November 18, 2008

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Volume 135, Issue 12

The Mosaic Interview: O.A.R. see pages 18-19

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The University of Delaware’s Independent Newspaper Since 1882

2 November 18, 2008

inside 2

News

14

Editorial

15

Opinion

17

Mosaic

21

CD and movie reviews

27

Classifieds

28

Sports An officer marched in front of Memorial Hall Tuesday in honor of Veteran’s Day.

THE REVIEW/Steven Gold

Check out these online exclusives at www.udreview.com O.A.R. sponsors environmental forum

Children less likely to graduate high school than their parents

THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer

O.A.R. performed at the Bob Carpenter Center on Friday.

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Editor in Chief Laura Dattaro Executive Editor Brian Anderson

Editorial Editors Sammi Cassin, Caitlin Wolters Cartoonist Jan Dickey Copy Desk Chiefs Sarah Esralew, Jennifer Hayes

Photography Editor Ricky Berl Assistant Photography Editor Justin Bleiler Staff Photographers Steven Gold, Melanie Hardy, Justin Maurer Layout Editor Andrea Ramsay

THE REVIEW/Melanie Hardy

A student reads a display at O.A.R.’s environmental forum, held the afternoon before their concert.

Graphics Editor Katie Smith Web site Editor Quentin Coleman

Managing News Editors Jennifer Heine, Josh Shannon Administrative News Editor Kaitlyn Kilmetis City News Editor Lydia Woolever National/State News Editor Maddie Thomas News Features Editor Samantha Grayson Student Affairs News Editor Ashlee Bradbury Blogger Caitlin Wolters

Managing Mosaic Editors Caitlin Birch, Larissa Cruz Features Editors Sabina Ellahi, Amy Prazniak Entertainment Editors Ted Simmons, James Adams Smith delaware UNdressed Columnist Alicia Gentile Fashion Forward Columnist Sabina Ellahi Managing Sports Editors Seif Hussain, Ryan Langshaw Sports Editors Patrick Maguire, Alex Porro

Copy Editors Jordan Allen, Greg Arent, Nicolette Lotrionte, Andrew Lynch, Emily Riley Advertising Director Darby DeCicco, Alexa Hassink Business Manager Lisa McGough

3

Former neo-Nazi speaks at Trabant November 18, 2008

Students inspired by man’s change from racist lifestyle

BY KAITLYN KILMETIS Administrative News Editor

As T.J. Leyden walks on stage he looks seemingly normal — light blue jeans, rectangular-rimmed glasses and two layered shirts — a green, short-sleeved T-shirt over a beige, longsleeved shirt. Upon first glance, one would never know the long-sleeved shirt — a constant staple of his wardrobe — conceals dozens of tattoos of Nazi symbols, permanent reminders of a past filled with racism and violence.

Leyden spent 15 years as a neo-Nazi white supremacy activist and recruiter. He said characters in the movie “American History X” are loosely based off his life. Now he speaks on campuses nationwide promoting diversity and tolerance and denouncing the hate that filled his past.

On Nov. 10 Leyden, accompanied by an armed guard, gave a speech titled “Turning Away from Hate” to a crowd of approximately 700 students in Trabant University Center. A majority of the attendees were members of the Greek Community, as the event was sponsored and paid for by the Interfraternity Council and only announced to Greek organization members. Leyden’s contract prohibited campus-wide advertisement to protect his safety.

IFC’s Vice President Judicial Kevin Shalley began the event by introducing Leyden and describing the speaker’s former life, which involved becoming a neo-Nazi skinhead at age 15 and spending the next 15 years promoting, organizing and recruiting for white supremacy.

“At one point, he had more than 29 tattoos of swastikas and other Nazi symbols covering his body,” Shalley said. “He spent holidays and family vacations at white supremacist events.

He committed violent acts against Jews, blacks, Latinos, homosexuals and other minority groups on a regular basis — he even hung a Nazi flag over the crib of his newborn son.”

Shalley then discussed Leyden’s transformation from neo-Nazi to motivational speaker and questioned the audience about what lesson everyone can take from Leyden’s story.

He said although Leyden receives regular death threats and must take extraordinary measures to protect himself from his former friends, Leyden has become an advocate for appreciating the difference in all people.

“How can a man turn away from a life of hate that defined him for so long and what can we learn from his experiences that will help to combat hatred in our community?” Shalley said.

Leyden began his speech with a disclaimer emphasizing the fact he is not proud of his past.

In recounting stories from his former life, he is only trying to encourage understanding rather than to boast or brag about who he once was.

The first half of the speech was dominated by descriptions of Leyden’s life as a white supremacist. He recalled graphically violent stories about his time as a neo-Nazi, ranging from drive-by shootings to beatings targeted toward racial minorities to the infamous “American History X” curb stomp scene, which he said he witnessed.

Leyden also discussed how he became a part of the Neo-Nazi movement, the acceptance of racism during his service in the Marine Corps, the idea of separatism among different races and the tactics used by white supremacy groups to recruit new members, especially children, through the use of cartoons, video games and music.

He also addressed common misconceptions and the changing face of Neo-Nazis in this country, stating, “Not all racists are rednecks in pick-up trucks with baseball bats —the majori-

ty of racists in this country are just the opposite,” listing a number of leaders in the white supremacist movement who are scientists, inventors and other professions.

“None of these guys drove pickup trucks, and they sure as shit didn’t carry baseball bats,” Leyden said. “You’re looking at the most educated people, some of them, that are out there and that is why they’re the most dangerous sorts of racists because they’re educating men with ideas.”

In the second half of the speech, he described what sparked his own transformation into an activist against racism, bigotry and prejudice.

Leyden identified his own turning point as a moment when his 3-year-old son referred to a black actor on the children’s show “Gullah Gullah Island” with a racial slur.

Although he explained his initial response to his young son’s racism was excitement, he eventually came to a realization about his children’s futures.

“I was looking at them and I was trying to think of who they were going to be, but all I could see in their future was me and my cousins and my friends,” Leyden said. “I started thinking about the 16 times I got arrested, the time I was stabbed when I was 18, the multiple times I’ve been shot at. I was thinking about who my kids were going to be.”

He said he began to wonder whether or not the cause he had so strongly believed in was worth it.

“I started thinking and I asked myself this question,” Leyden said. “Are you ready to sacrifice your children for your beliefs? Do you believe in it so much that you are willing to watch your children die for it? The weird thing was the answer in my head was no.”

He said 18 months after that particular incident, he decided to leave the white supremacist movement. Since that moment, Leyden has worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center teaching about fighting against hate; spoken at a White House Conference on hate; trained at the Pentagon, the FBI and military bases and for numerous law enforcement agencies; testified against former friends on trial for hate crimes; lectured across the country and created the organization Str8 Talk Consulting.

Leyden advised attendees to combat racism by not condoning it.

“Next time we are in the presence of a racist joke or hear a bigoted comment and you do nothing, I want you to remember something — you just became silent, indifferent and complacent,” Leyden said. “You just became part of the disease of spreading racism rather than part of the cure of ending racism.”

Leyden ended with two pieces of advice for students. The first was to attack racists not with acts of violence but rather through thoughtful resistance.

“You ever see Dr. Martin Luther King at a Klan rally? No,” Leyden said. “He fought racism where it was truly dangerous, where it was institutionalized.”

The second bit of advice was students should act as positive mentors to the youth in their communities.

“There’s a kid in this town or the town that you’re from who needs your help,” Leyden said.

“Either the Boys Club, the Girls Club, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, a mentoring program, they need your help. Help this world stop creating people like me.”

Assistant Director of Student Centers Matt Lenno said this is Leyden’s second visit to the university as he spoke two years ago to the

G r e e k community. “ Yo u could hear a pin drop the in room,” Lenno said.

“It was so moving and so informational for students that there w e r e requests to bring him back.”

I F C President Matt Gallo s a i d Leyden was chosen because the Courtesy of T.J. Leyden I F C attempts to The film “American History X” was based loosely on events in T.J book differ- Leyden’s life as a neo-Nazi. He now speaks out against racism. ent speakers to educate the Greek community on a diverse wrong type of person was in attendance.

“I was worried that even though all the range of topics.

Gallo said it was necessary to approach this people who attended were a part of Greek life, speaker differently than other speakers in the maybe there was one person who was unsure of themselves at that point in life or maybe a little past.

“We said all right, if we’re going to bring depressed or trying to get involved in somehim in, we need to keep it quiet — well not thing,” Baroff said. “They could maybe get quiet — but appeal to Greek students,” Gallo pulled into the propaganda he’s proposing.”

Sophomore Jared Weintraub said he said. “We didn’t advertise or sell tickets.”

He said last year’s speaker Paul thought the graphic nature of the speech was Rusesabagina, on whom the movie “Hotel vital to promoting understanding.

“I think that there were people who probaRwanda” is based, was more publicized.

“We advertised that to the whole communi- bly wouldn’t have felt as strongly about his ty, Newark, basically the whole town,” Gallo argument if he was just wishy-washy about it said. “We wanted to bring in a diverse group but instead of being so detailed and putting it in peothis was just aimed at juniors, seniors, sopho- ple’s faces and saying this is reality,” Weintraub mores, whatever, but people we knew would said.

He said Leyden’s speech was both inforfeel comfortable and wouldn’t be shocked when they came in like ‘Oh my god, what am I listen- mational and inspirational.

“It was interesting to hear what it was like ing to?’ ” He said although, for the most part, atten- to be on the other side of things like to be very dees’ response were positive, some students racist and discriminatory,” Weintraub said. “It were uneasy with the manner in which Leyden was also good to hear a success story. He dropped out and turned his life around for the spoke.

“He holds nothing back when he speaks,” better so I thought it was a good message.”

Lenno said he believes students are so Gallo said. “A lot of people were offended — well maybe not offended — but shocked and affected by Leyden because he exposes them to a lifestyle they may have not understood othersurprised by the way he presented it.”

Junior Jessica Baroff said she was dis- wise.

“Many students on campus sometimes turbed by the event.

“I think maybe he talked way too much don’t get the life experiences they need, and about hate rather how to actually prevent hate,” sometimes they lead a sheltered life,” he said.

“This was one of those experiences where peoBaroff said.

She said she thinks Leyden’s detailed ple can see something that have never encounaccount of life as a white supremacist could in tered and see how it has affected other people in some cases encourage the wrong type of effects the world.”

Lenno, who said he got chills throughout on audience members.

“I was really upset and I just thought he the speech, said Leyden inspires students by took is way too far.” Baroff said. “Mainly, the highlighting anyone’s potential to change.

“He was a skinhead,” he said. “He was a thing is if someone thought they might want to get involved in the movement, he was there miserable human being. He bred hate and he has basically showing here’s the Web sites you can shown that he can change. Not only is this a go to, here’s where you can buy a Nazi doll. He speaker on diversity but he is a motivational was inadvertently showing you. It was a two- speaker. He has shown that he can change and he sided thing. He was like ‘I’m against the hate, leads a movement against hate no matter what the but here’s where you can go to if you want to get cost is to his family or whatever it may be. If someone like that, that horrible of a human being involved.’ ” She said she feared the contents of can change, anybody can change what they’re Leyden’s lecture could be used negatively if the doing and anyone can change their message.”

4 November 18, 2008

Student’s death raises concerns for some

BY SAMANTHA BRIX Staff Reporter

Freshman Brett Griffin died after a party on Nov. 8. His death, which, according to Newark police was related to alcohol, spurred opposition to fraternities at the university from some students.

Freshman Kendra Schaefer said she now sees the fraternity that held the party, Sigma Alpha Mu, as “shameful” for taking the rush process to a fatal extent.

“This degrades every fraternity, not even just at our school but in the country,” Schaefer said.

Newark Police responded to a call at 2:52 a.m. Nov. 8, responding to a medical emergency on 28 Annabelle Street, a residence that is not an official fraternity house but is occupied by fraternity members. When officers arrived, there was evidence alcohol was consumed. There were approximately 40 people at the party.

Griffin, 18, of Kendall Park, N.J., who was a Sigma Alpha Mu pledge, was taken to Christiana Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It is not clear whether hazing was involved in the situation.

Schaefer said she is against hazing and the part alcohol plays in the process, though it hardly seems probable that this would mark the end of alcohol in Greek initiation.

“Fraternities are supposed to be fun and honorable,” Schaefer said. “They’re supposed to be something people want to do.”

She said she never wanted to rush Greek life, but said had she planned on rushing, she would not have gone through with it after the news of a student’s death. Schaefer

said students should now be selective in which fraternity or sorority they join.

She said the death of a fellow student has paralyzed the university with disbelief and sympathy. She said many freshmen are distressed, but some distance themselves from the incident, assuring themselves they would never encounter a situation with so high a level of alcohol consumption.

“A lot of kids think it won’t happen to them and they’re smarter than that,” Schaefer said.

“Fraternities are supposed to be fun and honorable.

They’re supposed to be something people want to do.”

— Kendra Schaefer, freshman

Freshman Andrew Connelly said his decision about whether to rush remains unaffected by the tragedy. He said he would not fear a similar situation for himself.

“If I was going to rush, I would know my boundaries,” Connelly said.

He said hazing is a part of fraternity initiation and is not likely to come to a halt, but alcohol consumption as part of

rushing should be curtailed.

Sophomore Kim Bartok said she is still considering rushing a sorority in the spring, as she knows that rushing practices are not universal. She said sorority rushing involves different tactics and does not pose the same danger as fraternity rushing.

Bartok said she thinks all fraternities are negatively tainted because of Griffin’s death at a house associated with a fraternity.

“They’re brothers — they’re supposed to care about each other,” Bartok said.

Freshman Amanda Telesca said she could barely describe how she felt about Griffin’s death.

“It puts everything in a different perspective,” Telesca said. “It’s careless, it’s barely even human to not be watching this kid.”

She said if hazing must exist, it should be centered on jokes and pranks, and steer away from alcohol consumption.

“I think slight hazing is fine, but making someone drink until they die is not,” Telesca said.

Freshman Christine Viggiano said Sigma Alpha Mu should not bear the entirety of the responsibility in this case.

She said all fraternities do take on the burden of protecting their pledges and members, and all fraternities should be more responsible after last weekend’s incident.

Viggiano said the fraternity is partially at fault, but an alcohol-related death can occur anywhere on and around a college campus.

“You have to be responsible for your own actions,” Viggiano said. “Putting all the blame on the frat is ridiculous.”

Among Del. layoffs, auto workers hit hardest

BY KATHERINE GUINEY Staff Reporter

Although senior Amy Boyett graduates this May, she is not looking for a job.

Boyett, a senior biology major from Middletown, thinks it is a waste of time with the current economy and does not desire to join the record number of unemployed Americans. Instead, she will go to graduate school.

“If you are a doctor, you are not, not going to have a job,” Boyett said. “So I’m getting my doctorate.”

She has read about companies laying off workers left and right. However, the type of industry may determine how severe layoffs are.

On Nov. 7, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Company posted a combined third quarter pretax loss of $5.2 billion and GM, the nation’s largest automaker, announced that it may run out of money in 2009, according to The News Journal.

The crisis in the auto industry comes just after the trouble in the financial sector with Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual and others. To stay afloat, companies are slashing jobs.

In October, employers eliminated 240,000 jobs and the nation’s unemployment rate reached 6.5 percent, a 14-year high, according to the Department of Labor.

From the beginning of the year to the end of October, employers cut 1.2 million jobs.

James Wolfe, president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, said that as of the end of September, 21, 600 were listed as unemployed in Delaware. However, that number does not include job cuts that have occurred since September and those that will occur before the end of the year.

The Chrysler Group’s Newark Assembly Plant, which produces the Dodge Durango and the Chrysler Aspen, will close by the end of December, a full year ahead of schedule. Approximately 1,100 workers will be out of work as a result, Wolfe, who managed the Chrysler plant for four years, said.

“The auto industry is in dire straits,” tough economy because it is in the pharma- the economy at home.

Boyett said that while her family has Wolfe said. “The problem is that nobody is ceutical industry.

“Our major exposure is to scientific been lucky, some of her friends have had to able to sell any cars right now.

“There are things you cut out to sur- risk rather than a financial risk,” Shaheen- cut back.

“I know some of my friends’ parents vive. The first thing people do is stop buy- Dumke said. “That’s why you don’t see ing cars —they put off the purchase for a what happened to Lehman Brothers and who lost jobs,” she said. “My one friend ended up not coming to Delaware and going Bear Stearns happening to us.” year to two.”

Wolfe said a company and an industry’s to Del Tech to save money.”

Democratic Governor-elect Jack Markell is optimistic and sees a light at Markell said he has plans to meet with rep- ability to endure depends on whether it prothe end of the tunnel for the struggling resentatives from automakers and discuss duces a luxury or a necessity.

“AstraZeneca and chemical companies industries in Delaware. what measures should be taken to help with “There’s always an end, but a lot does that produce pharmaceutical products, in layoffs.

“I’m going to say, ‘What can we do to some cases, people have to take that to sur- depend on what happens at the national level,”Markell said. “In Delaware, we just help?’ ” Markell said. “How can we be help- vive,” he said.

Those who do not work for recession- have to work hard and make the best effort ful? That’s really the bottom line.”

Along with Chrysler’s Newark layoffs, resistant companies are seeing the impact of to pull through.” last month, GM announced 400 job cuts at its plant in Wilmington, and Invista revealed plans to lay off 400 of the 500 workers at its nylon plant outside of Seaford.

While the national unemployment rate is higher than Delaware’s, which hit 4.8 percent in September, the outlook on state employment levels is not necessarily positive, Wolfe said.

“We’re still well behind the U.S., but that’s serious for Delaware,” he said. “It’s just staggering when you look at the numbers for the state.”

To help the formerly employed get back into the workforce, both Markell and Wolfe emphasize training.

“We’re working with the state to find places like [Delaware Technical and Community College] and UD that can train these folks,” Wolfe said.

While automakers posted a loss, AstraZeneca reported a 29 percent rise in third quarter net profit, according to the Associated Press.

AstraZeneca, a London-based pharmaceutical company whose U.S. headquarters are located in Wilmington, also increased THE REVIEW/File photo its full-year earnings forecast.

Elizabeth Shaheen-Dumke, corporate Because cars are a luxury, auto workers like those at the Chrysler plant are losing more communications manager at AstraZeneca, said her company is surviving America’s jobs than those in other industries.

November 18, 2008

5

A sweet step for Main Street businesses

BY KATIE SPEACE Staff Reporter

THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer

Ashley(left) Rachael (center) and Cori from Wellspring’s Promoters of Wellness acted as sex teachers at Thursday’s “All Day I Dream About Sex.”

Wellspring, students team up to talk about sex education

BY KATHERINE GUINEY Staff Reporter

With regular, flavored and studded condoms organized on the table at the front of the room, and with “Juicy”

by Better than Ezra playing in the background, students filed into room 209/211 of Trabant University Center Thursday night ready to learn about sex.

And learn they did. The phrase “you learn something new everyday” was uttered multiple times by more than one person during the event, titled “All Day I Dream About Sex.” If students didn’t know what snowballing, frottage and scat were at the event’s start, they did by the time it ended an hour later.

Juniors Cathy Chen and Briar Herrera-Ludewig came to the event because it sounded interesting and because Herrera-Ludewig is interested in the sorority that sponsored the event, Lambda Pi Chi. In addition to the sorority, HAVEN, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allies group on campus, and Wellspring, a university group promoting student behavioral and emotional wellness, sponsored A.D.I.D.A.S. Coming into it, Chen expected a version of sex education.

“I think it’ll be a sex-ed thing, like in middle school,” Chen said with a giggle.

But the night’s activities bore little resemblance to Chen’s middle school sex education class.

After introducing themselves as university students from Wellspring’s Promoters of Wellness who were the night’s sex teachers, Rachael, Ashley and Cori, who didnot provide their last names, asked everyone to split into three groups by counting off, effectively dividing those who had arrived together, including Herrera-Ludewig and Chen.

Herrera-Ludewig landed in group three and Chen in group one. When the groups settled into three circles, Rachel gave each a word: “penis” to group one, “intercourse” to group two and “vagina” to group three.

“Your job,” Rachel said, “is to come up with as many slang terms for this word as possible.”

Even though it was mostly girls, the vagina group, with Herrera-Ludewig, struggled at first. They came up with “coochie,” “va-jay-jay” and “vertical smile.” A comment from the only boy in the group about how Oprah Winfrey uses the word va-jay-jay received a roar of laughter and acknowledgement from the girls.

Then, Herrera-Ludewig’s group hit their vaginaslang stride, coming up with terms such as “box,” “cave” and “the field.”

While the va-jay-jay group was busy writing its list, groups one and two were doing the same.

Out of all of the names for penis, the first term Chen’s group, listed was “peeta-weta.” “Johnson,” “shlong,” “third leg,” “manhood,” “family jewels,” “twig-and-berries” and “one-eyed snake” all came after “peeta-weta.”

While group penis and group vagina stuck to slang most everyone had heard of, with a few exceptions, group intercourse strayed from the norm.

“Shoplifting the pooty,” “grabbing the cookie” and “taming the mushroom” all made their list, but “sex,”

“screw” and “boink” did not.

After each group read its list, Rachael, a senior who has been with Wellspring for four years, asked the audience to take note of any trends present in the slang.

“They’re all very much terms that emphasize how great having a penis is,” Rachael said. “But when you say these things about vagina, it makes me not want to have one.”

While penis has positive slang terms and vagina has negative ones, the terms used for intercourse are violent in nature, she said.

“Do you really want to be nailed?” Rachel said. “No, not literally, I’d rather be laid. So, choose your slang terms wisely in the future.”

The night took an even sharper turn away from middle school sex education when the Wellspring sex coaches began the second exercise.

Rachael, Ashley and Cori distributed two laminated cards to each person in the room, excluding themselves.

Each card listed an action and participants had to tape their cards on the white board under one of the following categories — no-risk behavior; low-risk, some-risk, highrisk behavior and well-documented protection.

The cards Chen received read “masturbation alone” and “facial.” The latter required some explanation from the group.

While everyone with cards rushed to put them up, Herrera-Ludewig, whose cards said “anal stimulation with fingers” and “receiving anal intercourse with no condom,” studied hers with some consternation.

“Why do I have to get the anal thing?” HerreraLudewig said.

After the participating students placed their cards, the card labeled “abstinence” ended up in the low-risk category.

“If you don’t do anything, you can’t get anything.

That’s well documented,” Rachael said while moving “abstinence” to the no-risk column.

When she arrived at the well-documented protection category, Rachael made sure to note that leaving condoms in one’s wallet is not a good idea. The condom gets hot and the latex breaks down faster.

“The guy who’s saving the condom in his wallet for a rainy day — that’s going to be a very bad rainy day,” she said.

Rachael, Ashley and Cori are trained for information sessions such as Thursday’s event. Program requests come in Wellspring and, depending on their knowledge on the topic, the organization tries to provide its services.

Casey Collier, secretary for Lambda Pi Chi, said her organization put in the request to Wellspring because the topic of sex is important on a university campus.

“It’s college and students are sexually active,” Collier said. “I think it’s important to continue educating students in a fun way.”

Both Herrera-Ludewig and Chen said they enjoyed the laid-back, fun atmosphere provided and that they learned quite a few new, although disturbing, terms.

After the uninhibited and decidedly non-middle school sex education session, Chen made sure to grab some condoms on the way out.

While Main Street is often associated with its quaint boutiques and cafes unique to the area, some of its businesses are growing to become part of a larger economy outside Newark.

Michael and Tara Voigt , owners of Sweet-N-Sassy Cupcakes, are rapidly making a name for themselves beyond Newark. Biggest of all, the couple recently accepted an offer to sell their cupcakes through Saks Fifth Avenue.

The department store will be carrying a variety of cupcake assortments, including birthday, holiday, seasonal and best-seller selections, as well as a special selection just for Saks, Tara Voigt said.

“They saw us on the Food Network and asked to send our company information and product samples,” Voigt said. “Once they

received them, they said we were exactly what they were looking for.”

Since the store’s appearance on the Food Network’s “Road Tasted with the Neelys” last summer, and its mail-order delivery option made available last spring, many large distributors have approached Sweet-N-Sassy about their product, but the Voigts were waiting for the right offer.

“We’ve been very selective about our product and who we wanted to channel it through,” Voigt said. “Saks was one of the goals we had and what it means is we’re heading in the right direction in terms of growth.”

She said it was always in their plan to expand the company, but the short amount of time it took was far beyond their expectations.

“It came a lot earlier than we See SWEET page 11

THE REVIEW/Katie Smith

This holiday season, ‘Del. Does More’

BY ERICA NARDELLO Staff Reporter

The Food Bank of Delaware and the United Way of Delaware have teamed up to lead a 90-day initiative to provide additional assistance to those in need this winter. The program, called Delaware Does More, began Nov. 7 and will continue until Feb. 28, 2009.

Kim Kostes, community relations manager for the Food Bank of Delaware, said the goal of Delaware Does More is to raise 300,000 pounds of food and $250,000 for shelter and utility assistance this winter.

Michelle Taylor, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Delaware, said while the groups arrange programs for needy Delawareans each holiday season, the current economic and housing crises convinced community leaders to make an extra push for assistance this year.

“We recognize that there is an immediate need in our community to meet the extraordinary need in these extraordinary times,” Taylor said.

Despite the state’s small size, Delaware has been affected by the global economic situation as much as any other region. The need for help from food pantries and relief agencies statewide has spiked from recent layoffs and home foreclosures.

Not only has the demand for food assistance from the Food Bank and food pantries increased 25 to 50 percent, but the demographic has changed in those needing help, Kostes said.

See FOOD page 13

6 November 18, 2008

a peckabove

Each week, The Review will feature a professor, employee or staff member at the university. Know of someone noteworthy? Send your idea to theudreview@gmail.com.

Professor sees class with a wider lens

BY MARINA KOREN Staff Reporter

Tristan Spinski has helped give new meaning to the term “visual vocabulary.” Spinski, a freelance photojournalist who has captured real-life cowboys and rodeo action on camera, is teaching Topics in Journalism: Visual Storytelling (ENGL 409) this semester. The class focuses on examining and analyzing documentary photography and the role that it plays in journalism.

Spinski, a visiting professor at the university, said he taps into his own enthusiasm about photojournalism to communicate the idea to his students that being a documentary photographer is more than just a job.

“I love photography,” Spinski said. “Being a documentary photographer kind of becomes who you are. I rely on my passion for this to inspire my students.”

In class, Spinski addresses how photographers go about capturing a great image and displays photographs that inspire him and keep him active in the field of photography. He said he hopes that students will leave the class with a greater visual vocabulary and the desire to pursue journalism and visual communications as a career.

“It’s the idea of using your camera as a way to explore the world,” he said. “It’s about being able to communicate what people are going through and the human condition in general.”

Spinski’s career involves discovering and examining the world through a camera lens, and as a freelance photojournalist, he has documented the life of the cowboy by following a rodeo circuit in the West. His travels have led him to places such as Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Ohio and California.

“I’m like that man who wanted to be a dish washer in every state,” Spinski said.

Prior to teaching at the university, Spinski was the staff photographer at Naples Daily News in Naples, Fla. His work as a freelance photographer has led him to Central America, but he is more interested in domestic coverage, he said.

Spinski said following the rodeo circuit in the West was a rewarding experience. He said it has allowed him to focus

on the subjects of his photographs on a larger and deeper scale.

“The more time you spend with your subjects or on any particular story, the greater details you get,” he said.

“One of the best things for me was being able to live it and breathe it and become completely immersed in it. It makes photography that much more honest.”

While following the rodeo circuit, Spinski met and closely studied the people featured in his photographs.

“You meet all sorts of people,” he said. “You’re talking about people who are electricians and carpenters, but every penny they make funnels into following a rodeo circuit. It’s about riding a bull for eight seconds.”

Spinski said he is not sure where he will take his work as a freelance photojournalist next. He will either stay in the Northeast or move out west with his wife, he said.

“The good thing about working freelance is that you can do it anywhere,” he said. “The bad part is every time you move, you have the challenge of starting over and re-

establishing yourself.”

Spinski said that although he loves his profession, he is aware that journalism is currently going through many changes.

“There are a lot of people out there that don’t have much faith in the future of journalism,” he said. “I’m not one of those people. There’s quite a lot that could be done.”

Spinski said he is still developing as a photojournalist and does not feel so different from the students he teaches.

“There are so many fantastic photographers out there and so much more to learn,” he said. “I feel like I’m just getting started.”

Mckay Jenkins, an English professor, said he considers Spinski to be a model of journalistic talent.

“Tristan has a powerful eye for detail, both in his writing and in his photography,” Jenkins said. “He has a natural, in-born curiosity that you can’t teach.”

He said he and Spinski have a number of students in common in their journalism classes.

“The word I get is that he is an unusually gifted teacher,” Jenkins said. “This doesn’t surprise me in the least. I think we’re very lucky to have him here.”

English professor Kevin Kerrane, who taught Spinski as a student when he was attending the university, said that Spinski has a lot of personality as a teacher that he brings to his class.

“I have learned a lot from him and I think his students have as well,” Kerrane said.

“He has a really nice and easy relationship with his students. He tries to get them to think like photographers.”

He said Spinski approaches material in a fresh way and is very selfmotivated.

“He can succeed on his own in a strange environment,” Kerrane said. “It’s important to be very selfsufficient and a great team player, and that’s what Tristan is.”

Courtesy of Tristan Spinski

Newark to get power from Bluewater Wind

BY ANTONIA DONATO Staff Reporter

The City of Newark recently announced that its electricity supplier, the Delaware Municipal Energy Corporation (DEMEC) made a commitment to purchase power from Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC, which would put the city over 19 percent in renewable energy. There is a large amount of support for the purchase because of the environmental benefits to the Newark community.

According to a press release, Bluewater Wind reached an agreement with DEMEC that would provide low-cost, reliable clean power to the Joint Action Agency. DEMEC is composed of nine municipally owned electric distribution utilities located in the state. The member communities are Newark, New Castle, Middletown, Dover, Smyrna, Seaford, Lewes, Clayton and Milford.

The agreement between DEMEC and Bluewater Wind is for the offshore wind energy generator to supply electricity, associated capacity and related environmental attributes to DEMEC for 20 years.

Dennis McFarland, director of finance for the City of Newark said the decision was made in early May. The commitment will be advantageous to not only Newark residents but also the surrounding area, he said.

“Generally, green energy is a collective

good that benefits everyone,” McFarland said.

“The residents of Newark will benefit from that, as well as the residents of the region.

Specifically, Newark has expressed a particular desire for renewable energy and would want to lead rather than lag in the market.”

He said the purchase is the first of its kind, calling it the “first and only large-scale renewable project that is really going to make a difference.”

Other members of the community showed support for the agreement because of the involvement surrounding the university.

City Councilman Stu Markham said because the university is DEMEC’s main customer, it will definitely play a role in this issue.

“The university receives power from the city of Newark so it is automatically involved,” Markham said. “The university buys directly from the city, and the city from DEMEC.” Mayor Vance A. Funk III said he hopes the university will support the idea.

“Recently DEMEC has vowed to increase participation, which will allow us to provide a larger share of alternative energy to our customers, and our largest customer is the University of Delaware,” Funk said. “It’s something we’re really interested in as a community.

We would love for the UD engineering department to become more involved with this project.”

Funk said he is proud of Newark’s initiative to take part in the project from the beginning of the early stages.

He said DEMEC distributes electricity to

THE REVIEW/Katie Smith

most municipalities in the state, and Newark is one of the primary members of this group.

Newark was the first to respond to an offer to participate in the project.

November 18, 2008

Trabant draws donors to annual blood drive

brought about 30 beds today, whereas we would normally only bring about six or Men and women wearing long, white eight.” coats paced the floor. With each passing School spirit echoed through the multiminute, more and more pints of red fluid purpose room with YoUDee, Delaware cheerfilled the room. Freshman Rebecca Cweibel leaders and yellow and blue balloons. All had been there before — the needles, the those participating received a free T-shirt bandages the moment of pain. She conquered with a decal of a Blue Hen giving blood. her fear once and she was positive she could Laying on one of the 30 beds, Cweibel again — B positive to be exact. spoke about how she had brought an iPod to “I donated blood for the first time in help her remain calm. Her body tensed up as September and I was so nervous,” Cweibel the time for the needle grew closer. said. “I was really excited that I overcame it, Talking made her feel less nervous, she so I decided to do it again.” admitted. As iodine was rubbed on the bend Cweibel was one of many who took time of her left arm, she explained the steps leadto donate at the university’s seventh annual ing up to the actual donation.

Colonial Athletic Association Blood “I registered at the front table and then Challenge held Nov. 12 at Trabant University went upstairs for an anemia screening,” Center.

Cweibel said. “After that they interviewed Carrie Aiken, spokeswoman for the me and now I’m here.”

Blood Bank of Delmarva, said the challenge Freshman Natalie Wagner was another consists of 12 universities and colleges, one of the day’s donors. She explained that including Drexel University and University the interview process was fairly basic. of North Carolina at Wilmington. The school “They take your vitals and then they just that has the largest amount of blood donors is ask about your history,” Wagner said. “Have crowned the year’s winner. The dates of the you ever been exposed to certain diseases? blood drives are scattered throughout the fall Have you traveled recently? — those types of and the winner is announced in early questions.”

December, she said.

Wagner sat flipping through a magazine “This is by far the biggest one-day blood at the drink and snack table that had been set drive we have all year,” Aiken said. “We up for the donors. University organizations sponsoring the event sent volunteers to man this A Closer Look table.

Lauren Bacon, school program The numbers coordinator for the 95: The percent of Americans who will require a blood blood bank said the transfusion by age 72. organizations behind the blood 370: The number of donors the blood bank needs every day drive were Kappa Alpha Theta, to meet patient needs for blood and blood components.

HOLA, the Resident Student 20,000: The number of patients helped last year from 76,000 Association and the Food and Science blood donations.

Club.

“Over the sumWhat your blood might be used for: mer [Assistant Director for * Automobile Accident Student Centers] 50 units of blood Matt Lenno solicits * Heart Surgery groups to sponsor 6 units of blood it,” Bacon said.

“People from the 6 units of platelets groups staff the * Organ Transplant canteen and serve 40 units of blood as volunteers all 30 units of platelets day.”

Back inside on * Bone Marrow Transplant the elevated blue 120 units of platelets lounge chair, 20 units of blood Cweibel took a * Burn deep breath and prepared for the 20 units of platelets moment that had been 30 minutes in Why we have blood drives the making.

About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.

“I’m just looking away,” she said.

If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages “Ouch — it’s OK, I’m laughing so it’s would be a rare event (The current average is about two).

OK.” Aiken said it takes approximateIf only one more percent of all Americans would give lyfive minutes to blood, blood shortages would disappear for the donate whole foreseeable future. blood. A person is capable of donating once every 56 days.

— Compiled from delmarvablood.org If a person fits certain criteria they

7

BY ERICA FLORENTINE Staff Reporter

See UNIVERSITY page 13

THE REVIEW/Melanie Hardy

Approximately 70 students attended the Black Student Union’s forum “The Aftermath” to voice their opinions about Barack Obama’s election.

BSU holds discussion on Obama’s victory

BY ALEXANDRA DUSZAK Staff Reporter

On Nov. 10, the Black Student Union hosted “The Aftermath,” a forum about the impact President-elect Barack Obama’s election will have on the country.

Approximately 70 students attended the forum, which was held in Smith Hall in place of the organization’s monthly community meeting. The event was designed to gauge the black community’s reaction to Obama’s victory.

Although many of the students who attended voiced their support, Brent Gaines, president of the BSU, said the organization did not assume Obama would win or that his win would generate a positive reaction among students.

“It wasn’t necessarily to celebrate,” Gaines said. “We just wanted to see how the community felt.”

During the forum, attendees watched a video of Obama’s acceptance speech and participated in a series of discussion questions. Discussion topics ranged from the Obamas’ impact on the black family to the president-elect’s effect on American foreign policy.

There was also a game of Family Feud to determine the top election issues for college students and for voters in general. The answers were based on opinions from students and faculty.

Freshman Jonathan Harris said discussing the outcome of the election and its impacts on the future of the country would be beneficial to the university community.

“It helps me to hear others’ points of view,” Harris said.

Many of the discussion questions focused on issues of race. While students said they did not think Obama’s win would end racial inequality, they were optimistic his presidency would have a positive impact on racial relations.

Sophomore Jazmyn Miller said his presidency will help break down stereotypes.

“It’s going to disrupt some stuff,” Miller said. “Hopefully in the year 3052 we’ll all be one color, but right now, not so much.”

Senior Janoah Wynn said she was inspired by Obama’s election.

“I’m not sure it’s going to change

everything, but he did break the glass ceiling,” Wynn said.

There was a consensus among attendants that Obama’s victory would improve the international community’s perception of Americans. During the discussion, one student suggested his election demonstrates how America is now more issue-focused than race-focused. Another student said that international leaders perceive Obama as more approachable than President George W. Bush.

Several students said they voted for Obama because he supports the issues that affected them the most. The Family Feud game played during the meeting showed that tuition was the most important issue for college students.

Freshman Imani Hayles said she supported Obama because his platform addressed the needs of college students.

“He’ll create a plan that will benefit kids like us,” Hayles said.

The safety of Obama and of black Americans in general was a major point of discussion. During the forum, students talked about some of the foiled assassination attempts against Obama and their implications for the new president.

Mason Gibbs, first vice president of the BSU, said race would always be an issue in America.

“There are people who want to assassinate Obama because of his race,” Gibbs said.

Freshman Stacey Chambers said she believes people who have problems with Obama will eventually change their opinion.

“If they don’t like it, they’re going to have to deal with it,” Chambers said.

The forum also addressed the Obamas’ impact on the black family and their status as role models. During the discussion, one student compared the Obama family to Bill Cosby’s television family, saying both families are breaking down the stereotype of broken, fatherless homes in the black community Although they recognized the challenges Obama will face as he prepares to take office, there was a sense of optimism among the audience.

“We’ve been under a bad administration for the last eight years,” Gibbs said. “I think Barack Obama will inspire people of all races.”

8 November 18, 2008

National Science Foundation gives UD grant

$15 million to be shared with Del. schools for research Environmental Control, as well The National Science Foundation as with industry awarded Delaware colleges a $15 million and nonprofit grant as a part of its Experimental Program to organizations.

The second Stimulate Competitive Research, university is to and state officials announced on Nov. 7. The goal purpose of the EPSCoR Research e n h a n c e Infrastructure Improvement grant is to pro- research capaand mote understanding of environmental issues, bility as well as economic development in the state infrastructure.

There are four through competitive research. of EPSCoR is a federal government pro- thrusts gram that awards approximately $120 million research — air per year between 27 states to enhance their q u a l i t y , research and education capabilities and infra- e c o s y s t e m structures. Officials announced the award at health, envithe Delaware Biotechnology Institute, head- r o n m e n t a l restoration quarters of the Delaware EPSCoR office.

The grant will be divided over five years and environbetween four Delaware universities who are mental monipartners with EPSCoR, including the toring. Air University of Delaware, Delaware State quality is a University, Delaware Technical & problem in urban areas, Community College and Wesley College.

Donald L. Sparks, director of the Center e c o s y s t e m for Critical Zone Research and principal health is a investigator of the EPSCoR grant at the uni- c o n c e r n versity, said the University of Delaware is around the the lead institution in the grant. The money coastal areas inland comes here first then portions go to the other and bays, and universities.

“Each place has certain things they’re environmental emphasizing in terms of how they’re going to restoration is an issue at be using the funds,” Sparks said.

The CCZR — critical zone referring to a g r i c u l t u r a l the part of the earth that humans inhabit — sites.

Sparks was a product of the university’s first some EPSCoR grant and now plays the lead said or research role in the new $15 million grant. damaged Sparks described research as a major part of polluted agriculthe grant. tural environments, called brown fields, are “We make a discovery in the lab and difficult to restore. then we try to take those results and use that “We have sites that are contaminated, to address something that’s important in and there are problems with redeveloping Delaware and it may go well beyond those areas for future use,” he said.

Delaware,” he said.

The CCZR hopes to develop environCCZR officials have three main goals mental monitoring sensors that help to prethey plan to realize using the grant money. dict environmental problems, even those in The first, mentioned above, is to bridge the the water. gap between researching and using that “We could predict when we’d have a fish research to solve environmental issues. This kill and then help remediate the problem,” will involve collaboration with government Sparks said. agencies like the Department of Agriculture He said people in the material science and the Department of Natural Resources and department and the physics department will be working on this project with the new grant A Closer Look money.

The last grant awarded to the university’s EPSCoR division from The third goal is to train and eduthe NSF was in March of 2005 for $6 million. cate students.

The NSF provides EPSCoR divisions with approximately $120 D e l a w a r e EPSCoR Director million annually.

Steve Borleske There are 27 states and two territories that participate in said the grant EPSCoR, along with the Departments of Agriculture, Energy and reaches across a Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. Each diverse student of the 27 states had the option to put in a grant proposal to the population.

“If we look at the NSF to be reviewed by a team of scientists. future of the Delaware became eligible for EPSCoR in 2003, and since then has country, we really received approximately $38 million in federal funds and $4 mil- need to educate a very diverse stulion in state funds for EPSCoR-related work. dent population The university began using the funds from the grant in to handle the September. It was not announced formally until last week because complex needs the group wanted to time the announcement with a press briefing. that will be coming at us,” Borleske said.

— Reported by Lexi Ambrogi To do this, the university plans to hire four new

BY JORDAN ALLEN

THE REVIEW/Katie Smith

Copy Editor

faculty members who can teach students about environmental issues. Both graduate and undergraduate students will work closely with faculty on research using the new grant.

The faculty plays a key role both the education and the research process behind EPSCoR. Teams of faculty members conduct critical first experiments in order to start new areas of research.

Borleske said the university supports the faculty and gives them focus areas, but does not tell them specifically what to research.

“They know that best,” he said. “We’re relying on their creativity and ingenuity.”

Harsh Bais, assistant professor of plant and soil science and EPSCoR researcher, said the university needs environmental research.

“It directly relates to environmental issues here in Delaware,” Bais said.

He said the grant money allows faculty to collaborate in their research. Bais, a plant biologist, is working with geography and climate researchers to address broader environmental questions about the marsh dieback in Delaware.

Bais discovered an invasive reed that secretes a toxin, killing the surrounding plants. He said the previous EPSCoR grant allowed him to generate enough preliminary data in his research to win a competitive grant this year.

Environmental ethics also play a part in the university’s EPSCoR program. Thomas Powers, director of the Science, Ethics and Public Policy program said it would receive about $1 million of the grant over the five years.

“That is a fairly big chunk of money for an ethics program because we don’t have the kind of overhead cost that a laboratory might have,” he said.

Powers said SEPP is there to collaborate with all of the other researchers in the grant.

Its officials help scientists and engineers who are working on issues that have ethical implications.

The grant money will be used by SEPP to pay for their operating costs and to provide money that is used to buy books and to send researchers to conferences and other libraries.

“In the best-case scenario, that trickles down to the level of the classroom so that faculty are able to teach students new topics,” Powers said.

The students benefit from the grant money because, in the classroom, they are exposed to new ideas, and there are more opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research.

The grant has given SEPP a good deal of momentum, and Powers said he hopes that within the next three to five years it becomes a center rather than just a program. This would enable SEPP to develop classes and to bring in speakers for more colleges at the university, but it requires funding.

“Surprisingly enough, even doing ethics takes money,” he said.

Powers said getting money from outside is important because the university can grow without the state having to provide funds or raise tuition. It also has an additive effect, increasing faculty publications and the university’s ability to do research, making the university more successful in subsequent grants.

The new grant will serve as a catalyst for raising the prestige of the university, making it more competitive for future grants and enabling it to get further federal funding.

“We’re just getting geared up now,” Sparks said. “I don’t think the research we do will be something only Delaware is interested in.”

November 18, 2008

Students, professors still adjusting to Sakai

BY CLAIRE GOULD Staff Reporter

Since its arrival at the university in September, Sakai has found its way into classrooms across campus. According to the Sakai Foundation’s Web site, Sakai is a free and open-source Courseware Management System that was designed by a nonprofit group. It is being used by the university in conjunction with, and may eventually replace, WebCT, a fee-based system run by the makers of BlackBoard.

Professor Dawn Fallik uses Sakai for her News Writing and Editing (ENGL 307), Reporters’ Practicum (ENGL 308) and Topics in Journalism (ENGL 409) classes. She started using the program after attending the Summer Faculty Institute, a competitive multimedia training seminar for faculty and staff.

Fallik uses the podcasts, blogs and wiki sections particularly in her “The Art of Reviewing” critical writing class (ENGL 409).

Her class reviewed the movie “Borat” together in a wiki format. So far, however, Sakai is not fulfilling her expectations, she said.

“If Sakai were a student, it would get a C,” Fallik said. “It has a lot of potential, but it is not quite living up to it yet. I think that once we kind of figure things out, Sakai will be fantastic.”

She said that the main problems she faces with Sakai occur during its highest volume hours, such as Sunday nights. She said the program will run very slowly or crash, and students with Macintosh computers have problems sending assignments.

“I don’t think Computer Services was prepared for as many professors to jump on Sakai as have done,” Fallik said. “Maybe it is too popular for its own good right now.”

Professor Christine Barthold of the department of human development and family science has also seen some problems with Sakai, but she is impressed with how Computer Services has been correcting both user-related and technology-related issues.

“As with everything, there is a learning curve,” Barthold stated in an e-mail message.

“I don’t think there is such a thing as problemfree technology. When we let OET [Office of Educational Technology] know, they fix it right away.”

Barthold uses Sakai to post podcasts of her classes. She gives her students a quick quiz at the end of each class to see what may need some extra review and she posts those materials on Sakai.

William Howell, an English professor,

also posts course materials on Sakai, but he misses the days when students were given course packs, which are spiral-bound collections of all the course materials for the semester.

“From the perspective of a professor, who likes to think his classes matter to you later, you can take these things with you,” Howell said. “These are more durable, so 10 years from now, if you wish you had that short story right here, you can look it up. Sakai makes that a little more difficult.”

He said he continues to use a paper grade book and only writes comments on the paper copies of students’ work.

“I’m a bit of a Luddite. I’m stubborn, and I love my paper grade book,” Howell said.

“Papers have monumentality to them. You can hold on to my corrections, keep them.”

He said the only complaint he has received from his students so far about Sakai is that he does not check his Sakai messages often enough, but otherwise Sakai has been straightforward and easy to use.

Cory Mackintosh, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said only his Applied Math for Chemical Engineers (MATH 305) class uses Sakai. He said his professor uses Sakai to post homework, lab assignments and grades, although the professor has had some trouble using the messages feature.

“I liked WebCT better because it was a little easier to use,” Mackintosh said. “There were less options, so it was less confusing.”

Michelle Carlton, a sophomore exercise science major, also thinks WebCT is easier to use. She said Sakai has a higher learning curve than WebCT. “The first few weeks of school I was getting used to Sakai,” Carlton said. “My professor posted roadmaps of the site so we would learn, but it took a while to learn it. It was OK once you got used to it though.”

Carlton said her Basic Statistical Practice (STAT 200) professor uses Sakai instead of a textbook. Her professor posts worksheets, PowerPoint slides and grades directly to the site.

“It’s really better than having a textbook, though,” she said. “You need to print everything out from the site. I must have printed on over 100 pieces of paper from that site by now.”

She said despite having the course materials accessible online, students still attend the class regularly so they can ask questions and discuss.

Both professors and students have mixed reviews of Sakai.

Courtesy of the University of Delaware

9

Del. middle schooler headed to inauguration Courtesy of Lynn Portlock

Brianna Holmes Phillips, 12, of Newark, will be attending inauguration in January.

BY RYAN LANGSHAW Managing Sports Editor

When 12-year-old Brianna Holmes Phillips heard she was going to be attending President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s inaugural ceremony in January, her reaction was one filled more with surprise than anticipation.

“I was not that happy at first because I really did not know what was going on,” Brianna said. “But then I found out what it means, and I got really excited.”

Brianna, a seventh grader at George V. Kirk Middle School in Newark, is able to attend the ceremony due to her involvement in the National Young Scholars Program, a program that allows students in grades two through five to gain experience over the summer in different career fields.

After taking part in the program for two years and trying everything from crime scene investigation to drama, Brianna was eligible to become an alumna of the program, allowing her to take part in this year’s executive inauguration. She will take part in a five-day inauguration ceremony, which will teach Brianna and other students going with her about working in Washington, D.C. Brianna’s grandmother Lynne Portlock, said part of the reason Brianna was not as eager about going to the inauguration as she is now, is that she found out about her trip well in advance of the election in March.

“Brianna really found out about this early, but it was still very exciting,” Lynne said.

Both Lynne and her husband James Portlock said they were thrilled when they found out their granddaughter would be taking part in a historic event. One of the biggest reasons for her grandparents’ enthusiasm was due to the large amount of adversity Brianna has

faced early on in her life due to situations in her family.

“I did a lot of crying,” Lynne said. “We have been raising Brianna since she was a year old. It was like a validation for me that she has taken advantage of every opportunity and has not let any of the circumstances get in her way.”

James said he is very proud of Brianna for all of her hard work.

“She just makes me so proud, and I am really happy for her to have this honor,” James said.

Brianna said she is a fan and supporter of Obama and feels he will be a strong leader for the country.

“I really think he has good ideas, and I like how he says he is going to make a change,” she said.

The trip to the inauguration in January is one the Portlock family will not make together, as Brianna will travel by herself along with other students from the National Young Scholars program. As her grandmother said, Brianna has become self-sufficient at a young age.

“She has become very independent and we’re so proud of her and everything she has accomplished so far,” Lynne said.

Although Brianna said she has no interest in politics, she does have an eclectic personality.

“I really love to dance,” Brianna said.

“Jazz, Hip-hop, I like it all.”

Brianna’s grandparents said her outgoing personality is one of her best traits and along with the experience she is getting in the program, these characteristics will work to serve her well in the future.

“She’s such a nice girl, so outgoing and easy to make friends with,” James said. “I really think she’s ready for it.”

10 November 18, 2008

Professors encouraged to use carpool system

BY JESSICA O’HARA Staff Reporter

The university has partnered with VPSI Inc., a vanpool service provider, to offer a way to help employees with the costs associated with commuting to and from campus.

Jesse Kafka, the business development executive of VPSI, said the program works with groups of at least five people willing to commute together on a regular basis.

Other universities nationwide, including University of California at Irvine, University of Pittsburgh and University of Michigan have developed similar programs.

Kafka said people using the service pay a monthly fee and WPSI provides the vehicle, maintenance, insurance and repairs. A primary driver starts the van then picks up others at an assigned meeting spot with possibly one or two additional stops along the way.

Adam Milavsky, head of the vanpool program, said the program is one of the many green and sustainable initiatives the university is pursuing.

“It is a way the university can help employees save money getting to and from campus,” Milavsky said.

The university will also subsidize the parking and vanpool costs for participating employees.

This is not a new concept among commuters, Kafka said.

“Vanpooling was developed in the late 1970s by Chrysler employees during the gas crisis,” Kafka said. “The model was replicated and turned into a successful business.”

According to a UDaily press release about the program and its financial and environmental benefits, VPSI estimates vanpooling can eliminate 14 million commuting trips, conserve 26 gallons of fuel and prevent a quarter of a million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Preliminary estimates show the average commuter could save up to several hundred dollars per month based on the commuter calculator that VPSI uses on its Web site.

Following the dramatic increase in gas prices over the summer, VPSI became a valuable tool to many individuals trying to stay within their budgets, Kafka said.

“We experienced a huge increase in demand over the summer due to gas prices,” he said. “It has since leveled off

a bit. However, we are anticipating some increase again with further tightening budgets.”

The university is targeting areas with high concentrations of employees.

“Right now we are targeting Philadelphia, Wilmington, Middletown and possibly Dover,” Milavsky said.

Kafka said the university has held several interest meetings and the program will begin as soon as a group is ready to begin.

Faculty interest in the program has been minimal so far with a group potentially forming in Middletown.

“We are targeting employees who live in the Middletown area,” Milavsky said. “However, people are reluctant to give up their independence associated with driving their own car to and from campus.”

Lindsay Hoffman, professor of communication, recently moved out of the Newark area into rural Pennsylvania, significantly increasing her commute to and from work.

“I did a search for a similar program over the summer, though I could not find any university employees to commute in the same area,” she said.

Matthew Weinert, professor of political science and international relations, also heard about the program through an e-mail to all faculty and staff. With a nearly 35mile roundtrip commute each day, Weinert already participates in a carpool with two other individuals.

“I don’t have to fill up my own car quite as often,” he said. “But the key with a successful carpool is finding people whose schedules mesh well together.”

Hoffman said she agrees with the scheduling issues.

“Schedules for professors can be too variable to make such a program real useful on a regular basis,” she said.

THE REVIEW/Katie Smith

“For example, I tend to combine trips while on campus, like going grocery shopping and doing other things before or after work.”

The recent economic downturn is forcing many individuals to reshape their budgets and determine what is most important. Eventually, everyone adjusts to the new pricing standards of consumer goods, Hoffman said.

“Everyone is more open to conversations about thinking of new ways to cut costs to save money,” she said.

“When gas prices jumped significantly in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina the $3 level was a shock, but people figured out other ways to cut their budgets.”

Recently, though, consumers are seeing significant drops in gas prices due to the economic downturn, Weinert said.

“With prices hovering back near $2 a gallon, people are going back to their old habits,” he said.

Pet-loving profs bring fun to business dept.

their walls are completely decorated with photos of beloved cats and dogs. Those photos If there’s one thing Nancy Sanderson and aren’t of just any cats and dogs, though — Barbara Freda want people to know, it’s how they’re university cats and dogs. much they love pets. A quick look into their Some time ago, Sanderson and Freda, both Alfred Lerner Hall office reveals as much, as senior secretaries in the department of business education, put up photos of their pets on the walls of their office.

Soon, members of the faculty were joining in.

Now, they have 32 photos of pets on the wall, many more not yet hung and even more coming.

“I was a cat person when I came here,” Freda said.

“But when I Courtsey of Dennis Clark m e t Nancy Sanderson (right) and Barbara Freda have been collecting photos of N a n c y ’ s d o g , student and faculty pets to decorate their office.

BY DENNIS CLARK Staff Reporter

Peanut, I fell in love with him.”

Freda would go on to find five dogs to welcome into her family, and each has a place on the wall, as well as her sixth pet, a cat.

Originally, they only shared the wall with Peanut and Xander, Sanderson’s dog and bunny, respectively, but that didn’t last for too long.

“I had gotten Peanut from Dr. [Erwin] Saniga, and he wanted to put up photos of his dogs,” Sanderson said. “Once we had all of those photos, we began to ask people in the department if they wanted to contribute their photos. The chair of the department gave us a photo of his dogs and cats. The former dean of the College of Business gave us photos of his daughter’s dogs, Fenway and Cameron.”

While many of the pets on the wall weren’t technically those of university staff and students, they were still considered family. The list of contributors has grown, and every single photo has a story. Whether it is professor Stewart Shapiro’s nine dogs, professor John Antil’s playfully named cat “The Dude” or professor Robert Kent’s mailman-biting canine, the wall is full of stories from university students and staff.

Business Administration professor Patrick McClelland, the most recent contributor to the wall, submitted a photo of his mischievous golden retriever, Cutter.

“I wanted to be a part of this ritual,” McClelland said. “As a member of the community it’s important to participate. I figured I

should be included among all the beautiful dogs.”

The goal of the wall is simple, according to Freda and Sanderson. The idea wasn’t to catalogue pets, but simply to make a place for pet lovers to enjoy themselves.

“Pets bring joy,” Freda said. “They make you happy. Especially in a business building, everything is too serious and we don’t like it too serious. It’s about learning and having fun.”

Sanderson was quick to point out the therapeutic aspect of having so many friendly dogs surrounding them.

“Students come in angry, and the next thing you know, they’re talking about their pets,” she said.

Sanderson and Freda do not take these pets’ ability to calm frustrated students lightly.

They have found many other ways to contribute to the dog-loving community. They promote dog-friendly events by putting posters on their door, and were big fans of bring your pet to work day before it was cancelled.

Freda uses her pets for the benefit of the troops, the importance of which she knows with a son in the Marines. She carries around photos of her bulldog, Gunny, dressed in a uniform and passes them out to every U.S. soldier and family member that she meets, knowing that it will at least bring a smile to their face.

“We accept photos from pretty much everyone — we don’t discriminate,” Sanderson said. Quickly, though, Freda added, “As long as there are no people in them.”

November 18, 2008

in the news

Iraq allows U.S. troops to remain for three more years

After months of painstaking negotiations between Baghdad and Washington, the Iraqi Cabinet on Sunday approved a bilateral agreement allowing U.S. troops to remain in the country for three more years.

The accord still needs approval

by Iraq’s parliament, but the Cabinet vote indicated that most major Iraqi parties supported it. The Iraqi government spokesman portrayed the pact as closing the book on the occupation that began with the U.S.-led 2003 invasion.

American officials have pointed out that there is nothing stopping the

next Iraqi government from asking some U.S. troops to stay. The Iraqi military is years away from being able to defend the country from external attack, according to both U.S. and Iraqi officials.

Still, there is no doubt that the accord, if passed by parliament, will sharply reduce the U.S. military’s power in Iraq. American soldiers will be required to seek warrants from Iraqi courts to execute arrests, and to hand over suspects to Iraqi authorities. U.S. troops will have to leave their combat outposts in Iraqi cities by mid-2009, withdrawing to bases.

The Department of Labor released a new regulation Friday allowing workers to take up to 26 weeks off each year to care for family members seriously injured in the military.

The new rule grew out of a recommendation by the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors that was incorporated into legislation signed into law in January. The change will also allow relatives of active-duty National Guard members and military reservists to take off for up to 12 weeks to look after their affairs.

While they generally applauded the new leave provisions for mil-

itary families, labor and family advocates were critical of other changes to the law, including rules on how employees must notify their bosses that they are taking leave.

The liberalized military leave entitlements are part of a series of modifications to the 15-year-old Family and Medical Leave Act that have been finalized by the Department of Labor. The changes come after a nearly two-year review in which the department received more than 20,000 comments from worker advocates and employers.

The rules will go into effect 60 days after their official publication on Monday.

Workers allowed leave for hurt family members in military

Gay-rights advocates protest Proposition 8

Expressing anger, disappoint- bearing messages such as “No ment and humor, thousands of More Mr. Nice Gay” and “No on gay-rights advocates marched Hate.”

The Los Angeles Police across the nation Saturday in largely peaceful protests against Department estimated that 10,000 California’s passage of an initia- to 12,000 people attended the event, well below the 40,000 the tive banning same-sex marriage.

In Los Angeles, protesters department had expected. clustered shoulder to shoulder near Demonstrators also gathered City Hall before setting off on a in Boston, New York and other downtown march, chanting and cities across the nation. carrying rainbow flags and signs — compiled from the L.A. Times and Washington Post news wire

11

Sweet-N-Sassy picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue Continued from page 5

had anticipated,” Voigt said. “We had projected this kind of success coming in five years, but it’s only been a year and a half.”

The company is going to be opening its second location in Charlotte, N.C., this February, along with a commercial center preceding it in January to handle the demand of shipping.

Since all of the attention began, Voigt said business has been fantastic.

“People have been very great to us right from the start, but they are now understanding that our reach is much further than just the Newark area — we’re not just dealing with a standard population,” she said. “With students, we have the ability to reach out to them in their hometowns — they help spread the word when they go back home to visit.”

Sophomore Emily Tharp supports Sweet-NSassy’s new deal.

“It’s cool for them to get more exposure — they’re obviously trying to expand their business because they’re branching out,” she said. “Usually you want people to know that it was special to you first, but I think it’s cool that people will get to experience Sweet-N-Sassy now like we did.”

Sweet-N-Sassy is not alone in the spotlight.

Iron Hill Brewery now has seven different locations, but the original opened on Main Street in 1996. And while most students are familiar with Iron Hill for its restaurants, the company is known on a national and international level for the quality of its beer.

Kevin Finn, university alumnus and founding partner of the brewing company, said Iron Hill has won 27 medals since 1997 at the Great American Beer Festival, which is held every year in Denver.

The restaurant has won nine medals at the World Beer Cup. While Iron Hill has gained recognition, the

company is not interested in selling its beer through other distributors.

“We’ve sold our beer at the Phillies’ stadium for a season, and there are a few pubs in the Philadelphia area that have us on tap, but it’s nothing we’re looking to do on the retail side,” Finn said.

“We’re really in the restaurant business, and I don’t believe you can be good at both at the same time.”

While Sweet-N-Sassy and Iron Hill are examples of businesses stretching beyond the Newark area, Main Street is lined with plenty of stores that are interested in keeping their customer base local.

Sandi Patterson, owner of Clothes in the Past Lane, said she would be honored if approached by a larger distributor, but she would not consider it.

“Our boutique does a lot of things that larger stores don’t do,” Patterson said. “Our goal is to sell vintage clothes. The new, larger stores can’t really do that.”

For Patterson, the main reason her store is successful is its college town location. She hires students from the university, most of them fashion marketing and apparel design majors, and her customers are mainly students and professors.

“Everything I have is here,” she said.

No matter what kind of business or what its goals are, the shops on Main Street all share one thing in common — their enthusiastic, young customer base.

“Whenever I have friends from other schools visit me here, they are really jealous that we don’t have to drive anywhere to have cute clothes and good restaurants,” Tharp said. “I’m going to be living above Main Street next year because the accessibility of everything is so great.”

Voigt said it always comes back to the students and their Main Street location.

“We recognize what a large part of our business they are and we’re grateful for them,” she said.

police reports

ASSAULT BY NUNCHUCKS Two victims were struck by nunchucks and two other victims were menaced by a large fixed-blade knife by an unknown male subject on Sunday at 2:49 a.m., Cpl. Gerald Bryda of the Newark Police Department said.

The victims, two female and two male university students, had been walking westbound in the 30 block of Prospect Avenue when they passed the subject, who appeared intoxicated and was carrying numchucks in his right hand and a set of two or three knives in his left hand, Bryda said.

As they passed the suspect, he approached them, making confrontational statements. The suspect then struck two victims with the nunchucks. They suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment.

The suspect walked away and returned with a large fixed-blade knife in his hand. The victims walked away and dialed 911. The suspect then fled down Wilbur Street, Bryda said.

The suspect was described as a white male, 18 to 20 years old, approximately 5’, 5", with short dark hair. There are no current leads, Bryda said.

FIGHT BROKEN UP BY COPS Two defendants engaged in a fight in the presence of a police officer on Nov. 16, at 12:59 a.m. in the 100 block of Scholar Drive, Bryda said.

A Newark police officer saw approximately 12 college students who were watching two males fighting in the parking lot of University Courtyards. The defendants are both university students, Bryda said.

The defendants were in a hold on the ground and exchanged punches as the officer approached. They stood up and continued to fight. As officer approached, the crowd attempted to break up the fight by yelling, “Break it up, the police are here,” Bryda said. However, the two males continued to fight. The officer yelled “Stop! Police!” but they did not respond. The officer drew his baton. One defendant was struck with the baton twice.

The subjects were taken into custody. The students were arrested for underage consumption and disorderly conduct by fighting, Bryda said.

— Lydia Woolever

THE REVIEW/Steven Gold

Sweet-N-Sassy Cupcakes is one of the businesses on Main Street that is getting national recognition.

12 November 18, 2008

Former state official hired as administrative VP

BY SOPHIE LATAPIE Staff Reporter

Last week, Jennifer “J.J.” Davis started as the new vice president of administration at the university. Davis, who previously worked for the Office of Management and Budget for the state of Delaware, will be in charge of the development and recruitment of the university’s workforce and will head training and labor relations.

Maxine Colm, the former vice president of administration and member of the search committee to fill her previous position, stated in an e-mail message she was pleased with the decision to hire Davis.

“J.J. Davis was clearly the most outstanding candidate,” Colm said. “Her background, professional talents and interpersonal skills will be an asset to the university, and I look forward to working with her in the area of faculty administration.”

Executive Vice President Scott Douglass said Davis was hired due to her qualifications.

“She was chosen because she has the range of skills and experiences that will help us get the university to the next level,” Douglass said. “She’s very talented, energetic and strategic. She has the capacity to make challenging decisions.

She’s an excellent candidate for the job.”

He said her prior position will aid her greatly as vice president of administration.

“First of all, she ran the HR operation in the state of Delaware, which is a much larger operation,” Douglass said.

“She also has the skills and experience directly related to the university because she negotiated contracts related to the university. There’s so much overlap, so she’s familiar with the university contracts.”

He said with Davis’ background and knowledge of economics and finance, she may be a valuable resource to the university in a number of ways that go beyond the vice president of administration position.

“Her skills also go way beyond HR — we’re looking to have her involved in the university’s finances,” Douglass said.

“I’m looking to have her involved in many university operations. She’s going to have much broader responsibilities than her job description suggests.”

Davis previously worked as director of the Office of Management and Budget for the state overseeing all human resources activity, but also handled benefit programs and negotiated labor contracts.

Davis said her former position has a number of similarities and differences with her new job as vice president of administration.

“It’s similar in terms of you’re asked to be strategic and to be here to solve problems and implement the ‘Path to Prominence,’ ” Davis said. “It’s different in terms of how I’m now in a university setting and Courtesy of the University of Delaware there’s much more diversity, in terms of people and issues.”

Jennifer “J.J.” Davis used to work for the state of Delaware.

She said she decided to leave her former position because she and students in a university setting. felt her job was completed and was ready to embark on a new “I love the buzz,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy when challenge.

I walk on campus and that’s really exciting.”

“I saw this as an amazing opportunity to continue to Davis said she looks forward to interacting with students, develop my skills and knowledge,” Davis said. “I accom- becoming a part of the university and showing her support for plished what the governor asked of me and I’m looking for- university sports. ward to a new opportunity and working with Douglass and “I have a lot of energy,” she said. “I’m an absolute extro[university President Patrick] Harker and their vision.” vert, I love people. In my spare time, I love to run. I love to She said she feels honored to hold a position at the uni- multitask and I love the environment. And I will be checking versity. Davis said she anticipates working with a new staff out the women’s volleyball games.”

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November 18, 2008

Food Bank, United Way team up to help Delawareans in need Continued from page 5

“These are people who have never experienced hunger before,” she said. “They’ve lost good paying jobs, they’ve got families — it’s really just the average person.”

The effects of the current economic conditions have not only been seen in food pantries and the Food Bank — the Delaware State Police have seen people straining as well, Cpl. Jeffrey Whitmarsh said.

“As a state police organization, we come in contact with people every day who are struggling,” Whitmarsh said. “You marry that with what the Food Bank is seeing with people coming into the food pantries and everything, and you see that it’s really critical.”

Taylor said not only are people working hard to simply afford their groceries, but they are also struggling to pay their mortgages and utility bills.

“The United Way set a goal of $250,000 to help Delawareans meet the challenges of satisfying the basic needs for shelter and heat in the winter months,” she said.

Large corporations and local businesses are already seeing the need for assistance and are stepping up to help. Bridget Shelton, the spokesperson for Delmarva Power, said the company has already given $10,000 to contribute to the efforts of Delaware Does More.

“We certainly are aware that more people are struggling to pay their utility bill — their power bill in our case — so we know that to be the case,” Shelton said. “The number of folks who need to arrange a payment plan has grown significantly, and that’s a sign of the times.”

This sign is especially difficult as the cold weather sets in this holiday season and the leaders of Delaware Does More are hoping to capitalize on the generosity that

typically comes out around Thanksgiving, Kostes said.

“Hunger is at the top of people’s minds right now because of the holidays,” she said.

However, Whitmarsh said it may be tough for many people to be generous this year.

With more people needing assistance, and less money to go around, food drives and fundraising are more necessary than ever, Taylor said.

“This is a great opportunity to come together collectively to see, how do we pool our resources?

How do we pool our talent,” she said. “We are calling on everyone to step up and be a part of this initiative.”

Delaware Does More encourages all corporations, small businesses, churches and individuals to get involved. After Delmarva Power’s food drive, the company plans to distribute envelopes to its employees to encourage them to contribute to the United Way’s goal for utility assistance, Shelton said.

Kostes said students at surrounding colleges and universities are showing their support by organizing food drives.

“If a UD student wanted to get involved, the Food Bank and the United Way could help them get started by dropping off barrels to collect food and money,” she said.

Kostes said she believes Delawareans will step up, even though the goals for Delaware Does More are high.

The 300,000-pound target is more than four times the Food Bank’s original 68,000-pound goal for this holiday season, but Kostes said she knows the program’s goal is attainable. As of Nov. 11, the United Way had commitments for nearly half of its $250,000 goal.

“I’m confident, but this is a 90-day initiative, so we still have more work to do,” she said.

University strives to win annual blood drive challenge for fifth time Continued from page 7

may be able to donate in the “Alyx” chair. This is a type of double red cell collection that saves twice the lives as a regular donation, she said.

“Are you OK Rebecca?” the blood collector asked.

“Yea, I’m great.”

Cweibel’s contribution added one more to the blood bank’s goal of 900 donors that day. Bacon said the final number will not be released by the CAA until sometime in December. The school took first place four times in challenge’s six year history.

Freshman Ralph Elefante finished donating and snatched a spot at the refreshment table. He appeared happy and accomplished

at the triumph over his first-ever blood donation. He said he had seen signs promoting the event and thought he would give it a try.

“I was definitely nervous,” Elefante said. “The mascot calmed me down though.”

Cweibel motioned toward her backpack, signaling the storage spot of her new shirt. Tucked safely underneath her North Face jacket, the shirt symbolized the successful completion of another donation. Only minutes after the needle entered her arm, the plastic bag was filled with a pint of her blood — revealing a sense of lifesaving pride.

“Donating blood is absolutely important because there are always blood shortages,” Cweibel said. “I will definitely donate again in the spring.”

13

November 18, 2008

editorial

ONLINE POLL

Q: Do you think sex talks help students learn more about having safe sex?

Vote online at www.udreview.com

14

Shrub Toons

Campus groups find creative ways to teach sex ed

The basics are taught in middle school — the what, the how, the when and the why. Everything is on a strictly need-to-know basis. It gets a little more complicated in high school when it moves on to the possible reality of disease and pregnancy. But after high school, all talk about sex comes to an abrupt stop at a time when students are moving on to college and need to stay educated and informed about sex the most.

Sexual health isn’t something that’s normally talked about a lot on this campus, either from Student Health Services or in special forums.

This week however, Wellspring, Lambda Pi Chi and HAVEN sponsored and led their own talk titled “All Day I Dream About Sex,” that used fun and creative methods to teach and get students talking about the subject without making it seem like a class or lecture.

Keeping sex education in student’s current consciousness is important. Doing whatever it takes to pique students’ interests and encourage them to want to learn is a positive step. HAVEN, Lambda Pi Chi and Wellspring should be commended for finding different, more interesting mediums to bring students to the event.

When teachers teach sex education in school, it’s usually brushed off as another lecture from an authority figure. Being lectured is no fun and when students feel like they’re being reprimanded, it’s insulting and the topic often gets laughed off and ignored.

Acknowledging that sex does in fact happen quite frequently on college campuses and holding information sessions about how to do it safely is the best way to get the point of safe sex across to students and have it actually sink in. Telling them to not have it at all and have them leave with nothing more than what they came with defeats the whole point of the lecture.

When student groups and organizations take initiative and address issues students need to be exposed to while keeping their audience in mind, it paves the way for success across the board. Each student group and RSO should continue to do their small part to spread their personal messages to university students and offer fun and original programs for students to participate.

Even after entering college, students need to know that safe sex or no sex is the only way to do it.

THE REVIEW/ Jan Dickey

Talk it out before doing the deed

‘Del. Does More’ to help needy Program inspires residents to donate during holidays While major Wall Street banks are bailed out by the government and the auto industry slashes more jobs, families from all over the country are wondering how they can afford a turkey for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays. The tough economic time is taking their toll on Americans who are barely able to afford general expenses but some in Delaware are working toward a state that can come together during this recession.

Delaware Does More, a project run by the United Way of Delaware and the Food Bank of Delaware, is helping residents gain food, shelter and utilities during the season. They are also working with other organizations, including student groups to garner donations and help.

Despite the recent cutbacks by many companies in the state, many residents are giving a significant amount of money. People are pulling together to help others enjoy the holiday season, despite the difficult time. This is amazing to see considering just about everyone in the middle and lower class brackets are having financial difficulties. And instead of hoping things will get better and feeling sorry for those who are in the most need, many are actually doing

something about it.

There are always people who are in a worse situation. It’s unusual for people to see how tough things are for themselves, but put their lives in perspective of how others are struggling even more — showing that despite the financial crisis, there is unity throughout the country.

It’s sometimes hard to think of Newark as a needy place, considering the university overtakes the majority of the city’s downtown area. However, like most cities, there are people who don’t have a place to live or money to spend. Delaware Does More is going to raise awareness to students in the area who become wrapped up in the pressures of classes and finals and forget about those being hit hardest by the economic crisis.

Delaware Does More is a great project to motivate Delawareans to remember others and care for each other during the winter months. This could be a way to motivate residents to work toward having the giving mood transcend just the holiday season. The economy is likely to remain in a slump for a while, but campaigns like Delaware Does More could offer some light into a bleak situation.

“The change we need.”

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If you have any questions feel free to contact us at theudreview@gmail.com

November 18, 2008

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Q: Do you think the wooded lot on Main Street is being used in the best way?

61% No 39% Yes

opinion

15

Men’s sports teams held back by Title IX Guest Commentary Lexi Ambrogi

Budgets cut due to landmark ruling cause inequality for some sports On Sept. 29, 2006, James Madison University’s cross country squad toed the starting line of the eight kilometer course at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa. The men placed 14th — a respectable finish in the field of 42 teams — and senior C.W. Moran crossed the line fourth, in front of 272 other athletes.

Shortly after their run, barely recovered from the exhausting race effort, they were told JMU was cutting their program.

Effective July 1, 2007, JMU axed 10 of its Division I athletic programs in order to comply with a troublesome piece of legislation called “Title IX.” Once heralded as the cornerstone of gender equality in collegiate sports and a muchneeded step toward reform, Title IX is now being used as justification for slashing men’s sports teams from university budgets.

In 1972, athletic opportunities for women at a collegiate level were few and far between. Title IX declared it illegal for federally funded institutions to discriminate on the basis of gender. But now, the tables have turned. On a national level,

enrollment of women in college is significantly higher than that of men, yet Title IX’s iron-clad bylaws remain unchanged.

To comply with Title IX, a school must meet one of three requirements. It can demonstrate a continuing history of program expansion for the gender underrepresented in athletics (usually women). Compliance with this usually entails adding a few sports programs every five years or so. Another way to meet Title IX standards is to accommodate the needs and interests of the underrepresented gender. In JMU’s case, because two of the women’s club teams desired varsity status, the school had failed to accomplish this.

The final, and most heart-breaking, way to comply with Title IX is to match the ratio of female athletes to female undergraduate students enrolled at the university. After JMU’s dismissal of 10 teams, the ratio was 61 percent female athletes to 39 percent males — identical to that of the university.

On paper, this looks great — what says “We’re equal!” better than ratios and percentages?

But it has implications perhaps unforeseen by the founding fathers (mothers) of Title IX. Because there is no female equivalent to football in terms of roster size and budget, female sports at universities with competitive

football teams tend to have a budget surplus.

That’s why women’s rosters are typically bigger than men’s for similar sports, and why there is a varsity crew team for women at the University of Delaware while the men’s has been demoted to club status.

Ever since the massive cleaning-house of JMU athletics (the largest to date), rumors have been circulating about the disbanding of the University of Delaware’s men’s cross country and track and field teams in order to meet the proportionality proviso. For the men’s competitive roster to stay afloat, numbers must be crunched to ensure that more female athletes are represented.

Three years ago, university’s men’s cross country team, under the veteran tutelage of Jim Fischer, nearly qualified a runner for the NCAA National meet. Making it onto the cross country team’s competitive 16-man roster is annually a true testament to how one’s summer was spent (namely, logging lots of miles in training). These athletes have devoted their lives and lifestyles to this program, and now they are watching it slip away from them.

Last week, a group of concerned parents on the men’s side wrote a lengthy e-mail to university President Patrick Harker, who is expected to announce the decision by the end of the calendar year, pleading with him to consider the gravity of the situation. There must be another way around this, they insisted.

There are few communities at the university, if any, that are stronger and more united than

the running community. Alumni have already offered their services, financial and otherwise, to do whatever they can to prevent Title IX from denying this team a fighting chance.

As a senior on the women’s team, I am struggling to understand how the team with the highest cumulative GPA and least amount of budget money spent per athlete ($771 per year) would be the first to go. There has been talk of starting an athletic endowment fund, financed by donations from alumni and other community figures, that would lay the groundwork for bumping the women’s golf team up from club status to varsity. This would satisfy one of the Title IX prongs without eliminating any men’s programs.

Though I am proud to be a university of Delaware athlete, I cannot imagine feeling anything but disappointment a year from now with an institution that didn’t do everything in its power to stop Title IX from claiming another under-funded men’s athletic team.

What does this say to aspiring young athletes? If you want to be a part of a collegiate team, you’d better pick up a football, baseball or basketball. If you’re a swimmer, a wrestler or a runner, good luck after age 18 — you’re on your own in the crapshoot of higher institutions’ budgetary negotiations. Surely this cannot be Title IX’s intent.

for another pig-in-a-blanket. But that was before I knew directions. We had hit the Palisades —only twenty more minutes! And chickuh. Number six.

My father’s addiction is destroying my family.

Serious fights have stemmed from his “problem.” We will already be 15 minutes late for a birthday or dinner party. Mom screams at him from the stairs, “Scott! Hurry up! What are you doing up there?” We know what he’s doing. He’s looking for it.

through the depths of its innards, like a young boy standing over his soon-to-be eaten birthday cake. Soon it is before him in the fresh afternoon light, and there is nothing keeping him from his dark, churning remedy. We thank God it wasn’t sold out.

The addiction is real. Addicts no longer find the simple pleasure and satisfaction of a cool glass of ice water, or a tall cup of joe or juice. They pine for a different quench — the bubbles, the quick boost of energy and the cool fizzing feeling of carbonation trickling down their throats.

His addiction needs to stop. There needs to be an intervention. Not just for my dad, but for all of the cola fiends in the world who are ruining their families, their friendships and ultimately, themselves.

So I urge you soft drinkers out there, all of you, please put the bottle down. Or can, or cup.

You may not inject it, you may not snort it, or inhale it — although some of you might — but your fizzy pop is still an addiction. You’re manic and obsessive and you will use any measure to get it. Get out before its too late.

Steal back your dignity. Trick yourself with Orangina — it still has the bubbles. Change your lives for the better and save yourselves while you still can. And please, please, just let me have my daddy back.

Lexi Ambrogi is a guest columnist for The Review. Her viewpoints do not necessarily represent those of the Review staff. Please send comments to ambrogi@udel.edu.

Facing the truth: Dad’s addicted to Diet Coke Put a Lyd On It

Lydia Woolever

One student speaks out about her troubling family secret My dad is addicted to coke.

The noises wake me in the night and I look at the clock. Its 2 a.m. I hear him — swinging open cabinets, slamming them shut, pushing the bottles around on the shelves. I know what he’s doing — he’s looking for it.

I glance to my cracked open door and see the reflection outside of my room on the wooden floor. The kitchen light is on. I cover my face with my hands, hoping this is just a dream.

I know there is nothing I can do. I can’t help him, or stop him. He must feed the urge, he needs that quick fix, and he will by all means find it.

I rise from my sheets and tiptoe down the hallway. As I round the corner into the kitchen, I find Dad rummaging through the cupboards like a homeless man looking through trash. I sigh and shake my head, as I have so many nights before.

I don’t know this person before me. Those lost, tired eyes. The itch for that stuff. The incessant thirst. This junkie is not my Daddy.

His addiction to coke, diet coke to be exact, has gotten out of hand.

My dad first got mixed up in that nasty stuff a few years back. Years ago, he was all hopped up on sweet tea, which was even worse, real sugar. My mom weened him off the junk back in the ’90s, satisfying his caffeine addiction with the recently introduced diet pop.

She didn’t know what she was getting herself into. It was like demoting him from crack cocaine to heroin.

Dad always keeps a stash on hand in case he starts to feel that nail-biting urge. A little, thick plastic Coleman lunchbox sits next to his desk while he works, with an ice-pack inside to keep the cans cold. He even saves his old to-go cups from restaurants in the kitchen cupboard, because “they fit more” and remind him of drinking a fountain soda.

One of Dad’s primary and most crucial hiding places is in his seat-back pocket — you know the mesh thing behind your seat in the car, often used to hold maps and magazines.

Every time I ride in the backseat of our Volvo wagon, my knees awkwardly press up against a bulging net filled with Dad’s weakness.

The measly four-hour car ride to upstate New York each Thanksgiving to visit my grandparents is an all-out binge. Sometimes in the past I’ve been proud of him — only two sodas! But that’s when my feet stumble upon the empty cans hidden under his seat and I realize I must have fallen asleep on the Turnpike.

And then other times, when I was much younger and more naive, I thought this was Dad’s way of curbing his fear of Grammie and her spine-tingling death stares as he reached

His stash is empty. He is paranoid and nervous. A cold sweat begins to emerge from behind his collar. Did she move them? Or worse, did she drink them?

After 10 more minutes — now 25 minutes late — Dad descends the staircase, frazzled and bitter. “We’re going to have to make a quick stop on the way into town, Lib,” he says nervously, knowing what is coming next.

“What?! We’re half an hour late, Scott!”

But she gives in. She knows this could get ugly.

He drives 60 miles per hour on our back roads of 40 and whips the wagon into a nearby gas station. He speed-walks up to the soda machine and maniacally digs through his pockets for quarters before violently inserting them into the little slot. He greedily stares down the machine as he hears the can fall

Lydia Woolever is the city news desk editor for The Review. Her viewpoints do not necessarily represent those of the Review staff. Please send comments to lydiaw@udel.edu.

16 November 18, 2008

Help “Stuff The Bus” Join DART First State to help the Food Bank of Delaware feed needy Delawareans this Thanksgiving Help Stuff The Bus by donating non-perishable food items

November 13th – Wilmington’s Rodney Square Come out and Stuff The Bus! For more information call 1-800652-DART Or visit www.DartFirstState.com

mosaic

November 18, 2008

17

O.A.R. After the show, a backstage look see pages 18 & 19

18 November 18, 2008

The Mosaic Interview: O.A.R.

Saxophonist Jerry DePizzo on fans, family and fame

BY SAMMI CASSIN Editorial Editor

In 1996, three eighth graders from Rockville, Md., decided to start a band. They tacked on a bassist in high school, found a saxophonist in college and Of A Revolution was born. Since then, the members of O.A.R. have become more like a family than a group of friends, and have relied on support from their families and each other to develop both individually and as a band to propel themselves to the top of their game.

All photos courtesy of THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer

Now, almost 12 years later, with six albums and numerous sold-out shows under their belts, these hometown boys have come a long way from their middle school days. Their sound continues to evolve with each new album, but manages to preserve a specific and instantly recognizable style that is definitively O.A.R. Drummer Chris Culos once described an O.A.R. fan as someone who was looking for a positive message, a good time and a feeling of home. The band’s constant willingness to form lasting relationships with fans and continuing abili-

ty to make music that almost everyone can relate to on some level is what has elevated them from a group of small-town boys in a garage to a group of small-town boys on the Madison Square Garden Stage.

After their show Friday at the Bob Carpenter Center, master-of-all-trades Jerry DePizzo, who sings back-up vocals and plays the saxophone and guitar, took some time to talk to The Review about the music they love to play, the fans for which they love to perform and the collective beardgrowing capabilities of the band.

November 18, 2008

So, you’re touring colleges on the “Campus Consciousness” tour right now. How’s that going?

It’s been going really great. We love touring colleges and it’s definitely something we like to do at least once a year to get back to our roots and play for a college audience. It was a lot of fun and I think [Friday] night was a good example of that. We had a really good time, it was a really good show — we thought we played really well and we had really great energy from the audience [Friday] night. So we had a lot of fun.

You guys started out together in middle school and now you’re touring the country and performing to sold-out crowds with six albums under your belt. What’s that like?

Well, it’s an amazing experience. To be able to do what we do for a living, it’s certainly a blessing and we’re really fortunate that we have something that we’ve been doing for a very long time and we’re probably going to do it for a lot longer. So yeah, it’s really sweet.

The day tickets went on sale for the concert, there were approximately 700 students lined up outside the box office to buy them before they sold out. How do you feel about that?

It feels great. It feels awesome and it feels even better knowing that that happened close to the band’s hometown where the band grew up. It’s cool to come up to Delaware and do it because I imagine there are a lot of Maryland kids that go to Delaware and people from Virginia or even from the East Coast, just to keep it fair, I guess. They feel like O.A.R. is one of their own and we feel a special amount of excitement and energy. It’s always unique going to the East Coast, especially near Maryland.

I know O.A.R. stands for Of A Revolution. Where did that come from?

It was a name that was derived from teenagers wishing and hoping to change the world and feeling that they could.

That’s really what it came from. And when you’re 14, 15, 16 years old, you feel like you could do anything, and so Of A Revolution, it makes you feel like you can really make a difference. It was just inspiring to the band and it continues to be a name that drives us and inspires us.

How would you describe your sound for those who don’t know?

Well, we always say, the band came up with this term “island vibe roots rock.” I think Marc [Roberge] said that in the first interview that he ever gave and it still pretty much

makes sense today. You know, it’s rock ’n’ roll — it’s rock music with an island and jam feel to it.

I think it’s awesome that you guys encourage your fans to record your live shows. Why do you do that?

We feel like it’s part of the live experience. And if you want to come to the show and bring some taping equipment, you’re more than welcome to tape the show and take that home with you. And if you want to give that to your friends or whatever, post it on the Internet. We certainly support that and welcome that. And for those of you who don’t want to make the time investment or the money investment to go out and buy recording equipment and things like that, we also have a program ourselves that you can purchase that evening’s show or another evening’s show on a USB bracelet and take it home with you that night.

The Dave Matthews Band, whom you’ve toured with a lot, also does that for their fans. Do you take a lot of things from them?

Sometimes on the business side of things. We’re under the big same-management umbrella and things like that. So yeah, there are a lot of opportunities that come to both bands that are shared.

What’s on your “Most Recently Played” list on your iPod right now?

Well, let’s see. I’ve been listening to the new Ryan Adams record. We’re all big Ryan Adams fans, so that’s been getting a lot of play. TV on the Radio, their new record I’ve been listening to. Fleet Foxes. I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff — I’m listening to a lot of music lately. The new AC/DC record — gotta buy that — that’s like required reading for musicians. So things like that.

Are those the same people you get your inspiration from?

In a way I think you’re influenced and inspired by whoever you listen to. You may hear something in them that may spark something in you to go create or do something different.

One thing I was working on was the Vampire Weekend record, which sort of sparked me to go off and do something a little quirky and different than what I normally do. So yeah, it’s certainly modern music, classic music, you know, whatever.

Your newest album All Sides is a little different from your normal breezy style. Can you talk a little about where that came from?

The band feels like it’s just a natural progression in the

19

lineage of the band. If you listen to the first record compared to the last record, there’s certainly going to be a drastic difference in the sound of the band and the style and song writing of the band. But if you listen to the records in their lineage, in their timeline, I think it makes a lot of sense. It’s just a natural progression of the band. This is just the next step at it.

Do you have any crazy stories from the road?

There’s always crazy stuff that happens. It was crazy — we hit a deer the other night. It scared the hell out of us.

Because you’re sleeping and it’s like 4 a.m. and the driver puts on the brakes but you don’t know if there’s going to be anything on the other end of those brakes or if he’s just trying to slow down. So it wakes you up out of a dead sleep and you’re kind of bracing for impact. And if you’ve never experienced that, well, I hope you don’t have to. It all kind of blends together after a while.

This tour is the beard tour. I started growing a beard at the beginning of this tour and everyone was following suit.

Marc couldn’t take it — he shaved after like three or four days. And then Benj [Gershman] has grown like three beards in the time it’s taken me to grow one. And Chris — God bless him — he’s trying so hard, he just can’t do it. And Richard [On], he’s still holding strong too.

Do you like to play pranks on each other or anything like that while you’re cramped up on the bus?

Yeah, I actually just screwed with Richard before I got on the phone. I actually can’t tell you what I did. But yeah, we screw around with each other, we screw around with the crew guys — stuff like that. You gotta keep it fun and light and we try to as best as possible.

If one person in the band were to get their own reality show, who would it be and why?

You probably want to say Marc because he’s the lead singer, but off the stage, not that exciting of a guy — in the nicest way possible. He and I, we’re married. We go home and hang out with the wives and watch TV, family stuff. Not very interesting. Benj on the other hand, the bass player, very interesting. That guy’s all over the place. He would definitely get a reality show. He should get a reality show.

Describe your band members in one word.

Family. They have been for a long time and will be for a long time.

What are your plans for after the tour ends?

After the tour ends we go right into family time because of Thanksgiving and stuff. We have Thanksgiving week, so we’ll do that and then we go right back on the tour. And then it’s Christmas and more family time. Band, family, band, family — it’s always just a rotation.

20 November 18, 2008

“Quantum of Solace” MGM Rating: PP (out of PPPP) Avid fans of the Bond franchise, beware — “Quantum of Solace” will certainly be a step in another direction from the Ian Fleming’s original image of His Majesty’s 007.

Swiss-German filmmaker Marc Foster (“Stranger Than Fiction, The Kite Runner”) directs the 45-year-old franchise’s first direct sequel to 2006’s “Casino Royale,” who faces a lot of pressure in living up to the expectations after the immense success of “Royale.” While the film features intricate action sequences, the movie falls victim to being just another big-budgeted action flick.

Daniel Craig is back for the second time as James Bond, and while he maintains his image of trotting around the globe in perfectly fitted suits, don’t expect the usual English gentlemanly ways from him this time. Craig, who was considered to be the first actor since Sean Connery to be truly fitting to the part, still owns the role, but with a different attitude. This may be an era that is no longer of the tough, yet humorously mischievous Bond, but rather a darker, brooding Bond.

The first scene picks up right where “Royale” left off — with an intense car chase through the outskirts of Siena, Italy. Unlike most of the Bond films, there is no set mission here.

Bond seeks revenge on a personal basis — for the death of Vesper Lynd, the one woman he actually loved but was betrayed by, which is where his “inconsolable rage” kicks in. Bond is assisted by Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) in battling Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum organization who feigns as an environmentalist and plans on overtaking Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Judi Dench

Courtesy of Amazon.com.

Breaking the James Bond

“Madagascar: Escape 2 reprises her role as Africa” M, clearly thrown off DreamWorks

by Bond’s rebellion, Rating: P (out of but continues to PPPP) defend his actions as Coming from the she realizes that ultirespected DreamWorks animately, he’s still the agent she will Courtesy of Paramount Pictures mation studios that created “Shrek,” it’s hard to believe always trust.

“Madagascar” was such a The film is poor film. It’s even harder to intertwined with believe the studio continued chase after chase and the movie with an unwanted killing after killing sequel — something of — the plot almost which Hollywood is fond. seems, well, nonWhile the first film had a existent. Bond is so poor story, it still had its blinded by rage and funny moments. revenge, there’s even “Madagascar: Escape 2 times where his eyes Africa” continues the trend, read psychopathic with an even worse script and killer. The only part without the amusing scenes. where Bond lives up “Madagascar 2” boasts to his former glory is a brilliant cast that includes in a scene at an opera stars like Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Sacha stage in Austria, where members of Quantum Baron Cohen and the late Bernie Mac. The gather at a performance of Puccini’s “Tosca.” script would have benefited if these comeBond slyly intercepts their conversation by dians had put in their own jokes rather than obtaining an earpiece, followed by a memorable relying on those written for them. action sequence interwoven with two acts from The sequel starts where the four zoo the tragic opera, which is easily the best scene due animals left off in their adventure to get to its immaculate editing. back home from Madagascar.

The film had potential, but “Royale” set the Unfortunately, their plan backfires and they bar too high for it to compete with and falls short end up in their ancestral land, Africa. The in trying too hard to convey a different, but disapstory is predictable, with the four characters pointing image of Bond. Fleming gave a vision of meeting species of their kind, and with Alex Bond and to some extent, directors should stick (Stiller) having to earn his position as the with it. Perhaps the next installment will hold alpha lion. However, the movie hits rock truer to that ideal. bottom when it makes an obvious attempt to — Sabina Ellahi, sellahi@udel.edu

imitate “The Lion King” by portraying a feud between Alex’s father (Mac) and a rival lion (Alec Baldwin), who resembles Scar.

The biggest flaw is the script. Writer Etan Cohen — not to be mistaken as the famous Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) — is completely lost and unable to establish any concrete ideas in the storyline.

There is no originality in the plot, and the bond between the four major characters is weak compared to the original. At the same time, the two directors, Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, should also receive much of the blame. While “Madagascar” featured many memorable characters, those in the sequel seem flat and boring, making the movie much less interesting to watch.

The four protagonists, voiced by Stiller, Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith, cannot save the movie. The sequel features many of the characters from the original — the penguins continue to be a source of genuine comedy with their sidetrack story and King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) is the only character who earns any praise. All his sequences are truly entertaining and his droll accent is superb, creating one of the few noteworthy characters in the movie.

After the dreadful 90 minutes, “Madagascar 2” meets expectations, however low they may be. Let’s hope DreamWorks won’t consider a trilogy.

Sadly, the zoo animals’ search for home ends fruitlessly, and their search for humor ends equally empty-handed this time around.

— Sanat Dhall, sanatd@udel.edu

Gutta Ace Hood We The Best Music, Inc. / Def Jam Rating: PP (out of PPPPP) On a debut album, a rap artist can impress with thought-provoking lyrics, with diversity in flow or he or she can fill his or her disc with enough guests and hardhitting beats and leave the rest unaddressed.

Ace Hood, a Florida native and DJ Khaled affiliate, brings his debut album, Gutta, not with variety, but rather tale-old rhymes of a street hustler and arrogant playboy.

He boasts about money and guns, with a boisterous and ferocious delivery that’s intermittently appropriate.

On high-octane songs like “Get ’Em Up” or “Can’t See Yall,” Ace’s flow matches the beat, leaving heads and cars swanging and bopping along.

When the pace slows down, Ace does-

n’t. “Top of the World” has Ace celebrating his newly found success while accompanied by a chorus of children’s voices and playful keys.

But missed attempts, like “Stressin’,” are too ordinary and off the mark for this newcomer to be anything more than another ace in the crowd.

— Ted Simmons, tsim@udel.edu

Double the diva

Courtesy of Amazon.com

I am… Sasha Fierce Beyoncé Columbia Rating: PPP (out of PPPPP) Whether it’s a movie screen, a sound system or a dance floor, one artist consistently solidifies her status as the best. Beyoncé Knowles returns on a strong point with her new album I am… Sasha Fierce. The title is a reference to Sasha, Beyoncé’s alter ego who takes hold when she performs and records. It’s clear that both sides of the female superstar are here to stay.

The album is split into two discs — a smart organizational tactic to better separate her feelings.

On the first disc, Beyoncé sings many heartfelt ballads to a loved one. The topics range from calling the man a saint to calling him a sinner. The album opens up with “If I Were a Boy,” a song she uses to address her feelings about an ambiguous relationship. All of the songs have a mellow, almost monotonous tone to them.

The second disc, however, gives a whole new dimension to Beyoncé’s music. Each song has the beats for which dancers and admirers across the country long.

It opens with the second single off the album, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” This shows a sharp contrast to the emotion she gives in “If I Were a Boy.” Instead of listening and taking a passive approach the way she says she would in “If I Were a Boy,” she assertively says, “If you like it then you should have put a ring on it.”

Following “Single Ladies” is “Radio,” this is the strongest song on the whole album. It allows the listener a look into Beyoncé’s head and a chance to see how she feels about music.

Audiences of all musical preferences will undoubtedly be repeating “I think I’m in love with my radio / ’Cause it never lets me down.”

Throwing the movie to the lions

On “Video Phone,” Beyoncé embraces her naughty side. With lines like, “I hear the hustlers talking / They like the way I’m walking / You’re saying that you want me so press record and you can film me,” there’s no doubt guys will be fumbling around to get their phones out.

On one of the few low points, “Diva,” Beyoncé adopts a style of rapping that’s something different for her. The beat establishes no new sound, as it’s too reminiscent of Lil’Wayne’s overplayed hit, “A Millie.” The only difference between the two songs is that during the chorus, instead of an incessant repetition of “a millie” it repeats “I’m a-a diva.”

I am… Sasha Fierce is really two albums, and with the appeal Beyoncé has, it’s not difficult to find a likeable side. The discs have two different emotional directions, so whether she makes her presence as a party-starter or emotional condolence, Beyoncé proves her success can exist on multiple planes.

— Russell Kutys, rkutys@udel.edu

Dark Horse Nickelback Roadrunner Records Rating: PP (out of PPPPP) Vancouver rockers Nickelback return with their fifth studio album Dark Horse after riding the success of 2005’s All the Right Reasons. Dark Horse, however, conjures up the image of a slowfooted Clysedale rather than a sleek-hoofed race horse.

In typical Nickelback fashion, the album features a mix of hard-rock tunes, big ballads and lead singer Chad Kroeger’s love for strippers, with an emphasis on huge melodic choruses.

The most alarming result of

Courtesy of Amazon.com

the album is the obvious attempt to turn each song into a platinum-selling single.

Ballads like “Gotta Be Somebody” and “Come For You” feature average musicianship and sound eerily similar to ballads of years past, causing solid rock tracks such as “Just to Get High” to be overlooked.

Nickelback is in need of rejuvenation.

Although Dark Horse has its share of huge hooks and grinding guitar riffs, the lack of diversity from the band’s previous two CDs keep this latest effort stuck in the stable.

— Ryan Langhaw, rlangsh@udel.edu

Courtesy of Amazon.com

delawareUNdressed

Alicia Gentile Columnist

First dates are fun and a great introduction to an even better relationship.

Sometimes, things can go wrong and other times, things can be perfect — it just takes a little instruction and a bit of balance.

There are some general rules to making a first date successful. After all, first impressions mean a lot. First-date etiquette is something everyone should be educated about.

No one should ever honk his or her car horn when waiting for a date to come out. If you’re trying to be polite or win brownie points, go inside and get your date. It’s nice and says something about your character if you do that. A phone call letting him or her know you’re there will work but it’s definitely nothing to brag about.

When eating dinner, it’s not OK to take out your cell phone and text, let alone pick up a call — unless it’s your mom. Dinner usually lasts about an hour, and I’m sure the person who is calling you can

First time’s a charm

wait. If you’re going to a movie afterward, check your phone in between.

Keeping conversation moving is key to a good date. There are no helpful hints when it comes to that — you either have it or you don’t. This is when you can tell if the chemistry is there.

The person who asks to go on a date should be the one paying. It can get awkward when the bill comes out if the person paying isn’t known. Guys, if you are trying to court her, definitely pay. If the

you think

Tell me what

...for next week:

1. How do you define a “bromance”?

2. Do you have any experiences with “bro-mance”?

Respond to aliciarg@udel.edu

date was a mutual idea between mutual friends, split the bill. But these rules should be universal — this way, there aren’t uncomfortable looks when the bill appears.

So many girls worry about what they order on dates. News flash — guys want you to order what you want and they expect you to eat a normal-size dinner. If you order a bowl of pasta and only eat a bite because you aren’t hungry that’s one thing, but if you are worried about looking like a pig, stop worrying.

If I were paying for your meal, I would feel like my money was wasted. Guys

aren’t judging you nor do they think you’re fat, so eat and enjoy.

There are some foods to stay away from on your date. These include any Mexican foods, corn on the cob, ribs and anything with garlic.

Who wants a goodnight kiss after For the that? end-of-the-night kiss, it’s perfectly classy to share a little lip-lock after a pleasant evening. There is only one exception to this — if you don’t plan on going on a second date, don’t kiss.

Leading people on is completely unfair.

If you’re lucky enough to get a kiss at the end of the evening, that says the person is into you. If you aren’t looking for anything more than the rendezvous that just happened, then don’t smooch your date.

On first dates, a first impression is key and so is dressing appropriately.

Beauty is pain but when it comes to a first date, being comfortable is more important. In addition, confidence is hot, so sit up straight and back up your words with your actions.

Just remember, first dates have the potential to be awkward, but being lighthearted can cure a case of the embarrassments.

mediadarling ‘Ugly’ Gus: 1999 - 2008

Gus wasn’t an ordinary dog. He had three legs. He had one eye. He had a tongue that he couldn’t keep in his mouth. He had worldwide fame and he brought his owner fortune.

And he was the world’s ugliest dog.

Unfortunately, Gus had cancer, and on Nov. 10, Gus died. He was 9 years old.

The Chinese Crested went from living in the dumps to the high life in his short existence. He grew up in a Florida garage before being owned by Jeanenne Teed, according to the Associated Press. It was Teed who helped Gus achieve international fame.

Gus certainly had an interesting look.

One leg was amputated from complications due to skin cancer. He lost an eye during a fight with a not-so-nice cat. His breed is known for having pearly white teeth fall out easily, so he lost his teeth and couldn’t keep that slimy tongue in his mouth. He had a puff of white hair on his head.

Still, Gus was a special dog.

He might have been ugly, but his look grew on people. Some might even go so far as to call him cute. Others still thought he was just ugly.

His owner saw things differently. In June, Teed entered Gus in the famous World’s Ugliest Dog contest in California.

Despite his three legs and one eye, Gus thrived under the pressures of competition.

After showing off his unique physical attributes, Gus was crowned the world’s ugliest dog.

This came as no surprise to World’s

Ugliest Dog contest junkies. A Chinese Crested had won the prize for the past seven years. Even though he was down a paw and an eye, Gus rose to the top of the ugly-dog world.

After being crowned top dog, Gus traveled to New York City to be on CBS’s “The Early Show.” His owner won $500 for his achievement and used that to treat Gus’s skin cancer.

Sadly, only five months later, Gus died. The world is now without an ugliest

dog.

There are contests for everything in this day and age and while the world’s ugliest dog might be one of the silliest, it’s certainly one that everyone always has their eyes on. Every year, the world’s ugliest dog gets worldwide recognition and becomes one of the biggest stories of the year.

Gus kept his one eye on the prize and went from rags to riches by winning the famous crown of world’s ugliest pooch.

With the help of his endearing look and cuddly personality, Gus became the top dog.

The passing of Gus was certainly sad, but even sadder is how the crown probably won’t be placed upon another pooch’s head for a few months.

As for Gus, it’s inspiring to see a dog that started off so low achieve so much in his short life. Gus didn’t have anything going for him. He didn’t have the looks the other dogs did, but he had the will and determination to become the world’s ugliest dog. And that should be what he’s remembered for.

The old adage says all dogs go to heaven. Gus will certainly go to his own doggy heaven and he’ll probably be seen as the cutest, most cuddly dog up there.

Gus is survived by his owner, Jeanenne, and will be remembered for his friendly personality, loud bark and the title of world’s ugliest dog.

— Brian Anderson, bland@udel.edu Courtesy of Crista Jeremiason/Associated Press

November 18, 2008

21

fashionforward

Big names, small price

Sometimes there’s a benefit of a downwardspiraling economy.

Well, maybe not and the economy probably shouldn’t take all the credit for a new fabulous marketing strategy.

Sabina Ellahi Over the past Columnist few years, the economic situation hasn’t been exactly prosperous — not to mention, I’m still a poor college student dreaming of a substantial income — so the strategy has been a godsend for avid lovers of fashion.

The tactic is the collaboration of big-name designers with discount-retailing giants. A prime example is the retailer Target, which recently announced the launch of its new fashion program, called Target Designer Collaborations. The idea involves partnering with up-and-coming designers and offering their designs at reasonable prices.

The fashion push by Target is one of the several marketing initiatives made by discount retailers to reverse a string of quarterly profit declines.

To its delight, the strategy has pulled in great sales for the company, with lines by these big-name designers selling out before they even hit the racks.

Target isn’t the only store to incorporate this strategy into its company. Most notably, H&M is one of the companies that uses this tactic at great lengths by collaborating with names like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Dutch avantgarde designer Viktor & Rolf. Last February, the contemporary line Alice and Olivia paired up with Payless Shoesource to offer shoes and accessories under $30.

It surely is a smart marketing move.

Although these lines are mass produced, the most appealing part of this tactic is that the designers are still very much involved in the design process on the clothes, meaning that it’s no longer necessary to head to Saks to spill $200 on a one-of-akind beaded top by the designer. Instead, you can get an outfit from a concept and a design by Richard Chai at Target, which usually would total more than $400 at a high-end retailer, for only $90 — yes, that’s for top, pants and shoes.

Most people would think that the designers would assign this opportunity to their design assistants or even the design interns. For the snobbish, designing for Target or Payless would seem, well, a downscale for designers. Most would argue that these clothes lack the quality and detail that their expensive counterparts offer.

It’s quite the contrary though. While they aren’t using luxurious fabrics like silk and cashmere, they are still using quality materials — most notably the rise of green-friendly and oh-sosoft supima cotton. These designers are smart enough to know that many girls out there love fashion but don’t have the money to spend on designer garb — kind of like yours truly. They know they already have a rich, committed fan base and want to give other potential customers the chance to own a piece that was the creation of a designer protégé which is going to boost their name in the market and in the industry. The designers aren’t trying to be exclusive and only appeal to those with money. Kudos to them for believing that ideal.

So for young girls like us, this time, we have a great benefit. It will only be a matter of time before more designers start joining forces with discount retailers and offering their authentic designs for a fraction of their typical prices.

Maybe we can expect something from Tom Ford for H&M or Target? I hope so, but maybe I shouldn’t jump too far. Well then again, a girl can dream.

— sellahi@udel.edu

22 November 18, 2008

Dipping into dangers of smokeless tobacco

Dip is finely ground tobacco, either dry, moist or in sachets and Rick Bender is sometimes called the man packaged in tins. Most tobacco users with no face. A former semi-pro baseball play- place it in their mouth, their cheek or er, he lost a third of his tongue, his entire jaw between their gum and cheek, suck and the skin that connects the right side of his on it and spit out its juices. Tomar neck with his body. Cancer destroyed his jaw says like cigarettes, smokeless and damaged his mouth, teeth, tongue, neck tobacco contains high levels of nicoand arm muscles. It’s impossible for him to lick tine, among hundreds of other components, such as flavoring, moisturhis own lips.

At age 12, Bender, a former player for the izers, more than 500 different chemCalifornia Angels, started using snuff — pow- icals and 28 cancer-causing agents.

In 2006, Reynolds American — dered tobacco that’s sniffed up the nostril instead of smoked. He used smokeless tobacco a large U.S. tobacco and cigarette for 10 years until he fell victim to undifferenti- corporation — purchased Conwood ated squamous cell carcinoma, or oral cancer. Company, the second-largest smokeThe first sign was a small white sore on his less tobacco corporation in the United States. In September, the tongue.

Four operations later, doctors removed the Altria Group, formerly known as cancerous cells from his mouth and throat, and Philip Morris Companies and proa chunk of his tongue and some lymph nodes. ducer of popular cigarettes like The surgery left him with nerve damage limit- Marlboro and Parliament, bought the THE REVIEW/Steven Gold country’s largest smokeless tobacco ing his right arm — his throwing arm.

“I can still throw a baseball,” Bender says, company, U.S. Tobacco, for $10 bil- Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents. “but I have a hard time getting it across the lion.

According to the Centers for Disease rity guard; on an airplane from Miami to L.A.; infield with any velocity. It also messed up my Control, the two leading smokeless tobacco at a high-class restaurant or bar,’ ” he says. “It swing of the bat.”

He says he dipped because of peer pres- brands are Skoal and Copenhagen, both pro- is obviously targeted at the Clean Indoor Air Act.” sure, persuasive tobacco ads and above all, the duced by U.S. Tobacco.

Stephen Goodwin, associate professor in Tomar says there are three reasons why game of baseball. He now tours the country, dissuading high school students from caving in major cigarette companies have branched into the department of health science and exercise at the smokeless tobacco market — a decline in the university, says he teaches about smokeless to the temptations of tobacco.

“I want to give them something else to American cigarette sales, the success of the tobacco in his classes. He says there are huge chew on,” he says about the students. “I want to smokeless tobacco industry and, of course, to periodontal problems with smokeless tobacco, meaning it affects the oral cavity — the mouth, give them that information, so they can make a “keep smokers smoking.”

“It is quite clear that the prevalence of throat and tongue. It can also affect the panbetter choice than I did.”

Scott Tomar, professor and chair of the smoking falls in response to Clean Indoor Air creas.

Smokeless tobacco users tend to constantdepartment of community dentistry and behav- laws, and smokeless tobacco products are marioral science at the University of Florida, says keted as a situational substitute for cigarettes ly put the tobacco in the same spot in their there are a large number of smokeless tobacco for times when smokers can’t smoke,” Tomar mouth, which erodes the gums and teeth in this products in the United States, but the most pop- says. “Smokeless tobacco temporarily reduces area away, he says. Other effects are tooth loss, nicotine craving until the next cigarette, and bleeding and receding gums, elevations in ular kind is known as moist snuff, or dip. may reduce blood pressure and heart rate, small white smokers’ motiva- lesions in the mouth, low birth rate and preterm delivery for women. tion to quit.”

“You can see the entire root of the tooth in He says traditional ciga- some users who have been using it for a long rette companies time,” Goodwin says. “You can also develop will also intro- what is called leukoplakia very quickly. duce new types of Leukoplakia is basically considered a pre-cansmokeless tobac- cerous lesion that develops in just about all co to the market. users, usually pretty quickly. Two to six percent Marlboro Snuff develops into an oral cancer.”

People with oral cancer, he says, have a and Snus, produced by Philip very low survival rate. Bender is a living testaMorris, and ment to this.

“The bottom line is, regardless of your Camel Snus, made by age, the day you start using tobacco products, R e y n o l d s it’s the same as putting your body at risk for American, are cancer,” Bender says.

Smokeless tobacco contains 28 carcinostill in test margens. According to the CDC’s Web site, some keting.

B e n d e r of the cancer-causing agents are formaldehyde; says the new a colorless and flammable gas found in fertilizproducts, with er, paper, plywood, antiseptics, medicines, and names that young cosmetics; cadmium; which is used in car batpeople will easily teries; arsenic; which is commonly associated recognize, have with lung, skin and other internal cancers; and been tested in big polonium–210; a radioactive material a “only if cities with com- it is taken into the body by breathing or eating prehensive Clean or entering through a wound.”

Smokeless tobacco products can be as Indoor Air Acts, like Indianapolis addicting as cigarettes, leaving tobacco corpoand Atlanta. Their rations with little to do to maintain customers.

“There is more nicotine in smokeless ads target the young urban pro- tobacco than in cigarettes,” Goodwin says, regarding a type of smokeless tobacco called fessional.

“If you’ve chew. “In terms of the delivery of it, it’s a little seen their point of bit slower — cigarettes have a little faster sale flyer, it says, delivery system. The user gets the nicotine ’Where and when more quickly when they smoke cigarettes than to use snus: at a when they chew, but it lasts longer when they THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer concert right in Moist snuff is the most popular smokeless tobacco in the United States. front of the secu- See TRUTH page 25

BY NICOLETTE LOTRIONTE Copy Editor

Courtesy of Amazon.com

James Bond is a famous “bad boy.”

‘Bad boys’ losing their attraction

BY JEN RINI Staff Reporter

Bond. James Bond. Dressed in a well-tailored suit, he encompasses an air of mystery and burgeoning sexuality that seems to intoxicate women from left to right. He has a tough exterior and a top-of-the-line Aston Martin to match. He is the quintessential “bad boy” — full of adventure, spontaneity and not to mention a chiseled body.

To fit the cliché of the bad boy, this is the type of guy that women are supposed to swoon over. In spite of this, a recent survey conducted by online-dating site PARSHIP.com revealed that women from England aren’t too keen on the whole bad boy persona for prospective mates.

According to the study, women in the birthplace of special agent Bond actually prefer men who are accountants and value marriage, rather than those who gallivant across the world without a care.

Jessica Schiffman, assistant director of women’s studies, says the Bond persona might not be as appealing as everyone suggests.

“James Bond is so overblown as a representation of masculinity,” Schiffman says. “He’s very predatory to women [and] sees women as pleasure objects.”

Women are merely put in the movies to fulfill his fantasies.

Schiffman says in reality, men and women aren’t out to fulfill sexual desires and go on frivolous adventures.

“In real life, we are looking for more dimensions,” Schiffman says.

“We are looking for people to be companions with.”

A Yahoo.com article states that only 22 percent of the British women surveyed by PARSHIP.com saw the appeal of the alpha Bond man.

Suzanne Cherrin, professor of women’s studies, states in an e-mail message that the media influences women’s decisions as to what they consider attractive.

“I think that the bad boy persona represents a dominant type of masculinity in our culture,” Cherrin says.

“Women subscribe to this as an attractive ideal just because he’s feaSee BOND page 25

‘It’s not that we want to die, it’s that we want to live’

Non-profit movement brings hope to Newark

BY HEATHER LUMB Staff Reporter

There is a movement where the sick and the healed write “Love” on their arms. There is a group of people in more than 40 countries, every state of this nation, young and of every ideology, who have a passion for hope and a penchant for saving. There is a rising development for the two out of three people who struggle with depression and don’t say anything about it — a movement to write “love” over the pain.

It’s the evening of Nov. 12 and the fifth stop on the coffeehouse tour along the East Coast for the group To Write Love On Her Arms, and it’s all Brew Ha Ha! and Newark tonight.

To Write Love On Her Arms is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. This is the mission statement for a group that started from a 1,535-word story of a girl’s rescue from the darkest moment of her life.

Jamie Tworkowski is a tall, soft-spoken, 28-year-old Floridian. He is also the founder of TWLOHA and the loudest voice for the team — retelling, explaining and carrying on the meaning of the story he authored more than two years ago.

To Write Love on Her Arms is a community centered on MySpace — “where it all began,” according to the Web site. It was there that the story was first printed by Tworkowski in early 2006, after he and some friends decided to take their friend Renee Yohe through a five-day rescue before she was admitted to a treatment center.

His story begins with, “Pedro the Lion is loud in the speakers,” and flows, explaining how five days filled with standing on stage at concerts, impassioned books and unlimited coffee helped Yohe in her journey to recovery. Tworkowski described those days in a blog, the theme heavy with looking up to the stars for enlightenment, and that rescue is possible. He posted it as a blog to help anyone else, if only one, feeling the same numbing pain as Yohe.

Then came the comments. The stories of thanks, of needing and of desperation from MySpace users. It was as if someone suddenly pointed out the giant elephant in the room. The attention and the community of the hurting who didn’t have a voice were suddenly very much alive.

For this tour, Tworkowski and a team of two members and two musicians are stopping in towns to help communities spark conversation and connect with each other.

“Part of what we say in these settings is that we’re not the solutions,” he says.

“We’re not the cool guys passing through town, trying to fix everything in one night.

We’re inviting everyone into a conversation, in hopes that it will continue.”

The second-floor coffeehouse is littered with a crowd of young adults and a few teenagers. They sit on the floor and share chairs or stand against walls. Those that come in for an espresso stay for a minute or two, or the whole night.

The lights dim at 7:04, and three minutes later Tworkowski says, “Hello, welcome to Delaware,” and the crowd echoes his friendly approach with laughter.

Chris Summers, a student visiting from another school, only knew of TWLOHA

November 18, 2008

23

songs of the same themes by which TWLOHA swears. He ends his last song — the first song he ever wrote — at every stop with a story that brought tears to Tworkowski’s eyes when they met 15 days ago.

He tells the audience how he and his wife were visiting his parents four years ago. One of those days she was out riding a horse, and it returned to the house without her. She was found, but mumbled, “I can’t move,” and then slipped into shock. In the Courtesy of Dayna Ghiraldi next mess of an ambulance, tests and doc- Jamie Tworkowski founded To Write Love tors she was diagnosed as quadriplegic, and for weeks the only scene they knew was a on Her Arms using MySpace in 2006. hospital. Friends and family would wait for Jimmy Morocco, a 20-year-old intern hours into days into weeks, and through the who joined the team in August, speaks up to humbling experience, Williams says he start- the audience during the “open mic” quesed to see love at its most raw. tion-and-answer part of the night. He spends “Being able to live in a hospital and see almost all of the time barefoot — “I really humanity at its core,” Williams says. hate shoes,” he says — and it’s easy to gath“Seeing life, at its absolute core — that’s er his personality from the inspirational meswhen I started writing songs and this one in sages scribbled on his rolled-up, worn-in particular.” jeans.

Tworkowski says there is irony in a colHe mentions that in the past couple lege tour, seeing as how he pulled himself months, he’s learned a lot, but what’s more out of one for a full-time sales rep position important is that he’s still learning. with surfing company Hurley.

“The word ‘love’ is difficult,” Morocco “I thought I would do that for years and says. “But I’m getting to understand the true then this thing happened a couple years intent and seeing it’s effect and how to trust later,” Tworkowski says. “Which was a cou- people and in turn be vulnerable, to build a ple years ago, and it’s super surprising but community and how it all encourages us to I’m thankful for how it’s all played out.” move, and honestly, how to live.”

Sam Bentley, a 20-year-old Newark resTWLOHA encourages people to find ident, is also thankful how it played out, and hope, and one listener Wednesday night that TWLOHA recognizes the small college describes her’s. town.

“It’s not that we want to die, it’s that we “Without Tworkowski and To Write want to live,” says a strong but desperate Love On Her Arms those conversations voice from a table over to Tworkowski’s probably would have never taken place,” right.

Bentley says. “I think that the The voice comes from a 21-year-old College/Coffeehouse Tour is an amazing woman with too many years of stories all idea because the issues To Write Love On over her face. Her name is Becca Salmon, Her Arms stands for are issues that affect so and her voice explodes in the room with many young people. It was great to have energetic force. them actually recognize and care enough to She explains meeting people in rehab spend such an important evening with such a who came from north Philly, joking that the small town like us.” conditions were so extreme that she swore she saw Tupac in there — the patients all brought to their worst. All they were looking for, she says, was a way to live again.

“When I reached that point of asking for help I wasn’t saying, ‘I wish I was dead right now,’ ” Salmon says. “It was, ‘God, I wish I was alive right now.’ We want to live, we just don’t know how.”

The mood of the room, if possible, gets more electric and humble at the consideration of her comment.

“That’s really well said,” Tworkowski answers, and the noise of the room is a hum of agreement.

Summers pushes his chair back and stands, saying that he’s learned of a good cause and will join in the movement by telling the story and offering hope to others.

He’s happy to see the tour move on and is confident that local groups will start developing in support of TWLOHA. Tworkowski is often asked about the movement he started, and he says he always likes to wrap up those discussions with a particular message.

“I’d love to keep doing this and to keep being creative and stay bold well into the future,” Tworkowski says. “Our desire is to Courtesy of Becca Salmon let people know they’re not alone and to TWLOHA members Josh Moore (left) and Zach Williams (right) played in Brew Ha Ha! invite them out of thinking they are.” upon arrival through a brief introduction by his friend.

“I really don’t know what to expect — I guess they help people,” he says. “Right now, to me, they’re just something I see on MySpace, but I want to see what they do.”

Summers listens, never moving much, as Josh Moore, a TWLOHA team member, sings and strums his acoustic guitar perched on a barstool. Until the end of the night, Tworkowski, his team and all the hopeful songs of inspiration are creating first impressions.

Chad Moses, a 23-year-old team member with a straightforward smile pierced with a silver hoop, sets up a merchandise table just outside Brew Ha Ha!’s doors. He helps a duo of high school girls choose a shirt color and tells another shopper how selling the now-popular slogan, “Love Is The Movement,” is a way to make great conversation.

“I’m in limbo now, really,” Moses says of his official title in the organization.

He began as an intern, but this fall was asked to stick around and make it a livelihood.

“In early September, the team was having lunch and discussing the prospect of a coffee shop tour,” he says. “I began calling places directly, including here, and within weeks we had it all planned out. The nights that I scheduled, though, I get a little more nervous than the rest.”

Moses says he blew through his life savings in order to dedicate as much time as he could to interning and is madly in love with his career and lifestyle.

The competition for a position with the non-profit is tough, and he says it took six to seven e-mails of interest to catch an eye.

“I’ve never been told ’no’ before,” he says. “I’ve never settled for that answer, and so I knew if I wanted it bad enough I could show them what I had to offer.”

On the barstool, Zach Williams finishes up his set. Williams is a Georgia boy who now lives as a Brooklyn musician, singing

24 November 18, 2008

Bats endangered by offshore wind farms

That summer in Delaware, Bluewater Wind finalized its Late one night in the summer of 2007, three interns pull contract to build a wind farm of rubber waders up to their chests, strap LED lamps to their heads 70, 130-meter-tall turbines 13 and wade through a swampy stream in Basking Ridge, N.J., miles off the coast of Delaware. toward the mist nets. They are following the blond pony tail of After a 59 percent rate hike in Marilyn Kitchell as it swishes back and forth just above its own state energy prices, state legislarippling reflection. As the first rays of the moon make the dew- tors passed House Bill 6. This draped hickory leaves begin to glow, a tiny, dark figure careens consumer retail act mandated across the edge of their lights, and they just barely make out a the creation of a new power winged fur smudge collide head first into the nothingness and plant within the state of Delaware. Conectiv Energy, float, delicately suspended in the midnight air.

“Looks like we caught another bat,” whispers Kitchell, a NRG Energy and Bluewater William Patterson University graduate student who is doing her Wind all fought for the right to provide that extra energy to thesis on federally endangered Indiana bats.

As they approach, the headlamps illuminate a 10-meter- Delmarva. Coal plants had high net, suspended by makeshift flag poles along the swampy recently been linked to cancer stream, with a small, chittering ball of fur tangled in its soft, clusters in Delaware and mercury poisoning of fisheries. strands.

It may seem odd that an animal that can echolocate the Bluewater won the battle and width of a human hair and outmaneuver more than 1,000 mos- boasted that its plan would bring quitoes an hour in its endless quest to rid the world of human and green, renewable, environmentally friendly energy to agricultural pests would fall for such a cheap trick.

“We only catch the dumb ones,” intern Michael Whitby Delmarva by 2014. Bluewater Wind’s Web site features a says.

In reality, Kitchell says many bats are so used to flying over movie montage of the offshore All photos courtesy of Ben Alexandro the open body of water, they don’t bother with echolocation. wind farms in Denmark that it Wind turbines create powerful vortexes that can cause bats’ lungs to explode. studied extensively for more They just rely on their sight.

Kitchell carefully untangles the bat, places it in a bag than a decade before undertaking ly need to be used to control West Nile Virus and the explosions clipped to the top of her waders and heads for base camp in the the project. in the populations of human agricultural pests. The pesticides According to the Web site, “There were no significant neg- then wash into streams, kill fish and ruin ecosystems. The insects woods approximately a football field away from the net. Base camp consists of a half dozen lawn chairs, data sheets, an anten- ative impacts found on fish, flora and fauna.” Delaware that the bats eat will soon develop resistances to the pesticides na and an orange tool box. There, they weigh the bat, tag it, look Audubon Society Conservation Group is showcased in support- and wreak havoc here in Delaware. for mites and identify the species. This particular specimen is a ing the project, saying it’s safe for birds.

The Clean Energy Office of Delaware gave funding to the This summer, scientists across the country made a startling university for an in-depth regulatory analysis of Bluewater’s red bat, Lasiurus borealis, named for its brilliant, fiery realization. Wind turbines were killing bats by the thousands. mahogany color and surprisingly soft fur. project. Willett Kempton, a professor in the university’s College “Red bats always remind me of Eddie Munster,” Kitchell After working as a thermal imaging bat field technician, Whitby of Marine Studies, declined to comment on the wind farm says as she clamps a small mark and recapture band around the says the site he worked at killed more than 6,000 bats per sum- beyond what he had already told The New York Times. winged arm of the mammal that is cuddled up and shivering in mer — each turbine killed approximately 1.8 bats per night. The “One of the first things Kempton and his class did was go confounding part, he says, was most of these bats were found down the list of clean-energy options for Delaware,” according her gloved hand.

Kitchell sees the resemblance in the bat’s widow’s peak fur without any external sign of injury. to The New York Times. “What he found was that Delaware’s Thomas Kunz, a professor at University of Kansas and an coastal winds were capable of producing a year-round average line above the eyes, and tiny sharp teeth. As data is recorded on one of the night’s bats, Whitby describes how he accepted a job expert on bats and the environmental impacts of wind energy, output of over 5,200 megawatts, or four times the average elecworking in New York at a wind farm researching the effects of says bats can often maneuver around the turbine blades. trical consumption of the entire state.” turbines on bat mortality. He says scientists have researched tur- However, the sudden pressure vortexes around the blades cause Scott Baker is one of Kempton’s graduate students at the bines that kill migrating birds, but not nearly enough research bats’ fragile lungs to explode. university who is researching how state policies will affect wind “The numbers of mortalities are actually underestimated,” farms. He was a marine biology major as an undergraduate, but has been done on bats.

Kunz says. “Some bats may be mortally wound- when he traveled to Denmark to see the artificial reefs and fish ed but still able to fly away from the wind farm habitat the wind turbines had created around their offshore wind before they die.” farms, he immersed himself in the university’s offshore wind Ed Arnett, a conservation scientist specializ- study. ing in wind energy at Bat Conservation “I love Bluewater’s project,” he says.

International says, “Off shore, we have hardly The project should bring 300,000 people in Delmarva any information at all. The real story is that sci- wind-powered energy. Although the price for energy would inientists don’t have the data. I am not willing to tially raise by 70 cents per month, unlike gas or coal, the price speculate beyond that.” would remain stable for 25 years, he says.

However, one report published by the Despite possible benefits from wind power, Kunz says, “As Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in wind turbines are right now, they are definitely not very green.”

July 2007 is compelling and frightening, Arnett Peak bat migration occurs when the wind is only five to six says, because it cites 3,830 bats were killed over miles an hour, but even wind turning at that speed can create the sea. According to the report, “The bats did not deadly bat lung exploding vortexes. Kunz proposed turning the avoid the turbines.” blades at a 45 degree angle so they wouldn’t spin at all during “There is no way to know how many bats would the height of bat migration. He says this could reduce mortality die and suddenly fall into the water,” Kunz says. by 50 to 70 percent, and the economic outcome could be interHe says there is evidence suggesting that the esting. offshore wind turbines Bluewater proposed to “Bluewater might actually come out ahead,” Kunz says, build would attract bats, causing them to die. “because they could market the energy as being even greener Out of the nine species of bats in Delaware, the than it was before.” red bat, hoary bat and silver bat must migrate Bluewater published a wildlife fact sheet in 2004 about the south in the fall. They have been recorded to effects of wind turbines on bats and birds. The fact sheet states, migrate many miles off the coast and could easi- “As significant additional wind development is planned in this ly find huge white offshore turbines against the area, overall bat impacts have the potential to become very subnight sky. Migrating bats are known to stop and stantial.” roost on ships at sea to rest and may see the turHowever, this fact sheet also states, “Wind energy’s ability bines as huge roost trees. to generate electricity without many of the environmental While wind turbines are luring bats to die, a impacts associated with other energy sources can significantly mysterious White Nose Syndrome killed 90 to benefit birds, bats and other animals.” Whether Bluewater wind 100 percent of the six bat species roosting in turbines will actually become bat safe is yet to be seen. caves last winter. Thousands of hibernating bats “The bat issue came up at the last Bluewater wind meeting starved to death with a ring of mysterious white we just had in Virginia, but bats were not a big topic and there fungus around their noses. wasn’t much focus given to it,” Baker says.

“Between Wind turbines and WNS, all nine This belittling of a previously overlooked problem may species of bats in Delmarva are taking a beating,” lead to the needless slaughter of thousands of bats and endanger Kunz says. a natural pest regulator in the ecosystem.

According to one of Kunz’s reports, bats pro“Lots of things eat insects, but bats are unique in consumvided up to $1.73 million in pest control in the $5 ing millions of night-flying insects, like mosquitoes and agriculmillion market of agricultural cotton farming in a tural pests,” Kitchell says. “There are a lot of misconceptions small eight-county area of Texas. about bats being creepy, but without them, millions or billions of Without bats, more pesticides will most like- insects they would consume will now be in the environment.”

Marilyn Kitchell tags a red bat in Basking Ridge, N.J. over the summer.

BY BEN ALEXANDRO Staff Reporter

Bond stereotype not appealing Continued from page 22

tured in the media as an icon.”

Cherrin considers the obsession with the James Bond type as more fantasy than reality.

Despite the backlash against bad boys, some female students believe bad boys aren’t as insensitive as they’re thought to be. Senior Meg Steller says her boyfriend can be considered a “bad boy,” and she loves that characterization.

“My current boyfriend of five years was a ’bad boy’ in high school,” Steller says. “I found this aspect of his personality and actions to be very sexy.

He did what he wanted regardless of, and many times in spite of, the rules.”

Steller says the stigma of the bad boy often gives that persona a bad rap.

“One negative thing about the bad boy image is that bad boys tend to sleep around and are not looking for relationships,” she says. “My boyfriend has changed a lot since we have been dating — he is still the bad boy that first attracted me, but I have unlocked his softer side.”

Steller defends the stability of the proposed instable relationship with a bad boy.

“They can make the best relationship material because you can tame them some and then they are a perfect mix of the two extremes,” she says.

Some students, however, feel bad boys would make a less-than-perfect mixture of the two extremes.

Sophomore Alyssa Quezada says her experience dating a bad boy focused more on changing him.

“I had a boyfriend for four years in high school who was a total badass,” Quezada says. “I was the smart, straight-edged, never-got-in-trouble kind of girl and he was the smoking, drinking, getting-with-lots-of-girls, getting-arrested type. He treated me like a princess, though, and because of the fact that I kind of changed him, it made me feel special knowing that he cared about me enough to treat me better than he had treated previous girls.”

However, she says now that she’s older, she is more attracted to the stereotypical good-boy type.

“I find good boys more attractive because if I were to get into a relationship with them, I wouldn’t have to go through so much work trying to make them change,” Quezada says.

Freshman Julie Davis shares the sentiments of the majority.

“They tend to think that they are extremely cool and I do not find that attractive,” Davis says. “They also tend to objectify women. The James Bond character is very good looking and very experienced. Although I am attracted to his appearance, I would never want a relationship with him.”

November 18, 2008

25

The truth behind smokeless tobacco

Continued from page 22

chew. The person using smokeless tobacco eventually does get more nicotine over a longer period of time.”

When using smokeless tobacco, the nicotine is absorbed slowly through the mucus membranes, causing the nicotine to stay in the bloodstream longer, prolonging the buzz. .

Tomar says as a result, dip users experience the same difficulties in quitting that cigarette smokers do and nicotine replacement products haven’t been very successful substitutes.

In fact, Bender still considers himself addicted.

“It’s like riding a bicycle,” he says. “Once you know how to ride a bicycle, you always know how to ride a bicycle. Once you’re addicted to any of these mind-altering drugs, you’re always addicted.”

Tomar says the majority of American dip users are adolescent boys and young men in rural areas. Women in certain parts of the country, such as Alaska, are regular snuff users as well.

A drug study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

revealed that 20.8 percent of 18to 25-years old Americans used smokeless tobacco products at least once in their lifetime. Less than half of this number — 8.5 percent — used smokeless tobacco within that year, and 5.1 percent used it within the last 30 days of the survey.

In Delaware, Goodwin says the percentage of smokeless tobacco users is 5.2 percent — a relatively low number compared to the rest of the country.

However, he says it’s becoming more popular at the university.

“I don’t have any data on the number of users here on campus — I’ve never seen that,” he says.

“But it certainly is very prevalent.”

Tomar says statistically, only 4 percent of male students on college campuses have used snuff or dip in the past month.

“Yet, as a professor, running through campus all of the time, I can see the empty cans all over the place,” he says.

Senior Mike Kirby is one of the supposed 4 percent. He never liked cigarettes so instead, he began dipping his senior year of high school during football season. His friends, mostly athletes, wanted to protect their lungs but

get the same buzz as cigarettes.

Kirby, who says dip keeps him motivated and alert while studying, has struggled on and off with quitting. Occasionally, he would dip four or five times a day, and was addicted. He says he knows he needs to end his habit, but he often finds himself unable to follow through.

“Anytime I make an excuse to do one, it is easy to come up with an excuse to do another,” Kirby says.

While the sale of dip, snuff and snus is illegal in Europe — with the exception of Sweden — they are legal in the United States. Their presence is constant among high school and college students, including students at the university.

Bender says many users aren’t aware of the signs that they are damaging their health — and when trouble does strike, it hits hard and with no remorse. Oral cancer is an intense and belligerent disease, but Bender fought back and beat it.

“I kept saying, ‘I can do this, I can do this,’ ” he says. “And I’m one of the rare few under the age of 30 that have. Most people under the age of 30 with this type of cancer die from it.”

‘Mockumentary’ filmmaker visits campus

BY NEENA CINQUINO Staff Reporter

On Nov. 10 and 11, filmmaker Randy Olson came to the university to screen his films “Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus” and “Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy.” Admission was free and an open forum for questions was held later.

Olson, a former scientist and professor of marine biology at the University of New Hampshire, spent so much time telling stories of science that he decided to try experimenting with film as a means of storytelling. By 1994, he gave up his tenured career to start a new life. He spent three years in film school in Los Angeles where he learned the art of telling stories.

“Brave or stupid,” Olson says of his career transition.

“Still not sure what the conclusion is on that.”

Olson says he aims to bridge the gap between science and filmmaking with entertaining segments that appeal to large populations.

The university is one of many stops on the journey of “Sizzle,” which will be traveling to schools like Arizona State University and the University of Missouri and other film festivals throughout the spring, he says.

Olson realized many people were bored with environmental media and thought of a way to cut through the monotony and confusion with the use of comedy. Comedy is a tool to arouse interest in viewers, Olson says.

“It’s inappropriate to not make a comedy about global warming,” he says.

Since its premiere, reviews of “Sizzle” have been split.

Olson says the criticism is mostly given by scientists who don’t find humor appropriate for the topic of global warming.

The comedy gains interest up front, while the message of global warming still speaks strongly throughout “Sizzle.”

The increased interest in the content is meant to cause a stronger reaction in audiences, compelling them to make a difference, he says.

“Sizzle” evolved through the year-and-a-half process of its creation, Olson says. It consists of real-life interactions between global warming skeptics and scientists while holding onto the “mockumentary” concept. “[It’s] the simple little idea of, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if we interviewed these scientists and I had a cameraman who was a global warming skeptic?’ ” he says.

Both topics — evolution and global warming — are Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Sizzle” both pin global warming as a serious and urgent issue in need of understood in the science community and are not debatable more attention. Olson says “Sizzle” was created in reaction among scientists, yet Olson says miscommunication causes the facade of controversy. to Gore’s film.

The title of Olson’s upcoming book, “Don’t Be Such a “It’s the same message, but a different voice,” he says.

Scientist,” comments on this concept. The book encompass“It’s the simplest way I can put that.”

Olson says Gore did a great job capturing the interest es the bad habits and communication dynamics that scienand attention of the mass audience. However, he only tists embody today, he says.

“You’ll hear someone shout out, ’Don’t be such a scireached a group of affluent white people and lacked a conentist. Stop being so literal-minded,’ ” Olson says. nection to other ethnicities.

Olson is careful not to get too caught up in planning for “His film was not for the Nascar crowd,” Olson says.

“Not for the African-American community. His film was not the future. Creating something that everyone enjoys and getting his ideas out there is enough, he says. for kids.”

“I don’t know if I have any goals at all,” Olson says.

Olson says his goal was to radiate the voice outward to further strengthen the importance of global warming. He “Just to have fun.” attempted to create a work geared toward college students that is more fun to watch than “An Inconvenient Truth.”

“I don’t have $300 million like Al Gore does,” Olson says, laughing.

“Sizzle” simply has a different perspective than “An Inconvenient Truth,” he says.

It’s filled with laughs, yet does contain that breakthrough moment. However, it doesn’t take four hours to reach, he says.

“Who wants to see that stuff?” Olson says. “Who wants to see depressing movies about these crises?”

“Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus,” screened on Nov. 10, focuses on the teaching of evolution versus intelligent design. The film laid the ground work for “Sizzle” as they both stress the importance of communication over Courtesy of Randy Olson science.

Former scientist Randy Olson now dedicates his time to comedic documentaries.

26 November 18, 2008

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November 18, 2008

sports

Did you know?

In the 31-14 loss to Richmond last week, the Hens’ offense gained 54 total yards, the lowest single game total in school history.

weekly calendar Tuesday, November 17

Men’s Basketball @ Robert Morris 7 p.m.

Wednesday, November 18

Women’s Basketball @ LaSalle 7 p.m.

Thursday, November 19 Friday, November 20

Volleyball @ CAA quarterfinals UD Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 8 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Saint Bonaventure 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 21

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country @ IC4A Championships 11 p.m.

Women’s Basketball @ Buffalo 1 p.m.

Football vs. Villanova 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 22

Men’s Basketball vs. Marist 4 p.m.

Monday, November 23

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country @ NCAA’s Noon

commentary

SEIF HUSSAIN “Presidential playoffs”

28

Attending to a lack of fan interest

BY DAVE THOMAS Staff Reporter

The white chef’s hat rests naturally on his head, no hair to burden its perch. He dons the matching apron to thwart the best efforts of the steaming vegetable lasagna to stain his immaculate outfit. The smell wafts up as he shouts, “Come get it, this will be the best decision you’ve ever made.” As students pass he holds out a serving spoon and slops the delectable dish onto the plates of the more adventurous students, willing to try his concoction.

If not for who was working this counter, it would just be a man serving dinner at the dining hall.

But the man behind the counter is none other than Monte’ Ross, head coach of the men’s basketball team, serving dinner at Pencader dining hall. He is using this night as a way of both interacting with the university community and recruiting students to come support the Hens in their home opener against Rutgers.

“I think it has been great,” Ross said, referring to his atypical marketing techniques. “I hope it will be a huge success, but I’m not sure yet.”

Such is the way of university attendance efforts, when, with the exception of football, the crowds at sporting events seem underwhelming.

Behind football, which regularly sells out the 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium, men’s basketball sees the second highest average attenTHE REVIEW/File Photo dance among university sports teams and is Even though the Frank E. Acierno arena seats 5,000, basketball often has trouble filling the stands. considered to be revenue-producing.

Athletics Director Edgar Johnson believes Johnson and Ross accredit much of this to two sport at the university. The university ranks the meager attendance at other sporting events, tradition, and, of course, winning. Both men’s each sport into a tier between one and four, with such as soccer, field hockey or volleyball, can and women’s basketball have seen their fair one being the highest of the revenue-producing be explained by the general disinterest of the share of adversity lately and many current stu- sports. They are allotted more scholarships, student body. dents have yet to latch on to the program. Both looser budgets and greater recruiting funds.

“Football and basketball are really the teams have endured back-to-back losing seaHowever, the tier of each sport is not sports most people are interested in,” Johnson sons, but both are expected to be much more inflexible. Associate Director of Athletics Sue said. “We would love to sell out every game in competitive this year.

Groff said she does not dismiss the thought of every sport, but there just isn’t that much interSuccess also has its perks. When the men’s placing more emphasis on lower-tiered sports est.” lacrosse team reached the NCAA semi-finals in in the future.

Even the basketball teams, both men’s and 2007, its average attendance increased from “We’re always looking at things differentwomen’s, have struggled at times to garner a 568 to 763. While not eye-popping, the spike ly,” Groff said, “and certainly things could solid fan base. The men’s team averaged more shows the appreciation people have for a win- change down the road.” than 3,200 fans a game in the 5,000-seat Bob ner.

Carpenter Center, while the women generally Even with success, lacrosse remains a tierSee FOOTBALL page 31 saw crowds barely exceeding 1,000.

If there is one executive order I will be on the edge of my seat for come Jan. 20, it is perhaps the most unexpected one. President-elect Barack Obama raised many eyebrows, including mine, when he mentioned on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” the night before the election and then again on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday, that if elected he would “throw his presidential weight around” in an attempt to get a college football playoff in lieu of the current BCS selection system.

Now that his presidency is upon us, I expect his full support in this matter of national interest.

No matter how thin Obama’s college football fan credentials may or may not be, when he publicly announced his intent, the country perked up like the millions of Super Bowl XXXVIII viewers who got an unexpected glimpse of a certain Ms. Jackson’s ornate bosom on their tellies.

Grown men squealed with glee, 95 percent of annually disenfranchised FBS football teams in the country (USC, Ohio State, LSU and other

perennial powerhouses aside) were struck with Obamania and I nearly wet myself in my thrilled display of anticipation.

I say “bah humbug” to the corporate sponsors who are queasy at the idea of a world without their ever-lucrative bowl games — equity in college football would be much helped with a proper playoff.

The arguments against a playoff system are numerous, involving the length of the season, the inability of such a system to fairly include qualified teams (as if the BCS didn’t already have that covered) and a variety of other contrived disputes. Any reasonable person could simply glance down a level and see the great success of the FCS playoffs. If the 120 some-odd teams in the former DI-AA can handle playoffs, surely the big boys can get a grip on that system.

Sure, it is easy to say that in the BCS system, for the top teams at least, every single game matters. Maybe it would be better if we had a system where instead, every single team mat-

tered.

Obama’s plan calls for an eight-team playoff over three weeks, and he was so excited as he told CBS’s Steve Kroft that he shushed his wife Michelle, as if to say, “Hold on a sec, I’m talking with the boys.”

Maybe it’s ridiculous to think a president should have any semblance of authority over college football, and perhaps even more outrageous to believe he would have time to meddle in such piddling matters. Then I remember that, oh yeah, Congress held seemingly endless hearings on the riveting Major League Baseball steroid scandals.

Economy-eshmonomy. Hold onto your butts there, Wall Street, we’re figuring out this playoff thing. We’ll be back to you in a few weeks.

Seif Hussain is a managing sports editor for The Review. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of The Review. Please send questions, comments, and an executive order to seif@udel.edu.

29 November 18, 2008

underp eview: Delaware vs.

No. 6 Villanova

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Tubby Raymond Stadium, Newark, Del.

BY PAT MAGUIRE Sports Editor

About the Teams:

The Hens: The Hens are coming off of a 31-14 loss in which the team displayed one of their worst offensive performances in UD history. With only three first downs and 53 total offensive yards, Delaware broke the school record lows for both categories.

The Hens’ only two scores were results of an interception and a fumble recovery by the defense. The team is at 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the CAA, making it impossible for head coach K.C. Keeler’s squad to have a winning season.

The Wildcats: Despite a valiant effort by the Towson Tigers last week, the No. 6 Wildcats were able to hold their ground and secure their eighth win of the season, making them 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the CAA — the most wins they’ve had since 2002.

Villanova’s only two losses came from FBS team West Virginia, and No. 1 James Madison.

Why the Hens can win:

Pride: With no playoff hopes on the line and no possibility of a winning season, the Hens have little to play for besides pride and a victory in their final game of the season. Seniors on the team like Kervin Michaud, Aaron Love and Kheon Hendricks will be looking to make their final game a memorable one.That kind of extra motivation may be what the Hens need to pull off an upset.

Why the Hens could lose:

Throwin’ Down: The Wildcats boast a powerful, high-flying offense anchored by sophomore quarterback Chris Whitney. Whitney threw for a careerhigh 212 yards last week and will likely be looking for a repeat performance against an injury-plagued Hens defense. Whitney will be looking for wide receiver Phil Atkinson, who caught seven passes last week for 78 yards, and Matt Szczur, who added an additional 54 yards. If Villanova’s play-caller and pass-catching crew can put on an equally dazzling performance, Saturday does not look very bright for the Hens.

The Numbers:

4 - Delaware’s previous record low for first downs, set in 1964 against Bucknell.

56 - Delaware’s previous record low for total yards, set in 2001 against Northeastern.

The Prediction:

The annual “Battle of the Blue” is not expected to be much of a contest this year, with Villanova clearly being the favorite to win.

However, do not make the mistake of expecting the Hens to play dead. After a troubled and frustrating season, Keeler’s squad will want to finish on a high. Delaware will put up a fight, but in the end Villanova’s high-powered offense and well-rounded team will be too much for the Hens.

Villanova 35, Hens 21

Making the most of a last year of eligibility

BY ADAM SAMPLES Staff Reporter

Every summer as a child, he roamed the outfields of New Jersey little league ballparks chasing deep fly balls. He played the same centerfield position as his favorite player, Ken Griffey Jr. One autumn, Abraham Jabbie, known to friends and family simply as Junior, found he had nobody to play baseball with when the leaves changed colors. When he moved to a new neighborhood where most children busied themselves with fall football, he realized he needed to make a change and be included.

After convincing his mother that Pop Warner football was what he wanted to do — and it did take some convincing — his focus shifted from the diamond to the gridiron.

“My mom didn’t want me to play at all,” Jabbie said.

Years later at The Hun School of Princeton, Jabbie’s all-prep abilities as a runningback and defensive back led to heavy recruitment from BCS schools. The University of Notre Dame caught his eye.

“Based on everything Notre Dame had to offer, academics and everything, it seemed like the best fit,” Jabbie said.

He entered Notre Dame under the tutelage of former Irish Head Coach Tyrone Willingham along with current Delaware teammates Ronald Talley and Leo Ferrine. In four years with the Fighting Irish, Jabbie received limited game time, but understood the significance of being on the team.

“Playing there was a great experience,” Jabbie said. “There is so much tradition with that program.”

After graduating Notre Dame with one year of football eligibility left, Jabbie had a decision to make. He wanted to apply for graduate school to continue his football career.

After Talley transferred to UD the year before, he and Jabbie kept in touch over the telephone.

but is impressed with Jabbie’s abilities.

Jabbie realized the decision was easy, and himself known as a threat.

“He shows glimpses of Omar,” he said.

His teammates and coaches share similar headed to Delaware to fight for a starting spot When starting quarterback Robbie praises about his ability to see the field. on the Blue Hens’ roster.

Hens runningback coach Aaron Harris Unanimously, it is seen as his strongest aspect Schoenhoft suffered a concussion against William & Mary, it became evident that a said the main difficulty Jabbie faced in the tran- as a running back.

“He can see things before they happen,” strong ground game would be important. sition to Delaware was the hurry-up style of Using his excellent vision, he rushed for a Hendricks said. “Even if I screw up a block, he offense.

“We run a lot of plays called in through can see it and make a cut to make my block career-best 156 yards against Hofstra. Two weeks later, he put on a similar performance signals,” Harris said. “Often I’ll call meetings work.”

Hendricks spent time blocking for against Towson University, scoring two touchand not say anything, just signals.”

In addition to learning a new set of signals, Delaware’s second all-time rusher Omar Cuff, downs on 142 rushing yards.

Ritacco, who started for the first time Jabbie fought for the starting spot on a of his career against Towson, said he sprained ankle, an injury sustained appreciated the dominance Jabbie before the 2008 season even began. showed on the field.

Kheon Hendricks, a veteran “He takes control and it really helps offensive lineman for the Hens, the team when he can take the pressure noticed an effect the injury had on off of the quarterback,” he said.

Jabbie’s normally positive attitude.

Harris said the ankle injury that never “I could tell he was a little down,” healed hampers Jabbie’s ability to be Hendricks said. “He couldn’t help us as fast as he can. out and it brought him down.”

“If he can get totally healthy, he’s got Quarterback Lou Ritacco, a lot of football ahead of him,” Harris Jabbie’s locker neighbor, became said. friends with his fellow New Jersey With two games left in Jabbie’s final native quickly. season of football eligibility, he is “He’s got it all, man, he’s funny making plans to continue his football too,” Ritacco said. “We always joke career. With intentions on playing after about [New Jersey] and stuff like college, he will meet with head coach that.”

K.C Keeler to discuss his career Sidelined for seven weeks on his options. sprained ankle, Jabbie watched as “My ankle is still banged up and Delaware struggled through the first needs rehabilitation,” Jabbie said. “But half of their schedule.

I definitely plan on playing in the Ritacco said he knew the team future.” was missing something in the running Jabbie said he is happy with his decigame. sion to play football at Delaware, “We weren’t getting what we though he understands the fans might needed or expected out of the backs,” not know him yet. He said he works Ritacco said. hard at everything he does, and will do After working his way up from so to win the fans over. the bottom of the depth chart, Jabbie “I love the fans here, I love the coachfinally got the start against William & Mary. Despite the Hens’ pedestrian THE REVIEW/Steven Gold es,” Jabbie said. “I definitely wish I performance in the loss, Jabbie made Junior Jabbie became the key to the offense late this season. could play here longer.”

Figure skating cruising to victory

BY ANNA GESTERAK Staff Reporter

After four years of competing in competitions, the university’s intercollegiate figure skating team finally took first place at Cornell University the weekend of Oct. 25.

Before leaving for the competition, two-time Olympic participant and coach Scott Gregory felt the 32 girls going needed some last-minute encouragement. A fan of positive life quotes, he prepared six passages from Bud Greenspan’s “The Olympian’s Guide to Winning the Game of Life” to hand out to the girls on the bus before they left Delaware. Given that he could not attend the competition with them that weekend, it was important to Gregory that the girls leave with confidence.

“You don’t get successful unless you believe it and see it and think about it everyday,” Gregory said. “It’s gotta be in front of you.”

Melissa Pearl, a junior and the team’s board president, said what made this year different from the past was the focus they put on strategizing.

“We always had the strongest skaters, but we never could rack up enough points to win,” Pearl said. “We THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer always lacked in dance, so we decided The figure skating team feels more strategy will help them compete nationally. to put more girls on it this year and racked up more points that way.” public relations representative, all girls on top,” she said. “It adds to the whole Assistant coach Joel McKeever who also skate for the team. They have euphoric feeling.” went to the intercollegiate competition a mandatory practice every Thursday Since this will be Kovalsky’s final with the girls. He has competed with morning from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Fred year skating at the university, she hopes the university for many years and Rust Ice Arena. Outside of the group that when she leaves, the success of the recently took on the official role of practices, the girls practice almost team will continue. coach. McKeever prepared the girls for every day on their own.

While figure skating is primarily all possible outcomes of the competiAlong with competing, the team’s an individual sport, the girls make it a tion—above all, making sure the girls board also is important to its success. point to stand by one another. were respectful throughout their two- The board arranges fundraisers for the “They’re all there all day to supday journey. team, the last being held at The Korner port each other,” McKeever said.

“It’s not just winning, but also how Diner. The girls served as waitresses for Gregory said the team aspect is a you act,” McKeever said. “We don’t a day, and were allowed to keep all the valuable factor in the team’s success. just have to compete well but we also tips that they made. The fundraiser was “Because figure skating is a very have to act well.” their most successful to date, raising personal sport and now they’re in a McKeever said the victory was all $1,050 for future use. team they’ve got to learn how to work about reworking the team’s strategy.

Kandis Lynn Kovalsky, a senior at with each other,” he said. “I really take Pearl credited the coaches and the the university and vice president of the my hat off to them for doing what way the board worked and strategized board, first started skating when she they’re doing.” together. It was very difficult at times, was 10. Eventually taking a greater The team will be hosting a compePearl said, because all the girls on the interest in the sport, Kovalsky started to tition at home on Feb. 15. The competiteam had been skating since they were look at the sport as a challenge. Now tion will include 12 teams from differyoung and worked very hard for the that she has become skilled at the sport ent universities from around the nation. competition. She recognized that every- of figure skating, the current challenge The squad hopes to win a national one cared for the sport and wanted to is to keep earning first place in future title later in the year. get their start.

“Our goal is to come home with a competitions.

The board consists of a president, “It was really cool to have a com- national championship,” Gregory said. vice president, secretary, treasurer and petition come so tight and then end up

University offers options for getting fit

BY ALEX PORRO Sports Editor

During the week, the Carpenter Sports Building is buzzing with people trying to keep fit. Walking along the main hallway, you will notice the Harry W. Rawstrom Natatorium on your left, where swimmers and divers plunge into the clear blue indoor pools. To the right are the basketball and volleyball courts where students compete in everything from pick-up basketball to indoor soccer. If you walk on, past the indoor rock wall and the sunken squash courts, chances are, you’ll find a classroom, or rather an exercise room, where fitness classes are being taught to students trying to stay in shape.

Lauren Losey, the instructor for several of the classes, including Boot Camp, Butts and Guts and kickboxing, said student interest in her sessions have been peaking.

“Everybody’s been so enthusiastic,” Losey said. “I love it.”

Turnout for the classes has improved this year, averaging between 20 to 30 participants for Losey’s classes and closer to 50 for Zumba class, an aerobic

dance class with Latin rhythms and popular music.

The classes, according to Losey, are high-energy, high-intensity workouts designed to strengthen core muscle groups and improve endurance while burning fat.

While the instructors encourage their students to push themselves to the limits of their bodies, they are conscious of their pupils safety. Losey said she keeps a watchful eye on her students and arranges them in class so she can monitor their form while working out. She understands a workout must be tailored to a student’s specific ability and offers both high and low impact exercise options to lessen the stress on students joints.

“Some people are unable to withstand high impacts on their joints, so you always want to modify things for a large groups.” Losey said. “You have to make sure it’s safe for everybody.”

Senior Megan Raquet has attended almost every class the university offers and said the classes are a great way to relieve stress.

“If I have an exam or something I can go and take See ALTERNATIVE page 31

November 18, 2008

30

BlueHenBabble

Do you think it would be fair if the university got rid of the men’s running teams in order to further comply with Title IX?

“I don’t think it’s fair.

It’s like reverse prejudice. I would really like them to re-work the system, so they can have a team.”

Brad Hoffman Sophomore

It is not fair, and I think they should re-write the rules. I play sports too, and I don’t think it should be a one-to-one system. More men play sports then women, and everything can’t always be equal.”

Sarah Coffey Sophomore

I can see why it was created, but if it hurts the team then it is not worth it. I know track is equal, but how many women can actually say they would go out for something like wrestling? They should not cut funding.

Nikki Bylsma Sophomore

THE REVIEW/Steven Gold

Lauren Losey’s Boot Camp class has proved very popular this semester.

31

November 18, 2008

Alternative fitness classes help hens stay healthy Continued from page 30

mends whole grain foods and soups with reduced fat and sodium.

She said contrary to popular belief it was not the pregame meal that lends an athlete the endurance needed to perform, it is the meal they eat the night before.

The meal after working out is more important than the meal before because it helps with recovery time.

“Recovery is the most important thing in sports nutrition,” Subach said. “It is recommended that you consume a carbohydrate food 30 minutes after you exercise.”

Nic DeCaire, former body builder and owner of the Fusion Fitness Center on Main street has opened a smoothie bar at his gym for those looking to supplement their nutrition.

“A lot of times, college kids want to eat healthy, but there are limited resources,” DeCaire said. “It’s very easy to eat bad food because it’s cheap.”

The gym offers a wide variety of shakes and smoothies as a healthy alternative, at a relatively cheap price. The smoothies and shakes help with muscle building and fat burning, as well as meal replacement drinks.

He said that is okay to eat the food that you want, but that it is important to eat and drink unhealthy food only in moderation.

DeCaire, who opened Fusion after the gym at which he worked closed, said that he emphasizes a clean, friendly and comfortable atmosphere that will encourage people to come back and get fit.

“We create a sense of community here,” DeCaire siad. “Other people look out for you besides yourself.

There’s some accountability now. If you don’t come in for two weeks, people are going to wonder where you’ve been.”

DeCaire said that comfort was a big factor in a person’s decision to work out because many people feel insecure when first starting out.

“The mental part of physical fitness is a huge part of it,” he said. “You can’t compare your body to anyone else’s body. If you don’t genetically have that six-pack, it’s going to take a lot of work to look like that. You can look good for what your body is.”

my mind off of it,” she said.

Christine Klimik, fitness coordinator for the university, said the goal of the classes is to offer a wide variety of options so that everyone can find one that suits them.

She said it is important the university offers these classes, because they appeal to students who might not want to exercise in a more traditional fashion.

“The classes offer something different for everybody,” she said. “If you come to the gym and you don’t necessarily want to go on the arc trainer or lift weights, then come take a class with an instructor who’s certified.

You’ll get a great work out and you’ll be safe doing it.

It’s just a fun environment.”

Klimik said it is important that students get out and exercise, and the group environment makes the classes more comfortable for students. The classes offer an opportunity for students to do exercises they might not do on their own.

In a nation that has seen obesity rise steadily over the past decade, getting students involved in healthy lifestyles has been an important goal of the university.

Recently, the university began offering students a way to track the progress they have made while working out. The program is called MicroFit, and it serves as a fitness assessment aide for those looking to see a record of the improvements they have made. The tool is available as part of a fitness package offered at the gym and is administered by fitness trainers who then enter a person’s results into the computer. Tests include measuring blood pressure, resting heart rate and body fat. Other tests are more fitness-oriented, including a push-up test, a curl-up test and flexibility measures.

After the data is entered, MicroFit processes the information and tells the person their areas of strength and weakness and how they can improve. It ranks a persons fitness levels with benchmarks for each test. For example, if a participant can do 40 pushups, that is considered excellent, where as a score of 30 is considered fit, 25 would be fair and anything under 20 is considered to need work for a male between the ages of 20 and 29.

The results are based upon a standard across the nation, depending on age and gender.

“You can really measure progress with it,” Klimik said of the program.

OK, my body fat is this percentage and I’d like to see it in a healthy range. You can work on it, come back and we’ll do another assessment for you.”

A printout of the data will show the results of the tests over a period of time.

Also available in the fitness packages offered are fitness assessments, where similar tests are taken and then a workout plan is designed by the gym’s staff, tailored to a specific person’s needs.

“They’ll give us a fitness goal, and we’ll tailor their workout to whatever they want to do,” Isaac Bennett said, one of the staff’s personal trainers. “Say a guy wants to build muscle, his workout is going to be different than a girl that wants to tone her body and lose weight.”

Bennett said one of the challenges facing students is keeping their workouts fresh and interesting. Many students repeat the same exercise day after day and become bored. Further, their bodies adapt to the workouts and the resulting effects become are lessened.

“We’re creatures of habit, so you’re going to do your routine over and over,” Bennet said. “Your body adapts to that routine so you’re not pushing it into overload, which will increase your fitness.”

Fitness, though, runs deeper than just exercise. Along with a workout regimen, it is important to commit to a nutritious diet.

Jeanie Subach, a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist for the Philaldelphia Eagles and 76ers, urges the importance of a healthy and balanced diet for students, especially those who do not have the time for a home cooked meal. Instead of foods high in THE REVIEW/Justin Maurer saturated fats and sugars, she recom- With a variety of options, students tailor their workouts to their needs.

Athletes of the Issue Erik Johnson — Football

Johnson, a senior linebacker for the Hens, led an undermanned defense with 11 tackles, including two for a loss in last week’s 31-14 loss to Richmond.

This season, Johnson ranks fourth on the team in total tackles with 54, to go along with one sack.

Johnson, a native of Fairport NY., is a four year starter for the Hens and is a team co-captain.

Tesia Harris — Basketball

Sophomore shooting guard Harris, helped get the Hens off to a solid start, scoring 18 points to lift the team to a 62-48 win over Columbia in the season opener.

Harris scored 13 of the first 17 Delaware points, and also helped the team from the foul line, hitting six of seven foul shots.

Originally from Dix Hills N.Y., Harris appeared in 29 games last season, averaging 5.4 points per game.

As fan-bases go, football is king Continued from page 28

Groff said while efforts are in place to market all the university’s teams, the specific marketing of football, and, to a lesser extent basketball, is advantageous for all the university’s athletics.

“All the ticket revenue comes back to the department and all the programs rely on that revenue,” she said.

While revenue-producers are king, Curt Krouse, the university’s marketing director, also spearheads efforts to bring attention to a myriad of programs.

“We select certain sports for certain reasons,” Krouse said. “But we have in-game promotions at lacrosse, volleyball and field hockey, too.”

He said the marketing department has utilized Facebook to send out messages of upcoming games in an effort to rile support. Kiosks in Trabant University Center, Cockpit T-shirt giveaways and Greek community CAP points have also been tried.

While football and basketball are the most profitable collegiate sports nationwide, not all schools fit this mold. One of Delaware’s rivals in the CAA, James Madison University, is not considered a “football school.”

According to Marty Scarano, athletic director at the University of New Hampshire, all other sports pale in comparison with ice hockey, a sport relegated to club status at Delaware.

“Ice hockey is really traditional,” Scarano said. “We’ve had a winning tradition being in New England and being close to Boston, so it’s easier recruiting.”

As with other New England schools, hockey is rich in local talent and student interest is greater.

Schools such as Boston University and the University of Maine have

also capitalized on this.

The Wildcats, a perennial powerhouse in NCAA ice hockey, have built a solid fanbase within the school and, according to Johnson, the exposure they give the university helps draw interest from perspective students.

However, especially with the recent success of football, ice hockey is not the only draw at UNH. The Wildcats’ football team has sold its 6,500-seat stadium to almost 150 percent capacity this year, proving that winning is always a recipe for gaining fans.

At other CAA schools, such as James Madison, football remains king. JMU plans to expand the capacity of its 15,000-seat football stadium because of constant sellouts. Mirroring Delaware, football is followed by men’s and women’s basketball, respectively.

JMU’s deputy athletic director Geoff Polglase praised his students’ athletics support, but admitted there was room for improvement.

“We have a core group of fans for every sport and outstanding attendance at events,” Polglase said, optimistically. “But we are under capacity for others.”

He said JMU utilizes marketing methods similar to Delaware’s, as they have the Duke Club, which is similar to the Cockpit.

As for the student-athletes themselves recruiting fans, Groff said they are generally too busy to focus on promoting their sport.

“They just have too much already on their plate,” Groff said.

“To ask them to do more is just too much.”

Scarano, however, said the athletes should recruit fans through their everyday actions.

“One thing we really work on here is the student-athletes need to be respected by the students,” he said. “They can’t walk around with a sense of entitlement.”

November 18, 2008

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