The Current Issue 9

The Official Student Newspaper of Eckerd College

Vol. XXIV

March 19, 2010

St. Petersburg, Florida

Issue 9

photo by Bradley Ennis See related articles on page 3

Pinellas Trail to cross EC Trail expansion will affect campus entrances

News & Features — Page 2

Body ink galore

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Tattoos are no longer just for the manliest of men

An act that rocked Mahaffey Theater

Viewpoints — Page 12

Arts & Entertainment — Page 14

news & features

Pinellas Trail to cross campus entrance Executive Board Managing Editor Meagan Bemis thecurrent@eckerd.edu Editor-in-Chief Petra Stevenson Copy Editor Emily Krumm Director of Advertising Caitlin Gerry Asst. Advertising Abby Gestl currentads@eckerd.edu Faculty Adviser Tracy Crow

Editorial Board News Editor Laurel Ormiston currentnews@eckerd.edu Entertainment Editor Francie Devine currententertainment@eckerd.edu Viewpoints Editor Catee Baugh currentviews@eckerd.edu Photography Editors Shawn Craine Erin Linebarger Sports Editor Max Martinez currentsports@eckerd.edu Sports Photographer Doug Thayer

Staff Writers Jaclyn New Jeralyn Darling Johnny Jones Sarah Malhotra Sarah Yost Will Creager Abby Gestl Kasey Kilinski Ethan Packey Saige Liparulo

Contributing Writers Allie Solan Ben Maxwell Sarah Karpf James Clappier

• March 19, 2010 • • Vol. XXIV Iss. 9 • 2

Friday, March 19, 2010

By Petra Stevenson Editor-in-Chief If you haven’t noticed the line of orange survey stakes dotting the grass along 54th Avenue South, you probably haven’t gotten off campus in a while.

The stakes indicate the future route of the Pinellas Trail, the county’s multi-segmented bike path. The trail soon to be expanded to run parallel to 34th Street South all the way from Ninth Avenue North. At the junction with 54th Avenue South, it will cross the intersection and head right—passing directly across Eckerd’s front entrance.

“We are very concerned about this,” said Bill McKenna, Director of Planning, Development and Construction for Eckerd College during a public forum March 2.

“We’re not opposed to bike trails…but this issue here at the entrance is very problematic.”

Eckerd already deals with traffic safety issues at the front entrance. Vehicles turning right onto 54th Avenue South, for instance, sometimes make false-starts and are rear-ended by cars stacked up behind them. Vehicles making left turns have to accelerate rapidly to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic.

“When we put the trail crossing this same point [the front entrance], we introduce another set of variables that make it that much more challenging for everybody,” McKenna said. “Vehicles and bikes.”

Eckerd has been talking with the city of St. Petersburg for the better part of a year to explain safety concerns

and negotiate solutions. Traffic safety engineers have also been working closely with the college to evaluate how the trail will affect the intersection.

Fortunately, the city has agreed to not begin construction across the front entrance until after commencement. And both McKenna and Eckerd President Donald Eastman are optimistic that at least a portion of the necessary changes to campus will be paid for by the city.

So what changes are to be made, exactly?

The college’s “ultimate solution” is to reduce the volume of traffic at the front gate. To do this, the nowclosed back gate would become operable again. A third lane would be added and raised-arm gates installed.

Incoming delivery trucks would use the right lane and communicate with Campus Safety and Security via intercom. If approved, they would receive a printed pass recording the time of their entry and exit. If rejected, they would have a new space to turn around and return to the highway.

Students, faculty and staff would use the left incoming lane, and swipe their ID cards to open the gate. A pedestrian and bike gate would also be constructed.

The new back entrance would not be manned and would close at night.

Of course, the front gate would also still be used. It’s likely that it will be widened to allow for a larger island that will serve as a “safety zone” for cyclists crossing the entrance. In addition, because traffic must legally stop short of the trail, the traffic safety engineers have suggested a “parallel pull-up,” in which vehicles heading both directions would stop perpendicular to the highway.

Those turning right would make a sharp 90 degree turn instead of the current 30 or 40 degree merge. However, this creates a line-of-sight problem for drivers making that right turn: smaller cars would not be able to see oncoming traffic behind larger cars turning left.

“I’m not sure the 90 degree turn would make it safer,” Eastman said at the forum. “It might make it less safe.”

Because of this, the college is pushing for a shortened—rather than eliminated—“porkchop” for vehicles turning right onto the highway. Drivers making a right turn out of campus would be able to creep forward far enough to see gaps oncoming vehicles.

“It’s not good,” McKenna said of the proposal. “It’s not perfect. It’s not the right solution, but we thought it was better. The city, and probably DOT [Department of Transportation], will seriously disagree with that.”

Tightly spaced metal poles known as bollards will also be placed across the trail at the campus entrance to help slow bike traffic. Bikes, like pedestrians, have the right of way when vehicles are concerned, but cyclists pedaling across intersections create an obvious safety concern.

“It is the intention that the bike[er]s will dismount,” McKenna said. “Will they dismount? Well, probably not.”

Finally, the college would like to create a more official exit near MacArthur Gymnasium. If the current construction exit was expanded and improved, it could serve traffic attending venues such as volleyball and basketball games. Traffic leaving such events wouldn’t have to go back through campus to leave, though the exit would allow right-hand turns only.

However, McKenna stressed that negotiations and planning are still ongoing. “None of these proposals are set in stone,” he said.

news & features Rape in the Congo for our luxuries?

By Sarah Malhotra Staff Writer

photo by Bradley Ennis

John Prendergast and Elie Wiesel speak of Africa

By Sarah Katherine Yost Staff Writer “Knowledge is not the answer alone…Will the world ever learn—the world has not learned.” March 11, Dr. Elie Wiesel spoke these words at the Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.

The night’s events included the introduction of The Plight and Promise of Africa: An Eckerd College Initiative that seeks to raise Africa’s profile through academic study, activism and community consciousness.

The guest speakers were John Prendergast and Elie Wiesel. The lecture began with a slideshow of images photographed abroad by Eckerd senior and visual arts major Bradley Ennis. The images depicting suffering and death in African countries set the mood for the night.

Alizza Punzalan-Hall, the director of community and media relations and Eckerd co-chair of The Plight and Promise of Africa: An Eckerd College Initiative, opened the evening by introducing John Prendergast.

Prendergast is an African affairs expert, human rights activist and a best-selling co-author of Not On Our Watch with actor

Don Cheadle. Prendergast joked that he is also known as the “Bono of the Genocide movement.”

“Darfur is the genocide of the 21st Century,” pressed Prendergast. “It’s a widespread belief that Africa is a hopeless country.”

Prendergast spoke about the weapon of the century, free and unparalleled: mass rape.

He also expressed concern about the misrepresentation of Africa in the film industry.

The films he mentioned were “Blood Diamond” (2006) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly; “Lord of War” (2005) with Nicolas Cage and Jared Leto; “The Last King of Scotland” (2006) with Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy; and finally “Hotel Rwanda” (2005) with actor Don Cheadle. Prendergast noted that the films had one thing in common — there was no postscript at the end to explain that the countries were now peaceful countries.

“Without the postscript, most people don’t know,” stated Prendergast in a plea for knowledge. Without an explanation, people remain ignorant of the progress of Africa. Prendergast went a step further, to say that Africa

is not that much different from the rest of the world, and asked “How can we not be hopeful?”

Prendergast praised the EC community and stated that he has faith in the students, hoping they will become the leaders of anti-genocide.

President of Eckerd College Donald Eastman introduced the second speaker for the night, Elie Wiesel. The idea that Wiesel wanted to instill in the audience was that knowledge does not have all the answers. It is not enough to know about what is going on in Africa; it is time to act. How do we act? “We don’t have the power, Congress has the power,” affirms Wiesel. But he suggests, “Write petitions!”

Wiesel also proclaimed powerfully, “Not to give in, never give up hope. There is no substitute for hope. The moment you remove hope, everything turns to dust.”

Africa has potential, and as citizens of a country that stands for justice and ethics, our time to act and stop pretending is now. That is the goal of The Plight and Promise of Africa: An Eckerd College Initiative, to acknowledge and to act.

In the words of Elie Wiesel, “Whatever happens to the world today happens to us.”

It’s horrifying to think that we live in a world where genocide and rape still exist. As citizens of the world, we have a duty to do our part to stop the horrors. John Prendergast recently presented this idea during the Eckerd CPS event, “Stopping rape as a war weapon, in the Congo and beyond.”

Prendergast painted a positive picture of what we, as Eckerd students, can do to effect real change in the Congo. With an uplifting talk about the realistic ways in which we can take action, he revealed how we can change the world as consumers, as students and as individuals.

Prendergast is a human rights activist and Africans affairs expert. He promotes knowledge of the fact that more than 5.4 million people have died in the Congo over the last 12 years because of the violence of war and the rebel militia groups.

And that more than 200,000 victimized women and girls have suffered rape. Without the help of the international community, he says, the violence will continue. Women will continue to be raped on a daily basis. And in a way, we’re the ones responsible for the tragedies going on in Africa.

The Congo’s mines produce between 15 and 25 percent of the world’s tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. These four natural resources are known as the conflict minerals, because of the violent nature by which they are acquired. Today the Congo is the most dangerous place on earth to be a woman. The militias routinely use rape as their primary military tactic to invoke fear and intimidation into those who are powerless to defend themselves. Rape not only physically and mentally defeats the women of the Congo, but sends the terrifying message to the men that they are incapable of protecting their families.

This brutal strategy enables the militias to destroy communities and steal natural resources, which they exploit by smuggling out of the country across the Rwandan and Ugandan borders. The conflict minerals are then sold to companies in China, India, Malaysia and Thailand where they are refined and mixed with minerals from around the world. This makes it difficult to trace them. They are processed into components and sold around the world in various products, which include: cell phones, laptops, video games and cameras.

In cell phones, tantalum stores electricity. Without it, your cell phone would be silent. Tungsten allows cell phones to vibrate, while tin fuses circuit boards together. Gold coats the wiring and is the highest valued metal in cell phones and laptops.

At the rate the U.S. and other countries buy electronics, the Congolese militia groups make millions of dollars every year.

With these funds, the militias buy guns and other weapons, which they use to terrorize the people of the Congo. And the cycle repeats itself.

According to Prendergast, the first step is awareness. Inform yourself and inform others about the situation in the Congo. Be it Facebook, MySpace, texting, IM, email, Twitter or YouTube, we are constantly connected to other people around the world.

And we can use this to our advantage. Use your Facebook status to alert the world to the injustice that’s going on. Make a YouTube video protesting the use of rape as a war weapon.

In-depth information about the Congo can be found at www. raisehopeforcongo.org Prendergast is co-founder of the Enough project (www. enoughproject.org), which works to promote peace, protect civilians and punish perpetrators. Above all, the main goal is to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity.

Friday, March 19, 2010

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news & features

Organic community garden up and growing

By Ethan Packey Staff Writer

photo by Ethan Packey Students plant veggies in the garden.

In recent weeks, a new campus activity has sprung to life: the Eckerd community organic garden. The garden project came to life with the help of the Office of Service-Learning several weeks ago, but has grown into a primarily studentdirected program, and many take the time to check on the garden in shifts during the week.

The primary component of garden work is the community workday every Saturday. Students get together to prepare and plant new vegetable beds.

Peppers, beans, and many other vegetables have already been planted. Spices, such as coriander, will be put in the ground next.

As the semester continues and the veggies grow, preparations will be made for a campus harvest festival. Afterward, the remaining vegetables will go to the UNICCO workers and the Food Bank. At that point, some beds may be covered with tarps and others will planted with cover crops such as sweet potatoes, clovers and peas. These plants will replace the nutrients in the soil and provide for a second harvest when classes resume in the fall.

Students build beds for the garden.

photo by Ethan Packey

If you like working with your hands on environmental projects, come out to the community workday at noon every Saturday.

The students in charge of the garden are Ashley Zuorski and Leonora Stefanile, and can be reached at zuorskah@eckerd.edu and stefanlk@eckerd.edu.

Professor Prevas returns from Rio after book translation

By James Clappier Contributing Writer Not many professors have a photo of themselves holding an AK-47 in the mountainous desert of the boarder between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Eckerd College classics professor John Prevas does, however. The photo was taken while he traveled over the Khyber Pass, retracing the steps of Alexander the Great.

Eckerd’s own Indiana Jones, Prevas has ventured deep into the Middle East to study some of the greatest leaders and civilizations in history and has written several books. Most recently, Power, Ambition, Glory, co-authored by John Prevas and Steve Forbes, was translated to Portuguese and released in Rio de Janeiro.

The subject of the book is a comparison between six ancient leaders and six modern CEOs. “Our idea, our theory,” explains Prevas, “is that nothing changes when it comes to human nature. Even though 2,000 years separate us, the essentials of human nature remain the same.”

Power, Ambition, Glory links the actions of ancient ego-filled leaders after conquering vast territories to the leaders of some of the most rich and powerful businesses in today’s world. “It’s a good guide for leadership, the pitfalls and lessons of the ancient world,” said Prevas. One book reviewer agreed, claiming that every CEO should take the book on vacation that summer.

The book was released in English June 2009, and 4

Friday, March 19, 2010

was a New York Times best-seller for five weeks. This is very successful for a history book, and a testament to Prevas’ writing style. “My objective as a writer is to bring ancient history to a modern audience in a way that’s interesting,” said Prevas. “I like to appeal to a relatively well educated audience, but I’m not writing for other historians. What I’m trying to do is bring history to a general audience.”

Power, Ambition, Glory has since been translated to Chinese, Korean, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish, Turkish and most recently, Portuguese.

Recently, Prevas went to Rio to meet with the publisher and public relations organizers, as well as with several Brazilian students. In Rio, Prevas stayed with the family of Eckerd Junior Jean Eudouard Ourceyre. Ourceyre speaks English, French and Portuguese fluently, and took a class with Prevas. He and Prevas, who also speaks French, would converse after class, and they became friends. Prevas claims the Ourceyres made his trip so successful. “They opened up Rio for me. They opened up their hearts and that city for me.”

Though Prevas rode in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with deeply tinted windows for his personal safety, he was enamored with Brazil. “What I take away most from my trip to Rio is the warmth and hospitality of its people, the great food and music, and the coldest beer I’ve ever had.”

One part of the trip, which struck Prevas deeply, was his talk with a group of Brazilian students learning English. At first, the students were shy and afraid to speak, in case they made a mistake. Prevas broke the

ice by showing how poorly the conversation would go if he tried to speak Portuguese, and explained how it didn’t matter if they messed anything up: the important thing is to practice.

He soon had them all conversing, and their message was clear. “They are filled with hope for Brazil in the future,” he said. “I was really impressed with one thing -- they’re hungry. It made me realize how well off we are. We really are. They are hungry because they want to make a life for themselves. Their poverty, the poverty of Brazil, is on the rise, and they are motivated in that regard. And that’s what worries me sometimes about our country. We have lost that hunger because we are so well off.” Prevas encouraged them to keep studying and applying their knowledge, telling them it would take them far.

Unfortunately, the primary objective of Prevas’ trip didn’t go as planned. The printing of the book was delayed, and the release date has been pushed back to late May. Prevas remains unconcerned, as the translation, which is the difficult part, has been finished. The production setback is actually a blessing in disguise, as the later date won’t conflict with Carnival, and the book release will be able to draw more press coverage.

And Prevas will have another excuse to go back to Rio. His future projects include another co-authored book with Forbes, comparing Rome and the United States, as well as a trip up the Amazon with Ourceyre’s father. “I want to see the head hunters. I want to see the feared piranha and the anaconda. I want to see the Amazon,” Prevas said.

news & features

Apathetic or Uninformed?

Student government isn’t just for the officers

By Laurel Ormiston News Editor

I

f college is a microcosm for the “real world,” what responsibility do we have to student government as undergraduates? Student government is a phrase that some students have loved since middle school and others have simply ignored. Where do Eckerd College students stand?

In 2010, we plead ignorant. According to a recent survey, just under half of Eckerd students are woefully confused about even the basic structure of our student government. Then again, we are never taught this information in Autumn Term.

So to review: Eckerd College Organization of Students, ECOS, is the mamma-bear of everything student. This includes the two branches of student government: the executive council and the senate. In addition, aside from the senate and executive council, a lot of what happens in ECOS goes on in committees: such as the Academic Affairs Committee, Financial Affairs Committee and Constitution, Regulations and Bylaws Committee. Three appointed officers have sweeping involvement in ECOS: the chief of staff, parliamentarian and recording secretary, all of whom are involved in multiple aspects of ECOS. For now, let’s focus on the executive council and senate, because they are the two main branches of government. The good news? Half of EC students can name at least one ECOS student government officer. The two most recognized officers, according to the survey, were President Lauren DeLalla and Vice President Mike Kennison.

But what do they do? In the survey, 73.5 percent of students said they did not know the tasks and responsibilities held by ECOS executive council and senate members. “I don’t think they really make themselves open to student feedback since their meetings are never well (or at all) publicized, and I wouldn’t know when or where to go if I wanted to attend one of these meetings,” said one Eckerd student.

If you attended the senate meeting Feb. 25, where the president of executive council happened to show up, you’d have seen that DeLalla, our student leader, appears more than competent: from the professional dress at 9 p.m. on a Thursday night in the coffee house to the sophistication and polish in her pep talk to the senate about current affairs in the student body. Yet if a stranger were forced to form an impression of the president based on the typical Eckerd student’s descriptions, you’d think she was a shadowy overlord.

“They’re kind of reclusive...not really sure what all they do,” commented one student about executive council.

Another said, “The senate is open and accessible, but executive council is definitely not transparent.”

There’s reason for the confusion even beyond the missing 101 course. The ECOS Web site is a maze.

Information is sporadically accurate and inaccurate, making Eckerd Webmail the only reliable source of information. For instance, the senate no longer meets, as claimed on the Web, in the Wave room of the cafeteria 6 p.m. on Thursdays. The minutes and agenda for meetings are not posted. The “latest news” links to articles from 2008.

That said, Brittany O’Shaugnessy, executive council vice president of financial affairs, said at a recent senate meeting that they were looking to improve the Web site and create a more student-friendly interactive experience. DeLalla agreed, saying that the Web site was a priority for spring semester. Eventually, she hopes to have a Web site that is both informative and interactive, an “online bulletin board,” where students can find rides to the airport, carpool and buy and sell materials. DeLalla says they are currently seeking help with the Web site: if interested, just drop by the ECOS office in Brown Hall. First, however, the basic facts need to be corrected, by a member of ITS if necessary. Such as where and when the senate meetings are held.

Poor publicity is one factor that impedes students from becoming involved without directly contacting a member to confirm a meeting time. “I feel that they need to advertise what they are doing more, as well as bring bigger subject to the table,” said Freshman Jack Morrissey. Choosing one meeting location and sticking to it firmly, with both paper and e-mail notifications, might assist students who’d like to drop in on meetings with their elected board. The senate meetings aren’t boring or scary, they’re a more professional version of the chatter in our common rooms that occurs daily.

But with a purpose.

Most students, for whatever reason, do not attend the senate meetings. “I think ECOS is open to student feedback, but I also think much of the student body doesn’t care what ECOS does. Which means that ECOS kind of runs on nepotism and [it’s] hard to get diverse viewpoints,” said one student. Some students do not involve themselves because they feel the job is getting done, and they have no interest in politics. “It’s like you’re either super involved, or not at all,” commented Sophomore Jackie Dolan.

As of March, the upcoming executive council elections are, at least, indicative of more interest than last year, according to DeLalla. The turn-out in candidates for office this year is higher than last year when several positions went unopposed. But whether or not you choose to run for office, every officer reiterates the same phrase: they want feedback. “I have students in the office every day saying ‘hey, can we make this happen?’” said DeLalla. If you’re shy: it can be something as simple as an e-mail.

“I think they make themselves available to student feedback.” Said Sophomore Amy Share, “I just don’t attend meetings because I haven’t had any issues I felt I See ECOS on PAGE 7

ECOS Executive Council Who is the 2009-10 executive council, you ask? The executive council is responsible for bridging the gap between students and administration.

•President: Lauren DeLalla •Vice President: Mike Kennison •Vice President Academic Affairs: Rachel Harbeitner •Vice President Financial Affairs: Brittany O'Shaugnessy •Parliamentarian: Katie Young •Chief of Staff: Becca Hutchinson “A lot of the ideas start with us.”

Said DeLalla of the interplay between administration and ECOS executive council.

“Administration is incredibly open with almost every aspect of the decision-making process.”

Kennison describes executive council as the big-picture group (whereas senate, he says, is “where the rubber meets the road,” and students are directly involved).

Anyone can ask to meet with executive council. Contact President DeLalla at ecospres@eckerd.edu, and you’ll be added to the agenda. The council meets weekly on Monday mornings.

ECOS Senate The senate is comprised of representatives from each dorm complex, including a representative for those living off campus.

They typically meet on alternate Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in the coffee house.

“They’re a great group and they have a lot of good ideas,” said DeLalla.

The senate is undergoing a transition period this year. Last year, senators were based on class rank. The change was made in the hope of breaching the gap between student government and resident advisers, to ensure student issues reach the ears of the government. “This way, the problems are right in front of your face,” said O’Shaugnessy.

One development along these lines that began in March is the “town hall” style meetings which will occur in each complex between the residents, resident advisers and complex senator.

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news & features EDITORIAL

The big picture

What have your officers been up to?

By Laurel Ormiston News Editor This year, the big issues for executive council are vandalism and community. Speaking with almost every officer reveals that they would love nothing more than to build community among complexes. According to Vice President of Financial Affairs Brittany O’Shaugnessy, the yearbooks outside the office of Dean James Annarelli hold interesting clues to Eckerd’s past communities.

“The houses used to have their own identities, and every house had a party,” said O’Shaugnessy. Omega used to have “Heaven and Hell,” divided between the top and lower floors. Beta hosted a luau, complete with the flowery pun “Beta get leid.” Alpha used to host the toga parties (like those now favored by Kappa). Kappa Karnival? Yeah, that originated back as far as the 1980s.

Today, parties have downshifted from such creative themes. And the ban on Zetaween in the fall caused a clamor amongst much of the Eckerd populace. A major blockade to such parties is student vandalism. DeLalla says that the issue of student vandalism is state-wide, based from what she hears from the Florida Independent College Union. But let’s just worry about Eckerd right now. If we want a party, we’ll have to be responsible. Both before, and after.

Would you trash your house if the damages were over $1,500? That was the estimate Vice

President Kennison gave me on damages from last Zetaween.

If we show respect for our campus, DeLalla hopes Administration will become open to the re-opening of Zetaween, re-vamping the area under Omega and hosting events such as fashion shows in Nu courtyard. So far, the situation needs work. DeLalla told me of walking around Omega at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday, floor covered with vomit, and having to pick up a puppy and move it away from the broken glass shards that it was walking on.

To foster appreciation and respect for our community, senate and executive council members are debating bolder, dorkier measures to get students involved in campus activities.

Such as going around in a truck with bullhorns before events to get students to form a paradestyle route to the event location. “I think it would be effective. I’ve heard stories [from alumnus] of parades around the circle, they’re ridiculous,” said DeLalla. She and most council members discussed the idea optimistically, but with a hint of embarrassment. I get the feeling it might not happen by itself.

If we want it, we should say something. Like, “Heck yes!”

Feedback, freshmen. Feedback, sophomores.

Feedback, Juniors.

Seniors… above all, your time is running out.

You want a giant parade-style party before you graduate? Now is the time to speak up.

New political science professor to start in fall

By Ethan Packey Staff Writer Eckerd has recently hired a new political science professor, Fait Muedini, to begin fall semester. Muedini is currently working on his doctorate at SUNY Buffalo, where he also currently teaches political science.

Muedini’s experience with human rights and conflict zones is widespread. He has done research on shortterm and long-term conflicts in Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, and he has spent time working for the United Nations in Bosnia during Bosnia’s civil war. Muedini has expressed interest in leading a human rights/conflict winter term trip to Bosnia for firsthand experience.

Next fall, Muedini will teach Introduction to International Relations, Middle East Politics and Middle East Political Economy. He has also has shown interest in teaching Western Heritage and an Autumn Term course in future years.

Fait Muedini, left.

courtesy of Ethan Packey

A look inside an ECOS senate meeting

By Kasey Kilinski Staff Writer Unity among the Eckerd community was a notable aspect of a recent ECOS Student Senate meeting. Most of the discussion topics centered around how to build and develop the community on and off campus.

One popular subject during the meeting was the Safe Ride program.

Safe Ride offers students free transportation back to campus from the St. Petersburg area. The program does not offer rides from campus to off-campus locations. Students who want rides must sign up in advance at the ECOS office in Brown Hall. The trial run for this program ran a week 6

Friday, March 19, 2010

longer than originally planned, ending March 15. The information gathered from the trial run will be used to tailor the program more closely to Eckerd’s needs. As of Feb 25, 184 students had signed up for Safe Ride. Bay Walk is the most popular pickup place for participating students.

In other news, senators discussed eventually providing a compost bin for each dorm complex. The material in these bins will be weighed and then used in the new Eckerd organic garden.

The senate also formally recognized The Yes Club, a program founded by a former Program for Experienced Learners (PEL) student who donates money and supplies to local schools.

The club had not been previously

recognized by ECOS because PEL students do not pay an activity fee.

Senate members felt that the former PEL students’ efforts were definitely worth supporting.

The senate also encouraged “building community” within dorm complexes, encouraging each complex to develop its own unique identity. Senate members agreed that a goal should be for students to be able to identify with both their Resident Advisers and their senate members socially.

Senate members also placed special emphasis on issues of respect in the community. They reiterated that “student government can only do so much.” It is up to individuals on campus to value buildings, equipment and other people.

For example, The Coalition for Community Justice (CCJ) promotes the better treatment and fair pay of housekeepers on campus. The CCJ believes workers need more “face time” with students so that they can feel more a part of the community. Personal interaction would also build respect between students and housekeepers.

The senate also reminded those present that the upcoming Eckerd College Men’s Basketball game March 3 could not be free to students because it is a tournament, but that the first 100 students who showed up to the game received free admission thanks to ECOS. If you attended, the discount was courtesy of the EC senate.

news & features

Spring break: beaches, fun and service-learning

By Allie Solan Contributing Writer It’s that time of year again. As the stress of midterms approaches, students begin looking for a break: spring break. This week-long vacation has the reputation of being the biggest party week for students all around the world.

Eckerd students were surveyed about the connection between spring break and partying. Overall, the consensus responded that spring break was a week for students to throw away the books, rules and to release the stress that they have been bottling up since the start of the semester. As one student aptly stated: “No class, no rules, why not?”

Thirty-five percent of Eckerd students who participated in the survey said that they plan on staying in Florida, going to places such as Key West, Daytona Beach and the newest hot spot, Panama City. All three places ensure a week filled with beaches, booze and friends.

Surprisingly, 31 percent of students are going back home for their break. When asked why, multiple students said that it was because they wanted to take the time to go home and relax. Another 13 percent said that they would be staying on campus because they either do not have the money to fund a trip, or because they plan on working over spring break.

Athough the majority is looking to blow off steam and bum around and relax, others see it as an opportunity to experience something new.

Twenty percent of the students surveyed are going on one of EC’s spring break service-learning trips. This years trips range from a Buddhist monastery in Calif. to working with children in Peru. So why choose to go on a service trip, instead of spending the week partying with their friends?

Sophmore Carly Chaapel, who will spend her break in a monastery, said, “It’s a fabulously priced opportunity

ECOS continued from Page 5 needed to discuss.”

Students might just need to re-evaluate what constitutes a visit to a meeting. According to O’Shaugnessy, executive council and senate have either partial or full responsibility in most campus events, with their involvement ranging from financial, structural, planning or conception. “What attracted me to Eckerd was the fact that I could be easily involved,” she added.

Another student described the governing system as one where no news is good news. “Their concerns are largely not those of the students, because if they’re doing their jobs correctly, the students don’t notice they exist. They keep everything running smoothly, so we only see them when there’s a problem. Like last year’s end-of-spring-semester club funding shortage.”

One student on hand to witness the goings on of the senate is Sophomore Wesley Lucas. Lucas has been attending senate meetings for over a year. “Normally, I’m the only non-senate member here,” said Lucas, commenting on the lack of student presence at senate meetings. He said that some of the biggest issues in

to experience a new lifestyle. We can tan and party any day in Florida!” She went on to say that she believes that EC students are drawn to these service trips. “They are all new experiences that push us outside our comfort zone and into a new reality.

Volunteering service to others gives us that gushy feeling and a new appreciation for what we have.”

Now how about the students who are running these trips? One would assume that taking on a task this large would seem more like a job rather than an actual trip.

Senior Eric Siegel is co-leading his trip to Peru with Professor Olivier Debure. Siegel chose Peru and the organization Niño Luz to try and better the lives of Peruvian children.

The process in planning the trip began last summer, when he contacted the Director of Service Learning, Brian MacHarg. “[I] let him know I wanted to put together my own trip. After being involved with a lot of service in my Eckerd experience, [I] felt like this was the next step,” said Siegel.

He then asked Professor Olivier Debure to co-lead the trip. Siegel had previously traveled on service trips with Debure to Ghana and India. “He was just as excited to make things happen. With both Brian and Debure on board, I started planning the trip,” explained Siegel.

When asked whether or not he is worried about missing the “spring break experience” with his friends, without hesitation Siegel responded, “Not at all. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing. Thirty years from now, I’ll remember this trip to Peru.” the senate this year are the lack of bike racks around campus and vandalism around campus. At almost every meeting, some progress is made toward these goals.

Many of the things senate does are originally proposed by students — for example, it sponsored the pilot for the Safe Ride program. Said Lucas, “The senate’s total budget is smaller than executive council’s, so their projects, events and sponsorships tend to be a bit more limited in nature, but more fluid.”

A recently implemented idea to breach the gap between government and housing is the “town hall” style meetings, which began in March. These will occur in each complex between the residents, resident advisers and senator. While some meetings had a decent turn out, the meeting for Iota complex did not go smoothly. In total, five people showed up, at different times. The six boxes of pizza ordered by Senator Stephen Barber sat next to unopened bottles of Sprite, Pepsi and Arizona Iced Tea- the smell not even luring out residents of the second floor of Wrenn House, where the meeting was held. When asked why they did not attend the meeting, most Iota residents had not read the e-mail advisory carefully enough. “I

photo courtesy of Wikicommons

knew there was a meeting, I just didn’t know when,” said Sophomore Emily Cohen. Perhaps next time, RAs can come around, knock on doors and inspire a heartier turn out.

When surveyed, 69.9 percent of Eckerd students considered themselves passive members of the community, where passive was defined as ignorant of student issues and uninvolved with government.

Eighty percent have never contacted an officer about a concern they have for the community. Only 24 percent of our students vote in every election. The responsibility to an efficient student government rests not only on the officers, but on the students they serve.

“There’s something for everyone, based on your time commitment and academic schedule,” DeLalla said.

One student suggested that ECOS give an information booklet/presentation to incoming freshmen so they know more about ECOS’s role on campus. Such a booklet might include the responsibilities of each post, general structure of student government and current officials, as well as projected election months. Released every year, the proposed booklet might be just helpful to everyone, period.

Friday, March 19, 2010

7

viewpoints

“Amusing “There was no term like ‘MILF’ in 1967.”

—A film professor on the use of the acronym “MILF”.

“What you don’t know is that I write [your name] down in my grade book, and later I go back to my office and mutter about you...and think of terrible things to do to you.”

—A creative writing professor on tardy students.

“Wait—where’s my speed?”

—A creative writing professor while searching for an energy drink.

“I used to have a student who looked out the window all day, every day.

That student is no longer at Eckerd College.”

—A creative writing professor on inattentive students.

“You and I both know the data was collected by some guy who was drunk the night before.”

—A creative writing professor on the human element in scientific research.

Musings ” 8

Friday, March 19, 2010

EDITORIAL

Miracles in Managua Reflections on service-learning in Nicaragua

By Shelby Walker Contributing Writer On the brown-tiled dance floor of a bar named Rancho de Poncho, I hugged a Nicaraguan woman named Marta and cried. She spoke and I could not understand. But with hands I had only known to shovel cement, she placed them over her heart and nodded her head. I agreed. We hugged again in goodbyes and kissed cheeks the way I had only done with my grandmother.

I had volunteered a week of my life to working with and getting to know Marta (I was unable to learn last names) and other women who worked daily at the Genesis spinning cooperative in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua. These women work together in preparing their community to become stable and self-sufficient by building a spinning plant to fulfill the missing link in their production chain.

It had been the longest week of my experience, as most of it was spent two feet deep in clay soil, yet it was still nothing compared to the magnitude of what these women do every day of their lives. For three years now, they have shown up on time to work eight-hour shifts digging trenches, twisting wires and laying cement blocks with only the hope that one day they will work in an operating spinning plant to compensate them.

“These women will teach you what perseverance is,” said Michael Woodard, founder of the Jubilee House Community, the non-profit organization that works with the women at Genesis. “We are very strong supporters of grassroots organizing,” he says. “The basis of any successful project has to be based on a community being organized and devoted to finding a solution.” The solution to the poverty in their communities is what drives these women to take the chance committing their lives to this project and sacrificing so much.

Through a translator, I was able to learn their words and some of the emotional struggles they cope with in working here. “We leave our homes in the morning and send our kids to school. Mine spend the day with my sister when they get home, but other women have to leave them alone until they arrive home at night” said Rosa. Working all day and worrying about their families is stressful, but knowing that their families don’t have to worry about them makes it so much better. “My daughter never believed this is what I do all day, but one day I brought her here to show her all we’ve done, and her eyes got big and she said ‘wow!’ Now she believes.”

It is their hope that one day next year, all of

Downtown Managua.

courtesy of Wikicommons

their families will believe when they can finally work inside the spinning plant they have worked for so long to build. When I leave Nicaragua, the women will continue laying the cement flooring in the spinning plant and constructing the bathroom that I’ve put much of my sweat into.

Eventually, they will have machinery to spin the organic cotton produced in the cotton gin, helping the sewing co-op reduce its costs and turn-around time for its clients.

But tonight, they are off work and celebrating the hard work we have done all week. We’re finally doing together what I feel our spirits have done all week. Dance. The laughter of these women can bring you to tears in amazement that they can even smile. But they always do.

Every year, during spring or summer break, a group of Eckerd students is invited to volunteer for service-learning at the Jubilee House Community in Nicaragua.

More Info: Service-Learning Office, (727) 8647512, service-learning@eckerd.edu

viewpoints

EDITORIALS

Kathryn Bigelow first female director to win Oscar

By Catee Baugh Viewpoints Editor Congratulations to Kathryn Bigelow for being the first female director to win an Oscar.

From what I’ve heard, “The Hurt Locker” is an astounding movie that deserved the win.

However, there is the idea floating around that the only reason that she won is because she made a “guy movie.”

A movie about war.

If “The Hurt Locker” had somehow been a movie about friendship or lost love or broken family relations, would she still have won?

Was Bigelow’s win merely a way to pander to masculinity?

“Sure, we gave the Oscar to a woman, but she made a movie

about guys who disable bombs. It’s not like we gave it to a chick flick.”

Personally, I understand where these people are coming from. Why can’t a movie made by a woman about more typically “woman-like” things win an Oscar too?

But in the end, I find the outcry beside the point.

If we’re really making the strides and having the first female director win an Oscar, why can’t we make strides in how we classify movies?

The term “chick flick” is on a certain level demeaning. It suggests that the only things women care about are friendships and finding a suitable hus-

band. Oh, who cares about violence in the Gaza Strip, ladies, let’s talk about how cute that man is!

Furthermore, it perpetuates the age-old problem of men not being able to access their emotions. Last night I watched the trailer for “Touching Home” and nearly cried. Guess who it’s directed by? Two men. Guess who the main characters are?

Men. Guess what the subject of the movie is? Family.

In a day where we allow men and women to serve together in courtesy of thehurtlocker.com the military, it seems

patently ridiculous that we still insist on calling military and war movies “guy movies.”

It demeans the entire experience of women in war.

As a woman, or man, a director should be allowed to make whatever movie he or she wants to make. Directors shouldn’t have to deal with people wondering whether or not they’ve stepped out of gender stereotypes.

Because insisting that relationship movies are female and action movies are male is just a less conspicuous version of a stereotype.

Kathryn Bigelow had every right as a woman to make a war movie. They don’t just belong to the men.

Body image gets a boost with Breasts and Bagels

By Ashley Daniels Contributing Writer Breasts and Bagels, an annual event held at Eckerd College, raises awareness for breast cancer and promotes positive body image. The event was sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and held in Fox Hall March 7.

Breasts and Bagels is one of the most popular events for Take Back the Night, the program that promotes awareness of violent action against women.

Junior Alexandra Kaudy, who organized the Breasts and Bagels event, said, “Last year they did it for breast cancer awareness, but this year’s [reason] is to make a point of improving your self-body image.” And improve they did: attendees cast their breasts and decorated the plaster busts of themselves.

Throughout the morning, about 35 women walked through the double-sided doors of Fox Hall, noticing a different atmosphere. Shades had been pulled to cover the

windows. Peeking from the outside wasn’t allowed. The event was strictly for women.

Beyond the entrance were two long tables covered in newspaper with paintbrushes, feathers, various paint colors, sparkles and jewels for the women to decorate their casts. Once it was time to be cast, the ladies headed back to the restrooms in pairs, because plastering yourself is a challenging task to do alone.

Most were timid and bashful, but within the privacy of the restroom the casting began. The ladies disrobed and covered their torsos with Vaseline so the plaster would not stick to their skin when it was time for removal. They ripped dry plaster material into eight inch pieces. A partner dipped each piece into a bucket of water and placed it across the woman’s torso. The wet plaster was cold and slimy. After each piece was strategically placed, the plaster began to dry. With each deep breath, the ladies could feel the plaster begin to separate from their bare skin.

Once the casting process was over, women emerged with an attitude as if they’d just ripped down a brick wall.

“I was thinking about it all night,” said Sophomore Gabriel Workman, “because originally I was just going to help set up, but I did it and I feel really good.”

Workman continued, “It started off really awkward.”

This quickly became a popular phrase among the ladies. For some it was their first time. The experience of having someone cast your breasts breaks down the self-conscious barriers that women tend to have about their bodies. They found a real bonding experience.

Senior Abigail Gustafson said, “Everyone is different shapes and sizes, and it’s cool for people to not care about that and just have an accepting environment.” Sharing the same experience of learning to appreciate their body, no matter the shape, formed a definite connection. Workman said, “I think the whole point is to be comfortable enough with yourself in order to show

other people.”

Sophomore Liz Argento added, “I feel like it’s really empowering for women, and I like that everyone is comfortable with taking [their] shirt off and plastering.”

Personally, I had every intention of covering the event strictly as a reporter.

However, after the fourth time of hearing “Are you going to get casted?” I decided to join in. Once I had committed to letting a complete stranger casts my breasts, I began to feel a sense of embarrassment about my body since I am fullfigured. Kaudy put me at ease.

“Your body is beautiful,” she said. With her reassurance, I walked into the restroom with eight other women. Within those walls, I started to feel an intense bond with these women that I had never met before. And when I left the restroom, my cast breasts in hand, I felt proud.

Never were there comparisons. Only acceptance and admiration. For Freshman Amy Walsh, the experience was a positive one. “You get to see [that] everybody’s

different and it’s okay.”

Watching the ladies come together while decorating their personal cast was aweinspiring. Each of them left behind the cattiness that can sometimes come with being in a room full of estrogen.

Instead, they all sat around the tables together and were completely in the moment.

Decorating the cast was the most enjoyable part for many of the ladies. Walsh said, “You get to make it unique, kind of like how you’re unique yourself, it’s a reflection of your personality.”

For Kaudy, she hoped the ladies “had a lot of fun and could look at themselves in a new way and say ‘well I like my shape, it’s nice’.” As the ladies left Fox Hall with their cast and a new appreciation for their body, it was apparent that they had been inspired to keep their walls down and show others the power that accepting your body can have.

As Argento said, “Love your body, love the way it is.”

Friday, March 19, 2010

9

viewpoints EDITORIALS

Student reflects on Winter Term experience

By John Cassell Contributing Writer

If you were on campus during Winter Term, then you know that Florida was colder than usual in January. It got so chilly, in fact, that many aquatic animals began to freeze and die in the water they lived, including fish, manatees and turtles.

In the northern parts of the state, thousands of sea turtles became coldstunned, meaning that they lost their ability to perform normal behaviors since they are cold blooded.

This makes it impossible for those cold-blooded animals to escape the cold water, so they freeze or get stranded on the beaches. While taking the Winter Term class “Study of Reptiles & Amphibians” with Professor Peter Meylan, we were asked by members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to assist the many stranded turtles at St. Joe Bay near Panama City, Fla. Students hurriedly packed their bags the first day of winter term after finding out after class that they would leave at sundown to go on a seven-hour journey to the north.

At Gulf World Marine Park, the class assisted FWC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association staff with the procedures needed to

send the turtles back into the wild.

Half the class spent time retrieving the stunned turtles off of St. Joe Bay, while the rest helped to sort out the hundreds arriving to the Center. The species were mainly green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), but there were a handful of loggerheads (Caretta caretta) and a few rare Kemp Riddles (Lepidochelys kempii).

Each turtle brought back (alive or deceased) had to be recorded by what day it was collected, how long its shell was, their approximate weight and any injuries among other important information.

A few students were also assigned to work with turtles infected with Fibropapillomatosis.

This virus, abbreviated as “Pap” by the workers, is like herpes to a turtle; thus, each turtle that was infected had to be in a quarantined room.

The turtles that were going to be released into the wild had to be checked for flipper tags so that scientists can have a record of who was in the area during this cold snap. New turtles were given flipper tags and pit tags, which are inserted into the front flippers and act as an ID. Biopsies were also performed, which are procedures in which a small amount of flesh is taken from the rear flipper so

courtesy of John Cassell Students in the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians class showcase the turtles.

that scientists can have a DNA sample of that certain turtle on file.

Despite the turtles’ unfortunate conditions, this was a good opportunity for scientists to gather data on the turtles that have never been recorded.

Overall, in three days the Winter

5000 34th St. South 727-866-7200

Eckerd College Student Discount Medium 1 topping $5.55 Large 1 topping $7.77 Medium 1 topping, bread stix, & 2-20oz sodas $11.50 Large 1 topping, bread stix, & 2-20oz sodas $13.50

Valid for carryout & delivery ($2 delivery charge applies) 10

Friday, March 19, 2010

Term class recorded the data of over 200 turtles, out of more than 1,750 that went to Gulf World.

This was an experience that the class never expected to partake in, and is one that will be remembered for a long time.

viewpoints EDITORIAL

“Don’t ask, don’t tell”may get the boot

By Catee Baugh Viewpoints Editor Finally, finally, finally. The military is making strides to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

About freaking time.

For those of you who decided to live under a rock for a couple decades, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a policy put forth by the military that allowed someone who was gay, bisexual or transgender to serve in the military as long as he or she was not “out” during his or her service. And in return, no one asked about the recruit’s sexuality.

Because apparently pretending that something doesn’t exist counts as non-discrimination.

What this means is that people couldn’t visit their wounded partners if they were the same sex. That also meant no military benefits to the partner in case of an emergency or a tragedy.

Add to that this lovely detail: the people who were and are willing to lay down their lives to protect our freedoms were not allowed to be their natural selves.

But the military started to wake up, and realized this is a stupid policy.

First of all, it’s discrimination. No matter how much it pretends to not be.

Second, it falls under that faulty line of reasoning that if we ban things like gay marriage and open gay service then we won’t have gays anymore.

Um, they’re still gay. Or bisexual. Or transgender.

They didn’t lose their so-called “unnatural sexual dispositions,” they just lost their rights.

So I’m applauding the military leaders for waking up and smelling the 21st century.

It’s people like John McCain and other members of Congress who I’m deriding.

McCain said a few years back that he would support repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” if the military leaders felt it needed to go.

Well, Johnny boy? Are you going to keep that promise or are you going to bail on it?

By the way, isn’t this the man who wanted us to have the utmost respect for military leaders and the decisions they made?

Hello! Am I the only one seeing the giant neon sign

PerspECtives

pointing to some severe hypocrisy?

Here’s a real fun fact for everyone against this: Dick Cheney is on board.

Dick Cheney! He’s for repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”!

Whoa. Yeah, let that sink in for a minute.

Guess what, right-wingers: Keeping “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” isn’t going to keep the GLBT community out of the military. They’re in it now. They’re probably having sex with each other, too. And guess what? It hasn’t made a difference in our efficiency.

Blather on all you want about morality in the armed forces. But if you’re so concerned about the “influence” of the GLBT community on straight people, shouldn’t you also be doing something about adulterers in the military? And what about atheists?

Certainly you don’t want their immoral influence on good Christian folk like yourselves.

Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Because taking away their rights won’t make them stop being who they are.

And miraculously, it hasn’t made them stop fighting for us. So please, give them what’s due in return.

“The ignorance and indifference of countries that have the ability to act.”

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Africa today?

—Adam Haar, freshman (right)

“Probably the genocide.”

—Diondra Cowden, junior

“AIDS, and the lack of knowledge and awareness that we have of what is going on there.”

—Chelsea Link, senior

“Poverty and hunger.”

—Matt Walker, freshman

“AIDS and the war in Darfur.”

—Jessica Wright, sophomore

By Erin Linebarger Photo Editor Friday, March 19, 2010

11

arts & entertainment

Eckerd alum does reality TV

By Sarah Karpf Contributing Writer Our very own Michael Hopkins (2009) was chosen out of many contestants to be one of 13 guys to live in a house and compete for the love of three former “Bad Girls Club” stars (Amber, Sarah and Kendra).

Young and handsome bachelors will have to complete challenges and love games to win the company of the women on intimate dates. At the end of every week there will be eliminations for those bachelors who fail to successfully show off their potential and affection.

Michael is referred to as “the intellect” in the house and throughout the show. He was brought up in a wealthy and successful family. He has a strong political background. Hopkins worked on the Obama presidential campaign and is currently attending Syracuse University to pursue his Master’s in Global Security Policy.

While attending Eckerd Hopkins enjoyed studying Political Science and contributing to the school community through ECOS. After hearing about Hopkins’ big début, Professor James Janack said, “I think if the show’s producers allow his personality to emerge fairly accurately through the filming and editing process, he could

be a very compelling character.”

Hopkins is a hardworking and driven young bachelor, but admits he likes to party and is looking for an “edgy” girl who is intelligent and likes to have a good time. Hopkins shares his favorite love game, “I think like most guys I would have to say the chase. It is the most fun part of dating, when things are still new and exciting.”

Hopkins never had a particular interest in an acting career. “I don’t close any doors. I just want to get really good at whatever career path I choose and hopefully be a success.”

However, he did try out for “The Real World” when he was a sophomore and made it pretty far through the casting process, but never believed that he would someday successfully be chosen to participate on a reality TV show.

Bunim-Murray, producers of many reality TV shows including, “The Real World” and “Road Rules,” called Hopkins for a couple of phone interviews, and then flew him out to L.A. for a face-to-face meeting with the casting directors. Hopkins says, “They were really secretive,” said Hopkins “and wouldn’t give me much information on the show. They told me that if I had been chosen I would be called on a Wednesday afternoon.

When Wednesday afternoon came, they told me to pack my bags because I had been cast on the show.” He had to

work out a schooling plan with his professors so he wouldn’t have to take a semester off. “I had to do a lot of work before I left for the show, and even more when I got back. But it all worked out.”

Because Hopkins is very career driven, I asked if he were worried if the show might affect how people perceive him or affect his future professional career.

He confidently replied, “There are obviously those people out there that are going to give you a hard time for doing a reality show, but I had a lot of fun.” He added, “I didn’t do anything I am embarrassed of and any job that wouldn’t hire me because I was on a reality show, probably wouldn’t have hired me anyway.”

Like most reality TV shows, “Love Games” was not scripted. Hopkins was never told what to say or how to act. He tried to act naturally when the cameras were around. “For the most part it was pretty easy to just forget the cameras were there. It does get awkward when you’re trying to open up to someone and let down your guard, and you turn your head and see a huge camera in your face.”

Hopkins’ former girlfriend Sophomore Julia Kraus added, “I’m really proud of Mike, and I’m sure

promotional photo

I’ll find his future very entertaining.

It’s really a shame that the Oxygen network doesn’t come in HD.” Hopkins believes that it is difficult to find true love on reality TV show but feels it can be possible. With a smile he casually comments, “People have met in weirder places.”

Hopkins met a great group of people and was able to participate in something that a small group of individuals have experienced. Living in a house with 13 guys and three gals was a memorable and exciting time. “We’re all supposed to be competing with each other, but you also become really good friends, too. It’s an experience that I will never forget.”

How far will Hopkins go to find true love? Tune into Oxygen every Tuesday night at 11 p.m. starting March 16 to find out.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo energizes Mahaffey

By Francie Devine Entertainment Editor Nearly 1,400 Eckerd students, staff and St. Petersburg community members attended a performance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Mahaffey Theater March 2, as a part of the Africa Initiative. Mambazo’s theme of “Peace, Love, and Harmony” is evident in its portrayal of traditional South African music. The music, called Isicathamiya, (Is-cot-a-me-ya) started in the mines of South Africa as a form of entertainment after a long workweek.

In the late 1950’s, Joseph Shabalala, the creator and leader of the group worked to see that his vision and enchanted a cappela sounds came to life. He formed Ladysmith Black Mambazo with help from family and friends. Ladysmith Black Mambazo has celebrated 50 successful years. Since its first record contract in 1970, the group has sold more than seven million records. Some of the many honors they have received include two Grammys and performances at important world events such as Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, the 1996 summer Olympics and Queen Elizabeth II’s 50th monarch anniversary.

Getting the group wasn’t easy. Lova Patterson, Director of Campus Activities said, “It took a lot of 14

Friday, March 19, 2010

work because of their tour schedule. We were very blessed because they had one spot open and we called at just the right time.” The name Ladysmith Black Mambazo came from several important aspects of the group’s life. According to the group’s biography page, “Ladysmith” is their hometown, “Black” reference the strong black oxen from the farm, and “Mambazo” is a Zulu word for ax because the group always had a way of “chopping” the competition.

The student response to Mambazo’s presence was overwhelming. Throughout the day, general excitement was stirring for the night’s entertainment.

Even with Mambazo’s undeniable popularity and success, some students had never heard the group’s music, but made the connection from the reference in the popular 2004 movie “Mean Girls.” Others heard good recommendations, and were glad they went.

Senior Anna Cleveland said, “I loved Ladysmith Black Mambazo. They had a great message of peace, love and harmony. They were fantastic singing in their own language with the refreshing bit of humor thrown in.” She added that it was meaningful to see a positive experience of Africa, not just the troubled aspects. The charismatic nature of the group shines almost as prominently as the performance itself.

The team is as funny as it is talented, taking time

out for audience participation and quirky moments between members. The music is filled with emotion and drive. The easy and carefree movements of the nine members show the depth of talent. Clearly, each member is perfectly at ease on stage.

Eckerd spent about $17,000 for the performance as part of its Africa Initiative program, much of which was recovered through community ticket sales.From students reactions, the performance was worth it, certainly memorable. Katie Doyle, a freshman said, “I enjoyed the enthusiasm in their performance. At points I closed my eyes and felt like I was in Africa.

I think it was totally worthwhile for Eckerd to have them because it provided a look into their culture.”

While Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been wildly admired and successful, the group is not finished yet. Another CD will be released in the U.S. next year. Times are changing in South Africa, but Joseph Shabalala strives to maintain an element of the past, through an Academy to study and keep the art alive.

Eckerd’s inclusion of Ladysmith Black Mambazo as a part of Africa Initiative shows the vast and encompassing power of music with the ability to make connections and bonds.

“Their endearing personalities made me feel part of the show,” reflected Junior Michael Kennison.

arts & entertainment

Events

March 19—April 1

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

11 a.m.

Wellness Fair (Slater’s woods)

2 p.m.

Kayak Poker Run (Waterfront)

8 a.m.to 3 p.m.

EC Spring Open House

7 p.m.

International Cinema Series “An Education” (Miller Aud.)

8 p.m.

Another Man’s Trash (Miller Aud.)

5:30 p.m.

Lyndall GordanLives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson (Fox Hall)

1:30 to 4 p.m.

3rd Annual Student Research Symposium (Sheen Science Complex)

9 p.m.

Campus Ministries Night (Triton’s Pub)

7 p.m.

Rabbi Ed RosenthalComplete Beginner’s Guide to Israel History (Miller Aud.)

7:30 p.m.

Kip Curtis, “Gardening” as a ritual for the Creation of Values (Fox Hall)

9 p.m.

MsVicar the Trickster Hypnotist (Hough Quad)

26 7 a.m.

Men’s Bible Study (Franklin Templeton) 7:15 a.m.

Women’s Bible Study (Faculty Lounge)

10 p.m.

Kappa Koncert

(tentative)

27 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

24th Annual Marine Yard Sale (Waterfront)

11 a.m.

Athletics Community Field Day (Turley Field) 3 p.m.

An Afternoon of Hayden: Music and Dance (First United Methodist Church- 212 3rd St North. St. Pete)

28

7 p.m. Jerald Walker: “We Are Americans” (Miller Aud.)

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

10 p.m.

Dan Ahdoot Comedy

29

30

1

31

Happy April Fools’ Day!

SPRING BREAK To advertise your event with The Current, contact Entertainment Editor Francie Devine at currententertainment@eckerd.edu

Friday, March 19, 2010

15

arts & entertainment Review

“Alice” full of wonder but lacks depth

By Johnny Jones Staff Writer To say that Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is anything short of breathtaking would be false. The movie is a 108-minute visual extravaganza of colors, sounds and 3-D animation. The amazing power of CGI graphics allowed Burton to take creative liberties with many of the Wonderland creatures. In particular, the tricks of the floating, dissolving Cheshire Cat added an updated feel to my favorite character. The pale, washed-out palette of colors in the real world contrasted beautifully with the bright display of bold colors in Wonderland.

The plot of “Alice” deviates from the original book by Lewis Carroll and the cartoon “Alice in Wonderland” of 1951.

Burton skips out on much of the plot development in lieu of a more Lord-of-theRings-type story where Alice must slay a dragon-like creature called the Jabberwocky and lead the White Queen’s Army against the Red Queen’s Army. Nonetheless, this new story is full of magical creations and colorful action scenes. Newcomer Australian actress Mia Wasikowska takes

the sweet innocence of Alice and turns her into a rebellious teenager stuck in an upscale Victorian lifestyle. The subtlety of her performance impressed me, and I look forward to seeing her in other roles.

Helena Bonham Carter (“Fight Club,” “Harry Potter”) captures the essence of evil in her role as the giant-headed Red Queen of Hearts. But Johnny

Depp (“21 Jump Street,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”) still takes the cake for best performance by adding his iconic dark twist to the infamous Mad Hatter.

This character might frighten small children, but he is fun to watch.While this movie was a beautiful masterpiece, it felt as though Burton wanted to make the movie two and a half hours but was forced to cut it down. Much of the dialogue was either too trite or terse; it didn’t really make you care about the character as much as it could have. The 3-D animation was much more subtle than I expected. Although a spear jab at the audience from one of the Red Queen’s card soldiers did manage to make me jump out of my seat, it was a fun addition to the film, but at $13 per ticket for a 3-D IMAX showing, it was a little disappointing. Overall, the film is a rainbow buffet of colors for the eyes. Unfortunately, Burton’s brilliant splendor is not backed by a script that adequately matches its visual strength.

I would still recommend the film for anyone who likes Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and the Alice in Wonderland promotional photo series. Grade: B+

Review

Evos a healthy, sustainable (and fast) option

By Johnny Jones Staff Writer Fast-food restaurants normally make me want to vomit. Something about fake food, buckets of grease and a horrifying industry behind it doesn’t float my boat. I don’t know what’s worse: handing over my money to such companies or feeling sick as their food battles its way through my intestines. So when I drove by a sign that read “Feel Great Fast Food,” I had to check it out.Turns out, I had stumbled on one of St. Pete’s many hidden gems: Evos, a healthier option to the average fat-filled American fast-food joint. Ten franchises in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and California serve a menu of typical fastfood dishes, such as burgers, wraps, salads, shakes and fries.

But the difference between a McDonalds burger and one from Evos is that the meat from the latter doesn’t contain any hormones or antibiotics. Evos’ oven-baked Airfries contain 50 to 70 percentless fat than their deep-fried counter parts. Their milkshakes and smoothies are made from organic ingredients from hormone-free cows The best news is Evos does school catering. This is good news because the thought of eating this healthy, guilt-free food every day sounds mouth-wateringly delicious.

My experience with the Bon Appétit dining service 16

Friday, March 19, 2010

has been less than satisfactory. And according to a poll of Eckerd students, 19 out of 22 were also completely or mostly dissatisfied with the school cafeterias.

“The food is hardly ever seasoned and their vegetarian options are pathetic,” said one senior.

Because the school contracts its cafeteria operations to Bon Appétit, students have little to no influence on their policies. I am most frustrated by Bon Appétit’s payment system of charging flex dollars for some menu items while other choices cost me a meal block. I am currently on the Tier B meal plan of 170 meal blocks and $225 flex dollars. I don’t even use my flex dollars on a daily basis, yet somehow I already have less than $10 flex dollars left. I can no longer get any of my favorite menu items: the Philly cheese steak, the grilled chicken sandwich or the fried chicken wrap. One sophomore told me a story that sums up the problem with the Bon Appétit system. He has had to restrict his dietary choices to meal blocks because he no longer has any flex dollars. One day, he ordered a sandwich and fries that would normally equate to one meal block. When he covered his fries in cheese and went to pay, he was told that since cheese fries are a menu item that cost flex dollars, he was not allowed to buy them. I guess it really is all about the cheese.

Bon Appétit’s Web site states they strive to be

“the premier onsite restaurant company known for its culinary expertise and commitment to socially responsible practices.” But read the fine print. They only practice the sustainable options when it is economically profitable.

For example, one day a year, Eckerd and Bon Appétit sponsor an event called Low Carbon Diet Day. On this day, the cafeterias serve eco-friendly foods such as “low carbon” meats like turkey instead of beef. Since cows emit methane, one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change, Bon Appétit serves such alternatives. But if the school and the company are truly dedicated to environmentally conscious eating, why can’t every day be a low carbon diet day? According to Tampa Bay Online, Evos co-founder Dino Lambridis has been operating Evos on its platform of green business practices for 15 years, “not when it became cool.” They use Fair Trade Certified products and eco-friendly building materials such as recycled wood and pressed sorghum stalks, no matter the economic conditions.

From the yellow bike program to the environmental film festival, Eckerd has always been a leader in environmentalism. It is time that we join the Evoslution and commit to bringing delicious, healthy, sustainable food to our campus.

arts & entertainment

How to avoid basic beauty blunders

By Meagan Bemis Managing Editor

Whether it’s coloring your hair, or trying a new brand of liquid foundation, as women, we have all hit our share of snags when it comes to the beauty world. Instead of losing hope on all things girly, here are a few uplifting fixes for your beauty blunders.

Lusting for luxurious locks For most women, the morning battle with the mirror starts with something like “What am I going to do with this rat’s nest?” or “Why can’t I fluff out my flat look?” And when it comes to hair it seems that we always want what we don’t have: those with curls invest in high-priced flat-irons or even higher-priced relaxing treatments while those with pin-straight locks stock their bathrooms with body-

enhancing shampoos and conditioners and blow dry their hair upside down every morning. Whatever the problem , there’s a solution. But the best way to love your look is to indulge in what you’ve been blessed with. If you have a head like curly-Sue, try enhancing your curls with products like Aveda’s “Be Curly” cream-gel curl enhancer ($18 at Aveda Salons). And if you have super-straight hair, look into using a barrette or claw clip for a half up, halfdown look, which will give the illusion of more body without using a ton of product. When it comes to frizz, which many women (and men) are prone to, try to avoid hair spray because it will make your hair look sticky or hard. Instead, use a serum like John Freida’s Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Finishing Crème ($6.49 at CVS.com), which won’t weigh hair down.

Makeup moans and groans

courtesy of Wikicommons

Review

When it comes to makeup, unless you’re a professional, it seems as if every day is a shot in the dark at the right look. Many women have trouble deciding what look is best for daytime compared to evening, or school versus a dinner out. Fear not fair fighter, help is on the way. One of the most common problems for those just venturing into the makeup labyrinth is choosing the right foundation and applying it correctly. The basic rule of thumb, according to experts at Almay, is to look for a shade that best matches your skin color without going too dark. When searching for that shade, instead of holding the bottle up to your arm, open it up and apply a small amount to the top of your hand. Make sure to rub it in as you would on your face and if it nearly disappears, that’s the shade for you. But along with shade comes the choice of coverage.

This is where most women throw up their hands in defeat. What’s the difference between full-coverage

and sheer? Do I need an SPF? What if I’m prone to acne? Dry skin? Oily? The predicaments are endless.

But – here’s some advice: for nighttime (going out to a club or to dinner) go for fuller coverage because the light will be dimmer and the amount of makeup you have on will be less obvious. If you are looking for a daytime look for the office or a classroom where lighting is harsh, look for something in the sheer to mid-coverage line (this will deflect light and make you look the best under bright fluorescents). If you don’t wear a lot of makeup, sheer is the way to go.

And always, always look for foundation with an SPF (facial skin is the most sensitive on the body, so protect it, especially in Florida). A good line for skin with common problems like dryness, oil-prone or even acne is Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin makeup line ($9-$11 in most drugstores). The line has a specific foundation for most skin problems. After you have conquered the foundation comes daytime vs. nighttime choices, as well as special occasion choices. A general rule of thumb for makeup is: use lighter shades to reflect the sun during the day and darker ones to stand out at night (for example, brown eyeliner in the daytime and black at night).

The point is to emphasize the face’s best features.

Almay makes it easy with their line of eye products for enhancing or “playing up” eye color (Available at most drugstores). Whatever your choice when it comes to makeup or hair, the most important thing is to emphasize your unique beauty. So, try out looks that make you feel comfortable as well as those that protect your fragile body. Remember to use an SPF (whether it’s in a foundation or just a moisturizer) and heat protectant or leave-in conditioner on your hair (whether you’re just blow drying or you’re using a flat iron) and you’ll steal the spotlight wherever you go.

New Pub fries: a change for better or worse?

By Saige Liparulo Staff Writer For all you potato-heads out there, a beautiful change is sizzling at the Pub. The Pub fries have been changed. Eckerd’s bright sunny days are beginning to blossom and so is the movement of eating healthy. Students seem to differ on their opinions on the sudden change. David Howard, a

senior said, “I like the new fries they taste less like fried grease and more like potatoes.” While some were pleased by the change, others were rather distraught. “A strong feeling of disappointment struck my soul when I saw we had different fries,” said Michael Hemberger, a freshman.

Even though you will no longer have to shriek at the sight of your French fries drowning in a hot tub of grease phantoms, is it at the sacrifice of flavor? Lila Lupetin, a sophomore said, “The old

fries were heavily seasoned, which I did not like because they seemed greasy and stale at times. I felt that they were covering it up with seasoning.

The new fries are simple and fresh.”

Senior Doug Pritechard disagrees. “Personally, I think the new fries taste kind of bland.”

However, with bathing suit weather around the corner, this may be a blessing in disguise. Stop by the Pub and decide for yourself.

Friday, March 19, 2010

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arts & entertainment

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Friday, March 19, 2010

sports

Rough weekend for Eckerd baseball

By Will Creager Sports Writer The Eckerd baseball team started conference play, hosting a three-game series against the University of Tampa Spartans, who are ranked 21 among all Division II baseball teams. However, the series did not go as the Tritons hoped.

They were swept, losing two heartbreakers and one blowout.

The first game took place March 5. The two teams played a doubleheader the next day, on March 6. The first game started out quickly, each team scoring a run in each of the first two innings. The Spartans (15-5, 3-0) then scored on a solo homerun by their leftfielder, Jared Simon, giving them a 3-2 lead.

However, Eckerd (10-5, 0-3) struck back in the bottom of the third with three runs on an RBI single by rightfielder Minner Labrador and a two-run single by catcher Oliver Killoren.

Those would be the last runs Eckerd would score until the eighth inning.

Eckerd entered the bottom of the eighth trailing 8-5. However, the Tritons managed to quickly tie the game. The inning started with a walk by Killoren and a single by third baseman Stephen Pelc. Shortstop Matt Heller followed that with a run-scoring double. Then the Tritons got an RBI groundout by leftfielder Wess Hollins and an RBI single by second baseman Matt Abraham.

However, Tampa was then able to pick up a run in the ninth inning. The Tritons held on to the 9-8 win when Pelc lined out to second base and pinch runner Chris Blydell was doubled off at first.

Unlike in the first game, there was never really much doubt as to who was going to win the second. After just three innings, Tampa had already jumped out to a 27-1 lead. Eckerd pitching came into play, never allowing more than 11 runs in a game, yet allowed 17 runs in the second inning alone. Eckerd scored its only run of the game in the first inning, when designated hitter Joe Dabah drove in Abraham. The final score of the game was a punishing 37-1.

The final game of the series again started poorly for the Tritons, who were trying to avoid the sweep. The only runs scored in the first six innings were a four-run second inning for the Spartans. Eckerd finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh, as centerfielder Chris Clinton’s grand slam tied the game

4-4. Eckerd gave up the lead but came back again in the bottom of the eighth.

They tied the game on an RBI single by catcher David Regidor.

Unfortunately, this game ended the same way as the first one of the series.

Tampa came right back after blowing the lead in the eighth to score a run in the ninth inning and hold on in the bottom of the ninth.

Even though Eckerd was swept, there were some positive signs. In a preseason poll, the University of Tampa was projected to finish first in the nineteam Sunshine State Conference, while Eckerd was projected at ninth. In two of the three games, the Tritons stayed in the game with the Spartans, a Division II powerhouse that won back-to-back NCAA-II titles in 2006 and 2007, until the very end.

Eckerd will look to get back on track in its next conference games, a weekend series March 19 and 20 at Barry University.

Sunshine State Conference Standings (as of March 15)

Conference

School W-L-T PCT Tampa 6-0 1.000 Rollins 3-0 1.000 Florida Southern 2-1 .667 Florida Tech 5-4 .556

Barry 1-2 .333 Saint Leo 2-4 .333 Lynn 1-2 .333 Nova Southeastern 1-5 .167 Eckerd 0-3 .000

Overall W-L-T PCT 22-5 .815 17-8 .680 21-2 .913 18-5 .783 11-7 .611 12-12 .500 9-13-1 .413 9-14 .391 13-6 .684

Sports Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

Baseball

Softball

Saturday, March 20 @ Barry (DH) 1 p.m.

Friday, March 19 Hillsdale College (DH) 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 v. Rollins 11 a.m.

Tuesday, March 23 @ Florida Tech 2 p.m.

Tuesday, March 23 v. Clearwater Christian 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 v. Barry 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 23 @ Florida Tech 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 27 v. Nova Southeastern 11 a.m.

Friday, March 26 v. Florida Southern 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 21 v. Barry (DH) 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 @ Lynn 12 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 @ Lynn 12 p.m.

Saturday, March 27 v. Florida Southern (DH) 1 p.m.

Tuesday, March 23 @ Warner Southern (DH) 2 p.m.

Monday, March 29 v. West Alabama 12 p.m.

Monday, March 29 v. West Alabama 12 p.m.

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sports

UF dominates an injured Eckerd men’s rugby

By Mitchell Ann Crowley Contributing Writer The best day for Eckerd Men’s Rugby was not the sunny sixth of March. The team sustained a heavy loss to University of Florida at University of South Florida because of a lack of healthy players.

With almost half of the squad injured and unable to play, Eckerd was only able to field 13 of the 15 necessary players. The team intended to forfeit, but was required to play for its spot in the upcoming National Playoffs.

With no subs and not even a full squad, Eckerd was forced to accept help from UF’s B-side players.

The lack of experience on the Eckerd side of the field made for a difficult game in spite of the sunshine.

“As proud as I am to have been part of this team, it definitely wasn’t our best day,” said Eckerd graduate and supporter Bill Griswold after the game.

“We’re glad to have it behind us.”

Eckerd Sophomore Ben Weiskopf provided Eckerd’s only try midway into the game. Sophomore Michael Loop converted the try for a total of seven points on the Eckerd board.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as it got. UF went on to score many times. The opposing team was simply more ready to play.

Not only did the team’s substantial amount of injuries cost the team experienced players, it also dropped morale considerably.

As the Eckerd team started to get down on itself and worn out, UF started to play better and better.

The final score was a crushing 40-7.

But there is some sunshine in Eckerd’s future.

The team should have most of its injured players back in the coming week, just in time for its first playoff game March 20. Captain Alex Buck (Junior) and President Ray Ritola (Senior) are both confident in the team’s ability to pull off a win in the next game.

“If we had a full squad, we could beat any Florida team,” Buck says.

Ritola agrees. “This game had no significance, really. We’re just focusing on the fact that we made semi-finals for Division II National Championships and are ranked in the top 64 Division II teams in the nation.”

And the fans retain faith in their team.

“They just had an off day,” comments Sophomore Danielle Brown. “They’ll be back and win the next one.”

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Walk a mile in his mustache

By Ben Maxwell Contributing Writer He’s the man with the unique mustache and the raspy voice. Stroll down to the Turley Athletic Complex, and you’ll find him under the lights, coaching his baseball team to another victory. He’s Bill Mathews, Eckerd’s baseball coach for more than three decades, nineteen years as head coach.

Mathews, or Skip as friends and players call him, started his career in 1975 when he was a studentathlete and eventually an assistant coach his junior year. Recalling that decade, Mathews notes, “It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of studentathletes from where we were to where we are now with intellect and academic commitment…it’s way off the charts.” It’s no secret that Eckerd College has worked its way up as a prestigious academic college by setting high standards for acceptance.

“In those days,” he said, “it was $5,000 a year to go here and everyone got a talent award. Now it’s $40,000 a year, a big difference in terms of the type of student-athlete that can get in the school and can afford it.”

No matter how well, or not, his team is doing on the field, Mathews has always been a coach who stresses the importance of education. This shows with some of the statistics he has accumulated over the past nineteen years such as an impressive graduation rate of 92 percent.

Not to mention, Eckerd has placed more baseball players on the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll than any other institution. Mathews has achieved such honors by accommodating his players, holding practices twice a day so they can work their academic schedules around those times. “They’re here to get an education,” he said. “Not everyone can be as lucky as me and have a career in baseball. I’m one of the few guys that got to be what he wanted to be when he grew up.”

Current junior outfielder Chris Blydell is one who appreciates his coach’s methods. “He’s a great guy who really gets the best out of every one of his players and makes sure that each and every player reaches their potential on and off the field.”

Mathews has a record of 413-551-2 and is closing in on 1,000 games. He attributes his success to having “great kids,” adding, “it’s a credit more to the players than to me.” However, his record can also be an attributed to his demanding, compassionate

and adjustable coaching methods. “I’m a lot less confrontational, a lot more understanding, and I’m a much better communicator than I used to be,” he said.

Senior pitcher Chris Dvorscak can attest to the Mathews’ style. “Skip has been a huge influence on me. As a coach, you couldn’t ask for anything more.

He’s honest with you, gives you a chance to play and somehow makes everybody happy,” said Dvorscack. “[He is] always full of wisdom, interesting stories and he’s always cracking jokes. Don’t let the mustache fool you, because he’s definitely a kid at heart.”

Throughout his time as head coach, Mathews has had a variety of athletes play for him. As society has changed, so have the players.

“I’ve rolled with [it],” Mathews says. “I think I have adjusted very well to the type of athlete we have now, which is very different from when I first started coaching. Today’s athlete needs a more detailed explanation of what is occurring, they don’t simply do things because they are told to comply.”

Coach Bill Mathews • Began coaching in 1975 while still a student at Eckerd.

• Has a 413-551-2 in 19 years as head coach.

• Won four medals as coach of the Polish National Team.

• Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Rays summer camps, as well as the Rays’ official scorer during home games.

• Has had 92 percent of his players over past 19 years graduate in four years.

One interesting aspect of Mathews is his ultimate goal. “I want to see every single player walk out of here with the feeling that they enjoyed the fact that they got better, as athletes as well as people.”

Something to which Mathew’s nineteen players, players such as Joe Lefebvre, Steve Balboni and Jim Mecir who signed with professional teams, are likely to confirm.

Eventually, Coach Mathews will have to move on from Eckerd College and the baseball program here, but he will leave a legacy. The type of legacy that Mathews would like to leave behind? “That everybody who played for me understood that the most important part of the game isn’t how well you play it, it’s how well you respect it.”

As for his predictions for the team this year? “I think we’re going to be a good team, both offensively and defensively. The question for every team is always going to be about how well we pitch.”

sports

Scouting a major league scout

By Will Creager Sports Writer Current sportswriter Will Creager recently caught up with Mark Weidemaier, a professional scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, to ask him a few questions about his life as a scout. Weidemaier is entering his 12th season with the Dodgers, and is a special assistant to the Dodgers General Manager, Ned Colletti. He spends the offseason scouting the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Republic Winter League for the Dodgers.

What exactly does a baseball scout do?

Depends on whether you are a Major League Scout whose responsibility is covering specific Major League Teams. For example, in the National League, you’re reporting on all players in the League for trade and acquisition purposes. I do a very specialized type of Major League scouting, termed the Major League Advance Scout, in which my responsibility is specifically to report to L.A. Dodger Manager Joe Torre and our coaching staff with the data they need to put together the best game plan for beating the next opponent on our schedule.

My report is disseminated to the players and covers everything from the opposing manager’s tendencies to how to best pitch to their line-up.

My report also covers how to position our defense and about the opposing pitcher’s feature, his pitch velocities and so forth. Basically, I’m trying to prepare a pointilistic picture of data that gives us the best chance to win the game, as well as the upcoming series of games.

But there are also scouts who cover all the Minor League teams in professional baseball, by league or geographic region. Then there is the separate department that covers the Amateur Scouting, a group of scouts who report on high school and college players. This group includes national cross-checkers, regional cross-checkers and area supervisors who have specific territories—states that they cover in preparation for the Amateur Draft held early every June.

Finally, there is the International Department that scouts talent world-wide, including all of Latin America, Mexico, the Pacific Rim and Europe. The job of these scouts is to find the “Diamond in the Rough.” For more info, you might check out the book, Dollar Sign on the Muscle.

How did you make your way into baseball?

Did you always plan on being a scout or was there another job in baseball that you originally wanted?

I played the game (2nd base) and after my playing career was over, I went into college coaching, then back into professional baseball as a minor league coach and instructor. I also managed in the Minor

Leagues, and began as an amateur scout covering the states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. As an area scout, I signed Paul Sorrento (Florida State, played in the Major Leagues with the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Devil Rays), Herbert Perry (University of Florida, played in the Major leagues with the Cleveland Indians) and Jonathan Nunnally (Miami Dade Community College, played in the Major Leagues for the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds). I currently hold the title of Special Assistant to the General Manager/ Major League Advance Scout with the Dodgers.

What are some of the specific tools or abilities that you look for when scouting a position player?

I’m looking for position players with 5 tools: running speed, hitting ability, ability to hit with power, arm strength—(throwing ability) and fielding ability—(catching groundballs, flyballs, etc.)

What are you looking for when you scout a pitcher?

For pitchers, I’m watching for fastball velocity, delivery mechanics, arm action, pitchability. Of course, body type, athleticism, strength level, agility—just as they do in all major sports.

What are some of the places you have traveled to scouting players?

I’ve scouted in every state in the U.S., and in Latin America—Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico—and Japan in the Pacific Rim. What are some of the most enjoyable and least enjoyable parts of your job?

The most enjoyable aspect of this job is being a part of a division-winning ball club, which I’ve enjoyed a number of times with the Dodgers, and with the Cleveland Indians organization when we won the 1995 American League Championship. But I also get a great deal of satisfaction having signed amateur players as an area scout back in the day who made it to the Big Leagues. Without a doubt, the least enjoyable part of this job is being on the road for the better part of 11 months, and missing my lovely wife and our two dogs.

Who do you think is the best baseball player you have ever scouted?

Best [amatuer] players I scouted would be Bo Jackson (Auburn University) and Alex Rodriguez (Westminster HS in Miami). Pro players—anyone who has ever played in the Major Leagues. Currently among the elite are Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals), Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) and a host of others. Pitchers include Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies), Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals) and a

host of others.

Do you think there are actually any five-tool players, or is that just one of the myths in baseball?

It’s not a myth. Take Pujols, ARod and Jeter as examples. And our young centerfielder on the Dodgers, Matt Kemp.

Do you do more professional scouting or amateur scouting? Which do you prefer?

I do the Major League Advance Scouting for the Dodgers, and cover the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Winter League. Actually, I’ve never had a bad job in baseball, but I’ve had to work hard to get to where I am today as a special assistant. Doing the Major League Advance work affords me the opportunity to watch the best players in the world, playing in the best ballparks in the world.

If you could change anything about baseball, what would it be and why?

I’d do away with the designated hitter in the American League. Why? So both leagues could play each other on a level playing field. I feel there’s more strategy in the National League where the pitchers have to hit and the managers are forced to use more strategy such as handling their bench players, pinch hitters, bullpen, etc.

If you could go back in time and watch any baseball player play, who would it be and why?

If I could go back in time, I’d like to watch Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio and many others. Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Duke Snider, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, all the great ones in the Hall of Fame because they were the best to have ever played the game.

If you could have any baseball player today to build a team around, who would it be? If you could have any baseball player in history to build a team around, who would it be?

If I could take one player from today, it would be Albert Pujols. The player I’d take from the past would be Mickey Mantle.

What are some tips you would give to people who are trying to get into scouting?

Go get a Master’s Degree in sports management and land an internship with a Major League ball club, then see where it leads. Also, there’s now a “Scout’s School” in Arizona run by the Major League Scouting Bureau during the Arizona Fall League played in October and November in Phoenix [visit http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/ about_mlb/scouting_overview.jsp for more information].

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sports

Close racing in the Post J/24 Midwinter Distance Race

By James Clappier Contributing Writer Watching a bartender mix four types of hard alcohol into a pitcher at 10:30 a.m. can make even a sailor question his stomach, but this is a necessary part of the J/24 Post-Midwinters Distance Race from Tampa to St. Petersburg.

The race is purely for fun, and mostly serves as a fast delivery to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club sailing center for the three-day National Offshore One Design regatta. I was delivering “USA 799” for Robbie Brown, and he suggested I do the feeder race.

Since the race was on a Thursday, the only crew I could find was Eckerd College Alumni and former Varsity Sailing Team captain Arthur Blodgett. We decided to do it doublehanded, which would put us at a disadvantage, but we had a few tricks up our sleeve. The race is run by local Tampa Bay J/24 sailors Brian Malone and Kat Robinson. They explained how the start would work as the sailors milled around the bar.

For example, each boat has a designated drinker, or “DD,” who must gulp down at least a double shot of a local drink known as the “Wackie Jackie.” This concoction is comprised of equal parts chilled Goldschlager, Jagermeister, Captain Morgan Tattoo and Rumplemintz, then chug a cup of Budweiser. Upon finishing their drinks, the DDs must run to the dock for a Le Mans style start.

The crew of the boat waits anxiously at the dock, with the sails rigged on deck.

When the DD reaches the boat, the crew can hoist the sails and shove off.

Malone continued to lay down a few bylaws. “The only rules are: no motors, but you can use any other means of propulsion. You must pass the Davis Island Yacht Club race mark “A” to port, keep the Long Shoal mark to starboard unless 22

Friday, March 19, 2010

you want to come to a rapid halt and keep the MacDill Air Force Base exclusion marks to starboard, or the men with guns will come tell you what you have done wrong. You may cheat and are encouraged to do so. Two years ago, a boat duct taped two spinnaker poles together and rigged up a masthead spinnaker.”

An Argentinean sailor raised his hand, asking how that would be fair, and that they had no modifications to fly for non-class sails. “Don’t worry,” replied Malone, “it did them no good and they finished midfleet. Also, if you ‘blow chow’ on the footprint of the club,” he said, “you must come back to the bar and wait for ten minutes, while everyone else starts. Any questions?”

“Yes,” said the Argentinean sailor, “what is to ‘blow chow’?”

“To, umm, ‘blahhhh’,” said Robinson, making a vomiting gesture with her hands. One of the sailor’s friends made a quick Spanish translation for him while trying not to laugh.

With each designated drinker at the bar with their drinks in front of them, Malone revealed the prize: a $200 bar tab at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club bar.

With that, he began the countdown. “Five, four, three, GO!” I knew he would pull something funny, and was ready for the jump-start.

Throwing back my “Wackie Jackie” without letting it touch my tongue, I reached for the Budweiser to chase the drink before any lingering flavor had a chance to tickle to my taste buds. Malone gave me the go-ahead, and I was the second person out of the bar.

Running down the steps, I beat the first DD, Jason Chavez, and was the first person to the dock. Unfortunately, Blodgett had moved the boat for a better starting position and I had a hard time finding it. I grabbed the tiller and started sculling as Blodgett hoisted the genoa. We planned See SAILING on PAGE 23 this in advance, but it turned out to be a bad idea,

sports

and kept us from being able to point upwind. Stuck tacking with no speed between barnacle-covered pilings and other boats leaving the dock is a bad place to be, especially in someone else’s immaculate boat.

Fortunately, Blodgett quickly got the main up most of the way and we accelerated upwind, though we had lost our original lead and were the secondto-last boat out of the harbor. While setting the spinnaker and dropping the jib, I noticed my left hand was dripping blood all over the deck, probably from fending off a piling. With Blodgett at the helm, I went below to find a first aid kit. While I patched up my hand, Blodgett trimmed the spinnaker and steered with the tiller between his legs, passing another J/24 having trouble getting their spinnaker flying.

Back on deck, I realized how buzzed I was from the drinking start. Regardless, we were sailing low and fast along the Rhumb line to the Long Shoal and exclusion zone marks. Heating up in the lulls and working down in the puffs, we closed on the leading boats. One of the Argentinean crews made a crash gybe in front of Long Shoal, realizing they were about to sail into it. We sailed under them as they gybed, then gybed to gain leverage by putting ourselves between them and the next mark. We gybed back and headed up slightly to the line of posts marking the water perimeter of the air force base.

To sail as little extra distance as possible, Blodgett steered “USA 799” as close to the exclusion marks as possible, the spinnaker pole tip less than a foot away from the pilings at times.

“Arthur,” I warned, “if you clip the pole on one of those marks Robbie will be seriously pissed. I am technically responsible for the boat right now.”

“Don’t worry man, I got this,” replied Blodgett, narrowly missing the next mark and passing another boat that rounded the mark wide.

So far, our first trick was working well. Before the start, I’d grabbed the spinnaker pole from my Santa Cruz 27, which is about a foot longer than a standard J/24 pole, making the boat faster by giving the spinnaker more projection from the main sail. Knowing we would be tight reaching with the spinnaker as we kept rounding the perimeter marks, I set up my next trick. After pulling on my climbing harness, I disconnected the jib halyard, tied a bowline in it, clipped on with a carabineer and got ready to trapeze off the side of the boat.

As our course brought the wind forward, I lowered the spinnaker pole tip, adjusted the jib halyard and began trapping. This definitely helped our righting moment in the puffs, and we held our position against the fleet. The crew of another boat pulled out a harness, too, but they were too heavy to take advantage of it.

Some of the leading boats were sailing deep, but we kept our high angle as

SAILING continued from Page 22

photos courtesy of James Clappier Opposite page: The USA-799 races toward 2shore. Top left: Former Eckerd sailing captain Arthur Blodgett steers the ship. Above: The towering main sail of the USA-799.

the fleet plowed into a huge windless hole. Without any normal racing rules, we dropped the spinnaker and began rocking the boat through the light patch. Our dingy sailing experience helped us use kinetics to move the boat. We were going almost as fast rocking the boat as we were sailing in the light breeze.

Connecting with a puff coming off the shore, we hoisted the jib and pulled into second place. With the wind clocking right and building slightly, we eased the jib and moved the blocks forward. I rigged up a new trapeze line with the topping lift and went back to trapping. Our lightweight, combined with me trapping, made us very fast, and we were gaining on the leaders, “Team Speed Merchant.”

However, the wind gods conspired against us, and we had to reset the spinnaker. We went for a pole less windward set, which we pulled off smoothly, but now we were sailing a deep angle to the finish line.

Meanwhile, the boats below us were catching up by sailing a higher angle to the finish. “Speed Merchant” gybed for the finish and kept their lead, but two boats snuck under us to finish ahead. We gybed twice to keep in front of Chavez helming the “Kraken,” and took fourth out of eight boats. A boat ahead of us appeared to be sailing doublehanded, but they cut inside the MacDill AFB exclusion zone marks. We obviously couldn’t protest them in a fun race, but I consider us the first doublehanded boat to sail the correct course and finish.

We are already planning to extensively turbo a J/24 just for this race next year. Anyone want to loan us a boat?

Friday, March 19, 2010

23

The Official Student Newspaper of Eckerd College

sports

Page 19

Injury-plagued rugby falls to University of Florida

Page 20

Triton Baseball head coach Bill Mathews

Pages 22-23

photo by Doug Thayer Junior Hisa Sato serves in a two-set match victory March 7 against Southern Indiana. The Tritons lost 5-4 despite Sato’s efforts.

The only sailing competition that requires a DD