind-down.

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PHD • JORGE CHAM

Aries

THE SCENE

Leo

A v o i d misunderstandings, with Sag it t a r iu s Merc u r y retrograde. Revise and ref i ne t he message.

Delays or breakdowns could affect mechanical equipment. Make repairs immediately. Reestablish old bonds.

Secu re what you’ve gained. Double-check f i n a nc i a l d at a , w it h Mercury retrograde for three weeks. Pay bills.

Review statements and ac c ou nt ac t i v it y f or errors. Monitor finances closely.

Taurus

Virgo

Practice makes perfect w it h t e a m ac t i v it ie s over three weeks, with Merc u r y ret rog rade.

Nu r t u re old f r ie nd s and connections. Have patience and humor with communication snafus.

Gemini

Review professional d a t a c l o s e l y, w i t h Me r c u r y r e t r o g r a d e for three weeks.

M isu nderstandings cou ld cause delay s.

Guard against communication brea kdow n s. Bac k up hard drives and archives.

Cancer

M a k e e d u c at io n a l pla ns a nd it i nerar ies over t h ree week s for later t ravels, w it h Merc u r y ret rog rade.

Communicate carefully.

Keep confidences and secrets. Make your deadlines.

Develop shared goals. Resolve misu nderstandings w it h a pa r t ner, w it h Mercury retrograde for t hree weeks. Support each ot her t h rough breakdowns. Regroup and go again.

Libra

Keep equ ipment repaired. Delays, misu nderstandings or mistakes could frustrate your work and health, with Mercur y retrograde. Slow down to finish faster for a few weeks.

Scorpio

Passions could seem distant. Romant ic overtures could backfire, with Mercury ret rograde. Clarif y misunderstandings right away for three weeks.

Find you r sense of humor and reconnect.

Sagittarius

Clean, sort and organize at home, with Merc u r y ret rog r ade.

Review papers, photos and possessions.

Repair appliances and b ac k up f i le s . Re v i s e and ref ine household infrastructure.

Capricorn

Take extra care with communications, now t hat Merc u r y is ret rog rade. Clarif y misunderstandings as soon as possible. Launch creative projects after three weeks. Plan and prepare.

Aquarius

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M o n it o r c a s h f l o w closely. Allow extra time for t ravel, t ransport, invoices and collections, with Mercury retrograde for three weeks. Doublecheck numbers. Review f inancial records and budgets.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

2/17/2020

Pisces

Upgrade your brand over three week s. C on sider t he consequences of your communications, with Mercury retrograde in your sign. Determine what work s and what doesn’t. Edit carefully.

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1 2 3 4

Solutions to today’s puzzle

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

ACROSS 1 Weed whackers 5 Annoy 9 Macbeth, by birth 13 Saintly glows 15 Impressionist 16 Lola’s nightclub, in song 17 Like an old joke 18 Wind that’s worth a warning 19 Idi of Uganda 20 Deer hunter’s dinner, perhaps 23 Holy Ohio city?

26 Bridal bio word 27 Sault __ Marie 28 “I think,” to a texter 29 Childlike race in “The Time Machine” 32 Learn thoroughly 34 Cutting in half, in math class 37 Seine summers 38 Lincoln or Ford 39 Love, in Spain 42 Nearby 47 Fidel who overthrew Batista 49 Aussie birds that don’t fly 50 San Francisco’s __ Valley 51 Diplomatic VIP 52 NBA tiebreakers 54 Sports team swaps 56 Attributed speaker of the circled words 60 Medical suffix 61 Sentry’s “Stop!”

62 Swiss peak in an Eastwood film title 66 Eye part 67 Oil cartel letters 68 Iced tea wedge 69 Icelandic poetic work 70 PC repair person 71 Avec’s opposite

DOWN 1 Suffers from 2 One of an inning’s three 3 Pitcher’s stat 4 Soothing cream 5 Carol kings 6 Hoppy brews, for short 7 Serious criminal 8 Portmanteau for a false ally 9 “Beat it, feline!”

10 Is remembered 11 Addictive narcotic 12 Oil cartel ship 14 Started the grass-growing process 21 __ me tangere: “Don’t touch me” 22 Place to park it 23 Ocean motion 24 Skip over 25 Age-old romantic adage 30 A single time 31 “__ it my best” 33 Graceful pond swimmer 35 “That __ fair!”

36 Fedora feature 40 Great Plains tribe 41 Deli breads 43 Pants, briefly 44 Someone

who’s good, and obviously knows it 45 Skips, as class 46 Tel Aviv’s land 47 Sweet-talk 48 Got a smile out of 53 Suffix with land or sea 55 Spring zodiac sign 57 “Insecure” Emmy nominee __ Rae 58 Knighted actor Guinness 59 Draw with acid 63 ABC show for early risers, briefly 64 Long, long time

65 ICU workers

16 OPINION

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF AMERICA, FROM TOM STEYER

Your concerns about climate are completely justified and on target. It's ridiculously unfair for you to inherit an uninhabitable planet because self-interested politicians refuse to stand up to corporations. But they can’t dismiss you. Your voices rise with the conviction of truth and the willingness to act. You’ve called yourselves “the voiceless future of humanity,” but you are not voiceless. For too long, members of my generation have chosen short-term profit over anything else, even people’s lives. But you’ve broken through — using every tool at your disposal to demand a voice.

It’s imperative for those in power to treat the climate crisis with the urgency it demands.

I'm the only candidate who will openly make fighting climate change my number one priority. If it's not number one, it won't get done ... and it has toget done.

On the first day of my presidency, I will declare the climate crisis a national emergency and invoke the emergency powers of the executive office, including enacting power plant regulations, instilling stricter pollution standards on cars, and revamping building codes.

I will hold all corporate polluters accountable for their environmental crimes against humanity. No other candidate sees it this way, but we have no choice — we’re running out of time. It’s why I left my company a decade ago to start NextGen America, and worked with students all across the U.S. to mobilize the largest youth voter registration and turnout effort in American history. Young people lead the charge; and in 2020 you’ll vote out the most corrupt president this country has ever seen.

Climate justice is at the heart of this struggle. Far too much pollution is located in communities that lack political agency, and especially in communities of color. My climate justice plan (tomsteyer.com/climate) focuses on bringing justice to those whose air and water has been poisoned by corporations over decades of discriminatory, environmentally racist policies. We must redress this historic and continued discrimination if we are going to build a better America and transform our economy safely and equitably.

On day one of my presidency, I will declare the climate crisis a national emergency and invoke the emergency powers of the executive office.

When we put justice at the center of fighting climate change, we'll bring this country together and create millions of good, high-paying, green jobs in the process. The future of this planet and our economic future can only be assured together. We must turn the most powerful tool in history — the American economy — toward healing our planet, restoring our communities, and building a government that is truly of, by, and for the people.

This is the election that will determine the course of all our lives. Trump has made it clear that he is willing to destroy our health and our planet to please the oil and gas industry. We must stop him. We can safeguard our futures while restoring the health of the planet. We can become global leaders again through climate action. And together, we can win.

Regardless of who you’re voting for in 2020, I know you’ll show up. I know you’ll speak out.

I know you’ll vote, because there’s so much at stake — everything.

Let’s save the world, and let’s do it together.

PAID FOR BY TOM STEYER 2020

TOM STEYER, DEMOCRAT FOR PRESIDENT Text climate to 46866