Issue 11

VIEWPOINTS

ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH & FITNESS

SPORTS

Remembering Nate Mosby

Student music

Monitor your sleep cycles

Eckerd Athletes give back

Nate Mosby memorial garden flourishes in Puerto Rico.

Student jam band plays groovy campus parties, gigs in St. Pete.

Check out the Sleep Cycle iPhone App Review.

Fun in the Sun Day gives local kids an opportunity to interact with college athletes.

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EC PRIDE WEEK April 12-19

Vol. 4, Issue 11 April 19, 2013

photo by Alex Zielinski

Meet your 2013-14 ECOS executive council See Q&A, page 2

PEL closes satellite centers in response to internal review, prepares for future

By Jeralyn Darling Managing Editor

M

aybe you’ve skated past them on your longboard in the evenings—past the older students who attend the five-hour night classes here. In a few weeks, Eckerd’s Program for Experienced Learners will graduate 140 alongside residential seniors in majors such as creative writing, human development, business management and American studies, among others.

But last year’s visit from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) sparked an internal campus-wide review of the PEL program that has some now working on a re-envisioning for PEL. For starters, three of its five locations—Sarasota, Seminole and Palm Harbor—will soon close, leaving two campus options for local adult learners: the main campus and the Tampa center, which is located on North West Shore Boulevard.

Margret Skaftadottir, associate dean of faculty for PEL, welcomes the changes. “I think there are always ways that we can do better, but I think our mission always remains unchanged, which is to deliver the Please Recycle

INDEX:

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best quality adult education. As far as I can tell we are the only school that can offer them this liberal arts degree.”

What won’t change for PEL, which was established in 1977, are those five-hour classes and eightweek terms that work well for the busy adult learner who is juggling academic obligations with work and family demands.

Why change what’s obviously not broken? “The Eckerd College PEL program follows the same format for its eight-week term and extended class time as numerous regionally accredited colleges and universities, including Syracuse University,” said Catherine Griggs, associate professor of American Studies and coordinator of humanities.

In addition, The University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Brown, Wellesley, Northwestern, Yale and Columbia University all offer adult education programs that, like Eckerd’s, offer the same degrees as traditional age students, according to Griggs. “These institutions value the diversity of experience and maturity that adult students bring and are proud to serve their local communities, as reported in an article in the New York Times.”

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According to Griggs, PEL provides a lifelong learning connection and commitment between Eckerd and the local community. “[PEL] is a huge part of this school and it has been incredibly important to the people in this community,” said Griggs. “It’s just incredible how many PEL graduates are successful in our community and play a major role… They’re all proud of PEL and we’re proud of them. They’ve brought pride and luster to Eckerd College.”

You’ve heard of Miller Auditorium. Did you know it was named after PEL alumna Mary Miller and her husband, Dan, who funded the renovation a few years ago?

Director of International Education Diane Ferris is also a PEL alumna. “I am a proud PEL graduate and I can’t tell you how much the program has meant in my life -- both as a student and as an employee of the college.”

PEL alumna Maureen Dobiesz and her husband, Norm, have funded the environmental film festival for 15 years. “I am proud to have supported the Eckerd College Film Festival, both financially and with my time,” Maureen Dobiesz stated See PEL page 6

Marathon ends in tragedy

By Kelly Coston & Colin Casey News Editor & Asst. Sports Editor Marathon Monday in Boston is usually a cause for celebration.

This year’s version was hardly a cause for joy. A little before 3 p.m., four hours after the race began, two bombs exploded on Boylston St. just feet before the finish line.

The explosions occurred within seconds of each other and about 50-100 yards apart.

The New York Times reported that more than 23,000 people participated in the race and the bombs exploded after almost 18,000 had crossed the finish line. Three additional devices were found and remain undetonated.

According to multiple sources, witnesses reported that the ground shook and their only impulse was to run away. President Obama responded to the event by stating that “any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

Fox News reported that a senior White House official has deemed this an “act of terror.” Google had

also established an Internet tool for assisting in locating any missing family members in the Boston area in relation to the explosions.

Race organizers said a “special marker” was set up in honor of the Newton, Conn., shooting that took place in December. It was placed at the 26th mile, yards away from the explosions, to represent the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.

Obama reminded the nation that “Boston is a tough and resilient town,” and that Americans will stand by them every single step of the way.

As of The Current’s press time three people were reported dead, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 140 injured from the subsequent blasts, citing at least ten cases of amputation, according to CNN. Of the 25 in serious condition at various hospitals in the Boston area, at least eight were children. No one has been taken into custody; however many were being questioned.

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See BOSTON, page 7 The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.

2 News

the current

April 19, 2013

LET’S BE BRIEF

By The News Team

Global

National

CNN

Huffington Post

The 7-year-old girl infected with bird flu brings the number of H7N9 patients to 44 in China. She is also the first case to be found in the country’s capital and is currently in stable condition. Out of the 44 cases of the flu, 11 have already died. The source of the illness is still unknown although research is being done on poultry markets by China’s health ministry and the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization doesn’t believe that the illness is caused by skin-to-skin contact. The virus was only known to affect pigeons until a series of cases appeared in China last week. Several cities have suspended the trade of live poultry in hopes of containing the illness.

The Manda packing company expanded its recall to 480,000 pounds of various meats April 13. The company reports that the meats, which were produced at a Louisiana facility and sent to retailers between Feb. 27 and April 9, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The USDA reports that the contaminated meat can cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal illness. Josh Yarborough, director of quality assurance for Manda, said “We are committed to work with USDA in reviewing and enhancing our food safety system so we can continue to ensure that our products are safe.”

Canadian teen commits suicide after rape

Taxpayers to pay for Carnival ship

Death toll climbs amid China bird flu scare

500,000 pounds of meat recalled for possible contamination

CNN More than 100 people attended the funeral for 17-year-old Canadian Rehtaeh Parsons after she was taken off life support. Parsons hanged herself after allegedly gang-raped and bullied by her peers after a picture of the attack went viral. The attack happened two years ago when Parsons was 15. The police did not file sexual assault or child pornography charges after the incident due to what they called “insufficient evidence.” Recently, the Canadian police have announced that they will be reopening the case. More than 200,000 people have also signed an online petition for an independent investigation on the actions of the police officers. The online collective Anonymous has also shown outrage over the incident.This case is one of several recent cases of teenage girls who were raped and had photos of their attack circulated among their peers.

Carnival Corp. claims that it is not responsible for refunding the government the $780,000 cost of rescuing and towing the Triumph cruise ship, that was stranded for days in the Gulf of Mexico in February. The company announced this in response to a letter by Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat. In its response, Carnival also claimed it was not obligated to reimburse the Coast Guard or Navy for the $3.4 million the two organizations spent to rescue the Carnival Ship Splendor from the Pacific in 2010. In a statement, Carnival said “...the duty to render assistance at sea to those in need is a universal obligation of the entire maritime community.”

French gangster escapes prison

D.C. gun control vigil held in protest

CNN Modern-day French gangster Redoine Faid escaped from his detention center in Lille April 13. He held five people including four guards at gunpoint and used explosives to destroy five doors to escape. A European arrest warrant has been issued in 26 countries. The guards he held hostage are supposedly safe and sound.

After a decade behind bars and a year after the publication of his book detailing his life of crime, Faid returned to prison in 2011. He was first captured in 1993 after life on the run. He served over 10 years of his 20-year sentence. After that, he had sworn off his life of crime, which lasted until his most recent arrest.

Huffington Post

Huffington Post

Activists including family and friends of gun violence victims are holding an indefinite vigil on Capitol Hill until the Senate passes gun control reform legislation. At the NoMoreNames vigil, which is run through the Center for American Progress, demonstrators spent over 32 hours reading of all the names of gun violence victims since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. As the Senate began debating and amending the bill April 15, the protesters began another reading of the names. The activists plan to read the names without stopping until the bill, which includes expanded background checks for gun purchases, passes.

Uruguay, France address same-sex marriage washingtonpost.com

Mississippi’s only abortion clinic avoids closure

French senate voted to approve the same-sex marriage bill April 12, which would legalize gay marriage in France. Civil unions have been recognized in France since 1999 however, this bill would recognize their union as marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt.The bill is on schedule to be made a law sometime this summer. “The parliamentary process continues, so we will keep talking with the French people who seem to change their position,” said Sen. Jean-Pierre Raffarin of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement party. “Nothing is definitive, and the debate continues.” Uruguay also made progress in the marriage equality movement this month. Uruguay became the third country in the Americas to legalize gay marriage, after Canada and Argentina.

Huffington Post

Local

Campus

Florida bills to expedite executions

Every student an artist

Tampa Tribune

Florida state legislators are considering a series of bills that would shorten the timeframes of appeals and motions for death row inmates. Some relatives of victims whose killers are currently on death row are outraged at the average time of 13 years from sentencing to conviction.

Representative Matt Gaetz, the sponsor of the Timely Justice Act, said, “It should not take decades...to effectively and efficiently deliver justice.” Others are opposed to the new legislation, like Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty director Mark Elliot. Elliot said, “If you shorten the process, those people [death row inmates] probably would have been executed.”

Airman kills boyfriend Tampa Tribune

Rashida Williams, 22, is being charged with the murder of her boyfriend Charles Marion Drummer. Police officers responded to a 9-1-1 call from Williams, who said she had stabbed Drummer, at around 5 a.m. April 13. Drummer, a 23-year-old who had been living with Williams for a week, was declared dead at 5:30 a.m. the same day. Authorities believe that the stabbing happened after an argument about money. Williams, who is an active duty airman at MacDill Air force Base, is also facing an investigation by military investigators.

Mississippi’s only abortion clinic avoided closing April 15 after a federal judge blocked a provision in a 2012 law that would have required the doctors at the clinic to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals. Many claim that the law is intended to make it impossible for a woman to get an abortion in Mississippi, and that it is unconstitutional for this reason. The judge who blocked the law, Daniel P. Jordan III, wrote that the closing of the state’s only abortion clinic “would result in a patchwork system where constitutional rights are available in some states but not others.

eckerd.edu

Professor Marshall Rousseau’s Museum Laboratory class is putting together an art exhibit to be featured in Cobb Gallery opening April 21, where the pieces of art will be displayed for three weeks. All works displayed in the exhibit are created by students of all areas of study; not just art majors. Entries include glass, film, paintings, photography, ceramics and prints. There will be cash prizes for the best works.

Summer science splash camp back for second year eckerd.edu

Summer Science Splash Camp will see a second year. This week-long science camp is open to middle school students, allowing them to stay in the campus dorms. Campers will have the chance to work with faculty and perform various science experiments at the James Center.

Participants will also be able to use the campus pool, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts and other recreational facilities in their free time. Due to funding from the II-VI Foundation, the $1,150 camp will cost $250 per student. Sessions will take place July 7-12 and July 14-19.

Eckerd in NY Times crossword nytcrossword.com

A Hillsborough County animal shelter, as part of a plan to combat high euthanasia rates, is adopting a controversial new strategy called TNR. TNR, or Trap Neuter and Release, involves the capturing and neutering of feral cats as a way to reduce the stray population, and thus the burden on shelters. Proponents of the plan feel that it will have a strong impact on cat deaths especially, which, last year, were at 81 percent in the shelter. The larger plan, of which TNR is a small part, includes strategies to increase adoptions and raise awareness about the Animal Services Department, and is scheduled for review May 1.

The April 12 edition of the New York Times crossword puzzle featured a question featuring Eckerd. “St. Petersburg’s ______ College” was the hint given for number three down. The answers to the crossword featured on the NY Times website the following day had this to say, “Eckerd College is a private liberal arts college located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school was founded in 1958 as Florida Presbyterian College. It was renamed in 1971 after a large donation from Jack Eckerd, the businessman who founded the Eckerd chain of drugstores.”

Two injured in St. Pete police shooting

Sheen science buildings remodeled

Bay News 9

eckerd.edu

Police fired on a stolen vehicle in St. Petersburg April 15 when the driver attempted to hit the officers with the car. The driver, identified as 19-year-old Shaquelle Sweat, and an unidentified 15-year-old female passenger were both injured by the shots. Sweat was arrested after he attempted to flee from the vehicle. The shots, which were fired in a neighborhood near 18th Avenue South and 26th Street, alarmed residents. Nariko Myles claimed that two shots hit her house and came through her mother’s bedroom. Authorities are currently investigating this claim.

Sheen B is officially under construction. According to an email from Bill McKenna, director of planning development and construction, “The new interior walls have be constructed and about 80 [percent] of the new electric circuits and air conditioning duct work are installed. Windows and door frames will be installed in the coming weeks setting the stage for the finishes and building completion.” Following the completion of Sheen B, the faculty offices in Sheen A will be moved to various locations. If everything goes as planned, both Sheen B and Sheen A will be completed by Autumn Term 2013. Sheen C renovations will begin this summer and will be completed sometime during the 2013-2014 school year.

Controversy at Hillsborough animal shelter Tampa Tribune

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April 19, 2013

News 3

News Q&A with ECOS

By Carolyn Moritz Staff Writer

ECOS President: Brady O’Donnell Q:What is the first thing you hope to work on after taking office in the fall?

A: Fortunately, I’m going to be here this summer, as will my vice president. We’re going to start tackling some of our main goals together.

I’ll begin communication with the Pub to get students able to go to the Pub at [noon] by the time next year starts. I also want to begin working with Henry on some cultural issues: Henry brought it up to me that our school doesn’t accept American Sign Language as a foreign language for students coming in who have taken that during high school.

Q: What are you the most excited about?

A: Probably working together with such a strong executive council. I’m excited to get the appointed positions under way. I can’t wait to finish assembling the rest of the team and working together as a strong unit because every year seems to be getting better and better since I’ve been here.

Q: When you take office in the fall semester, your first courses of action will set the pace for what incoming freshmen will come to expect out of ECOS. What sort of message do you hope to send to them?

A: Every student is a part of ECOS. We may represent them, but everybody is a part of it, and we want to make sure that if anybody has questions they can come to us and come get involved.

Q: Do you anticipate any challenges for the 2013-14 year? How do you plan to overcome them?

A: There’s going to be a learning curve, of course, but I’m not worried about anything. I think I’ve got a great team.

Executive VP: Henry Ashworth Q:What is the first thing you hope to work on after taking office in the fall?

A: I really want to make the Grumble [a] key [point]. It’s already been used a lot by students with really insightful comments and really great input to build on, and I think, lately, administration have been keeping up on it. So I want to take that on, make sure it’s kind of my website and I’m the editor; check the Grumbles and “mumble” back and let people know about their comments.

Q: What are you the most excited about?

A: I think next year we have a really young [executive council]. We’re still learning, but we have a lot of energy. Also, we’re getting a new Environmental Fund. It’s up for debate right now, but if that goes through three dollars from every activity fee will go to the Green Fund. Any student can come and propose, for instance, to get the light bulbs in all the dorms more energy-efficient or getting towels installed in all the bathrooms instead of paper towels.

Q: Do you anticipate any challenges for the 2013-14 year? How do you plan to overcome them?

A: We continually have more and more clubs. Around 100-110. It fluctuates, but club charter is coming up. Anyone, if they’re in a club or if they want to start a club— club charter is [April 19]— they should charter for one. The great thing about Eckerd is that anyone can start a club, but that means there are a lot of clubs. What I’m going to try to implement this year that hasn’t been done in the past is organize sports clubs, academic clubs, skills (like culinary, dancing), service clubs, etc. [and then] into club sections so it’s easier to manage, instead of having a whole clubs meeting with everyone there.

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VP of Academic Affairs: James Patterson Q:What is the first thing you hope to work on after taking office in the fall?

A: One thing I’ve recommended to [Brady and Henry] is to start working on the student planners as well as the freshman gift [from ECOS], because that needs to happen the quickest. Another thing is to take suggestions right now for CPS speakers so that I can over the summer already have people’s ideas in mind. I can start to get going on that because that was one of my main campaign points during the election. If I get the suggestion box out now, that will be an aid in hearing the students’ voices.

Q: What are you the most excited about?

A: I think it’s going to be a good year for ECOS and the student body as a whole. Really showing the student body that yes, we were elected, but we’re still students. If you pay the activity fee, you are a part of ECOS. I think that if I get that idea out there then they’ll start using us to the full capability that every student needs and should have, which I’m excited to see happen.

Q: Do you anticipate any challenges for the 2013-14 year? How do you plan to overcome them?

A: Making sure that the budget is getting used in the most effective way possible, as well as tying it in to the goals that I have. I want to make Pitchers with Professors better. Everyone that is 21 and older goes to Pitchers with Professors, which is great, but you don’t get a lot of sophomores or a lot of freshmen going there. I think if you add in quality food or even bring in a new faculty-to-student interaction that will add to it.

So, really, working out the budgeting in the best way possible so I can have those more interesting options that you can’t necessarily get off campus. The budget will either limit that or aid it, so I need to make sure that the budget covers that.

VP of Financial Affairs: Alek Matthiessen Q:What is the first thing you hope to work on after taking office in the fall?

A: Well, the main premise I was running under was getting the money not only in the hands of students but the right students. The main goal of that was through requiring the clubs to provide an activity history. The allocation hasn’t happened yet— it’s happening next week—but I am requiring them to bring up a history of what they have been doing with their money so we can make an informed decision on who has been active, who hasn’t been active, who helped the campus, who has helped individuals more than the majority. It looks like it’s going to happen.

Q: What are you the most excited about?

A: I’m most excited to have the opportunity to have an influence on real tangible money, to help people out and see how you can turn an idea into a reality, turn something abstract into something concrete. I think with the VPFA position I can do that and that’s what I’m most excited about.

Q: When you take office in the fall semester, your first courses of action will set the pace for what incoming freshmen will come to expect out of ECOS. What sort of message do you hope to send to them?

A: We are all ECOS. Every single student that pays the activity fee is ECOS itself. All that we—all the members of Executive Council—are the board of representatives of the larger student body. I think too often people forget that the reason we exist is because people pay the student activity fee, so therefore everyone’s involved. Hopefully I will try to instill the idea that everyone has a say, has a voice, has the power, and if anyone has any problems at all, they should be more than comfortable coming to any of the four executive council members and talking to us about it. So hopefully they’ll know that everyone’s ECOS, not just the executive council.

INSIDE NEWS Drunk on science

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EC-ERT

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Blast from the past

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By Rhemy Brezin ECOS President As my year as ECOS president draws to a close, I want to take some time to reflect and offer thanks to everyone who has assisted me this year. This year has been amazing and stressful all at the same time. I feel that I have gained so many life skills, from public speaking to customer service to meeting and time management.

ECOS wouldn’t have been nearly as successful this year without the dedication and hard work of my fellow officers, Eliza, Erin, Brady, Langdon, Greg, and JulieAnne, as well as the complex senators. I am incredibly proud of the events, campus improvements, and student projects they have implemented or supported.

ECOS works hand-in-hand with Campus Activities and we could never have sponsored so many events without the hard work of Fred, Lova, Weston, and Elena. They really make the Eckerd student experience unique.

Along with that, I want to thank Palmetto Productions for their support of ECOS this year. The Board, Diana, Andrew, Mike, Richard, Baalika, Victoria, Alex along with Committee have been at every single event this year. This partnership, which began last year with Stephen and Elena, has really bloomed into a beautiful relationship this year.

Overall, I want to thank the entire student body for placing their faith in me and for the support I have received this year.

I wish the seniors the best of luck with graduation and real life, and I wish the underclassman luck with exams and classes next year. Hasta luego, Eckerd. *President-elect, Sophomore Brady O’Donnell will take office May 1. Look for O’Donnell’s first column as ECOS president in the next issue of The Current.

Contact the ECOS president at ecospres@eckerd.edu

Police Blotter: Matthew Barry Baldwin, 27, was arrested early April 7 and charged with one felony battery and two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff ’s report. Baldwin was released on his own recognizance.

the current

4 News

April 19, 2013 enough for people to stop and think about what this culture is doing to survivors.

Brown will be speaking in the Miller Auditorium at 7 p.m. April 18. The event is part of WES’s Take Back the Night campaign to help combat sexual assault in our communities.

On her popular blog Project Unbreakable, Brown explains that

By Hailey Escobar she had always been surrounded Asst. News Editor by survivors of sexual assault.

It isn’t difficult to see the effect However, it wasn’t until she heard that rape culture has had on the one particular story from a friend survivors of sexual assault. The in October 2011 that she decided most recent public case of this was to start Project Unbreakable.

17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons. She Following that experience, she committed suicide after the victim began to take pictures of various shaming she endured after being survivors holding up posters with quotes from their attackers or raped by four boys.

It is people like 20-year-old people who told them to be silent.

Since then, Brown’s collection Grace Brown who bring hope against rape culture and who have has grown to more than 400 given a voice to the survivors. Just a photos that she has taken herself glimpse at the photos on her blog is and has received more than 1,000

“Project Unbreakable” creator to visit Eckerd

photos submitted by survivors. She has traveled all over the country speaking to schools about sexual assault.

Her blog was even named one of the “30 Must-See Tumblr Blogs” last year by Time Magazine. Time Magazine called her photos, “a shocking and sad look at sexual assault and how it affects their victims.”

Brown accepts photos from survivors of all kinds, hearing their stories when others might not listen. Sometimes, survivors even hide their faces in the photos to avoid recognition. Readers can also ask to be photographed by emailing a request to Project Unbreakable.

Now, Brown has taken time off from college to travel all over the country to share her photos and message with the world. When asked on how she started speaking at schools, she said, “I had no intentions until a stranger emailed

me and asked me to speak at her school. We eventually became friends, but I didn’t think about it until she brought it up.”

Members of the Eckerd community feel very fortunate to have Brown coming to campus thanks to the Women’s Empowerment Society. Junior Taylor Greene, co-chair of WES, said that she knew Brown from high school. “I was so happy to see that she made her way out of East Longmeadow to help survivors,” Greene said. “Now that I have been recently coming to terms with what happened to me, Project Unbreakable took on a whole new meaning and I took a step and participated in her project over the summer when we were both home in Massachusetts.”

Brown’s event also serves as a follow up to others such as Survivor Speak Out which took place April 8.

Students and faculty are welcome.

photos courtesy of Grace Brown A few of Grace Brown’s photo illustrations.

EC hosts AFICU student government conference

By Hailey Escobar Asst. News Editor

Every year, several student governments come from private colleges around the state for the Academy of Florida Independant Colleges and Universities conference. This year, Eckerd chaired the conference and hosted student government representatives from four other schools the weekend of April 7 for workshops, lectures and discussion.

AFICU began to help grow the conversation— or start one—between private school student governments in Florida. Guest speakers and various student governments lead breakout session, share information, student government models and ideas.

Of over 30 colleges that make up the Academy of Florida Independant Colleges and Universities, four attended the conference at Eckerd including Saint Leo, Southeastern University, Beacon College and Stetson.

Together they compare what they have done at their own schools to find out what worked,

what didn’t work and what might be worth a try at their own schools. “AFICU was a great success this year,” said ECOS President Rhemy Brezin.

“We put on educational breakout sessions where we brainstormed with other schools on topics ranging from campus events to service to energizing your student body.”

Freshman Julia Sparks was charged with leading the organization of the conference this year, as the ECOS appointed Director of Intercollegiate Affairs. She got involved after ECOS sent out an email for applicants. “At first, I was rather overwhelmed by the extent of planning that I had to do for the project, but after getting started, I really enjoyed working with ECOS,” Sparks said. “The conference itself was also very exciting because the other SGAs [student government associations] taught us about their approaches to the students, administration, and community.”

Sparks got help from ECOS, dorm senators, Tonya Womack from Campus Security, Brian HacHarg from Service Learning, the Bon Appetit and the Facilities staff along with her

friend Shannon Bownes.

While it was a lot of work to organize a conference for several schools, Sparks learned a lot. “I would tell others that this experience is rewarding, because after a lot of work that I put into planning the conference and contacting the schools, everyone benefited from what I did,” she said. For the next year, the chair of the conference will be Stetson University, but Sparks said she’d be happy to work for the event again.

promotional photo

Student senate makes final plans for spring semester

By Ethan Packey Asst. News Editor The upcoming budget freeze is forcing the ECOS Senate to make plans for how to spend the rest of its money as spring semester comes to a close. As of the April 7 senate meeting, that amount stood at near $6,000.

The waterfront requested $600 to help fund a slip-in-slide at the Waterfront’s end of the year Splash Bash event and was approved unanimously by the senators.

Other projects discussed during April 7 meeting included purchasing new pool equipment and co-sponsoring a zipline with Campus Activities. The funding numbers discussed for those projects were $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

These projects came up once again at the April 14 senate meeting, as did a request to place a traffic mirror inside the Omega parking loop.

The pool and mirror projects were approved while the zipline wasn’t because Campus Activities didn’t show up to pitch their project to the senate.

The April 7 meeting also had heavy discussion of the new Green Fund being planned for next year. ECOS Parliamentarian Greg Johnson first broached the topic and after discussion, the senate decided unanimously to give provisional approval to the amendment and enter the public viewing period required by ECOS by-laws.

The Green Fund amendment would take $3 off the top of every student’s activity fee which funds ECOS and all student clubs on campus as well as dorm events.

Taking those $3 would give the Green Fund a yearly funding of approximately $5,550, based on Eckerd’s current population of about 1,850 residential students.

Clubs and dorms, including ECOS, would be allowed to submit project proposals.

A final topic of discussion at both meetings was the Campus Grumble which most senators had been receiving complaints about because student requests weren’t being dealt with. By the April 14 meeting, things were running smoothly again at the Grumble according to Eliza van Dissel, ECOS executive vice president.

After final budget allocations are complete, any unassigned senate funds will go toward Kappa Karnival. Alpha Senator Henry Ashworth, Delta Senator Tim Farrell, Commuter Senator Josh Annarelli and West Lodge Senator Haven Allard were absent at the April 14 meeting.

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Freshman brings water polo to campus

photos by Lia Nydes Members of the water polo club practice at the pool.

OH

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First Friday comes and I’m climbing trees for some reason.

Uh-oh, a cop car comes around the corner and I scratch up my arm on the trunk scrambling down. I walk with a mask of purpose into the nearest bar to tend to the red scratches where I sip on a Cigar City maduro and wait for the stinging in my arm to go away. I cluck my tongue at my arm. How weak my human body is. At the zoo I’ve read that male orangutans have strength somewhere on the order of six or seven times that of a human.

Orangutans are so awesome.

We Homo sapiens often fancy ourselves quite successful despite our limitations, and, while it is true that we have altered the world in some very profound ways, I wish instead to tell a tale of a type of life form that truly broke all records.

These life forms were not only one of the first, appearing perhaps beyond 2.7 billion years ago, but they continue to live on today.

These life forms, although humble and largely unsung, once ruled the Earth and have made life possible for just about all animal life.

Enter the silent hero. Does the word stromatolite come to mind?

Actually, stromatolite is the term used to describe layered rock structures formed by the binding of sediment grains by the biofilms of microorganisms, particularly cyanobacteria, also known as bluegreen algae. When these babies appeared on the scene the Earth was a very different place with an atmosphere dominated nitrogen, methane, and ammonia.

Yuck. Think of it this way,

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learn responsibly

By Norris Comer Columnist

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Club head Henry Ashworth blocks a shot.

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If you are interested in joining, check out the EC Water Polo Club Facebook page and contact club head Henry Ashworth at: hcashwor@eckerd.edu.

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essary. In fact, beginners are welcomed and encouraged to come see what water polo is all about.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to come out. As long as you like the water and don’t mind learning to tread water. It’s just a bunch of kids that want to swim and have a great time,” Ashworth said.

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Eckerd has added water polo to its list of clubs. Freshman Henry Ashworth, who has played for a few years, decided to bring the sport to campus this year. “I’ve played since I was a freshman in high school where I played for a division one team,” Ashworth said.

The co-ed team practices at the pool Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays at noon. Ashworth is in the process of building nets for the new club.

As the club grows, there will be

competitive games. “I am looking to get intertubes so we can have friendly competitions to get more people in the water, but that will be happening next year,” he said.

Ashworth said the club is open to anyone, and is all about having fun and learning new skills.

Senior Brenna Durkin has been enjoying her time with the club so far. “I joined the water polo club because I’ve always wanted to learn how to play,” Durkin said. “I like it because its a more social way of getting exercise that just swimming laps, I’ve had a lot of fun so far.”

No previous experience is nec-

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By Kelly Coston News Editor

News 5

April 19, 2013

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methane is what makes farts smell and Windex is ammonia based. This ancient atmosphere was made up of smelly, toxic gas and talk about global warming. The ancient carbon dioxide concentrations would’ve been far more than an inconvenient truth. More like immediate suffocation. Our atmosphere may very well have been on the verge of running away, not unlike modern Venus’.

But the stromatolites were ready for the job at hand. See, algae gets energy from photosynthesis, which means that they use carbon dioxide and respire free oxygen.

Oxygen. Sweet, breathable oxygen we modern animals crave. Over the course of hundreds of millions of years these stromatolites spread in mats over the Earth and quietly converted carbon dioxide to breathable oxygen during an event known as the Oxygen Crisis.

Unsung, they lived and died on early Earth, toiling away while breathing sweet air and thereby taming her atmosphere. Their success allowed other organisms to evolve in an oxygen-rich Earth and we can still see them in some parts of the world, the living air filters that changed the fate of the planet. Was it for glory? We’ll never know, for although I’ve never tried, talking to them is most likely a futile exercise.

What will our legacy be? To undo the work of the stromatolites? Will our actions as a species pave the way for the flourishing of untold hordes of other living things? It looks doubtful. For all of our complexity and self-aggrandizement, there may be something to admire in the humble but important work of the stromatolite.

Sustainability update: Carbon offset fund supports Alumni Grove restoration

By Evan Bollier Columnist In Fall Semester 2012, the student body voted on how to use the money in the Carbon Offset Fund. The final vote percentages were 39 percent for Alumni Grove Restoration, 31 percent for Toto Electric Dryer and 30 percent for more recycling bins.

Per the fall vote, funds have been allocated to the Alumni Grove restoration project. This year the project will involve installing two hammocks, clearing invasive species and planting various trees and shrubs.

Professor Ormsby’s Environmental Studies comprehensive exams class will spend a day working on the multiple restoration and beautification projects in the grove. As soon-to-be alumni, please consider joining them April 29 from 1:40-3:10 p.m. Juice and snacks will be provided by the Advancement Office. Professor Ormsby’s environmental studies comprehensive exams class helps restore Alumni Grove.

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Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

courtesy of Evan Bollier

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6 News

the current

April 19, 2013

EC- ERT: responding to emergencies since 2012 Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Tomaselli thecurrent@eckerd.edu Managing Editor Jeralyn Darling News Editors Kelly Coston Aaron Levy currentnews@eckerd.edu Asst. News Editors Hailey Escobar Ethan Packey Taylor Glaws Viewpoints Editors Ely Grinfeld Alex Roberts currentviews@eckerd.edu Asst. Viewpoints Editor Rosie Kraemer-Dahlin Entertainment Editor Ian Lindsay currententertainment@eckerd.edu Asst. Entertainment Editor Hayden Johnson The Quickie Editors Rose Kraemer-Dahlin Taylor Glaws currentquickie@eckerd.edu Health & Fitness Editor Caroline Campbell currenthealth@eckerd.edu Asst. Health & Fitness Editor Lizzy Brophy Sports Editor Mike Geibel currentsports@eckerd.edu Asst. Sports Editors Colin Casey Will Creager Dominick Cuppetilli Graphic Design Editor Carver Elliot Lee Photo Editor Alex Zielinski currentphoto@eckerd.edu Asst. Photo Editor Dominick Cuppetilli Web Editor Greg Reilly Asst. Web Editors Hailey Escobar Web Master Vincent Lynch Faculty Adviser Tracy Crow Director of Finances Kevin Boyd Director of PR/Advertising Arielle Burger currentads@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.

By Rachel Albright Contributing Writer Since Autumn Term this year, the Eckerd College Emergency Response Team has responded to more than 50 calls on campus. It’s no surprise that the most frequent call is for intoxication.

However, since the launch of the 24-hour on-call program, the variety of cases is starting to expand.

Members of the EC-ERT are Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certified.

They are prepared to respond to large-scale disasters and provide other emergency assistance to the Eckerd College Community.

The EC-ERT is a studentrun organization built from the ground-up and only possible because of dedicated, enthusiastic student leaders and a close relationship with Campus Safety.

Founded in 2011, originally with a grant from the University of Miami, the EC-ERT now has funding from Campus Safety and receives medical equipment from Pinellas County. The group hopes to become a more integrated part of the campus community and their 5-year plan includes getting more funding from Eckerd, helping students pay

for EMT training, improving both the scope of emergencies they can respond to and the resources they have to work with and acquiring the resources necessary for oxygen therapy.

According to Hayley Musial, head of PR, “There are now nine active EMTs on the team: all have gone through 120 hours of medical training and 20 hours of ride- The 2013 ECERT team. along training.” their own on-call phone, respond The team hopes to be- to the scene and decide if the emercome county certified which gency warrants the paramedics. means they would be able to The launch of the EC-ERT do ride-alongs. The primary has been well received by stugoal of the team is to be a help- dents and faculty alike. Senior ful resource to students and Devon Williams witnessed hopefully through their presence re- the EC-ERT in action during duce ambulance traffic on campus. play rehearsal this fall and was The EMTs are dispatched either impressed by their service. “The through campus safety or through EC-ERT was the first on scene.

courtesy of the ECERT Facebook page

They arrived quickly, expedited the process and made sure everything and everyone was OK.” Students can call the EC-ERT directly at (727) 772-3760 and perhaps the nicest thing about this group is their discretion and confidentiality: their main concern is the health and safety of students, not a policy violation.

Main campus, Tampa PEL locations remain open From PEL, page 1 in an email. “The Film Festival, I believe, embodies the principles of the PEL program: a commitment to lifelong learning, fostering critical thinking and promoting global as well as community awareness.

Most importantly, the Film Festival promotes the idea that it is both a duty and a privilege to actively contribute to the communities in which we live.”

According to Griggs, a PEL alumnus contributed a significant sum to the Center for Spiritual Life; Pinellas County Sherriff Bob Gualtieri is a PEL alumnus; and State Representative Kathleen Peters, from this district, is an alumna.

Even The Current’s adviser, Tracy Crow, chose to finish her degree in creative writing in the PEL program after a number of educational starts and stops, thanks to a military career in the Marines. “The creative writing program here was so rigorous that I discovered I was over prepared for graduate school,” she said, “which is why, I think, I was fortunate enough to publish in several top-notch literary journals before I completed grad school.”

Crow was also nominated for three Pushcart Prizes before graduating in 2005 with her M.F.A., and has published two books.

Echoing Crow’s admission about an easy transition to graduate school is Edward Baldwin (‘99), a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and a member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration Group. “The PEL Program’s focus on critical thinking and writing prepared me well for the rigors of law school at George Washington University,” he said in an email. “As a lawyer who has practiced public international law for 10 years now, I continue to build upon the skills I first learned in earnest in the PEL Program.”

For Dr. Paul Hillier, who used to work in the computer industry, designing networks and working with a marketing team, the PEL program compelled an internal shift.

“Entering PEL brought to the sur-

face a gnawing bug inside me,” Hillier, now an assistant professor of communication at the University of Tampa, said in an email. “I was far more interested in trying to figure out what all this technology meant rather than blindly playing along. I realized [I] wasn’t happy practicing without meaningful theory. PEL set in motion a voracious appetite for more, all of which led and inspired me to follow a different path, to contribute to the academic study of media and communication in society, which I now do. I consider (PEL) the best investment I’ve ever made. Period.”

Another part of the re-envisioning plan will be to take a serious look at the majors PEL is offering, and the faculty status of those who teach them. “SACS requires all majors to be covered by full-time faculty,” Skaftadotter said, “and PEL traditionally had some fulltime faculty but not necessarily in every major, so we have proposed a plan where that would be amended.

That seems to have been the biggest concern [for SACS].”

Currently, two full-time tenured faculty teach in PEL-- Catherine Griggs and Naveen Malhotra. PEL

has had visiting full-time faculty from time to time, according to Skaftadotter, and even full-time faculty from the residential side who teach PEL classes.

“Even though we use a fair number of adjuncts, many of them have taught with us for years and years, and know the institution,” said Skaftadottir. “They are not strangers who teach one night a week and then disappear. They come back year after year and have relationships with the students and are connected with the institution.”

But not all changes within PEL, such as those that might impact the offering of various majors, are seen as a positive. Take recent PEL grad Aaron Coder (’12) who saw his major disappear from the curriculum even before the SACS visit. “I started as an anthropology major,” he said in an email, “but I changed to a dual-major in humanities and creative writing in my second year.

PEL no longer offers an anthropology major, or a history major, or even a humanities major.”

Coder believes these curriculum changes reflect not just the demand of adult learners but the overall mood of our culture. “We’ve de-

valued the humanities (or at least an education in the humanities) in favor of degrees that meet the practical demands of the job market. Thankfully, the American studies major at PEL continues to offer several opportunities for focused studies in the humanities.”

Griggs believes that PEL students can serve as a resource for residential students as networking and mentoring sources. “PEL students/alums could provide internships and even jobs for residential students in their capacity as community and business leaders.”

In her position at the Office of Advancement, PEL alumna Angie Jones (‘12) sees the many thank-you letters from PEL students. “I steward the letters to their scholarship donors each year,” Jones, who also works on the Eckerd Review literary journal, said in a recent email, “and those letters are sometimes as chilling as they are heartwarming.

It can be scary out in the job market without a bachelor’s degree, and for many PEL students—whether working full time, part time or unemployed—Eckerd is a lifeline to a better future for them and their families.”

courtesy of Catherine Griggs Humanitarian John Prendergast with the PEL Honors Program students when he visited in 2010.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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the current

April 19, 2013

News 7

The Current to take on new Students react to act of terror at leadership; EC gains professor Boston Marathon

By Greg Reilly Web Editor

From ECOS, front cover “I got a text from my mom saying two bombs went off in Boston around 3:30 (my family lives in the suburbs outside of Boston).

A lot of people don’t have school or work on Marathon Monday, and most people are out watching the runners, so I had no idea where my friends or family in the area might have been. I texted a few close friends right away and found out that they were safe, although one had been right by where the bombs went off only a half hour earlier.

In a lot of parts of the world, bombings are almost a part of everyday life. I read about those in the news and try not to dwell on the tragedies. But I never would have expected this to literally hit so close to home. It’s incredibly unsettling that someone would instigate a violent attack against masses of people for reasons we aren’t yet aware of. I’m just relieved that my parents, brother, and closest friends up in Boston are safe. I’ll be praying for the victims and hoping the city can quickly get back on its feet.”

Manon Ironside, senior, Massachusetts “What happened today during the Boston Marathon is very sad and holds nothing that our country needs in its state of being today. Boston is a great city that I grew up near and travel often too. It holds great history, people and heritage and this tragedy will surely hurt all aspects.”

Matt MacLean, junior, Massachusetts “My cousin ran in the marathon and I had several family members and friends in attendance.. it was a very uncomfortable hour until I found out they were all right.”

Colton Thomas, sophomore, Maine “I think it’s a terrible tragedy that took a very joyous day and made it very sad— particularly for the runners who took part in the marathon. My brother is in school in Boston and was going to attend the race, but thankfully didn’t. I send my thoughts to everyone in Boston and the families involved.”

Jenna Caderas, senior, Massachusetts “This is a scary situation. I watched my mom cross the finish line there in 2004 so I know the scene well. She inspired our friend Eric to start running a few years ago and he crossed the finish line minutes before the blasts. I’m glad he’s all right.”

Greg Reilly, junior, Connecticut “I got out of class, got a text from my best friend from back home who lives literally two blocks from where they found one of the un-detonated bombs—one that they dismantled—and she’s like ‘I’m safe, the phone lines are down, and I’m freaking out.’ I immediately called her. She was crying. Her friends are fine. I was almost in tears freaking out. She was there ten minutes before the explosions went off. She was so close to that and I can’t even imagine how those families are feeling and how everyone’s feeling because I can’t even deal with it right now. If something had happened to her, I would be gone.”

Andrea Petruccelli, freshman, Delaware “It’s scary, marathon Monday is the Boston school equivalent of Gasperilla for us. Everyone goes, so it’s nuts to see something like this happen. I’m thankful that the death count was low.

It looks like it could have been way worse.”

Henry Palmer, junior, Massachusetts “When I first heard about the explosions, I was terrified for all the countless people I know in Boston, especially those who were running the marathon. My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible outcome. I called or texted everyone to check on them, and luckily enough they all were. From what I have come to understand, the Boston police reacted exactly as they should have to clear the area of wounded, bystanders, and any other possible threats. Although it was such a tragedy, it is amazing to see how people rise to the occasion and become heros to their fellow man. I am beyond blessed to not have lost anyone, but my thoughts and prayers go out to those who were.”

Thomas Houpt, sophomore, Massachusetts “I just learned of the story about 30 minutes ago, almost an hour after the explosion. I’m just really shocked it took me this long to hear about something like this. I had attended the marathon every year before coming to Eckerd and it’s tragic to hear that such a family oriented event was targeted.”

Harry Rovner, junior, Massachusetts Honestly, I am still in shock regarding what occurred today. I was amid a bombing site this afternoon on what is intended to be an immensely positive event. Moments before standing on the last corner, the finish line of a 26-mile journey for all these people sharing in their accomplishment. There were runners in military attire carrying bags, teams running for cancer research and other notable charities, and in an instant it was terminated, robbed, and converted to chaos. This was my first time partaking in the Boston Marathon, and I certainly will never forget it.

Ben Flagg, alum ‘12, eyewitness

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Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

In the fall, The Current will be under new leadership.

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and Current Adviser Tracy Crow is leaving in May to focus on her writing that includes several book projects. K.C. Wolfe, who has a Master of Fine Arts degree from The Ohio State University, will take over as faculty adviser and assistant professor of creative writing.

“I was really impressed with everyone I met when I came down for the on-campus interview, students and faculty alike,” said Wolfe during a recent telephone conversation. “It seems like creative writing is growing. I really like the department a lot. For The Current, I think it’s a great tool for teaching journalism. To get that action outside of the classroom, almost like it’s a lab. And it has a role in the community, too.”

Wolfe is currently working as associate program manager for Virtucom Group in Syracuse, N.Y., a digital content publishing firm where he previously worked as an editor. He is also an adjunct instructor in English and creative writing at State University of New York at Oswego, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English writing arts. He has taught creative nonfiction and other writing courses at SUNY Oswego and the Downtown Writer’s Center in Syracuse, as well as one literary journalism course called Special Topics in Nonfiction as a graduate teaching associate at Ohio State. Wolfe has published two articles in Syracuse Magazine, but this will be his first experience advising a newspaper.

“I’ve been teaching for years now in a handful of different institutions,” Wolfe said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to try new things out in the classroom and evolve my own teaching. I’ve been in the publishing world for a couple years, working with a team, and I enjoy it.

I really enjoy that part, being a part of a team and an organization.”

Crow said The Current, which is Florida Collegiate Press Association’s Best College Newspaper in 2011 and 2012 and a national finalist in two competitions this year, is well-equipped for the transition.

“I really feel very confident in where we are at this point for the coming years because we have a solid staff coming back,” Crow said. “We’ve got width and we’ve got depth that I think is going to be with the paper for a long time, and I think that our editors are so excited about what they do that they are constantly recruiting, too.

It’s easy to recruit when you’ve got a product of this high quality.”

Crow arrived four years ago when the old newspaper, The Triton, lacked credibility on campus.

Crow and her editors changed the name to The Current to get a fresh start, but also fought hard to regain the trust of readers.

“The one thing we did that I am super proud of is that we instilled the process of fact-checking,” she said. “We made it a policy that not one single article would show up in the paper that had not been fact-checked. That’s how we started to rebuild credibility.”

Dean of Students James Annarelli, also acknowledged the progress The Current has made under Crow’s leadership.

“I’ve been Dean of Students since 2001, and I worked very closely through the years— with the students that were involved with The Triton,” Annarelli said. “I also know full well the challenges that the Triton faced through the years, problems with consistency and quality, and the challenge of not having a strong adviser and mentor. Tracy’s arrival four years ago mitigated each of those challenges. She not only courtesy of K.C. Wolfe remediated the probNew creative writing prof/ Current adviser K.C. Wolfe. lems, she also guided students working on ing at both creative nonfiction, The Current towards a level of we were looking at journalism, success that is nothing short of and we were also looking at someamazing. I forever will be grateful one who could fill that capacity to for what Tracy has done for The work well in what is a very unusual Current and for Eckerd College.” kind of role for a faculty member.”

In September when Crow decidHarrison said the committee ed to step down from her continu- agreed that Wolfe was, by far, the ing part-time position, the college best candidate. “Both in terms began a national search to replace of developing our creative writher. Wolfe’s position will be fulling program,” she said, “and to time and tenure-tracked. Assistant continue the work that we’ve Professor of Creative Writing Jonbegun in making journalism a athan Chopan chaired the search key piece of our creative writcommittee that invited three fiing program.” Harrison believes nalists to Eckerd for interviews Wolfe’s management experience and teaching demonstrations. reflects his ability to support a Wolfe was unanimously chosen by a search committee vote, group of writers and effectively although Chopan said he recused mediate between upper managehimself because he has been friends ment and Current journalists.

Senior creative writing students with Wolfe since they attended that included two Current editors college together at Ohio State and were included in the search proSUNY Oswego. Chopan and Wolfe cess.

Senior Andrew Harlan, a are also friends with another of the search candidates. Acting Dean of creative writing major, felt Wolfe Faculty Suzan Harrison, who also would bring energy to The Curinterviewed each of the three final- rent. “K.C. was really amicable,” ists, made the final offer to Wolfe. Harlan said. “When we had the inWhile Wolfe has a background terview there wasn’t a dull moment mainly in literary nonfiction — he in the conversation. He seemed has published in journals such as to be interested in student interSwink, Gulf Coast, Redivider and action and seemed excited about Under the Sun — Chopan said he The Current, to learn about it and was chosen for his ability to teach. help it grow. Especially when he “None of the candidates had news- got to teach our capstone class, paper editing experience,” Cho- he was conversational and everypan said. “It seemed like (Wolfe) one was engaged the entire time.”

Managing Editor and Senior would be the best fit at gaining the Jeralyn Darling also participated in skills of being a newspaper editor.” the search process. “K.C. is a nice Chopan admitted the other two candidates had more journal- guy and I have full confidence in ism experience. “This is where it our team,” said Darling. “The Current staff is experienced enough gets a little complicated. You have to help K.C. through this transito look at where they are publishtion. I do, however, hope that he ing and what they are publishing. will maintain everything we have On the one hand, there was a real worked toward under Tracy’s guidconcern about journalism, and on ance. Breaking news has been the the other hand there needed to most important aspect of my stube a concern about nonfiction. dent journalist career. Tracy made One of the candidates, although herself available 24/7 and if K.C. strong in journalism, had no ex- can do the same for our students in perience in creative nonfiction.” the coming years I have no doubt Wolfe will teach creative non- the paper will continue to grow.” fiction, introduction to journalHarrison said The Current was ism and the internship with The a major factor in the decision, and Current directed study course, that Wolfe “has big shoes to fill.” and oversee the journalism minor Annarelli, who served on the in addition to his responsibilities search committee, is confident as The Current’s faculty adviser. Wolfe will meet expectations. “I “As a small liberal arts college,” am hopeful,” he said, “that he will Harrison said, “we are always asking bring to The Current the same faculty to go beyond what might be dedication, insight and journalistic the traditional and sometimes very competence that Tracy has demonsiloed paradigms of the larger aca- strated in her extraordinary career demic community. We were look- as faculty adviser for The Current.”

8 News

the current

April 19, 2013

Brought to you by Career Services

Dear Lindsey, I’m beyond stressed. I’m about to graduate with zero job prospects. Every time I turn on my computer to begin searching I get stressed and frustrated easily because I’m not finding anything. Then I just cry and lose sleep because I’m awake worrying that I’m not good enough for a competitive job market. Please Help!

-Senior SOS Dear SOS, You are good enough. It may be helpful to first address your stress and anxiety. Take calm, deep breaths and then ask yourself why you are feeling these strong and destructive feelings.

Many seniors are in similar, if not identical, situations right now.

I could write about how graduating is the beginning of yet another life-changing journey and that anxiety is perfectly normal for this stage in life—but from your message it sounds like your anxiety may be based on how you view yourself, and how you feel a future employer may view you as a candidate.

Talk to someone about it. Talk to friends, talk to a mentor, talk to a counselor, but above all, do not let this paralyze you.

Once you’ve gathered your thoughts on this matter, pay a visit to Career Services to help you with your search. They can show you the best search tools and databases and can help you with career guidance and résumé revisions.

It may help in some way just to have someone present that is helping you go through something that is so nerveracking. They’re there to help you. Visit while you’re still on campus.

I’m reminded of an old SNL skit with Al Franken where he says into a mirror “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!” This is a good affirmation we should remind ourselves of daily.

You are good enough. (Repeat x10) Lindsey

Blast from the past

SGA Looks Ahead Plans Outlined For Next Year

By Dave Wilt (1968) The last issue of the Trident seems an excellent opportunity to present the student body with a preview of next year’s SGA programs. Presently a number of these plans are somewhat nebulous and constitute tentative projections only, but because there will be so much work to be done in the upcoming year I feel that it is necessary that the SGA get under way immediately and that the student body be given at least an outline of next year’s activities.

First on the list is, of course, the total reorganization of the SGA structures. This will require a complete constitutional revision; in actuality we plan to throw out the present constitution and start from scratch in an attempt to achieve the most effective and efficient organization of the student body that can be attained. We hope, through the NSA’s library service, to obtain information on the ways in which other colleges approximately our size have structured their student governments and to use this knowledge in our re-organization.

Much of the groundwork will be laid over the summer, but the final decisions will be made by the student body in a constitutional convention to be held next September.

As I stated in my platform, one of the primary areas of concern of next year’s SGA will be curricular study and revision.

The SCATE committee’s activities should be continued and extended beyond their present compass. We hope to begin an experimental curriculum, with courses taught by and for students, as being done at a number of other schools. Work is already under way on this project and we hope to offer at least a half-a-dozen courses of this type next year. We also want to encour-

age students to undertake study programs, analyzing, for full course credit various aspects of the total FPC program. There is also the possibility of the SGA sponsoring on an experimental basis for a limited number of students the implementation of the five week plan, which was rejected by the faculty this year.

The SGA will work to obtain student representation on all major faculty-administration committees including Academic Affairs. We also wish to have student representatives at division-level, faculty meetings and have already won the right to send two delegates to all meetings of the full faculty.

We hope to have some special entertainment that is really special. If all goes well we will sponsor a group in the Bayfront Center Arena next fall, the profit from which will enable us to sponsor at least three or four other attractions on campus as well as another big show at Bayfront in the spring.

The Student Speakers Bureau, through which students appear at meetings of business and special organizations in the community to discuss FPC, will be greatly expanded. In the same vein, there is the possibility of student involvement in the Development Program.

A number of other programs are presently under consideration; your comments on those proposals above are solicited and any and all suggestions will be welcome. No student government organization can succeed without the support of the student body.

The success of next year’s SGA in achieving the goals it has set will do much to determine the development of FPC. For this reason, we whole-heartedly request your active interest and assistance.

Have a career quandary? Write to Dear Lindsey at dearlindsey@ eckerd.edu.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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the current

Viewpoints 9

April 19, 2013

Viewpoints Celebrating the life of Nate Mosby One year after his passing, the memorial garden grows

By Elisa Edelstein Contributing Writer When a life is lost, we do whatever we can to find ways to hold on to those who have passed on.

When I wandered into the Nathan Lewis Mosby Memorial Garden in Puerto Rico during spring break, I was greeted with the quote found on his garden’s memorial plaque, “To live in the hearts that we leave behind is not to die.”

After Eckerd student, Nate, passed away a year ago, I have done my best to keep him alive through stories, memories and thinking of him each day. I was ecstatic when I found myself being accepted to the Puerto Rico spring break service trip to Las Marias to work on an organic farm, where Nate had worked last year. This was another chance for me to feel connected to him even though his physical body was lost.

What I didn’t know was how this farm was going to change my life in a similar way it had for Nate.

When the 14 Eckerd spring break students first made their way to the garden, it was the very beginning of what is to become a flourishing and lively garden. In the short six days we spent on Tres Amigos Farm, we added a lot of love, sweat, muscle and great vibes into Nate’s garden.

This is only the beginning for his garden. However, I feel fortunate to have been asked to be on Nate’s garden committee along with the trip leader Katie Lantz, and several of the volunteers from the farm.

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ame-sex marriage has been gaining more momentum than ever before. The last weeks of March saw a crucial debate over Proposition 8 and the DOMA Act—bills that both proposed a strict adherence to the definition of marriage: the union of a man and woman.

There’s even been a social shift in how people view the idea of same-sex marriage. According to a Wall Street Journal poll, 63 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage across the board, which is a significant increase from 41 percent in 2009.

While the progression of samesex couples’ rights is great news, something about it felt off to me. Why is there a drastic shift in political support for same-sex marriage, and is this shift indicative of something going on within the LGBT community?

Now, don’t get me wrong, the amount of support for same-sex couples is truly astounding. Lovers who have been together for years can finally express their commitment publically and be blissful. New legislation allows approximately 115,000 alternative families in the U.S. to be bet-

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First times

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Grade inflation

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Graffiti on campus

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Rutgers’ coach takes it too far

By Woody Taylor Contributing Writer Note: Woody Taylor is a member of the men’s basketball team.

courtesy of Elisa Edelstein Scattered layers of organic material will decompose and later provide the soil for a ring of plantlife in Mosby’s garden.

This opportunity has infected me and led me to share information about the gardens process and ways for Eckerd Students to get involved.

There are a few goals Katie, Paula, who runhs the farm, and

myself set for Nate’s garden for the future. We want to incorporate plants that will attract the most biodiversity to fill his garden with a vast variety of different species to capture how much life and energy

Nate had in his body and spirit.

We also want the garden to be self-sustaining and filled with some of his favorite fruits and flowers, such as kiwi. We are asking See GARDEN, page 11

Gay marriage fails to make all feel “gay”

By Ely Grinfeld Viewpoints Editor

INSIDE VIEWPOINTS

ter protected and represented.

Yet, I feel as though the push for same-sex marriage is causing a rift in the LGBT community. Not all non-heterosexual individuals are OK with the LGBT community’s push to have a place in one of the most traditional and conservative Western practices in history. Yes, I said it: the push for same-sex marriage by a community largely represented by having alternative views of sexuality is pretty queer.

What does this mean? It may mean that I’m a bitter contrarian.

But it could also mean that the idea of LGBT individuals fighting for their rights by assimilating into largely heterosexual practices can be slightly damaging for the community in the long run.

Are we really fighting for LGBT rights, or just making all nonstraights look like everyone else?

Staggeringly high in my “I-never-thought-I’d-quote-this-person” list, I feel that Rush Limbaugh best expressed my feelings of why same-sex marriage is taking off so unexpectedly (or is it even unexpected?) “What has happened to gay marriage? It’s become normal—and in fact, with certain people in certain demographics it’s the most important issue in terms of who they vote for.”

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In Limbaugh’s defense, he was arguing for how pedophilia is being normalized, and same-sex marriage is just one of the first few stepping stones to that goal. Still, he does have a point: there has been some push for sexual minorities to “clean up their image” if they’re to be accepted by the heterosexual majority, which entailed a strict unification for the same-sex marriage cause.

Many other pressing issues, in the LGBT community were placed on the backburner, in hopes that the same-sex marriage victory will free up the community’s schedule. Some of these issues include the continuing HIV epidemic, the dismissal of trans- people within the community, the disproportionate amount of LGBT homeless youth to non-LGBT homeless youth and racial tensions among LGBT-identifying peers. Yet, for normality’s sake, same-sex marriage has taken the forefront.

Normalization has led the more media-friendly gays and lesbians to take the center of rights debates, pushing their trans- and polyamorous peers aside. For transgendered individuals, there has been an unfortunately long history of exclusion from gay and lesbian peers in terms of marriage and protective legislation. Issues of gender identity

were seen by some same-sex marriage proponents as muddling the semantic value of their arguments.

Proposition 22 discussion in California in 2004 was completely devoid of transgendered-rights issues. The Goodridge litigation in Mass. had no reference to the marital rights of post-op transgendered individuals in “heterosexual” marriages. These significant withholding of trans-specific rhetoric in legislation is even more hurtful knowing that trans- people had been pushing for birth certificate change rights for a while.

Even on the right, trans-erasure in legislation had been happening for a while. The re-purposing of DOMA, or Defense of Marriage Act, first proposed in 1996, specifically denied legislation recognizing the nuance in transsexual marriage, where one partner had their gender reassigned after the couple had wed. Yet, these complaints were often swept to the side when same-sex marriage discourse took the stage in LGBT rights.

For other people in the LGBT community who believe in polyamory, or having multiple partners in a relationship, the discourse of same-sex marriage prove equally alienating. With articles strewn See SAME-SEX, page 11

Envision yourself taking over a major division 1 basketball program with an already losing record.

Imagine giving guarantees to the athletic director and other important figures at the school about the success that you plan to bring to the school.

Now place yourself in the situation of not winning games and not adhering to the promises you made. This is the position that former Rutgers coach Mike Rice found himself in after three losing seasons at the University.

While this isn’t a situation that any coach wishes to be in, it happens extremely often. Winning at the college level consistently is a difficult task.

It is how the coaches deal with losing that shows their character.

It is how they respond to adversity that defines them and the current program they are coaching for.

In sports, some coaches are more fiery than others as there are different coaching methods and strategies. I have experienced two different ones: the very aggressive and more in your face style in high school, and the more assertive approach from Tom Ryan in college.

The assertive coach aims to handle situations more on an individual level by pulling players off to the side or calling them to his office for meetings. The aggressive coach aims to motivate through yelling, screaming and other antics as a means of encouraging his team.

With the aggressive approach there comes a fine line.

A line which head Coach Mike Rice crossed, severely. Recently, films of the fiery and passionate coach have been released of both verbal and physical abuse as methods of attempted motivation.

He has been caught heaving balls at players, shoving them in their backs and in some instances kicking them in their backs and legs.

As if this weren’t enough, while this persecution was going on, he was cursing at his players using offensive language. He would name-call his players, most names comprised of anti-gay jargon.

See COACHING, page 11

10 Viewpoints

April 19, 2013

First Times The importance of gratitude: in theory

By Jeralyn Darling Managing Editor Recently, I picked up a couple of little thank you cards from our local CVS. One for my mom, one for my dad.

I’m going back later for the rest because, well, there are quite a few people I have to thank for getting me through these past four years.

My idea for sending these cards stemmed from last issue’s front cover. After reading a story about student debt, I found myself eternally grateful to my parents, without whom I would most likely be in crippling debt as my graduation day draws near.

You can see my tiny tribute to them on the front page: “Thanks, Mom and Dad.” “Thank you” seems to be underused nowadays, yet I have so much to be thankful for.

I’m about a month away from my future and so many family members, friends, professors and administators have led me here.

Without their support and encouragement, suffice it to say, I would not be writing this.

This column isn’t focused on the who though, yet (check last issue for that installation). I only want to urge my readers to sit back and think about everyone who has helped you get this far.

Not just the students, either. Everyone has someone to thank for the position they are in right now.

Whether it be that professor who had the heart not to fail you because you really did try, your high school teacher who inspired you to pursue your major or the Pub worker who memorized your order so you wouldn’t have to say it after your third all-nighter in a row.

You didn’t make it this far on your own. Or, maybe, at least I didn’t. I had help. A lot of help. And it’s time to thank everyone for all that they’ve done.

Gratitude is one of the most important aspects of being polite. A simple “thank you” to someone holding the door doesn’t even happen that often anymore. Why not?

Please, everyone, just remember simple courtesy. For the first time in my life I have made a list of people I need to thank—professors, administrators, parents, roommates and friends.

How many people have affected my life in a positive way? There are simply too many to count. For all their efforts, they deserve a little recognition, a little appreciation, a little gratitude. I’ll thank them next issue—my last issue—my last chance to publically thank everyone.

the current

Grades inflate with expectations

By Rose Kraemer-Dahlin Asst. Viewpoints Editor Many students have said to me that without grades they would have little motivation to do well in class. This may sound all too familiar, resonating especially in students concerned with maintaining a high GPA to retain their scholarship, qualify for an honors society, increase their chances of attending grad school or in finding a preferable job.

However, when students expect to receive a higher grade than what that bright red, screaming letter scrawled on their assignment is telling them, a swell of bitterness might easily arise. In this case, motivation is either defeated or, for many, is tempered with, using the powers of persuasion.

These aforementioned students won’t submit to a grade they felt was unfairly chosen without a “plea” (realistically, a fight). The typical scenario begins with the student’s protest followed by a logical defense and is tied with a bow from, hopefully, an unthreatening argument. Frequently, these persuasive appeals work, regardless of whether the student’s adjusted grade was deserved or not.

If this process becomes a pattern, though, it will only add to the current problem colleges are facing: grade inflation. This is when the average GPA of a college increases when the quality of work or performance level for grades achieved is relatively unchanged.

The phenomenon is, in part, a response to students’ dissatisfaction with their grades, their teachers and, in turn, a disaffection with their schools. So why would it be a problem for the professors to comply by raising grades if it were to increase student retention rates?

Because of this: grade inflation lowers the academic integrity of an institution and falsely represents the strength of its student body.

Furthermore, if the standards of the school drop and motivations of a student dampens, would temporarily pleasing the majority be worth it? I would answer no, obviously not.

I would also argue something far more controversial—that our grading system has, in effect, failed us. Of course, I am not the only one holding this view; there are many others in academia expressing this and, reasonably, claiming that the trend of grade inflation is only one aspect of many problems that our grading system has caused.

To begin with, recall that grade inflation questions whether students are really working above and beyond to deserve the higher grades received. To answer this, we’d have to know the value each grade holds.

What constitutes each grade? Moreover, what is an “A” even worth? Our definitions of the “A” through “F” grading system are so convoluted that, unsurprisingly, some

PerspECtives

“A s**t ton of glitter. Clothes are optional.” - Zach Simandl, senior

students are not even sure themselves.

“An ‘A’ should be when you get everything correct,” says biology major Senior Taylor Shulman. “In literature classes, though, the grading system confuses me and I’m not sure what an ‘A’ even measures up to.” If there are other students who are as confused as Shulman, or even fretful from the feelings of uncertainty, what are the use of grades, anyhow?

Sophomore James Carter III, a psychology major, is one student who has mixed feelings regarding the necessity of grades. “On the one hand, grades are a measure of performance under pressure, which is an accurate reflection of the working world. On the other, however, unneeded stress is not welcome.”

It is possible, though, that eliminating grades at Eckerd would reduce students’ stress levels as well as increasing their academic endeavors. Carter agrees to some extent, commenting that “it would eliminate the majority of external motivation; intrinsic motivation would be required.”

Extrinsic motivation, the work for the grade, is common among college students across the board. Intrinsic motivation, though, is harder to access with the distended presence of grades. In Maria Montessori’s theory of education, for example, grades are said to interfere with a child’s natural intuition to learn. This echoes Carter’s stance—intrinsic motivation is inhibited by the demand for the high grade.

The focus on grades, I believe, will reduce interests in learning, tackling intellectual challenges, and all around lessening the critical thinking skills of students. Solutions to our archaic grading scale have been debated many times, some even taking effect on a few liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Reed College is an example of such.

Grades stand on record, but are not revealed to the student unless lower than a C. Alternatively, students are given a card evaluating their performance in each course taken. The cards are written by their professors, requiring them to conduct a more thorough explanation of the student’s quality and performance in their work.

At Harvey Mudd College (HMC), grades are omitted for a freshman’s first semester.

Students are assigned the typical workload of a freshman from any other college, and yet their motivation doesn’t appear to fall flat despite their lack of grades. They seem to complete their projects just as well, if not better, than those with extrinsic motivation.

This I know from experience, having worked at the school and observing the excitement and innovation produced from first-years.

It should also be noted that grade inflation from both Reed and HMC is very low, among the lowest in liberal arts colleges in the U.S.

as reported by their registrars and the New York Times. Clearly, grades as a chief motivating factor to participate in academics only increases the chances of grade inflation.

If Eckerd were to eliminate the “A” through “F” grading system, a new method for evaluation would have to form to prevent students from comparing themselves to their peers, although a little competition can be healthy. Carter has come up with an idea that incorporates two different systems, and offers his approach.

“I think that a hybrid system of normal grades during freshmen year (in order to eliminate excessive slackers or others not fit for college),” said Carter in an email. “And a pass/fail system for the other three years [could work].

This would allow students to not worry about a ‘B+’ or an ‘A-’, and focus on understanding the material, rather than memorizing it.”

To appreciate grades, especially since they haven’t left us, we can acknowledge their benefits in serving as a benchmark for comparison. They form a metric, data used to objectively measure a student or an institution’s success. Grad schools, employers and scholarship boards can use grades as a deciding factor between two valuable candidates when they can only accept one.

This brings us back to the beginning, though, where grade inflation is used to increase these chances students have to make it to their next, preferred venture in life.

So what should we do? For starters, Eckerd can reevaluate the present grading system, questioning whether it really does do justice to the integrity of our college.

illustration by Alex Zielinski

What are you wearing to Kappa Karnival?

“This...” - Emily Johnson, middle, senior “Whatever we can wake up in and go to the Caf in the next morning.” -Liz Scherbatskoy, left, Colby Hause, right, seniors

“I don’t know, I haven’t been. Probably something circusy-themed. Lots of colors.”

- Katherine Pace, freshman

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the current

April 19, 2013

Viewpoints 11

#Amusing N. Korea biting off more than it can chew Musings

By Ethan Packey Political Consultant

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

Follow us on twitter: @TheECCurrent IB Professor No...not you again. #PutYourHandDown

IB Professor It’s for rugged people who aren’t afraid of cancer. #Cigarettes

IB Professor We should never allow Russians in a class, especially late on a Friday. #AgressiveAnswer

Writing Professor Cocaine and bath salts. That’ll be my next winter term class. #SignMeUp

IB Student and Professor So no one has done their homework for today?

It was a rough weekend. #AroundTheWorld

Creative Writing Professor Don’t worry, guys. You’ve got her in your group, so she’ll do all the work. #ThatTimeOfYear

Literature Professor No one had a worse day than me. After slaving over sausages I wiped my face with an ant-covered napkin. #SausageAndAnts

Creative Writing Professor Help, guys, I’m yawning. #NoSleep

Psychology Professor It was an ‘oopsie’ ; a training marriage. #ThatTimeOfYear

Creative Writing Professor I have no funny in me. No funny. #TragicComedy

Last year, North Korea saw the death of its Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-Il, and the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-Un. Since then, the country has held an illegal missile test, that failed and has threatened further missile and nuclear weapons tests. There has also been a significant purging of top officials from the regime as Kim JongUn consolidates his power base.

In recent weeks, North Korea has started heating up its rhetoric including disavowing the 1953 armistice and demanding the withdrawal of US troops from major military bases across the Pacific Rim. They’ve also shut down an industrial zone jointly run with South Korea.

Not surprisingly, many analysts have said that North Korea has been preparing for war. Others prefer not to hold the situation as so inflammatory. Ryan Jarrett, a politically involved Eckerd student, agrees with the second camp. “While the rhetoric may

have been ramped up recently, historically, they are nothing new and have long been viewed as nothing more than a tactic by which leaders consolidated power over their nation’s populace,” Jarrett says.

Jarrett also adds that “it seems as though the main issues regarding North Korea are the potential for proliferation of weapons, or else that it would somehow, unwittingly, enter itself into some ridiculous game of nuclear chicken from which it could not back down without losing face.”

And it is that game of nuclear chicken that concerns me.

Kim Jong-Un does not have the power base that his father had.

StudentThere is evidence that the attempted assasination of Kim Jong-Un last year and the Pyonyang gunfight last year were disputes between Kim Jong-Un’s ruling workers party and the People’s Ministry of the Armed Forces.

That dispute led to several major generals receiving demotions.

The problem is that the demotions leave several military fac-

tions of the regime disaffected with their new leader. Such disaffection could mean that these are groups blackmailing Kim JongUn into a faceoff with South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

The industrial zone closure is especially concerning. That plant supplies the regime with about $470 million in current annual revenue.

Its closure represents a major blow to stability at the top of the regime as those funds are crucial in paying to bring food to a starving populace.

Only the most severe of circumstances would supersede that most basic interest of the North Korean government. But as of now there is no evidence of troop mobilization or anything else to indicate a North Korean plan to strike southward. So, we wait.

But, even in waiting we must be prepared; such is the view of Ryan Heffner, Eckerd senior and chairman of the Eckerd College Republicans. “Peace through strength is the only common sense approach to preserve the fragile peace on the Korean Peninsula,”

Heffner says. “America’s extremely powerful military and our support for South Korea is currently the only obstacle stopping North Korea’s expansionist vision.”

That stance is reasonable to my mind. We have the technology to know in advance is North Korea is preparing for an invasion. The real problem if the game of chicken between North & South escalates is China.

The People’s Republic has had a formal alliance with North Korea since 1961 and intervened on behalf of North Korea in the Korean War. Any hint of war then could trigger a crisis with the potential of rearranging the entire balance of power in East Asia.

I hope President Obama handles any further crises on the Korean Peninsula well because we can’t afford to upset China, nor can we lose our key military and economic ally, South Korea. But Heffner points out a sad truth, “President Obama is already known internationally for having a horrible record for supporting our allies in their time of need.”

illustration by Alex Zielinski

Objecting aggressive coaching approach

From COACHING, page 9 He was seen dropping multiple F-bombs directed at players, but it really became sinister when he dropped the other F-bomb, faggot.

It is remarks like this that are continuing the discrimination we face today—and remarks like these along with the actions by this coach will not be tolerated.

I am a complete advocate of getting in players’ faces and placing them in the proper position physically. However, this language and these actions are leaps and bounds across this fine line of appropriate coaching behavior.

As these events have come to life and been thrust into the media, head coach Mike Rice, as well as Athletic Director Tim Pernetti, were both fired for their

roles in this heinous situation.

Just and rightful punishment for the actions committed.

It is important that coaches understand each player and find a proper way to motivate them, whether it is passive or aggressive, but antigay vocabulary is never necessary.

It is pivotal that when choosing the aggressive style, which a large portion of coaches do, that these coaches must realize this fine line and when it is being crossed.

In “Remember the Titans,” Coach Yoast says to Coach Boone, “there’s a fine line between tough and insane and you’re flirting with it.”

Mike Rice courted that line, and married it. Then, for Rice, that line had resulted in his divorce from the college, and possibly coaching, forever.

Marriage not for all From SAME-SEX, page 9 around the web where right-wing individuals propose that supporting gay marriage is like supporting pedophilia or polygamy, it’s hard not to see how political climates produce hurtful metaphors for ideas of same-sex marriage.

Polyamory is incredibly different from polygamy as we see it in Mormon communities. However, same-sex marriage proponents have stuck to advertising that focuses on the happiness seen in monogamous, homosexual couples. Funnily enough, polyamorous lovers are getting more political support than the right-wing, Mormon groups.

Some homosexual marriageproponents have even condemned polyamorous couples, like Alex Greenwich, national convenor of Australian Marriage Equality, who believed that polyamorous relationships provide disproportionate authority for one male. Attitudes like these are grounded in poor, dated stereotypes and reflect poorly of the LGBT community as having an open mind for sexuality.

What happened to the community’s free-loving spirit and

welcoming the disenfranchised groups with compassionate arms?

Hopefully, I haven’t depressed you too much by this point. Polyamory and trans-erasure are some of many critical issues facing the LGBT community, ones that will certainly require some unification.

The amount of progress with samesex marriage is not to be taken lightly, and the growing support is indicative of a more promising tomorrow.

If anything, the most crucial thing to reconcile and recognize when discussing LGBT rights is that there is no one group being discussed, and there is no monolithic goal for all. The LGBT community is dense and diverse, and ought to be respected as such.

While there has been progress for some, gays and lesbians must recognize that they have to do the same for their less-represented peers.

My feelings for the progression of LGBT-rights lately are best summed up in a line spoken by the wise Debbie Novotony, from TV show “Queer as Folk.”

“Mourn the losses because there are many but celebrate the victories because there are few.”

Seeds planted in Puerto Rico garden flourish memories From GARDEN, page 9 his friends and family to create functional art to be included in his garden (an example being a ceramic bird bath) because the aesthetic beauty will only be enhanced through the love people have for him.

In addition, one of the main missions of the farm is a permaculture lifestyle. This type of lifestyle embodies the idea that we must take care of the earth, we must take care of humans, and to share the surplus of anything you can (time, money, donations, goods, skills, etc.).

Another initiative was through the second annual Skate for Nate. In remembrance of the day Nate passed away, Eckerd students gathered at South Beach to skate (walk or yellow bike) a lap around campus in honor of Nate and his love for longboarding. After the lap was finished, everyone gathered at the pavilion for a lunch, and I arranged for people to write notes to Nate. These letters will be brought back to the farm this summer by Katie and me.

They will be put in bottles that are buried around the perimeter of his garden or will be used as mulch in the beds so his plants are fueled by every person’s good energy. Anybody interested in writing Nate a note is welcome to do so any time before the semester is up.

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The last initiative going on in the immediate future is the EC thrift store, which will be open for business in the Alpha lounge. Everything in the store is $2 and all proceeds go directly to Nate’s garden. All donations and purchases are appreciated and will aid to the beauty and success of his garden.

We are looking for all of the ideas and love we can get to put back into Nate’s garden. Nate was a caring, dedicated, charismatic guy who had a passion for travel, service, people and gardening to name a few. This garden is such a positive and energetic way to help him continue to thrive on this earth even though his body is lost.

We would love to get the Eckerd community as involved as possible and appreciate the love and support we have received so far. This is a brilliant way to allow Nate to stay in our hearts, mind and earth so that he will never truly die.

Email eeedelst@eckerd. edu or knlantz@eckerd.edu with any questions or ideas.

To check out the farm and garden project, visit www. plenitudpreng.weebly.com

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courtesy of Elisa Edelstein Memorial plaque in Mosby’s garden, “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.”

12 Viewpoints

the current

April 19, 2013

Sporting pride never dies: looking back

By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor

Seven months ago, my support of equality in sports was published in the article, “The Rainbow Barrier: Why there are no gay athletes.”

In all honesty, the picture I painted in September was a rather bleak image.

The cynicism revolved around my own experiences in the world of sports. Recently, however, some strides have been made in the field of play, though not all developments have been exceptionally great for the future of sports.

Last week, the National Hockey League announced a partnership with You Can Play, a nonprofit organization that encourages a strong environment for any LGBT player or employee in the hockey community. The program, founded by Team USA Hockey general manager Brian Burke, has been embraced by many lower level leagues and a few collegiate programs.

The sweeping endorsement from the most illustrious league in hockey seemed to come out of the blue.

Hockey, itself, has seen more progress than most of the big five American sports. Much of this is

thanks to the influx of European players, but also because a large portion of the population comes from Canada--which has been steps ahead on LGBT equality before.

Even before the official endorsement You Can Play has been supported by NHL players including Stanley Cup Champions Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith and Brent Sopel as well as two-time top goal scorer Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A cynic might say that this move was simply a power play by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to receive publicity for a league that has suffered because of the lockout earlier in the season.

While the announcement does seem peculiarly timed to coincide with the highly publicized Supreme Court cases on gay marriage, I hardly believe there is a conspiracy for the league to get publicity from a hot button issue.

As a hockey fan, I am absolutely thrilled by the announcement, yet I know that the decision will not garner the attention it deserves-because after all, it is only hockey.

Despite the progress made on the rink, a gay athlete still faces a horror show of added pressure through

discrimination. Several months ago, American soccer player Robbie Rogers announced he was gay via a blog post. Such an effort of courage was squandered when in the same post he announced his immediate retirement from the game.

The kindest words I uttered that day were, “Are you kidding me?” Rogers is 25, and was still in the fold to make the national team for next year’s World Cup. To leave the game when you can still play at a high level because of a perceived discrimination is ludicrous, to me.

Weeks later, Rogers gave an interview with The Guardian where he stated that it is impossible to play sports as a gay man. He spoke of homophobic slurs made by other footballers and coaches that made him question who he was and why he was still a part of it.

Almost on cue, the Rutgers men’s basketball coach was fired for abusing his players physically and verbally degrading them with homophobic slurs. Yes, homophobia is still a problem, and yes it is truly awful to see it at a high level, but do I really have to rehash the entire fourth paragraph from my September article about “you play ball like a girl”?

Homophobic coaches and players still really are not the problem for an LGBT player. To me the biggest problem lies with the fans.

Fans are fickle, insane and angry masses who are willing to attack a player verbally with anything they have.

I once witnessed a nine year old tell a basketball player about how his mother was a prostitute who should have “fixed” him when the test read positive. I’ve also been called gay slurs for wearing the wrong color to a stadium, not the opposing team’s jersey or color but a non-home team color.

Fans are brutal, and I for one would not want to be that player being stared down by 20,000 plus every night.

Why respond to my prior article now? April 15 was Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, the day he made his first start. Robinson is not notable because he fought back against the system; he is notable because he suffered privately and never showed his feelings in public.

In the modern age, a Jackie Robinson simply could not exist. Between local, national and international news prying into your mind,

Twitter, which can allow you to speak your thoughts faster, and the overall ease of fans to access you there is no private moment anymore. If a gay player were to make an outburst, how quickly would he fall?

While strides are made every passing day in the field, the issue of fear still clouds minds. For every Steven Stamkos, Gary Bettman and Brian Burke, there are still the stories like those from Robbie Rogers that show how much progress needs to be made.

Still, I hardly consider the issues of a locker room setting to be the reason for the installation of fear.

No, that honor goes to the thousands in the stands and the millions at home screaming every obscenity known to man at a childrens’ game.

In the end, that’s all it really is anyway: a game. The world will keep spinning well after the final whistle. If a person has the talent required to compete at the pinnacle of sport they deserve their spot.

And if you think that you can play better than someone simply because they are LGBT, I encourage you: suit up and show me.

Odds are you crack under the pressure.

Graffiti policy lost in ashes

By Riley Huff Staff Writer

Graffiti artists walk a fine line between public art and vandalism. Their canvasses are owned by someone else. The owners have no intention of having buildings covered in spray paint. Yet, through the artist’s eye, the impending creation—whatever it may be—will at least be an improvement.

Those students who both reside and visit the area around Epsilon Douglas can view many examples of the art produced by anonymous students. On many occasions, the surrounding walls and concrete floor have been covered in chalk.

A picnic table nearby has been eclipsed by splatter paint and marker doodles.

However, recently the removal of a drawing on the side of a staircase has prompted both frustration and discussion of possible alternative graffiti policies.

Sophomore Katie Klens remembers the drawing fondly. “I would describe it as a wizard-devil-witch guy who also had scarecrow hands,” she said. “It was made of cigarette ash from many-a-butt.”

The drawing was created from a medium that could be easily brushed off or washed away. Painting over the sketch did not sit well with many students, including Klens. Under the current graffiti policies, she believes Campus Security was certainly entitled to inform Facilities to paint over the drawing.

The problem with our graffiti

policy is institutional, she believes, and policy changes are what should concern us. “We do have murals and stuff, but to be punished for doing the same stuff on a wall twenty feet away is absolutely ridiculous,” said Klens. It should be noted, though, that no reprimands were actually made, simply a post on the vandalism blog and the removal of the drawing.

Maggie Englund, a junior, agrees and thinks the definition of vandalism itself should be rewritten. “A lot of the things they call vandalism aren’t destructive,” said Englund.

“Nothing’s broken, it can be washed off, nothing’s being destroyed.”

She makes note of the Eckerd College Vandalism Blog. Amid the reports of broken windows and unpleasant findings of regurgitated bodily fluids are phrases scrawled on the walls of various dorms, among other obscenities on the blog. “Be the happiest face here today” and “Love is everything” are among the positive messagess that can be found around campus.

Specifically Klens and Englund, but also many others, think more venues for artistic expression should be allowed around campus. The wooden billboards by the Kappa, Nu and Beta complexes are examples of artistic venues we presently have, and are a step in the right direction.

“Eckerd is always telling us to be creative and think outside, but when we try, they punish us,” said Englund. Englund also suggested installing more wooden graf-

fiti boards as well as whitewashing them each semester so students could start with a blank slate.

Accompanying these changes, many believe we should also have a less abrasive policy. The forbiddance of one medium, chalk, baffles Klens. “It’s ridiculous because it’s college and we should be allowed to use chalk,” she claimed.

In actuality, though, “the use of washable chalk is permitted on the residential side of campus on sidewalks only,” said Justin Long, director of housing, when asked about chalk policy in an email. “Any sidewalk chalk drawing must be created in good taste, should not involve obscenities, and should not be slanderous or malicious, or crude or include nudity lacking in artistic merit. The College reserves the right to have any chalk drawings removed at any time,” he wrote.

Several students have also expressed an interest in the idea of school-designated public art commissions. College officials could assign places they would not mind turning into public art sites. Anyone could present an idea for how to fill the space. With the approval from a board comprised of students and art teachers, a student artist’s vision for a given public space could become reality.

The bottom line is that we want more places by which to showcase our art. We want students to be punished for destroying, not creating. And at the root of it all, we simply want more opportunity for the public’s free expression.

photo by Alex Zielinski A part of the picnic table at Epsilon with graffiti.

photo by Alex Zielinski Section of the Nu graffiti mural.

photo by Alex Zielinski A part of one of many tables at Delta with graffiti.

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the current

Entertainment 13

April 19, 2013

Entertainment INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT St. Pete sampler

14

Waterfront events

15

Fashion: high heels

16

promotional photo photo by Lia Nydes Left to right: Ian Engels, A.J. O’Reilly and Bryan O’Malley playing at South Beach.

Student band plays gigs on, off campus

By Jennifer Lincoln Staff Writer The theme of the evening is “funk.” The Kappa kreatures are out and the mood is charged with excitement as students gather around for another Friday night of losing themselves in music and letting go of weekday stresses. What better way to do this than listen to Ian Engels, Coleman Shipley, Bryan O’Malley and AJ O’Reilly, who together form the band Like-Minded People? Who jam in the courtyard with what their Facebook page description calls “soulful acoustic and electric sound, heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead.”

Their music, mostly influenced by jam bands and the blues, has received accolades from many students like Freshman Kevin Peterson’s one word reaction: “Groovy.”

Ian Engels and A.J. O’Reilly met back during Thanksgiving break.

After a few visits over the holidays where they played some shows together, sometimes just the two of them, other sets with other musicians that wanted to jam they decided to start colloborating. Finally, A.J. decided to move down to St. Petersburg and says “everything’s just fallen into place.”

Freshman Julia Sparks has has seen them play on campus. “It was a refreshing change from the usual dubstep style music played at Kappa, and the funk vibe attracted a new crowd which created a different but still incredibly fun night” says Sparkshas.

Like-Minded People deserve all the positive reception they’re getting, considering all of the practice they get sitting outside of Kappa jamming in the courtyard, or out on Kappa Field, playing for the Eckerd College community. As well as playing music at Eckerd, Like-Minded People can also be found in the St. See BAND, page 15

By Hayden Johnson Asst. Entertainment Editor

photo by Lia Nydes Ian Engels singing during band performance.

New game“Bioshock Infinite” amazes players

By Conor Mckenna Staff Writer

“Bioshock Infinite” is the highly anticipated, latest first-person shooter developed by Irrational Games and 2K Games. Overall, this game has received impressively high praise from all critics and is a popular game found among Eckerd students.

You play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton, who, in order to pay off your gambling debts, is sent on a mission to retrieve a specific woman, Elizabeth. Elizabeth can only be found in Columbia, a city composed of floating islands in the sky. The founder of the city, Comstock, has fashioned the city into a utopia where Christianity and America come together in values and architecture to form a version of America that has never existed.

This is one of the most creative games I have ever seen, and continues to surprise the player as

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they are immersed in this artistic view of a beautiful city taking place in 1912. It’s the fantastic art and sound design that help engross the player into the world, making the more horrific aspects a shocking, unexpected turn.

As a game taking place in 1912, you are reminded of the racism and prejudice found only to be displayed to an extreme with the city of Columbia. As you search for the girl, you encounter giant figures of our founding fathers, as well as John Wilkes Booth. Though racism doesn’t play a major theme in the role, it certainly has an affect with the player and the story experienced.

As I played through, I couldn’t help but notice similarities with this adventure and the one found in the first “Bioshock,” released in 2007. In fact, I recommend playing “Bioshock” before starting “Bioshock Infinite,” as you’ll see comparisons between characters

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

“Evil Dead” re-imagines classic horror

promotional photo

and story. Although “Bioshock Infinite” demonstrates its own magic, mirroring the former “Bioshock” it also takes elements by turning them around completely.

The setting of the game is an important factor to why this game is considered a masterpiece. The world feels real, exciting and new with plenty of exploration. Although I feel they should have

made the openness of the world more like “Bioshock’s Rapture,” the city from the first game taking place under an ocean. Rapture felt more like an open world which you could explore and discover secrets in, while Columbia feels more like you are walking through a one way street throughout the game. The developers should have perfected whatSee they had going onpage for 16 them BIOSHOCK,

I entered the theater with much apprehension. A few years ago when I first heard that there was going to be a remake of Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult-classic “The Evil Dead” I had very negative feelings toward the whole idea. How could someone remake the low-budget classic woodland camping trip turned gorefest that I’ve loved since I was 8 years old? How can someone follow in the footsteps of Bruce Campbell’s performance as Ash? I wouldn’t call “Evil Dead” a remake but more of a reimaging of the classic horror film. Instead of trying to imitate the old film completely, the new one gives us something fresh and familiar. All the characters from the original “Evil Dead” have been replaced with new ones, in a different but similar situation. Instead of a bunch of college kids going out to a rickety cabin in the woods for partying, we are introduced with a more serious situation.

Mia, played by Jane Levy, is a young woman struggling with addiction. She is brought to her family cabin by her brother David and her friends to help her detox. In the basement they discover an old demonic book along with dead cats hanging from the ceiling. Eric, one of Mia’s friends reads from the book and awakens an evil within the woods. After that point, everything goes to hell.

What I really liked about the film overall is that it was more of an homage rather than a crappy imitation. The amount of detail in the set was astonishing. Everything from the swing in front of the cabin, the work shed and the cellar door was included. It was like going back to an old favorite place but with new friends and then having to hack apart their possessed corpses.

Another cool thing to see was See EVILDEAD, page 15 that

14 Entertainment

the current

April 19, 2013

Viral video update: Swimming and “chickens”

“Hallway Swimming (Original)” uploaded by cpugs7 April 2

“Look at all those...” uploaded by Bernforever April 8

The St. Pete Sampler Local fun and fine dining

Caffeine is the key. Need a place to grab a cup of Joe or tea for end of the year exams. Check out these local spots that will help you amp up.

A. Craftsman House Gallary & Cafe 2955 Central Ave 10 mins from campus Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

4 1/2 stars $$ N/A

A.

B. Cafe Bohemia 937 Central Ave 11 mins from campus Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m.- 12 midnight Sat. 11 a.m. - 12 midnight4 stars $$

THE TIPSY TRITON

N/A

Cocktails & Mixed Drinks The Rob Roy 2 oz. Scotch blend whiskey 3/4 Italian vermouth 1 dash Angostura bitters Mix with cracked ice and garnish with lemon or cherry.

C. Kahwa Coffee 475 2nd St N 11 mins from campus Mon. - Sat. 5 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

4 stars $ N/A

B.

Dog’s Nose 1/2 oz. London dry gin 1 pint porter ale Drop gin shot into ale and enjoy.

Note: The beverages and recipes on this page are intended for consumption only by individuals who are 21 or older. The Current does not promote underage drinking. When combining alcoholic beverages with caffeinated beverages, it is important to be aware of the potential side-effects and limit your consumption accordingly. Drink responsibly, our friends.

C. D.

D. The Hooker Tea Company 300 Beach Drive NE 12 mins from campus Mon. - Sat. 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sun. 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

4 1/2 stars $ N/A

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the current

Entertainment 15

April 19, 2013

“Evil Dead” remake does original horror classic justice from EVIL DEAD page 13 Another cool thing to see was that they even included a rusty Olds Delta 88 in the backyard, the same type of car that Ash used in the original film and sequels. There are also many small ways through dialogue and action in the movie that tips a hat to the original.

I would say that even though it was nice to go back to the woods the film overall doesn’t have of the unique tone that original one had. However when thought of as it’s own movie, this can be overlooked. There are parts in the film that display an awareness that it doesn’t take itself seriously, but not as blunt as the original “Evil Dead.” The original and following sequels functioned more or less as a mix between horror and dark comedy. The new film focuses more on horror, but then again, this contributes to the idea of “familiar but new.”

One of the best parts of the original “Evil Dead” movies was how low of a budget it actually was which added to the comedy.

In one shot of “Evil Dead II” you

can actually see the foot of one of the crew members as the camera accidently pans up too high revealing that the cabin is actually a set. The high production loses that feel but replaces it with aesthetically pleasing locations and colors. The blood, guts, dismemberment and possessions all look pretty damn beautiful.

What really works in this movie from a horror perspective is the ability to make the audience cringe without turning into torture porn like other modern horror films such as “The Human Centipede” and “Hostel.” There were some points in the film that made me grab my face and clench my teeth. I think it also throws something fresh in the decaying zombie film craze in recent years.

The dead in this movie are possessed by demons giving them the ability to talk, use weapons and play head games with the living.

This is a nice break from the typical outbreak film that is beaten like a dead horse. Even the trend of the “home video” horror films

like “Paranormal” has lost their momentum right after “The Blair Witch Project.” Compared with “Evil Dead” other modern horror trends are only two things right now: Jack and shit, and Jack left town.

For all you primitive screwheads, deadites and S-Mart shoppers alike, I would urge you to give this film a shot and stay after the credits. I would also recommend watching the original “Evil Dead” along with “Evil Dead II” and its sequel “Army of Darkness.” Overall this movie will give you your money’s worth for 91 minutes of entertainment. Bring a group of your friends and enjoy the ride. I left the theater thinking the film was groovy and very pleased.

promotional photo

photo by Lia Nydes

Ian Engels ,left, and A.J. O’Reilly ,right, jamming.

Student band jams campus from BAND page 13

People can also be found in the St. Petersburg area at local bars and cafes, such as Beaks and Bula Kafe (which is right across the street from Taco Bus, so why wouldn’t you go).

Members of the band started out their musical careers early, with Ian beginning to play guitar at age ten and A.J. learning the piano at age four. All members of the band are approachable, laid back guys who genuinely love the music they create, and it’s easily noticeable in the sound the passion they put into it.

“This particular band means a lot to me because it consists of good friends, two of which I live with. It is also the starting point of something I’m building my life upon. There is nothing that I love more than playing to a crowd full of dancing people and making them all happy, even if it’s just for a

little bit. It’s just about spreading the love” says Engels.

Like-Minded People is a great jam band that puts new life into the Eckerd music scene, offering a wide range of music to students and St. Petersburg residents alike. I recommend everyone check out their Facebook page to find out about upcoming shows, and to support them in their pursuit of music as a part of the Eckerd community.

“Like-Minded People’s” music can be found on SoundCloud, https:// soundcloud.com/like-minded-people-1, and YouTube, www.youtube. com/user/LikeMindedPeople024?feat ure=watch.

Their Facebook page, which can be found by searching “Like-Minded People” includes updates on upcoming shows as well as new music and band photos.

The Waterfront events pick up for the spring semester sun

By Rachel Beck Staff Writer The Waterfront here at will be hosting a variety of events through the end of this semester for the spring. Whether you’re interested in kayaking, camping or a cruise, the variety of upcoming events is starting now.

There will be a camping trip to Hook Island from Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21. Sign-ups are at the Waterfront, and remember to bring your friends. There is a $10 camping fee, and two meals will be provided.

Wakeboarding now has Wednesday and Sunday trips in addition to Friday and Saturday. Freshman Conner Cain, who has worked at the Waterfront since September, says that wakeboarding is one of the most popular events for stu-

dents. “They always have a blast,” said Cain. There are two trips each day, running from 1 p.m. to p.m. and 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Paddleboard Fitness classes are a great way to stay in shape and have fun on the water. They are offered 3 p.m., Monday and Wednesday, 4 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Waterfront has great cruises coming up, including the Disney Sunset Cruise 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 25, and the Senior Sunset Cruise 7 p.m., Thursday, May 2. Sign up at the Waterfront and enjoy the cruise with your friends.

A big Waterfront event coming up is Splash Bash Saturday April 27, from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. The theme this year will be “Floatopia.”

“We want to try to get as many students floating with a variety of different floats in Frenchman’s Creek,” said Senior Kira Moyer, a

supervisor at the Waterfront.

The event will feature a live DJ, a big slide and lots of food.

“From 5 [p.m.] to 7 [p.m.] the Cafe will be closing to provide the Waterfront with a BBQ style platter. As well, there will be a live band playing Island music while you eat,” said Moyer. “This end of the year event is an exciting time to get together with your friends and reminisce about all the good times at Eckerd, especially those seniors.”

For those interested in marine life, there will be a Critter Collection 3 p.m., April 26.

A sailboat at the waterfront.

There is also a Fishing Series off-boat fishing. being offered every Sunday afterIf you are interested in sailing, noon with a fishing tutor who will there is sail tutoring Mondays and take students along the seawall or Fridays from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The

photo by Alex Zielinski

Waterfront will close May 14, so make sure to go out and take advantage of all the opportunities the Waterfront has to offer.

ECKERD EVENTS

To have your event added to the Calendar, email currententertainment@eckerd.edu

FRIDAY

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4 p.m.

Festival of Cultures 8 p.m.

Fuddy Meers 9 p.m.

EC Drag Show

SATURDAY

20

21

6 p.m.

Film Aficionados Movie Night

1 p.m.

Super Store Shopping Shuttle

8 p.m.

“Fuddy Meers”

2 p.m.

“Fuddy Meers”

9 p.m.

Spring Ball

5 p.m.

Art Show Opening

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9 p.m.

Shwayze

3 p.m.

Splash Bash

4:30 p.m.

Pitchers with Professors

SUNDAY

2 p.m.

Rugby Game in Dresses

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1 p.m.

Super Store Shopping Shuttle

6 p.m.

Film Aficionados Movie Night 8 p.m.

B.S. 0Ballet

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Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

MONDAY

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7:30 p.m.

Vigil for Survivors of Sexual Assault

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Noon Zip Line

TUESDAY

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4:30 p.m.

Fitness with Professors

WEDNESDAY

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11 a.m. CPS EC Career Fair

7:30 p.m.

Ale Tasting Swing Dance Lessons

8 p.m.

WES Sex Toy Party

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1

7:30 p.m.

Swing Dance Lessons

6 p.m.

Giver’s Banquet

THURSDAY

25 7 p.m.

Getting a Grip: Mastering Your Sexuality

2

8 p.m.

“No Exit”

16 Entertainment

the current

April 19, 2013

Fashion column: a man’s take on heels

By Seth Ravid Staff Writer As a man, I’ve never really been able to appreciate the difficulties of wearing high heels. But a recent night out with three lovely ladies from Eckerd’s class of 2016 showed me just what kind of pain and inconvenience the fairer sex is prepared to endure in their commitment to sex appeal. The trouble started when Freshman Kyra Lynch took a bad step in her 4-inch, zipper-back, open-toe Love Culture wedges (black, pink and blue). Her stumble gave her quite a scrape on her kneecap and tore a strap on her shoe, but she popped right up, removed her shoes, and kept on walking as we hustled back from a local club to the University of Tampa to catch a cab to Ybor.

By the time we reached UT, Freshman Avery Perlitz›s beige, 3-inch, closed-toe, zipper-back Vince Camutos had given her a gnarly blister on her pinkie toe, complete with a painful flap of hanging skin. But the worst blisters of the night were those of Freshman Amanda Cortes, who was excited to be sporting her brand new 4.5-inch Turnin wedges, pink closed toes with gold accents and black and white spotted heels. Three days later, the sides of her feet still looked like the Titanic gashed by an iceberg, with long, red cuts running down each side.

Despite their beauty battle scars, the ladies seemed unfazed. They didn’t stop to whine or complain; they just kept on walking and dancing their way through the night. Lynch even put her shoes back on. So how did they do it?

“We put band-aides on my ankles…”Cortes explains. “Me and Avery went in the bathroom and she wrapped paper towels around her pinkie toe and I just took [my heels] completely off!”

Cortes credits her boyfriend with lending a shoulder to lean on as she staggered through the rest of the night. I guess chivalry is not quite dead yet.

I feel a tinge of guilt as I think back on the torment our ladies endured that night. Did they do it for themselves or was it just for us guys? “Both,” says Perlitz. “Every girl likes wearing heels cause it makes them feel pretty.”

“Heels make your legs look good,” says Cortes. “They make you feel sexy.’’ But is the sexy look of heels really worth suffering for?

For Lynch, the answer is “yes. ”I would definitely wear [those

shoes] again,” she says. “It’s worth the pain because they are pretty.”

Not convinced, I decided to find out for myself. I strutted around the halls of the Iota Complex for half an hour in a pair of beige, closed-toe, 3.5-inch George stilettos that my mother had kindly donated to my cause. I was as wobbly as a newborn giraffe, and my trouble earned me a cramped foot, some painful rubbed skin on the outsides of my toes and plenty of horrified glances from my dorm-mates’ visiting parents. I’m not quite sold on heels.

So, what of the fleet-footed freshmen girls who made it look easy in Ybor? I guess I just want to say thanks, ladies, for a wonderful evening and for being such troopers when your feet hurt so badly. photo by Alex Zielinski You were beautiful, all of you, but I’m glad I’m not a girl. Better y’all Senior Alex Roberts poses in high heels. than me.

“Bioshock Infinite’s” storyline has gamers floating atop clouds developers should have page perfected from BIOSHOCK, 13 what they had going on for them with “Bioshock,” especially in the gameplay mechanics.

The game play mechanics are the biggest flaws of the game, bringing in some new ideas that worked yet little from the original game. Although at first I didn’t see how much was wrong with the gameplay because I was having so much fun with it. The new mechanics using Elizabeth as a companion helping you along as you play and using the open world to their advantage with skyhooks. Like the original game, your main weapons are guns, and powers called Vigors, creating a combat that I found to be extremely fun and exciting.

Though there were few new mechanics that worked well, it’s still the biggest flaw of the game. The transformation from “Bioshock” to “Bioshock Infinite” should have felt more true to the series, which isn’t a dedicated stock shooter. From the original game, hacking, research, creation, and the unique weapon upgrades are taken from the game. This was a huge failure in the game, making “Bioshock Infinite” focused too much on the shooting in the game and less on the other aspects that made the original game legendary. To be a perfect game, they should have improved the mechanics from “Bioshock” and brought in new ones.

A common complaint for the

game has been the violence. It’s not excessive, but at times the switch from the beautiful scenery to the intense gore is disturbing and slows the game down. But I feel those transitions from talking to Elizabeth and enjoying the beautiful city to the bloodshed made the horror resonate with the player, contrasting the gorgeous atmosphere with the hatred that can come out of it.

I finished this game twice and am thinking about playing it for a third time, which I never do. This game has magnificent replay value, encouraging players to play through the story again because of the narrative, rather than the actual gameplay. The ending stayed with me in my head for several days and will

promotional photo

continue to be discussed for a long time.

Overall, this game was simply magnificent and lives up the original legend “Bioshock.” I suggest

taking your time while playing this game and enjoying the experience.

I highly recommend this game to anyone because of its magnificent atmosphere, narrative, and combat.

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the current

April 19, 2013

The quickie Springtopia Crossing

Crossword by: Rose Kraemer-Dahlin

For answers, visit www.theonlinecurrent.com

The Quickie

17

There’s always enough time for a quickie.

Across 1 Particle 5 ___Maria 8 ___feeling 11 Child’s helicopters 15 Supreme Court for gays 16 Cruel dog command 17 Organic compound suffix 18 -nemesis 19 Seaweed subsance 20 Km/h 21 Space Jam 22 Trickery 23 Time ___-ment 25 Sufjan’s double reeder 27 Mitchell’s___Atlas 28 Cookie’s fields 30 Movie “King” 32 Nasty taxation 36 Much___about nothin’ 38 Upstairs between dorms 43 One dradle 44 Excess cooks spoil this 46 Intro “For the People” 47 Breaking Info 48 Dine in the park 50 Antiquark and quark 51 Greek sandwich 52 Arsenic and Old 54 Girl Scout cookie 58 In NY Times Crossword 60 Echo down thru the___ 64 Conductor’s “All___!”

66 Principle, belief 67 Ldr Kirk 68 Caves in gardens 70 The dog___my h/w 71 Paper, meaning, “to try” 72 Students on call

74 Pirate’s drink 76 ___way to heaven 80 Loch___monster 82 To the limit 87 Subdue 88 Bro’s opposite 89 In possession of 91 Item for sale 92 Tupper 93 Said the Raven said 94 Soccer chant 95 School graduated from 96 Kids easily makes this 97 Commisions on campus 98 Get your feet___ 99 Myrtle might Down 1 Garden Tribute for___ 2 Animal house 3 It’s capital is a grape 4 EC Amnesty President 5 Inquirer (informal) 6 Big shot 7 Homeless outreach club 8 Winterbottom’s Summer 9 Ungird 10 Steeped “Hooker” drink 11 Wheel bolt 12 Charlie’s Angels, for one 13 Guardian of Liberty 14 Crocodile tears are 24 Brit time 26 EC speaker Grace___ 27 Google’s internet 29 Sarcastic activism 31 Snowy heads on campus 32 Fallacy straw___ 33Utah Native American 34 4/20’s opposite

35 You still need 14 37 Boil down 39 Young district 11 tribute 40 Dominos, Flamingo 41 Often a psychopath 42 Sea eagle 44 Former Prof Degroot was one 45 EC____Witness 49 Upcoming fair for future 51 Wedding band for leg 53 Mississippi time, for one 54 Swag 55 Reduced or rducd 56 Mini half of half ’n’half 57 Gluten-free grain 59 “Ode to Psyche” author 60 Relay sponsor abbr.

61 Car’s energy drink 62 Save the trees initiative 63 Sharing makeup could give you one 65 WB’s “What’s up, ___?”

69 QFM attendant 71 Backwards knees birdy 73 Forgot password? Do this 75 (Ruin) the apple cart 76 A Ponzi act 77 Car care with ___up 78 Graffiti as Visual ___ 79 Cleaner of Kappa Field 81 EC Drag ___ 83 Past swim 84 Master Chief ’s Domain 85 Writer Bombeck 86 Academic___Search 88 Benefit of Apt Complex 90 Tuesday’s “lager” tasting

Club Spotlight: Amnesty International

By Rose Kraemer-Dahlin Quickie Editor As you passed through Hough Quad last Wednesday you may have been caught off guard by a bright sight kneeling on a small stage. It was a person, clothed in an orange jumpsuit and masked from a black cloth draping over their face. Silent and unmoving, a statement was made through a sign they held, providing facts and figures on the United States’ detainment camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In case you didn’t already know, Guantanamo Bay is infamous for violating the human rights of its detainees through unfair trials, renditions, and torture, to name a few. Ever since the opening of the prison in 2002 Amnesty International, one of the largest organizations on human rights’ watch, has been protesting against the U.S.’s misuse of power with inhumane punishments and their hostagekeeping of innocent prisoners.

Eckerd’s chapter, with only seven members, is small in size but effective, nonetheless. The club has a strong voice, joined by millions of others from thousands of chapters all over the world.

One of their goals, as listed on their mission statement, is to “educate students on the impact a small group of people can have on other citizens of the world.” By holding a protest on campus, Eckerd’s Amnesty International Club is fulfill-

courtesy of Mara Shingleton A member silently protests the U.S. detainment camp Guantanamo bay.

ing the aforementioned goal, in this case raising awareness and demanding closure of Guantanamo Bay so its innocent prisoners can be set free.

With only a miniature stage, an orange jumpsuit, and a posterboard sign, this demonstration was both memorable and impressive, especially for what simple resources the club is provided with.

Through meticulous planning and creative thought, President Mara Shingleton of Eckerd’s Amnesty International chapter strategized ways in which she could

make the event both influential and economical. “We are on a limited budget and we wanted to find a way to make a big impact around those cost restraints,” says Shingleton, stressing to Eckerd the “importance of people understanding that they too can have a huge impact by applying political pressure.”

For all future events they will be practicing peaceful activism, open for any member of Eckerd’s community to participate in. The club encourages those interested to come and sit in on one of their

Club members gather in Hough Quad.

meetings to see if anything sparks their fancy. For more information on how to be involved, Eckerd’s chapter of Amnesty International meets 5 p.m. every Wednesday in Lindsey Hall 103.

courtesy of Mara Shingleton

Check out the EC Amnesty International Facebook page

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18 The Quickie

April 19, 2013

the current

courtesy of Dailyinfographic.com courtesy of Dailyinfographic.com

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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the current

April 19, 2013

Health & Fitness 19

Health & fitness Coconut oil rejuvenates inside and out

By Lizzy Brophy Asst. Health & Fitness Editor When most people think of coconuts, they think of piña coladas and tropical vacations. However, the value of coconut extends far beyond a good rum mixer and a pleasant sunscreen smell. Coconut oil, whether applied topically or ingested, offers numerous health and beauty benefits.

According to many health experts, the benefits of coconut oil manifest throughout the body. Although coconut oil contains saturated fat, the body treats them differently than saturated fats from animal sources.

Naturalnews.com explains coconut oil is comprised mainly of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), rather than the long chain fatty acids found in animal products.

The liver and gallbladder do not need to break down MCFAs, leading to an boost in metabolism rate and increased energy.

Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, which the body converts into monolaurin during the digestion process. This chemical boosts the immune system due to its high toxicity for bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

According to organicfacts.net, the oil actually contributes to lower cholesterol and blood

photo by Caroline Campbell Organic Coconut Oil.

pressure. For those watching their weight, coconut boosts metabolic activities and forms part of a healthy diet regimen. Other benefits include a stronger immune system and eased digestion. Coconut oil is also said to help the body absorb nutrients and vitamins.

Proponents of coconut oil suggest eating 1-3 tablespoons per day. When incorporating it into your diet, start with a small amount and gradually increase your intake over the course of several days.

Introducing too much coconut oil abruptly may cause your body to go into detox. Coco-

nut oil can be used in many ways. Substitute it for butter or vegetable oil when sauteing and baking. It can be added to smoothies for a richer, tropical taste.

In addition to health benefits, topical use of coconut oil can replace the use of many expensive and potentially chemical-laden beauty products.

Using a clean tissue, apply a small amount to remove eye and face makeup. When shaving, coconut oil can be used in place of potentially irritating shaving creams.

It can also be used as a face and body moisturizer, although it can stain pillows and clothing.For treatment of dandruff, coconut oil can be massaged onto the scalp and left on for a period of time before shampooing out. In addition, a small amount can be applied to hair to tame frizz or smooth unruly ends.

When purchasing coconut oil, it’s important to look for virgin unprocessed brands.

Purchasing the oil at health food stores can be expensive, but large tubs are sold on discount websites such as amazon.com for a much cheaper price.

Although it may take some getting used to, coconut oil may soon become an integral part of your diet and beauty regimen.

Ian’s Workout

Art Money RL Grime

Wildstyle Method Bassnectar

Body Count

Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross

Aimin’ at your Head Pretty Lights

Baptism

Crystal Castles

Too Young for the Future Griz

I Love You Lana Del Ray Kill Paris

Flexin‘ and Finessin’ Iggy Azalea ft. Juicy J

Bubblin‘ in the Cut Boreta

The Uprising Big Gigantic

MENU

From the iPod of Ian Lindsay

Ab conditioning workout

By Tiffany Flor Staff Writer

Modified from Fitness Magazine’s Top 10 Ab Exercises. Remember: while doing all of these poses, the key is to tighten your abs to reap the benefits of the burn.



3. Hundred Hold 4.

1.

Abdominal hold 2. Side Crunch • place hands on edge of box with • place your right palm and right • lie on your back with your upper fingers pointing out • tighten your abs and lift your butt off the platform • hold for 60 seconds

photos by Caroline McAndrew Workouts demonstrated by Tiffany Flor.

knee on the floor • start with your left toes touching the floor with leg and arm extended • slowly lift leg to hip height and bend your arm toward raised leg • crunch your side abs • lower to starting position • do two sets of 20 (one set includes both sides)

back/shoulders and legs lifted • pump arms vigorously for 100 count or 60 seconds • be sure to only pump your arms within a 6 inch range and tighten your abs with your • chin tucked to your chest

Opposite Arm and Leg:

Raise and Tuck • starting on all fours, knees under hips and hands under shoulders • extend opposite arm and opposite leg • tuck opposite elbow to opposite knee • return to extended position • do 20 on each side

5.

Plank • hold for 60 seconds



6.

Squat Twist 7. Leg Climb 8.

Ballet Twist 9. Single-Leg Crunch 10. Cobra • stand with your feet shoulder • lie on the floor with one leg bent • sit on the floor with legs extend- • lie on your back with your upper • lie face down with your hands on width apart • squat • while holding squatting position, twist to one side while engaging your obliques • stand up • squat and twist to the other side • do 20 total (10 on each side)

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and the other extended (thighs parallel to each other) • using your abs, raise your upper body toward your toe while reaching with your hands • (mimicking climbing up your leg by grabbing hold-take roughly 4 grabs before reaching your toes) • slowly “climb” back down • do two sets of 10 on each side

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ed and firmly pressed together • lean back on left elbow • reach with the right arm across your head mimicking a ballerina, hold for 2 seconds • touch your right hand back down to the mat on your left hip side, repeat • watch your hand as it moves while engaging your abs • do two sets of 10 on each side

back/shoulders and legs lifted • hold right hand behind your head and extend your left arm to the side • crunch in right knee and cross reach with left arm to touch the right knee • return to starting position without touching shoulders to the ground • do two sets of 10 on each side

the mat at chest height • lift your upper body using both your lower back and your hands • squeeze shoulder blades together and down, hold for 2 seconds • lower and repeat for a total of 10 holds

20 Health & Fitness

the current

April 19, 2013

Sex on the Beach

By Graham Smith Contributing Writer

Whether it be lovers tossing around in a sun-glazed bed, or strangers meeting for a night of passion, all sexual encounters need to have clear lines of consent.

This kind of idea resonates with some people, but often shocks others. “What do you mean? I’ve been with this guy for six months, why do we still need to talk about consent to do stuff together?”

Unfortunately, a relationship is not considered a contract for consent, nor should an initial sexual encounter serve as the guideline for future ones. Each sexual encounter is its own distinct scenario, and all partners

should be discussing what they find pleasurable.

In its worst scenarios, sexual encounters that have vague notions of consent, where partners are simply assuming what the other person wants, can be its own form of sexual assault.

Using the term “assault” invites incredibly dark connotations. There are times when one feels like the other partner crossed some kind of undisclosed boundary.

You might have some kind of hint that your fling had some rough tendencies, but you felt wronged and confused when she slapped you in the middle of intercourse.

Something about it felt cruel, and within an instant, your feelings of lust turned into disgust.

Or, this kind of assault can happen when a steamy kiss turns sour; the partner forcibly suggests the other to perform oral intercourse. It might be what the receiver wants, but the other partner might feel differently.

Especially in situations like this, there is a conflict of interest. Sex is meant to be pleasurable for all persons involved.

If one habit or quirk interests one partner and not the other, whose pleasure is considered?

Can there be compromise?

All signs point to yes. No one can claim authority to speak for all relationships, but there ought to be some fundamental understanding of every person’s need.

The best kind of sex is one that has open discourse, where all partners are considering each other and what they want.

For some reason, a lot of

App promotes healthy sleep

Stay safe in the sun

By Megan Coy Coordinator of Health Promotion Many Eckerd students find themselves spending a lot of time outside in the sun, in areas on campus like Kappa Field and South Beach, and great beaches just a short drive away.

According to the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II, 59 percent of Eckerd students reported using sunscreen regularly with sun exposure (Spring 2011).

Living in Florida greatly increases your exposure to the sun. Even when you walk to and from class, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun every day.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that you “Slip!

Slop! Slap! and Wrap!” to protect yourself from the sun:

By Ian Lindsay Entertainment Editor A college student’s schedule sometimes consists of study, party and repeat. Between all the education and fun we’re having, when do you squeeze in the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep per day?

Technology has found a way.

Maciek Drejak Labs has developed an iPhone app called Sleep Cycle alarm clock that helps users develop a healthier sleep cycle. Or at the very least understand their poor sleeping habits. For .99, iPhone owners can access a whole new world of reverie.

The application has both the function of an alarm clock and an accelerometer that maps your movement to record and graph a REM cycle. Every night a user places his phone, screen down, on the sheets.

The accelerometer takes note every time the sleeper moves, which is called hypnic jerks.

Movement indicates light sleep, while stillness is graphed as deep sleep. Users set their alarm to start buzzing at a specific time and the application will automatically begin alarming when a user is coming out of deep sleep.

As a person who loves hitting snooze this helps me cut back on how many times I hit it and roll back over. I used to do this for hours, and now it only takes one or two times before I feel revitalized enough to get up.

When you feel more refreshed, waking up becomes an easier process.

Also, when setting an alarm, users can make “sleep notes” like “ate late,” “stressful day” or “drank coffee.” This helps users of the application to un-

people are getting really caught up with “performance.” Remember, sex is supposed to feel good.

Why let it hold you back and make you feel bad about yourself? If you are trying to force passion, it will never work out.

One of the many first steps to doing so is to remember that sex is beautiful, a union not just of bodies, but of minds as well.

You chose the person or persons you are having sex with for some kind of reason. Make that clear.

But, also make clear that all parties should be having a good time and be relaxed. Many instances where sex slumps are the awkward advances to some penultimate stage of sex.

There is no need to rush to penetrative sex, and in no way is it the best kind of sex.

There are multitudes of healthy relationships in which there is no penetrative sex at all.

The key is to have fun: you are getting to explore your bodies.

Let it be magical and something worth remembering.

screenshot of sleep cycle app Chart of Ian’s sleep cycle during a nap.

derstand what habits help them get more efficient sleep. You can also program your own sleep notes depending on your lifestyle.

Another setting users can take advantage of is “wake up mood.” The app asks you how feel after waking up, and this is added to graphs.

Also under the settings is “sleep aid,” a setting where your phone will emit white noise while you’re falling asleep which can help soothe users who tend to toss and turn.

What makes the sleep cycle app really useful is the graphic function.

Every morning, users can review that night’s sleep with a graph of their REM cycle, a percentage of sleep efficiency, time spent in bed, sleep notes and their total number of time spent in bed.

There are also comparison graphs which compare sleep quality with users’ “sleep notes”

and outlines what behavior makes for a better night of sleep.

Another aspect of this application I really enjoy is the variety of alarm noises at a user’s disposal.

Alarms like “morning mist” and “enigma” are all very calming sounds to rise to.

And for those who need more dramatic alarm sounds, you can always choose an alarm from your own iTunes music.

I love sleeping. I definitely don’t get enough of it, but after using this application I notice myself getting into slightly more improved sleeping habits.

I can see that on nights when I drank coffee late at night to study, my sleep efficiency percentage was way lower than on a night where I worked out.

I recommend this application for any college student or anyone with a busy schedule who finds themselves waking up tired all the time.

• Slip on a shirt: It’s a good idea to wear long sleeves and pants or skirts for the most protection from the sun since most of your skin is covered. According to the ACS, a wet t-shirt provides less protection than a dry one, and darker t-shirts may provide more protection than lighter ones.

• Slop on sunscreen: When selecting sunscreen, look for one that is SPF 30 or higher. You also want to make sure that the sunscreen offers broad spectrum protection from both UVB and UVA rays.

Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every two hours.

• Slap on a hat: Hats with wide brims provide more protection for your face, neck and ears. If you wear a baseball cap, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your ears and neck.

• Wrap on sunglasses: Sunglasses do more than just protect our eyes— they also protect the sensitive skin around them. According to the ACS, research has show that your risk for some eye diseases can increase with long hours in the sun when your eyes aren’t protected.

Cait’s Cookin’:

Squash and zucchini fries

By Cait Duffy Director of Policy and Communications Papas fritas. Pommes frites. Freedom Fries. Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious. French fries are a staple of the American dining system, usually found as the go-to side dish for most restaurants boasting a menu worthy of whistling dandy.

Whether shoestring, waffle, curly or straight, fries are delicious. Often topped with anything from mozzarella cheese and gravy, to chunky beef chili and even milkshakes, there is no question that these perfect condiment carriers are deliciously appealing to the tongue.

Unfortunately, whether Idaho or sweet, potatoes aren’t incredibly friendly to waistlines or intestinal tracts. Along with all other starchy foods, potatoes are a banned food item for those following the guidelines to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, a nutritional regimen meant to alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease and even Autism.

Fortunately, for those following the diet and missing the ease of a starchy, filling side dish, there are dozens of options available.

Kabocha squash and zucchini have presented themselves as my two favorite replacements for french fries. I prepare both the same way, though each requires a different technique to slice it properly.

I’ve found that the kabocha works well to quell a sweet potato craving, while zucchini sits closer to its potato cousin in flavor.

Ingredients: 1 kabocha squash or 1 large zucchini Olive oil Lemon pepper Garlic powder Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 2. To slice the kabocha, carve out the top and bottom of the squash as if you were carving a pumpkin. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the emptied halves into 1/4 inch wide slices that should look as if you cut a cantaloupe. To prepare the zucchini, slice into 1/4 inch wide slices.

3. In a bowl, lightly coat the slices in olive oil.

4. Depending on size and taste preferences, season with 1 to 3 tablespoons of lemon pepper and 1/2 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder.

5. Place the seasoned slices on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil, evenly spacing them apart.

6. To bake the kabocha, cook for 30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through bake time. To bake the zucchini, place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.

7. Enjoy.

photo by Cait Duffy Kabocha squash fries with a chicken dinner.

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the current

April 19, 2013

Sports 21

Sports Women’s tennis celebrates senior day

By Sabrina Lolo Web Reporter

Men’s and women’s tennis concluded their seasons against nationally ranked Saint Leo University April 12.

The men’s squad fell to the Lions 6-0 and the women’s 5-0.

The matches ended early with a rain delay with the results decided through singles matches.

“They were a great team, but I thought we fought really hard and competed,” said Sophomore

Erika Fridrik. “We had a rough end to the season, with our number one and two out due to injuries. All in all, it was a tough loss and a hard fought game.”

The women’s team celebrated their Senior Day against Rollins April 9. Seniors Manon Ironside, Amanda Teets, Hanna Segal, and Christine Hammerschmidt were honored following their final home matches. “I remember my freshman year when Coach Erin told me the next four years would fly by and I didn’t believe her,” recalls

Hammerschmidt. “These last four years really did fly by and it’s been an amazing time in my life playing with a great group of girls.”

Teets and Ironside were both in the lineup for the singles/doubles lineup but Rollins, ranked 5th in the South Region, eventually clinched the win. Teets and Ironside also played in the No. 2 and No. 6 slots to compete against Rollins’ Elissa DeCampil and Ashley Rosenberg.

Unfortunately, Senior Day for the men’s team against the RoseHulman Institute of Technology

was cancelled as a result of bad weather. They finished their season with a 1-12 overall record and 0-6 in the Sunshine State Conference.

“I’m feeling very optimistic about the new players coming in and that we’ll have an opportunity to do better,” said sophomore Luke Burton.

They are now the No. 7 seed going into the SSC Championship quarterfinals next week against No. 2 seed Lynn University in Boca Raton on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. The women finished their season with a 2-11 overall record and a 0-8-conference record.

INSIDE SPORTS Winning Shots

22

Triton of All Trades

23

Rugby tournament

Back Cover

Defensive holes cause baseball to lose eleven of twelve

By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor

photo by Dominick Cuppetilli Senior Manon Ironside waits at the ready on Senior Day.

photo by Dominick Cuppetilli Senior Amanda Teets serves as Sophomore Taylor Bullock waits for the return.

Schurr’s walk offs provides a silver lining in rough times

By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor The Eckerd College softball team (18-31 overall, 4-17 in Sunshine State Conference play) couldn’t carry the momentum of an exciting, comeback victory over Webber International University into their series against Saint Leo University.

In the second game of a doubleheader against Webber International April 10, the Tritons entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 13-6. However, they were able to cut into the deficit on a two-run single by outfielder Kaycie Duncan and an RBI hit by third baseman Kristen Schurr. Eckerd held the Warriors scoreless in the top of the seventh, keeping the score 13-9 heading into the bottom of the last inning.

The inning started out slowly. After a

hit batter and consecutive fly outs, the Tritons were down to their final out still trailing by four runs. However, singles by infielder/outfielder Sabrina Lolo and shortstop Kara Oberer loaded the bases. Duncan then hit a bases-clearing double, making it a one-run game. Outfielder Brittany Mitchell then delivered the game-tying single, which set the stage for Schurr’s walk-off, two-run homer. It was Schurr’s second home run of the season and her second walk-off hit in a two-week span.

However, that exciting win didn’t give the Tritons enough momentum to overcome Saint Leo and their SSC-leading 14-4 record. The Lions scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning of game one, and eased their way to a 14-0 victory.

The second game was much closer. It was still a scoreless game until the bottom

of the fifth inning, when Saint Leo scored twice. Eckerd scored three runs on consecutive bases-loaded walks followed by a basesloaded hit batter, taking their first lead of the series. However, the Lions scored four runs of their own in their half of the sixth inning, making it a 6-3 game entering the seventh inning.

Eckerd managed to score twice in the seventh, but their rally fell just short and they lost 6-5.

The final game of the series was much like the first one. The Warriors scored early and often while shutting down the Tritons’ offense, coming away with a 9-0 victory and the sweep.

Eckerd softball will have their Senior Day April 20, when they host a non-conference doubleheader against Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Tritons will then finish off their season with a three-game series hosted at Barry University April 26-27.

SAAC gives back to local kids at Fun in the Sun day

By Mike Geibel Sports Editor

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recently held a Fun in the Sun Day on the turf of the soccer field. The sun was out and the weather stayed perfect for the entirety of the event. Live music and laughter floated through the air from the field. The event featured many fun activities including games, face painting, a dunk tank and much more. Kids from all over the local area were invited to attend the free event which was planned and run by members of the athletic department.

Athletes from each varsity sport participated in the activities and interacted with the kids.

Freshman Emily Schadow

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of the Eckerd volleyball team said, “Fun in the Sun Day is a great opportunity for the youth of St. Pete to spend some time sampling sports they love with their idols. It’s a day of free fun, food and sports for kids to get out and get active.”

Schadow went on to say that the event was rewarding.

“A lot of the kids don’t get the chance to do things like this around St. Pete,” she explained.

Along with the fun activities and giveaways like inflatable bounce houses and bracelets, the kids in attendance got to meet and play some of the sports with Eckerd collegiate athletes.

The event is put on every year by the athletic department and SAAC. Turnout was very good for the event held April 14.

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courtesy of Michelle Piantadosi Eckerd volleyball’s Ali McAlvany and Emily Schadow paint faces for local kids.

The Eckerd College baseball team (14-24 overall, 2-16 in Sunshine State Conference play) got swept in a three-game series against Saint Leo University April 12-13. The Tritons are currently riding a seasonhigh six-game losing streak and have lost 11 of their last 12 games.

Eckerd’s last win came April 7, when they won the first game of a doubleheader against Lynn University. They were losing 5-2 after four innings, but took a 6-5 lead after a four-run seventh inning. Eckerd then extended their lead to 8-5 in the eighth when freshman second baseman Adam Moreau hit a tworun homer, the first of his colligiate career, and hung on to win 9-8.

They dropped the second game of the doubleheader 8-3. Lynn belted three homers in the contest, including a grand slam by designated hitter Cory Elasik that capped a five-run second inning.

Eckerd then lost to Clearwater Christian College and Webber International University by 9-5 and 9-4 scores, respectively, leading into the Saint Leo series.

The first contest between the Tritons and the Lions was close early on. First baseman Chris Hanson hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a solo shot down the right field line, in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the Lion’s lead to 3-2. However, Saint Leo took an 8-2 lead after a five-run sixth inning and never looked back, eventually winning the game 11-3.

Eckerd was completely shut down in the first game of the doubleheader, losing 19-0. Five different Tritons made errors, which led to 12 of the 19 runs being unearned.

Eckerd’s offense got shut down by Saint Leo’s starter, Rick Teasley, who pitched seven shutout innings while scattering six hits. He struck out 12 batters while issuing just one walk.

Eckerd got off to a quick start in the final game of the series, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on consecutive RBI hits by outfielder Lincoln Dunham and third baseman Lee Spinelle. Meanwhile, freshman pitcher Kyle Harding, making the first start of his collegiate career, held Saint Leo scoreless through the first three innings.

However, Saint Leo got their bats going in the fourth inning and ran away with a convincing 13-2 victory.

The Tritons will look to turn things around and get back into the win column when they take on the University of Tampa in a three-game series April 19 and 20.

22 Sports

the current

April 19, 2013

UPCOMING

SPORTS April 19

Sports Briefly Eckerd Tennis falls in season ender In a combined mens and womens event against ranked St. Leo, Eckerd fell flat in the season finale. The match ended early due to the result already being definite before doubles play was to begin. The men’s team is set as the seventh seed for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament.

BASEBALL

6 p.m. @ University of Tampa

April 20

Women’s sailing strong in nationals hunt After receiving votes in the Sailing World College Rankings Women’s sailing competed in Connecticut last week. The team was competitive throughout in pursuit of the Emily wick Trophy but fell to fifth place after home team Yale won the meet. The team looks to build on this performance in hopes to qualify for SAISA National competition.

BASEBALL

Noon @ University of Tampa (DH)

SOFTBALL

2 p.m. v. Palm Beach Atlantic University (DH)

Men’s golf competing at SSC championship

April 23 BASEBALL

3 p.m. @ Warner Univer- sity

April 24

At press time, the men’s golf team is playing strong in the Sunshine State Conference Championship. Eckerd sits at sixth place as a team yet has received strong performances in the opening days. Freshman Jake solomon stormed on the opening day of competition climbing near the top of the leaderboard.

But the true top performer was Jeff Evanier, who steadily climbed to second place overall on the second day of the tournament. The team hopes to build on these performances.

National Yale wins first hockey title

In what was dubbed the Battle of Connecticut by NCAA hockey fans Yale defeated Quinnipiac 4-0 in the NCAA Men’s Hockey National Championship. Yale exacted sweet revenge for their season sweep at the hands of Quinnipiac earlier this season. The shocking victory for Yale was made more unexpected by the sloppy play of Quinnipiac’s goalie who let in two bad angle goals and a soft goal. This marks the first time a Connecticut school has won the NCAA Hockey Championship.

FA Cup final set

Riddell appealing concussion ruling

4/7 @ Lynn University (DH) W 9-8, L 8-3 (EC G1) Moreau 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs (EC G1) Vavasis 4-5, 2 runs (EC G2) MacMahon, 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI (EC G2) Vavasis 1-4, 2B, run

In Sunday’s FA Cup Semifinal at Wembley Stadium defending European champions Chelsea fell to Manchester City. Man City locked down their place thanks to Sergio Aguero’s 47th minute goal. Chelsea tried to pull back with a goal by Demba Ba in the 66th minute but the added strikers brought on in the closing 20 minutes could not find an equalizer falling 2-1. Manchester City will face Wigan Athletic in the Final on May 11.

A colorado jury found football helmet manufacturer Riddell negligent in a case involving a high school football player. Rhett Ridolfi suffered brain injuries during a football practice in 2008 due to concussions. The jury ruled that Riddell did not give proper warning about the dangers of potentially sustaining a concussion in use. Riddell has appealed the decision which if left to stand would cost the company $3.1 million.

6 p.m. @ Webber Inter- national University

April 26 7 p.m. v. Palm Beach Atlantic University Jupiter, Fla.

SOFTBALL

6 p.m. @ Barry University

April 27

courtesy of Dominick Cuppetilli Sophomore Erika Fridrik serves against Rollins College April 9.

Winning Shots

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

SOFTBALL

Noon @ Barry University (DH)

6:00 p.m. @ Saint Leo University

4/13 v. Saint Leo Uni. (DH) L 19-0, L 13-2 (EC G1) Abraham 2-4 (EC G1) Spinelle 1-4, 2B (EC G2) Dunham 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, run (EC G2) Spinelle 2-4, RBI

4/10 v. Webber International University (DH) L 15-5, W 15-13 (EC G1) Oberer 2-3, RBI, run (EC G1) Jeffares 1-3, 3B, RBI (EC G2) Schurr 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs, BB (EC G2) Oberer 4-5, 2B. RBI. 2 runs 4/12 @ Saint Leo University L 14-0 (EC) Oberer 1-1, BB (EC) Lolo 1-2 4/13 @ Saint Leo Uni. (DH) L 6-5, L 9-0 (EC G1) Oberer 2-4, 2 runs (EC G1) Mitchell 1-3, RBI, run, BB (EC G2) Oberer 1-2 (EC G2) Duncan 1-2

April 30 BASEBALL

4/12 v. Saint Leo University L 11-3 (EC) Hanson 1-3, HR, RBI (EC) O’Rourke 1-1, RBI

Softball

BASEBALL

1 p.m. v. Palm Beach Atlantic University Jupiter, Fla. (DH)

Baseball 4/6 @ Lynn University L 9-1 (EC) Bishop 3-3, 2B, BB, RBI (EC) Dunham 1-4, run

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

SCORE board vs.

SSC opponents in bold courtesy of Mike Geibel Stephen Frano carries the ball toward Tyler Cribbs in a rugby practice on Kappa Field.

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the current

Sports 23

April 19, 2013

Good vibes: your action sports source

By Dominick Cuppetilli Asst. Sports Editor

Learning a new sport with EC field hockey

By Mike Geibel Sports Editor My only experience with field hockey before coming to Eckerd was seeing it in movies and on TV. My high school didn’t have a team, neither did any of those near me. I assumed the game was for women only, which in a lot of cases is true, but not at Eckerd.

EC field hockey club is a co-ed student organization. The team practices twice a week on the soccer field and competes against other schools and club teams in the area.

I decided to try a sport I had never played before for this installment of Triton of All Trades. I had been in contact with sisters Colby and Julia Hause for a while about trying my hand at field hockey and I again reached out to the two to set up my time with the team.

I had planned to practice with the team on the evening of April 15, but I found out that their last practice of the year would be April 11. I looked at my phone to see that today was that day, and I had about ten minutes to get over to the field. I was wearing casual shoes and khaki shorts, not the best outfit for a sport but I had to get the story.

As soon as I arrived at the field I was greeted by Colby and Julia and the rest of the team. Julia introduced me to the volunteer coach, Shazad “Shaz” Ghani, and he started to teach me the basics while the team did their warmups.

I had played roller hockey and plenty of other sports that required hand-eye coordination but field hockey is a little different. The short length of the stick makes the normal hockey motions a bit more difficult. There is also a rule in field hockey that a player cannot use the back of the stick to play the ball, meaning handling the ball on the backhand was that much more difficult because every movement required a twisting of the stick.

After a few minutes learning how to maneuver the ball, I started to get a bit faster and some of my old hockey stick skills felt like they were coming back.

After the warmups, the team spread out and began to practice longer passes between each other. I jumped into one of the circles and was soon passing between several players. Shaz offered plenty of encouragment as well as tips for better passing and soon I felt confident in that basic skill as well.

Next on the agenda was a shooting drill.

Jackie Dolan (‘12) suited up in the goalie gear

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and took her position between the pipes. Field hockey goals are between regular hockey goals and soccer goals in size, and playing goalie is no easy task. The hard plastic field hockey ball comes off the stick incredibly fast and Dolan did a good job blocking most of them.

However, there were some good shooters on the team who did manage to score but unfortunately I could not emulate their success.

One thing I did well during the shooting drill was a centering pass. More often than not during the drill, my centering pass to the shooting player was put in a very good spot which allowed for an easy shot.

After a few minutes of shooting drills, we moved on to a scrimmage. I was instructed by Shaz to play forward. Field hockey moves at apretty fast pace. The only thing that slowed down our game was fouls like touching the ball with a foot or the occasional out of bounds play.

Besides these slight delays, we ran up and down the field trading possessions. I had a few chances to make breakaways but my handling skills were not quite good enough to keep control of the little orange ball.

Field hockey is surpisingly tough to play for long amounts of time.I’m not the most conditioned rugby player at Eckerd, but I certainly have experience running and being active in the heat. Still, after a few minutes of tough hockey, I had worked up a pretty good sweat. The long breakaway plays and running down the sideline looking for a chance to pass or score were a good workout.

All in all, I enjoyed my first experience playing field hockey was enjoyable. Shaz and the rest of the players taught me a good deal about the sport. Shaz also explained that his goal at Eckerd is to raise awareness in the area for field hockey. The sport is mainly played in the northern states but Shaz and the rest of the club hope to change that in future years.

The field hockey club plays friendly matches and tournaments all around the area and has built excellent relationships with clubs who have taught them a lot about the sport. Shaz has been involved with field hockey for many years and has had the opportunity to share the field with members of the U.S. national team.

The field hockey team played in their final tournament of the year April 14 in Tampa.

Practices will resume in the fall when students return to campus. All students are encouraged to attend practices and learn the game. EC Field Hockey participates in co-ed tournaments and games and caters to all skill levels.

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Two never-before champions each took first in their respective contests while surfing in Papara, Tahiti, April 12. William Aliotti won the Tahiti Nui Pro Junior men’s contest and Stephanie Single won the Vahine Pro Junior women’s contest. Each contest is part of the ASP Pro Junior circuit.

According to aspworldtour.com, the final of the Tahiti Nui came down to Aliotti of France and Enrique Ariitu, who is native to the area. Both competitors counted on every wave to send them to success, but it was Aliotti that came out on top. Mitch Parkinson of Australia finished with third.

Aliotti mentioned that he is coming off a slum season last year, and hopes this win will catapult him into the running for this year. Despite the loss here, Ariitu found himself in the No. 3 ASP Pro Junior ranking at the end of the day.

The Vahine Pro Junior contest held two surfers from Australia in the final heat. EllieJean Coffey had just come off a win in a previous contest, but would fall to Single here in Tahiti.

Coffey told ASP, “I’m disappointed with second, but it happens. I’m in Tahiti and I love it here so I shouldn’t let it get me down.” Single was as thrilled and more, with her first ASP win under her belt.

In skateboarding news, Transworld Skateboarding put out their 25th installation of “Perpetual Motion.” The series began in 1996 and is a collection of now 25 full length skate videos.

“Perpetual Motion” is just that: nonstop

skateboarding action. The film features Walker Ryan, Jimmy Carlin, Tom Remillard, Josh Matthews, Silas Baxter-Neal, and Julian Davidson. It’s available for download on iTunes and around the web. It’s worth checking out.

Cliché skateboarding also put out a video called Bon Voyage that premiered on April 13 according to clicheskate.com.

The premier was also a celebration of adding Flo Mirtain to the Cliché pro team, who had his first video part in that video.

The first World Wakeboard Association event of the year occurred at the Lake Down Campgrounds in Windermere, Fla., the first weekend in April. The event is part of the Festival Among The Lakes put on by the Windermere Rotary Club.

The event is mainly for charity and results do not have any real swing in the WWA standings, but the top two competitors of the weekend were recognized. Tony Carroll started the season with a first place and Phil Soven ended up in second with his first WWA event with CTRL boards.

Also just in time for wakeboard season, Wake Island Watersports, California’s first full size cable park, is now open for business.

Wake Island brings cable park to the West Coast for the first time on their 80-acre park devoted to wakeboarding and wakeskating.

Although the park if first and foremost about wakeboarding, a range of other fun activities can be had on the park including paddle boarding, beach-going, and dining. California has been long in need of such an establishment, and the wakeboard world is stoked to see it finally happening.

promotional photo courtesy of wakeislandwatersports.com

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the current

April 19, 2013

Sports

photo by Dominick Cuppetilli Sophomore Liam Murphy of the Eckerd Rising Stars team turns the corner on a long run against FAU.

Eckerd hosts rugby tournament

Tampa Krewe wins second annual Beachside Sevens Invitational

By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor

T

he Second Annual Beachside Sevens Invitational rugby tournament April 13 featured the Eckerd men’s rugby team taking on challengers from around the state. Last year, the Eckerd senior team won the tournament with superior defensive play and unrivaled speed on offense.

This year, things ended much differently.

Sevens rugby is traditional rugby in a truncated form. Instead of a broad 80-minute game of endurance, the match is shortened to two seven-minute halves and a brief intermission. Sevens also reduces the number of players per side from 15 to seven and the number of reserve players on the bench from eight to five. The tournament was well attended by the Eckerd community as the sidelines were full of eager fans ready to watch their Tritons against all comers. The sun beat down on the pitch making it feel far warmer than the forecasted 85 degrees as the games began.

Because of the team’s size, Eckerd split into two teams. One squad showcased an older side, many of whom are graduating in May. The second team was a younger side all of whom will be returning for at least next season. Also in the tournament were college teams from USF and FAU as well as men’s

club teams of the Sarasota Saracens, Tampa Krewe and the St. Petersburg Pelicans.

In their first match against Sarasota, the Eckerd “Rising Stars” conceded two tries on the opening two possessions of the game. The team, while speedy, was grossly undersized against Sarasota. The Saracens held the lead until a pair of Eckerd tries were scored by Garrett Dunne and Taylor Harned and conversions were made by Sean Fitzpatrick making it a one score game. Sarasota managed to hold off the young team’s surge and extended their lead witha try in the final minute, dealing the Eckerd Rising Stars their first loss.

Eckerd’s senior team opened play against Tampa Krewe, a men’s club team who won the Division II national championship in 2010 and were runners-up in 2011 in 15s rugby.

The game was very close partially because of a yellow card issued to Eckerd’s Gabe MoeLobeda. The card for “dumping,” what is essentially a dangerous tackle in which the ballcarrier is lifted off his feet and driven into the ground, sent Moe-Lobeda off for two minutes resulting in a quick try by Krewe. Moe-Lobeda made up for his penalty by carrying the team down the field in the second half to score two tries. One of the conversions was missed

by Eckerd resulting in a two point deficit that was the Tritons downfall. They lost 14-12 in

the closest Eckerd game of the tournament.

The day would proceed to get worse for Eckerd as the younger team was beaten 19-0 by the Pelicans, and 24-5 by Florida Atlantic University. This team was meant to get some of the younger players more experience to replace the departing seniors. While the results were not in the young Tritons’ favor, it was a valuable learning experience for all those involved. During the tournament, each memeber of the Eckerd teams was able to get playing time in the interesting game of sevens rugby.

The senior team played one final game against USF and once again Eckerd fell behind early. But just as in the previous game against Krewe, Moe-Lobeda came to the rescue scoring a try to force a conversion.

In an eerily similar situation to their first game, the conversion went wide leaving Eckerd down by two going into half. The Tritons took the lead on a try by Nigel Hammond and this time the conversion was made. But it was not to be, as USF ran back a try at the end of the game to seal a 14-12 victory and ousting the senior team in the group stage.

The tournament was eventually won by Tampa Krewe, who defeated USF in the final by a score of 27-14.

From a host standpoint, the Beachside Sevens Invitational was more successful than

last year. This year’s tournament included two more teams than last year. The hard work of the Eckerd men’s rugby players including the incredible contributions of Mitch Mosser, Langdon Evans and Kevin Mack helped this year’s day of rugby a great event.

Men’s rugby coach David Hedges was able to secure sponsorship from Rhino Rugby, a prominent rugby supplier around the world.

Rhino Rugby donated a game ball to each participating team to take back to their clubs and gave Tampa Krewe a brand new tackling suit for their winning effort in the tournament.

The Eckerd teams fought hard in the tournament despite the outcome. However, neither Eckerd team could live up to last year’s winning effort. Sevens is a complicated game that can change in an instant and April 13 proved to not be Eckerd’s day on the pitch.

Both teams may have been beaten in the group stage but Eckerd rugby will return to the pitch for their “Blatz Bowl” fan appreciation game 1 p.m., April 27. The Blatz Bowl will feature the men’s team dressed up in costume for a fun intrasquad game of rugby. The theme for the day is thrift shop cocktail dresses versus the animal kingdom. The Blatz Bowl event will be held in the afternoon before Bulls--- Ballet and will include music, food and giveaways.

photo by Dominick Cuppetilli photo by Dominick Cuppetilli Senior Gabe Moe-Lobeda fends off a USF player. Moe-Lobeda scored twice in the game.

Sophomore Isaac Anderson gives a thumbs up as the Triton men watch the rest of the tournament between their games.

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