The Review T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f D e l a w a r e ’s i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t n e w s p a p e r s i n c e 1 8 8 2
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015 VOLUME 141, ISSUE 14
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“It Struck Home”:
Following UNC shootings, students mourn loss of “our three winners”
KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW Students gathered on the steps of Memorial Hall to mourn the deaths of three Muslim college students at UNC last week. The motive for the killings has been debated. PATRICK WITTERSCHEIN Senior Reporter The moment of silence was broken only by the icy wind and a sporadic muffled cough as participants stood in solidarity Friday on the north steps of Memorial Hall, remembering the lives of three students slain in North Carolina. The vigil was punctuated by students
and community members who recalled emotional personal experiences of prejudice, discrimination and islamophobia. Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were murdered outside the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill campus. The police reported that the motive behind the crime was
a parking dispute, but others –– including one victim’s father –– feels the killings were fueled by hate. Support for “Our three winners” has been galvanized by a strong response from the Muslim community with a rallying cry of “Muslim lives matter.” Following the moment of silence, a short biography and eulogy was read for each victim. Volunteers were
then invited to share their experiences of being Muslim in America. The vigil was organized by sisters Madinah and Tasneem Wilson, 21 and 19, the same age as the sisters killed in North Carolina. Madinah Wilson said when she heard the story, the similarities to her own life made her realize that this could have happened to anyone.
“It struck home,” Madinah Wilson said. “Some things you hear about on the news, you’re thinking, that’s a far away country, you know, that’s a far away conflict, but this is right in our country.” For the two sisters, holding a vigil was an opportunity to raise awareness of the tragedy and show the support of the Muslim community at the university. See WILSON page 5
#VoicesOfUDel aims to foster student activism MATT BUTLER Managing News Editor For years, the student body has been dismissed as a lukewarm, uninterested entity, markedly different from the feverish socially activist students on some other college campuses. The university was ranked in 2007 as the fourth most apathetic student body by Princeton Review. Times have changed. The recent wave of campus activism is in stark contrast to the
indifferent reputation the student body has gained over the years. In addition to the change in student behavior characterized by protests, die-ins and marches, the school administration is working to foster an appreciation of diversity among the school community, specifically with projects like #VoicesOfUDel. Jawanza Keita, communications director for the provost and one of the architects of the #VoicesOfUDel campaign, said it was primarily an
organic process, borne out of the burgeoning desire for social activism on campus. The main purpose of the program is to facilitate the interactions that are happening around campus now that are inspiring change, Keita said It has begun with a series of short YouTube clips of students and faculty expressing their views on the diversity at the school and other topics. See ANTHONY page 5
KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW Students staged several protests in December reacting to the grand jury decisions in the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases, using “Black lives matter” and “Hands up, don’t shoot” as their rallying cries.
EMILY MOORE/THE REVIEW Pres. Patrick Harker spoke about education at Monday’s SGA meeting.
SGA passes revised proposals to expand presidential eligibility, election board MEGHAN JUSCZAK Managing News Editor The Student Government Association (SGA) faced contention last semester concerning eligibility for student body president, with discussions culminating in a failed November proposal to expand the candidacy to SGA senators. The SGA Senate passed on Monday night a revision of this failed proposal, which will allow SGA senators who have served for at least a year and are deemed suitable candidates by the elections board to run. The elections board, which ensures SGA candidates follow the rules during the campaign and election process, currently consists of
the president, the SGA advisor and another Student Centers staff member. Because the new eligibility requirements will give the board a greater role, SGA president Ben Page-Gil proposed the board include more students. Like the new presidential eligibility bill, this proposal was passed unanimously by the Senate. Senior Jordan Wohl, who proposed the original bill in November unsuccessfully, presented the updated version Monday. One of the cosponsors of that bill, sophomore Frank Haendel-Gonzalez, expressed that while he endorsed the new proposal, he still wished it was more inclusive.
See HARKER page 5
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TUESDAY, FEB 17
PENCIL IT IN
University Student Centers Quizzo: Sports, 7-8 p.m., Perkins Student Center - West Lounge “Forget Me Not: Photography Between Poetry and Politics,” Mechanical Hall Gallery
WEDNESDAY, FEB 18
THURSDAY, FEB 19
LGBTQ Campus Climate Keynote and Workshop, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Trabant Multipurpose Rooms Harry Potter night, 8-11 p.m., Trabant Lounge Film Viewing and Discussion: Race and Science: International Legacies, 7-9 p.m., Gore Hall, Room 304
Black History Month Extravaganza featuring Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, 7 p.m., Trabant Multipurpose Room
FRIDAY, FEB 20
SATURDAY, FEB 21
Free Lunch Friday Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Venture Development Center Environmental Engineering Guest Speaker Seminar, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Du Pont Hall, Room 350 International Coffee Hour, 4-6 p.m., 44 Kent Way, Reception
MLK Day of Service, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Perkins Student Center
SUNDAY, FEB 22
MONDAY, FEB 23
Engineering Dodgeball Tournament, 12-4 p.m., Carpenter Sports Building, Racquetball Courts Gore Session A Cappella concert, 3-5 p.m., Gore Hall Rotunda International Film Series, “The Land of Many Palaces,” 7-10 p.m., Trabant Theater
Deadline for Changing Dining Plan Last Day to Register/Add Courses “Anita Hill: Speaking Truth to Power,” 7 p.m., Trabant Theater
TL;DR Delaware Will Shine Update:
Construction Update:
New ID Cards:
A draft of Delaware Will Shine, the university’s newest strategic planning initiative will be sent to the president and provost by the end of March for approval. Town hall meetings will begin in April.
The Academy Street Dining and Residence Hall and the Purnell Hall renovation are both 75 to 80 percent complete, and are expected to be completed on time.
All students will be eligible for new contactless ID Cards beginning Feb. 18. Cards will be available for pickup from the Student Services Building.
“Too long; didn’t read” gives you weekly news summaries in 200 words or less.
B
#TBT EMERY COOPERSMITH/THE REVIEW
IDEN BEAT CADY ZUVICH Executive Editor Being a Delawarean, you don’t have room to boast about much. Delaware is too often the butt of a joke, a forgotten state with a questioned existence. Despite folks non-ironically asking if Delaware is in Canada (I’ve gotten this several times) we do have at least one testament to our greatness. Joe Biden. That’s right. Amtrak Joe. The aviator-wearing, finger-gun-shooting VP with a million dollar smile. Since rising to Vice Presidency, Biden has become much admired –– though equally criticized –– for his off-the-cuff ways. There is no denying he is the master of gaffes, though I do not consider his gaffes a setback. Biden’s just human, unpolished and true to himself. So I’m introducing Biden Beat, a weekly feature of VP-centric blurbs. This is in part to commemorate his 50th anniversary of graduating from the UD. Expect memorable quotes, flashbacks to his college years, Biden fandom and speculation as to whether he is setting into motion a run for commander in chief. So about that 2016 election. Biden visited Iowa this week –– a sort of visit that always garners media speculation of a possible presidential run. Most of the focus from his Iowa trip was on him calling a former Iowa senator “a butt buddy.” This usage of ‘80s slang however overshadowed a substantive speech on money in politics. “I know I’m always referred to as ‘Middle Class Joe.’ In Washington, that’s not a compliment. That means supposedly I’m not sophisticated if I’m middle class,” Biden said in a speech at Drake University. “But I know what thing: The middle class built this country. The middle class built this country.”
Sunday, Feb. 12, 1989
“Raw sewage back-up floods ·Gilbert dorm” Two inches of raw sewage accumulated on the first floor, covering the hallway and seeping into several rooms, of Gilbert Hall F. Freshman Adrienne Burns attempted to contact maintenance when the water in the shower wouldn’t drain around 10 a.m. A little while later, the entire bathroom was flooded. The back-up, located on Haines Street between East Park Place and Courtney Street, was caused by grease and soap from Russell Dining Hall, said Roland Brown, mechanic for the Water and Sewer Department for the City of Newark. All bathrooms of Gilbert Hall F were locked, and water was shut off in the entire complex. The block was cleared by city workers at approximately 3:15 p.m. Several students complained of ruined carpets and soaked clothes in addition to complaints about having to do most of the cleaning themselves, as maintenance only removed the water.
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KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW Daugherty Hall was renovationed over winter break, which included the removal of couches and full carpeting. New lights and tables are now also a mainstay in the room.
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Faculty lowers standard of proof to comply with federal standard CADY ZUVICH Executive Editor
KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW Main Street is one of many areas with new housing projects under development in order to cater to the growing demand for off-campus residences.
Report underscores need for housing in Newark MATT BUTLER Managing News Editor A new study on the offcampus housing demands of the Newark area concluded that the region has a severe shortage of affordable rental homes. The project particularly examined the impact that the university student population has on the area’s housing environment. The City of Newark combined with Urban Partners to conduct a comprehensive study, officially titled “Rental Housing Needs Assessment for the City of Newark,” into the off-campus housing demands of the Newark area. Phase two of the assessment will deal with whether or not the city needs to do more to cater to the non-student, low- to moderate-income family rental market and how to best execute such a shift. The report forecasts the need for more rental housing in the city of Newark, at a pace of at least 50 new units per year just to meet growing student demand. If that demand is not met through
additional units, the report states, single-family units or owner-occupied housing would likely be converted to student rentals. After approving an average of 41 new housing units per year from 2005 through 2011, Newark approved almost 600 new units during 2012 and 2013, including The Retreat and the Newark Shopping Center housing project, according to the report. While The Retreat has been completed, the Newark Shopping Center units are still being developed. As for low-income housing, the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) is in the midst of a building project called Alder Creek, a revival of the Cleveland Heights housing units near White Clay Creek, which will be finished by this summer if it is passed by the Newark City Council. The project is due to be reviewed and voted upon by City Council in late February. The report states this project will yield only 13 additional units, a figure dwarfed by NHA’s 800 household waiting list.
The project concluded 43 percent of the university undergraduate population lives in dorms, while 48 percent live off campus. It also said only 25 percent of Newark’s rental housing residents are non-students, and there is just a 2.9 percent vacancy rate among rental properties in Newark. The Retreat was also mentioned in the report as playing an important role in providing off-campus housing to students next year and beyond. The complex was not finished until last summer, far too late to attract the majority of students. The Retreat’s current 40 percent vacancy rate will reduce to around 10 percent by fall 2015, according to the study. On-campus housing will also see several changes in the coming months, with visible campus constructions finishing soon. Rodney and Dickinson will be decommissioned in May 2015, while the report states Academy Street Dining and Residence Hall and the Harrington Complex will both be open and operational by fall 2015.
New World Scholars Program to launch in fall 2015 The university is introducing the World Scholars Program as a four-year immersion experience aiming to allow students to become global citizens. AMY HOPKINS Senior Reporter Launching in the fall, the World Scholars Program will soon offer incoming freshmen the opportunity to engage in a four-year academic experience, starting with studying abroad their first semester freshman year. The university will invite 50 incoming undergraduate students with global interest to join the World Scholars Program. The Office of Admissions identifies admitted students looking closely for select majors, targeting students with high academic achievement and high interest in world affairs. Approved majors for the program include ones from the Lerner College of Business and Economics and the College of Arts and Sciences. Students majoring in university studies and human services are also considered.
“As the program evolves, we will be able to expand inclusion to students in other colleges,” said Amy Foley, associate director for global outreach. Foley said the university is actively exploring opportunities with other institutions around the world. Locations of interest to the university include Greece, China and Latin America.
“We are really looking to expand global opportunities for members of the University of Delaware.” -Amy Foley, Associate Director for Global Outreach
The World Scholar Program will be coming soon to the university.
“We are really looking to expand global opportunities for members of the University of Delaware,” Foley said. “So
we are a global community producing global citizens. People who are able to work, live and interact anywhere in the world.” Students will work toward becoming global citizens throughout their college experience. First semester freshman year will be spent abroad in Rome, Italy at partner institution John Cabot University. During their junior year, students will study abroad during spring semester. Students will see greater global engagement alongside academic credits, internships, service learning and research experiences. As seniors, they will work on a project to be presented at a symposium. The First Annual World Scholars Symposium will take place in spring 2019. “Status as a World Scholar will entitle you to engagement with visiting foreign dignitaries and diplomats and earns you a spot in UD’s global community of international students and scholars,” according to the World Scholars Program brochure. The goal of the program is to have World Scholar sites around the world to expand and improve the culture of the university. “It’s an opportunity,” Foley said. “It’s something we are really passionate about— not only the experience to learn something new about yourself and the world, but it’s something that will stay with you forever.”
After a semester of contention surrounding the issue, the Faculty Senate recently voted unanimously in favor of a motion to lower the standard of proof in sexual misconduct cases brought to its jurisdiction committee, Faculty Welfare and Privileges (FWP). Faculty voted on the motion Jan. 12, not long before an anticipated spring visit from federal agents from the Office of Civil Rights. Opening UD’s investigation last May, OCR is also investigating 95 other universities and colleges for alleged violations of Title IX. The office has concluded evaluations at other universities including Princeton, though whether the office has visited UD yet is unconfirmed. This lower standard of proof makes for a policy that allows victims to prove a violation happened “more likely than not.” This standard in sexual misconduct cases will stand as an exception to the more rigorous clear and convincing standard still used in other cases. Following the vote, FWP’s lower standard of proof is now even to the standard of proof in sexual misconduct cases not involving faculty, complying more fully to the OCR standards. Faculty first debated on the lower standard in a December Senate meeting, with some faculty suggestion the lower standard of proof would backfire, and that the university should instead challenge the OCR recommendations. University lawyer Larry White cautioned faculty against pushing back. “We are preparing for a visit by OCR,” White said in the December meeting. “We are hoping to put [the new standard] in place. There are tremendous inconsistencies in the law–– inconsistencies in how we deal with sexual misconduct and other vices.” Graduate student Sen. Chris Castillo also advocated for the lower standard before the motion. As a representative of the graduate student population, Castillo pointed to the mentorships often seen in his graduate school. These professor-student relationships are built on trust, Castillo said, as professors “can make or break” students’ careers. “The university is an accomplice to this crime when it unreasonably shelters such faculty members from justice and enables them to become
serial offenders,” Castillo said. “The university has a moral obligation to represent the very best professional standards and it should strive to ensure the success of its students.” Sociology professor Eric Tranby left the university last spring following a sexual harassment allegation leveled by a former student. Tranby’s case never saw Faculty Welfare and Privileges as he never disputed termination. The terms of his leave remain largely unknown, though Tranby’s legal team said he was not found of wrongdoing by the university. Initial investigations of faculty sexual misconduct are conducted by few administrators, with little transparency due to confidentiality for the complainant and accused. The faculty member can dispute the termination by taking it to FWP. While the FWP does not officially adjudicate faculty termination disputes, the committee issues recommendations on specific cases to the provost. The provost and president still ultimately makes the final decision on termination regardless of FWP recommendations. Prior to the meeting Provost Domenico Grasso urged for Faculty Senate to “act as a model of shared governance.” “The Federal government has had to step in to ensure that we achieve our lofty goals, much to our embarrassment,” Grasso said. “Today we are gathered to do just that–– provide a safe and secure environment to all our students.” Faculty brought forth related amendments during the Senate meeting, some of which alluded to issues of shared governance. An amendment penned by Sen. Joshua Zide removes a line from the FWP procedural revision draft that stated an accused faculty member would not be terminated unless the majority of FWP recommends it, which would give Faculty Senate more say in termination disputes. An additional Zide amendment passed requires majority and minority opinions when the recommendation makes it to the provost. A passed amendment from President-elect Robert Opila lays out an appeals process in a maximum 21-day timeframe, challenging the required brevity supposed to be upheld in the entire process.
EMERY COOPERSMITH/THE REVIEW Faculty Senate decided to lower the standard of proof for harrassment allegations levied against professors during a winter session vote.
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DYLAN GALLIMORE
POLITICS STRAIGHT: NO CHASER The Very Visible Invisible Primary The 2016 election cycle’s invisible primary is well underway—and it’s hardly invisible. No less than 20 Republicans have openly mulled a bid for the presidency as of late, and while, surely, not all 20 will decide to throw their hats into the ring, the Republican Party looks poised for a primary season for the ages. Gov. Jeb Bush, the early establishment favorite and only man in his nuclear family to not yet have been elected president, may draw challenges from Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Scott Walker, as they all attempt to attract establishment donors and court moderate Republicans. To their right flank, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Sen. Rick Santorum, former Gov. Rick Perry, Gov. Bobby Jindal and Dr. Ben Carson seem poised to compete for grassroots support. Factor in wildcards like successful, but little known Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, accomplished businesswoman but political novice Carly Fiorina and the ever-hovering specter of former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, and you have got a recipe for a nontraditional, exciting and dynamic primary season. On the other side of the political aisle, things are just as exciting. Liberal champion, former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will face off against… wait, hang on… what’s his name again? She’ll be squaring off against the blue blooded liberal icon… former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley? Okay, so that’s not that exciting. But maybe Delaware’s own “Uncle” Joe Biden will throw his hat in the ring! The lifelong public servant and Vice President of the United States has a new book being released this summer and has been amassing campaign staff in Iowa—wait, no. He hasn’t at all. Okay, so Vice President Biden and Gov. O’Malley don’t seem to be too aggressively kick-starting their campaigns… what about former Harvard Law professor and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, known for her fiery stump speeches and middle class populism? MoveOn.com has launched a one million dollar “Draft
Warren” movement. Surely that’s been paying off, right? It hasn’t. Hopefully readers will see where I’m going with this. An explosive, exciting primary looms on the right, and on the left, Secretary Clinton seems poised to slouch towards the nomination, untested and unchallenged. While it’s far too early to tell how things will play out, a Clinton coronation may not be such a good thing for the Democrats, especially as a primary battle rages on the right. A relaxed, uncontested primary season might leave Clinton with few scars and allow her campaign to conserve resources for the general election, but it may also fail to provide an opportunity for her to battle-test her message and lull her team into a false sense of security and ease. Meanwhile, the Republicans have a unique opportunity to have a large discussion about the future of the GOP, and there’s no shortage of diverse voices ready to add their opinions. If the dialogue remains civil enough to not permanently wound the primary campaign’s eventual victor, this campaign has the potential to be a transformative one for a party that’s spent a decent amount of time in the political wilderness. To be sure, the primary will be rocky and at times, messy, but if the victor survives the gauntlet, the payoff may be historic, especially if Clinton is unprepared for a fight. The invisible primary is hardly invisible any longer, and perhaps thaat’s a good thing. American voters are getting a closer, earlier look at candidates before they even begin their campaigns, and if, “an educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people,” as Thomas Jefferson is rumored to have said, then all the better. America seems as ready as ever to turn the page.
—Dylan Gallimore Columnist
The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent the views of The Review.
COURTESY OF UNITED STATES COAST GUARD PRESS Michael Chertoff, pictured here in 2004, addressed a full house at the Roselle Center last Tuesday on the new cybersecurity issues that threaten the nation. His speech was part of the cybersecurity initiative launch.
Controversial Chertoff addresses shifts in cyber landscape MATT BUTLER Managing News Editor As instances of cyber attacks increase—the university falling victim to one in July 2013—the notion cyber dangers exist in the dark recesses of the web has become antiquated. The university hosted one of the leading minds on cybersecurity in Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), at the Cybersecurity Initiative Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday. Chertoff is a controversial figure after his role in the writing of the Patriot Act in the aftermath of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the DHS role in the government’s much-maligned response to Hurricane Katrina. Chertoff highlighted new forms of cyber attacks during Tuesday’s lecture, citing how cars can be attacked via Internet. “I think that there really is an opportunity in getting academia involved in a partnership with the government and the private sector to really do something to raise the level of our security from cyber attacks,” he said. President Barack Obama mentioned cyber attacks during last month’s State of the Union, urging for Congressional action. “No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the
privacy of American families, especially our kids,” Mr. Obama said in his State of the
“You have to build a security strategy with the understanding that anybody with anything of any value will, from time to time, be the subject of a successful breach.” -Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Union speech. The lecture was associated with the university’s cybersecurity initiative, which aims to bring more focus onto job development in cyber fields at the university at both graduate and undergraduate levels. University President Patrick Harker said cyber
threats exist in a multitude of different forms, and the cybersecurity initiative will attempt to address the different problems that have come about. Two significant challenges the initiative is targeting are the need for research into the problem that can apply both to small business and large corporations, along with teaching students the necessary skills to take advantage of this relatively new job market. “We need to dramatically expand the pipeline of skilled cybersecurity workers,” Harker said. “UD will educate the workers that our nation needs now and in the future.” Chertoff emphasized the lack of a silver bullet defense against cyber attacks and said there is no way to be 100 percent protected from anything. As technology becomes more sophisticated and humans begin to rely on it even more, he said, we become increasingly more susceptible to cyber attacks, and their effect becomes more dangerous. “Even if you practice perfect cyber-hygiene [...] you can block a lot of malware, but you are not going to block everything,” Chertoff said. “You have to build a security strategy with the understanding that anybody with anything of any value will, from time to time, be the subject of a successful breach.”
Residence Life to offer new all-gender housing option next year PATRICK WITTERSCHEIN Senior Reporter Beginning in fall 2015, students will have the option to choose all gender housing for their on-campus living arrangements. Students who decide to participate in all gender housing will be able to live with a preselected roommate
regardless of sexual orientation or gender. The Office of Residence Life & Housing hopes the new offering will promote a sense of community and inclusiveness among students who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender, or are simply seeking an alternative to traditional housing. While all students are
COURTESY OF WILLIE STRAUSSER The new program is different from the current gender neutral housing system because it allows students of any gender to be roommates rather than just living in conjoined single suites.
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allowed to apply for all gender housing, the goal of the new program is to provide a safe environment for students who may be questioning their gender identity or would rather not adhere to traditional gender categories. “All-gender housing also decreases heteronormative assumptions regarding housing assignments,” the Residence Life & Housing website said. All-gender housing will be available for all upperclassmen with mutually requested roommates written on their spring housing applications. First year students who wish to live in all gender housing can apply, but only if spaces are available, the website said. Kathleen Kerr, executive director of Residence Life & Housing, said the new offering is an important step forward from the current option of “gender-neutral housing.” Gender-neutral rooms at the university are single suites that share a bathroom, so any students who choose that option are forced to live in a single room. All-gender housing will allow students to live with a roommate of their choice, aiming to improve the comfort of some students who feel they have been pushed to the margins or forgotten.
“The singles weren’t necessarily meeting everyone’s needs, so we wanted to create an option that recognized all genders,” Kerr said. “After we had piloted the gender neutral program for a while, we made a proposal for this option.” Kerr said the staff at Residence Life & Housing views the residence halls as student’s homes, and aim to make it as comfortable as possible for students. Part of the way they can achieve that goal is by giving students freedom over who they choose to live with on campus. For students who might be considering the option, Kerr said there is no need to tell the office what their interest is, but just that they have an interest in this housing and they will be placed there. Haven president Matt Spicer said the move demonstrates the commitment by the university to cater to all types of students. “To me, it is a clear signal that UD is making an effort to be more inclusive of the LGBT community,” Spicer said. He said that some LGBT students worry about the random roommate system and the prospect of coming out to someone who may not be comfortable with it. While incoming freshman will still have to reach out
to Residence Life & Housing directly to apply for all gender housing, he said upperclassmen within the LGBT community will benefit in being free from assumptions about gender identity and sexual orientation. Spicer also said the program’s benefits will affect other aspects of the campus community. “When people are comfortable with their living situations, that creates success in other areas,” he said. Residence Life & Housing is happy to offer the program, Kerr said, and she hopes that students make the most of the new option. “Probably the most important thing for me is that students who choose to live in this option have to be open [...]” Kerr said. “So we really want people to sign up for this housing with the understanding that there are a diversity of reasons why students will live here.” To Spicer, the decision to offer all gender housing makes perfect sense. “Part of UD’s responsibility is to create the best experience inside and outside the classroom,” Spicer said. “If you’re not comfortable where you’re living, you’re not going to be too comfortable on campus.”
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HARKER: ‘WE HAVE TO LEARN THINGS FROM THE MINERVAS OF THE WORLD.’ Continued from page 1 “I’m rather satisfied with the change to the proposal because I think it opens up to a greater public the opportunity to run for president,” he said. “But for my personal convictions, I think that in order to uphold our democratic principles [the presidential election] should be open to non-SGA members.” Wohl said he also hopes this will be the next step after the first expansion to SGA Senators takes place but acknowledged this change was the first step in the right direction. Before this proposal was passed, only three students out of a study
body of 17,000 would have been eligible to run for SGA president come elections in April. The Senate passed three other proposals as well, including appointing a representative to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education (SAPE) committee, a proposal to make SGA’s commitment to the White House “It’s On Us” campaign official and a system that allows students to rent mobile power outlets in Morris Library. President Patrick Harker also spoke at Monday’s Senate meeting. “I’m here to talk with you all about what I lose sleep over, what I think about most when it comes to
the university,” he said. He spent most of his time talking about his “obsession,” as he called it several times, to make sure college is more affordable and, therefore, more accessible. In a broad sense, he said the middle class is being priced out of higher education. Americans spend about half a trillion dollars a year on higher education and that reality is dangerous for the country, he said, because if costs continue to rise, it will be hard to maintain an educated citizenry. He mentioned his involvement in the Minerva Project, a Silicon Valley startup that represents a new model in education— students pay $10,000 a year
for a largely online, but still interactive, learning experience focused on critical thinking skills. “We have to learn things from the Minervas of the world,” he said. “But at the same time [the university] should double down on the stuff that really matters in place-based education.” If a student is going to pay thousands of dollars more for a more traditional education, there needs to be more emphasis on what is done outside the classroom, he said, whether it is student government, a sustainability movement or a theater group. Senior Rebecca Bronstein, a primary advocate for a campus Office
of Sustainability, asked Harker if there were any talks of the office coming to fruition. While sustainability will be stressed as part of the Delaware Will Shine strategic plan, he said he is not sure about the office. “When you create such an office, sustainability becomes the office’s problem, not mine,” he said. “So if I’m in facilities or athletics, I might think about it less—that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have one—but this happens with a lot of issues. People say, ‘Oh, that doesn’t have anything to do with me.’”
ANTHONY: ‘I HOPE STUDENTS WANT TO CHANGE, I THINK FIRST THEY NEED TO REALIZE THAT THEY NEED TO CHANGE.’ Continued from page 1 “It’s a safe place where people can present their views and opinions, at its core,” Keita said. “[...] Ultimately, we want people to have real conversations, person to person. That makes a difference.” Junior Jasmine Anthony organized events last fall specifically dealing with the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. She said the recent activism has had an impact on the student body as a whole, but that administrative action will only be successful if it can engage students, something that may be more difficult than it sounds.
“Ultimately, we want people to have real conversations, person to person. That makes a difference.” -Jawanza Keita, Communications director for the provost and one of the architects of the #VoicesOfUDel campaign
“I can only hope,” Anthony said. “I hope students want to change, I think first they need to realize that they need to change.” Anthony has seen the need for changes firsthand, having been subjected to gracial epithets by other lstudents on at least two doccasions in the past, she esaid. t The university’s lack of sdiversity has stirred more d
e t s e r s e g , t eContinued from page 1
conversation as of late, including a letter sent by Richard Smith, president of the Delaware chapter of the NAACP, which lambasted the university and President Patrick Harker for the lack of diversity at the school, saying the school has a “serious systemic problem regarding diversity.” There were 834 black students enrolled at the university’s Newark campus in 2013, representing just five percent of the undergraduate student body. Lindsay Hoffman, a communications professor at the university who will be organizing a race-centric National Agenda speaker series next semester, said it is an unfortunately fair criticism. History of the state plays a role as well, she said, as most view Delaware State University as the more African-American school, while University of Delaware is viewed as more white. “I agree that diversity is a big problem, I think we need more diversity,” Hoffman said. “[...] But the administration is trying, I don’t think they necessarily are succeeding or doing as well as they could, but it is something that is on the university’s agenda.” Holly Norton, a social media manager for the university who also helped found Voices of UDel with Keita, said since she began here in September of this year, she has not felt the reputed apathy of years past among the students and hopes the Voices of UDel campaign will give those students with passion and energy a place to voice their opinions with each other. “I don’t see that at all,” Norton said of student indifference. “The first week I was here I saw a bunch of students on the steps of Memorial Hall [...] They could not be any more engaged, that’s what I see.”
WILSON: ‘THINGS LIKE THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN AS OFTEN, OR AT ALL, IF WE ALL HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER.’
“Then we heard about t speople that were reflecting on otheir lives and remembering ethem in other places and ewe thought we should do nthe same thing,” Madinah eWilson said. “We should eget together and organize ysomething so that their lives can be remembered and their nexample can be modeled gafter.” The three Muslim killed were yAmericans ecommitted to charity, with eBarakat planning a service ftrip to aid Syrian refugees in eTurkey. A dental student, he gwas raising money to provide ndental care to the refugees. The three students were a far cry from an anomaly,
Madinah Wilson said. “There are thousands of American Muslims just like them that think of America as their home and their only country, and that love watching football, and are big college football fans, that give back to their communities,” she said. The Wilson sisters organized the vigil as a way to remember the slain students, but also to help build a future of tolerance and diversity. For Tasneem Wilson, the answer to religious violence, islamophobia and all types of prejudice is within the grasp of everyone. “Things like this wouldn’t happen as often, or at all, if we all had a better understanding of each other,” Tasneem Wilson said.
Courtesy of UDaily Windemeyer said the positive response from his college fraternity when he came out gave him the encouragement he needed to become an activist for LGBTQ college students.
Campus Pride director talks college LGBTQ inclusivity MEGHAN JUSCZAK Managing News Editor The university’s LGBT Caucus, the faculty and staff advocacy group, is bringing Shane Windmeyer to campus Wednesday. Windmeyer is the executive director and founder of Campus Pride, an organization devoted to creating safer LGBTQ communities at about 1400 colleges across the country. It also trains LGBTQ student leaders, including some Haven board members at the university, during a summer program. Meghan Jusczak: Campus Pride does a lot of work with university policy and helping establish the infrastructure for change, but what about the other aspects of the LGBT campus climate that are more difficult to measure? How do you think the tides of attitudes on campus can be impacted? Shane Windmeyer: The programs and services should also be provided for other populations, in recognition that there are intersectional identities, because, for example, in our international student communities, there is very little focus on LGBTQ students [...] We should also should have LGBTQ questions on our forms
alongside religion and race, and should talk about gender-inclusive housing on our housing forms and about transgender health care on our intake forms. At the end of the day, this is all about academic success and we want every student to have the right to a safe learning environment. If I’m being called the wrong gender pronouns or my professor is not using my chosen name and is using my birth name that I no longer identify with—that has an impact on student learning. MJ: Let’s shift gears now and talk about Greek life. It says on your website that you were part of a fraternity in college. Could you talk a little about your experiences as a gay man in fraternity? SW: My fraternity involvement was kind of a pivotal moment in my activism. I came out to my fraternity as gay, and this was back in the early ’90s and there was not a lot of visibility for LGBT people [...] but it was a pivotal moment in that when I came out my junior year, my fraternity brothers, by and large, were very supportive and they kind of gave me the faith in myself and the pride to be who I am. I would like to make sure people know, because of allies—because of my straight fraternity brothers—
that I do the work I do today and that I created Campus Pride. MJ: So you’ve mentioned allyship a couple times now, could you talk a little about the concept of being an ally? I know some people that it should be an action rather than an identity—what’s your opinion on that? SW: Well, I agree—I mean allyship is so important, but we have created the identity for straight people called “allies” but really what makes people allies is really the actions, standing alongside LGBT people and advocating on their behalf when necessary. If someone calls you an ally as a straight person, that’s a wonderful honor to have, because your actions are what are making you an ally. But I caution people not to use it as an identity, unless they have actions that show truly great allyship. This Q&A has edited for brevity.
been
Windmeyer will be speaking Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Trabant Multipurpose Rooms. He also will be presenting a workshop there at 2 p.m.
Football player arrested for assault MEGHAN JUSCZAK Managing News Editor Sophomore Roman Tatum, a defensive back on the university’s football team, was charged with assault Saturday night after an incident at a party involving three other male students. At approximately 11:30 p.m., Newark police responded to a call at 10 Center St., where a large fight occurred in the apartment complex. According to the police report, the victims said a man with dreadlocks, later identified as Tatum, assaulted them after he was asked to leave the party. Two of the victims suffered minor injuries while the other had his front teeth dislocated. Tatum turned himself into the police on Sunday and was released after posting $1,100 bail. “While we cannot comment on any specific case, any UD student who is arrested is referred to the Office of Student Conduct,” said Scott Selheimer, public relations director for university athletics.
COURTSEY OF NEWARK POLICE
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015
THE REVIEW
Delaware Will Shine draft to be made available to university in March
JAGODA DUL Managing Mosaic Editor
The draft of the university’s newest strategic planning initiative will be sent to Provost Domenico Grasso and President Patrick T. Harker by the end of March for approval, said Charles Riordan, chair of the executive committee and vice provost for research. The Delaware Will Shine draft will also be made public to the university community. “Once the three different working groups synthesize
their ideas, the draft report will be made available to the university community, soliciting feedback and input from all levels,” Riordan said. The working groups and Executive Committee will host town hall meetings in early April and will open up forms for online submissions to create a feedback flow from professors, administrators and students. The Board of Trustees will vote on the revised draft at their semiannual meeting in May and
if approved, implementation will begin, but will take time due to the scale and scope of the university, Riordan said. “The implementation process will be a multilevel one that will involve individual units across campus reviewing it and considering the best plan for their unit,” Riordan said. The initiative will come with a road map to guide and encourage each university unit to develop plans to best suit and complement their desired approach with the goals of Delaware Will Shine.
PHOTO FROM FILE
Delaware Will Shine, spearheaded by Provost Domenico Grasso is the follow-up to the Path to Prominence initiative, designed to guide the university to national prestige. It will be up for final approval in March.
EMILY MOORE/THE REVIEW The university will be switching over to a ONEcard identity card system, a way to combine the current student ID card with dorm fob cards.
University switches to the ONEcard HANNAH TATE Staff Reporter The university is making the switch to ONEcard, a new contactless identification card for faculty, staff and students. Beginning Wednesday, students can pick up their new cards in the Student Services Building through March 20. One of the main reasons for the new identification cards is safety. Donna O’Brien, university media relations coordinator, stated in an email message how the ONEcard will provide more safety for users of the card. “It is more secure than just a traditional mag-stripe because it is more difficult to counterfeit,” O’Brien said. “A special encryption key, which is unique to the individual card, is encoded into a sector on the chip in each card.” The chip in each ONEcard is also what makes the ID contactless, meaning you just hold the card in front of a reader instead of swiping it. This technology will allow buildings
across campus to eliminate the use of fobs and provide added security. The cards will still contain a magnetic stripe in case the readers are not functioning. The name “ONEcard” was chosen to represent the manyR services being provided by theD card, O’Brien said. It also reflects the name of the oldest existing identification cards named thep c UD#1 card. Despite the new benefitsm of the ONEcard, sophomore Madeleine Webster is not sure these cards are worth the trouble. “I have a mixed opinion on it,” Webster said. “I think it’s good to incorporate everything into one card, but if you lose this one card, you’re screwed and can’t get in anywhere.” Campus community members should have received or will be receiving emails in the next week informing them of their suggested appointment time to pick up their ONEcard at the Student Services Building. If they choose not to switch to the ONEcard, current cards will still function at the university.
CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS Acne Care & Treatments Get Clear Without Perscriptions Call Nancy DeCrease 302-250-3232 Acne Specialist www.efflorescenceskincare.com
FOR SALE TOYOTA TACOMA 2003, 128k miles, carfax, 3.4L gas V6, auto, AC, ABS, RADIO-CD, clean title 3,900$ call at (774) 203-9001 Historic New Castle. Bordering park, splendid view of Del River. 2 bedrms, 1 1/2 bath, garden. 20-25 min to UD. Ideal for faculty, UD employees. $269,999 302-322-1848 to see
FOR RENT HollyWoods and East Village Townhomes- www.udelrental.com HollyWoods: 5 Bdrms, 3 Full Bath, W/D, A/C, DW East Village: 6 Bdrms, 6 1/2 Baths, W/D, A/C, DW Available June 2015 Chris 302-547-9481 Across from Morris Library 4 BR house. Avail June 1. Women students only. 610-620-3525
Houses for Rent June 2015 Walk to Campus Email: SmithUnion@verizon.net UNIVERSITY COMMONS TOWNHOUSES FOR RENT! HOUSE FOR THE PRICE OF AN APARTMENT! GREAT LOCATION! GREAT PRICES! GREAT MAINTENANCE! Call for more info 302-368-8864 Email: ejsproperties@comcast.net Renov. Aparments 4 Rent on Campus 1-4 people. Avail now and next year 302-249-3877
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FOR RENT
Remodeled two bedroom units behind Main Street for next school year. Near UD/Newark bus stops. Ideal for shopping, dining, bar hopping, strolling or working downtown, but also quiet locale with nice yard. Washer/dryer on site. Sorry, no pets. $845/per month or $1690 per month for two adjacent units. Leave message @ 302-369-1288 or email campusrentals@webtv.net
FOR RENT
Academy Corner (Skidrow) 7 4 bedroom townhouses 1 3 bedroom 1 1 bedroom Washer, dryer, stove Dishwasher, refrigerator 302-598-6177 Email: nicholas.baldini@gmail.com
UDel Campus Houses for Rent 2015-2016 School Year Great Udel Locations Call or Text Doug at 610-400-3142 Or email at GUDoug59@comcast.net
CAMPUSRENTALS@webtv.net Homes for 2 to 8 persons for 2015/16 $$ sensible price $$ Convenient locations just steps to UD. Early sign-up discount possible. To request listings, email or leave msg @ 302-369-1288
3/4 Bedroom Houses Avalable June 1 Call/text Brian 302-893-2777 Email: sblesher@verizon.net
3/4 bdrms $1300/$1800 6/1/2015 Contact John at 302-494-3478
S. Chapel duplex avail 2014 near UD Courtyard- leave msg @ 302-369-1288
4 person homes near Cleveland Ave & New london, near UD. Washer/Dryer, AC, PORCH, YARD, FREE PARKING, Start @2350 ($587.50 pp + util) 302-983-0124 Bluemoon222@juno.com http://www.udrentals.20m.com
Houses For Rent 2015-2016 Great locations all just steps from campus. Lots to choose from. The very lg 8 bedrooms to smaller 3 BR. We have the houses to meet your needs. All in the best locations. For list e mail mattdutt@aol.com or visit our website www.mattduttrentals.com KERSHAW COMMONS TOWNHOUSES FOR RENT 9 3 bedroom remodeled 12 2 bedroom 3 or 4 person 5 NEW 4 bedroom 4 1/2 bath Private bath for each bedroom NCG LLC - please call for more info 302-368-8864 ejsproperties@comcast.net
HOUSES 4 RENT 3, 4 or 6 Person Houses WALK TO CAMPUS 2015-2016 SCHOOL YR www.UD4RENT.com
NEAT, CLEAN RENOVATED HOUSES ON CLEVELAND, CHAPEL & E PARK PLACE. JUST STEPS TO MAIN ST/CLASSES. AVAIL JUNE FOR SM & LG GROUPS. PLENTY OF PARKING, HAVE YOUR OWN BDRM. ALL W/WASHER, DRYER DISHWASHER & NICE PRIVATE YARDS. EMAIL: livinlargerentals@gmail.com House for Rent 3 bedroom, 3 person Available winter/spring 2015 $1050 month plus utilities SmithUnion@verizon.net 4 bedroom 2 bath house prime location on Choate Street (available 2015-2016 yr) email nickolina@c21gk.com for more information
Choate St. house near Main St.Super remodeled 2 story, 4 BR with W/D, front porch and great parking 302-369-1288
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015
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THE REVIEW
Construction projects ‘on schedule’ JENNIFER FINN Managing Mosaic Editor The construction of the Academy Street Dining and Residence Hall (ASDR) and renovations at Purnell Hall during the university’s winter session progressed smoothly, said Alan Brangman, vice president for facilities, real estate and auxiliary services. Both projects are about 75 to 80 percent complete, Brangman said. Winter weather has not posed any major problems, although in the case of Purnell Hall, Brangman said that the space had to be heated in order to pour concrete when the first wave of cold temperatures hit.
“Fortunately, since, we haven’t had any snow and there haven’t been any real issues,” he said. ASDR is expected to be finished in about four or five months, after which construction efforts will focus on the final phase of the university’s current housing projects, South Academy Street Residence Hall, located south of Smyth Hall. This will include stocking the structure with more than 500 beds for future first-year students, Brangman said. “Everything is on schedule—and under budget in the case of the Academy Street Dining and Residence Hall,” Brangman said.
KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW The several construction projects around campus are all on schedule, including the Academy Street Dining Hall and Residential Complex, along with the renovated Harrington housing complex. Both will open this year.
Delaware considering move to digital licenses RUSSEL KOGAN Developing Reporter In a world where our phones are now cameras, credit cards, TVs, GPS’s and more, it seems a transition
to digital identification is the next step and Delaware may be the first state to take this step. The Delaware State Legislature recently passed a resolution requesting the
COURTESY OF NBC NEWS CHANNEL The Delaware legislature has moved toward providing digital driver licenses to citizens, which they could use a phone app to access.
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to consider issuing digital driver’s licenses that would be accessible through a phone app. If passed, Delaware would become the first state offering optional digital driver’s licenses. The resolution lists several reasons for the proposal, including the desire to capitalize on Delawareans’ use of technology in their daily activities. Besides increasing convenience, digital driver’s licenses have financial and environmental benefits as well, since the need for plastic driver’s licenses would be reduced. Mike Williams, Communications Chief at the Delaware DMV, said digital drivers licenses have been discussed for years. The DMV had requested that the license plate vender look into the viability of digital driver’s licenses.
Delaware’s vendor, MorphoTrust USA, currently sells licenses to 42 states. This includes Iowa, which is in the midst of creating a 2016 pilot program for digital licenses. Delaware, however, may be more adaptable to the introduction of this new technology due to its small population size and four DMV offices. “Delaware is small enough that we can implement something like this rather easily,” Williams said. It will take time and acceptance before the public begins to experience the benefits of digital licenses. Their use might be limited until a majority of businesses accept the practice and obtain the proper scanning devices. This could be especially complicated if residents with digital licenses travel to a state where the practice
is not yet accepted, again because businesses in many states would need to have the ability to accept digital licenses. “There would obviously be a clear need for a lot of public education and awareness about this new opportunity,” Williams said. The app would exhibit information found on a typical driver’s license, such as one’s name, picture, date of birth, address and signature. MorphoTrust USA is aware of the cybersecurity issues the technology may present and is looking into ways to protect the identity and privacy of the ID holder, according to an article published in USA Today. Other problems being considered are the app’s dependency on battery life and phone service as well as the possibility of phone theft.
EDITORIAL
S
D D G )
#VoicesOfUDel: A Call to Action
Vi Bui Senior, Operations Management, NAsian Studies minor
M R The black youth of @Ferguson have birthed a Nnational movement to reignite a conversation about race in .America. While I am pleased to
see #VoicesOfUdel as the start of that conversation at Delaware, I also believe that it is not enough unless it causes a shift in fundamental understanding. So through the #VoicesOfUdel campaign, I challenge students, especially students of color, to take a stand for what change they would like to see to make the University of Delaware a more inclusive and welcoming space, and I demand our administration to earnestly listen. With each passing year I spend in college, I get increasingly vocal about issues like race, gender, identity, and discrimination. I can be highly critical about institutions like Universities that appear to neglect the marginalized. It is times like these when people ask me, “Why are you so angry?” This is because, as a student of color, college and being outside the safety of home has been a time of understanding where I, an Asian American, fit in America’s racial hierarchy, leading to my very strong racial identity formation. It is in my formation that I have found not only the frustration with the institution I take pride in being a part of, but also the passion and power to change it. Universities across America would like to believe that their curriculum is able to educate students about people of different backgrounds in order to make them a little more culturally sensitive, but I see an inherent problem in having a requirement such as UD’s multicultural requirement. Some multicultural classes do foster genuine change, but many do not. Multicultural requirement courses render cultural groups as subjects, literally objects being studied instead of real, living, breathing people. It is a one-way interaction, where the
professor teaching the course is not even guaranteed to be truly part of that culture. As an alternative to studying people, I suggest actually talking to, interacting with, and becoming friends with people. On this campus, this is pretty difficult. UD has a 76 percent white population while nationally only 42 percent of college students are white. This is not representative of the diversity of our country. A recent study done by Public Religion Research Institute showed that African Americans will have much more white friends than white people will have African American friends. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if white students on this campus didn’t have any close nonwhite friends due to the racial makeup of the population. It’s really difficult to understand what it means to be a person of a different background when you aren’t close with someone of that background. But just as a reminder, having one black friend doesn’t exempt you from saying racist things. Until the environment is safe enough for marginalized students to voice when they feel uncomfortable by their friends’ behavior and will be listened to rather than shut down, how can we rid discrimination on an interpersonal level? How can we even think about ridding discrimination on an institutional and systemic level? Until we have not just diversity, but inclusion and integration of students of all backgrounds to foster a diverse array of perspectives we cannot say we will be able to have honest and open conversations. This is the key to that shift in fundamental understanding. So I pose this question for students, staff, and faculty of the University of Delaware: In what ways can we foster real, honest discussions, in what ways can we be better listeners, and in what ways can we be a force for action and change in our community? The views in this column do not necessarily represent the view of The Review.
EMILY BRYMER/THE REVIEW “Colleges should be more learner-centric.” - President Patrick Harker
Editorial: Faculty is more than just “our costliest resource” University president Patrick Harker recently penned a philly.com op-ed titled “Universities must adapt to meet student needs.” As students, we like the sound of that. Many of us struggle to shoulder the financial burden of college. We take out thousands of dollars in loans, counting on the promise of good jobs upon graduation being kept. Harker’s oped makes it clear that he understands the precarious financial situation many students face when they pursue higher education. However, some of his suggestions for correcting this situation strike us as counterproductive. Harker identifies faculty time as “our costliest resource.” He suggests universities begin using technology and non-tenured teaching staff to bring down the cost of time spent in the classroom, especially in introductory courses. Harker suggests removing tenured faculty from introductorylevel classrooms, with the hope that this will allow professors more time for teaching upper-level subjects and mentoring students. We fear this proposal
would short freshmen and sophomores, who can benefit greatly from passionate, knowledgeable educators. Students need the most guidance at this time when they develop core competencies, decide what discipline to study and choose what career path to follow. Many on our staff can cite instances where just one inspiring professor during freshman or sophomore year shaped their subsequent academic careers. Leaving these experiences for the final semester of one’s time at the university can result in missed opportunities. Technology has the potential to add value to the classroom, but video lectures or adjunct professors (often transient and paid low wages) are a poor substitute for face-toface instruction by esteemed scholars. This is not to say there isn’t any room for costsavings within universities. According to the American Institutes for Research, a non-partisan research group, the number of administrative employees at universities has doubled over the past 25 years. This administrative bloat has taken place at the same time that the proportion of full-time
faculty to part-time faculty in American universities has decreased. It’s hard to imagine that the increase in administrative staff has not had an impact on the ability of universities to hire faculty. President Harker’s salary, which usually hovers around $700,000, could cover the salaries of seven associate professors. President Harker has also called for a more “learner-centric” university experience. Once again, as students, that’s a buzzword we can get behind. But we’re not exactly sure what it means in practice. Can we be “learner-centric” without being “professor-centric” as academics are responsible for curriculum development? How would we, as learners, be involved in the processes? And employers? There seem to be more questions than answers in the quest for an education centered around student needs. We are excited at the prospect of seeing innovative instructional techniques in our classrooms, but we hope that they do not come at the expense of the many talented faculty members that have had a profound impact on our lives.
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support the review With print advertising on the decline, The Review has had to adapt its operations and cut its budget significantly in recent years. Despite these cuts, we have maintained a Pacemaker Award-winning publication that continues to be an important source of news, covering and investigating some of the biggest stories on campus and around Newark. We do not receive funding from the university and have typically relied entirely on advertising revenue to sustain our operations. Lately, ad revenue alone hasn’t been keeping up with our expenses, so this February, we’ve launched a campaign to raise $10,000 for The Review. We are almost halfway to our goal, and have until Feb. 28 to reach it. These funds will help us as we develop our online and social platforms to boost readership and think creatively about new sources of income. Since our founding in 1882, The Review has been a catalyst for change and a forum for public discussion. From covering students advocating for university divestment during South African apartheid, to following developments with the proposed power plant in Newark, to interviewing Nobel Prize winners, the student press has written on issues that matter. The Review also serves as a training grounds for future generations of journalists and leaders. Our alumni have gone on to some of the world’s leading news organizations, such as The New York Times, Baltimore Sun and The Associated Press. We would like to ensure that we can continue providing valuable experience for future students. Our campaign will be live Feb. 1 - Feb. 28. All donations are tax deductible and can be made anonymously. The Review will receive 100 percent of the funds raised, and any funds raised beyond our goal will also go toward ensuring the longevity of the newspaper. Go to www.udel.givecorps.com to find out campaign page. We thank you for your readership and support.
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THE REVIEW Mosaic
How to survive sorority recruitment week. PAGE 12
Don’t get your knickers in a twist! Alexa Strausman reveals her new Anglo attitude / PAGE 10
FIREFLY BY THE NUMBERS
$68,003,616
total revenue for the state of Delaware
80,000
concert-goers in attendence at Firefly 2014 COURTESY OF DAVIS M. SHUBS
A recent study shows the positive impact Firefly Music Festival has on Delaware’s economy. Above, Charles Bradley performs at Firefly Music Festival 2012.
68 MILLION REASONS WHY
$850
THE FIRST STATE LOVES FIREFLY PATRICK WITTERSCHEIN Senior Reporter
W
hile music lovers sang along with performers at last year’s Firefly Music Festival, it was Delaware that heard the sweetest song—an economic windfall to the tune of more than $68 million. The Center for Applied Business and Economic Research (CABER) at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics studied the overall economic impact that the festival had on the state. The 2014 Firefly Music Festival, held over four days from June 19 to 22 last summer, attracted 80,000 guests from every state and 24 foreign countries. Every one of these guests spent money on tickets, transportation, food and lodging. According to a publication by CABER and sponsored by the event’s promoters, “the analysis begins by carefully measuring the direct jobs, payroll and output created by the expenditures by,
and in support of, Firefly’s guests, providers and event organizers.” Firefly’s guests averaged about $850 in expenses for the weekend, and the festival was able to support the equivalent of 579 full-time jobs. William Latham, director of CABER and professor of economics, says the festival was important for the state because of the amount of economic activity it promotes. Construction of roads, facilities and stages, as well as security, admissions and vending all created job opportunities for people in Delaware. The 579 jobs that the festival supported dispensed more than $23 million in wages. For many people in southern Delaware, Firefly is a welcome economic opportunity. “It means additional income for the people there, and it means jobs for longer than just the festival,” Latham says. But the economic impact extends far beyond the festival’s employees. Convenience stores and restaurants in the area
benefit from a bump in sales, and the spending initiated by festival attendees can spillover to lift up various economic sectors. “Those things are not enough to sustain a whole economy in the long run, but down there in Dover, you have the NASCAR races, and now you have Firefly and other festivals coming too,” Latham says. “So then it starts to sound like you are constructing a permanent kind of addition to the economy.” Latham says it is important to study the economic impact of events like Firefly is because it gives a reason for corporations and government groups to work together to make these events possible. State and local governments are willing to deal with the problems that Firefly poses in exchange for the benefits to the economy in terms of taxes and jobs. Firefly is a joint sponsorship between Red Frog Events, LLC, the Dover International Speedway, Inc. and the Delaware Tourism Office. Latham said the Delaware Tourism Office is involved because of the
Average expenses per Firefly guest
benefits they see the festival bringing to the state. For the government, the impact of the festival isn’t trivial. Firefly increased local, state and federal taxes by almost $10 million. Latham says these taxes make their way back to the people of Delaware through spending on roads, schools and other public projects. He says it might be interesting for a future study to look at how many people decided to go to the beach in Delaware immediately before or after Firefly. If the festival continues to run successfully, that success can translate into increasing economic potential for the region. One of the most important results of Firefly is that southern Delaware has begun to create a name for itself. The promotional aspects of Firefly for Delaware shouldn’t be overlooked, says Latham. “A lot of people came to Firefly who had never been to Delaware before,” Latham says. “And to the extent that they had a good time, they’ll go home and say, ‘Hey— Delaware’s a pretty cool place.’”
579
Number of jobs Firefly 2014 supported
$10,000,000
Total increase in Local, State and Federal taxes from Firefly 2014
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“I’M NOT QUITE READY TO ORDER, MY LAWYERS ARE STILL STUDYING THE MENU.” CHARLES ELSON / PAGE 11
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THE REVIEW
/COLUMNS filmaholic What you should have been watching this Valentine’s Day
unfiltered commentary
How is it that my American accent is charming in the United Kingdom, a place where their accents make my knees wobbly? Who cares! I’ll take it. My London love affair this past winter session ended in flirty eyes, a lack of sleep and plans to return. The vibes were good, as our generation would say. My advice: get lost. Get on a plane and really, get lost. It might be one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Be young and foolish, and learn that maybe in a world full of foolish people you are not afraid of dancing alone, standing out and being an individual, even though sometimes you may fail. Be outgoing, dismiss the fears that we all share and say you faced your fear or even approached a cute stranger for being… cute. Crave adventure. Turn down nothing and say yes to everything. Write your life out like a storybook and when you’re finished make sure it’s a page-turner. The world is your oyster. Having an “oyster card” –– or unlimited subway ticket while in London, the world was figuratively and
London Lovesick
literally my oyster. Getting off at unknown stops and encountering the little shops lining the quaint streets in a brightly lit city allowed being lost to be an adventure, a riddle rather. How to get around? Where to go? Where to be? For the first time in a while there were no concerns, except just being. To grab hold of the moment that is given to you at your fingertips and strike up conversation with a local, or finding a teashop for an afternoon sit down, is something we have left behind in a better world. Now this concept is so far removed from our overscheduled—and structured— lives. Seriously, when was the last time you could stop? Really stop, and do you? Try it. Be the ruler of your day. The constant phrase I heard many times over: “happy days.” Have a drink… “happy days.” Pay a check… “happy days.” Share a laugh… “happy days.” Yes, just yes. Enthusiasm in the small things. Where is the American phrase for this? The three syllables
seem so simple and are said so frequently, yet us as Americans have lost the appreciation for the small parts of our day that make us, well, happy. It’s time we reestablish our sense of self in an ever so quickly moving world and kind of life that we have created and developed. It’s 2 a.m. The London Eye and Big Ben are lit up in reds and greens reflecting onto the river. The moon sits high in the sky, and I somehow feel connected to this city I considered strange a month back as I stare from the bridge, 40-degree weather and nostalgia already making its way into my veins. Still, in the silence, with new friends, and some old, you realize that sometimes stopping, leaving your heart somewhere and feeling at peace is the feeling you have yet to discover over and over again. “Happy days.” ALEXANDRA STRAUSMAN astraus@udel.edu
The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Review.
brain, body, mind
In my early days as a neuroscience major, I found myself devouring any and all pop-sci neuroscience articles I could get my hands on. One of the most memorable pieces I read was about romantic love and the role of oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone. With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, we’ll explore this topic in Brain Body Mind’s debut. Oxytocin is an endogenous chemical which you may have heard of in biology or animal science courses. The hormone is made in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary gland, most famously involved in milk letdown and in childbirth. However, some more recent studies support more overtly social implications for the chemical, leading to its pop-sci nickname, the cuddle hormone. Studies involving prairie voles illustrate oxytocin’s role in pair bonding. Like
Crazy, Stupid, Oxytocin.
humans, prairie voles mate for life. These monogamous animals have a greater density of oxytocin receptors in the caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens, two brain areas associated with reward. After mating, oxytocin and dopamine levels increase in these reward areas, producing feelings of relaxation and happiness. These same areas are implicated in addiction. So it’s not your fault if you feel hung up on your significant other—blame science! In human pair bonds, the chemical also plays a role in trust and empathy, and can help heterosexual couples resolve conflicts, according to a 2009 study. When couples in the study were administered oxytocin intranasally prior to a couple conflict discussion, there was an increase in positive communication behavior and a decrease in salivary cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone released when you are stressed.
the weekly watch
If you’re a TV junkie like I am, you know that there are just too many good shows on the air right now. To make matters worse, we are headed into the spring TV season, which means even more shows to choose from. So, to help out my fellow bingewatchers, I have put together a lineup of the shows you should definitely be watching.
/The Bachelor, Mondays at 8 p.m.
If you’re not watching this season of ABC’s veteran reality competition, you should be. I know they hail every season of this show as the “most dramatic yet,” but let me personally tell you that this season they weren’t lying. The girls are emotional,
Spring TV preview
unstable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up fighting to the death just for a princess-themed date with Prince Farming. It is, without a doubt, my top guilty pleasure. (Followed by all franchises of “The Real Housewives,” of course.) It’s also so much fun to watch with friends. If you aren’t caught up, catch this one on OnDemand or Hulu before it all ends on Monday, March 9.
/Fresh Off the Boat, Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
The mid-season freshman comedy debuted on ABC on Feb. 4, so catch up now! While many critics were skeptical before the show made its
To this, you might scoff, “but Erin, no amount of some hormone could ever cause a romantic connection between me and that jerk in my sociology class. Maybe when I was fifteen, but not now.” Oh, we understand each other more than you even know, my friend. And you may be absolutely right! While oxytocin clearly plays some part in what we call “romantic love,” it remains unclear just how direct or indirect of a role that is. The precise nature of the interactions between oxytocin
and other chemicals involved in pair bonding is still yet to be determined; considering the current state of modern science, there is no chemical formula for mutual love and understanding. ERIN ELLER eeller@udel.edu
The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Review.
television debut, the show fared well in the ratings and premiered to good reviews. I definitely think this show is worth a try: it’s sharp and not like anything else currently on ABC’s roster. I will admit, I was hesitant to watch this one. After a couple (accidentally racist) marketing snafus, along with Eddie Huang—the author of the book on which the show is based—publicly saying he didn’t like the show’s direction, I was skeptical. But I gave it a try and honestly, I was laughing. It’s funny with a lot of heart, which makes it the perfect show to watch with your family. Though it originally aired during the network’s Wednesday lineup, the comedy has since found its own home on Tuesdays nights at 8 p.m., so be sure to check it out.
/Parks & Recreation, Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Though everyone’s happy to have their favorite NBC
Because anything is better than “Fifty Shades of Grey.” I want to offer my sincere condolences to anyone who was dragged to the theater by their so called friends or significant other to endure 125 minutes of really uncomfortable “Twilight” fanfiction, also known as “Fifty Shades of Grey,” this weekend. That is true sadism. The “scorching hot” adaptation of E.L. James’ novel stars Dakota Johnson as ingénue Anastasia Steele, a young college student who follows handsome billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) down the rabbit hole, landing in the subculture of BDSM. In all honesty, the film had the potential to be steamy, but the dialogue was written by a second grader. Apparently, E.L. James fought director Sam TaylorJohnson to follow the book nearly verbatim. This could explain the pisspoor performances and lack of chemistry between Dornan and Johnson, who were sentenced to play onedimensional characters. Not only are there cheaper ways to watch softcore porn, but there are also only fifteen to twenty minutes of soul crushingly awkward sex. The only decent part of this movie is Jamie Dornan’s abs. Here’s what you actually should have watched this weekend:
/Best Friends
There is nothing wrong with having Galentine’s Day at home, drinking wine with the best people on Earth. Unlike with beaus, you don’t have to worry about their judgment as you gorge on Chipotle, rice and sour cream clinging to your face. This is a day to commemorate friendship, and what movie is the best homage to platonic ladylove? We were all thinking it… “Bridesmaids.” The film features Kristen Wiig as a down-on-her-luck maid of honor, navigating the world of bachelorette parties and bridal showers with disastrous consequences. Also, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper and Rebel Wilson make up the supporting cast. I’m am seriously considering building a “Hey Arnold”-inspired closet comedy back on the air, all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, that is the case for “Parks & Rec.” NBC is airing the final season of the show in double doses every Tuesday, which I’m not complaining about. Now that this show is ending (and “30 Rock” is long gone), I feel as though this is the end of an era for NBC. Catch up on Netflix before the network’s golden age is over.
/TGIT, Thursdays at 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Oh my goodness, TGIT is one of the best blocks of television on any network right now. For those of you living under a rock, TGIT stands for “Thank God its Thursday” and consists of back-to-back soapy dramas from the mastermind of Shonda Rhimes. The night kicks off at 8 p.m. with “Grey’s Anatomy,” then “Scandal” at 9 p.m. and newcomer “How to Get Away with Murder” closes the block at 10 p.m. Though many can argue “Grey’s” has tumbled downhill
shrine to their greatness.
/Recently Single
Getting dumped right before Valentine’s Day is pretty traumatic. You may be asking yourself questions from “He’s Just Not That Into You,” like “Why am I alone? Why am I unhappy? Why have I gained 20 pounds?” But you know who’s right there with you? Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Joseph Gordon-Levitt knows your pain. “500 Days of Summer” chronicles the doomed relationship between Gordon-Levitt’s Tom and Summer (Zooey Deschanel). The film is presented the way we all reflect on our relationships—entirely out of sequence. This, perhaps, is the most devastating aspect of the film. We juxtapose the disintegration of a once great love with the fleeting days of happiness.
/Cute Indie Couple
For the hipster couple too cool for the monotonous story arcs of romantic comedies, Richard Linklater is your man. Though currently basking in the success of his recent feature film “Boyhood,” his best work is still the classic “Before Sunrise.” Featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two young strangers who get off a train and explore a German city together, there isn’t much in terms of plot, but there is a great sincerity to the characters and their representation of young love. Definitely not one to miss. But let’s be honest here, you could have done anything instead—gotten a vasectomy, watched “Antiques Roadshow” for twelve straight hours, read “Ethan Frome.” Because anything, ANYTHING is better than watching “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
AMBER JOHNSHON anjohns@udel.edu
The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Review.
without our beloved Dr. Yang—and I would tend to agree—it’s still good TV. As for “Scandal,” I just love that watching each episode feels like an event. Yes, sometimes the plot is a bit ridiculous and the acting is usually over the top, but that’s what I love about it! It brings back that nostalgia of having to watch a show live (or else these days you’ll have it spoiled for you on Twitter). “How to Get Away with Murder” is also pretty campy, but it’s also an exciting watch. It’s rare to find a show that’s so strong so early in its run, since about 90 percent of fall premieres barely live to see another season. So grab some friends, some wine (if you’re over 21, that is!), some snacks and park your booty on the couch on Thursday nights. Trust me, you will not regret it.
ALEXA GAHAN agahan@udel.edu
The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Review.
FEBRUARY 17, 2015
THE REVIEW
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IN THE LIMELIGHT
RANDI HOMOLA/THE REVIEW
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How one student turned her dream into a reality
n d NICOLE SULLIVAN Senior Reporter e Denise Natoli waited for t the light to turn green. Even though family and friends e stood just outside the door, f she was alone inside the room e they called “the chamber.” e With the go ahead and after a deep breath, she found herself standing in front of three musical icons: Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Adam Lambert. It was her time to shine. Although Natoli had c r auditioned for “American Idol” when she was 16, she e was left without a ticket to Hollywood Week. But now three years later and near her Long Island home, Natoli seized the opportunity to showcase her talents again. At the Brooklyn auditions o back in September, Natoli t a sang “I Had Me a Girl” by The e Civil Wars. Impressed but not satisfied, Adam Lambert, a fill-in for Keith Urban, tasked r her with singing something
different—something more her style. With her rendition of Melody Gardot’s “Your Heart Is as Black as Night,” Natoli successfully won over the judges, quickly moving the longtime East Coast girl out west. “I never had intentions of doing this in the middle of my college career,” Natoli says. “I really didn’t want to chop it up like that, but I would never say no.” Natoli has always dreamt of pursuing a singing career. Taking singing lessons since the second grade, she continued to learn and grow through musical theater, choir and jazz choir. “I’ve always wanted this so bad,” Natoli says. “Not only for the singing aspect but also because I want to be someone that people can look up to as a person and show people you can be yourself and that’s beautiful.” Before entering the university, however, Natoli
made the challenging decision to major in nursing instead of music. “For me, I like security and comfort and that’s what nursing is to me,” she says. “It’s something that I feel I’m going to be passionate about, something I want to pursue. I like helping people.” Instead of studying music, Natoli planned to learn through experience and joined the university’s a cappella group, Vocal Point, during her freshman year. “That was a huge thing in my musical journey in general because I learned so much from my peers, more than I feel like I would learn in a classroom,” Natoli says. “I developed my pop voice even more, and honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to be on ‘American Idol’ if I didn’t have that year with Vocal Point.” Inspired by artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz, the sophomore found her own
niche and personal talents within the soulful pop and jazz music realm. Once in Hollywood, Natoli was challenged with utilizing her knowledge and voice through several other auditions, including group auditions, in which the group needed to choose a song, choreograph and perform it to the judges. “It was really crazy and tests your patience and strength as a person and a musician,” Natoli said. “But I was just trying to learn and experience as much as I could and try to keep an open mind.” Natoli made it through line auditions, a feat she says she was proud of, but her time with “American Idol” was cut short during Hollywood Week, and she has since returned to school. Undiscouraged by her leave and inspired by the experience, Natoli doesn’t ever plan to stop singing. “With music I’m always going to be doing these
opportunities when they happen,” she says. “I see myself in my life being someone in the spotlight, pursuing music and somehow making that happen—whether it’s through ‘American Idol’ or through something else entirely different. I don’t have it all figured out, but I think I’m on a pretty good path.” Denise Natoli’s music can be found on her YouTube channel.
CHECK OUT Denise’s audition at americanidol.com
e n d r d
CHARLES ELSON
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NAMED TOP BUSINESS ETHICIST
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KIRK SMITH/THE REVIEW
Elson teaches a variety of classes at the university, but this semester his focus is on a seminar in corporate governance. MARGARET MCNAMARA Developing Reporter
A 20-year-old, unopened bottle of Cookies barbeque sauce, a toy AutoZone car h and other souvenirs from , previous legal cases decorate the bookshelves of finance professor Charles Elson’s office. Myriad awards, medals and certificates of recognition
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cover the office walls, an old New Yorker cartoon hangs behind his desk. A group of lawyers are at a restaurant hunched over, fixated on the menus. The businessman at the table tells the waiter, “I’m not quite ready to order, my lawyers are still studying the menu.” “To me it epitomized the problem with being a lawyer,” Elson says.“It’s funny and
“Ethics and integrity are the lubricant that make the engine of commerce work. If you don’t have it, it freezes up.” CHARLES ELSON, Finance Professor
kind of demeaning at the same time.” Ethisphere listed Elson number 29 of 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics in 2014. Elson is also a director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance. The center aims to bring the legal, financial, corporate and academic realms together to come up with a means of reform. The center also develops panels on topics such as board composition and the de-emphasis of peer groups. “Out of this center we’ve changed so much of corporate America,” Elson says. Senior finance senior Dan McCarthy says Elson is the most knowledgeable professor he’s had. “He teaches completely primary sources,” McCarthy
says. “You’re kind of getting everything from the horses mouth. It’s not like other classes where you read from a textbook that’s sort of tangential and removed from everything.” Alumnus Craig Ferrere, class of 2011, received an award for rising star in corporate government from Columbia Law School because of his work with Elson. “I don’t lecture,” Elson says. “I make it into a conversation.” One day in class, Elson and Ferrere went back and forth on the topic of peer group theory, the idea that CEOs salaries determine how competitors are paid. Ferrere argued that the theory was flawed because it separated the CEO from the rest of the company. Elson and Ferrere pursued
the theory and wrote an article that published in the Journal of Corporation Law. The New York Times, Time Magazine and Fortune picked up the article. “It went viral,” Elson says. “He literally changed the world.” Elson studied American political history at Harvard College and studied law school at the University of Virginia. After he finished law school, Elson served as a law clerk to Judge Elbert P. Tuttle and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson. Elson says Tuttle and Wilkinson solidified the importance of integrity that is embedded in his teaching. “Ethics and integrity are the lubricant that make the engine of commerce work,” Elson says. “If you don’t have it, it freezes up.”
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015 THE REVIEW
GOT RECRUITMENT? Mosaic’s guide to surviving the annual sorority rush
EAT
JAGODA DUL Mosaic Managing Editor Someone who has never gone through sorority recruitment probably does not understand how having conversations with people for a couple of hours could be that stressful. We’re all college students. Shouldn’t we be able to hold a few conversations? If you consider that you have never met the people you’re supposed to be instantly bonding with, that it’s not just a couple hours (try more like six hours a day for two weekends straight) and that with over 1,300 potential new members in attendance, those poorly ventilated rooms in Clayton Hall suddenly seem like 100-degree saunas. Without the relaxation. There’s no way you can pretend recruitment is easy. Events that require you to wear jeans for the first time all winter just can’t be easy. While it’s not easy, there are a few steps that will ensure your recruitment experience is as painless and rewarding as possible. It is rewarding because I don’t see why over 1,000 girls would give up two weekends as college freshman to girl flirt. Especially on Valentine’s Day— wouldn’t you rather go see “50 Shades of Grey” than listen to the umpteenth girl talk about her major? Panhellenic girls are obviously onto something.
Even if you’re not a big breakfast person, eat some kind of meal to get through the day. There is no worse feeling than having to be bubbly, cheerful and energetic when all you can think about is Chipotle. There are plenty of easy breakfast options (oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, eggs, etc.) for you to choose from. You’ll be happy you swung past NDB when you hear a stomach growl from the girl next to you during the second round. Her eyeshadow might be applied more carefully than yours, but you had a bagel this morning so nothing else matters.
CONVERSE
COURTESY OF JAGODA DUL
The author and her sisters in Alpha Xi Delta’s Theta Gamma chapter helped in the recruitment process at The College of New Jersey in early February. Whether you’re on the potential new member side or if you’re a sister going through her third year of recruitment, here’s how to make sure you don’t lose your sanity in the mayhem that is sorority chants, dances and uncomfortable shoes.
SLEEP
Don’t stay up late doing your hair the night before an early round because no matter how perfect you curled each strand of your hair, if you’re falling asleep mid-conversation, everyone will notice. Coffee only goes so far, so
even if you think it’s weird and unnatural to go to bed at 8 p.m. (something you probably haven’t done since middle school), it’s okay. Your body will thank you for it when you’re actually a functioning human being in the morning.
Having a conversation isn’t really that hard if you don’t over think it. Think about all the conversations you have on a daily basis. If you just treat all the conversations you’ll have in recruitment like one of those, everything will go smoothly.
REWARD YOURSELF
After a long day of keeping it together and being the best version of yourself, I highly recommend putting on your favorite pair of sweatpants, ordering death fries from Arena’s and watching a “New Girl” marathon. Good luck with the rest of recruitment!
ALUMNA AUTHOR TALKS SUCCESS, SELF-PUBLISHING KERRI WHELAN Staff Reporter Most students spend their senior year of college merely trying to grasp the fact that they’re about to enter the real world. Alumna Julie Johnson found herself graduating a semester early—with a self-published novel under her belt. “I wanted to write something that I would want to read,” Johnson says. “‘Like Gravity’ is written in a college setting, so I had a lot of inspiration with being in college and writing about college. I took the phrase ‘write what you know’ and ran with it. It was really natural for me to write.” Johnson had no intentions of becoming an author in college. She studied mass communication and psychology in the Honors Program and planned to pursue a career in public relations. She took up writing as a hobby between classes and finished her first book, “Like Gravity,” in six months. The over 300page book sold thousands of copies. “I somewhat stumbled into [writing] as a hobby, and I ended up self-publishing my first book before senior year,” Johnson says. “I didn’t think that I would sell
any copies, and I ended up being completely surprised and lucky with the response that I got.” Johnson’s works, written predominantly for collegeaged students, are new-adult genres with a coming-of-age love theme and suspenseful twists. Since the success of “Like Gravity,” Johnson has written two other selfpublished novels “Say the Word” and, most recently, “Erasing Faith.” Since graduating, Johnson has settled in the Boston area and is currently working on a series geared more specifically toward teenagers. She can usually be found playing with her dog, finding inspiration for her books’ characters through hanging out with friends, or waking up early to write with a big cup of coffee. Because Johnson is her own boss, her writing process tends to be a double-edged sword: she can set her own hours, but sometimes finds it difficult to maintain motivation. Johnson says she is most proud of her self-publishing process. “I do everything myself,” she says. “I do the actual writing, editing, cover designs, promotions. I have my hands in every aspect of it rather than handing it over
COURTESY OF JULIE JOHNSON
Johnson took up writing as a hobby between classes and finished her first book, “Like Gravity,” in six months. The over 300-page book has sold thousands of copies. to a publishing company.” Johnson also credits her writing and publishing success to her online presence. Through her interactive website and various social media accounts, Johnson promotes her work and interacts with her readers. “I think that it is completely invaluable to have a strong online presence as an author in this day and age,” she says. “Books are promoted from reader to reader, meaning my work is likely to get around by word-of-mouth recommendations. [...] My online presence allows me to talk to my readers all around the world. This morning I received an email from a reader in Australia— and without my online presence, that would not have been possible.”
Julie Johnson’s Books Like Gravity Brooklyn, a 20-year-old who in her childhood witnessed her mother’s murder, keeps people at distance. Join her as she meets band-boy Finn Chambers and navigates the trials of a past that’s come back to haunt her.
Say the Word Adventurous young journalist Lux faces tumult as she comes upon a big story in Manhattan...and a boy whose heart she broke seven years prior.
Erasing Faith This dual-perspective story tells of Weston Abbott, a ghost, and Faith Morrissey, a character readers first meet in “Say the Word.” She’s introduced in this novel in Budapest, where her world and Weston’s collide.
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015
THE REVIEW
COURTESY OF ERIC SZOT
After studying abroad in Italy and taking courses in philosphy and religion, Szot began to rethink his plans for the future.
Recent grad explores philosophy in “Growth without Roots”
NICOLE SULLIVAN Senior Reporter
This is a story told by a ghost, but not to be confused with a ghost story. “Growth Without Roots,” written by 2014 alum Eric Szot, begins with a ghost narrator. In the year 2020, main character Dunbar O’Brady celebrates his 20th birthday with his best friend James Simmidge. Although O’Brady is self-proclaimed as the “most unfortunate man alive,” it takes a horrible accident to truly test his
strength. Through the book is 99 pages, readers will follow the characters’ journeys for the truth, complete with internal dialogue, character revelations and mild religious undertones. Although Szot admits some of the content can be somewhat challenging, he purposefully wanted to create a stream of consciousness within his pages. “You know how sometimes you’re walking around throughout the day
and you’ll just start thinking about something out of nowhere and you don’t know where it came from?” Szot says. “That’s the kind of style I wanted to write the book in.” An avid reader even as a child, Szot also enjoyed the outdoors and nature, developing an interest in biology. Throughout his four years at the university, he studied biological sciences, with all intentions of becoming a doctor. But after studying abroad in Italy with
philosophy professor Alan Fox and taking several of Fox’s courses including philosophies of religion, Szot was hooked. “I picked it up fast,” he says. “I loved it. I found it became almost a hobby for me. Philosophy of religion is a lot of fun so it never feels like work.” During his junior year, Szot continued his biological studies, but mentally transitioned from medical school-bound science student to a man in search of his own truth. Reading books and articles on philosophies of religion, epistemology (or the study of truth and theory of knowledge) and metaphysics, Szot built his repertoire of philosophical knowledge and began to realize his future. Tasked with explaining his new passions and future desires to parents and friends, Szot’s wanted to formulate a good reason. Determined to prove his own truth and teach people through story, his idea for “Growth Without Roots” began to take form and wrote several drafts over the course of junior and senior year. “I’ve read a lot of books and part of the reason I started writing it was because I started telling
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myself well why can’t I write a book—one I want to write and would want to read?” Szot says. “So I’m happy with it.” After two years of writing and two weeks of editing his work with the help of publisher Amazon, Szot was able to publish “Growth Without Roots” in November 2014. Although Szot graduated with a B.A. in biological studies, his future goal is to one day be a professor at a university, and he has since applied to four PhD of philosophy programs. Just last week he was accepted into a program at Temple University for the fall. “I hope to someday be a professor of philosophy— something like what Dr. Fox does,” he says. “I look up to him because he’s a great role model.” Szot says he will continue to write and publish his work as well as conduct his own research through field studies, accumulating knowledge from around the world and translating it to the public. “People always tell you if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Szot says. “Well that’s how I felt since I’ve made this decision.”
“You know how sometimes you’re walking around throughout the day and you’ll just start thinking about something out of nowhere and you don’t know where it came from?” Szot says. “That’s the kind of style I wanted to write the book in.” ERIC SZOT/ Class of 2014
AT THE MOVIES
FRESH NEW BEATS
‘NOT JUST ANOTHER WAR MOVIE’
SLEATER KINNEY’S
‘No Cities to Love’ LISA RYAN Senior Reporter Following a 9-year hiatus, West Coast band SleaterKinney released its newest album, “No Cities to Love,” on Jan. 20. Longtime fans will be happy to know that the new album is just as loud and spirited as any of the band’s older tunes, while new listeners can relish the thrill of hearing the music for the first time. Sleater-Kinney is comprised of Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein (perhaps most recognizable from her work on IFC’s comedy show “Portlandia”). According to Sara Marcus’s book “Girls to the Front,” Sleater-Kinney began as one of many musical acts that sprung up as a part of the “riot grrrl” movement. Often considered the third wave of feminism, the riot grrrl movement began when college-aged women interested in punk rock became fed up with the sexism of a male-dominated local music scene. These young women began their
CONSENSUS: Oscar-nominated ‘American Sniper’ is ‘worth watching.’
own bands and started creating and distributing zines (booklets of art and writing). Although the movement disbanded in the early ’90s, its spirit is alive and well in Sleater-Kinney’s music today. Songs like “Surface Envy” and “A New Wave” are about drawing strength from friendship and the support of a community. Amid bold drumbeats and guitar riffs, the lyrics and vocals work in equal measure to pack a major punch. The lyrics are striking, whether they’re about capitalism (“Price Tag”) or desire (“Gimme Love”). Tucker and Brownstein embody the adage that the voice is an instrument. Although their voices are not classically beautiful, they are powerful and versatile. One song is intense—somewhere between singing and shouting—while the next is bouncy and infectious. This high-energy album is the perfect listen for any situation.
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS PICTURES LISA RYAN Senior Reporter Oscar-nominated “American Sniper” is worth watching. Based on a true story, the film features Bradley Cooper as U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who set the military’s record for the most confirmed kills in combat. In Rolling Stone and other media outlets, people have criticized the film, calling it propaganda or insisting that its depiction of war is biased, but these opinions shouldn’t necessarily dissuade people from seeing it. “American Sniper” is over two hours long, but it’s so well-paced that it doesn’t feel like it is. With the exception of the much-discussed (and very distracting) plastic doll
meant to be Kyle’s newborn daughter, the film draws its audience in easily and doesn’t let go. “American Sniper” isn’t just another violent war movie—it focuses on the conflict Kyle faces both overseas and on American soil. The film begins with scenes from Kyle’s childhood and life, before the Sept. 11 attacks lead him to enlist in the military. Though the narrative repeatedly skips ahead to the future, it never becomes confusing. The distinctive jumps through time and from place to place enhance the story. The film deftly moves from Kyle’s experiences in the military to life with his wife (Sienna Miller) and young children. Cooper’s expressive acting enhances the audience’s understanding
of the complex internal battles his character faces. Although the film never directly mentions that Kyle suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, it is strongly implied in his struggles to resume a “normal” civilian life. Since audience members get a glimpse into Kyle’s tours of duty, they may gain a new perspective on how difficult such an adjustment can be for returning soldiers. The portrayal of a war zone provides insight into Kyle’s notorious military career, while his contrasting life back home prompts the audience to consider the life of the man behind the sniper rifle. COURTESY OF SUB POP
February 17, 2015 l udreview.com
THE REVIEW Sports
COURTESY OF DARLA MCMAHAN CASE
The University of Delaware Men’s Division II club ice hockey team defeated Rowan University, 6-2, on Sunday in Abingdon, Md.
WHERE IS THE 2015 RECRUITING CLASS FROM?
FILE PHOTO
Delaware football head coach Dave Brock addresses the media on National Signing Day. Brock signed 22 new players for next year’s team.
BROCK CONTINUES TO BUILD BLUE HENS WITH RECRUITS JACK COBOURN Managing Sports Editor
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ontinuing to build the Blue Hens into a winning team, head coach Dave Brock signed 22 more players to the program on Feb. 4 in an effort to make his team suit his style of play. “We want to become a line of scrimmage football team,” Brock said. “You’ll see an incredible commitment from us on the offense and defensive lines. We’ve had significant depth issues in both lines in the last two years, and we’ve worked really hard to address those in recruiting.”
The 22 recruits include is choosing a player to fill for the starting spot, but that five defensive linemen, Hurley’s shoes. a transfer from last year, Blake four offensive linemen, Brock said any number of Rankin, could also be up for four defensive backs, three quarterbacks already on the the job. linebackers, two wide team, including new recruits This year’s recruiting receivers, two class features quarterbacks, two twins, one tight M.J. and Pat end and one Kehoe, as well We’re putting ourselves in a position where we’re as a foreignrunning back. Three recruits, born player q u a r t e r b a c k going to begin to have the quality and the depth you in cornerback Jamie Jarmon, Adewusi. need to go out and be a real physical, dominant team Tenny defensive tackle Adewusi, who Lloyd Badson was born at the line of scrimmage... and safety Ray in Lagos, Jones, come Nigeria, played DAVE BROCK, Head Football Coach from Delaware quarterback high schools to for Colonia join the Blue High School in Hens. Jarmon and Pat Kehoe, could Avenel, N.J. where he went With quarterback Trent be in line for the starting spot. 116 for 188. Adewusi also Hurley leaving the university Brock said Jarmon’s maturity passed for 1,576 yards and 16 after this year, the concern makes him a prime candidate touchdowns in his senior year.
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Blue Hens benefit from hometown athletes JACK COBOURN Managing Sports Editor Of the 22 players signed on national signing day, three of them—quarterback Jamie Jarmon, safety Ray Jones and defensive player Lloyd Badson—hail from the state of Delaware. Head coach Dave Brock said he has always wanted to find in-state players since he arrived in 2013. “One of the main things that we talked about when we got here a few years ago was our ability to try and reconnect to the Delaware high school coaches, to bring it back to the football programs in the state of Delaware,” Brock said. At 20, Jamie Jarmon is the oldest member of the recruiting class. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound quarterback comes from Indian River High School in Millsboro via the Texas Rangers baseball team’s farm system, in which he spent three years in minor league play for the Rangers. In his senior year at Indian River in 2011, Jarmon passed for 2,151 yards and 24 touchdowns, as well as rushed for 1,528 yards and 29 touchdowns. Although Brock said he has never seen Jarmon play, he said he had been tracking Jarmon since his first scouting trip as a new coach. “[Indian River] was one of the first high schools I went to, and as I traveled around I spoke to coaches,” he said. “I heard about this young guy named Jamie Jarmon, who was drafted in the second round by the Texas Rangers and what
a dynamic and unbelievable football player he was, and it was an interesting story and caught my attention.” Lloyd Badson comes from Caravel Academy in nearby Bear, having transferred from Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Md. in 2012. In his senior year at Caravel, Badson had 57 tackles and five sacks. In addition to football, Badson also competed for the school’s track and field team as a shot putter. Brock said Badson’s abilities make him able to fit into different spots on the team. “A strong kid, a quick kid,” Brock said. “He had speed, the power, he could overpower guys, he could run around guys. The combination of those two things lends itself to position versatility.” Ray Jones comes to Delaware from Hodgson VoTech, where he had played quarterback and linebacker over the past three years, rushing for over 1,000 yards each season. He was named the Delaware high school Offensive Player of the Year but will play safety for the Blue Hens. Overall Brock said he is accomplishing his goal of bringing more in-state players to the team. “I’ve tried to make that a mission for myself and for this program to do a great job and go out and find the guys who play in the state of Delaware that can help us win championships and do a great job in the classroom,” Brock said.
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Freshman guard Kory Holden goes for the ball against Temple University on Dec. 18. Holden has averaged 13 points a game this season.
Youth revitalizes men’s basketball MEGHAN O’DONNELL Managing Sports Editor At this point last season, the men’s basketball team was sitting at 18-7, had five doubledigit scorers and was well on its way to a CAA championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. A little over a year later, the 6-18 Blue Hens find themselves in an unfamiliar spot. Having lost four starters from last year’s team, Delaware is in the middle of a rebuilding season. With only four returning seniors and juniors, head coach Monté Ross’ team has endured its ups and downs this year. “The only really consistent thing about us right now is that we’re inconsistent, and that’s the product of youth,” Ross said. “You talk about from game to game not knowing what you’re going to get, we don’t know from four minutes to four
minutes to four minutes.” With such an inexperienced team, Ross has leaned on those few remaining upperclassmen to provide valuable leadership to an otherwise inexperienced team. Leading the way is senior Kyle Anderson, who is averaging 14.8 points per game through the first 24 games of the season. Anderson, an important member of last year’s championship team, hit another impressive milestone this season, becoming Delaware’s career leader in three-pointers made. Anderson summed up the team’s roller coaster season. “We keep seeming to get a big win and then drop one that we know we should win,” the Hens’ co-captain said. “We can’t seem to get over that hump to get back to .500 in the conference.” To illustrate Anderson’s point, the team shocked first-
In addition to the Kehoe twins and Adewusi, six players have had relatives who played in the NFL. One of them is Vinny Papale, whose father, Vince Papale, walked on to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976 and is the subject of the Disney film “Invincible,” starring Mark Wahlberg. Overall, Brock said the shape of the team is becoming one of strength and skill in defining moments. “We’re putting ourselves in a position where we’re going to begin to have the quality and the depth you need to go out and be a real physical, dominant team at the line of scrimmage, which to me, that’s where you ultimately win games,” he said.
place Northeastern University last week before dropping their last home game to James Madison University. “Its not like they’re not trying,” Ross said after that loss. “They’re trying their hearts out. They’re trying their tails off. Sometimes things don’t come together the way you would like them to come together, and that is a product of our youth.” Delaware boasts 11 freshman and sophomores, tied for most in the Colonial Athletic Association. Three of those 11, sophomores Maurice Jeffers and Cazmon Hayes and freshman Kory Holden, have established themselves as consistent starters for the Blue Hens this season. After seeing limited playing time last year, Jeffers has seen his statistics skyrocket this season, posting a career-high 20 points in the win at Northeastern. Hayes has also stepped up and has played staunch defense for the Blue Hens. Meanwhile, Holden has had a breakout year. He and Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell are the only two freshmen in Division I who are averaging 13 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In addition, Holden’s 4.5 assists per game are ninth most among Division I freshmen. While Delaware has endured some bumps along the way, there is reason to be optimistic moving forward. The young Blue Hens have continued to improve all year. Up next for the team is a road game against a tough William & Mary team. Still, the team’s star senior is confident. “We beat William & Mary before,” Anderson said. “I think we can beat them again.” For now, coach Ross will continue to develop his inexperienced team and build for a bright future.
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015
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Women’s lacrosse sets eyes on 2015 championship ERIN BOLAND Senior Sports Reporter The 2014 season was one to remember for the University of Delaware women’s lacrosse team. They finished the season with a 3-2 record in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and a 10-7 record overall. Under head coach Kateri Linville, the Blue Hens made their first appearance in the CAA tournament since the 2009 season. The team earned third seed in the semifinals but fell short against James Madison University. They are looking to advance again for this 2015 campaign. “Our goals are always the same,” Linville said. “We want to compete for championships. There is definitely an added incentive because we’re hosting this year. We want to repeat by going to the tournament and potentially clinch the
championship on our own turf.” Delaware was picked third in the CAA in the league’s preseason voting, tying with Hofstra University. The Towson Tigers were voted to win the conference championship again, with James Madison University coming in second, though Linville said she was not worried as the rankings are based on last season’s performance. “This year, I think one of the things that will separate us is that we have a majority of upperclassmen, so it’s a very experienced team,” Linville said. “So that’s an added, competitive advantage for us.” The team has many returning players, all of whom contributed to the success of their 2014 campaign. They had four players named to the AllCAA women’s lacrosse squad: senior Caitlin McCartney and juniors Lizzie Duffey, Casey Lyons and Erin Wein.
McCartney had 40 draw controls in 2014 and added 39 goals and nine assists last season. Duffey earned All-CAA honors for her defensive skills, finishing 2014 with 23 groundballs and 23 caused turnovers. Wein also made an impact with her 31 caused turnovers, second in Delaware single season history. Lyons earned first-team AllCAA after an impressive first season at Delaware. She led the team by contributing 58 points with 36 goals and 22 assists. “It was exciting, and big shoes to fill,” Lyons said about being named to the All-CAA team. “But I’m excited to play this season having the one-year under my belt here and being a year older and wiser. Hopefully I can help out our younger players and stay strong with our other upperclassmen.” Linville said she knows
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Juniors Casey Lyons and Lauren VanDaniker celebrate after a goal against Villanova last season. Casey Lyons is a dynamic attacker and can put goals in the cage, but she will grow in leadership this season. “I think she’ll be not only producing in terms of goals, but she’ll also be producing in terms of setting her teammates up for success and helping us grow our game and make it more multidimensional as an entire offense,” she said. The women’s lacrosse team opened up their season
Saturday, Feb. 14 by shocking No. 16 Georgetown University and dominating with a 17-5 win. Lyons knows that the team has the ability to have a successful season. “We want to win the CAA Championship, especially since we made it to the tournament last year,” she said. “Now that we have the foot in the doorstep, we know that we can do it and the jitters are out.”
Men’s lacrosse starts season with CAA Player of the Week ERIN BOLAND Senior Sports Reporter Finishing the 2014 season with a 7-9 record overall and a 1-4 record in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team was able to advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Head coach Bob Shillinglaw said he is excited to see what the season will bring. “Our goals are to get into the conference tournament and to maximize the opportunities we can to be a top seed and host it here,” Shillinglaw, now in his 37th season, said. “Homefield advantage is obviously important.” The team has been working since the start of the new year on preparations for the season. Despite the work they have been doing, Delaware was picked sixth in the preseason CAA coaches poll. Hofstra University came in first, followed by defending champion Drexel University, Fairfield University, Towson University and University of Massachusetts. The ranking they received will not affect the way the team will go about competing this season, Shillinglaw said. “We’ve always been that group that comes from behind, but we like that blue collar, underdog, nobody respects you, chip on our shoulder attitude, and get after it,” he said. “In all honesty, I think there’s some obvious reasons why we were picked low. We haven’t been successful due to multiple reasons and primarily being a lot of our top players were injured.” But that was in the past. The 2015 season is looking hopeful for the Blue Hens because they have numerous upperclassmen who are ready to play and are taking leadership of the team. One standout senior is Tom Holland, who earned CAA Player of the Week after his four-goal contribution in the team’s 1211 comeback win over Bucknell Feb. 7.
“It’s great, it’s a nice honor,” Holland said. “I’m looking forward to hopefully having it a few more times because that means the team’s success too. Hopefully we can get a few more other players to get it. Matt Olbrich got Rookie of the Week which was great, so it was a good week.” Coach Shillinglaw said he knows Holland is a physical attacker and a great overhand shooter. “Tom is a hard worker and a very coachable kid, so you know what you’re getting from him,” he said. “If you give him time and room and it’s in the shooting range, he’ll take the shot. He’s very intelligent, a good finisher, and a good leader.” The men’s lacrosse team also earned honors when three players were named to the Preseason All-CAA team. Conor Peaks, a junior goalkeeper, was selected to first team while senior midfielder Brian Kormondy and senior faceoff specialist Tyler Barbarich received honorable mention. Peaks had an outstanding sophomore season, starting all 16 games and ranking second in the CAA for save percentage. The Blue Hens began their 2015 campaign Feb. 1 against High Point University and found themselves with a 0-1 record to start the season. They then followed with their win against Bucknell University the following week. The CAA has a number of teams that can easily win the conference title. It is full of frontrunners, underdogs and teams working to rebuild their program. Coach Shillinglaw recalled last year’s season when Drexel made it to the NCAA Tournament. “They played in our own stadium last year, and that was hard to swallow,” he said. “It’s that type of conference that there’s tons of respect for the opponent, and there’s no love lost for the opponent either. So it’s very competitive.”
sports commentary Cards in the Binder
It’s funny what an email does to kickstart your memory. About two weeks ago, a large trading card company wanted me to write a piece about a new set it is putting out. While I am not going to do this, because I never give free advertising, it did make me think about the excitement of getting trading cards. We all have special places in our lives, that even when they disappear, we can still remember little details. For me, this is true about the baseball card shop down the road. My father and I would spend about an hour every couple of months looking at the selection they had
and possibly buying a pack on opening day to celebrate a new year. But boy, were we unlucky. Instead of getting Derek Jeter or Ryan Howard, we’d get 1012 C-grade players from smallmarket teams or top teams’ minor league prospects. Or, to cap off our terrible luck, we’d get the checklist, which is something no collector ever wants. But that’s just it—who says it has to be about collecting? When I was a kid, I’d get 10 baseball cards a week for working hard in physical therapy. These cards were 20 to 30 years old at the time, and my father would regale me
COURTESY OF CHANDLER CLEMENS
The view of stroke seat, Scott Menken, from the point of view of 2v coxswain, Chandler Clemens.
Brains of the Boat JACK RODGERS Sports Features Editor Rowing in the lightweight and heavyweight eight is no doubt a team sport. Boats fly down the river as blades claw through the water, energy dwindling, souls willing, but bodies breaking. One person calls out to the team and pushes the boat and men back through their paces. That person is the coxswain. Junior Coxswains Chandler Clemens, and Rebecca Lubker, of the lightweight University of Delaware Men’s Crew (UDMC) team and coxswains of the heavyweight men, junior Hannah Hartford, and sophomore Katie Rietzke, know this responsibility all too well. With 14 years of coxing experience between them, these athletes bring confidence, experience and community to the team each day. The dichotomy between heavyweight and lightweight is tremendous with rowers in size, strength, competition and preparation, but coxswains must remain constant: in control and confident. “You have to be very composed for the guys,” Clemens said. “If they see us rattled or shaken, then they
with stories of the players I had received. To me, it’s more about the stories behind the player than the value of the card. Take, for example, the card at the top of this piece. The man featured is Dock Ellis who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1971 World Series. This is not what he’s best known for though. He is best known for pitching a no-hitter on June 12, 1970 while under the influence of LSD. It is stories like this that are part of the folklore of baseball, which is always better brought up over looking at a card. But it isn’t just baseball cards I have collected over the years. I own quite a lot of sports cards. When I thought about starting a card business, I purchased two display boxes of 1980-81 English First Division soccer cards. I opened them up to see an example, and I was surprised to find I knew some of the players. I looked up the
get rattled or shaken, so you always have to be composed and collected.” Lubker said in her experience, it was easier to hold some things back from the boys. “I found sometimes it was the game of filtering,” Lubker said. “You need to filter what you’re feeling, which is hard; you always need to give them something positive and confident.” Rietzke said she thought multitasking was one of the hardest tasks. “And on top of that,” Rietzke added, “you’re doing a million different things at once.” While managing their emotions in high-pressure situations, coxswains also face challenges in steering their vessel. Using strings attached to a credit-card sized rudder, this steering mechanism, located in the cox’s position, must be adjusted with hairline precision—as to keep the boat balanced and on course. Simultaneously, coxswains must call out rate commands and encouragement to rowers through a microphone system called a cox box. This system takes advantage of loudspeakers to allow the coxswain to communicate with rowers, monitor the time elapsed and view the current
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Dock Ellis’ 1971 baseball card. ones I didn’t know and learned their backstories, furthering the history of these cards for future generations. My personal favorites are my Formula One motor racing collection. The Ayrton Senna
stroke rate. Along with all of these aspects, coxswains are sometimes expected to perform on a higher consistency than rowers. “If you relate it to other sports, coxing is a lot like pitching or being a goalie,” said Hartford. “You’re doing this sport as a team, but you’re this key person that if you screw up, you’re going to ruin everything. The blame is majorly based on you.” While all of this may seem daunting, the community the team provides for all of the athletes is what these coxswains say is one of the biggest perks. “At the end of the day, these guys are your closest friends,” Hartford said. “It’s just like having a bunch of older brothers always around you.” Clemens says she just wants to educate people to what coxswains truly do. “I just want to change the stigma of coxswains for people who think we sit at the end of the boat and tell the boys to row, over and over again,” Clemens said. “It’s so frustrating that people think that’s all we do. I’ve put seven years of dedication and effort into this sport, and it’s frustrating when people think you’re like a broken record at the end of the boat.”
card featured above came from a pack found in a little shop at the Booth’s Corner Farmer’s Market. Finding those ten packs for $1 each was an incredible steal and was a glimpse into a past that, though I knew a lot about, was nice to see again. Some people say “the past is a different country,” and for that, I see these cards as little maps to the past. In this era of ESPN and online sports coverage, it’s possibly hard to imagine that for our parents and grandparents, last year’s stats on the back of a baseball card were all they ever had. I hope that trading cards as a whole never disappear, as that one link to the past would be ruined.
JACK COBOURN Managing Sports Editor The views reflected in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Review.
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