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Vol. 5, Issue 2—Sept. 27, 2013
Affordable Care?
photo illustration by Alex Zielinski
Students count dollars for health care.
ACA increases insurance cost, coverage Students’ questions addressed by insurance broker, health services By Carolyn Moritz Asst. News Editor Returning students were in for a surprise at this year’s fall semester check-in. Accustomed to a $155 annual insurance fee in past years, students began to ask questions about the new $1,352 price tag for student health coverage. Returning students were in for a surprise at this year’s fall semester check-in. Accustomed to a $155 annual insurance fee in past years, students began to ask questions about the new $1,352 price tag for student health coverage.
Working with insurance brokerage firm Wallace Welch and Willingham, Eckerd found an insurance policy compatible with new legislation passed by President Barack Obama’s administration. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often shortened to Affordable Care Act, PPACA or ACA), passed in 2010, raising the insurance standards for institutions of higher learning such as Eckerd College. Eckerd came to the brokerage firm with its benefit requirements, many mandated by the ACA, and some
specifically requested by the college. Insurance Broker Rob Haddad represented Eckerd in the market of approved health care providers to find the best financial deal that would meet those needs. Under Eckerd’s old insurance plan, students qualified for a maximum annual coverage of $10,000. The current plan, in keeping with the ACA’s requirement that institutions of higher learning cover “essential benefits,” insures students for an annual maximum of $500,000. Beginning with the next renewal Aug. 1, 2014, Haddad said, Eckerd students and employees
will not have any maximum at all. Senior Maiko Kikuchi is an international degree student covered under the new plan. “The insurance of Eckerd College is very cheap compared to Japan’s insurance,” Kikuchi said. The new maximum in terms of injury has significant coverage. A student requiring surgery could easily have surpassed the previous $10,000 maximum in the first semester and become ineligible for treatment for the remainder of the academic year. “So, now you can sprain your See HEALTH, page 7
LSDP unveils new reusable Eco-Cup initiative in caf
By Katherine Fox Contributing Writer
As many have noticed, there is a new addition to the services offered in the caf: Eco-Cups. These green plastic, reusable cups made their debut at LateNight Breakfast during autumn term, but their origin is a much deeper story. LSDP is a Winter Term course offered to freshmen which stands for Leadership and Self Discovery Program offering students an
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opportunity to get to know themselves and their leadership skills better. One of last year’s Freshman Leadership and Self Discovery Practicum (LSDP) sections noticed a problem with the blue plastic tumblers and small plastic cups (that today are no longer in use). The small disposable cups were bought by the tens of thousands, enabling students to use them at their will. “They threw them away, and there was just more plastic everywhere,” Sophomore Cameron Davis said. The blue plastic tumblers also had a habit of being stolen, and at high cost of replacement.
VIEWPOINTS 9-12
According to Eckerd’s Bon Appétit Director Scott Meyers “The blue Tumblers in the cafe are 1.49 each.” The LSDP group saw this as an opportunity for environmental justice to be served. They came up with the design for Eco-Cups to accompany the already popular Eco-Clamshells. The Eco-Cups are insulated for hot beverages, lidded and green to show their dedication to environmental friendliness. According to Director of Catering Kathy Mills, the Eco-Cups are more expensive than the tumblers. See ECO-CUPS, page 3
Winter term brings new perspectives By Rose Kraemer Asst. News Editor Come December, some students will be ready for a change of scenery. A couple of weeks off-campus before campus’ winter term hits will not suffice for the needs of many students’ travel bug. In this case, January means packing up a suitcase and hopping on a plane with a final destination other than St. Petersburg. Students will instead travel abroad for a three-week course in another country with an Eckerd professor and a handful of maps. Because a few destinations will be offered again in this winter term’s passport, students of the 2013 itinerary reflect on their experiences, some with advice for those traveling this upcoming term. Alumnus Chris Giordano, ‘13, traveled to Ecuador for a winter term trip senior year. Although many classes were held formally in a school, the topics at hand were often best illustrated within the villages and landscapes of Ecuador, taking the students and their professor outside. “The trip was an amazing experience that allowed me to enrich my understanding of Latin America,” Giordano said. See Winter Term, page 4
VIEWPOINTS Living at Kappa More than parties, strong community defines life at Kappa.
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ENTERTAINMENT Pop divas change image The evolution of leading ladies in pop.
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THE QUICKIE Club Spotlight Chirp Factory aims to increase school spirit and create unity. page 17
HEALTH & FITNESS Pepper nutrition. Find out how peppers are not only delicious but good for you too. page 19
SPORTS Soccer coverage Results from the most recent men’s and women’s soccer games.
ENTERTAINMENT 13-16 THE QUICKIE 17-18 HEALTH & FITNESS 19-20 SPORTS 21-24
page 24 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
Sept. 27, 2013
LET’S BE BRIEF By Taylor Glaws and Carolyn Moritz Asst. News Editors
Global
National
BBC
NBC
Russia to move forward with Syrian chemical disarmament
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with Russian TV’s First Channel regarding the removal of chemical weapons from Syria. After the United States and Russia made arrangements to remove the stockpile by 2014, military observers from Russia and potentially Turkey and other regional nations are being considered to oversee the mission. Lavrov cited dissatisfaction with Britain, France and the U.S. for refusing to move forward unless Russia backs a resolution in the United Nations supporting military action against the Bashar al-Assad administration.
Sentenced Italian prime minister to run for European Parliament EuroActiv
After an Aug. 1 jail sentence threatened the parliamentary seat of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the controversial politician is entertaining the possibility of representing another European Union country under different laws. If Berlusconi runs for European Parliament in Estonia, he will not be subject to the Italian law “Legge Severino” which does not allow citizens sentenced to over two years in jail to participate in elections. Berlusconi would rely on an influential connection in Estonia to assert his influence in the Baltic state and secure his election.
French police seize cocaine from transnational flight, truck Journal du Dimanche
French authorities found an Air France flight from Caracas was transporting 1.3 tons of cocaine Sept. 11, as well as 881 pounds by a truck headed toward Luxembourg. French police discovered the illegal goods on 31 suitcases that had been checked in under the names of absent passengers. The seizure is the result of an ongoing multinational investigation between France, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands.
Local North Florida man plays “Blurred Lines” while beating young girl Orlando Sentinel
A Pensacola man was arrested Sept. 15 after he sent his then girlfriend a video of himself beating a girl in his care with a switch while pop singer Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” played in the background. Steven Fillingim was charged with “child abuse without bodily harm” and “cruelty toward a child” after he beat the girl for 40 minutes. When authorities recieved the video Fillingim faced additional charges for multiple instances of child abuse and “cruelty toward a child” beginning Sept. 5 and ending with the “Blurred Lines” beating and recording. He has been released from county jail and faces trial Oct. 4.
Attempted robbery ends in first-degree murder conviction Tampa Bay Times
Jennifer Mee was convicted for first-degree murder in Largo on Sept. 20 2013. The St. Petersburg resident was initially known to the community as “Hiccup Girl” seven years ago as a result of a prolonged case of the hiccups that earned her interviews on talk shows. Mee and two accomplices were put on trial back in 2010 for the murder of Shannon Griffin. In a court hearing on Friday, Sept. 19 the conclusion was based on Mee’s own recorded admission that she “set everything up.” According to authorities, Mee and roommates Laron Raiford and Lamont Newton planned to rob Griffin. Mee, who had not fired the shots herself, was found guilty of murder under Florida law for arranging a robbery that resulted in murder. She is facing life in prison without possibility of parole.
Daytona suburb to be filmed in part of Disney’s “Tomorrowland” The Daytona Beach News Journal
New Smyrna Beach near Daytona has been selected for a potential shooting in Disney’s upcoming film “Tomorrowland.” An eye-catching building on 426 Canal Street captured the attention of production officials. They have requested that the city postpone its Christmas decorations for the mid-November shooting, and a pending bid to temporarily close state road U.S. 1 is awaiting approval from the Florida Department of Transportation. Dick Rosedale, responsible for building the two-story building, thinks the interest of Disney producers is positive news for New Smyrna Beach, calling it “kind of neat.”
Domestic fight gives way to exorcism
Obama consoles families of Navy Yard shooting victims
President Barack Obama spoke Sunday Sept 22 at a memorial service for the 12 victims of Monday’s Navy Yard massacre. The shooting, the latest in a long list of similar tragedies that have occurred during Obama’s presidency, was carried out by former Navy reservist Aaron Alexis. In his remarks, Obama noted the disturbing regularity with which he assumes the role of ‘consoler in chief.’ “I fear there’s a creeping resignation that this is somehow the new normal,” Obama said. “It ought to obsess us, it ought to lead to some sort of transformation.”
House Republicans counter health care bill Chicago Tribune
The House of Representatives voted Sept. 20 to attach a provision to this year’s budget that would defund the Affordable Care Act. This latest vote, divided nearly exactly by party lines, was the 42nd attempt by House Republicans to defund or strike down Obamacare. These measures have been widely criticized by Democrats, but also by many prominent Republicans. New York Republican Representative Peter King said that his colleagues in the House were “carrying out a fraud with the people by somehow implying or even saying that this strategy is going to win.” While the bill could lead to a government shutdown, it must survive the Democratic Senate and presidential veto before it can go into effect. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “the Senate will not pass any bill that defunds or delays Obamacare.”
Transgender teen named homecoming queen AP
Cassidy Lynn Campbell, 16, became her high school’s first transgender homecoming queen Friday Sept 20th. Campbell, who lived as Lance Campbell for the first 13 years of her life, wept openly as she commented to reporters about her victory. “I wasn’t doing this for me,” Campbell said. “I was doing this for so many others, so many others around the nation.” While the student body at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif, has been largely supportive, Campbell said in a youtube video that she has felt some backlash. “They think that I’m just a boy doing this for fun, and I’m just a boy dressing up as a girl and trying to win a crown when that is completely the opposite of what it is,” she said.
NSA review panel not so independent AP
The panel appointed by President Obama to review the NSA’s data collection methods may not be independent enough to conduct its duties honestly, according to some critics. The group, which was described by Obama as being composed of “independent experts,” consists of five members, four of whom have worked for Democratic administrations. One of them, Michael Morell, was the Deputy Director of the CIA and also served briefly as Acting Director during the David Petraeus sex scandal. “No one can look at this group and say it’s completely independent,” Director of the Open Technology Institute, Sascha Meinrath said. The panel will release a report of its findings Dec. 15.
Campus Hip-hop critic Byron Hurt to speak at Eckerd Writer, activist and documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt is set to speak at a CPS event entitled “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Oct. 9. The talk will focus around issues of race, sexism, homophobia and negative cultural representations that permeate hip-hop, popular culture and our society as a whole. Hurt’s film, which bears the same name as the CPS event, premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Assistant Professor of Communication Grace Lager has used the documentary in her “Communicating Masculinity” class, saying the material is very relevant to the Eckerd community. “Music often goes across class, race and gender boundaries,” she said. “I also think that what is really unique about Byron Hurt is that he comes at this as a fan of hip-hop, not just as a scholar that is critiquing it.” “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. in Miller Auditorium.
Tampa Bay Times
David Benes was arrested Sept. 17 on three charges after attempting to perform an exorcism on his girlfriend at their home in Holiday. His efforts to “get the devil out of her” resulted in a fight that began on Sept. 16 and continued intermittently throughout the next day until an unmentioned party contacted the police. His 80-year-old girlfriend was crying outside of her home when authorities found her with a drunken Benes inside. After reports of removing telephone batteries and taking her car keys, Benes was charged with domestic battery on a person 65 or older, false imprisonment and tampering with a witness.
Miami Beach looks to the Dutch for underwater city planning Miami Herald
Miami Beach officials are planning to meet with experts from the Netherlands for advice on living below sea level. A recent Rolling Stone publication predicted that the man-made island will be completely underwater in a few decades. In response to similar environmental predictions, city authorities are looking to the future to reform the city’s present flood-prevention infrastructure. The Netherlands is also looking at considerable expenses to reform their own flood control, and the taxpayers of Miami Beach could be looking at figures up to $10 billion for a sustainable long-term plan to ensure the safety (and profitability) of a tourist town below sea level.
Thurday Night Pub Series to start Oct. 3 Palmetto Productions
Palmetto Productions and Campus Activities will soon kick off the Thursday Night Pub Series. The Triton Pub will host Team Trivia Night at 8 pm where groups of no more than six compete in a battle of wits. Prizes and Flex Bucks will be awarded to the winning team. Trivia Night will continue on the first Thursday of every month up until the championships in April where top teams will compete for a grand prize. The series will also have “Just Dance” on the second Thursday of each month, open mic on the third Thursday of each month and a featured musical artist on the fourth Thursday of each month.
Winter Term applications due www.eckerd.edu
Applications for off-campus Winter Term destinations are due Oct. 4 to the International Education Office. Students should also be sure they have paid the $500 non-refundable deposit to the cashier and brought the receipt to the International Education Office by the same time.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
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News New director promotes service By Sarah Raney Contributing Writer
Newly-appointed Director of Service Learning Dr. Ronald Porter believes higher education is in the midst of a dramatic shift. The ’05 alumnus is enthusiastic about empowering the Eckerd community to embrace them and flourish with new programs in his department. New features include the innovator program, which Porter explains will allow students to customize service and education programming to a particular area of service that they are interested in. “I ended up in service learning because I believe we’re in the midst of an educational paradigm shift that is on the level of Gutenberg and the printing press,” he said, referring to the internet. “Right now we’re in that area because we have something called the internet which creates what I think is the global consciousness network,” he said. “It gives people access to forms of knowledge they wouldn’t have had even just 25 or 30 years ago.” However, it isn’t just the way information is conveyed but also what is being emphasized that is changing. Porter believes to truly
major, but Sept. 11 happened... excel and help your commuright after Autumn Term for nity, you have to properly take me, so a lot of us got pulled care of yourself. into politics,” he said. “...Educational practices Although he developed in the past have not really a passion for education and focused on issues of health, working with people, he never wellness and life balance,” he had any intent in formal public said. “It has really been about policy. His area of interest was this regimented form of sucmore about examining educacess that I think has gotten tion with a broad scope and worse in the past few years understanding what historical with this whole emphasis on factors, like colonialism, had test taking.” shaped the current system. Along with a shift in tech“At Berkeley and before nology, the Maryland native that, I was trained in the trasays, there has been a shift ditions of examining issues of in thought between the past colonialism and modernity and and current generation about examining issues of racism and careers. sexism and all these different “For older people, when -isms that work to marginalize they went into careers, the and destroy different ways of idea was that you were going living,” he said. to go into one career for the Central to this is underrest of your life and be fantasstanding how social and cultic then retire,” he said. “For tural movements cause and inus, I don’t think we like to spire people to live in different be boxed in and it has been ways. shown that we will go into In that spirit, Porter wants multiple careers in our life.” photo by Aaron Levy the service that his department This belief is helping Director of Service Learning Dr. Ronald Porter leads to foster relationships of to shape the new serviceempowerment, not just depenlearning curriculum. Porter, litical Science at Eckerd, said it was who earned his PhD in Social and a major tragedy that made him shift dency and codependency, between those who go out and provide serCultural Studies in Education from his focus into social issues. U.C. Berkeley after majoring in Po“I started as a marine science vice and those who receive it.
Coral reefs need restoration By Sarah Raney Contributing Writer A barren wasteland with no sign of life, a once diverse ecosystem extinct. This could be the fate of our coral reefs by 2100, according to a study quoted in Time magazine. However, the future is not without hope. The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) has recently received a $200,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of a three year $700,000 grant for coral reef restoration in the Florida Keys. By planting nursery-grown corals, CRF hopes to bring the reefs of the keys out of their drastic decline before it is too late. According to their website, CRF aids in the restoration of “critically endangered coral reefs on a local, national and international scale.” Their goal is to not only restore coral reefs, but also to encourage the general public to get involved with this devastating environmental issue. CRF is a nonprofit organization, so they rely on donations and volunteers that come to visit. According to Junior David Steren, who interned with them in Key Largo this past summer, they are always in need of volunteers. “They’re a great organization and can use as many great people as they can get,” Steren said. Steren witnessed first-hand the process of restoring coral reefs in the Keys. CRF maintains offshore nurseries where they grow the coral on PVC pipe trees with “one long PVC pipe trunk with perpendicular fiberglass rods going through it like branches,” Steren said.
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INSIDE NEWS Drunk on Science
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ECOS Senators
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Pub procedures change
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Senior Eden Shlomi met Porter at Club Fair. “He seems really enthusiastic about working with Eckerd which is exciting on my part,” she said. “I like that he is really interested in controversial topics and willing to engage with them because that is what this campus needs. Someone who is willing to go beyond the boundaries.” Porter is excited about a new wellness component this year. “I think people involved in service industries really suffer from burnout and compassion fatigue after a while, and we also live in a society that doesn’t effectively teach you how to take care of yourself,” he said. Accordingly, the Office of Service Learning will start to offer yoga classes, massages during finals week and potentially meditation classes. Along with health and wellness, another factor of the holistic approach to service is understanding that service does not stop when your project is over or you walk out of the office. “The practices we do in the office of service learning are just a See WELLNESS, page 6
Reminder: Writing Portfolios are due Oct. 4 before 4 p.m.
photo by Lexi Duscher Coral in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
“We hang a piece of coral from the top, and over time they will grow on their own,” Steren said. Coral reproduce even when they are fragmented, enabling a new coral to grow from just a small piece. “Once they are about the size of a basketball, we cut them down, bundle them together, and take them to a reef that has had significant degradation,” he said, “We essentially kind of cement the coral to the substrate or rock.” Although CRF has had success with restoring coral reefs through their national and international facilities, there are many challenges that coral reefs face today. According to Dr. Nancy Smith, an Eckerd Professor specializing in marine invertebrates, “coral grows very slowly, usually only a few centimeters a year. They grow slowly, yet they degrade very quickly.” Climate change has greatly impacted coral reefs. The rising water temperatures allow disease to run rampant and lead to coral bleaching. Bleaching occurs when coral expel
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the symbiotic algae that live inside them. According to Dr. Smith, “the coral depend on the symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, for growth and calcification.” Coral already grows slowly without the added stress of surviving without their algae. The loss of this symbiotic relationship is one of many causes of recent enhanced coral degradation. “All of these causes are kind of working at the same time too,” Dr. Smith said. Coral reefs are important, not just as a diverse ecosystem, but also in regards to coastal management. Assistant professor of Environmental Studies Dr. Paul Hindsley focuses on coastal management. “Part of coastal management is understanding the balance between society and the environment. We know that coral reefs are highly productive and important to local economies,” Hindsley said. “A management concern is how do we conserve them and meet the needs of the population.”
Information is available in the Foundations Office, the Writing Center (Seibert 105) or online.
Cups dedicated to Price Eco-Cups from page 1
“We ordered the Eco-Cups from US imprints, and they were $1.80 a cup,” she said. Though they are higher prices, the difference in cost is made up in the multitude of uses and that they can be taken to and from the cafeteria, Mills said. The cups work much like the clam-shells, with one basket to put dirty cups in and a basket to take a clean cup out of. The baskets sit directly to the left once one enters Café Bon Appétit. The Eco-Cups are in place not only to be conscious of the environment, but also to cut down on theft of cafeteria cups. In the future, the group plans on creating
utensils and other accoutrements to have a fully eco-friendly, reusable dining-ware system for people to take food out of the Cafeteria with. The cups are dedicated to Freshman Rachel Price, who died in a car accident in February. Price was a member of the LSDP group that came up with the plan. Thus, the group collectively decided to dedicate the cups in her memory. “She was a very important member and a very good friend of ours,” Davis said. “We had definitely bonded over the month of LSDP. When she died, it was devastating. It’s not just our LSDP group, a bunch of people were affected by it. We decided that it would be a strong way to remember her.”
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
photo by Maddy Anderson In Sangklaburi, Thailand a temple is submerged for a few months out of the year. From Winter Term, page 1
“We traveled to open air markets, local arsenal villages, part of the Inca trail and a national park.” Giordano said he was best able to experience and enjoy the different culture after class, hopping on a bus to visit the smaller villages nearby. “My recommendation to travelers this year is don’t squander your afternoons,” he said. “Class ends at [noon], so after lunch go out and explore Cuenca.” Junior Greg Johnson, traveled a different direction, heading across the pond to Eckerd’s Study Centre in the heart of London. “This was a great opportunity to experience what many people call the cultural capital of the English-speaking world,” he said. His experiences, however, didn’t all happen within the city’s limits. “London is also the perfect base if you want to make small excursions around both the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe,” he said. “I went on a weekend trip to Budapest as well as Paris.” In a class trip to Cambridge, Johnson said students were able to explore the city and see the Broadway musicals “War Horse” and “Singin’ in the Rain.” Down in the lower hemisphere, Senior Rachel Feinberg immersed herself in a country with a habitat unlike any she had imagined. “South Africa was a life-changing experience...to see a world
outside the one I know, to see animals living outside the context of humanity, to see mysteries of nature uninhibited all transformed my perspective,” she said. The appeal of these Winter Term destinations speak for themselves. There is one element to them that serves as a time efficient opportunity to some. Often times students are unable to spend a year or even a semester abroad, usually because it slows the progress of their majors or their certain career track. With the curtailed duration of winter term, however, students are still able to study abroad with their peers and not miss an entire semester. Senior Maddy Anderson is one to experience these hindrances, but was lucky to squeeze in a trip to southeast Asia last winter. “Looking back, my experiences in Thailand and Cambodia are some of my best memories,” Anderson said. “I think that the opportunities to study abroad over Winter Term are an invaluable benefit of being a student at Eckerd College. Every student should take advantage of these life changing trips.” Benefits of these trips include enhancing a language proficiency, experiencing personal development, thinking in a different environment and seeing the world through entirely different lenses. “Since going to South Africa, the way I see the world around me has never been the same,” Feinberg said. Giordano felt similarly. “It will be something that I’ll never forget.”
courtesy of Maddy Anderson Students take a group photo at the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
courtesy of Greg Johnson Junior Greg Johnson takes in the fresh air at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. Students are encouraged to travel outside the city on their weekends.
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Contributing Writer
Here we are within the first few weeks of fall semester with blood, sweat and tears. Maybe there is not any blood, but it’s not just me, I see the pain in the faces of students every day. I find myself having that horrible aching in my brain after a few minutes into reading Professor Cool Guy’s 4,000 page assignment and you should too, you’re a college student. You stress your sexiest organ all day in school, but have you ever taken the time to think about what is currently making you think? It’s your brain, and it is glorious. You know, the brain? That thing that makes you go crazy while having too much fun at toga parties? If you didn’t take biology back in your dear old high school years and are avoiding it now, the brain is a good thing and still needs to be researched. On Sept. 16, Director of The National Institute of Health Frank S. Collins approved a plan to unlock the mysteries and help to further our understanding of the brain. The research initiative was proposed by President Barack Obama in April. The plan follows BRAIN (Brain Research through Advanc-
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Psychology department welcomes Dr. Goodman By Margaret Evans
ing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative’s goals to map out the brain, try to discover new ways to treat the brain, and develop new ways to look at our brain. We know so many things about the world around us, yet we still need to discover more about our squishy insides. Some of the goals of this research include finding ways to manipulate and control certain brain cells. Many believe this is the right way to go with research in the United States and that investing in this research gives us hope that one day we may eventually develop new ways to diagnose, treat or possibly cure psychiatric and neurological diseases. Still, there is something more in this research, something Eckerd students are sugar coated in: potential. The hope and possibility that these are the first steps to something great. This doesn’t need to be something that will benefit the human race, but something we can have for ourselves. So if you’re still struggling to read Professor Cool Guy’s assignment, pull yourself together and read the darn thing. We are the future so take the time to plan things out for yourself. You have potential to do anything you set your mind to. These first college weeks are just initial steps towards that greatness.
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Contributing Writer
One new face you will find around the CEC complex is that of Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Miranda Goodman-Wilson. The developmental psychologist says she fell in love with Eckerd when she visited campus for her interview. “I just kind of had the best couple of days of my life, and I could really see myself being happy here because of my future colleagues and because of the students I got to interact with,” Goodman said. “It just felt like such a friendly place and dedicated to making sure that students have the best possible experience.” Goodman received her Ph.D. from University of California-Davis. She previously taught there, as well the University of the Pacific and California State University-Sacramento. Goodman is currently teaching Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence as well as Statistics and Research Methods. In the future, she will also be teaching Intro to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. “I focus particularly on the development within the parent-child relationship,” she said. “One of my big interests is looking at the impact of the mother’s mental health on her developing child, and how mental health issues get passed from parent to child.” One of Goodman’s intriguing research projects, which she did as her dissertation at UC Davis, was studying social referencing. “Social referencing is basically
if you’re faced with something ambiguous, an object you don’t recognize, or a person you’ve never met, you can use the signals from the people that you are with for your own interpretation,” Goodman said. “Babies, in their first year of life, really start using the emotional signals of their caregivers to interpret events that are new to them.” Another facet of this study is how emotional disorders can be passed from parent to child. “If every time my son looks at me when we meet a new person, I seem really anxious, he’s probably going to get the message that new people are something to be afraid of,” she said. “That could lead to anxiety problems down t h e line.”
Although Goodman knew that she was interested in developmental psychology as early as high school, she recommends that any students who are interested take Intro to Psychology. “It’s going to be a huge overview of the field, and I think that what students learn is how diverse psychology is,” she said. “There are so many different ways that you can be a psychologist and so many different topics that you can study.” She also recommends getting involved in research now. Goodman is in the process of starting a research program on campus. “It will be, in many ways, run by the undergraduates who want to work with me on it,” she said. “It’s really never too early to start on that. I would gladly take a freshman who was interested and wanted to start seeing what research is all about.” Junior Brie Scott takes the Child Psychology course with Dr. Goodman. “She’s a good teacher. It’ll be interesting to she how she integrates into the psych department at Eckerd. So far she’s been very active. She even made a development psych lab.” Although developmental psychology is her passion, Goodman enjoys doing other things in her free time. “I probably watch too much TV,” she said. “I have a toddler, cats, and a dog, so I enjoy spendcourtesy of eckerd.edu ing time with my family, Dr. Miranda Goodman-Wilson both furry and otherwise.”
Leaked UN documents reveal smaller ice caps, rising seas By Julia Calder
Contributing Writer Ice in Antarctica and Greenland is disappearing faster than ever and may drive sea levels higher than expected for this century, according to leaked United Nations documents. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is expected to release the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), which contains these facts on ice melting as well as others on climate change, within the first quarter of 2014. The IPCC website confirms that the last climate report, published in 2007, was the collaborative work of more than 500 lead authors and 2,000 expert reviewers of an immense scientific community. The AR5 should be just as impressive and will, perhaps, contain more upsetting news. With only a few months before its publishing date, unknown officials have leaked a portion of the AR5. The ethics of leaking taxpayer funded documents requires weighing the “public’s right to know” against any harm to the public interest that may result. Professor of Marine Science and Chemistry David Hastings predicts the fundamentals will remained unchanged. “Humans are causing the climate to change as seen by higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and increased ocean acidity,” Hastings said. According to the Fourth Assessment (AR4), carbon emissions have risen by more than 41 percent since the Industrial Revolution. If emissions continue at a runaway pace, sea levels could conceivably rise by more than three feet by the end of this century. In the last report, ice loss, particularly from Greenland, was a minor issue. Now, it is clear that not only Greenland but also Antarctica is melting and causing sea levels to rise. Furthermore, Arctic sea ice is being lost faster than previously reported. For over a decade now, scientists have told the public that, due mostly to human activity,
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the Earth’s climate has seen some tremendous changes in the last 100 years. Hastings lists anthropogenic scenarios as the main factor. “The science has changed little, but the language the panel is using is stronger: the odds are now given as at least 95 percent that humans are the main cause of the observed warming. Before, it was 90 percent,” he said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a body of several hundred scientists that, along with Al Gore, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for the publishing of the fourth climate assessment. The IPCC has met to produce a sweeping report on the
state of global warming science every five or six years since the group was founded in 1988. These climate reports are constructed not by any original research found by the IPCC, but instead review, analyze and summarize existing climate science research from around the world. The group spends many years and energy devoted to releasing these reports. Hastings adds that the IPCC has historically been quite conservative in its predictions. He gives the example that the range of predicted rise in temperature due to a doubling of carbon dioxide is different than what was projected in past years. The low
end of the temperature range provided in the 2013 report is 2.7 degrees fahrenheit to 9 degrees fahrenheit, while before it was 3.6 degrees fahrenheit to 9 degrees fahrenheit. The slowing pace of warming is predicted to be addressed in the AR5. Climate change skeptics have used this information to discredit our concern regarding climate change, says Hastings, however the slowdown is explainable due to the excess heat in our atmosphere being absorbed by the ocean. So while global air temperatures may not have changed over the past 15 years, the temperature of the ocean has.
photo by Hannah Sisk via Eckerd Flickr Eckerd students hike on service trip during Winter Term 2013.
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6 News
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
2013-2014 ECOS Senators announced
Editor-in-Chief Malena Carollo thecurrent@eckerd.edu Associate Editor Greg Reilly News Editor Aaron Levy currentnews@eckerd.edu Asst. News Editors Rosie Kraemer Carolyn Moritz Taylor Glaws Viewpoints Editors Ely Grinfeld Shannon Vize currentviews@eckerd.edu Entertainment Editor Ian Lindsay currententertainment@eckerd.edu Asst. Entertainment Editor Hayden Johnson Hailey Escobar The Quickie Editors Sydney Cavero Gary Furrow Simon Sheidegger currentquickie@eckerd.edu Health & Fitness Editor Sabrina Lolo currenthealth@eckerd.edu Sports Editor Mike Geibel currentsports@eckerd.edu Asst. Sports Editors Colin Casey Will Creager Copy and Design Editor Mike Geibel Photo and Graphic Design Editor Alex Zielinski currentphoto@eckerd.edu Web Master Vincent Lynch Faculty Adviser K.C. Wolfe Director of Finances Hannah Zaremsky Director of PR/Advertising Sarah Richardson 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.
photo by Aaron Levy Clockwise from top left: Merle Czarnetzki (West Lodge), Annie Rogers (Zeta), Garrett Schultheis (Iota), Chloe Bawmann (Iota), Kyler Thomman (Kappa), Henry Sadler (Sigma), Haven Allard (Delta), Monica Discolo (Beta), Nicholas Browne (Commuters), Mary Jean Harford (Nu),Spencer Gradley (Alpha), Jack Layden (Epsilon). Not pictured: Rachel Cruz (Omega), Erik Robinson (Gamma).
Porter to implement wellness initiative component Wellness from page 3
microcosm for the practices of service you do in your everyday life and throughout your whole life,” he said, “In the workplace, with your family, with your friends, in your community.” Other service-learning events scheduled for this semester include monthly installments in the ServiceLearning Film Series, two Dine and Discussions on the topics of immigration and the state of education and several fall break service trips. Finally, Porter is dedicated to maintaining a balance between domestic and international service. Deciding where to use college resources is an issue that is currently getting a lot of attention. “I see both sides of the debate because I did a lot of international travel while I was here, and I’m very grateful for that,” he said. “However, I’m very much aware of the fact that there are a lot of issues that are happening inside the United States and a lot of issues that are happening just outside the gates of campus that need to be focused on.” Porter’s approach to service is all about spreading a positive “energy” that others will embrace and hopefully be inspired to spread to their own communities. “Sometimes service is about going out and participating in service work like getting into a soup kitchen, but service is also about being alive and a present, fully embodied human on this earth and shining your light out for other people to see,” he said.
Fall 2013 Service Learning event schedule Date
Event
Venue
Time
Sept. 18
Service & Celebration - USGBC Green Apple Day of Service
Muller Elementary Magnet School in Tampa
8 a.m.
Oct. 12
TBA Service & Celebration Southeastern Guide Dogs
TBA
TBA
Oct. 17
Service-Learning Film Series - “Happy”
Miller Auditorioum
7 p.m.
Oct. 26 to Oct. 29
Fall Break Service Trips
TBA
N/A
Nov. 13
Yoga with Michelle
Office of Service Learning
4 p.m.
Nov. 20
Service-Learning Film Series - “Chasing Ice”
Miller Auditorioum
7 p.m.
Nov. 23
TBA Service & Celebration - Meals for the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen
TBA
Dec. 5
Spring Break Service Trip Info Session
TBA
TBA
Dec. 6
Staff Appreciation / Holiday Celebration Breakfast
Fox Hall
7 a.m.
Dec. 9
Final exam week study break massages
Office of Service Learning
1 p.m.
Eckerd’s compliance with new law expands student coverage, access Insurance from page 1
ankle and get mono in the same school year and still have benefit dollars available,” Haddad said. The new plan also takes into account preventative care, such as sports physicals and contraceptives. “It’s important for students to know,” Director of Counselling and Disability Support Services Scott Strader said, “that under the new United Health Care Insurance Policy, copays are waived for services provided by St. Anthony’s Primary Care at Health Services on campus.” This means that the new plan enables students to receive treatment at the Health Care center without a fee charged to their accounts. Some students have opted to
waive the higher fee in favor of private coverage. “It was not really financially beneficial since I was already on my mother’s insurance plan as a part of her job,” Junior Chris Davenport said. “Paying for another system on top of that wouldn’t be useful at all.” Students are now covered under United Health Care. At any point during the academic year, students can receive treatment at any facility nationwide that accepts United insurance plans. The new plan, explained Haddad, more closely resembles private health care plans shared by families. “It’s much more expansive than what you had in the past,” Haddad said.
Freshman Blair Carlyle is happy with his family’s private plan, but approves of the changes to student coverage. “I think the Eckerd insurance is a good thing for people that aren’t connected to a family insurance plan,” Carlyle said. According to Strader, all staff at the Eckerd health clinic work for St. Anthony’s Primary Care, based in St. Petersburg. “Students access services in the same way as last year,” he said. “Since the insurance plan has changed from last year, the way services are covered and paid for has changed in some areas, but access to care and treatment is no different.” All services provided by St. Anthony’s are covered by United
Health Care. “We are in the second year of our contractual agreement with St. Anthony’s, and have been pleased with students’ response to the quality of care they have received,” Strader said. Students who still have questions about services provided under United Health Care can contact Counseling and Health Services by calling Eckerd extensions 8248 and 8326 or visiting their office in Edmunson Hall.
Counseling Center Hours Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
News 7
Restrictions accompany new beer choices in pub
photo by Aaron Levy Several new beer options available in the pub.
By Aaron Levy News Editor Despite several new craft beers on tap and in bottles at the pub, students will no longer have the option of purchasing them whenever they want. The Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force is in the process of reviewing serving policies at the pub and ECOS-sponsored events. As of this year, students can purchase beer between 4 p.m. and closing Friday, Saturday and Sunday by providing two forms of identification. In recent years, students could buy beer any day of the week between those hours. “A parent that raised a question in effect drew attention to what had become a change in practice rather than in policy,” Dean of Students James Annarelli said. Alcohol will be available during special events on off-days as well. “I think what the Alcohol and [Other] Drug Task Force would like to do is in effect be thoughtful about what policies of service make sense,” Annarelli said. “And they’re going to be examining [this] issue and making a recommendation.” Led by Director of Outreach Services and Health Promotion Makenzie Schieman, the task force is comprised of Coordinator of Community Standards Grant Bailey, Director of Counseling Services Scott Strader, Associate Dean for Student Life Lorisa Lorenzo, Assistant Direc-
tor of Outreach Services and Health Promotion Lori Makin-Byrd, Associate Dean of Students Fred Sabota, and four student representatives. Four specific facets of the alcohol policy will be up for discussion. One of those facets is the hours of alcohol service at the pub. “I think those [new] hours are great,” Senior Erin Stringer said. “I just wish they’d make it Thursday to Sunday. A lot of the upperclassmen don’t have class on Friday so their weekend starts earlier.” Next is the possibility of restructuring Pitchers With Professors to comply with the single-source container policy. The EC-Book policy states students are not allowed to have a “common source container” for alcohol except at approved events. This is the only approved event with a single-source container. “I feel like it will almost end the relax atmosphere that Pitchers With Professors creates,” Senior Lorissa Santos said. “Restrictions such as the ones being proposed prevents people from being comfortable and that defeats the purpose of Pitchers With Professors which is to provide a relaxed environment for students and professors to engage in outside of the classroom.” The service of free alcohol at sponsored events is also being examined. “I really like how the school serves alcohol actually,” Senior Connor
Ohlsen said. “Younger students can’t use fake IDs, and it promotes older students to come to a lot more events.” A proposed change to this practice is charging for beverage service like at the Welcome Back party hosted by Palmetto. Ohlsen felt the price tag would deter of-age students from on-campus events. “I would [mind paying],” he said. “I think it would dissuade a lot of people from attending those events. Myself included.” Others like Senior Red Armstrong would be comfortable paying. “$1 or free I think is fine,” Armstrong said. “I’m assuming they [are going to] regulate how many drinks one person can get, but I think it makes sense. [It] happens at most other colleges, so I’m down.” Finally, a discussion will take place surrounding whether students should be permitted to have alcohol in areas like Kappa Field and South Beach. “I feel like we should definitely be allowed to have alcohol out there,” Senior Brad Williams said. “As long as everyone is throwing their trash away and not littering the field with hundreds of empty beer cans I don’t really see why this is a problem. Hanging out at South Beach and the Kappa field is a staple of this college and being a wet campus, we should be allowed take full advantage of it without having to worry about where to hide our coolers.” Bon Appétit provides Eckerd’s license to serve alcohol. Acquired in 2002, the license allows Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS)-certified Bon Appetit employees to serve beer or wine during designated hours and events. Instead of exclusively Budweiser products, the pub will feature five new craft beers. A decision on pub service and alcohol at sponsored events is likely to be reached by the end of the month. I have no preconceptions as to how i think this should go,” Annarelli said. “I’m going to defer to the Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force and what they decide are sensible guidelines for service in the pub.” Editor-in-Chief Malena Carollo is a student representative on the committee.
Anthropology department welcomes Dr. Jessie Fly By Margaret Evans Contributing Writer If you open the door to Cobb 121 on Monday, Wednesday or Friday between the hours of 10:40 and 11:40 a.m., you will find Cultural Anthropology being taught by new Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Jessie Fly. Fly received her undergraduate degree in biology from Hendrix College. She decided to become an anthropologist after stumbling upon a book on the subject while conducting research for a professor during her senior year. The book, “Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice,” pushed her to study the relationship between people and plants. She would go on to earn her doctorate in environmental anthropology from the University of Georgia. Depending on the day, she could be lecturing, showing a clip or having her students calling out colors. This last example demonstrates how culture affects your expressions and ideas about color. Another class activity showed how identifying brand labels with the letters blurred out reflects what our culture knows, for example, the students identified the logo for Starbucks, but very few knew what kind of leaves were being shown on the board. All of these things are devices organized by Fly – who also teaches a course on medical anthropology – in order to immerse her students in the field of anthropology. When people think of anthropologists, they often think of Dr. Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones, analyzing bodies and solving crimes. “That’s what people think when I say I’m an anthropologist,” she said, laughing. “A good portion of us actually work with people who are alive today… and working on really important social issues like poverty and hunger. I think we have a lot to say in a world filled with social problems. Not everybody gets to be Indiana Jones. And there are a lot of equally exciting things that you can do as a cultural anthropologist that aren’t running through graves and digging up ancient bones.”
However, Fly’s career has a bit more of an actionmovie feel than she lets on. Fly has done studies all over the world, she’s lived and worked for a year in Uganda and has conducted studies in Rwanda with her alma mater. The topic of her dissertation was Vietnam, where she traveled to conduct research on “environmental change and food insecurity in a shrimp farming village.” She was accompanied by a police escort, though it actually aided her research as people were more comfortable talking with her knowing that the government approved of her presence. Nevertheless, having a police escort was definitely a culture shock. “That was quite different from what I was used to,” Fly explained. Fly has various ideas about what she wants to accomplish while at Eckerd. “I would like to add an ethno-botany class to the curriculum,” Fly said. She also wants to continue bridging the gap between the anthropology and environmental studies disciplines. “I’m excited to lead some winter trips and perhaps some summer trips. Particularly, having students accompany me to Vietnam to do research.” Fly attended Hendrix College which, like Eckerd, is a small liberal arts school with small class sizes and a high population of out-of-state and international students, much like Eckerd. “I knew when I was at Hendrix that I wanted to teach at a place like it,” she said. “All throughout graduate school I was aiming for teaching at a small liberal arts school.” Her students agree that Fly is a natural fit for Eckerd. “I think she’ll fit in pretty well,” Sophomore Jillian Eugene said. Leah Miller, also a sophomore, has Fly for both cultural and medical anthropology. She agreed with her classmate about Fly’s teaching style. “She’s interactive,” Miller said. “I really like her.” The response to Fly’s joining Eckerd has been positive on the part of her students, and it sounds like she’s here to stay. “It is really exactly what I was looking for,” said Fly.
photo by Margaret Evans Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Jessie Fly.
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8 News
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
B l a s t f r o m t h e pa s t
Welcome back to the “blast from the past,” a feature showcasing articles from our archives. These pieces, from March 8, 1973, consider a rise in campus theft, counter-culture, and alcohol abuse.
Rip-off/Theft Distinction is Semantic Hypocrisy By Chic Bain Editor Rip-off used to mean liberating: take the goodies from the capitalist proprietor and set them free before he can scalp you with his outrageous prices. But lately at least one small group of Eckerd students has altered that definition slightly. The new game is still called “rip-off.” But getting the goodies is only half the fun. After that’s done, you take the stuff to the weekly flea market, pass it off as the sweat off your own brow and make a nice sweet profit. Maybe it should be called the involuntary support program for “Junior Capitalist Pigs.” Around here we could just call it the “Eckerd connection.” As might be expected, the Eckerd connection isn’t as
sophisticated as the French version - or as exciting. “Our” version is small potatoes. It takes place on a smaller scale, using five-finger discount and pockets in baggy jeans. The take, comparatively, is smalltime too; spare change from a dorm room dresser, watches, bracelets; trinkets and artifacts from local merchants; bicyles. But that’s only the first half of the system, because the
hot stuff has a way of turning up again. If it’s a bike, it has a new paint job and seat. Jewelry and wares from the intown sellers often get fenced at the nearest flea market. Now that’s a rip-off. Liberate the goods from the greedy capitalist merchant, then sell them back to unsuspecting bargain hunters. That’s not much of a testament to a generation that prides itself for being free
from material hangups. In fact, if you look at it hard enough, it smacks of hypocrisy. And to top it off, the nonparticipating student community condones the actions of these small-time thieves. “Everybody does a rip-off now and then.” “The stuff needed to be liberated.” “Cop it quick before they raise the prices on you.” That silent assent has its rewards though. Have you noticed how much the service has improved whenever you go into town to shop? There are sales clerks everywhere; helping you find exactly what record you want, and even willing to go back into the dressing room and help you try on that new shirt. It’s almost like they expected you to steal something.
The Rip-off: Lesser Of Two Evils?
What Counter-culture?
Alcohol Revival Seen
By Mike Schuler
By Mike Schuler
Managing Editor Two sociologists have recently disputed Charles Reich’s claim in “The Greening of America” that a major shift in the American value system is occurring. Reich maintained that the shift was replacing materialism with spiritual values and “instru-
mental” values with “expressive” values. However, sociologists James Spates and Jack Levin, in an article in the Interanational Social Science Journal, maintain that a 1971 study reveals that college students’ conception of the “Good Life” still includes money as the key. Our editorial this week addresses itself to our own situation.
Managing Editor Newsweek (March 5) reports that alcohol is replacing drugs such as speed and barbituates as the latest fad in juvenile drug abuse. Now that marijuana has become “established” among youth, alcohol is being rediscovered as just as much fun as pot and easier to obtain. The new boom in alcoholic consumption among youth is primarily confined to weekend sprees of beer and sweet wines. The latter, which includes such favorites as Boone’s Farm and Ripple, are almost entirely dependent on the youth market for their popularity as few
adults care to stomach them. Perhaps the most serious aspect of the revivial in alcohol is that the fad has spread downward into the age group. In one upper-middle class Boston suburb, 36% of eighth-graders reported having been drunk on beer or wine - and so did 14% of the sixth grade. Surprisingly enough, parents are somewhat relieved to discover that their children are becoming involved with more familiar - and accepted - drugs. Yet, alcohol is itself a serious drug problem and many schools have instituted alcohol education programs to acquaint students with the possible dangers of alcohol abuse.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Viewpoints 9
Viewpoints Campus beer policies under review Student reflects on decision to restrict serving alcohol on campus By Mike Geibel Sports Editor
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photo by Aaron Levy Bud Light and Longboard, a craft beer, available on tap at the pub.
ckerd is known as a place where open-minded policies are embraced and thinking beyond the normal constraints is encouraged. Our motto is “Think Outside,” and we even have an event called Pitchers with Professors that stimulates conversation with the faculty. For those above the legal drinking age of 21, the event lives up to its name, having pitchers of a certain sudsy beverage available to help facilitate conversation. Lately, the open-minded thinking of Eckerd seems to have taken a turn in the opposite direction and our access to beer has been severely restricted. Because of parental concern, among other reasons, the Alcohol and other Drug Task Force is deciding to take a closer look at the policies. Eckerd has taken steps to restrict students’ ability to legally consume alcohol in the pub and at events, and has greatly diminished campus life in the process. This year, Bon Appétit introduced several new craft beers that were previously not available in the pub. According to Associate Dean of Students Fred Sabota, the logic behind the switch was a response to students growing tired of the same beer selections on tap. At the same time, the decision was made to revert to the old serving hours that restrict students from purchasing beer in the pub except from 4 p.m. to closing time, and only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The school, of course, has a moral and legal responsibility to account for student safety. While
there is no posted limit for number of beers a student can purchase in any length of time, there have been no recorded problems in the pub’s decade-long history resulting from a student drinking solely those beers purchased at the pub. It can be argued that having a few beers in the pub, legally, is safer than having the same amount of alcohol at another off-campus establishment from which the student must drive back to campus. The pub is a safer atmosphere than the rowdy bars and clubs downtown that are the alternative to staying on campus. On the other hand, one could argue against beer in the pub at all, claiming that students will go to class hungover in the mornings or drunk in the evenings. To that point the rebuttal is simple. Some juniors and nearly all seniors are above the legal drinking age. If a student has reached the upperclassman stage of his or her college career, that student should be responsible enough to understand and accept the consequences of going to class hungover or drunk which is against school policy. Isn’t it also part of the mission of the liberal arts education to educate students in the ways of the world, including personal responsibility? Besides some states prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sunday, students who have reached the legal drinking age are able to purchase and consume alcohol every day of the week. Another policy still being discussed by members of the Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force is the appropriateness and regulation of See PUB BEER, page 11
Privatized prisons keeping incarceration rate high By Shannon Vize Viewpoints Editor Prisons are overflowing, the economy is bad and the war on drugs has resulted in an unsustainable number of arrests. Over 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated today, which means business for privatized prison companies is booming. According to a Justice Policy Institute’s article, the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO Group, the two biggest privatized prison corporations that trade on the New York Stock Exchange together made over $2.9 billion in revenue during 2010. The government spends around $74 billion on correctional facilities and almost 800,000 Americans are employed by our prison system. Proponents in favor of privatizing prisons argue it actually saves taxpayer money because CCA or GEO Group will provide the funds to build a new prison or will pay a city an immense sum to buy the prison from them. This means the city will no longer be responsible for funding the prison when it needs maintenance or paying prison guards or other prison personnel to work there. Thus, taxpayers’ money would no longer go to prisons and instead the money
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would go towards something else. However, for cities and towns to maintain their contract with private prison corporations who have either bought out their city prison or built a new one, the prison must stay 90 percent full every year. That means, no matter what, the city must continue to incarcerate an incredibly high number of individuals each year, which dictates that a few wealthy individuals have a financial stake in keeping prisoners in jail and the incarceration rate high. CCA and Geo Group stand to make millions more by influencing legislation to incarcerate more individuals. They actively lobby state and federal officials to maintain strict, unfair sentencing laws for non-violent drug related crimes. CCA itself was founded by Tom Beasley, who at the time was the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. Both corporations recognize that if incarceration rates were to be reduced, by the legalization of marijuana for example, this would take away from their profit and would negatively affect their business plan. The CCA’s 2010 annual report states that, “Any changes with respect to drugs and controlled substances or illegal immigration could affect the number of
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photo courtesy of highlander222’s Instagram Sussex County jail.
persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand for correctional facilities to house them. Legislation has been proposed in numerous jurisdictions that could lower minimum sentences for some non-violent crimes.” These changes in drug and incarceration legislation mean to CCA that “the
demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected.” By allowing our prisons to become privatized we have created individuals and corporations with a vested interest in mass incarceration. The documentary “The House I Live In” highlights this problem and focuses on how the war See PRISONS, page 11
INSIDE VIEWPOINTS Friendly Fire
page 12
Dennis Rodman
page 10
MBFGC
page 11
Feminista: Imagining the female as a newage hero By Hailey Escobar Asst. Entertainment Editor Growing up, many boys and girls perceive their heroes as characters that live in the pages of comic books. But most of these characters still seem to have one thing in common: they’re guys who save the damsels in distress by flexing their muscles. When we finally see a female superhero, big boobs and tiny skirts bombard our vision. They become sex objects wearing costumes that would not be protective in a fight. I understand this sexualization of women in comic books to a slight degree. The artists have male readers and, in the end, they want to sell more comics. While I’m not a fan of the outfits, I like that they’re still strong individuals that stand up for what they believe in. Recently, though, DC Comics crossed a line. The company announced they would be holding a talent search for new, up-and-coming artists to establish themselves in their company. The subject for the competitors to draw? Popular villainess Harley Quinn committing suicide naked in the bathtub. As someone who is passionate about suicide prevention, I already wasn’t too fond of the idea of having a character committing suicide be the main focus of the competition, but to have the added sexualization of the character is too much. In focusing their competition on the concept of a sexualized woman who is committing suicide, DC is showing that it’s okay for these strong women to just kill themselves. It undermines the characters’ power for the children who hope to see potential heroes in the brightly colored pages of comics. It also keeps women from seeing the heroines all around them. This disappointment in the comic book community leaves me wondering about the heroines I have to look up to. Comic books don’t leave room for many heroines who can stand on their own. Even in movies, strong, dynamic and independent female characters such as Katniss Everdeen for “Hunger Games” and Tris Prior fromDivergent” are just beginning to find their place in pop culture. So, instead, I looked to the real world for inspiration and was surprised by the amount of heroines I discovered and continue to discover. I was more shocked to learn that many of these women had received derogatory messages from the public. In Malaysia, Roshani Muniam trained hard in order to be named one of Axe deodorant’s top five finalists in their Apollo Space Race See FEMINISTA, page 11
10 Viewpoints
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Student reacts to Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong-un’s friendship By Julia Collins Contributing Writer
photo courtesy of @dennisrodman Twitter Dennis Rodman on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, has developed an unlikely friendship with formerNBA star Dennis Rodman. Some people are outraged over Rodman’s support of the leader of one of the world’s most repressive regimes. Others like Sophomore Eric Claver think differently. “He [Rodman] is doing the right thing,” Claver said, “because he is one of the only people who is trying to initiate a dialogue between the two countries.” In no way is this a one-sided issue, but there’s no doubt that Rodman’s controversial stance is affecting American political issues in North Korea despite his jaded attempts to remain out of politics. Jong-un’s father’s death in 2011 sparked a great deal of change for the small nation of North Korea. Many hope and believe Jongun will be a better and more interactive leader than his father. Rodman first met Jong-un in February for Vice Media’s Basketball
Exhibitions hosted in North Korea, and made another trip less than a month ago to visit his friend Jongun. In addition, Rodman has also announced that he plans to help in the training of North Korea’s basketball team. As if to reaffirm Rodman and Jong-un’s close friendship, during Rodman’s last visit to North Korea, he was the first foreigner to meet and hold Jong-un’s daughter. Rodman’s angle on his relationship to Jong-un is simple: our government has completely cut off communication with North Korea, and in turn, decided not to give Jong-un a chance to lead his country in a new direction. If an ex-NBA player is the only American welcomed to meet the new leader of a country, then I find it a bit embarrassing that our celebrities can communicate relationally in ways that our politicians cannot. Rodman is opening doors in North Korea that have been shut for a long time. Even if his political suggestions have to be written in less than 140 characters, a tweet petitioning Jong-un for the release of political prisoner Ken-
neth Bae is still a positive step towards better communication with North Korean leadership. Though Rodman may have no legitimate political power, his endeavors to open a channel of interaction between North Korea and the U.S. cannot go unnoticed. Rodman shows that it’s possible for a nonpolitical figure to make a large political statement with both domestic and international implications. Though I do strongly disapprove of the intricacies of Jong-un’s repressive regime, I also think that in a world so undeniably intertwined our nation needs to look into every possible avenue to open doors with nations such as North Korea. Perhaps Rodman’s friendship with Jong-un can be beneficial to both of our nations as well as to the safety and prosperity of their respective peoples. Hopefully through this small chance given to us by a media loving ex-professional athlete, our politicians will be able to run with what he has started and facilitate more amicable relationship between our two countries.
Kappa more than just parties, builds community By Libby Wilkinson Contributing Writer
Living at Kappa can be the best experience for any freshman’s first year away from home, or the worst. Many freshmen were placed in Kappa and did not know the whole story of the dorm. Although technically Kappa is categorized as traditional housing, life at Kappa is not parallel to the atmospheres at other traditional complexes due to the sense of community and family. The allure of living at Kappa does not only come from the parties but from the sense of community that the dorm harbors. Like Nu and Omega, Kappa attracts students from all years, which makes it difficult to distinguish who is an upperclassman or not. I chose to live at Kappa this year, and in the past few weeks I have met and made more friends than I did my entire freshman year. The people do not care what year you are, if you’re a little odd or even if you play “The Star Spangled Banner” on electric guitar every day. Kappa nurtures and supports these quirks because it is these qualities that make each of us unique. The atmosphere at Kappa is a welcoming one which led residents to refer to those living at Kappa as “the Eckerd Family.” Yet, some incoming freshmen find that living at Kappa can be too intense, distracting or they feel alienated by the party scene. Freshman Robbie Gray was randomly placed
in Kappa and had no idea what he was in for. “It was a total surprise,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about Kappa until people started to tell me what goes on here.” Although Gray says he thinks the people living there are nice and friendly, Gray continues to feel overwhelmed by his hectic living situation. “It’s a little difficult to meet people. I’m not used to it,” he said. “It’s a little over the top.” Kappa is notorious for throwing some of the biggest parties on campus, such as the Toga Party and Kappa Kitchens along with smaller gatherings almost nightly. The noise level and community make the complex as a social hub of Eckerd but also one of the more unruly and distracting place to live on campus. Others enjoy coming to Kappa to have fun but prefer living elsewhere. Freshman Josh Owens lives at Alpha but goes to Kappa every day to see his friends. “I like not living at Kappa. It’s quiet at Alpha,” he said. He chooses to separate the two biggest parts of his life at college: studies and parties. Freshman Devlin Gobeil, a Kappa resident, made his decision to come to Eckerd based on a visit to Kappa last year. “I stayed in Leighton last year with one of my sister’s friends and fell in love with not only Kappa but Eckerd College as a whole,” Gobeil said. “I had not made my college decision until I came to Eckerd and saw how welcoming everyone was at Kappa.” Now,
PerspECtives
“I’m taking the Italian immersion trip. I have already been accepted into the program, so I’m going to Italy and I’m going to be visiting Florence, Rome and Venice.” - Cat Pappas, junior.
photo courtesy of Stefan Kapczynski Kappa Oberg dorm.
after living at Kappa for almost two months, he cannot imagine living anywhere else. Similarly, Transfer Freshman Macaully Morgan Nash Aswad was originally placed in Zeta. After visiting Kappa Karnival two years ago, Aswad knew Kappa was the right fit. “After a few days in Zeta during Autumn Term, my R.A. came up to me and asked if I wanted to move to Kappa because he could already tell I was a Kappa kid,” Aswad said. “I was totally on board because I knew I loved it there. I am really happy I moved.” Other students choose to move from other traditional dorms into Kappa for many of the same reasons. Sophomore Aid-
an McShane lived at Sigma his freshman year and chose to move into Kappa due to “the sense of community that other dorms don’t have. It really is a different feel here.” “Through the years and over the decades, Kappa has maintained the closest sense of organic community,” Dean of Students James Annarelli said at a meeting in the Kappa common room this week. After only living there for three weeks, I couldn’t agree more. I realize now that Kappa should not only be defined by its wild parties and broken windows but also for the relationships it fosters and the family that is formed there.
What are your plans for Winter Term?
“I’m not sure yet. I might go to Australia on a study abroad program, or I might stay at home.” - Brian Felman, freshman.
“I’m either going to take the Elie Wiesel class on campus that he teaches with Caroline Johnson or I’m going to try to study abroad for the whole semester and go to Singapore.” - Greg Johnson, junior.
“I am going back home to Columbia, Miss.” - Eli Peake, junior.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
MBFGC:
Modern social Iron Curtain By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor
The balance of power changed in 1980. The Soviet Union’s Vladimir Krutov was sent to the penalty box for a high sticking penalty in the semifinal hockey game of the Olympics. On the ensuing power play, the Americans scored and rallied to win the game later known as the Miracle on Ice. Krutov and the rest of his Soviet team were publicly shamed upon returning to the Soviet Union. An example had been made, and failure would not be tolerated. In the present day, Russia is as much the same as it has become different in the post-Cold War era. True, the hammer-and-sickle had been traded for the double eagle, yet remnants of older days of oppression haunt the streets like a forgotten memory on the stinging wind. Unity is strength to the Russian people, or so says Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin has come under international fire from the West for his latest violating action: his law banning gay propaganda. The Russian president has defended the law by referencing that it is designed to protect children from harm. Critics have derided it by saying that it effectively criminalizes homosexuality in Europe’s most populous nation. Such criticisms are usually met with questions of why powers such as the U.K., Germany and the U.S. concern themselves with other nations’ citizens. To the Russian government, their meddling is equivalent to interfering with another country’s day-to-day operations for the sake of imposing a new morality on the offending nation. Russia has become the latest hotbed in LGBT rights discussions due to one event, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Russians look at these Olympics as a point of pride, a chance to reclaim the edge in the world that they have so lost since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The ideals of the modern Olympic movement of a zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind appear at odds with such a bigoted law, but Putin is not necessarily the one to be feared here. Putin’s ethics as a leader could fill a column and a half on the topic of
Sochi alone. Though he and his government assures that the law will be enforced, Putin and Russia have the slight public relations issue of their own civilians to worry about. If you have ever gone to a game in an opposing team’s arena, you know how rough fans can be. They will jeer at you, dump beer and swear until you return to your car at the end of the night. Russian fans are like that, except put on steroids. For example, during the European Football Championships in 2012 during a match against the host nation of Poland, Russian fans unveiled a banner claiming the land the game was played on was Russian soil. Add in the post match rioting that resulted in over 200 hooligan fans in police custody and the picture becomes clearer. Angry fans can translate to an angry populace. Over the summer, the West received a face-full when a video posted to the internet blew up. The video depicts a Russian teenager being accosted and interrogated by a group of individuals regarding an apparent sexual request. The scheme works like “To Catch a Predator” where a member of the group poses as a man willing to engage in sexual activities with teens to catch the offending youngsters. This is the extreme end of the spectrum for a country that recent polls in The Guardian and The Daily Mail have shown is making no progress regarding gay rights in the general population. In a 2013 study, over 80 percent of Russians surveyed disapprove of gay marriage and adoption rights. These numbers have increased in recent years due to the new anti-homosexual agenda push from the Kremlin. The push oddly coincides with the revelation that Putin’s Sochi Olympics have gone grossly over budget, as money allotted for the games disappeared from the state coffers. Media studies have shown that most of the firms working on the sites are owned by friends and associates of Putin. The publicity nightmare looked like it would spell the end of Putin’s presidency—until the gay issue came up. Now instead of demanding to know why a hockey rink is being built in a summer resort town, people are asking if the LGBT groups can really be trusted. Once upon a time, Russia was indomitable, a resolute nation that could withstand any outside attack. Now, with this LGBT propaganda bill, it appears that a misstep has been made in the form of a low blow to an entire community of citizens, just as a high stick began the unraveling of the Soviet team 33 years ago. Do you believe in miracles?
Suicidal vixen upsets From FEMINISTA, page 9 competition. If she wins, that means she will be given a trip to a space camp in Florida to train to be an astronaut. However, her success received many sexist comments because the competition is sponsored by a male grooming brand. There were, however, some real life heroines that I was glad to see succeeding even though they hadn’t received the full recognition they deserved for their success. One of these heroines was Sushma Verma. At 13 years old, she will soon begin studying for her
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masters degree in microbiology. She’s only able to afford this amazing opportunity after her father sold his land to pay for tuition. It’s difficult to see heroines both on and off the page have such a limited reach to girls who need the strong role models. It’s even more upsetting that a sexual image of a woman committing suicide is considered acceptable by the creators of our childhood heros. However, there’s still hope that women all over the world will continue to persevere and break through barriers so they may inspire children everywhere.
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Viewpoints 11
#Amusing Musings Here is where we immortalize the funniest quotes from EC students and faculty. No names, no shame. Follow us on twitter: @TheECCurrent Creative Writing Professor I thought a snake couldn’t possibly get up an 8 foot umbrella, but then I thought they don’t have feet. They play by different rules. #BeachProblems
Psychology Professor Roses are red, violets are blue, I have schizophrenia and so do I.
Include full name, graduation year and contact information Faculty and staff should include their title, department and contact information
#MentalIssues
Human Development Professor I’m fine with One Direction in the house. Just not Miley Cyrus. There will be no twerking in my child’s talent show. #RoleModels
Privatized prisons pose problems for changing US sentencing laws
photo courtesy of ssmvieira Instagram Prison cell at Alcatraz.
From PRISONS, page 9 on drugs really impacted America. This documentary portrays the mass incarceration epidemic as the fault of a misguided public and national government’s attempt to solve more complicated problems by simply getting the bad guys or drug dealers. The movie shows how incarceration is cyclical in poor families and how incarcerating an individual for a crime does not rehabilitate that individual, but more often than not leads him or her to be incarcerated again. The core problem often comes down to the sentencing laws in this country that are vastly incapable of being altered due to lobbyists like CCA and GEO Group and our inability to confront the real issue as to why Americans turn to drugs or crime in the first place. Drug use and addiction are symptoms of a deeper
issue that being locked up cannot cure. These citizens feel such a disconnect from their own lives and a serious desire to escape from it that they turn to drugs and crime. Until we start to treat these psychological problems, the incarceration rate will continue to rise and the cycle will continue. The U.S. is the worldwide leader in incarcerated individuals per capita and this will not change until conversations regarding unfair and harsh sentencing laws and the legalization of less harmful drugs like marijuana are talked about openly at the national level. But, as long as powerful, wealthy individuals have a vested interest in locking up as many people as possible, the incarceration rate of private prisons will continue to rise and more Americans will be robbed of their right to rehabilitation and a fair sentence.
Beer service restricted on campus From PUB BEER, page 9 “full beverage service” at school events. Organizations on campus, including Palmetto Productions, have previously given out drink tickets to students that can be redeemed for beer at events. That does not mean events on campus are a free-for-all. Palmetto usually gives out two tickets, sometimes three for very special occasions. When Palmetto is not allowed to give out these drink tickets, the numbers of attendance at events declines greatly. When the Pub hosted a party announcing the new beer selection, and were not giving away free beer, only one student the entire night purchased a beer. Providing legal-aged students with free beer or wine is a tactic used to generate interest in events. “Historically, the idea was that the group hosting the event would purchase the first beer or two for
the students to get them out to events,” Sabota said. “The benefit of that is it gets the students out of their dorm rooms into a controlled and monitored environment. Once they get to the event and get their first beer free, they tend to stay and join in the event.” Opponents of the practice argue that students come for the beer and not the event itself. While this may be true for some students, many legal-age students benefit from the practice. “Whether they come out for a half hour or three hours, it gets them out of the dorm to an event where they can be entertained, socialize, learn something and engage in the Eckerd community in a safe setting,” Sabota said. In an open environment, with safety measures in place, students are much less likely to find themselves in negative situations stemming
from overconsumption of alcohol. At Palmetto events, every student who wishes to drink alcoholic drinks must present two forms of identification to someone who is trained and certified to perform the ID check. The student workers who check the IDs receive the same TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) certification that is required of bartenders, servers and security at alcohol-serving establishments. The procedures are in place to keep students safe and responsible at the pub. The benefits of staying on campus to drink far outweigh the negatives consequence. Furthermore, campus life falls flat without full beverage service at events. From all of the students who are 21 and older, please let us have our beer back.
Mike Geibel works with Palmetto as Director of Concerts.
12 Viewpoints
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Friendly Fire: The future of Social Security in the US By Alek Matthiessen ECOS Vice President of Financial Affairs
Social Security will be insolvent by the year 2033. The two trust funds that support the Social Security system in the U.S. will not be able to support themselves in 20 years. It’s simple math. The outflows are greater than the inflows. The basis for the revenue of the funds comes from a combination of payroll taxes, interest earnings, pension and disability taxes and several other minimally contributing sources. Social Security is a vital program to our nation and supports millions of Americans. Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives...It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” His words are true now more than ever. Republicans and Democrats have had endless discussions and disagreements about the exchange of an increase in a payroll tax for a cut in Social Security. While those disagreements still linger, both parties realize that our social security program is a fiscal disaster, and the clock is ticking on its salvation. The problem originates in its inclination to dependency. After paying a heavy Social Security tax their entire lives, fewer than half of households ages 55-to-64 have maintained any sort of savings and plan on depending entirely on their monthly Social Security check. Sadly, their
gamble will not return in their favor. The Republicans offer two main solutions to the problem that is our social security system. The first is raising the age of qualifying recipients. When Social Security was established in the 1930s, the average life expectancy was approximately 58 for men and 62 for women. Consequently, FDR set the qualifying age as 65. Roughly 80 years later and with almost a 20 year increase in the average life expectancy for a U.S. citizen, the age is still the same. We need to change. We need to adapt. The second option Republicans propose is to offer a privatized choice for individuals to opt out of paying into the government’s system. Individuals would invest the amount of their income, which would normally be taxed through the payroll tax into a private fund. Privatization would ignite competition, increasing interest rates, and if following capitalistic principles, serve to best meet the needs of society. Their investment would also accumulate interest rather than serve as a victim of inflation. To be clear, we need some form of Social Security. Simple elimination of the program will not suffice. These choices, among many others, are just two alternatives to our social security system. Without action, we reach insolvency. Without change, the aquifers run dry. Without adaptation, we fail.
By Henry Ashworth ECOS Executive Vice President
The most basic sign of a civilized society is that a society can take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. So, why do we need Social Security? Simply put, we need Social Security because it dramatically reduces the poverty felt by the elderly and it protects the middle class from the uncertain market. Why should we care about people who are our grandparents’ age? Because of medical advancements people are living longer, causing a need to support our elders even after their savings expire. Also, the size of the elder generation is swelling, and in the next few years we will see more and more skyscraper hospitals dedicated only to the care of our grandparents. To help deal with the influx of elderly patients we will need a system that will help support them long term with all their expenses, not just medical bills. This is why we still need a form of social security. If we turn our backs on this issue for the sake of our own financial greed we will see the same repercussions as California did after Reagan cut funding to public mental institutions. In 2001, the San Francisco Chronicle reported “50,000 or more Californians wander the streets homeless. Onethird of them suffer from severe mental illness according to various studies.” As a California resident, I have seen firsthand how after 30 years of poor funding for
institutions, the mentally ill have suffered from drained city funds, public services and increased crime. I cannot imagine in a few years seeing more and more people my grandmother’s age walking the streets homeless. The National Coalition for the Homeless has tracked the rise in the elderly homeless population annually and has found that around the country the elderly homeless population is rising. This trend will continue, and without a form of social security we will not be able to meet the rising needs. Social Security also benefits the middle class’ long term fiscal stability. As Paul Starr from Princeton University said, “Social Security benefits are indexed against inflation and protected from the ups and downs of the economy and financial markets.” Our Social Security model does need significant work if it is going to effectively support the middle class and the elderly population. I believe that the U.S. could take a tip from Chile. The Chilean model of social security allows workers to pick between a state run pay-as-you-go social security system, or a private sector option that allows workers to put their payroll tax into a personal retirement account. The latter option has put the private sector in charge, and even though the worker is now at the mercy of the market, a diverse portfolio will allow them to weather through market fluctuations. Now Chile has around 15 mutual funds all competing for workers’ wages. If we abolished our social security system we would only cause more conflicts in the future as the population ages.
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the current
Entertainment 13
Sept. 27, 2013
Entertainment INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT
“Yeezus” leaves rap fans confused
Taco Tuesday
page 15
Viral video update
page 15
By Ian Lindsay Entertainment Editor
Style under the sun
page 16
The moment Kanye West appeared on the SNL stage coated in darkness to perform two singles “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves” from his new album “Yeezus,” I knew the hip-hop world was going experimental. The performance was ethereal. West appeared in a black studded leather jacket, accompanied by a full band to perform the instrumentals live, while screaming his vocals. The pinnacle of the show was the erratic visualizations of barking dogs, strobing advertisements and a close-up of West’s eyes filmed during the performance. Along with the stunning SNL debut, West also projected the “New Slaves” music video on different city walls in 66 locations internationally to hype up the new album. West has always promoted himself and his music, more so than other artists. The 35-minute-long music video compilation for his fifth studio album “Dark Twisted Fantasy” and other artistic marketing projects have been what fans come to expect. Expectations are high. The last time West was in the studio alongside Jay-Z to record “Watch the Throne,” the finished product was amazing. But as a fan and advocate of West’s innovations on hip-hop, I was a little let down by “Yeezus.” In an era where the music industry is dominated by the EDM scene, and considering West’s history as an excellent producer, I expected “Yeezus” to have heavy electronic influences, but not to the extent that West took it. The album only has 10 songs. In the studio West worked with production collaborations from electronic heavyweights Daft Punk and Hudson Mohawke. Some moments
of the album sound more like a soundtrack to a horror movie set in the distant future than a hiphop record. After letting the album digest since it dropped in June, I’m still disappointed, but not surprised. For West’s fans, it’s “808 & Heartbreaks” all over again. The first song on the album really sets the tone. This is the first collaboration between Daft Punk and West on the album. The classic video game rhapsody that Daft Punk brings to the stage is very apparent. There is no strong lyricism on Kanye’s part, just the recycled motif of ego and misogyny that have always made up his lyrics. As a fan of “Stronger,” a song where West sampled Daft Punk’s “ Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” I felt like this song could have been at least catchy. What let me down were the lyrics “I need you right now,” which are the same lyrics from the hook in “Stronger.” “Black Skinhead” was the first single of the album. The production behind the song definitely makes it deserving of this release. The intro alone has samples of growling dogs, ambient ghostly moaning and tribal chanting, which gives the song an ominous texture. The percussion comes in with heavy
808-drum-kicks sprinkled in along West’s verses. The effect is a lo-fi mixture between a 90s industrial rock song and spoken word hip-hop. Of course, the title would suggest that West has something controversial to say, and he actually delivers. With lyrics like, “They see a promotional photo black man with “Yeezus” album cover. a white woman/At every rapper was using an auto the top floor they gone come to kill tune, the robotic effect on king kong/Middle America packed his voice works in this song. in/Come to see me in my black skin.” With the sample of Nina SimIt would seem at surface lev- one’s “Strange Fruit” becoming el, this is all for shock value. the hook for this song, and HudBut a true West fan can still ap- son Mohawke’s characteristic preciate his take on racism in horns banging throughout the America. Raised by a fa- track, this one’s worth a listen. ther who was a Black The one criticism I have are the Panther, West gets a lyrics “Let’s take it back to the first get-out-of-jail-free party/Where you had your first card when it comes Molly.” Rappers have always glorito outdated lyr- fied drugs, and now that Molly, or ics that don’t em- MDMA, has hit the mainstream power anyone but I’m just tired of hearing about it. still create conOverall, the album is simtroversy. Another ply weird. It’s experimental. one of my favor- It’s millenial. It’s offensive. It’s ite songs off “Ye- catchy. It’s Kanye West, the selfezus” was “Blood proclaimed “Only rapper comOn The Leaves,” pared to Michael (Jackson).” which shows that West has gone from producWest is still a fan of ing meaningful songs like “Jesus the autotune. T-Pain’s Walks,” and a piece of art like gimmick is a joke and “Christian Dior Denim Flow” to so the whole era songs that have big claims withof bubblegum out merit like, “I am a God.” hip-hop The album is worth listening to, where and it has a way of growing on you the way all formulaic pop music does. But I think people will look back on “Yeezus” and say it was ahead of it’s time, even if right all photos promotional now it has me rolling my eyes.
London calling: UK prevails in US pop-culture By Hailey Escobar Asst. Entertainment Editor For as long as the U.S. has been, well, the U.S., Great Britain has had an influence on our entertainment industry. The 20th century, in particular, brought about a line of British entertainers and characters that have left a permanent mark on American pop culture from James Bond to Sherlock Holmes to Harry Potter. However, it seems that many entertainers from the United Kingdom have recently taken the top spots in the Hollywood A-List with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. “With the help of social media websites and the internet, a lot of young people have been able to broaden their interests into different TV shows,” Junior Barbara Del Castello said. “Shows like Sherlock, Doctor Who [and] Downton Abbey all have very large international viewer ships, and fairly large fan followings.This launched the careers of many actors, most recently Bene-
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dict Cumberbatch.” Cumberbatch, is a British actor who will have approximately 14 different film and television credits added to his name between 2013 and 2015 alone. These titles include “The Simpsons,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “August Osage County,” the final 2 films of “The Hobbit,” “The Fifth Estate” and the long awaited third season of BBC’s Emmy nominated “Sherlock.” He has also been rumored to be in the talks for the new addition to the Star Wars franchise although there has not yet been any confirmation. Cumberbatch is one of many actors from across the pond to find outstanding fame in the Hollywood spotlight in the past few years. Tom Hiddleston, Andrew Lincoln, Stephen Moyer, Andrew Garfield, Jude Law, Kelly Macdonald, Hugh Laurie, Henry Cavill, Daniel Radcliffe, Helena Bonham Carter and Nicholas Hoult join him as stars of film and television. British pop culture has also influenced growing trends in Ameri-
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photo courtesy of Jordan Brooks Barbara Del Castello with attendee Sasha at Bay Area Sherlock Convention.
can pop culture with “The Office,” “America’s Got Talent” and “The XFactor,” all inspired by British versions of the series. Famous British television series are also making the crossover such as “Doctor Who,” which has gained a lot of American attention in the past few years on BBC America.
Even in music, British groups like One Direction and Little Mix have been dominating the charts, following in the footsteps of past groups like the Beatles and the Spice Girls. Solo artists are also See U.K. INVASION, page 15
Fan of diva pop music reacts to image change By Gary Furrow JR. Quickie Editor The pop music world today is ever changing. In 24 hours, the style, the fads and records could all be different. This could not be more true than for the ladies of pop, who are designing grander personas with every outfit and song. The most talked about changes are coming from the once-Disneydarling-turned-twerk queen, Miley Cyrus, and the no-longer-bluehaired Katy Perry. However, these radical image changes pose a question: Is it a good career move to change their beloved sound and personality? Cyrus used to leave her audience singing along to “Best of Both Worlds,” but now the star is ditching the mouse, cutting off her hair and sending a “wrecking ball” right towards her Montana image — and it seems to be translating to the charts. Cyrus’ first music video, “We Can’t Stop,” off her new album “Bangers,” which drops Oct. 4, broke Vevo videos music records with 10.7 million views in 24 hours. The Tennessee native told Vevo that the video is based off of the “gritty Los Angeles life,” and all of the crazy antics featured in the video such as taxidermy are based off of real house parties she attended, with extra glamour added. “It is like a Nylon (magazine) shoot come to life,” Cyrus said during the Vevo interview. Cyrus seems to be trying to tap into the more urban, young adult market. This is clear in her current music video that broke the record again for most viewed on Vevo in 24 hours -- 12.3 million views -- for the single “Wrecking Ball.” The song is rumored to be about how much she loved her “painful” relationship to ex-fiance, Liam Hemsworth. In the video, a naked Miley Cyrus swings on a wrecking ball. It’s supposed to have a deeper meaning than the softcore porn it portrays. “I think that the wrecking ball was surprisingly symbolic,” said Freshman Emily Gurney. “I think she really captured a lot of visual metaphors with her nudity to expose her vulnerability and I wasn’t offended by it. It is just an artistic expression of her pain.” Cyrus told Vevo this is the first time she came up with a concept completely her own and said it is “a concept only my generation would kind of understand.” Whether or not it is a concept only her generation can grasp, people will still tune in to watch the urban twerk queen rise back to the top of pop. Another pop diva altering her persona is Katy Perry, and she is See DIVAS, page 15
14 Entertainment
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
ECKERD EVENTS
To have your event added to the calendar, email currententertainment@eckerd.edu.
FRIDAY
27 5:30 p.m. Mario Kart Wii Tournament
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
28
29
30
1
2
3
9 p.m. Another Man’s Trash
3 p.m. Organ Recital
7 p.m. An Evening with Matt Batt CPS
5:30 p.m. Hoop Jam
11 a.m. Boyd Hill: Jungle Boogie
5:30 EC Trade Circle Gathering
7:30 p.m. Moral Interdependence and Global Citizenship CPS
7 p.m. International Film 8 p.m. Game Wars
5:30 p.m. Where the Spirit Moves Me CPS 8 p.m. Trivia night in the pub with Mike
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6 p.m. Team Fortress 2 Tournament
5
9 a.m. Azalea Fresh Market
6 7 p.m. First Sunday Worship
7 p.m. International Film
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9
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12 p.m. Sunken Gardens: Ian Holistic workout
5:30 p.m.
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5:30 p.m. Interview Intervention: Why Didn’t You Hire Me? CPS
Hoop Jam
5:30 p.m. EC Trade Circle Gathering 10 p.m. Rock Band in the Pub
7 p.m. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes CPS
The St. Pete Sampler Local fun and fine dining
Ellen DeGeneres wins the iHeartRadio title of Most Likeable Woman in Hollywood.
You just got out of class. You’re starving and delivery pizza is not going to cut it. There’s only one answer to appease your grumbling stomach: St. Pete soul food. This week’s sampler takes you on a tour of the South.
Zac Efron checks into rehab for alleged cocaine and alcohol abuse. “Breaking Bad” wins Outstanding Drama at the Emmy Awards. Bruce Jenner recently underwent surgery for skin cancer. Justin Timberlake said he is not opposed to an *NSYNC and One Direction collaboration. Kanye demanded the carpet he would be performing on be ironed before his performance. Liam Hemsworth called off his engagement to Miley Cyrus and is now dating actress Eliza Gonzalez. Miley Cyrus fans pile on hatred for Lorde on Twitter.
THE TIPSY TRITON Cocktails & Mixed Drinks
The Mike Lebowski
Bayou Slime
• 1 oz gin • 1 oz vodka • 1 oz blue Curacao • 1 oz Creme de Menthe • 4 oz tonic water • 1 sugar cube • Prepare in shaker. • Add cup of ice, then liquor. • Empty the shaker into cocktail
• 1 part dark rum • 6-8 fresh mint leaves • 1/2 part cordial syrup • 1 egg white • Mash mint leaves and syrup
glass. • Float the Creme de Menthe over the back of a spoon. • Add sugar the sugar cube. • Sprinkle the bitters into cocktail and garnish with an olive and enjoy.
together.
• Place ingredients into shaker.
Shake until frothy. • Strain into martini glass. • Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy.
A. Ms. B’s soul food 5838 54th Ave N 19 mins from campus Weekly 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 3 1/2 stars $ No alcohol served C. Spice Routes Cafe 701 Central Ave 11 mins from campus Mon to Sat.11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sun. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 2 1/2 stars $ No alcohol served
B. Manna from Heaven Wings and Soul 1789 34th St S 9 mins from campus hours unavilable 5 stars $$ No alcohol served D. Blue Nile 1600 18th Ave S 10 mins from campus Hours unavailable 4 1/4 stars $$ No alcohol served
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Entertainment 15
British pop stars invade America From U.K. INVASION, page 13
promotional photo
Delicious deals offered at local taco restaurants By Jennifer Lincoln Staff Writer The one day a week I look forward to the most does not come on the weekend. No, my friends, it happens every Tuesday and includes my favorite food: tacos. College students rarely eat out, but Taco Tuesdays are always an exception. For me, there is a sense of routine that makes it a comfortable experience to look forward to every week. I examined the Tuesday specials of both Burrito Boarder and Tijuana Flats, two popular Mexican-themed restaurants in the St. Petersburg area and compared the deals and overall experience I encountered. First, Tijuana Flats offers a $4.99 deal on Tuesdays, which includes two tacos, chips and a drink. This excludes specialty tacos, and customers are expected to pay extra for steak. The atmosphere is more like a familystyle restaurant and tables are set up sporadically all around the room. The food is great. The perfect blend of Tex-Mex. I highly suggest paying extra on your Tuesdays out for the Cookie Dough Flautas, which are chocolate chip cookie dough loaded into a flour tortilla, lightly fried and topped with powdered sugar. They are served with a side of hot chocolate syrup and melt in your mouth.
My preferred Tuesday dinner spot of choice, however, will always be Burrito Boarder. I consistently see Eckerd students there, and I love the tacos more than I love my mother (and she’s a fantastic woman). If you order tacos at Burrito Boarder on Tuesdays, they only cost $1 if you buy a drink. They include the choice of chicken, beef, or vegetables, beans and rice and four more toppings of your choice. The workers are always friendly and the restaurant’s location downtown makes it an enjoyable place to eat. The atmosphere is more laid back than at Tijuana Flats, and the music is always on point. Think about listening to The Black Keys while you sink your teeth into a delicious taco. Both restaurants will leave you with a happy stomach at the end of a Tuesday, but you always have the option of attending other locations that serve tacos, even if they don’t have a Tuesday special. Chipotle, Taco Bus and Moe’s all offer excellent food items to put in your stomach any day of the week. So while my consensus is that Burrito Boarder is the best place to be on Tuesdays, any restaurant that I’ve listed in this article would be a good choice for where to find the best tacos in town.
also finding great success in the States like Ed Sheeran, Cher Lloyd, and Sir Paul McCartney who recently made an appearance at the star-studded I Heart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas. The question remains though about what is the exact draw of British entertainment to the American consumer. Is it the rich history in the theatrical arts? The classical training? “The accent,” both Junior Nicole Zavale and Freshman Galit Sarvet agreed. Zavale said she personally loved the songwriter Ed Sheeran. Junior Becky Helmstetter, however, thought it was more about the cultural differences. “I don’t think it’s just British actors,” she said. “I think it’s any actor from a different place. It gives you a different perspective and gives you more appeal. Like Penelope Cruz, Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek or the Hemsworths.” Whatever the reason, it’s easy to see that British entertainment has quickly ensnared
photo courtesy of Natalie Lodinger Del Castello by TARDIS, a prop from “Dr. Who.”
photo courtesy of Stacey Lawson Del Castello meets “Dr. Who” and Sherlock writers.
Pop stars Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus change from innocent to controversial From POP DIVAS, page 13
promotional photo Outside seating area of Burrito Boarder.
the hearts of American viewers. With many films, television shows and musical hits involving more and more talent from the United Kingdom, it’s hard to see this trend disappearing from American pop culture any time soon. Only the future can tell what the U.K .holds in store for American entertainment.
not just having any old bonfire to celebrate it. In a promotional video for her new single “Roar,” Perry burned her iconic blue wig to symbolize her transformation. Previously, Perry broke records of her own, like first female artist to have five number one singles on the Billboard charts off of one album, “Teenage Dream.” Perry stated in recent interviews that this album is no teenage dream, but an adult reality. She considered naming her album to reflect that concept, but instead decided “Prism” was more fiitting. Perry earned many successes in the past years, but she has also faced much personal heartbreak after her divorce from comedian Russell Brand. “For a long time,” Perry said on the radio show Saturday Night Online with Romeo, “I was like, oh I was on this high horse, on this cotton candy cloud and then I got punched in the face, and these are the songs about getting punched in the face.”
In her latest, jungle themed music video, “Roar,” Perry is the strong queen of the jungle who does not need a Tarzan to be happy or successful. It still has the elements of Perry’s cartoony/sexy ways, but is much deeper than the cotton candy, “California Gurls.” Her latest songs are more about female empowerment and less about hooking up. Perry said that she is changing up her bubblegumrocker-pop sound after hearing some of the urban house music in Stockholm, Sweden during the development for her album, “Prism.” “I understand that people are hesitant with change but I can promise you you’re going to like it,” Perry said when confronted on Saturday Night Online about her audience potentially not liking the change in her music. “I don’t care,” Senior Camille Ayrea said referring to the changes of both Cyrus and Perry. Whether one is open to the change or not, the new urban and European movement seems to be what is in with the pop music divas, and as listeners, all we can do is just jam out or turn down the radio.
Viral video update: Louis C.K. , The Fox and BatDad
“Louis C.K. Hates Cell Phones” uploaded by teamcoco on Sept. 20
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“Ylvis - The Fox [Official music video HD]” uploaded by tvnorge on Sept. 3
“BatDad” uploaded by BatDadVine on Sept. 19
16 Entertainment
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Style under the sun: New York Beats by the Bay
Fashion Week offers style tips By Shannon Vize Fashion Columnist & Viewpoints Editor The lights have just faded on the runways of New York Fashion Week. While the rest of the fashion world has the winter to contemplate what trends they want to add to their spring/summer wardrobes, we get to do it now. Thanks to the Florida sun, we don’t have to wait several months before we break out the new looks for spring-summer 2014. Here are some of my favorite trends from NYFW and how you can work them into your closet at Eckerd. 1. 90s: The most notable trend on almost every runway was the resurgence of the 90s. Everything from overthe-top logos to faux flannel prints rocked the runways. It made every “Clueless” fan swoon. All you wannabeCher’s, now is your time to shine. The one trend from the 90s not seeing a revamp is acid wash jeans. So keep those tucked away, nostalgic fashionistas. You can always hope for next year. 2. Overalls: By far my favorite trend of the season is overalls. DKNY and Rag & Bone gave the classic a new look by adding in new textures, colors and structures. Rag & Bone opted for all white structured overalls with a dash of bright coral on the lips to give the outfit some much needed
lip Lim and Calvin Klein rocked the fringe look the best by not being afraid to use too much. When it comes to fringe, the more the better as far as I am concerned. Look for statement pieces when trying out this trend like a loose dress adorned with fringe at the seams or shorts with fringe at the hem or on the back pockets. 5. White: Even though black will never go out of style, white has a new fan base in the fashion world. All white outfits were seen on several runways, but Proenza Schouler and courtesy of 3.1 philliplim’s Instagram Derek Lam did it best Fringe is in this season. with conflicting views on color. DKNY opted for a of the body covered. It how to pull off the look. denim look but added in was the tighter the better Proenza Schouler stuck a slouchier feel with the when it came to crop tops with structured textiles denim hanging loosely this season. Keep them and sharp angles, while on the body until gather- interesting by pairing Derek Lam opted for ing tighter at the ankles. them with high waisted soft silhouettes hanging If you don’t have overalls shorts, skirts or, if you’ve loosely around the neck of your own, try out some done enough crunches, and waist. When pulling local thrift shops, like try low-rise harem pants off this trend, keep your Revolve in downtown St. like we saw on the run- hair simple and focus Petersburg, which always ways. If showing skin isn’t on pops of color to keep has hidden gems waiting your thing, try pairing from being bland. Think to be found. some crop tops with over- simple white dresses or 3. Crop tops: Al- alls, or underneath a sheer skirts paired with either though these have been top like the Olsen twins bright, fun lips or colorful trending on campus for fashion line The Row did. costume jewelry. Remember, trends a while now, they have 4. Fringe: Another just hit the runways at one of my favorite things don’t have to dictate what NYFW. As the fashion about NYFW summer- you can and can’t wear, world embraces baring spring 2014 collections they are meant to help some midriff, they do so was the addition of feath- inspire new outfits a little bit outside your comfort in a new style. BCBG opt- ers, fringe and beads. ed for a more structured Derek Lam and Ro- zone. Have more fun getting tuxedo crop top and Vera darte added fringe to Wang went minimalistic their looks that can eas- dressed in the mornings in all-black ensembles ily be applied to a plain by trying to blend these showing just enough mid- oversized shirt you have trends into your everyday riff while keeping the rest in your closet. 3.1 Phil- style.
Plan B Block Party @ Ybor City
Oct. 5
Ill Nino @ The State Theatre
Oct. 6
Dying Fetus @ The Orpheum
Oct. 7
Rusko @ The Ritz Ybor
Oct. 9
Danzing @ The Cuban Club
Oct. 9
Voodoo Glow Skulls @ The Local 662
Oct. 11
Periphery @ The State Theatre
Oct. 15
Stephan “Ragga” Marley @ Jannus Live
Oct. 17
Dynasty @ The Orpheum
Oct. 18
Otep @ The State Theatre
Oct. 26
Reverend Horton Heat @ The State Theatre
Oct. 27
Sleigh Bells @ The State Theatre
Nov. 1
JJ Grey and Mofro @ Jannus Live
Nov. 1
Fortunate Youth @ The Local 662
Nov. 2
Chelsea Light Moving @ The Orpheum
Nov. 2
Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger @ Jannus Live
Nov. 2
Timeflies @ The Ritz Ybor
Nov. 4
GWAR @ The Ritz Ybor
Nov. 5
Streetlight Manifesto @ The State Theatre
Nov. 5
Suicide Girls @ The State Theatre
Nov. 8
KMFDM @ The Orpheum
Nov. 8
Coastline Festival @ MidFlorida Credit
Nov. 9
John Vanderslice @ New World Brewery
Nov. 13
The Chariot @ The Orpheum
Nov. 15
Velvet Acid Christ @ The Orpheum
Nov. 16
Mike Doughty @ Crowbar
Nov. 16
O.A.R. @ Jannus Live
Nov. 17
Travis Garland @ The Local 662
Nov. 19
Thursday: Eckerd College 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Specials, corn hole games, talent shows and pool games outside Free use of our 80,000 gallon pool too Sunday: Outdoor party 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with live DJ, dancing outside, shows
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
The quickie
The Quickie
17
There’s always enough time for a quickie
Toga-tastic Crossword
For answers, visit www.theonlinecurrent.com
crossword by Sydney Cavero and Gary Furrow
Across 1 America’s uncle 4 South Southwest 7 To hide (past tense) 10 The ___ and flow 13 Good ____ boy 14 Synonym of botch 15 Famous cookie brand 17 A cow goes ___ 18 Elvis’ signature hair 20 Sassy expression 22 “The___on the cake” 23 Confederates v. ___ 24 American Cancer Society (abbreviation) 25 Crying 29 What do ketchup and Elmo have in common? 31 Rowling wrote crime novel under an _____ 33 Operation _____ 34 Not the kind you wear 36 Fiction, mystery, etc. 38 Synonym for sick 39 Synonym for brawl 40 East-southeast 41 A duck is to a quack as a lion is to a ______ 43 In the limelight 45 Before (in time) 46 Volume abbreviation 47 To invite flirtatiously 48 _____ rats 51 Object 53 Graduated student 54 Triton’s ___ 57 Ironing necessity 59 Evil character from “The Little Mermaid” 61 Cooking directions 63 Gift recipient 64 “Party dorm”
66 Office ____ 67 Open ___ Night 68 Card game 70 A lion sleeps in a ___ 71 California Roll 73 Dismay 75 Unselfish person 78 Opposite of interior 81 Eye ability 82 Root ____ 83 Type of ground by Frenchman’s Creek 84 Horses say ____ 85 That woman 86 French ___ 87 ____day 88 Stretch to make do Down 1 Old Rihanna song 2 Boxer Muhammad 3 Used to treat/cure 4 Moved stealthily 5 Power ______ 6 World Boxing News 7 Rhymes with razz 8 Germ resistant 9 Performing 10 Distinction 11 ____ Voyage 12 Teachers can___ you down with homework 14 Previously titled the Bureau of Investigation 16 ____ Lanka 19 Their daily mission is to find sea stragglers 21 Makers of kimchi 24 Barley beverage 26 Muslim ruler 27 Nada
28 Tribulations 30 Email opening 31 Edad in English 32 Type of learning 34 Proper gentlemen are always well-_______ 35 Compass direction 37 ___ sayer (prophet) 39 Baking necessity 42 Sierra Nevada 44 Animal that can turn head 360 degrees 48 Woodstock 49 “____ Ant” 50 Stair companion 52 “____Girls” 53 Skiing spot 54 Used for transport 55 Once ___ a time… 56 Gambler’s wager 58 Happen again 60 Government agency 62 ___ Point 64 German ruler 65 Neurological disease 68 Native American boss 69 Suitably 72 Sandwich and ship 74 Type of Eckerd dorm 75 Bonfire remnant 76 ___ Harvey Oswald 77 ___ again 78 Sixth sense 79 Genus “Quercus” 80 Wheat product
Club Spotlight: The Chirp Factory By Sydney Cavero Quickie Editor Attendees of the women’s soccer game last Saturday witnessed Senior Mike Geibel’s transformation from student to spirited Poseidon during Domino’s halftime pizza contest. As president of one of Eckerd’s newest organizations, his goal to renew a sense of spirit and enthusiasm in the student body at sporting events is the driving force behind his various personas. “If you’ve ever seen The Muppets and you see the two old guys sitting up in the balcony, and all they’re doing is laughing and having a good time—you know, cheering, but also making fun of everything at the same time, that’s where The Chirp Factory comes in.” When the Triton Tribe’s animated president graduated and Tailgate Club fizzled out, Eckerd saw the return of empty fields and gyms on game days. Rather than accept students’ lack of involvement, Geibel has partnered with Junior Luke Burton, the club’s vice president and Director of Distractive Yelling Ads, to ensure that students’ “chirping” will be enough to get in the heads of the opposing players. “If it’s basketball, we want to be the sixth man, you know. If it’s soccer, we want to be the twelfth man,” Geibel said. “We call it The Chirp Factory because we chirp a lot — we’re loud. We’re gonna be getting some t-shirts made so that we stand out in the crowd — so people know that ‘I’m here to cheer for the Tritons.’ We want to kinda come out and be
that fan force that Eckerd hasn’t really had.” Burton feels confident in both his and Geibel’s abilities to lead this movement, and recalls the time when he first recognized the skills that could incite that change. “Mike and I were at a basketball game,” Burton said. “We were heckling the other team so bad, their fans started to threaten us and scream at us.” Though it aspires to be the one big voice that a small school needs, Geibel also stresses the importance of individuality for each of his club’s components. “You can customize your experience in our club,” he said. “We encourage all of our members to create their own officer title for something that they want to do or want to be involved with.” Senior Stephen Frano enjoys exhibiting his originality, earning the name Director of Matty Dolan Songs. “He sings the Matty Dolan song at the men’s soccer games,” Geibel said. “He’s the one that starts that, so we gave him that officer position. If you’re really good at grilling hot dogs, you could be the Director of Grilling Hot Dogs at Tailgate Parties.” Senior Brad Williams’ knack for organization also landed him an equally interesting title as Director of Shenanigans and Events. “He kinda like helps out with planning different events that we’re going to do — we’ve got a lot of stuff planned for this year,” Geibel said. Among these plans are attending as many games as possible, having tailgate events be-
fore games and even making tshirts for members to wear in the club’s student section at games, possibly saying “Welcome to the Chirp Factory.” Also sports editor for The Current, Geibel wants to share his passion for athletics with as many students as possible and has taken measures to make the club easy to join photo by Spencer Yaffe for all that are in- Senior Mike Geibel as Poseiden at a soccer game. terested. “I want this club to be, kind of, that organi“Some of our meetings might actually be zational force that brings everybody together at games,” he said. “We’ll go over little stuff to show that we are proud of our school and like planning events, because we’re going to we are proud of our athletes because these go to some away games this year. If you come people are our friends, you know,” he said. to three different games with us, then you’ll “They’re in our classes and we see them all be a full-fledged member and you’ll either the time and they live next door to us, and get a discount for your t-shirt or get a free t- some of them are our roommates. We want to shirt. Once you’re a full-fledged member, we be those people that are going to be loud, and encourage everybody to come to us with an cheering at every game so people know that idea for their officer title.” we’re there to support our team.” Geibel and his fellow members ultimately For more information about The Chirp hope this common purpose will unify stu- Factory and how to get involved, email Luke dents, almost as if he is creating his own en- Burton (James Burton) or Mike Geibel or find ergetic team to cheer on all of those here at them while they’re cheering at any upcoming Eckerd. sports game.
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18 The Quickie
Sept. 27, 2013
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courtesy of dailyinfographic.com
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Sept.27, 2013
Health & Fitness 19
Health & fitness Incredible health benefits of peppers By Lilian Gonzalez Contributing Writer Peppers are much more than the beloved fruits that give our food a delicious kick. They provide us with many health benefits such as a significant amount of vitamin C and vitamin A. They also are packed with antioxidants like lycopenes, which lower the risk of cancer and heart disease according to www.pierrechimica.com. Peppers are also low in free radicals and contain the antidepressant tryptophans, essential amino acids which produce neurotransmitters for regular sleep as stated in vitamins.lovetoknow.com. They are a good source of fibers as well, making them a healthy addition to many meals. These popular fruits may also vary in size, color and flavor. Some are sweet and others are pungent. Some are green and yellow, while others are red or even purple. Garden peppers are healthy plants as well and make vibrant additions to any garden. “The best part of growing peppers is seeing them grow right here in the on-campus garden,”
Junior Jenna Behnke, a member of the Garden Club, said. Sweet bell peppers and hot chile peppers are the most cultivated peppers in the world. Peppers only grow up to 1.5 to 2 feet in height when grown as annuals. They are members of the nightshade family, along with tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. The plant has a woody stem and grow small star-shaped white flowers. The seeds are flat, kidney-shaped and spicy. They thrive best in full sunlight, and soil rich in organic matter. The relationship between peppers and humans goes back thousands of years. It is one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Western Hemisphere. Although they first evolved south of the Amazon, other cultures were quickly captivated by the hot pepper’s spicy flavor and it became an integral part of cooking in many cultures. According to sbnature.org, foods such as Indian curry, Thai peanut sauce, Chinese hot and sour soup, Hungarian goulash, Italian pepperoni and Cajun jambalaya “are all impos-
sible without chiles”. The habanero pepper is also a favorite for many people. “I put habanero hot sauce in my grilled cheese every day,” Senior Hank Broege said. Broege and other Eckerd students donated a ghost pepper plant to the on-campus garden two years ago. Ghost peppers and Trinidad scorpion photo by Lilian Gonzalez chiles were named the Pepper in the Eckerd garden. two hottest peppers amounts produces the heat you in the world by the Guinness feel when you eat hot peppers. Book of World Records. The capsaicin stimulates Peppers aren’t just good as the nerves in the mouth and food; peppers contain substances such as capsaicinoids, the brain responds by producalkaloid compounds which have ing endorphins, an opiate like been proven to reduce pain. substance which helps elimiAccording to sciencedaily. nate the sensation of pain. Whether people love peppers com, scientists at the Unifor their taste, or for their amazversity of Texas Science Cening ability to enhance flavors, it ter are working on creating is no secret why peppers are an a new class of non-addictive essential part of many people’s painkillers using the capsaicin compounds in chile peppers. diets. It is no wonder peppers are Capsaicin is a substance at the top of the vegetable list for that when consumed in large many gardeners around the world.
From the iPod of Sabrina Lolo
Get into shape with this full-body weight workout By Sabrina Lolo Health & Fitness Editor There is an ongoing myth out there that if women lift too many weights they will grow big, bulky and manly looking. Well, unless they’re using steroids or some other performance enhancing drugs, that is not true. Women will never gain the same amount of muscle as men because women are just simply not built that way. According to simplyshredded.com, the hormone testosterone is the reason for the large amount of muscle mass men have when they lift. However, the amount of testosterone women have is only a fraction of what men have, which is why even men on the lower end of the testosterone scale are much bigger than women. This means that instead of looking like Hulk Hogan, lifting would actually give a woman’s body more tone and shape. So ladies, if you’re looking to get toned, here’s a good workout for you. This workout consists of just four exercises done one at a time so it’s not a circuit. It is supposed to be done three days a week with rest days in between. Before you begin, jog for 10 minutes on the treadmill and stretch afterwards to warm up. Do three reps of each exercise before moving onto the next. Start with 12 reps, then 10 and finish with eight reps while adding five pounds to each set. Rest 30 seconds between each set and a minute between each exercise. Just because it isn’t summer anymore doesn’t mean you still can’t have a bikini ready body.
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1.GetSwiss ball squat: a stability ball and couple of
10 or 15 pound dumbbells. Place the stability ball against the wall and lean against the ball so that the lower part of your back is against the ball. Your feet should be about six to 10 inches in front of you at about shoulder width apart. Without moving your feet and keeping your knees behind your toes, squat down until it’s like you’re sitting in a chair. Hold the position briefly then slowly come back up and repeat.
2. Dumbbell deadlift:
Grab a couple of 10- or 15-pound dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Stand up straight with your legs shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Keeping your knees and back straight, bend over at your waist with the dumbbells over the top of your feet. Keeping moving forward like you’re picking something up from the floor until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Then come back up slowly and repeat.
photos by Alex Zielinski. Workouts demonstrated by Sabrina Lolo.
4. Pushups:
Stand a five pound dumbbell straight up and touch it with your chest on the way down. Do maximum reps on all three sets.
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3. Seated row:
For this exercise, you’ll need to use a low pulley row machine with a V-bar, which helps you have a neutral grip. Sit on the machine with your feet on the front platform with your knees slightly bent. Start with 20 or 30 pounds. Lean over and grab the V-bar handles. With your arms extended, pull back until you are at a 90 degree angle from your legs with your back arched and chest sticking out. You should feel a stretch in your lower back. Then, keeping the torso still, pull the bar back towards you, squeezing your back muscles and keeping your arms close until you touch just below your chest. Slowly go back to the starting position with your arms extended and repeat.
20 Health & Fitness
the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Immune-boosting foods found on campus By Savannah SpragueJackson Contributing Writer At about this time of year, you are probably finding yourself with a roommate or some dorm mates who are ill. You may even be beginning to feel a bit under the weather yourself. But you can’t afford to get sick right now due to classes, piles of homework, an exam or perhaps a sports game. It may seem sometimes that the flu is like a plague that infects people at random. But you can help protect yourself from getting sick other than pouring some Emergen-C in a glass of orange juice, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. Now is the time to boost your immune system to ward off those illnesses floating around and save yourself the agony of a hoarse cough and achy joints. Here are a few foods that are extremely helpful and are easily attainable according to babble.com and http://articles.mercola.com. 1. Honey Health benefits: Honey has antioxidants and antibacterial properties to ward off unwanted sickness. It can be used for many things outside its obvious purpose, such as for the skin and hair. Honey can clear acne and scars as well as providing nourishment for the hair. Have some tea (green is the
best) with honey and lemon for an immune-boosting beverage. 2. Garlic Health benefits: Garlic has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties and plenty of antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. When making spaghetti, add a small amount of fresh, chopped garlic to the tomato sauce and pasta, or purchase garlic capsules at your local Walmart. 3. Yogurt Health benefit: Probiotics found in yogurt help get rid of germs in your digestive system. Just add blueberries, oats and honey for an immune-enhancing parfait. 4. Brown rice Health benefits: Brown rice contains selenium, which has similar effects as vitamin C. It also cleans and clears out your immune system. Stuff a bell pepper with brown rice and gouda cheese along with some sun-dried tomatoes and bake for dinner. 5. Button mushrooms Health benefits: These mushrooms also contain selenium, and can help reduce flu symptoms. Sauté these mushrooms with garlic, thyme and parsley in lemon juice mixed with white wine, extravirgin olive oil, butter and salt. 6.Sweet potatoes Health benefits: Sweet potatoes are filled with Vitamin A, which is beneficial to normal vision, the immune system and re-
Mocha Protein Frappucino
By tiffany flor Staff Writer If you want to reap the benefits of a protein shake after your workout but don’t want to taste protein powder and water, I’ll let you in on a little secret my mom shared with me: the mocha-flavored protein smoothies. Not only is this shake a great post workout drink, it’s also a great protein filled pick-me-up. photo by Sabrina Lolo Oranges in the pub.
prodution. If you’re going to the pub to eat, ask for a baked sweet potato instead of fries. 7. Bell peppers Health benefits: Bell peppers are valuable to a college student’s health. They are low in calories and crammed with nutrients and vitamin C. At the pub you can get Bell peppers in your wraps and also make stuffed bell peppers or add them to your stir-fry. 8. Tomatoes Health benefits: Tomatoes are full of antioxidants, including lycopene. Lycopene causes tomatoes to have greater health benefits after being prepared or processed. Add sun-dried tomatoes
to a sandwhich, eat spaghetti with tomato sauce with garlic and basil or grab a salad at the pub with a tomato or two. 9. Blueberries Health benefits:Blueberries are packed with vitamin B, which contributes to a healthy metabolism. Put blueberries in your morning meal, whether it is pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal or granola. 10. Citrus Health benefits: All citrus has vitamin C, which has antioxidants that protect white blood cells.Take advantage of warmclimate fruit, especially oranges. Add them to a smoothie or tea for extra immune enhancement.
Know your facts: Battle dorm sickness effectively By Nicole Zavala Contributing Writer It’s the beginning of the school year, and germs are easily spread between all the places students share on campus. Hopefully you are doing everything you can to take care of yourself, but in case you’re unsure about what to do to keep from getting sick, here are some common misconceptions. Myth: If a person takes Emergen-C or any other supplement with 1,000 milligrams or more of vitamin C, it will prevent a cold from coming on. Fact: In a 2006 broadcast on npr.org called The Vitamin C Myth, host Patricia Neighmond interviewed several doctors who all agreed that mega doses of Vitamin C was not beneficial to the body. The amount of Vitamin C taken will not reduce or stop the risk of a cold. If taken immediately when the symptoms of a cold appear, vitamin C will reduce the time a person is ill only by about a day. Vitamin C still has plenty of benefits, such as keeping our immune system healthy and has the capability to heal wounds, but taking 1,000 milligrams or more of this vitamin daily can lead to toxicity. Vitamin C toxicity is deadly, but symptoms may only be limited to diarrhea or even kidney stones. But again, that’s only with extremely large amounts of this vitamin every day. The human body can only process less than 400 milligrams of vitamin C daily and any larger dose will mostly be filtered out through urine. Myth: Taking antibiot-
ics will help you get better if you have a virus. Fact: According to www. nlm.nih.gov, antibiotics will not help you if you have a virus and may actually cause harm by destroying the good bacteria in your body or by creating drugresistant bad bacteria. They will, however, assist in your recovery if you have a bacterial infection. Antibiotics work by killing off bacteria or by preventing them from reproducing; they also allow your body to fight against the infection. It is crucial to follow through with antibiotics and take the whole treatment according to schedule, even after you feel better. It’s also vital to eat food that will build up the good bacteria after taking antibiotics, such as live and active Culture yogurt or probiotic supplements. Myth: The flu and the cold are one and the same. Fact: Influenza—the flu— can be dangerous. It’s a respiratory virus that can affect your joints and lungs, even causing pneumonia. According to WebMD, statistics show that 200,000 people are sent to the hospital annually due to the flu, so it’s imperative to get vaccinated every year to keep up with the strain of the virus that’s out there. It’s also important to take antivirals as soon as you feel the onset of the flu. On the other hand, a cold has symptoms similar to allergies, like sneezing, sinus buildup and itchy eyes, ears or throat. The common cold and the flu usually have symptoms that last around a week or two, but flu symptoms can last as long as a month, even if the virus is gone.
Tiffany’s Treats :
The prime time to become sick with either the flu or a cold is from the months of November to January. However, both these illnesses are preventable with hand
By Sabrina Lolo Health & Fitness Editor Relationships always have challenges. Learning that your partner has been involved with someone else within your social circle can be a challenge that’s hard to deal with. Since you really like this person and made the conscious decision to be with them, you’re going to have to get over it. It’s not always easy coming to terms with your partner’s sexual past, especially if their sex life was more vibrant and interesting than yours. Sure, we all get taken over by the green monster of jealousy once in a while, but you can’t let that eat you up or it could ruin what might be a potentially good relationship. To prevent that from happening, here are some tricks to help you get past this stumbling block. First off, putting someone down because of who they used to be is not okay. Some people have more experience than others, and making them feel ashamed about something that happened before they met you isn’t going to change what happened. It wasn’t anything against you and as long as they still don’t
washing, using your own cup or utensils and keeping your hands away from your face. Making sure to have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables won’t hurt either.
have feelings for any of those people, it’s irrelevant. What they did is in the past now, and as long as it stays in the past, it shouldn’t affect what you two have going on in the present. If your partner does open up to you about their past, that means they can trust you and you can probably trust them. This also shows that they care enough about you that they want to to tell the you the truth about everything they’ve done before you two get serious. Finally, remember that you chose to be in a relationship with this person because you really like who they are. What do you think made them the person they are today? That’s right, their past. Whether you like it or not, everyone has a past. Everyone has scars from being dumped, cheated or led on. They also probably have self-confidence from good experience and being able to rise above the bad times. It was these good and bad times that helped mold them into the person they are today. So don’t judge someon based on who they used to be. As long as you two want to only be with each other and that person treats you right, that’s all that should really matter.
photo by Tiffany Flor Mocha ingredients.
Just throw the following ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth: 1/2 cup of water 1 scoop chocolate protein prowder 2 cups of ice (adjust to preference) 1 teaspoon Pilon Instant Espresso* 1/2 agave Splash of almond milk
*If you don’t have instant espresso or coffee, just replace the 1/2 cup of water and instant espresso with 1/2 cup of liquid coffee. Every blender and every smoothie preference is different. Some blenders don’t blend as well as with too little liquid and too much ice, so adjust accordingly. To make the smoothie creamier, put more almond milk in and less water. For a more drinkable smoothie, put in less ice and more liquid. Adjust your frappe to your own taste buds and experiment a bit. Enjoy. .
photo by Tiffany Flor Mocha frappuccino protein shake.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Sports 21
Sports INSIDE SPORTS Triton of All Trades
page 23
Volleyball results
page 23
Soccer coverage
page 24
Tennis picks up first wins of season at Panther Invitational photo by Spencer Yaffe Senior Mac Jennings throws the ball in a lineout to Junior Isaac Anderson.
Men’s rugby drops opening match By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor The men’s rugby team was defeated by the Sarasota Saracens, an adult men’s club team, 29-0 on Saturday in a friendly match. A crowd of over 150 people came out to support the team for the home opener. Eckerd came out strong in spite of the heat. Both teams split possession looking for an edge. How-
ever, an early penalty kick, try and subsequent conversion by Sarasota took the air out of the team. Head Coach David Hedges said that the main problem for the Tritons was their fitness. Even though some players were exceptional, Hedges noted the team seemed a bit off. “Today, there were several individuals doing good things on the pitch with no support
from the others,” he said. “The game was affected by poor decisions by the referee” noted Hedges. Numerous dangerous tackles on Eckerd men went uncalled. On the technical side, the Tritons executed the fundamentals of rugby well considering the short amount of time the team has practiced together. They won back the ball in the scrums effectively, an area that was
an issue last year. Coupled with several key tackles on the goal line, which kept the game close before halftime, the team looks to build upon last year’s outings. New players gained experience thanks to rotating with veterans. Due to the preseason nature of the game, the game was divided into four 20-minute quarters as opposed to the standard two 40-minute halves. Freshmen rotated into the
game shortly after the 20 minute mark and Coach Hedges spoke highly of their possible development. “We’ve got a lot of potentially good freshman this year,” he said. This game does not count towards the standings. The team has several home and away friendly matches scheduled for fall semester and has entered the All Florida Day competition Oct.19 and 20.
Mack signs deal with CD Tinguiririca San Fernando By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor Alumnus Darrien Mack (‘13), recently signed a professional contract to play basketball with CD Tinguiririca San Fernando in Chile. San Fernando will be entering its first full season in the Liga Nacional de Basquetbol (“LNB”), which is Chile’s first division. The team had been playing in the Division Mayor del Basquetbol (“DIMAYOR”) league in the past. San Fernando found out about Mack through agents at GameTime Management, who strongly recommended him to San Fernando Head Coach Ares Ordenes. However, they weren’t the only team interested in him. “There were other deals that I declined due to lack of interest,”
Mack drives to the basket during his senior year.
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Association of Basketball Coaches All South-Region teams. He won the SSC Player of the Week award three times throughout the season and was also the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month in January. He finished his college career by scoring 18 points, including the game-winning basket, in the Reese’s Division II College AllStar Game in Louisville, Kent. Mack credits his Eckerd teammates and coaches for helping him reach this level of success. “I’ve learned so much from Coach [Tom] Ryan, the rest of the coaching staff and all of my teammates over the years,” Mack said. “I credit them for my growth and maturity. When I first came to Eckerd I was a teenage boy. When I left I was a young man.” Head Coach Tom Ryan attributes Mack’s success to his competitive spirit. “He has always been a driven kid,” Ryan said. “When he came here he started off as that freshman who got to play a little bit but not much, and he wanted more and more and he kept working towards it. His academic and his athletic career were both kind of made by who photo courtesy of eckerdtritons.com/Andy Meng he is and being a driven competitor.”
Mack said. “I wanted to play in the top division in whichever country I chose as well as receive a certain salary. Tinguiririca San Fernando met all of my requirements so I decided that I shouldn’t hold out any longer.” After averaging 12.2 points per game off the bench as a junior in the 2011-2012 season, the 6-foot-7-inches forward replaced SSC Player of the Year Alumnus Lance Kearse (‘12) in the starting lineup for his senior year. He led the SSC with his 18.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, and finished third in the conference with a .557 field goal percentage and 2.2 steals per game. As a result of his strong season, Mack was voted First Team All-SSC. He was also named to the First Team 2012-13 Daktronics NCAA D-II Men’s Basketball All-South Region and the First Team 2013 National
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Although Mack didn’t believe he would actually be able to play basketball professionally until his sophomore season, Associate Head Coach Kendrick Wilson saw it as a possibility from day one. “When we first recruited him, you could see the potential in a possible professional career,” Wilson said. “Just with his size, his length, his athleticism and his versatility, you could see that the potential was there, so if he worked hard enough you could assume that he would have the opportunity to play. In the beginning parts of his senior year, after our game against Paine College, you could see that a professional career was really likely because of how he played and how he was able to dominate.” Mack doesn’t anticipate it being too challenging to adjust to playing in a new country because both San Fernando and the Tritons have similar game plans. “The style of play that Tinguiririca San Fernando likes to play seems similar to the style at Eckerd,” Mack said. “Coach Ordenes is a strong advocate on the defensive end, much like Coach Ryan. On the offensive end, we have set plays that are designed to really get everyone involved, kind of like the Triangle Offense.” Mack is ready to start his next challenge. He departed for Chile on Sept. 19 to begin training. “I’m excited and nervous about my opportunity to play professionally,” Mack said before he left the U.S. “Not everyone is blessed with the opportunity.”
By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams competed in the Panther Invitational Sept. 20 to 22. Both teams competed in doubles matches Sept. 20. The men were able to win one of their six matches when Sophomore Yosua Adiyasa and Sophomore Frazier Springfield defeated a doubles team from Palm Beach Atlantic 8-1. The women’s team fared better, winning three of their four doubles matches. Juniors Gipson Hawn and Erika Fridrik won their first match 9-7 before falling in their second match, while Junior Amy Naula and Freshman Emily Fridrik won both their matches by scores of 8-0 and 8-4, respectively. Singles competition started Sept. 21. The men’s team showed better results than they did the previous day, winning four of their 12 matches. Junior Luke Burton and Sophomore Jonathan Cheng each won one of their matches, while Adiyasa won both of his. Cheng’s victory came in straight sets (7-6, 6-1) over Daniel Armellino of the Florida Institute of Technology. Burton needed three sets to beat Nicholas Battistinini of Palm Beach Atlantic University by a score of 2-6, 6-4, 10-7. Adiyasa lost the first set 2-6 against Patrick Hernandez of the Florida Institute of Technology, but then recovered to take the next two sets 7-6 and 10-4. He carried that momentum over into his second match of the day, beating Palm Beach Atlantic’s Giuseppe Guarnieri 6-3, 6-1. On the women’s side, Hawn and Naula each won both of their matches, while Erika Fridrik won one as well. Hawn won her matches by scores of 7-6, 6-2 and 3-6, 6-3, 108. Naula dominated her competition, winning her matches by scores of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-3, 6-1. Fridrik’s win came in her second match, when she beat Palm Beach Atlantic’s Samantha Grim 6-3, 6-1. As a result of their 2-0 singles records, Adiyasa, Hawn and Naula all advanced to the championship match of their respective brackets on Sept. 22. Adiyasa managed to beat Webber International’s Jonathan Cohen 7-6, 1-6, 10-7. Hawn and Naula each went up against opponents from the University of Tampa but came up on the wrong end. They lost 6-2, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-1, respectively. Both tennis teams are done competing in matches this fall and will resume their seasons in the spring.
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
UPCOMING
SPORTS Sept. 27
VOLLEYBALL
7 p.m. @ Nova Southeastern University
Sept. 28
VOLLEYBALL
4 p.m. @ Lynn University
MEN’S SOCCER
5 p.m. @ Saint Leo University
WOMEN’S SOCCER
7:30 p.m. @ Saint Leo University
Oct. 1
MEN’S SOCCER
7 p.m. @ University of Tampa
Oct. 2
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Sports Briefly Eckerd Women’s soccer player returns Sophomore Midfielder Melissa Madison made a return to the team against Rollins College. Madison was treated for concussionlike symptoms after a game against Johnson & Wales on Sept. 7. Last season, Madison started ten games and finished the year with one goal. She came off the bench and played for 51 minutes in the loss to Rollins.
Men’s golf competes at tournament Men’s golf finished strong at the first tournament of the season. The team finished fourth overall at the Coastal Georgia Fall Invitational. The performance was highlighted by an eighth place finish by Sophomore Jake Soloman as well as top 20 finishes by Seniors Jeff Evanier and Greg Reilly. The men’s golf team is currently tied for 15th in the Jay Jennison Memorial Invitational at press time.
Sailing places runner-up Eckerd sailing completed their second regatta of the year last weekend. The coed team placed second in a regatta held in Winter Park, Fla. However, inclement weather shortened the regatta below the number of necessary races. This ruled the event as unofficial and will not be counted toward points standings for the SAISA South Series.
National AVP comes to St. Petersburg The American Volleyball Professionals Tour stopped in Vinoy Park on their seven-city tour. The event organized some of the best volleyball players in the world in a spectacle only passed by the Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournament held every four years. The St. Petersburg event was cut short on its final day due to inclement weather and the finals of both Men’s and women’s beach volleyball were canceled.
Andy Pettite announces retirement
In addition to the loss of Jorge Posada last year and the announced retirement of Mariano Rivera Yankees pitcher Andy Pettite announced his plans to retire at season’s end. Pettite will finish his career with over 250 wins and over 2400 strikeouts. He is scheduled to make his last start against the Houston Astros. Ultimate fighting set new records last weekend in a stunning title defense. Jon Jones defended his World Light Heavyweight Title against Alexander Gustafsson 134-110. The split decision was not protested by Gustafsson. This is Jones’s sixth successful title defense which is a new UFC record.The fight was one of the closest of Jones’ career.
VOLLEYBALL
7 p.m. v. Florida Southern College
VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 5
4 p.m. v. University of Tampa
WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER
7 p.m. v. Florida Southern College
Sept. 21 v. No. 3 Rollins College L 4-1
Women’s Soccer Sept. 12 v. Clearwater Christian College W 3-0
Volleyball
VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 8
Sept. 17 v. Clearwater Christian College W 8-0
Sept. 21 v. No. 22 Rollins College L 3-0
7 p.m. v. Rollins College
7:30 p.m. @ Florida Tech
Sept. 10 v. Warner University T 0-0 (2 OT)
Sept. 13 v. Florida Memorial University W 5-0
Oct. 4
MEN’S SOCCER
Men’s Soccer
Jon Jones retains belt
7 p.m. @ University of Tampa
5 p.m. @ Florida Tech
SCORE BOARD
photo by Cypress Hansen Eckerd students show their support for volleyball’s Madison Burr at a home match in the McArthur Center.
Winning Shots Send your fan photos to currentsports@eckerd.edu for a chance to be featured in upcoming issues of The Current.
Oct. 9
Sept. 13 v. Wilmington University @ Eckerd College Classic W 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 2513) Sept. 13 v. Bentley University @ Eckerd College Classic W 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 2522) Sept. 14 v. University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras @ Eckerd College Classic W 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 2522)
MEN’S SOCCER
7 p.m. v. Florida Southern College
VOLLEYBALL
7 p.m. v. Saint Leo University
Sept. 20 v. Cedarville University @ Saint Leo Classic W 3-0 (25-20, 25-8, 25-18)
Men’s Golf
photo by Spencer Yaffe Fans show their support for their favorite rugby players on the sideline of the team’s first match.
Sept. 16 and 17 @ Coastal Georgia Fall Invitational 4th of 13
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Sports 23
photos by Cypress Hansen Volleyball players (from left) Burr, Humphrey, Reimer and Biggs wait for an opposition serve.
Eckerd volleyball riding hot streak
The downfall of US professional sports By Mike Geibel Sports Editor What has happened to our favorite sports? New reports surface all the time of our greatest pastimes becoming our biggest social problems. Baseball players are getting banned for steroid use, professional athletes are in and out of jail more every year and Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Jacoby Jones was reportedly hit in the head with a bottle by a stripper named Sweet Pea. The legendary “Frozen Tundra” of Lambeau Field, according to the stadium tour guide when I visited in July, is now approximately three percent plastic fibers and features heated water pipes running under the turf to keep the Frozen Tundra from...freezing. Athletes are paid more now than ever before and still we sit through media fiascos like Lebron James taking his talent to South Beach. Former New England Patriots Tight End Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with firstdegree murder and gun charges, prompting fans to wonder, “Was your $40 million professional football contract not enough to keep you on the straight and narrow?” It seems that through all of the endorsements, temptations and lavish lifestyles that these athletes enjoy, the purity of the game has been lost. There once was a time when athletes were good role models for kids. It seems nowadays that kids can learn more of what not to do from following their favorite players. The problem isn’t just with professional sports either. Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, was embroiled in a payfor-autograph scandal, suspended for one half of the first game of the season and has been criticized for his attitude and lack of humility since the incident. This isn’t just your everyday college player. This is the guy they call “Johnny Football”. In what may be the ultimate example of the downfall of sports, Riley Cooper of the Philadelphia Eagles was forced to apologize after being caught on a cell phone camera making a racial slur. I admit, one of my favorite players my entire life was involved in a scandal as well. After being the hero of Green Bay for years, Brett Favre was accused of sending obscene pictures through text messages
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by a New York Jets staff member. When I look at the way sports are now, I can’t help but feel a little betrayed. The National Football League is a $9 billion business completely paid for by the fans. Whether it’s directly through ticket and merchandise sales or indirectly through sponsorship and advertising, these businesses would not make money without the support and viewership of the fans. And we, as fans, are being cheated. Over the summer I spent a month in Masaya, Nicaragua doing research for school. Nicaragua is fairly low-ranked on the income scale for the western hemisphere, but one thing they don’t lack is athletes. Every night, in the street outside the house where I was staying, a group of children came together to play soccer. These same kids spent the majority of their days in the city’s central park, making crafts out of banana leaves to sell for a little extra money to take home. But once the day’s work was complete, they got to enjoy a little bit of time banging an old, beat up soccer ball off the metal outer gates of the colonial-style homes. They weren’t playing for money or fame. They played for the love of the game and to spend time with their friends. After working and begging for spare change all day long, the kids found peace in the game. Every weekend I was in the country, a few blocks away from the street soccer game, the local baseball team played. The San Fernando Fieras, wearing jerseys bearing a striking resemblance to the San Francisco Giants in color and logo, packed Roberto Clemente Stadium at every game I attended. Instead of paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars as one may expect for seats behind home plate in the United States, I was able to get the best seats in the house for the equivalent of around $1.60. My spanish tutor, Bismarck, did tell me that seats during the playoffs and championship can get expensive, however. According to Bismarck, prices for tickets in the championship can get all the way up to 400 Cordobas. That, depending on the exchange rate for the day, is about $16. But I guess sports are only enjoyable if you’re sitting in a $1.2 billion stadium with a 160-foot wide video screen, or so it seems.
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By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor The Eckerd volleyball team has been on a tear recently, winning their past five matches, the past four of which came in straight sets. On Sept. 13 and 14, they successfully dominated their competition by sweeping all three games they played in the third annual Eckerd College Classic. Their first match of the tournament came Sept. 13 against Wilmington University, winning 25-17, 25-15, 2513. Senior Lindsay Biggs led the way, picking up 18 of the team’s 47 kills. Senior Madison Burr had 25 assists. The Tritons played again later that day, sweeping Bentley University 25-18, 25-15, 25-22. Biggs picked
up 14 digs and 10 kills, while juniors Ali McAlvany and Katarina Milojevic each added nine kills. Eckerd picked up right where they left off the next day, beating the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 25-22, 25-23, 25-22. Biggs and sophomore Tjana Kotnik each finished with double-digit kills, with 13 and 10 respectively. Sophomore Emily Schadow had 34 assists and 10 digs. On Sept. 20, the Tritons played Cedarville University in the Saint Leo Classic. They swept them too, winning 25-20, 25-8, 25-18. Biggs once again led the team in kills, picking up 10 of them. Burr had 19 assists and senior Kaleigh Humphrey had 16 digs. Eckerd will look to keep their momentum as they start conference play with matches on Sept. 27 and 28 at Nova Southeastern University and Lynn University.
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IMPORTANT Thanksgiving Fall Finals Spring Semester Begins Spring Break Spring Finals
DATES
Thanksgiving Fall Final s November 28-29 Spring Semester Begins December 9-12 Spring Break January 28 Spring Final s March 22-30
May 12-15
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the current
Sept. 27, 2013
Sports Men’s soccer seniors
(from left to right) Daniel Lopez Seb Marley Toni Virtanen Anthony Brenner Mark Lee
photos by Cypress Hansen
Soccer teams face Rollins in first major test Men’s soccer searching for consistency By Max Catucci Contributing Writer It’s been a busy few weeks for the Tritons men’s soccer team. On Sept. 10, the team battled Warner University, who came in with a record of 1-2-1. The matchup was a defensive struggle as neither team could score in a double overtime battle. The star of the game was Senior Goalkeeper Toni Virtanen who blocked a potential game-winning penalty kick with 22.8 seconds remaining in the second overtime. The offense woke up for their match against Clearwater Christian College Sept. 17. The Tritons dominated the Cougars on their way to an 8-0 victory. Sophomore Joe Swindell nearly had a hat trick, scoring twice in the match. Other scorers for the Tritons were Senior De-
fender Anthony Brenner, Senior Forward Matt Dolan, Junior Forward Nick Murawski, Freshman Forward Shakeem Albouy and Junior Forward Thomas Zimath. The team then took on No. 3 Rollins College on Sept. 21 at the Turley Athletic Center. The Tars scored two goals early in the game to give themselves a sizable lead going into halftime. Eckerd got one goal back from Rollins in the 66th minute when Sophomore Midfieleder Richard Ainscough scored . The Tritons would get no closer. A pair of late goals by Grant Blackhurst of Rollins pushed the score to 4-1 and sealed the game for the Tars. Rollins remains undefeated on the season at 5-0-0, while the Tritons fell to 2-2-1. Next up for the men’s team are three away games before returning home Oct. 9 against Florida Southern College.
photo by Spencer Yaffe Junior Goalkeeper Morgan Crescent flashes a smile during an early matchup at the Turley Athletic Complex.
Women’s soccer handed first defeat of season By Max Catucci Contributing Writer Rollins College handed the women’s soccer team its first loss of the season 3-0 on Sept. 21. Entering the night at 4-0-0, the Tritons were looking to join the University of Tampa as the only unbeaten teams in the conference, but the Tars had other plans. Rollins’ defense held the Tritons to a season low five shots and two on goal. Junior Goalkeeper Morgan Crescent gave up three goals for the first time in her last 11 starts, dating back to the team’s 3-1 loss to Florida Southern Oct. 13, 2012. In yet another game delayed by weather, the women defeated Clearwater Christian College Sept. 12 by a final score of 3-0. Senior Defender Kelly Coughenour scored first for the Tritons, scoring in the 28th minute. The goal was Coughenour’s first of the season and came on her birthday. The other two goals later in the game were scored by Sophomore Midfielder Abbey Walter on a penalty kick and Se-
photo by Spencer Yaffe Sophomore Defender Adam Stephany protects the ball from two opposing players.
nior Midfielder Erin Davis. The match was called due to lightning after the 70-minute minimum NCAA requirement was met to be considered a full game. Just one day later, Florida Memorial College visited Eckerd. The Lions were also kept off the scoreboard, losing 5-0 to the superior effort of the Tritons. The women fired 42 shots on the Lions defense. The Tritons’ goals were scored by Sophomore Forward Devon Morse, Sophomore Midfielder Haley Burger, Sophomore Defender Michelle Spesshardt and two by Junior Forward Arie Anahory. Crescent added another shutout to her stat line, taking her total to three on the season. She is closing in on the career shutout record of 16 set by Alumna Kathy Atkins (‘02). Crescent’s career total is now 10 after setting the single-season record for shutouts last year with seven. The women return home after a three game road trip Oct. 8 against Florida Southern College at 7 p.m. at the Turley Athletic Complex.
photo by Spencer Yaffe The women’s soccer team lines up before the start of a game.
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