Volume 6, Issue 2

VIEWPOINTS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH & FITNESS

SPORTS

Eckerd’s melting pot

Inside ITS

From TV Star to Rising Star

Cons of alcohol

Women’s volleyball

Student discusses cultural differences on campus.

Learn how student ITS workers keep Eckerd wired.

Find out about Ariana Grande’s journey from Nickelodeon to the world stage. page 16

Drink in these facts about the effects of alcohol.

The volleyball team aces their game against Saint Leo.

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page 12

page 17

page 19

Vol. 6, Issue 2 Oct. 3, 2014

Cowboys and Indians party renamed

By Sebastian Battle Contributing Writer

photo by Alexander Zielinski ELS students are bound by the policies in the ELS handbook, which is based on the EC-Book that all Eckerd students receive.

Changes to ELS impact campus

By Bryan Arnott News Editor On Sept. 24, Associate Dean for Student Life and Coordinator of International Student Affairs Lorisa Lorenzo sent an email to the Eckerd community highlighting a review of campus policies regarding the ELS program due to multiple events that occurred during the month of August.

“As of Monday, Sept. 22, 2014, only female ELS participants will be permitted to reside in campus housing,” Lorenzo said in the email.

“ELS participants who do not reside on campus will no longer be allowed on campus past 8 p.m.”

Allegations of alcohol violations and sexual misconduct in Autumn Term prompted the school to review the policies with ELS leadership in Princeton, New Jersey, according to the email.

ELS is not a program run by Eckerd. Eckerd leases out space in West Lodge for the program so ELS students can live and learn about American culture. The program is an independent entity owned by Berlitz Languages, Inc. Each ELS student who attends the school is paying from $1,350 to $1,750 for each four-week course, according to the ELS International Pathways brochure. Students generally stay for a four to 12-week period.

According to Center Director for ELS St. Petersburg Karen Grubbs, all ELS students go through sexual harassment information sessions

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NEWS

and orientations to help them assimilate to American culture and the culture on Eckerd’s campus.

ELS students review the ELS code of conduct and sign a translated form that mentions all rules and policies. Their classes on American culture go in depth on societal norms, such as personal space and shaking hands instead of kissing on both cheeks.

Dean of the Division of Executive and Continuing Education Kelly Kirschner acts as the liaison between the ELS program and Eckerd College.

“Because of their [ELS students’] transient nature, that sometimes they’re here as short as four weeks, the disciplinary process can’t be the same, in terms of the length that it sometimes takes,” Kirschner said.

“We need to make sure that it fits and recognizes that this is a population that is not going to be here long, and how do you impose sanctions, then, that will ensure we have the full respect and attention of all those participants?”

ELS students used to be housed in legacy dorms with other Eckerd College students, but the quick turnover was thought to disrupt Eckerd students residing in those dorms. The construction of West Lodge gave Eckerd a place to house these students and host classes for them.

“Even if ELS would agree to allow their participants to be housed in our residence halls, one could argue that such ongoing turnover could be disruptive to the residen-

1-4 VIEWPOINTS

tial community in the traditional residential houses,” Dean of Students James Annarelli said in an email.

Because ELS students are here for relatively short periods of time, the disciplinary process is different for them than for Eckerd students.

ELS students abide by both the Eckerd College handbook and the ELS handbook, the latter of which mirrors many of the policies in the former.

“We’ve had disciplinary issues over the history of Eckerd College with residential students, we’ve had a history of issues with ELS participants,” Kirschner said. “But I think by and large the experience with ELS has been very enriching not only for the ELS participants but particularly for the Eckerd residential students as well, as part of that global exchange.”

West Lodge Resident Advisor and Senior Chelsea Kuhs was on campus when the violations occurred this August. Kuhs has seen the relationship between Eckerd and ELS students over the three years that she has attended Eckerd and lives in close proximity to ELS students this year.

“I think that ELS has always been kind of an issue with that kind of stuff,” Kuhs said. “Just because these are different cultures, different kinds of people coming to Eckerd from different parts of the world.”

Culture is a key factor in the relationship between students of Eckerd and ELS.

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“The ELS students themselves are great kids, a lot of them are awesome,” Kuhs said. “Unfortunately there are a few that -- it’s just different languages, different cultures, different ways that we go about things.”

ELS student Bader Almutairi is from Kuwait, and is one of the students who is frustrated that he has to deal with the consequences of others’ actions. Almutairi is leaving the college and plans on meeting with his embassy to discuss the possibility of transferring.

“For me, I’m feeling angry because one guy -- someone, girl or guy -- did something wrong, I’m not responsible for his behavior,” Almutairi said. “When they decide to kick all of us [off campus], give me a reason why….So when you make this situation, kicking me off campus for nothing, because one guy did something wrong -- it’s not my mistake. It’s his mistake. Okay, so a criminal kills someone across the street. You take me to the jail with him because I lived next to his house?”

Grubbs feels that the college should have responded differently.

“We certainly want to go after any accused attackers and to find out the information in a justice system,” Grubbs said. “But as far as removing all males and having curfews imposed, it’s not something that we feel is handled well.”

Despite her reservations about the changes, Grubbs is compliant with the new restrictions. Eckerd and the ELS program have the same goal in mind: the safety of students.

See ELS, page 4

The name change of the party formerly known as Cowboys vs. Indians this weekend, Oct. 4, is sparking controversy within the Eckerd community. The new theme for the party, voted on by Eckerd students within an open invite Facebook event, will now be Pirates vs. Ninjas.

The name debate began because some students believe that as a liberal arts college that is supposed to be open-minded and accepting, it is inappropriate to throw a party that represents a time when Native Americans were mistreated. Other students feel that this party is an Eckerd tradition and that it should remain unchanged.

During Cowboys vs. Indians, students from Omega and Nu dress up as either cowboys or Native Americans and take part in a water gun fight against each other. Students from other complexes choose whichever side they want and dress accordingly.

For the new theme, the Nu complex will be the “Pirate Party Ship” and the Omega complex will be the “Ninja Temple,” according to the Facebook event.

The issue for many isn’t with the party itself, just the name and theme specifically. Making the party fun for all is what Omega Senator Cole Spencer and Nu Senator Andrew Rose had in mind when they created the Facebook event and proposed the name change, allowing students to vote using a poll.

Spencer wrote a long comment on the Facebook event after the name was officially changed, adding that he and Rose had talked extensively about the change.

“Since the beginning of the year, loads of students have expressed the fact that they personally are offended by the connotations of this party,” Spencer said on the Facebook event.

Senior Rebecca Hooper is one of many students who does not support the Cowboys vs. Indians theme.

“You can’t take the oppressors and pit them against the oppressed.

I just feel like that’s what the party is,” Senior Rebecca Hooper said.

In the senators’ statement on the Facebook event, they echoed what many consider to be a unique aspect of the Eckerd community: our progressive and accepting environment that make all feel welcome.

“Truthfully it is simply a party, and because of this many have put forward the fact that it is all in fun and games,” Spencer said. “When it comes down to it though, neither I nor Andrew would like to have our dorms throw a party in which even a single member of our fantastic community feels excluded. This is simply not the Eckerd way; this is one of the most respectful and tightly knit communities I have ever encountered.”

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See COWBOYS, page 4

The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Editor-in-Chief Sydney Cavero thecurrent@eckerd.edu

Managing Editor Teresa Young currentme@eckerd.edu

News Editors Chelsea Duca Bryan Arnott currentnews@eckerd.edu

Viewpoints Editor Gary Furrow Jr.

Assistant Editor Dorothy-Mae Eldemire currentviews@eckerd.edu

Science & Technology Editor Emma Cotton

Assistant Editor Sarah Raney currentscience@eckerd.edu

Arts & Entertainment Editor Leah Bilski

LET’S BE BRIEF

By Bryan Arnott & Chelsea Duca News Editors

Service-Learning offers alternative First New Facebook groups offer rides Friday option Facebook The Flush

The Service-Learning Office is introducing the Service-Learning Living Room on the first Friday of each month. This month, they will be showing “RENT.” Stop by the Office of Service-Learning on Oct. 3 from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. to join in.

Intramural flag football starts In the Know

Health & Fitness Editors Jeremy Brown Blaide Woodburn currenthealth@eckerd.edu

Sports Editors Dominick Cuppetilli Sabrina Lolo currentsports@eckerd.edu

Photo and Graphic Design Editor Alex Zielinski

Assistant Editor Andrew Friedman currentphoto@eckerd.edu

Web Editor Hailey Escobar currentonline@eckerd.edu

Social Media Coordinator Marissa Meleedy

Faculty Adviser K.C. Wolfe

Business Manager Gabe Rosenthal currentads@eckerd.edu

Multimedia Manager Gary Furrow Jr. currentvideo@eckerd.edu

Layout Manager Hannah Hamontree currentlayout@eckerd.edu

The Current is a free biweekly student newspaper at Eckerd College.

Offices are located upstairs in Cobb at 4200 54th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33711. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of EC students, staff, faculty and administration.

The Current welcomes letters to the editor. Submissions should be typed and not exceed 400 words.

Writers must include their full name, graduation year and contact number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and contact number. All submissions are subject to editing for the purposes of clarity, style or length. The Current holds the right to reject any letters deemed inappropriate. Letters can be sent via email to thecurrent@eckerd.edu with subject “Letter to the editor.”

The Current will run full-length articles covering any arrests that present a clear danger to the community.

Charges that would be investigated under this policy include robberies, assaults, weapons charges or illicit drug manufacturing, such as methamphetamine. The Current will continue publishing a small police blotter for felony arrests, and misdemeanor charges against student government leaders, Residential Advisors and staff members of The Current. We learn of arrests through searching the police arrest database by entering Eckerd’s address, as well as from tips. Questions and comments can be emailed to thecurrent@eckerd.edu.

EC Carpool for Jesus is a group created to help anyone who is interested in attending a church service or function off campus find transportation. It aims to connect members of the Eckerd community who attend different churches in the St. Pete area.

The Service Learning Carpool group provides a place for students to connect and carpool when volunteering off campus.

London Study Centre application is open

Assistant Editor Araesia King currententertainment@eckerd.edu

For more information, stop by the Office of ServiceLearning or email mmcarpen@eckerd.edu.

Seven-on-seven flag football is starting up. If you are The Flush planning on putting a team together, sign up sheets and release waivers are due to Henry Palmer in the Fitness The deadline to study abroad in London for the 2015 Center by 5 p.m. on Oct. 3. spring semester with Faculty Leader Professor Alexis Ramsey-Tobienne is Oct. 15. Stop by the office of International Education (SE 100) for details or to pick up an Waterfront prepares for Fall Funfest application.

The Flush The Waterfront will once again be hosting the Fall Writing Portfolio deadline approaches Funfest on Oct. 10 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mark your The Writing Center calendars for a night of free food, carnival games and face-painting.

For students planning on graduating in May 2016 or sooner who haven’t passed the writing competency reRegistration for fall break scuba diving quirement, the deadline to submit your portfolio is 4 p.m. on Oct. 3. Specific requirements for the portfolio trip continues can be found in the Foundations Office, the Writing The Flush Center (SE 103) and online at www.eckerd.edu/academSenior Michelle Carpenter and Rabbi Ed Rosenthal ics/writingcenter. will lead a fall break service trip to the Florida Keys to help restore coral through a partnership with the Coral Restoration Foundation.

The trip will be Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 and costs $352 per person, which covers transportation, lodging and numerous dives. Students will pay any additional costs for their scuba equipment. Applications are now available.

Center for Spiritual Life to bless pets Center for Spiritual Life

The Center for Spiritual Life will be hosting a pet blessing in front of Triton’s Pub on Oct. 8 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. All pets are welcome.

Eckerd club teaches students self-defense

graphic courtesy of the Self Defense club

By Christie Schafer Contributing Writer On Sept. 5, a female student on the University of Florida campus was attacked by an unidentified male after he jumped out of a bush and lunged at her. In less than one week, three more alerts were sent out regarding similar attacks on UF’s campus.

According to the White House

Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, one in five female students becomes a victim of sexual assault on college campuses.

The report does not distinguish between the average numbers of attacks on big campuses versus smaller campuses, but it does make clear that students on smaller campuses are not exempt from experiencing violence.

Eckerd College takes many pre-

cautionary measures to ensure people on campus feel safe, whether it is from a stranger hiding in a bush or someone the victim might know and love.

In fact, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence stated that in 2007, 53 percent of victims of domestic violence were abused by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend.

This type of abuse can be seen in the recent video of Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, beating his then-fiancée unconscious in an elevator.

Since an attack in our own Eckerd community this past January, a self defense club has started on campus that is dedicated to making students feel more secure.

“After a girl was sexually assaulted on campus, taking up selfdefense made me feel more secure in my own personal safety,” Junior Aliah Marzolf said. “It makes me feel a little bit better to know that there are a couple of steps I can take that can stop someone.”

The Self-Defense club held a few sessions after the attack occurred in

January and taught skills that Marzolf believes will prepare other Eckerd students and help them protect themselves.

“A lot of what we were taught in the first couple training sessions is just body language and de-escalation of a situation,” Marzolf said.

“If you are walking down the street, pay attention to who is walking or driving past you. Listen to your gut.

Change your physical behavior by walking more firmly while getting away from that person.”

In addition to the Self-Defense club’s efforts toward creating a safer environment for all, Campus Safety permits pepper spray as an appropriate defense tool for students in imminent danger.

The Eckerd College Student Handbook also lists one of their key points as, “Do not assume you are overreacting.”

The first self-defense session for this school year will be held on Oct. 15, where self-defense trainer Kathy Marlor will begin teaching students how to de-escalate a situation verbally if physical contact becomes unavoidable.

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Oct. 3, 2014

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Meet your ECOS senators Will Hardenbergh (Freshman) Alpha Senator

Semmes Bruce (Freshman) Commuter Senator

Goals: Wants more weekly events, like movie nights and beach volleyball. Also wants to install paper towel dispensers.

Goals: Wants to plan more events and make sure off-campus students get to know each other.

Monica Discolo (Junior) Beta Senator

Annalise Fox (Junior) Commuter Senator

Goals: Wants to build a community between residents and create more events.

Goals: Wants to encourage on-campus students to get out of the bubble and explore St. Petersburg.

Ben “Frenchie� Powell (Freshman) Gamma Senator

Cole Spencer (Senior) Omega Senator

Goals: Wants to create a weekly movie night and get more furniture for the lounge.

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Goals: Wants to intensify student relations and create more block party events.

Paul Vogt (Freshman) Delta Senator

Ally Gallager (Freshman) West Lodge Senator

Goals: Wants to create more events, raise attendance at those events and fix the deteriorating televisions.

Goals: Wants to expand budget and create an outdoor area and make a new kitchen.

Sammy Tol (Freshman) Epsilon Senator

Talin Mundkar (Freshman) Sigma Senator

Goals: Wants to build community and continue to get things like pool cues for the dorm.

Goal: Wants to develop a stronger community.

Aidan Murphy (Senior) Iota Senator

Andrew Rose (Senior) Nu Senator

Goals: Wants to install hand dryers a community expression board and a new fire pit.

Goals: Wants to create a friendly atmosphere through events and cookouts to bring the community together.

Eric Claver (Junior) Zeta Senator

Will Ribbans (Junior) Kappa Senator

Goals: Wants to develop a better sense of community and get a foosball table or a pool table for the lounge.

Goals: [Ribbans was not present at the senate meeting for comment.]

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

From COWBOYS, page 1

To some students, having a party named “Cowboys vs. Indians” is offensive to their Native American peers.

“There’s just this stereotype that all tribes and all families of Native American descent wear headdresses and they all look like Pocahontas, and they all wear fringe. I know it seems harmless, but it’s hurtful,” Hooper said.

For students like Hooper who are in favor of changing the name and theme of the party, it is an issue of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of specific elements of one culture by another culture and is generally frowned upon. When these cultural elements are “adopted,” they are often misrepresented or misinterpreted.

“Most people don’t understand what cultural appropriation is or why it’s a problem,” Hooper said.

Dressing up as Native Americans is a primary example of what some students deem as “cultural appropriation” during the event.

“A lot of people just like the Native American culture and they want to show that, but at the same time, do you really understand Native American culture? And how can you sum it all up in one costume that you’ve thrown together?” Hooper said.

Junior Andréa Martin agrees with Hooper.

“If [the party] were to change, I think that’d be great. I would definitely support that,” Martin said. “I would probably change it to something more acceptable.”

Professor of American Studies Carolyn Johnston is also against the Cowboys vs. Indians theme. As the faculty head of the Native American Society on campus, she is well-versed in the aspects of Native American life, history and culture.

“Why would you, at a college, want to have some sort of event that would be demeaning to a group of people on the campus? It puts Native American students in an awkward position,”

ECOS introduces new interactive online platform

By Esteereena Dichello Contributing Writer

graphic courtesy of Cole Spencer Students voted to change the name from Cowboys vs. Indians to Pirates vs. Ninjas.

Johnston said.

Johnston also mentioned Native American students on campus that had previously been offended due to this party.

“I feel very strongly that it is highly inappropriate and it is a very insensitive title, given the reaction of the Native American students that are here,” Johnston said. “This has nothing to do with political correctness. This has to do with how we view one another and how we respect one another.”

Other students are opposed to the idea of changing the party. For them, this is an issue of tradition.

“I kind of like the idea of keeping [the party] the same for traditional means...there’s not a lot of ‘deep’ Eckerd traditions, so why change what we already have?” Freshman Joseph Ferlise said.

On the Facebook event, Spencer also addressed those students who, like Ferlise, are hesitant or resistant to changing the theme.

“Neither of us are affected or insulted by the current name and we fully understand the argument that this is an Eckerd tradition and therefore should be upheld,” Spencer said.

“This is fully reasonable and I am not one to crush traditions; however, there is another aspect here that we both [he and Rose] find more important.”

Dean of Students James Annarelli, however, disagrees with the notion that Cowboys vs. Indians is an Eckerd

tradition.

“It’s not one of the traditional complex parties of old,” Annarelli said. .

“This does not extend back to the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s as some of the traditional events do. I would say that it’s maybe five or six years old. That’s my guess.”

Annarelli also shared that he is in favor of changing the name of the party.

“I would prefer that this event be renamed,” he said, “and I also would prefer that it be moved onto a field and out of the complexes.”

Many students are completely indifferent. To them, the name of the party does not particularly matter and it does not affect their ability to have fun.

“I’d be fine if the name changed, and [fine] if it didn’t. To me, it’s more about the water fight,” Sophomore Zachary Cohen said.

Spencer’s comment on the Facebook event does not indicate that he thinks the name change will hamper students’ ability to enjoy the festivities on Oct. 4.

“Now if this goes against every fiber of your being and you really can’t simply wear another costume for the sake of your fellow students, I’m sorry, dress as whatever you want,” he said.

“But for those of you who support this cause and would like to participate in all out war for the sheer sake of glory -- pick a side, dress accordingly and come armed to the teeth.”

If you disagree with the new dorm policies, think that the new dog park should have a treat dispenser or feel that students would benefit from a 24 hour library, there is now a place to discuss such topics away from the picnic table outside of your dorm complex.

On Oct. 3, ECOS is launching the Center for Campus Solutions, an online platform that will provide opportunities for college leaders and students to work together and facilitate a campus-wide discussion about different issues or potential improvements. It is a crowdsourcing initiative that will focus on different subjects pertaining to Eckerd, and will allow people to comment constructively in an attempt to involve students in the problem-solving process.

The idea was born from the mind of Senior and ECOS Vice President of Academic Affairs, Greg Johnson.

During his Ford Scholar research, Johnson studied political science and technology. He focused on ways governments can use the internet to collaborate with citizens to make better, more democratic decisions.

“I wanted to create something that would benefit the Eckerd community,” Johnson said.

He worked with the company MindMixer to create a platform exclusively for Eckerd College.

Johnson views this platform as the answer to many students feeling like they do not have a voice.

“I think it will truly empower students,” Johnson said.

It can be challenging to engage students on issues going on around campus, especially if they feel they will not be heard. Johnson believes that the Center for Campus Solu-

tions will not only engage student but give them the opportunity to have a greater influence over major college decisions.

The Center for Campus Solutions is an online engagement platform that allows students to share their ideas on projects and policies within our campus. While sharing their ideas, students have the opportunity to interact with campus leaders such as Johnson, ECOS President Brady O’Donnell, and Dean of Students James Annarelli in real time. Students can share their own suggestions, read and comment on other students’ ideas, as well as vote on a worthy idea.

If a campus leader, such as the ECOS president, recognizes a good idea, he can comment on it and let the student know whether the idea is being reviewed or if it will be implemented. All of this can be done directly on the website, letting the students know that their ideas are truly being heard.

Students will receive points for participating which can then be redeemed for rewards. For signing up, students will receive a bag of goodies. From there, students receive more points for commenting, sharing and “up-voting” good ideas. The more points you earn, the bigger the reward. Some rewards include Eckerd apparel and movie tickets.

Freshman Sonya Kobayashi agrees with the mission of The Center for Campus Solutions.

“ECOS is an organization for the students, by the students,” Kobayashi said. “For the best resolutions to be made, it makes sense for us to be able to communicate effectively with our student leaders.”

The first topic for discussion will be keeping cable television in the dorm rooms. If you have ideas to share, go to solutions.eckerd.edu to contribute.

Recent changes to ELS impact Eckerd community cont.

From ELS, page 1

“Eckerd said that we had to move them and we cooperated with Eckerd,” Grubbs said. “Eckerd is our host institution and it was under the premise that it was an investigation and even though we weren’t comfortable with moving all males, obviously, Eckerd said this is what we needed to do and we complied with Eckerd. Our major concern is that we have a situation where we have a gender bias here.”

Grubbs wants to maintain a strong relationship between Eckerd and ELS. “We truly work with Eckerd and we want to build bridges with Eckerd and we want to cooperate with Eckerd during any investigation whatsoever,” Grubbs said. “Sending an email that basically says students are unsafe around ELS students, and these are the safety precautions that you should have if you feel in danger, that was not something that -- it goes against our company philosophy. Our philosophy is to build international relations with our host institutions.”

There are many programs that

attempt to build community between the two institutions on campus. Kirschner believes that meeting ELS students in the cafeteria and working with them as discussion partners is a benefit of the ELS program that helps both

cant percentage of our students, Eckerd residential students, that come from countries other than the United States.”

Director of Residence Life Jamey Handorf believes that programs like these enhance the global aspect of Eckerd’s campus.

“Obviously having international students on campus adds to the international experience of the Eckerd community in general,” Handorf said.

Eckerd students’ responses about the changes seem to lie on both ends of the spectrum.

“I think that it’s really sad that everyone has to be punished for the actions of a couple people,” - Bader Almutairi Freshman Shannon said. “But I ELS student Tivona think as far as the safety of the students, it was what Eckerd and ELS students. needed to happen.”

“It’s definitely part of President Senior Paul Villard has a similar Eastman’s Ceremony of Lights stance on the subject. speech he gives every year,” he said.

“I think if it concerns the safety “He talks about these five pillars of Eckerd College and Eckerd Colof an Eckerd education, and one lege students, then it’s justifiable,” being global. I think we are one of Villard said. “In [saying] that, obthe leading colleges in the United viously you feel bad for the guys if States for the percentage of our they didn’t do anything wrong that students that go study abroad, but they have to suffer and be punalso the fact that we have a signifi- ished.”

“So when you make this situation,

kicking me off campus for nothing, because one guy did something wrong -- it’s not my mistake. It’s his mistake.

Okay, so a criminal kills someone across the street. You take me to the

jail with him because I lived next to his house?”

photo by Alex Zielinski ELS and Eckerd students live in West Lodge housing.

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Viewpoints 5

Oct. 3, 2014

Viewpoints Book leads to immigration discussion

By Dan Whitley Contributing Writer

As Human Experience finishes up, Eckerd took an active role in expanding students’ knowledge of contemporary immigration issues.

For freshmen in Human Experience and seniors in Quest for Meaning, the main reference used to broaden their understanding of immigration policy is the book “Enrique’s Journey,” written by Sonia Nazario.

This book chronicles the travels of a young boy named Enrique as he goes from his home in Honduras to the U.S. to be reunited with his mother.

This journey is riddled by danger and heartbreak, but Enrique gives a name to one of the thousands of children that attempt to cross the border every year.

“Human Experience and ‘Enrique’s Journey’ have changed my views on immigration,” Freshman James Gates said. “Having had the class has given me a new way to look at the issue.”

These immigrants are fleeing from the extreme violence in their countries, especially in Honduras, which Nazario accounted in her lecture to students on Sept. 11 at Eckerd. The lesson that can be learned from “Enrique’s Journey” is that these numbers are people. Often when looked at as a whole and as a statistic, it becomes easy to see these children as just numbers, and not for the people they are.

With thousands of men, women and children attempting every

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The “skinny” on body image

By Hailey Escobar Online Editor

photo by Alex Zielinski Human Experience and Quest for Meaning will spend this semester considering Enrique’s Journey and immigration.

year to enter the U.S. from Mexico and Central America, the issue of how the U.S. should implement its immigration policy is a hotly debated subject, especially in recent months.

This summer saw a surge of individuals making the dangerous trek through hostile areas filled with violent gangs and vicious bandits.

This is fairly common occurrence in recent years, but two factors made this summer a political pow-

der keg: an influx of children attempting to cross the border, often by themselves, and midterm elections in Congress.

At the beginning, the crisis at the border was declared a humanitarian issue. On June 2, 2014, President Barack Obama stated in a public memo that the crisis was an “Urgent humanitarian crisis.” The label of “humanitarian crisis” came in light of a large migration of individuals wanting to enter the United States

By Nana Adwoa OwusuNyantakyi Contributing Writer

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Dear Abby Friendly Fire

illegally, many of whom are escaping extreme poverty and violence from Central America. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, estimates that 60,000 unaccompanied alien children will attempt to cross the border this year.

This number is more than double the number of children that the ORR received last year. This spike See JOURNEY page 7

Eckerd embodies one campus, many cultures Coming to Eckerd this August was coupled with mixed emotions, particularly because I was leaving Ghana, a place I had called home for 18 years. Nonetheless, I think it all stems from the idea of schooling away from home or just spending quite a number of years away from a place of such familiarity.

But coming to Eckerd hasn’t exactly been what I expected -- in a good way. I remember feeling out of place on the day of orientation, not because it was my first time in Florida, or the fact that all the people I came across were so acquainted with the western system, but simply because I couldn’t see any black people. Yes, I know that makes me sound slightly unbelievable in the sense that there are a thousand things that could’ve been bothering me, but believe it or not, that was my main concern.

But in the last four weeks or so, I have found such comfort with my stay in this college, primarily as a result of the different people I have come across. So yes, Eckerd is predominantly white, but nonetheless, it is a closely knit community that is bursting with the diversity and beauty of different cultures, arising mainly from the various countries that are represented in the college.

In my first week alone, I came across people from the Bahamas, Congo, Zimbabwe, Colombia and

INSIDE VIEWPOINTS

graphic by Hannah Hamontree and Alex Zielinski Eckerd has many international students on campus.

Montreal, just to name a few. I still do not know exactly why this was so surprising -- maybe because I had assumed that every Caucasian I came across was American or perhaps I just never thought that I would be meeting people from countries I had only seen on TV. Regardless, it was nice seeing such a distinct representation of countries in such a small college.

I won’t deny that this contributes immensely to my level of contentment at Eckerd. Speaking with some of these international students, like Freshman Noela Lokolo from Congo or Sophomore Mycky

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Joab from Trinidad, has been an enlightening experience, particularly about the different systems they were enrolled in during their high school period and the reasons behind their choices to come study in the U.S. This mesh of personal motives coupled with their initial environments and heritage undoubtedly pushes one to juxtapose one’s culture with other cultures. I have come to see the different ways in which their various backgrounds have influenced their opinion of certain matters, a fact I find very amusing.

Lokolo thought that the way students dress when going to on Eckerd’s campus is a bit too casual. This notion was contested

by Freshman Keren L. Sangalaza, who lives in Boston but is originally from Zimbabwe, who argued that the weather was too hot to “dress up” for class.

“These students always dress down. Everyday, shorts. Sometimes you need to dress up for class, whether its hot or not,” Lokolo said.

These ideas, I realized, had been developed as a result of the different manner and environment with and in which they had been brought up, because the truth is, I agreed with her based on what I was used to in my country.

In Africa, wearing simple shorts and a tank top to class would be deemed as inappropriate whereas here on Eckerd’s campus, wearing pajamas would only be regarded with slightly raised eyebrows and a shrug.

Another interesting feature is the different types of diction that some international students use.

Sophomore Mycky Joab from Trinidad has a very pronounced accent and is a typical example.

It’s always fascinating to listen to her speak and observe the different words she uses, like the way she says “limin’ ” to express what Americans would call “chilling.”

Nonetheless, what makes her See CULTURE, page 7

Since I was a child, I have been told that I was blessed with a wonderful figure. For those who don’t know me, I am thin and naturally so. I’ve never had to worry about diet or exercise and eat just about anything I want. When I was in high school theater, I even had friends jokingly glare at me when they saw my sizes for costume fittings.

I’m not saying this to flaunt or make people jealous as some have thought in the past. In fact, I actually hate being so thin. My small figure makes me feel like a child, not a young woman who happens to be a senior in college. I’m not as developed as others my age and it leaves me feeling lacking.

No matter what we try to do, we can never satisfy what society defines as beautiful. According to the Confidence Coalition, 90 percent of women want to change some part of their physical appearance.

Three-fourths of girls with low selfesteem are also in danger of participating in destructive behavior.

Finally, there’s what I believe to be the scariest statistic: 81 percent of girls think they are fat at the age of 10.

A flash of hope has been rising on the horizon for many who thought they were less because of the way they look. In the past few years, a new group of young feminists has been gaining influence in mainstream media.

In the three years since the release of the film “Miss Representation,” which first opened my mind to this issue, I have seen so many celebrities rise up for so many feminist issues, particularly about image. Among those artists are names like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and “All About That Bass” singer Meghan Trainor.

So the focus has now been shifted from being stick thin like me to embracing one’s curves.

This is a slope where we need to watch our footing, though. While it is a wonderful step forward to encourage girls to embrace the way their bodies look, curves and all, I would argue that a negative backlash could also result against those who were once considered the “ideal.”

As I mentioned earlier in the article, I was always thin. This sometimes led to harmless jokes about my weight, but there were also several jokes about my being possibly anorexic or bulimic. I’m sure that they meant it to be a joke, but it was still hurtful. It’s also not something I believe should be joked about. According to the confidence coalition, one in four college age girls suffer from eating disorders.

In addition to these “harmless” jokes, there’s the image that hangs over all body types where women are portrayed as nothing more than sex objects. We’re all beautiful in our own, individual ways and that’s all that matters.

6 Viewpoints

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Drama with the BFFLs Dear Abby, I am currently a junior here at Eckerd. During Autumn Term I established a pretty big group of friends, but recently, I have had a falling out with all of them and now I only have one close friend on this campus. I’m trying my hardest to be super extroverted to make new friends but I’m finding it rather difficult. I feel like everyone on this campus establishes their friend group during Autumn Term and they stay with that group for the next four years regardless of whether it’s still a good fit for them. I think people are sometimes pushed into staying with their Autumn Term friends because if they don’t, they will be alone. And I’m finding that I am now that alone person.

Everyone thinks of me as a friendly acquaintance they say

“hi” to at parties but I’m not their friend.

I’ve been going to multiple campus events and I attempt to hang out with classmates outside of the classroom but I feel like no one is letting me in. I feel really alone on this campus and its hard to not rely on my one friend. This is incredibly discouraging and it in turns makes me depressed which doesn’t help anything. I’ve even considering sucking it up and making up with my past friend group just so I can have people again.

I love this campus so much and I never want to leave it but this is making everything so difficult. Do you have any advice for a friendless junior?

Sorry I made this whole message super duper long, by the way.

- Ann

Dear Ann, Thank you for your email. This situation is something I can relate to since I have also noticed that people tend to stick with the familiar because it is comfortable. What I would advise you and others to realize is that it is never too late to start over in college. People grow a lot over their college years. They develop new likes and dislikes.

My tip is to begin by re-focusing your passions. So your first two years were focused on a major and making good grades, and now you are a junior. That does not mean it is too late to join a club or a sport. I know you said you have attempted to go to campus events, but narrow your passions down.

You can probably take advantage of the fact that you will need to turn in the writing portfolio this year. You could start a group with people you know that are strug-

gling, or even just go to the writing center together. Let’s say recently you’ve developed a love for the arts.

It is not too late to join some art clubs. People (especially college students) are always weaving in and out of social groups, but that evolving factor is what makes college a growing experience.

Seize these opportunities to join and try new things. Don’t give up.

You would be surprised by how many relationships naturally happen. Another tip I would suggest is to try getting out of your room.

When I had this problem, I tried doing homework and studying in different places every week, and I have developed many positive relationships that way. Before those relationships, I also felt depressed and discouraged. I thought by not having many friends, there was something wrong with me. This may not sound appealing to you,

but I went to the Counseling Center. I was able to work out my frustrations, and began to learn how to validate myself. I validated that my experiences and feelings are truly real to me and deserve to be validated by myself and others. How you’re feeling is completely normal.

Challenge yourself to not “settle” for people because you deserve friends who make you happy and comfortable. My last tip is that everyone is new, even if you are juniors. There are new experiences that people come across every single year of their lives. No one year is the same. Take control of that and use it to your advantage. I hope this helps you in your college career.

Best, Abby PS. Email me your questions at Thecurrentabby@eckerd.edu.

Same rights for same-sex marriage in Florida

By Katie Fox Staff Writer For college students, “finding a life partner” is usually further down on our to do list than remembering to buy groceries or do laundry.

However, if the winds of love swept students off their feet and they did choose to get married, they would have to apply for a marriage license through the county.

On Aug. 21, Federal Judge Robert Hinkle struck down the anti same-sex marriage law in Florida.

Hinkle labeled the 2008 amendment banning same-sex marriage in the state as unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

This ruling means Florida has not fully legalized same-sex marriage licenses statewide, but has made a ruling on a federal level in favor of same-sex marriages for the first time. Florida is one of 14 states where judges have issued rulings in favor of same-sex marriages. However, this does not make us one of

the 19 states and the District of Columbia to legalize marriage for all.

Curious about our own county’s standing on the issue, I visited Pinellas County’s official website and reviewed criteria for obtaining a marriage license. It was outlined in no uncertain terms that it is illegal to marry someone of the same sex in this county.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that in 2013, however, Pinellas County did begin a domestic partner registry.This means that couples, gay or straight, can have certain rights of a married couple without being married. These are things like hospital visitation and making health care decisions for partners in times of crisis.

This registry is not enough for the citizens of our state and county.

This registry doesn’t address the issues of adopting children, or the tax benefits of marriage. I believe consenting adults should be able to legitimize their feelings through the institution of marriage if they so choose. The legalization of marriage for all could even help bring

PerspECtives

“Usually I try to find a common ground with compassion because compassion definitely goes a long way and we have to humble ourselves at that point to understand where that other individual is coming from, in order to break down that friction and live in harmony with our friends.”

- Amanda Whelden, senior

revenue into the state from families moving to Florida from states that do not recognize same-sex marriage.

The Tampa Bay Tribune reported that in 2008 the movement to amend Florida’s constitution and ban same-sex marriage was supported by more than 60 percent.

Currently, judges in Broward and Monroe counties have both issued rulings in favor of same-sex couples’ right to marry. Divorce and appeals to these rulings brought the issue to the attention of Judge Robert Hinkle and the federal court.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has been a figurehead for those in defense of the 2008 amendment which voids same-sex marriages in the state. Bondi requested that the state cease ruling on cases of same-sex marriage until the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling on the subject. Bondi is so passionate about upholding the 2008 amendment that the Orlando Sentinel reported that she has gone See MARRIAGE, page 7

photo courtesy of @tedmosgay iconosquare Actor Neil Patrick Harris married David Burtka in Italy last month.

How do you deal with BFF drama?

“If I have two friends that have drama between each others I sit back, watch and give advice to both parties if they need me to. Other than that I don’t want to get into it. I’d rather them work it out themselves.”

- Keren Sangalaza, freshman

“If there’s drama between me and my “If it’s just my other friends I’ll try to stay friends I usually go to them and work it out. out of it. It’s good to stay out of it.”

I don’t really like to go behind their back. I tell them what’s on my mind and tell them what’s bugging me and resolve it.”

- Ben “Frenchie” Powell, freshman

- Tasha Haight, freshman

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

MBFGC:

“Trans” forming Televison

By Adrien Krajnik Columnist

The media’s portrayal of transgender people has always been a touchy subject among the trans community and people close to it. The chief complaint is usually that more often than not, even roles that would seem to be geared towards a trans actor tend to go to cispeople anyway.

Chances are, if you don’t know what “cis” means, it probably applies to you. Cis is the opposite of trans, and is a prefix in the same way trans is, for example, in transportation and transition. Simply put, “trans” means across, and so “cis” means on the same side. Cis simply refers to people who aren’t trans.

As I said, cispeople are often given acting jobs for characters who are transgender. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if it were anything close to easy to get a job as a trans actor, but the fact is that it’s not.

In her interview with “People” trans actress Laverne Cox is quoted saying that before she found her current agent.

“I can’t do anything with you. You’re trans. I don’t think you’ll be able to get work,” other agents said to Cox. To see the reality of this situation, all one has to do is think of a few movies that feature trans

characters, and to notice that more often than not the actors who play them are cis, as if transpeople too are a thing of fiction.

In a recent movie (that I confess I have not seen) titled “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” Jared Leto won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as Rayon, an HIV positive transwoman. This incited a lot of back-patting at the Academy, and a lot of exasperated eye-rolling in the trans community many of whom have waited years to see a real live transperson on television.

Enter Laverne Cox. This summer she made history as the first openly transgender person, let alone transwoman of color, to be nominated for an Emmy, and the first to be on the cover of Time magazine.

Cox is best known for her role in the award winning Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black”, where she plays Sophia Burset, a transwoman in prison for credit card fraud who works as the prison’s hairstylist. “Orange is the New Black” is based on the New York Times bestselling memoir “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison,” by Piper Kerman.

Laverne Cox is not the only transperson beginning to make waves in the media. Against Me! front woman Laura Jane Grace came out publicly as trans in May 2012 and, since then, a new album has been released titled “Transgender Dysphoria Blues.”

Janet Mock, an author and former staff editor of “People” Magazine’s website, has also become more vocal about the issues that transgender people face today, particularly transwomen of color who are so often the victims of violence.

With the way that trans issues have been gaining media attention, hopefully it is only a matter of time before things get better for all my brothers and sisters out there.

courtesy of @oitnb_lovin statigram Laverne Cox who plays Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black, embraces her changes despite controversy.

Viewpoints 7

#Amusing Musings Here is where we immortalize the funniest quotes from EC students and faculty. No names, no shame.

Follow us on twitter: @TheECCurrent Chemistry professor Have you guys ever seen Ancient Aliens? You known, maybe humans are not all mammals #outofthisworld

Marine Science professor: In a way metamorphic rocks are kind of like tater tots in an oven. Those little morsels of deliciousness. #metamorphictatortots

Math professor: Yes, I did this just to confuse you. #MathProfessorLogic

Same-sex marriage cont.

From MARRIAGE, page 6 to court five times to defend it.

Federal Judge Hinkle views the issue for the state differently. In a quote from the Sun Sentinel, Hinkle outlined his beliefs on the origin of the ban.

“The undeniable truth is that the Florida ban on same-sex marriage stems entirely, or almost entirely, from moral disapproval of the practice,” Hinkle said. “The institution of marriage survived when bans on interracial marriage were struck down, and the institution will survive when bans on same-sex marriage are struck down.”

Though Hinkle’s ruling is new,

this is not Florida’s first ride on the complex journey of the samesex marriage train. Almost 40 years ago, Anita Bryant, a prominent singer and spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission, was highly critical of homosexuality and organized a movement in opposition to same-sex marriage rights that spread across the country.

Since then, Florida voters have not had a unified opinion on the issue as a state.

This ruling by Judge Hinkle changes the face of the Floridian struggle of marriage equality.

However, there seems to be a general consensus of the positivity for the future of this ruling in relation

to the future of the state. Judge Hinkle’s ruling may be reflecting change in priority for Floridian voters.

“This change of mindset it is very much a possibility that it will be legalized in the near future. I would be very surprised if it didn’t happen in the next five years,” Eckerd College Queer Straight Alliance club officer and Senior KT Klens said.

These are groundbreaking times for the movement of marriage. equality for our state. This ruling plants the seed of hope in our hearts to move towards a future for Florida as an accepting place to raise a family.

Eckerd’s large melting pot From CULTURE page 5 unique is her determination to hold on to her culture and not to lose her identity as a girl from Trinidad, a feat that has proven futile for many international students over time.

“I’m Trinidadian, and I’m not going to change just because I’m schooling in America,” Joab said.

You would think that these differences would make it hard for an international student like myself to adapt and enjoy my college experience. Nevertheless, it has only helped me see how big the world actually is in a small college like Eckerd.

You’re probably wondering how this is possible. Well, because coming across many different people from across the globe and people who have traveled the world shows the bigger picture that I was missing during my time in Ghana. It’s

a good way to learn about other cultures and the different descriptions of the norm for others.

The good part of all this is the fact that there are so many students eager to learn more about other cultures. A typical example would be Nicolas Dangond, a freshman from Colombia who is particularly interested in other cultures and loves to quiz people about the history of their countries.

He did the same thing to me the very first time we had a proper conversation, when his simple statement of “What’s Ghana like?” turned into an hour of recounting the special features of my country.

Such hints of interest from others is what makes the journey of discovering other cultures in Eckerd a highly anticipated one for me.

I don’t regret my decision to come to Eckerd and, as a matter of fact, I think it was the right choice for me and my uncontrollable tendency to learn more about other cultures. It’s relaxing to see the mixture of traditions on one campus.

You can argue that it’s pretty much the same on many other campuses, but for me, there’s just something about Eckerd that I still have not managed to place.

Perhaps it’s the affability of the students or the eagerness and ease with which they seek to discover more about newcomers. Either way, highlighting the cultural multiplicity was something I saw as necessary since that has really influenced my take on Eckerd College as a freshman. See Willams

“Enrique’s Journey” prompts discussions on immigration From JOURNEY, page 5 prompted the president to call upon federal agencies to coordinate to provide proper care for children and their families.

In light of the coming midterm elections, the situation became a politically charged issue that many politicians running for election used to appeal to voters. With Republican control of the House of Representatives and the possibility of the Senate coming under Republican control as well, the political

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environment in the United States is very heated and delicate.

With the tenuous balance of both houses of Congress, any major steps that the president could have taken to grant refugee status could have been disastrous to the hopes of maintaining the small Democratic majority in the Senate.

This perspective is reinforced by Michael D. Shear of the New York Times claiming that the president made the decision to hold off on taking executive action in order to

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protect Democrats running in elections this year. Despite the migration of these children, the political environment led the President to hold off on any action until the midterm elections ended.

“There are times in a presidency when you need to lead and show courage, and that means alienating certain people on the other side,” Professor of Political Science William Felice said.

The lesson that can be drawn from this situation, and what I am

trying to convey, is that our attitude on immigrants that enter this country needs to change, from a society that excludes those who enter the country, legally or illegally, to seeing them as fellow brothers and sisters. The xenophobic, or dislike for those from another country, rhetoric that exists labeling refugees as criminals, needs to also leave politics.

The United States has undergone several immigration spikes, all of which benefited our country.

Each citizen owes their current citizenship to their brave, selfless ancestors that left behind their home, their family, friends and everything they knew all to risk starting a new life.

If both politicians and citizens empathized and took into account their own heritage, then the conversation could change from “how do we get rid of the illegal immigrants?” to “how do we answer the calling for us to help our fellow neighbors?”

8 Viewpoints

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Friendly Fire:

Should America impose on Syria’s ISIS crisis?

By Matthew Cramer Contributing Writer

The legacy of U.S. intervention in the Middle East is not a pretty one, and the trials of the past still haunt us today. It seems like only yesterday that we were deeply mired in two wars overseas, with extensive troop deployment in both.

Those days are not long gone, and more than 20,000 troops remain deployed in Afghanistan even to this day. Knowing this, it isn’t hard to see why there has been such strong opposition to involvement in the budding ISIS conflict in Iraq and Syria, but sadly, involvement is desperately needed.

ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. They are one of the most well-funded, well-organized terrorist groups ever seen, and today rival Al-Qaeda for the top spot. ISIS grew to prominence fighting in the conflict in Syria, and

The need to act in Syria and Iraq at this current juncture is apparent, and no world leader is denying this reality. However, immediate, fullscale engagement is not the answer.

History has given hundreds of examples of the dangers of rushing to conflict.

The U.S. has a history of committing full force into countries and conflicts that were not fully understood, nor had contingency plans if our original involvement became catastrophic. These lessons such as the Vietnam War, Spanish-American War, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars demonstrate the need for a gradual involvement into situations such as these.

The current situation of ISIS or ISIL, is one that is particularly complex, due to the fact that the U.S. will not be combatting an organized, sovereign state but rather a revolutionary terrorist force that holds behind it a massive network

their influence grew unabated, as the international community stood idly by.

As a result, ISIS was able to cement their position in Syria and expand into the neighboring country of Iraq. Their militants are well trained, and, more importantly, well funded. ISIS controls a large number of oil wells across both countries, and produce in excess of $1 million in oil a day, which is sold on the black market.

These connections are well established, as documents have shown that many higher-ups in the organization are holdovers from the era of Saddam Hussein. All in all, ISIS is well funded, well trained and pursuing their cause fervently.

They are not going away and the meager defenses in the area cannot deal with them on their own. If left

of support, both in terms of ideology and finances.

This situation calls for a new type of thinking in order to combat ISIS, one that does not fit into the long held tactics that are usually implemented in warring with a sovereign state. This situation calls for a large international coalition -- one that in particular has overwhelming support from neighboring countries of Iraq and Syria.

At this time, there is nominal support from Middle Eastern countries. So far, Iran has not partnered with an international coalition to fight ISIS, and the other allies that are assisting the United States are acting in a limited capacity.

The support that is coming from Middle Eastern countries that are our “allies” comes with an unfortunate reality. The same countries that we view as allies that are supporting the West’s fight against ISIS, countries such as Saudi Ara-

bia, Kuwait and Qatar, are in actuality helping to support ISIS. These false allies have been, and still are, giving financial support to ISIS. According to the Daily Beast utilizing a December 2013 report from The Brookings Institution, these countries have been funneling money to ISIS since its rise to power. Much of these donations to ISIS come from private citizens, that the governments in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have done little to stop. The Brookings Institution report asserts that, “Over the past two and a half years, Kuwait has emerged as a financing and organizational hub for charities and individuals supporting Syria’s myriad rebel groups.” This alone shows that U.S. involvement should be lessened until more viable allies are found in the region. If the United States wishes to intervene, then it should be with an appropriate response, and one that has many allies

unchecked, ISIS will only continue to conquer.

It is that conquering that is so terrible. ISIS has been estimated to have displaced in excess of 500,000 families in Iraq alone, as the ethnically diverse people of the region flee persecution. ISIS has been known to carry out ethnic cleansing of towns, targeting Kurdish and Yazidi people. Once they cement control in an area, the ISIS religious police patrol the streets, punishing opposition with amputations and summary executions.

The atrocities committed by ISIS are numerous and horrendous. Looking at this conflict, it is clear intervention is no longer a military or political issue, it is a human rights issue, as every day more death and destruction is spread.

Recent intervention by the U.S. that are devoted to the cause. The dangers of confronting an organization such as ISIS with nations that are funding the same organization can be disastrous and only lead to worsened problems that can spread across the region.

The best course of action should be to strengthen European allies and gather more international support, while at the same time targeting the funds that are being sent to ISIS through countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. This responsible approach would have a greater impact on the situation and bring about a better chance of dismantling ISIS forces.

With a more steady involvement with our allies, a larger international coalition, stronger partners in the Middle East and a strategy that involves little engagement of ground forces, the United States can avoid a situation of prolonged engagement that takes many casualties.

has been polarizing, with airstrikes and air force support being supplied to the region of Iraq. However, recent news has shown ISIS to be holding its ground firmly in the region, and within the cities that it holds, brutality continues. The U.S. and the international community as a whole need to turn the full scope of their attention to the region.

Without public and political support this can never happen; as long as the U.S. populace remains so wary of involvement, the president will never push for involvement on this scale. Syria and now Iraq are wars, and the desire to stay out of war is a reasonable, defensible position, but they are also humanitarian crises on the scope of Rwanda and Darfur, and the history of the international community's failure in these situations is rich. Let us not add another to the list.

By Dan Whitley Contributing Writer

The spin on the new washers and dryers at Eckerd

By Christa Perry Contributing Writer Eckerd students were ecstatic about the arrival of new washers and dryers but skeptical of the new prices.

“The one disadvantage about it I would say, would be the price,” Sophomore Kayla Paige said.

“It’s definitely doable, but that money will add up and I’m going to wish I had it for other things.”

According to Associate Vice President for Business and Finance Luz Arcila, Eckerd’s contract with Mac-Gray, a corporation in commercial laundry systems, expired and the school needed to find new laundry appliances for the 2014-2015 school year.

A group comprised of people from the Business Office, Student Affairs and Information Technology Services were appointed to select a company to supply the washers and dryers. The committee decided to sign another contract with Mac-Gray this past summer.

“The old machines were not energy efficient,” Arcila said. “The goal of the college was to have energy efficient washing machines.”

All of the complexes except for Omega are in the process of receiving new, energy

photo by Eileen McGraw The new washing machines and dryers replaced outdated laundry machines this fall .

efficient washers and dryers.

Mac-Gray had already replaced the machines in Omega last year, according to Arcila. Mac-Gray also painted the laundry facilities and replaced some outdated water heaters for the school.

As for the prices, Arcila says that the old washers cost 75 cents and the dryers cost 50 cents. The new washers and dryers cost one dollar each, something that has shocked

students. Arcila explained that this cost increase was a long time coming.

“The prices had not increased in seven years,” Arcila said. “The college was paying more for water and electricity than it was receiving coins from the students.”

The prices of the laundry appliances were raised to combat this, though Arcila assured that no revenue was being produced.

“It’s annoying that I have

to pay a full four dollars to do two loads of laundry,” Sophomore Claire Staley said.

The washers and dryers are not very large to begin with and I often have to do several loads of laundry to clean my clothes and bedding. With the raised prices, it’s possible that I have to pay up to four dollars to do all my laundry. Paying four dollars in quarters can be quite aggravating.

While the raise in price is certain-

ly bothersome, the washers and dryers are certainly more efficient and advanced. The washers take 10 minutes less to wash a load and the dryers take 15 minutes less to dry a load.

“The new times get more people through the washers and dryers faster. Instead of waiting 45 minutes for one to open, you usually only have to wait 10 minutes or so,” Staley said.

The appliances are new and therefore generally cleaner and more efficient.

“I definitely notice a better quality, especially with the dryers. The old dryers didn’t dry my clothes completely, and the new ones do,” Paige said.

The appliances also accept credit or debit cards for the student’s convenience, although Staley mentioned that a few of her friends could not get the machines to accept their cards.

Personally, I have struggled to get the washers and dryers to consistently take my change.

Last time I did laundry, one of the washers ate all of my quarters and I had to start over with a new dryer. It seems as though it is going to take some time to get the new appliances up and running, but already I see some of the “out of order” signs disappearing.

Overall, the raise in price is manageable and the improvement in the quality and efficiency of the laundry machines is worth it.

Spring Final

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Science & Technology 9

Science & TEchnology Manatees face threats from boats

By Sarah Raney & Beau Maysey Asst. Science & Tech. Editor & Contributing Writer

Protesters march for climate change in record numbers

By Graydon Neill Contributing Writer

On Sept. 21, hundreds of buses from across the country unloaded tens of thousands of energetic protesters into the congested streets of New York City.

“This was the largest climate march in history,” Student Coordinator for the Center for Spiritual Life and Senior Nicole Zavala said. It was estimated that 100,000 protesters would be present, but the march turned out to be larger.

According to Zavala, this was not the only event taking place.

Globally, 2,800 other events were planned worldwide, according to blogger and producer Bill Chappell who works with NPR’s Morning Edition and Digital Media group.

The protesters in New York were of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. World leaders like UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon and former Vice President Al Gore were among the faces in the crowd. They marched with one common purpose: to speak out about the crisis of climate change.

Some protest organizers even made a movie to raise awareness about the protests. They produced “Disruption,” an hourlong movie that served as a rallying cry for all available and motivated people to convene in New York and join the planned protests.

In order to raise awareness within the Eckerd community and St. Petersburg, Zavala coordinated a free public event at which the movie was screened.

The screening took place at Miller Auditorium on Sept. 7, and inspired a group of motivated St. Petersburg citizens to organize several buses to New York and join the throngs of protesters.

The total cost per person from St. Petersburg to New York via the local organizers buses was $120. A somewhat dissuading amount for the average Eckerd student, but not for the handful of motivated St. Petersburg citizens who were at the screening.

A conference called the United Nations Climate Summit took place on Sept. 23. This is the first of three planned conferences. The next will be held in Lima, Peru in December 2014 and the last will be held in Paris, France in December 2015. According to the BBC, “The aim at the New York meeting is to galvanize member states to sign up to a comprehensive new global climate agreement at talks in Paris next year.”

While the goal may sound rel-

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atively simple on paper, in practice it is anything but, with the failed 2009 UN climate summit in Copenhagen serving as testament. This is a feat made even more difficult this year since two key members, China and India, decided not to attend the New York talks.

The size of the protests may be indicative of the success of the talks. Official counts from the organizers reported 310,000 participants, while thousands of smaller rallies simultaneously took place across the globe, according to Chappell. This is certainly one of the largest, if not the largest, climate protest in history.

Though the tone of the protests was generally optimistic, there was still some doubt about the effectiveness of the climate talks. “[I am] optimistic that some solid policies will be formed because of this [summit],” Sustainablity Fellow Evan Bollier said.

“But, at the same time with past summits, nothing concrete or binding ever seems to happen.”

For example, during the 2009 Copenhagen summit, no binding agreements were ratified and all the participants left without making serious headway on the worsening climate issue.

However, Zavala points to the mass protests as a sign of optimism.

“There were so many people this time. This isn’t a nationwide issue, this is a global issue,” she said.

She pointed out that the leaders from so many countries cannot ignore the demands of their people. The people demand action on climate change, as they have shown in their worldwide protests.

The world looks to the United Nations building in New York to see what agreements the delegates will come to.

As protesters line the streets around the megalithic building, the delegates inside know what their people want and what their people need.

Yet the delegates face a difficult road.

“The economy and environment seem to be viewed as mutually exclusive entities,” Bollier said. “By favoring one the thinking is that it damages the other.

This doesn’t need to be the case.” The answer is unsure at this point, but the record turnout at the march is certainly encouraging all who seek to make a change.

If you would like to learn more about the immense climate issues concerning our leaders, all are welcome to a local Climate Science & Solutions Summit in Fox Hall on Oct. 6 between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

On Sept. 25, students gathered in Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory to hear Adjunct Professor of Marine Science Athena Rycyk speak about her research regarding manatees and the acoustic environment. Her specific focus was how manatees respond to oncoming boats.

Rycyk comes to Eckerd with an expansive background. She received her Ph.D. at Florida State University.

She has also spent a large portion of her educational and scientific career in Florida, and because of this, she is familiar with the area and the threats that manatees face.

The focus of this presentation, however, was on Rycyk’s collaboration with FSU, Duke University and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Department. Using advanced research technology such as Digital Acoustic Recording Tag (DTAG), Rycyk and her collaborators captured and tagged 18 manatees in Southwest Florida. The goal of using the DTAG is to pick up on the same frequencies that the manatees are hearing when a boat approaches.

The findings of Rycyk and her collaborators are significant because scientists still do not understand everything that facilitates manatee-boat collisions. The applications of their findings will allow scientists to ask better, more targeted questions about manatee-boat collisions.

Their results suggest that manatees change their behavior more when a boat is close, and the closer a boat ap-

proaches, the more likely a manatee is to change its behavior. The proximity of the boat to the manatee tends to be the biggest factor in behavioral changes.

When manatees are closer to the surface, they are more likely to change their behavior, according to Rycyk.

Louder boats are also more likely to influence change manatee behavior.

Manatees in deeper water at the start of the boat approach are more likely to change their behavior. However, if they are in shallow water, they may not be able to swim to deeper water.

According to Rycyk, manatees can be hit by a boat if they are within one meter of the surface.

Rycyk was drawn to studying manatees for a variety of reasons.

“It was a mixture of being intrigued by the manatee-boat interaction problem. They’re capable of moving out of the way of these boats,” Rycyk said. “They have the sufficient swimming speed, yet we see these collisions occurring. We don’t see it for other species, such as bottlenose dolphins, nearly as often.”

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s yearly report for 2014, a total of 52 manatees have reportedly been killed by watercrafts since the beginning of this year. Collisions with human-powered boats and barges are the biggest threats to wild manatees, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It is important to understand the effects of boats on manatees for a variety of reasons, particularly the acoustic environment. Sounds tend to be louder for manatees in the marine environment than what humans experience in the terrestrial environment,

according to Rycyk.

“As the human population increases, there’s going to be more sound introduced into the coastal marine environment, such as boat noise,” Rycyk said. “As that increases, it’s important to understand how it affects the animals, and if it is potentially harming them in any way.”

Sigma Xi supported this CPS event. Sigma Xi is a scientific research society that supports both pure and applied sciences. The honor society consists of over 16,000 members spread over 100 countries, and they conduct many seminars like the one held on the 25th. Officers of the Eckerd College chapter include Associate Professor of Computer Science Holger Mauch and Associate Professor of Marine Science Nancy Smith.

“The overall goal is to get people interested in science and keep people interested in science,” Mauch said.

Full members typically have have Ph.D.s and conduct scientific research.

Smith was key in creating this CPS event. She felt that this event would be a good fit in regards to the interests of many students.

“This particular topic, I think, has really broad appeal to many students,” Smith said. “Eckerd College is an environmentally-focused school with a strong interest in science. This topic really fits into that student population.”

Many students came to the event, filling Galbraith Auditorium. “[The presentation] gave much insight into the scientific world,” Sophomore Macey Sidlasky said. “It was well-presented in raising awareness to college students.”

Apple boasts features of new iPhone 6

By Sara-Jayne Thursby Contributing Writer On Sept. 19, Apple Inc. released its new iPhone in the Apple store at the International Plaza in Tampa and across the country. Fans flocked to the Apple store in order to purchase their new device. It came in two different models: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus.

Senior Fausto Cereti has been waiting six months on the new iPhone.

“The 6 plus is too big, but the 6 is the perfect dimension, and I will definitely be getting the gold version,” he said.

According to statistics released from Apple, 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in total were sold in the first three days of the launch.

The iPhone 6 has a better resolution than the average smartphone.

The iPhone 6 Plus’s resolution is even greater than that.

In addition to this, the contrast ratio of both models, which is the way colors are interpreted by the screen, have improved vastly. This means the picture and video quality on both models will be excellent for a smartphone.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus can work twice as quickly as most smartphones. According to Apple the new A8 chip is 50 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor, the A7.

The 6 and the 6 Plus have a M8 motion coprocessor, which can be used for fitness, health and wellbeing apps. It can tell the difference be-

tween different types of exercise like power walking or cycling. Apple has also added a Barometer to their latest iPhone, so air pressure and distance above sea level may also be calculated to give a more complete fitness app experience.

The camera on an iPhone is always superb quality, and the iPhone 6 and 6 plus are no exception to this rule.

Each model to take photos with extreme clarity and color definition.

The iPhone 6 plus has Optical Image Stabilization. This is quite a feat for a smartphone. This technology moves the lenses of the phone so they are in perfect symmetry with the video or picture you are taking, even if you have a shaky hand.

If this wasn’t enough, both models also record video in 720p HD at either 30 or 60 frames per second. Panoramic pictures can be taken up to 43 megapixels.

Both models have fingerprint identity sensors installed on the Home button and improved battery lives of 14 hours talk time for the iPhone 6 and 24 hours for the 6 Plus. They will be built with stronger and more scratch resistant glass than the 5s.

The iPhone 6 starts at $199 for 16 gigabytes up to $399 for 128 gigabytes.

The iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16gigabytes up to $499 for 128 gigabytes. These prices are inclusive of a two-year contract with a specific carrier.

“It’s always so cool to show people you have the latest iPhone,” Freshman Luca Locatelli said.

photo courtesy of flickr.com The iPhone 6 is the Apple’s thinnest phone yet.

10 Science & Tech.

Oct. 3, 2014

the current

Students gain experience through summer research

By Sarah Raney Asst. Science & Tech Editor A plethora of students participated in research and internships over the summer. This piece will continue to highlight the many students, though not all, who had some amazing opportunities.

Junior Henry Ashworth, a biochemistry and philosophy major, spent his summer in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

“I think it has had the most cited genetics biology research papers over any institution in the world,” Ashworth said.

The project Ashworth helped with involved studying how pancreatic cancer responds to a drug that has been used to treat breast cancer. He focused on how the drug affects pancreatic cancer cell growth, invasion and tumor growth and invasion.

The lab is also run and managed

by Dr. James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA. Ashworth was lucky enough to meet him.

“He’s an interesting guy. It’s fascinating to meet someone who’s famous, who’s been important in human history,” Ashworth said. “But you realize that a lot of people that are idealized are just regular human beings, too.”

Philosophy major and Junior Haven Allard is on the pre-med track.

He has spent the last two summers working at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI).

The first summer was supposed to introduce Allard to the research environment. Much of his time was spent reviewing retrospective charts, which helped him uncover data.

“It was pretty interesting to get to look through charts and bring up old stuff and reanalyze it,” Allard said.

He reviewed the charts of patients with severe sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin-related illnesses. Allard was specifically looking at bone density and iron management in these patients.

Allard was invited back to spend another summer there this year after publishing his findings from the first summer. Although he was an intern both years, he was offered a paid position for the second summer. After publishing the abstract, Allard went to a medical conference for the American Society of

Hematology and gave a poster presentation. He is currently working on his final paper and finishing the project.

“It was a really good experience,” Allard said. “Going into med school, you want to have a diverse amount of experiences, so I think next summer I will be doing something different.”

Junior Ashlin Niedzwiecki is a biology major on the molecular track, and she was one of eight Eckerd students to work at the Center for Human Genetics Research (CHGR) and Massachusetts General Hospital this summer.

Niedzwiecki was working with the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum, a species of amoeba, to study Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses (NCL), a neurodegenerative disease. Neurodegenerative diseases primarily affect the neurons in the brain.

“I was using the organism to try and learn more about how having this gene or not having this gene affects the cell’s ability to respond to different things,” Niedzwiecki said.

She found this lab interesting because she had never heard of this disease.

“Not only was it a disease I had never heard of, [but] reading about the effects that it had on children at the onset was really interesting,” Niedzwiecki said. “We were the only ones on that floor that worked with [Dictyostelium discoideum].

It was really neat to have kind of a different view than some of the other people that were working with rats or stem cells.”

Senior Kimberly Fitzpatrick is a Ford Scholar and marine science major on the biology track. She spent her summer working here at Eckerd with Associate Professor of Marine Science and Biology Nancy Smith.

Fitzpatrick and Smith were studying trematodes, a marine parasite, and focusing on species that prey upon snails. The two researched how environmental cues, specifically gravity and pressure, affect the parasites.

“Hopefully, this research will help us understand how parasites and diseases are transmitted in the marine environment,” Smith said in an email.

Fitzpatrick and Smith collected the parasite from their first intermediate host, the snails, by extracting them.

“With the stage of parasites that

photo by Sarah Raney

The Eckerd College Dolphin Project analyzes data from dolphins in Boca Ciega Bay.

I work with, they only have about 24 hours to find their next host, or they die,” Fitzpatrick said. “So they have to come out of their first intermediate host and already have some cues built into them to give them an advantage in finding their next host.”

Fitzpatrick and Smith used two different species of trematodes. According to Fitzpatrick, for one, its next host is a fish and for the other, a crab.

“We have pretty good results from the gravity experiment,” Fitzpatrick said. “But all the results still need to be analyzed.”

Sophomore Carly Olson, a psychology major, was one student

who participated in the Eckerd College Dolphin Project (ECDP) this summer. Eckerd Assistant Marine Science and Biology Professor Shannon Gowans and Peter Simard, a post-doc at USF, lead the project, which continues year-round.

The team does data analysis in the lab year-round. However, the team also goes out on the boat to collect acoustic recordings and take pictures of each dolphin’s dorsal fin.

From there, the “best fin frames,” according to Olson, are sent to the program DARWIN. Here, all the dolphin photos are catalogued.

DARWIN ranks all the photos in the catalog of previously identified dolphin individuals in order of how

well it believes there’s a potential match, and the researchers themselves determine whether there’s a match or potential new individual by looking through all the photos in the catalog.

“It can be a very lengthy process, since there are 881 fins in the catalog that could be potential matches,” Olson said.

“Although I’m studying psychology with a focus in animal behavior, and ECDP has a marine science focus, the hands-on experience doing research was an opportunity I wanted to pursue,” Olson said.

“My future career studying marine mammal intelligence still aligned relatively well with this project.”

Germs from sweat accumulate in Fitness Center

By Julia Myers Contributing Writer Eckerd’s gym always has students bustling in and out. While the gym has plenty of outlets to benefit your health, the constant traffic also comes with a slew of germs. Viruses, bacteria and fungi have an ideal environment in the warm moisture carried by sweat. Although there are “beneficial bacteria” in every environment, a treadmill covered in a runner’s toxins has no place in the strengthening of an immune system.

According to Fitness Magazine, the most common way to pick up germs is to have direct contact with the surface right before touching

your mouth, eyes or nose. This is due to the lack of consistency in preventative measures. By wiping down the equipment before and after use, the spreading of germs could be reduced significantly. Although most, if not all, Eckerd students wear shoes in the gym, Fitness Magazine says that the risk of foot fungus such as athlete’s foot, also known as ringworm of the foot, is one of the major issues found in gyms everywhere. Athlete’s foot causes flaking, scaling and irritation of the feet and can be found in locker rooms and pool areas as well.

Imagine leaving your clothes in the washing machine for too long after the cycle ends. The clothes begin to grow mildew rapidly, which creates a pungent smell that inevi-

tably leads to a second wash. The same is true with sweat. Although sweat may not have quite the same odor, you also leave behind body oils such as sebum, which is secreted by sebaceous glands and contains triglycerides and fatty acids that fungus feeds on as seen in “Human Physiology” by Dee Unglaub Silverthorn.

Bacteria also contaminate surfaces through makeup residues that people sweat off, then wipe or touch the equipment with. Fitness Magazine also says that any bacteria on your hands and face when applying makeup will lead to contamination of the product itself.

That bacteria is the cause of pimples and pink eye, all of which can result from second-hand con-

tact in the gym. Each person carries with them different microorganisms depending on what they touch on a daily basis and their location; this is why sharing makeup, just like sharing sweat, is not encouraged.

“I feel like people could definitely clean up after themselves a little bit more in the gym, if they’re just a little more mindful about the materials that they use,” Junior Amanda Conner said.

Though there is no real reason to be a germaphobe, there are a few preventative measures that can be taken to keep you clean and healthy.

Newsbank suggests disinfecting the surfaces you will be touching and have touched with the spray and paper towels provided by the gym.

The disinfectant spray found at the

gym contains ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). According to a paper written by C.A. Lawrence concerning the mechanism involved in inactivating agents that affect microorganisms, NH4Cl can deactivate the viral properties of microorganisms which then significantly reduces the chain of infections.

All of the above can save a lot of people from dripping noses and fever spikes when exams come around. The immune system always weakens during times of high stress. The last thing anyone needs is to get sick in the attempt to be healthy. Always be conscious of your body and try to be courteous to others by taking the necessary steps to keep Eckerd’s gym clean.

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11 Science & Tech.

Professor Sherry joins Eckerd

photo by Eileen McGraw Professor Sherry arrived ready to share his knowledge with the EC community.

By Beau Maysey Contributing Writer Environmental Science Professor Jesse Sherry is one of the newest instructors leading classes on sustainability for the new school year.

Sherry is teaching Introduction to Environmental Studies, Geographic and Information Systems (GIS) for Environmental Studies and Green Design. For this last class, Sherry has created the curriculum on his own from scratch.

Sherry has an extensive scholarly background, having gotten his Ph.D. from Rutgers University over nine years and his master’s degree at Temple University. At Rutgers, he taught similar classes: Public Policy, Health and Public Policy and Green Design.

Sherry also worked as a consultant for eight years at a company called Sustainability Solutions. His goal was to analyze manufacturing techniques at different facilities in order to make recommendations about how the process could be done most efficiently from an environmental perspective. Before coming to Eckerd, Sherry said that he waited tables for 16 months at a cheese and wine bar in Virginia.

“When I found out about Eckerd — small, active student body, environmentally-focused — I was very excited,” Sherry said.

He applied to 15 other jobs in the fall, but he’d already accepted the position by the time the others contacted him. Since he has been at Eckerd, his experiences have only been positive. Not only has he been impressed by the engagement of students but he has also been fully supported by his colleagues, which has amounted to a good first year for the professor thus far.

Sherry hopes to give back to the Eckerd community by teaching students to analyze the world around them.

“The most important thing for me is to get students to a place where they’re thinking differently,” Sherry said. “The material is something you always want to cover, but the goal is to try to get students to look at something that they’re familiar with, maybe even to the point where they don’t think about it anymore, and consider why it is the way it is. What are the ways that we can make it better? I like to balance both critical thinking and creative thinking.”

Sherry is also excited about the potential for out-of-the-classroom sustainability projects. He is interested in collaborating with some of these projects in the next few years, which could implement solar technology and a linkage St. Petersburg as a whole.

“He is a breath of fresh air and will totally make positive contributions to Eckerd,” Freshman Alissa Hevesh, a student in Sherry’s Introduction to Environmental Studies class, said.

Oct. 3, 2014

the current

Eckerd students present research in conference

By Ania Szczesniewski Contributing Writer On Sept. 18, Eckerd was the only undergraduate institution to be a part of The Deep-C Consortium’s “All Hands” meeting for universities from around the world. People gathered to discuss their research about the Deepwater Horizon spill, commonly known as the BP oil spill. This particular symposium was focused on students while their conferences are more oriented toward research and less about student guidance.

This event focused on the oil spill because it was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI), which in turn is funded

by BP. Nine students from under the tutelage of Professor of Marine Science and Geoscience Gregg Brooks

set out to Tallahassee with Technician Assistant Rebekka Larson.

This included Brady O’Donnell, Blake Borgeson, Caroline Glenn, Rachel Kalin, Gipson Hawn, Erika Fridrik, Josie Hadfield, Morgan Forni and Jessie Heckman.

Furthermore, undergraduates at the conference brought posters recapping their research, graduate students conducted oral presentations and senior scientists acted as guest speakers.

In this way, students could hear overviews of science as a career and general advice regarding Ph.D. programs and research. There was also a reception where the presentations were displayed, so scientists who come from across the globe could talk to one another in a relatively informal setting.

“The atmosphere was enjoyable, all of the scientists were extraor-

dinarily nice and very engaging,” Senior Morgan Forni said. “It was great to be a part of a conference where we got to experience new research that has yet to be published.”

The majority of Eckerd attendees presented research. Some reviewed work they began over the summer, while others’ roots extend to last year. Each student had their own component and focus, but overall, the work was a team effort.

“Biologically it was from microbes to sharks, so it was a wide range-anything and everything that was being done,” Larson said.

The majority of their research focused on sediment cores in the deep sea. There was also work on the microbial community structure, modeling of physical oceanography and biological impacts of the spill.

“Bekka and I are geologists, so we study the seafloor,” Brooks said.

“We wanted to determine the impact of the spill on the sediments and if the spill is recorded in the sediments and if so, how.”

This was Eckerd’s third time attending and the third and final year of the $22 million grant for this consortium. The grant is up for renewal, Eckerd has yet to find out about attending for a fourth time next year. Brooks has sent students and technicians to places such as Honolulu for the Ocean Sciences Conference this past summer and has more planned. He always aims to participate in at least two conventions a year.

The team may have returned Sept.

19 from this conference, but it is not the end. Eckerd will participate in the Geological Society of America Convention in Vancouver next month.

Eckerd social gatherings affect more than just people

Litter can be spotted on Eckerd’s beaches following weekend events.

By Julia Myers & Sarah Raney Contributing Writer & Asst.

Science & Tech. Editor We love our parties here at Eckerd, and with that comes the whole works: costumes, lights, dancing and, most of all, the sound of some extremely talented disc jockeys.

There are noise complaints and ringing eardrums by the end of almost every Saturday night, but there are also repercussions on the environment that go unnoticed.

Our bay at Eckerd is unique in that it is home to a variety of marine mammals. With so many of the dorms within a short walk of the bay, there are underlying sounds that are always being directed to the bay from human interaction.

Little do people know, marine mammals are extremely sensitive to underwater noise and lights created

above the surface. For example, the acoustic environment for manatees is louder than that for humans.

Turtles use lighting cues to find the ocean. The lights of houses can cause them to move away from the ocean and towards land, likely resulting in their mortality.

Eckerd Sustainability Fellow Evan Bollier described how he has been working with Student Affairs and the Environmental Studies faculty to use LED lights with softer wavelengths, such as amber. Moving forward, he hopes that these lights will not distract turtles as well as other sea life.

Another issue that may arise with bay-based events is the amount of trash that could accidentally end up in the water. Plastic and aluminum waste floats and could also cause major issues for boat motors.

“We will work a lot more with Facilities to get recycling bins and more trash cans to make sure no lit-

ter goes in the water,” Bollier said.

There are possible future policies that may push parties more toward the bay. That will increase the environmental effects we, as a school, are making on the marine life. The bright lights and pounding music will likely be harmful to marine life.

Trash like red solo cups and bottles can commonly be found in the forests of mangroves along the beach. This is just one example of how parties are already hurting marine life. New locations of social gatherings could only exacerbate this problem.

“Even if they put recycling facilities on South Beach, there’s still going to be a lot of trash and debris that ends up in the bay and that would make Eckerd have more of a negative impact on the marine life,” Junior Danielle Wheeler said.

The torrential downpours of rain that are so common in Florida led

photo by Emma Cotton

to runoff into the bay. This can take any trash that has not been secured in a bin into the water, negatively impacting wildlife. Runoff can also carry pollutants into the water.

Trash can also be blown out of recycling and/or garbage bins, eventually ending up in nearby water sources.

With one of the top marine science programs in the country, and a prime spot on the St. Petersburg bay, there are always environmental factors to consider so that we can continue to be a safe harbor for marine life. Please be mindful of how your actions not only impact those around you but also the wildlife nearby. Unlike us, they cannot move to a different dorm to escape the noise. The ocean is their home, which they cannot change. As an environmentally-conscious community, we should strive to emulate that, even in our social lives.

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12 Science & Tech.

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Oct. 3, 2014

ITS student workers help keep Eckerd wired

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By Sara-Jayne Thursby Contributing Writer

photo by Alex Zielinski ITS employs students to maintain the quality of Wi-Fi after offices are closed.

evenings and weekends. During office hours, he partakes in various tasks including replacing switches, access points and redoing cabling in dorm rooms to enable students to complete and submit their work on time. Because Streb will be graduating soon, he is currently training underclassmen to do what he does.

When there is a power outage on campus, most equipment will have a UPS device installed on it.

This stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply, which acts as a battery backup, according to Streb.

This gives ITS 15 minutes to fix the issue or for the power to be turned back on.

In some cases these devices fail, at which point Streb or another member of ITS would have to go to the site of the device and fix the issue hindering it. Lightning storms used to have a major impact on the Wi-Fi across campus, but with the development of new technology, this has thankfully become a thing of the past.

Even with this new technology, the wireless signal covering the GO Pavilion is sensitive to heavy rain, but will rectify itself after the rain stops. In very rare occurrences, palm trees can also disrupt radio signals. The only time lightning would affect the Wi-Fi on campus is when it triggers a power outage, although it is extremely rare for ITS equipment to malfunction and cause connection issues.

The students who work for the media department of ARC work fewer hours than other departments as they are responsible mostly for events, for example, in Miller Auditorium. These students meet every Wednesday with the Media Services Team and plan out which students will cover which event.

“They will cover twenty-plus events in a week, and ITS couldn’t do without them,” Duff said. Any student interested in working for ITS should contact John Duff for more information or call the extension 8318.

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aquatic animals, usually crayfish. They typically feed in soft mud or shallow water.

Below are some fun facts from the National Audobon Society about ibises.

There are other species of Ibises, such as the Scarlet Ibis, the Glossy Ibis and the Sacred Ibis.

For more information, look at the National Audubon Society’s website.

1) They have black tips on their wings that can be seen during flight.

2) They nest in colonies and typically lay two to three eggs.

3) Both male and female ibises in a nesting pair take care of the young.

4) In Sept. 2014, their conservation status was marked as “Least Concern.”

5) Ibises may fly up to 15 miles a day to find food.

6) The pink skin on an Ibis’s face, bill and legs turn scarlet during the breeding season. photo courtesy of National Park Service

I’m with my roommate in a dark room, playing catch with a balloon with the guidance of only a strobe light. The balloon I can never catch reminds me of a certain special probe landing on a comet in space.

I think about scientists and their efforts involving precision. But instead of just a good feeling, like putting a hand on a balloon after a few cold ones, scientists could be discovering something from a comet that has been drifting for billions of years.

The spacecraft’s name is Philae, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft. It’s planned to land on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a comet heading toward the sun since 2004. We’ve been looking at this rock for a while; Chury was discovered in 1969.

The landing site was announced on Sept. 15 on a smaller lobe of the comet -- one that looks like a rubber duck. The operation is scheduled to commence on Nov. 11. It is important that we land on this comet because something out there could affect the way we live down here.

Visions of the movies “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” flood my mind, where astronauts land on an earth-bound comet to attempt to destroy it and save everyone. But Chury is not heading towards our

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White Ibises are commonly found around Eckerd. They typically travel in groups, which can also be called a congregation, stand or wedge of ibises.

Ibises have long, thin beaks, as can be seen in this picture. They are also wading birds.

Ibises use their beaks to feed on frogs, fish and other

By Conor Sean McKenna Columnist

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learn responsibly

White Ibis

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Florida wildlife fun facts:

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ITS is involved in everything from the overhead projector in your classroom to all of the Internet connections around campus. There are approximately 20 students who work on average 12 hours per week, nine scheduled and three on call. ITS’ aim is to have three fully trained students who can work to maintain Internet connections on campus outside of office hours and on the weekend.

Working for ITS is not normally classified as an internship, but more of a Work Study program.

However, in special circumstances, students who do not qualify for Work Study may be hired.

“It’s really valuable,” Director of ITS John Duff said. “You hear it in the classroom, and you get to apply it here.”

Students get paid for the hours they work, and often ITS will hire two students over the summer to help with desktop and networking.

Also, students who have graduated from Eckerd have come to work for ITS and the experience they have gained there has allowed them to get a good job in the IT industry.

There are six different sections in ITS: Academic Resource Center (ARC), Desktop, Student Repair, Networking, Server Staff and Management. Most students start working for Desktop or ARC, which has to do with classroom media and staff and faculty member’s computer systems, but may diversify as they become more experienced and are given more responsibility.

Lead Networking Assistant and Senior Gavin Streb, a computer science major, has been working for ITS for two and a half years. He is responsible for making sure the Internet functions correctly during

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impending doom, so why on earth (or space) are we doing this? It’s because this can tell us some information on elemental, isotopic and molecular composition of the comet. It also has the potential to tell us about geological makeup and physical features. By landing on the comet we can also learn about the structure of the magnetic and plasma environment of the nucleus.

According to The Guardian, researchers have calculated that the chances of success are about 70 percent. Since the comet’s rough terrain proves a difficult task, there are five back up landing locations.

Scientists are not certain what will happen, and even the slightest mistake could delay operations by 28 days. Not only is the mission risky, but gas and dust are coming from the neck of the two lobes that make up the meteor. This could have the potential to split the comet in half, just like in “Deep Impact,” where a comet split and hit the earth.

Many believe that this is worth it. We’ve never landed on a comet before. I am really hoping that we find a scientific discovery that changes the way we think about the universe, or maybe even the way we live. As college students, we expect changes all the time, but not from space. Sometimes we are too busy playing balloon games to look up and wonder if any big changes in our lives can come from someplace else.

These quirky birds are commonly seen around the ponds of Eckerd.

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Arts & Entertainment 13

Arts & Entertainment Papadosio brings “Imagine Cells” tour to Florida

By Nate Gozlan Asst. A & E Editor Just a little over a week after Umphrey’s McGee blessed us with their presence, the Jamtronic band Papadosio joined us in St. Pete, bringing their defined sound of unexpected combinations with them.

In mid September, Papadosio and made the trek from Minnesota to St. Pete for the first week of their threemonth tour. They performed at the State Theater, located in downtown St. Petersburg. The relatively small venue contrasted with the band’s large stage presence, creating an exciting set that still conveyed a sense of intimacy during the production, making the Thursday-night show feel like a Saturday.

This is certainly not to say that the audience was small by any means.

The crowd rushed the stage quickly, leaving just enough room to groove quite comfortably to Dosio’s funky electronic sound.

There was a substantial Eckerd presence in the crowd; in the beginning of the show I recall being on the far right of the stage and seeing friends on the far left. By the end of the evening, we had squeezed and spread our way through the crowd, converging front and center for the final portion of Papa D’s sensational performance.

“Papadosio always puts on a great show so I was excited to see them again. Never disappointing,” Sophomore Sarah Feehan said.

Papadosio featured many unheard songs from their newest album “Imagine Cells” at the State Theater.

While often grouped with other artists as a Jam Band, Dosio has a uniquely electronic feel that spans multiple genres. Drawing on their already distinctive sound, the album features heavy electronic influence and soulful lyrics orchestrated by lead guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Anthony Thogmartin (who, by the way, has some of the best hair I have seen in live music today).

Papa D did not come to showcase this album alone though; playing many fan-loved favorites, the most memorable being their encore song “All I Knew,” which made the crowd

we made our way down to Ft. Lauderdale to catch the group’s encore performance. This time around, Dosio played at The Culture Room, an even tighter-packed venue than St. Pete’s State Theater. And while moving through the crowd quickly became quite difficult, moving to the rhythm of Dosio’s enchanting sound was unfailingly easy.

“Dosio’s set in St. Pete was more chill than their Ft. Lauderdale show, which seemed more excited and alive. It was like the first show was a set up for the next,” Sophomore Andrew Thompson said.

Papa D pulled out all the stops here, staging a performance just as enthralling as they did in St. Pete.

The band seemed to focus less on their new album and played a myriad of crowd-pleasing originals, like “The Sum” and “Hippy Babysitter.”

With this year’s Toga party held the following day, Eckerd’s convenient location and Dosio’s radical sound were more reminders that living in St. Pete has its perks.

With so many music festivals being held within driving distance of St. Pete, we have a lot to look forward to. Just this past weekend, there was a Reggae festival held in Tampa, bringing huge names in the genre like Steel Pulse and Rebelution to the stage. And while the weather here may make summer feel long, it also provides the perfect opportunity for off-season shows and festivals.

Forget a coat-check; our location is unrivaled for winter-time festivals, Papadosio performs at the State Theater. courtesy of Lia Nydes which virtually always occur in the summer. of adults feel like a playpen of chil- ing two sets every year on Valentine’s on a multitude of awesome shows.

This year we have quite the ‘offdren, all jumping and skipping to the Day weekend.

Thankfully, Papadosio falls into this season’ to prepare for. If you missed beautiful melody.

While Live Oak is a beautiful and category, coming year after year to any shows in the beginning of the But the fun did not end then. St. enchanting place, St. Pete isn’t bad ei- amuse and captivate our minds.

Petersburg was only one city on the ther. Though I sometimes grow tired On their current tour, Dosio year, don’t sweat it. Nearly every band’s tour of Florida, which con- of the confusing, winding roads and played sets in Tallahassee and Orlan- band that has come down this year tained six consecutive shows. The the summer days that never seem to do before coming to St. Pete and went will be joining us again in the winter. band has always seemed to enjoy end, I love living here. With big name on to Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville and With The Spirit of Suwannee Music performing in Florida, headlining concert halls in Tampa and numer- Gainesville before making their way Park holding multiple festivals in the the widely popular Aura music festi- ous fantastic venues in St. Pete itself, to Colorado. I have been checking upcoming months, namely Suwanval each February in Live Oak. And the weekends are never a bore. this tour schedule since August, so I nee Hulaween and Bear Creek, authough the Aura lineup is packed Countless artists in the Reg- was prepared with ticket in hand to diophiles of Eckerd need not worry. with hugely popular artists, including gae, Rap, Alternative Rock, Jam and follow Papa D down to Ft. Lauder- While iving in St. Pete, there will always be a show to go to, and always The Disco Biscuits and Moe, Papa- Electronic scenes all make their way dale following their St. Pete concert. dosio always pulls in the crowd, play- down to the Tampa Bay area, putting Joined by a few Eckerd friends, great people to go with.

To have your event added to the calendar, email currentae@eckerd.edu.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

3

4

7 p.m. CPS International Cinema Series Presents: “Life Itself ” Miller Auditorium

4:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

SUNDAY

5

Men’s Soccer

11

7 p.m. CPS International Cinema Series Presents: Aqui y alla: Filmic narrative of immigration Miller Auditorium

4 p.m.

Volleyball

Volleyball

Men’s Soccer

C

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

6

7

8

9

Men’s Golf tournament

Men’s Golf tournament

7 p.m. CPS U.S. Immigration Law: Myths vs. Facts Miller Auditorium

7 p.m. CPS Youth @ Work Fox Hall

13

14

15

16

7 p.m.

7 p.m. CPS A Conservative Vision for Immigration Reform?

Fox Hall

4 p.m. CPS Tampa Bay Estuary Past, Present and Future Lewis House Atrium

7 p.m.

The New Pot Barons Miller Auditorium

1:30 p.m.

Climate Science and Solutions Summit Fox Hall

7 p.m.

Howl-O-Scream shuttles

10

MONDAY

7 p.m. The Current meeting

12

4:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer 7 p.m.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

The Current meeting

8 p.m.

Poker tournament Triton Room

14 Arts & Entertainment

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Marvel vs. DC: A battle for your television screens

By Hailey Escobar Online Editor

It is one of the classic struggles of the comic book universe: Marvel or DC? In recent years, however, the two comic book universes have taken their battle to a whole new level on a much different arena. While television and film have never been strangers to the heroes of the comic tycoons with animated series, the multiple Batman franchises and live action dramas such as “Smallville,” Marvel has stepped up their game with their Avengers franchise.

Since the success of “Iron Man” in 2008, Marvel Studios, the exclusive film branch of the comic book company, has been connecting the stories of their most popular heroes in a quickly expanding mass franchise. This has never been attempted in a film franchise this size before.

Once DC caught wind of their success with “The Avengers” and Marvel’s subsequent buyout by Disney for $4 billion, according to Marvel.com, they have been very quick in trying to catch up.

“I think Marvel does better

in every arena, but especially in film considering how many of their different franchises come out in the span of one or two Batman franchises,” Junior Paige Kesselman said. “And that’s what I think is DC’s fallout. They only target Batman fans -- even with the upcoming “Batman vs. Superman.”

Over the last several months, DC has been filming the sequel to “Man of Steel,” which came out last year and restarted the Superman legend. The new film, entitled “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, according to IMDB seems to be DC’s answer to Marvel’s success at the box office.

“Batman vs. Superman” will work in a new adaptation of Batman despite the fact that Bruce Wayne graced our screens not two years ago with “The Dark Knight Rises.” The film will also include Aquaman and Wonder Woman, the last of whom is arguably one of the most popular female superheroes in the genre.

She is also one of the least represented since the last time the character was portrayed in live action was in 1979. Batman has

seen three franchise reboots in that time period.

The film will be followed by “Justice League,” which fans are assuming will be similar to “The Avengers” where the heroes are faced with a crisis that will force them to work together. Unlike Marvel, however, there will barely be a build up to the massive events in their “universe,” as members of Marvel Studios has called it. Marvel studios laid the groundwork for their characters over a course of five films and surprise after-credit scenes before they finally released the 2012 film. Marvel also has films and productions already planned during every summer until 2021.

There are other factors that come in this battle for viewers’ attention on television. DC has not been a stranger to live action television. They have seen success for their last two season with their show “Arrow” on CW and will be releasing two new shows this coming pilot season with “Flash” and “Gotham.”

While “Gotham” is a prequel to the Batman legend, “Flash” will be a spin off of “Arrow.”

Marvel has recently gotten

into the game with “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” which premiered last year and received mixed reviews. The show was practically created from the pressure of the fans in order to bring back popular character Agent Phil Coulson, played by actor Clark Gregg. The character originally died in “The Avengers.”

Despite their youth, Marvel has upped the game in their favor here as well, allowing the characters of the show to be directly affected by the events in the films. So, when S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) came crumbling down by the evil forces of Hydra in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the show took a darker turn at the end of their season and received a climb in ratings.

The show will return this season and will be joined by the miniseries “Agent Carter” during their winter hiatus, which will depict Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) after the events in “Captain America: The First Avenger.”

Marvel is also taking their productions to another level with the announcement on their

website of a series that will follow the tail-end success of shows such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Earlier this year, Netflix and Disney announced that together they would be producing four series for the internet-based network: “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist” and “Luke Cage.”

All series are already planned to film in New York and the studio started filming this past summer.

“Marvel has the edge on TV because Agent Carter and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.l.L.D. exist in the movie universes, while the Netflix shows will all exist in the same universe. DC only has Arrow and the Flash in the same universe,” Senior Katie Ray said.

No matter what side you are on in the world of comic books, the facts stand for themselves.

While DC has an established fan base with their characters, TV series and Batman, Marvel has firmly established themselves in pop culture. They have created a singular, cinematic universe where they may continue to add new stories to in years to come giving them a stamina that could outlast DC.

What punks really care about

By Jake Hamblen

Contributing Writer

Ohio State Buckeyes coach tackles fan.

George Clooney ties the knot.

Sarah Silverman hosts SNL this Saturday.

Derek Jeter plays last game.

Kendrick Lamar releases new single. More tracks to come.

THE TIPSY TRITON Cocktails & Mixed Drinks

Caribbean Sunset

XXL Watermelon Jello Shots

3/4 oz. Malibu coconut rum 3/4 oz. melon liquer Large watermelon 2 oz. cranberry juice 12 oz. red jello 2 oz. orange juice 8 packets gelatin 4 cups hot water Combine melon liqueur 2 cups vodka and Malibu rum together in 2 cups cherry vodka hurrican glass. Slowly pour cranberry juice on top until Mix all ingredients. Hollow it fills half the remaining out watermelon. Pour mixture space. Finish with a splash into watermelon. Cool overof orange juice. night. Enjoy.

On Sept. 12, five of my friends and I piled in a small, gray convertible and drove down to Planet Retro Records in St. Petersburg to attend a punk show. It was free and four bands played: Fevers, Ratsak, Nu,Pogodi! and Landbridge. I had never been to a show in the St. Pete area, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but upon arriving at Planet Retro, I knew we wouldn’t be disappointed.

Inside were at least a dozen punks of varying size and stature.

Immediately upon entering the establishment, a body modification artist sporting a dread-mullets named Feral Peterson thrust a pamphlet into my hands which detailed the time, date and location of a protest focusing on boats in Tampa Bay that would be facilitating trade with Israel.

However, before I could ask her about her cause, the next band on the lineup, Ratsak, started and finished their ‘80s-influenced, chaosinducing set within about 15 or 20 minutes. Surprisingly, the crowd was not very active during the onslaught of noise. I figured that this apathy would not change throughout the rest of the show.

I was wrong. During the next band’s set, Nu,Pogodi!, the middle of the crowd opened up and the dreads, mullets and skinheads all crashed into each other indiscriminately, fueled by the music. Their sound could best be described as modern crust punk, influenced by bands such as Discharge, who capitalized on the fast-paced pounding drum beat commonly found in DBeat music.

Between songs, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, Villa, would introduce the topics of their politically themed songs such as “Female Genital Mutilation” and “Where There’s Life, There’s Hope.” She also stated that if anyone was curious about the meanings and backgrounds of these songs, they could talk to her after the show.

Naturally, I couldn’t resist hearing her thoughts. The song titled “Where There’s Life, There’s Hope,” is about Aileen Wuornos, one of the first female serial killers within the United States. She was executed on Oct. 9, 2002 for killing seven men who she claimed had

photo by Constance Decay Nu,Pogodi! lead singer Villa Kula shreds on guitar.

raped her while she was working as a prostitute.

Villa and many others empathize with her, citing her poor upbringing. She pointed out that her parents were mostly absent during her childhood. Her father, a rapist, killed himself in prison and her mother was abusive.

The case turned into a media circus.

“She was a monster. She was everything bad in America -- why you should be a Christian, why you shouldn’t hitchhike,” Villa said.

This was a case that I had personally never heard of before. Punk music and punk shows are full of these calls to action if one is willing to simply show up and listen.

For example, Freshman Abigail

Thomas recalled the punk scene in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.

“The punk community in Portland played a huge part in our local Occupy [Wall Street] movement, and I was privy to stories that the media wasn’t covering -- someone left their dog in a tent at one of the protests, and the police killed it,” she said.

Many people at punk shows have something that they would like to see changed, and if spoken to, will talk to no end about it. It is for this reason that not only can going to shows be fun, but also educational and enlightening. If you’re interested in learning about the scene, Planet Retro’s Records free concert series is an excellent place to start.

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15 Arts & Entertainment

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Puzzle Paradise

For answers, go to www.thecurrentonline.com

Across

Down

1 Island 5 Kilometers per hour 8 Eckerd green dorm 12 Make secure; as in boating 13 Metric weights 15 Of Middle-eastern descent 16 Happy cat sound 17 Poem 18 Points 19 Asian pheasant 21 Plates 23 Kinds of stars 25 Kid 26 Root beer brand 29 Doctoral degree 31 Canals 35 Bombs 37 Sky 39 Very dry wine 40 Olden 41 ____ games 44 Estimated time of arrival 45 Precipitation 47 Talk 48 Whalebone 50 “He’s cute, what a heart___” 52 Cow sound 54 Trotted 55 “I owe you” 57 Toothbrush brand 59 Assimilate 62 Clothing reinforcer 65 Cookie; best with milk 66 Natural sweetener 68 Catch 70 Stack of paper 71 Athletic field 72 Jane Austin novel 73 Exposed 74 Informal “yes” 75 Keep quiet “under ___”

1 Terror 2 Bissque 3 Traditional knowledge 4 Chores 5 Abduct 6 Wooden sheet 7 Deem 8 Large bathroom fixture 9 Canal; also a Great Lake 10 Raps lightly 11 Abdominal muscles 13 Capital of Ukraine 14 Narrow opening 20 Instructional method (two words) 22 Turf 24 Hair soap 26 End 27 God of Islam 28 Lowest point 30 Decline 32 Scary jerk 33 Scholar; being taught 34 Get up 36 Tricky 38 Chest bone 42 Root vegetable 43 Uses a telephone 46 Bad smelling 49 Seafood delicacy 51 Hiss 53 Musical instruments 56 ____ Major (Big Dipper) 58 Papadosio’s favorite music festival 59 Region 60 ____ Creek Music Festival 61 Conceal 63 Writer Bombeck 64 Tap in lightly 65 Sphere 67 “To the right!”

69 Old-fashoned fathers

crossword by Nate Gozlan

“Tusk” brings Smith back to silver screen

courtesy of www.themoviebit.com Actors Long (left) and Parks (right) have tea in a still from the film “Tusk.”

By Carson Overholt Contributing Writer Kevin Smith’s new horror comedy “Tusk” is a movie unlike anything you have seen in your life, as Smith tends to do with all his films. This film has an unusual beginning; a little more than a year ago on his podcast, Smith and his friend discussed a Craigslist ad they came across. This ad said that the writer had a room open for anyone who would be willing to wear a walrus suit and act like a walrus around him while he was home.

Smith decided that this would be a great horror film plot and, with some

modifications, got “Tusk” started.

The film follows a podcaster named Wallace, played by actor Justin Long, who interviews weird and interesting people and ends up at an old man’s house. The old man, played by actor Michael Parks, claims to have stories about being lost at sea. Over a cup of tea, Parks tells Wallace of his savior, a walrus that rescued him from drowning, the reason behind the walrus suit Craigslist ad. Swiftly after finishing their cups of tea Wallace passes out, his cup of tea having been drugged, and then the horrors begin. The rest of the film is a snowball effect of insanity as Wallace tries to escape while

the man is turning him into an animal, and his best friend and girlfriend get the help of a private investigator to find him.

The film is primarily a comedy with jokes in almost if not every scene, despite the dark plot line. Although it contains most of Smith’s humor, it still has horror elements and disturbing images, but that does not take anything away from Smith’s keen eye for storytelling. With impressive creativity, Smith creates a mix of horror, comedy and B-movie ridiculousness. Every line spoken is written well, from the immature humor of Justin Long’s character, to

the dark insanity of Parks’. You can imagine Smith had lived Wallace’s life like he lived Dante’s when he created “Clerks.”

Casting for this film could not have been stronger, with Justin Long as the protagonist, and Parks performing with enough insanity to become a new horror villain classic. His philosophy is disturbed and his logic is twisted all in the right ways. There has not been an actor that has transformed into his villainous character as well as Parks since Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

Other memorable performances come from Haley Joel Osment as Wallace’s best friend Teddy, Gen-

esis Rodriguez, as Wallace’s girlfriend Ally, an unrecognizable Johnny Depp as Guy Lapointe and a surprising appearance by YouTube star Harley Morenstein.

Overall the film is one you shouldn’t miss as a horror fan, comedy fan or Kevin Smith fan. For anyone else, this one might be a little too odd for you. The film has great cinematography, a haunting feel, above average acting and the spectacular writing of Kevin Smith. In a time of remakes and adaptations, it is refreshing to see such an original film that hits all the right marks. “Tusk” receives four and half walruses out of five.

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16 Arts & Entertainment

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Aboard the Hogwarts Express: Student reviews Universal’s Harry Potter expansion

By Hailey Escobar Online Editor It seems impossible that we almost had a world without J.K. Rowling’s wizarding boy wonder. In fact, 12 publishers had turned down the children’s series before lucky 13 decided to give the young author a chance. Now, seven books, eight movies and 17 years since “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was published, fans still can’t get enough of Harry Potter.

“People will always want an adventure to go on, to be a part of a world that has magic and mystery,” Sophomore Samantha Brito said.

Since the first magical attraction in Islands of Adventure opened in 2010, fans everywhere had been anxiously awaiting news that Universal had further expanded the Wizarding World to guests. They did not disappoint. This past summer, Universal opened the gates to new experiences with the addition of Diagon Alley. Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the park with my family and was blown away by the experience.

Boarding the Hogwarts Express Of all of the new additions to the parks, there is one that has stood out to fans the most since construction began.

“I’m going in December,” Senior Greg Johnson said. “I’m really excited about the Hogwarts Express.”

Connecting both the Islands of Adventure and the new Universal edition is a scarlet steam engine that escorts guests between the two. You can board from either Hogsmeade Station or from King’s Cross, a miniature version of the station in London. If you choose to go from King’s Cross, be sure to keep your eye for a special trick that park designers added between platforms nine and 10 to give guests the appearance of disappearing through

the walls to platform 9 ¾.

The train is also given an authentic feel with the use of screens in the cars that portray the landscape of the British countryside and a few, well known landmarks for avid fans. You can even see the shadows of your favorite heroes wandering the corridors of the train.

My only complaint was that you can tell that Emma Watson clearly did not voice Hermione for this attraction.

Just be aware, the train does require a special park hopper pass in order to enter both parks.

Cream Parlour (note: get there early because there tends to be a line). Just watch your step or you might walk into Knockturn Alley, a place where dark wizards supposedly go for supplies.

Holding the gaze of many guests, however, was Gringotts bank, which stands proudly in the center of the park and was topped with the fire-breathing dragon Harry and his friends escaped upon in the seventh book. Inside is also Universal’s newest ride: Escape from Gringotts.

Discovering Diagon Alley Having been to the original park in the past, I knew that Universal Studios had been thorough in their pursuit of creating the ultimate Potter experience for fans. In fact, the theme park hired Stuart Craig, one of the production designers for all eight films, to head the design team for the park.

However, this knowledge did not prepare me for what was hidden behind a London facade. Walking through the narrow walkway of walls that hid the mystical shops (you can also enter through the restaurant The Leaky Cauldron) was as if I had suddenly entered an entirely new world.

The streets bustled with guests. The elaborate window displays drew the eye to colorful storefronts. Workers walked around in witch hats and robes.

Greeting you at the entrance was Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop of the mischievous, red-haired twins, Fred and George. The shop is complete with the disappearing rabbit that was portrayed in the sixth film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

As you walk deeper into the park, you might recognize other stores made famous by the books such as Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Borgin and Burkes and Florean Fortescue’s Ice

Escape from Gringotts Following the popularity of other virtual reality rides such as the Spiderman ride and the new Transformers adventure in Islands of Adventure, Gringotts takes you through both a 4D experience of storytelling and a gutwrenching roller coaster ride through the catacombs of Gringotts bank.

The ride starts as a “tour” of the banks with one of the goblins and Bill Weasley, one of Ron Weasley’s older brothers. Guests will have to watch out for villains such as Bellatrix Lestrange and the dreaded Lord Voldemort who break into the bank trying to catch Harry, Ron and Hermione escaping with the sword of Gryffindor as they do in the films.

Don’t worry about the wait either.

The line takes guests not only through the bank, but also through security identification (pictures) and an elevator down into the vaults. Keep an eye out for copies of the Daily Prophet too as you wait.

Making Magic What I believe to be one of the most brilliant additions to both parks has to be the integration of the interactive wand experience. After hearing rumors about the wands, I knew that my main goal of the day was to try it

courtesy of Hailey Escobar Hailey Escobar in front of Platform 9 and 3/4, waiting for the Hogwarts Express.

out for myself.

The interactive wands are specialty wands that can be found in several areas around the park, with the best selection at Ollivander’s. You can choose from one of your favorite characters or one of the “extra wands” also available.

While the wands are about $10 more than the normal ones, but they include a special sensor at the tip and a map.

The map allows guests to go around the park and practice “spells” on their own. The areas where you can do the

wand work can normally be identified by a medallion in the ground… or the crowd of people watching the events take place. With the help of special witches and wizards who tutor more troubled guests, you can make it rain inside an umbrella, bring store displays to life or even dance with a skeleton.

Along with the rest of the park, Universal has truly created an immersive world that makes guests feel as if they had walked into their favorite books. I, for one, can’t wait to go back.

Breaking Free: Grande evolves from TV star to pop super star

By Dorothy-Mae Eldemire Asst. Viewpoints Editor Many are familiar with the perky redhead from “Victorious” with the monumental voice. Ariana Grande’s name is known worldwide, especially when it comes to her wide vocal range and Mariah Carey-esque whistle tones. When she released her first album “Yours Truly,” many were unsure of whether it would be a chart topper or a flopper.

However, Grande proved many fans wrong and moved to the top of the charts with singles like “The Way” and “Baby I.” It was no surprise to many of her Nickelodeon fans who rallied behind her and bought her album in abundance. However, according to Pitchfork, Grande was simply singing because she had the voice. In short, they felt there was no emotion behind the music, leaving Grande to figure out her next move.

Grande’s first single on her new album, “Problem,” has already made waves this summer featuring another rising star, Iggy Azalea. These pop princesses proved to be a dynamic duo and the track became a part of the hit singles list for summer.

Following it, listeners found themselves looking forward to the album as the tracklist promised names like The Weeknd, Big Sean, Childish Gambino, Nicki Minaj and Jessie J. Minaj’s Instagram even featured a picture of the artwork for Grande’s third hit single, “Bang Bang,” which featured British powerhouse Jessie J as well as Caribbean queen herself.

The excitement that surrounded this collaboration also helped the album gain notoriety as Nicki’s Barbies and Jessie’s Heartbeats rallied behind their favorite artists to support Grande’s album.

Grande took a new approach this time around, releasing the album on Aug. 25th and surprising the masses.

There was raw emotion, truth and ev-

string instruments.

This pensive song, however, is followed by another uptempo collaboration with Childish Gambino, putting a twist on “I’m Coming Out”

by Diana Ross. Gambino, known for sliding in conspicuous innuendoes, kept it clean with a hint of hysterical in the style he’s known for.

Yet, the most noteworthy song on this album is definitely “Love Me Harder” featuring The courtesy of Iconosqaure user @katykat_swftie Weeknd, well known for ery now and then empowerment. In his high range and sultry “Intro,” she uses a much softer voice to tones. Nonetheless, he manages to sing, “I’ll give you all I have and noth- tone it down quite a bit for this album. ing less I promise.” Following this she Keeping in mind Abel Tesfaye, the hits you with her female empower- voice behind The Weeknd, is known ing summer single, “Problem” as she for anything but lighthearted music, makes it clear that she has, “One less the duo’s vocals blend together to creproblem without you.” ate a match made in heaven.

“One Last Time” seems to shed Nothing could prepare listeners light on her past relationship with for Grande’s and A$AP Ferg’s collabYouTube star Jai Brooks. “Break Free” oration, making it clear that she has transitions from R&B/Pop into Elec- changed since she was a Nickelodeon tronic Dance Music as Grande collab- star as she trills, “Skirt off, keep the orates with Zedd hitting the Mariah high heels on. Might be a little thing Carey registers she’s famous for to but we like that long,” she said in her make the point, “I’m stronger than song.

I’ve been before, this is the part where Catching many fans off guard, we I break free.” Many speculate that she’s see the followers of Cat Valentine atsinging about her past relationships, tempt to accept that Grande is anybut in truth, Grande seems to be makthing but the redhead we all grew up ing sure we know she’s breaking away from the expected and that we should watching. The album closes out with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Jessie J in take her seriously as a singer.

Many believed Grande was re- the hit single “Bang Bang,” which, acleasing an album filled with upbeat, cording to the Billboard, is the “Lady rhythmic songs; however, according Marmalade” of our decade.

While many stars face the media’s to the Billboard, she brought her pensive side out this time around, in her critique when they transition from song “Best Mistake” with newfound the likes of Disney and Nickelodeon seen clearly with the Miley Cyrus debeau Big Sean.

“We the oddest couple, only hu- bacle, Ariana Grande seems to glide man, except you, you a goddess. into the transition as smoothly as her When you start as friends it’s hard to signature high ponytail -- except this say you’re never going back,” Big Sean time around, those thigh high boots raps over a steady beat filled with of hers seem to fit just right.

By Araesia King Asst. A & E Editor

photo by Eilleen McGraw ITS Secretary Rita Sage has been working at Eckerd for 25 years. She believes that her greatest accomplishment thus far is raising three children.

“I’m deathly afraid of snakes. When I was about 15 years old, somebody decided it would be a good idea to drop one down the back of my blouse, and I’ve had sort of an inordinate fear of them ever since. And would you like to guess who did that? My very own husband!”

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the current

Health & Fitness 17

Oct. 3, 2014

Health & fitness INSIDE H&F

What you need to know about muscle growth

By Jeremy Brown Health & Fitness Editor There are many different reasons why someone might go to the gym: trying to get into better shape, trying to shed a few pounds or trying to pack on more muscle. The majority of people know the benefits of working out, but very seldom do these individuals realize what is occurring in their muscles while they are exercising.

Sure, lifting weights will result in larger muscles with proper form and proper nutrition, but it is important to know what is happening on a cellular level in the body during and after a work out.

The process of increasing muscle size is called muscle hypertrophy, which can be broken up into two factors: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy.

The first factor involves lifting lighter weights for high repetitions, while the second factor involves lifting much heavier weight for fewer repetitions.

Professor Joseph Larkin, the faculty advisor for the Powerlifting club, works with students to meet physical goals for themselves in the Powerlifting club. The first question he asks students is in regards to determining the students’ goals. Larkin also finds himself asking a lot of students, one question in particular.

“Do you want to get bigger or do you want to get stronger?”

For those who are trying to obtain more mass and a bigger physique, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is recommended. According to the book “Exercise Physiology” by George Brooks, portions of the muscle swell with fluid and minerals with a little gained strength. However, in myofibrillar hypertrophy, muscle proteins thicken and increase in number, resulting in improved strength.

This doesn’t mean that if someone performed high repetitions and low weight they wouldn’t get stronger, or if someone performed low repetitions with heavy weight

they wouldn’t get bigger.

What this means is that if, for instance, a person does heavy weight lifting with low repetitions, myofibrillar hypertrophy is occurring more than sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, resulting in more strength and a little bit more mass. However, proper form is pivotal in weightlifting in order to get optimal results with fewer to no injuries.

“I always stress that good form is the most important thing in the gym. Leave the ego outside the gym and learn proper technique before piling on the weight,” Larkin said.

According to the article “How Do Muscles Grow?”

by Young sub Kwon and Len Kravitz, during the course of a workout, portions of muscles become damaged. Resistance put on muscles damages the cells inside the muscle fibers that make up the muscle itself.

This triggers the activation of satellite cells, which are the little helpers that repair muscles.

These cells have the ability to combine with the existing mus-

Tea for two

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Meals with Midge

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cle fibers to form new protein strands that repair or replace the damaged strands. The final result includes swelling of the muscles in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy or thicker muscle fibers and a greater abundance of muscle fibers, or “bigger muscles,” in myofibrillar hypertrophy.

Now let’s talk about hormones. These are basically the little messengers in the body.

An outside source triggers hormones, which signals the hormone to perform a function and relay the signal to another part in the body. Hormones are key in the signaling process because they travel through the bloodstream to reach muscles.

“Growth hormone stimulates the uptake and incorporation of amino acids into protein in skeletal muscle,” Kwon and Kravitz said in their study.

Of course, a lot more goes into the growth of muscles other than satellite cells and hormones, but on a basic level of understanding, it is growth factors such as these that help the process of repairing muscles.

Downsides of drinking

Sex on the Beach

By Alana Brillo Staff Writer

For decades, men have worried about their girlfriends remembering to take the pill.

Soon, the responsibility is going to be on both genders. While women have a variety of options when it comes to birth control, men only have a few options: abstinence, vasectomy, withdrawal and condoms.

Recently, there’s been talk of a medical breakthrough: the invention of male birth control. The male birth control pill may not be here for a while, but the gel is well on its way. According to pop culture blog The Daily Beast, the solution is called Vasalgel, a non-hormonal polymer that blocks the vas deferens (the tube that the sperm swim through).

It’s different from a vasectomy in that it is easily reversible.

Unlike most female birth control pills, Vasalgel is effective for a significant amount of time after only one treatment. In recent studies, the drug has had successful use for six months thus far in babboons according to Dippa Lakshmin’s article, “Male Birth Control is Almost Here - And No We Don’t Mean Condoms.”

According to a press release

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from Parsemas Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing low-cost medical approaches, Vasalgel is proving to be successful in trials on baboons.

Three male baboons injected with the gel had unrestricted sexual access with 10 to 15 female baboons each. Although it’s been six months, none of the female baboons are pregnant. Human trials are expected to start next year.

But, like everything, there are going to be pros and cons.

One pro is that if this were to become widespread, it will forever change the way we approach birth control. For a long time, the responsibility of birth control has fallen mostly on women with birth control pills. Instead of risking harmful effects in women’s bodies with hormonechanging pills, Vasalgel will stop sperm at its source without interfering with testosterone.

Another upside to male birth control is that it would significantly reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of the pregnancies in the United States are not planned. By cutting down the unintended pregnancies, it will ease the physical,

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financial and emotional toll that unplanned pregnancies can cause.

Finally, because female birth control requires tampering with hormones, the side effects can be brutal. For example, the side effects of most birth control pills include nausea, depression and high blood pressure.

By having Vasalgel around, women would not have to take such a toll on their bodies.

Unfortunately, there is a major downside to Vasalgel. According to the Parsemus foundation website, until the pill comes out, Vasalgel has to be injected directly into the vas deferens. In other words, it means the gel has to be directly injected into the penis.

It isn’t pleasant, but it’s the only way it can be effective right now.

Also, Vasalgel does not stop the transmission of STDs. A condom would still be necessary in order to help prevent a person from being infected.

An important decision needs to be made here. Males will now have two options for male contraceptives, either use chemical birth control like Vasalgel or a condom. If the first is chosen, this opens up a door for chemical birth control to partially rest on the shoulders of men instead of solely on the shoulders of women.

By Raymond Berger Contributing Writer Alcohol is prevalent in the lives of many Americans. According to a 2012 survey by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 56.3 percent of Americans reported that they drank within the past month. Many Americans may not be aware of the effects that alcohol has on one’s health.

“Alcohol makes your reaction time slower and causes you to forget things from that night,” Freshman Tasha Haight said.

While this is true, many people are not aware of the long term effects alcohol can have on your brain. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that Wernicke-Korsakoff ’s Syndrome is an illness that is very similar to dementia.

The syndrome is caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B-1, which is a result of chronic alcohol use. It can lead to issues learning new things and remembering past events. Sometimes those with the Wernicke-Korsakoff ’s syndrome start to make up stories to fill in events they have forgotten.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a correlation between alcohol consumption and depression. Alcohol is a depressant and has a relaxing effect on the brain. Having a glass of wine or a few beers after a stressful day can be acceptable on occasion. The problem comes when people begin to use alcohol as a coping mechanism.

“Use alcohol because you’re happy, not to make you happy,” Freshman Tasha Haight said.

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, consuming too much alcohol can cause short term depression. This can lead to

photo by Katie Benn A blood alcohol content of over 0.08 is above the legal driving limit.

a vicious cycle of drinking to make the feeling of depression subside.

Fortunately, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, only 7.1 percent of Americans reported heavy drinking, consuming five or more drinks on a single occasion, in the past month.

Nevertheless, drinking alcohol can be done safely. For many young adults, alcohol is used as common grounds to meet new people. It allows them to relax and be more open to meeting new people. Also, according to WebMD, moderate consumption, no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women, is known to lower the chance of heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

“Drinking is fine in moderation and there’s nothing wrong with it inherently, but it’s just something you need to be careful with,” Freshman Nadezhda Lyapunova said.

Everyone makes their own decisions about drinking, but it is important to be informed and consider the risks involved.

18 Health & Fitness

the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Tea for two and information for you

By Hailey Escobar Online Editor

traditional form is the Camellia sinensis that Chen Nung used. Does this word seem unfamiliar?

That is because most tea drinkers know the classic “tea” from it is four basic categories: white, green, oolong and black tea. While there are other variations as well, such as yellow tea from China, most of the focus are on those four. The reason

Oolong Tea Oolong and black teas are both shaken, but oolong teas are partially fermented while black teas are fully fermented, giving them more caffeine. Oolongs are known for being helpful with cholesterol according to WebMD. Like white teas, they are very light in flavor, but possess an orchid-like taste.

Tea -- it is sometimes the less caffeinated hot drink that students can get at Starbucks or what you have when you get sick.

For the past year, I have been working as a sales associate at Teavana at their International Plaza location in Tampa and learning as much as I Black Tea can about Black teas the mixtures are probably of herbs and one of the plants. What more familI have realiar teas since ized is that it is the basis there is a of popular lot more brews such to tea than as Earl Grey you can posand English sibly imagBreakfast. ine.

Since They are you may fully fernot want mented and to spend a fired, giving year learning most of them about tea bea darker, tween homesmoky flavor. work and The excepdays at the tion to this beach, here would be teas is a crash such as the course on Darjeeling one of the de Triomphe, photo by Spencer Yaffe world’s fa- Chammoile, Mint, Orange, and Black are the varieties of teas offered at which has a vorite drinks. the pub. floral flavor.

While tea They are believed to help can be followed through- these teas seem so differ- with energy since they out history all over the ent despite the fact that have the most caffeine of world, it finds its legend- they come from the same these teas. ary beginnings back in plant is because of the way ancient China. According they are processed.

Other Teas to About-Tea.com, it is Camellia sinensis is not believed that in 2737 B.C., White Tea the only plant that is used the Chinese emperor Shen White tea takes little to no to make tea. There are also Nung was meditating un- preparation other than be- yerba mates from South der what we now know as ing steamed and dried and America, rooibos from the Camellia sinensis tree. is known for being high in the red bush in South AfIn front of him was a sin- antioxidants. The flavor rica and many other herbs gle cup of water in which tends to be ver y floral and that tend to be pushed a single leaf fell and sat light making it easy to mix into the herbal tea catfor several minutes. When with other flavors. egory such as chamomile, Nung took a sip of the hibiscus, ginger, rosemary drink, he found himself Green Tea and honeybush. There are refreshed and reinvigorat- Green tea is withered and even teas that can be more often pan-fried or steamed unorthodox with fruit or ed. Thus, tea was born.

From there, tea was before being rolled, de- even chocolate, popcorn, taken to Japan where it pending on which area of carrots or marshmallows. would find deep roots in the world it comes from. traditional ceremonies. It is popular for added viThere is so much more Later it found its way to tamins such as the EGCG that can be learned about countries such as India, antioxidant, which, ac- tea. This information is Korea, Rwanda, Kenya and cording to WebMD, may just scratching the surface.

England and those are just help with blood pressure, the teas that are sold at weight loss and the growth However, this dynamic of healthy cells. It’s known history is what makes exTeavana.

Tea has many shapes for possessing a more veg- perimenting with teas fun and enlightening. and forms, but its most etal, sweet flavor.

Meals with Midge: Overnight Oats

By MJ Harford Staff Writer This is a recipe inspired by fall, even though Florida doesn’t quite fall into this brisk category this time of year. For many of us, September and October bring memories of changing leaves, cool winds and chilly days. Our bodies respond to the changes in weather in ways similar to how the earth does: we seek out what is plentiful and what is relevant, so having cravings of pumpkin or cinnamon taps into the basic joy found in eating with the seasons. Right now more traditional fall produce, like squashes, are being harvested. Try matching your meal times with the changing times and see what kind of creativity that can spark in your daily routine.

Chia seeds bring so much to this recipe that I would strongly discourage their removal. They are powerhouses of protein, fiber and magnesium, making them a kind of tiny Swiss army knife in the food world. Adding just a tablespoon will help fill you up and keep you going all day long.

This recipe was inspired by from Beth at “Tasty Yummies.”

Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats (gluten-free or not) 1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, soy, etc.)

1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup Pick a combination: 1 tablespoon pureed pumpkin and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 chopped apple and 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/4 cup chopped dates and 2 tablespoons nut butter Directions Add all the ingredients to one jar (mason jars are perfect) and combine well by shaking or stirring.Place covered jar in fridge overnight. It’ll be ready to go by the time you wake up.Eat cold or warm. It will keep for two to three days in the fridge.

Overnight Oats: a quick, yet elegant meal.

photo by MJ Harford

Each issue I’ll be sharing an allergen-friendly recipe that is easy, nutritious and delicious. If you make any of them, tag me in your Instagram photos (midgesmoments) with the hashtag #mealswithmidge. If you have any requests, like converting a classic recipe to its healthier version, or a particular kind of meal for a particular allergy, email me at mjharfor@eckerd.edu.

The benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

By Blaide Woodburn Health & Fitness Editor

Dom Mazetti, from the renown “Broscience” videos on YouTube, refers to cardio as “the ability to lose gains” and, as idiotic as this sounds, he is not lying.

According to the American Journal of Physiology, long periods of steady state cardio have been found to deteriorate muscle tissue, decrease testosterone and inhibit the muscle’s ability to absorb glucose after training. Fortunately, there is a type of cardio that can result in anabolic, or metabolically constructive, fat loss while helping

maintain muscle mass.

High Intensity Interval Training, according to Bodybuilding.com, consists of “a set of bursts of balls-out, massive output cardio work followed by timed rest periods.” This type of cardio is backed by scientific research.

Increased GLUT4 levels can result in improved glucose uptake following muscle contraction.

According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, HIIT training can increase testosterone and GLUT4 levels, contrary to the deteriorating effects of long-period steady state cardio.

Furthermore, HIIT cardio can make cardiovascular training much more enjoyable. Senior Peter Chindavong said, “High Intensity Interval Training is different from regular cardio because it incorporates variation...it makes cardio a little bit more enjoyable.”

Instead of spending 25 to 30 minutes running on a treadmill, it is possible to create a whole unique circuit of HIIT exercises. Here is an example of an HIIT cardio session: Eight rounds of twenty seconds on 10 seconds off with the following exercises: jump rope, speed rows, kettlebell swings and mountain climbers.

Furthermore, Eckerd’s campus offers an ideal ennironment for HIIT. From treadmills and jumpropes at the fitness center to kettlebells, pull-up bars and beautiful beach front for running at South Beach, Eckerd’s campus provides many opportunities for a unique and enjoyable cardio session every time.

Overall, HIIT is ideal for serious lifters who are trying to maintain mass, but also keep a cut, low-fat body type. HIIT is also an excellent method to use when trying to shed excess fat.

photo by Spencer Yaffe Blaide Woodburn demonstrating HIIT jump rope.

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the current

Oct. 3, 2014

Sports 19

Sports Volleyball earns their first conference victory of the season against Saint Leo

By Sabrina Lolo Sports Editor

was going to be a close match from the beginning. The Tritons won the first set with a close score of 27-25.

However, they lost to Rollins in the second and third set with scores of 25-20 and 29-17 respectively.

Senior Ali McAlvany led the Triton offense with 16 kills. The freshmen proved themselves in this match as well with Lauryn Nelson tallying 15 kills while Madison Whiting contributed 10 kills.

It was a long and intense match as the Tritons and the Tars battled back After a very tough week of conand forth for three ference matches, the Tritons fihours. Eckerd mannally broke their four-match losing aged to pull out a streak and took home their first win in the fourth conference victory Sept. 27 against set but lost in the Saint Leo University in four sets. fifth set with a fiTo start the week off, the Trinal score of 18-16. tons fell to Rollins College in five The Tritons sets on Sept. 24. It was obvious it had a second Junior Tjasa Kotnik hits over the block by Saint Leo. chance as they a win is coming,” she said. “Once took on Florida Southern on that win comes, it’s going to give us Friday, Sept. 26. The Mocs took that breath of fresh air. I feel really the first two sets with scores good about going into tomorrow.” of 25-19 and 25-20 respectively.

Those hopes were fulfilled SatLuckily, the Tritons were able urday night against Saint Leo. Alto put the pressure on Florida though the match started off rough Southern in the third set as the with the Lions winning the first set, Tritons clinched a win with a the Tritons came back and took score of 25-19. Unfortunately, the second set 25-20. Senior Grace the Tritons were defeated in the fourth and final set by Florida Jones and McAlvany each tallied Southern with a score of 25-20. 12 kills while Whiting had four.

As the night went on, both teams Yet despite these tough losses, tied the match with Saint Leo winHead Coach Michelle Piantaning the third set and Eckerd windosi remained confident that ning the fourth. Both teams fought the team was going to get that incredibly hard in the final set but much needed win very soon. the Tritons managed to come out “Overall, I think we are makwith a victory that was long overdue. photo by Lia Nydes ing the improvements that we Junior Tjasa Kotnik and Nelson Freshman Lauryn Nelson spikes the ball against St. Leo Saturday night. need to be successful and I think

Triple Crown and World Cup events conclude as the season winds down

By Dominick Cuppetilli Sports Editor It is getting to be the busiest part of the wakeboard season as riders battle it out in the remaining contests. Two major events, the final stop of the Monster Energy Wake Park Triple Crown and the Wakeboard World Cup, concluded in the same weekend, with exciting finishes to both. Chandler Powell was able to take first in the final stop of the Triple Crown, while Harley Clifford won at the World Cup. The Wake Park Triple Crown is a three-stop series with multiple events at each stop. Contests are held for wakeboarders and wakeskaters in both men’s and women’s divisions. The rider with the most points based on podium finishes at the end of the tour is crowned the overall champion in each division.

The tour kicked off at Cajun X Cables in Lafayette, Louisiana, then moved on to Terminus Wake Park in Atlanta, before finishing up at BSR

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Cable Park in Waco, Texas.

According to the World Wakeboarding Association’s website, the wakeskate contest at the stop was won by Daniel Grant. He was followed by Aaron Reed and Bret Little.

Grant’s first place finish was able to land him a second place on the overall wakeskate podium. However, Little’s previous scores were enough to push him into first on the overall leaderboard. Third in the overall category was Danny Hampson.

The professional women’s features category was taken by Courtney Angus, who also stood on top of the overall podium. Sophie Hogben followed her on both the features and the overall podium. Although Anna Nikstad was able to get third in the features at this stop, it was Ange Schriber who took bronze overall.

Chandler Powell took first in the pro men’s features, which secured his spot on top of the podium in the overall category. This is the first

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time in the tour’s five year history that Tom Fooshee has be dethroned in the overall category according to wwa.com.

Yonel Cohen took second place in features, with Aaron Gunn behind him. The third place finish put Gunn in the silver position for the overall rankings. Impressive riding in the previous two stops was enough to give Graeme Burress a bronze finish in the tour.

Halfway around the world from Texas, the Wakeboard World Cup was being held in Linyi, China. The World Cup is part of the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation event schedule.

Riders from around the world competed in the event, which was won by Australian Harley Clifford, according to the IWWF website.

Clifford was noted to have the highest score in each of the three judging areas: execution, intensity and composition.

Although Clifford rode very well, fellow Australian Tony Lacconi was right behind him, scoring less than a point’s differential to put him in second place. Japan’s Shota Tezuka took the final spot on the podium.

The women’s division was won

by American rider and Florida resident Raimi Merritt. Australia had two podium finishes in the women’s category to go along with the two in men’s. Long time veteran Amber Wing scored the silver position and Bec Gange took third.

photo by Lia Nydes

led the charge in that final set with 10 kills each. The final score was 25-19.

“It feels amazing that we finally accomplished it,” Kotnik said. “We worked so hard for this win and now that we’re winning, I want to do this all the time. We really needed this win.”

“Our girls have been able to do a really good job of leaving the match behind and focus on the next one,” Coach Piantadosi said. “We play so frequently that we have to be able to do that. That’s our sport.”

After a three day break, the Tritons will continue conference play against the University of Tampa at the MacArthur Center on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

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the current

Oct. 3,2014

Sports SCORE BOARD

UPCOMING

SPORTS Oct. 4

WOMEN’S SOCCER

4:30 p.m. vs. Lynn University

Volleyball

MEN’S SOCCER

7 p.m. vs. Lynn University

Sept. 27 vs. Saint Leo University* W 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 2521, 15-10)

VOLLEYBALL

2 p.m. vs. Palm Beach Atlantic @West Palm Beach, Fla.

Oct. 8

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Sept. 26 vs. Florida Southern College* L 1-3 (19-25, 20-25, 25-19, 2025)

7 p.m. vs. Florida Southern College

MEN’S SOCCER

7 p.m. vs. Florida Southern College

Sept. 24 vs. Rollins College* L 2-3 (25-27, 25-20, 29-27, 2125, 18-16)

VOLLEYBALL

7 p.m. vs. Embry-Riddle University

Oct. 10

VOLLEYBALL

Men’s Soccer

7 p.m. vs. Florida Tech

Oct. 11

VOLLEYBALL

4 p.m. vs. Lynn University

Sept. 27 vs. Barry University* rescheduled due to rain

WOMEN’S SOCCER 4:30 p.m. vs. Florida Tech

MEN’S SOCCER

Sept. 24 vs. Saint Leo L 1-2

7 p.m. vs. Florida Tech

Oct. 14

MEN’S SOCCER

Sept. 20 vs. Florida Tech L 0-3

7 p.m. vs. Saint Leo University

Oct. 15

WOMEN’S SOCCER

7 p.m. vs. Saint Leo University @St. Leo, Fla.

Winning Shots

Oct. 17

Send your fan photos to currentsports@eckerd.edu for a chance to be featured in upcoming issues of The Current.

VOLLEYBALL

10 a.m. vs. Valdosta State University @ Lakeland, Fla.

Sept. 27 vs. Barry University* rescheduled due to rain

2:30 p.m. vs. University of West Florida @ Lakeland, Fla.

Sept. 24 vs. Saint Leo L 1-2

Oct. 18

WOMEN’S SOCCER

4:30 p.m. vs. Rollins College

Sept. 20 vs. Florida Tech L 0-2

MEN’S SOCCER (SENIOR NIGHT)

7 p.m. vs. Rollins College

Women’s Soccer

photo by Morgan Crescent Seniors Luke McKinnon, Dominick Cuppetilli and Cam Raguse get rained out with the women’s soccer team.

*Sunshine State Conference

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