MT Lambda 25
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MTSU Sidelines Oct. Editorially
9,
2013
Independent
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3 NEWS 5 opinions 6 SPORTS 8 FEATURES 10 COVER 12A&E
oll U P MTS eason s efs Flu bri e m Cri
a end mes e Spl u m s t m
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Emily West >> Editor-in-chief
Amanda Gambill >> Managing editor
Stacy Busch >> Online Editor
Chris Bishop >> Online Director
Mamie Nash >> News Editor
Sinclaire Sparkman >> Assistant News Editor Daniel Jansouzian >> Assistant News Editor Bailey Robbins >> Features Editor
Maranda Faris >> Assistant Features Editor
Claire Osburn >> A&E Editor
Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E Editor
Lauren Mandrell >> Assistant A&E Editor Sam Brown >> Sports Editor
Connor Grott >> Assistant Sports Editor Quint Qualls >> Opinions Editor Christine Craft >> Designer
Matt Masters >> Online Photo Editor Kyle Bates >> Print Photo Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser
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MTSU Poll outsourcing, expanding to national level
The MTSU Poll has undergone changes in the past year, outsourcing part of the polling process and expanding from state to national level. The Poll is state-funded with the purpose of providing the people of Tennessee access to the leading public opinion on a selection of public issues. “We cover politics, policy and social issues in the state of Tennessee, and now in the country as well,” said Jason Reineke, MTSU Poll associate director. “We look to provide a voice for people in the state and now in the country. It is also used sometimes for academics.” Data collection was first outsourced last fall. “Prior to that we utilized students to conduct interviews for the polls,” said Ken Blake, director of the MTSU Poll. “We correctly predicted the outcomes of elections and things like that, but what happened in that interim is that more and more people began using cell phones instead of landlines.” The expanding number of cell phone owners made the inclusion of the demographic necessary for the poll findings to be certified nationally, according to Andrew Oppmann, the university’s vice president of marketing and communications, who handles
NEWS
publicity for the Poll.
tribute the data.
use the poll data,” Reineke said.
This addition complicated data collection by adding the concern of mobile phone owners talking to data collectors while driving, which changed the requirements of interviewers.
“For the first time we’re going to be collecting data on a national level. We’ve always been limited to state-level data in the past. It’s also a quicker turn-around time. What this means is that we’ll be able to respond more quickly if there’s something interesting national going on, and we have a unique way to ask about it, we can send out a question and have data inside of a week,” Blake said.
The MTSU Poll has been recognized both nationally and internationally in publications, such as The New York Times, USA Today and The Guardian.
“It just gets pretty complicated, and we thought a little too much to expect of students going into the experience with just kind of a minimal amount of training,” Blake said. The media was also increasingly asking if the poll questions were conducted by professional interviewers, according to Blake. “It used to be a lot of student labor, but now our folks design and analyze the data from the survey. We had to do that in order to be certified by the Associated Press. The Vanderbilt poll did the same thing,” Oppmann said. The outsourcing is done through a bidding process, with the best available offer receiving the contract. This is how the Poll selected the company who collected the data for the most recent fall and spring polls.
The MTSU Poll has previously conducted one poll a semester at the state level. The recent outsourcing will allow more polls to be conducted throughout the year, both small national polls and at least one state-level poll based on issues coming up in the state legislature, according to Blake. Students will play a different part in poll conduction in the future. They will now be analyzing the collected data instead of conducting the interviews.
“Because we are state funded, we will always use the best value. We take our commitment to the taxpayers very seriously,” Reineke said.
Blake will be offering a course on analyzing weighted survey data using Microsoft Excel, and Reineke will be offering a public opinion course, giving students the opportunity to gain experience with dissemination of information. Both courses will begin in the spring semester.
The company selected sends out a data set and collects public response. Students will now analyze and dis-
“We also use the data in graduatelevel classes as part of student assignments, particularly masters thesis to
“We feel like our history and work speak for themselves in that regard,” Reineke said. The topic for the next poll is still under consideration, although the bid for the project will be released on Wednesday. Both Blake and Reineke have been a part of the Poll for several years. Blake founded the MTSU Poll in 1998 with Bob White, who has since retired. Blake was previously the field director for a similar poll at the University of North Carolina while he attended graduate school. “I’ve worked here for 5 years now. The Poll is mainly what attracted me here,” Reineke said. Mamie Nash // News Editor
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NEWS
from coughing to sneezing, what to do
With cooler weather comes flu season, that time of coughing and fevers and, generally, feeling lousy. But students can take a few steps to ensure influenza and all its respiratory ills don’t slow them down this winter.
XAVIER SMITH // CONTRIBUTIN WRITER
classroom to classroom. The CDC recommends that if you feel bad, particularly with a fever, stay home.
“Also, coming to get checked out when you’re sick instead of just going on your own,” added Ragland. “Hand-washing is always a good idea,” said Tabby This is particularly true for dorm and apartment Ragland, director of pharmacy at Middle Tennessee State University’s health services office, located in the dwellers who are in close contact with one another. Rec Center. Signs of the flu include fever, aches and pains, chills, nausea and vomiting and possibly congestion sympAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and toms. Prevention, washing hands often during the day is an excellent preventive measure to stop not only flu, but also the common cold. To properly wash your hands, “The aches and pains are usually what set people off to it,” Ragland said. use warm water and soap, and keep them lathered up for at least 30 seconds. Finally, and probably most importantly, the flu vaccine is now available at Health Services. There have While sanitizing gels may not be as effective as a already been several inoculation days held, but others thorough hand scrubbing, they are good to have around in your book bag. These work without water, are planned. making them easier to use as students move from
CRIME BRIEFS DRUGS Tuesday, Oct. 1, 12:25 a.m. Old Main Circle Authorities arrested Tavion J. Garrett, 19, for simple possession of a schedule IV durg, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of probation. THEFT Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1:13 p.m. James Union Building Complainant reported some
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electronic equipment had been stolen. THEFT Tuesday, Oct. 1, 10:23 p.m. Corlew Hall Victim reported that his backpack and wallet had been stolen. ALCOHOL Wednesday, Oct. 2, 1:48 a.m. City View Dr. Authorities arrested Tyler Miller, 19, for underage consumption and public intoxication.
HIT & RUN Thursday, Oct. 3, 9:40 a.m. Holmes Garage Authorities received a call from Parking Services that a vehicle struck the parking garage and left the scene.
OPINIONS
Zero calories doesn’t Bring back the memes mean zero effect Robert Allen >> Contributing Writer Before cracking open that can of diet soda or pouring those familiar yellow packets of crystalline powder into your morning coffee, consider the risks associated with using the artificial sweetener Splenda. Marketers want you to believe this product is safe, branding it as a zerocalorie sweetener. They want you to believe that getting your sweet fix has no downside. However, zero calories does not translate to zero effect on the body. Splenda is made from sugar, but it’s far from natural. Chemists created this compound by attaching chloride molecules to sucrose. In doing this, scientists made the molecule sucralose — the main ingredient in Splenda — which is not digestible as a food source. The reason sucralose has no calories is because our digestive system cannot extract energy from it. Headaches, rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, liver and thyroid problems and gastrointestinal issues have all been linked to the use of Splenda. Because it is nearly 600 times sweeter than table sugar, it is much more addictive. Ironically enough, zero-calorie Splenda has even been shown to contribute to weight gain when used frequently. Yes, you read that right.
All those zero calorie drinks may lead to weight gain, not weight loss. This phenomenon occurs because Splenda actually stimulates your appetite.
Normally, the digestive process begins when sweet food or drink enters your mouth. In response to your taste buds, enzymes flood your gut to break down food molecules and extract nutrients. Hormones, such as insulin, are released to direct sugar into cells for metabolic processing. Under normal conditions, this process leads to satiety, meaning the cells have received enough energy. All that basically means that you eat food, food breaks down and you feel full.
Emily West>> Editor-in-chief
While walking to class this week, my phone buzzes to tell me that I have one new follower: MTSU Confessions. Puzzled, I swipe my finger across my phone to see its Twitter profile and a link to its Facebook page. Linking to the page, I was appalled and not amused. Hundreds of posts have flooded the page, ranging from students’ promiscuous acts in the Keathley University Center bathroom to conforming to a dating website where users are begging the P.O.D. girl of Peck Hall to meet them.
Continued on page 16.
When you ingest Splenda, your body still senses that sweet taste and gears up for digestion in the same way. This time, however, there is no food to break down. Over time, this can really screw up your biofeedback loop, eventually leading to chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and incomplete digestion. What’s worse is that Splenda actually kills off the good bacteria in your gut, making digestion that much more difficult on an already weakened system. Splenda loves to tout its history of testing and FDA approval, but even those credentials are weak. Much of the testing relates to Splenda’s effect on tooth decay, and only a minority of the testing has been done on humans. Very few, if any studies,
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SPORTS
Reginald Farmer
Started from the bottom, now he is here By William Moore >> Contributing writer
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On the opening day of the football season, Reginald Farmer II took the game day walk with his new Blue Raiders teammates through Walnut Grove. No one was more anxious or gracious for this opportunity than Farmer. Suiting up as a third year player of the Blue Raiders, he is testament to what it takes to become a walk-on defensive safety. Farmer had a scholarship at North Carolina A&T before transferring to Middle Tennessee State University in 2011 to be closer to home. But, he still wanted to play ball. He used his freshmen year to train and prepare himself for tryouts. He trained four times a week with mostly conditioning and weight lifting workouts. The process to walk on to university’s football team includes vigorous tryouts.
The drills test speed, agility and skill. Hopeful players are tested in the 40-yard dash, cone drills and position-specific drills.
of eagerness and readiness to play. Farmer also earned team captain for the WKU game with his performance against Memphis.
After trying out, the exercise science major said that he “kept faith” and waited for a call from the coaches.
“I was so excited that game. I sprinted downfield past everyone and forced a fumble, but I hurt myself in the process,” Farmer said.
Although he didn’t make the team for the fall semester, he was accepted to play in the spring. He was thrilled to officially become a Blue Raider football player. After a couple weeks with the team, Farmer said that he became just another guy on the team.
Farmer quickly recovered and believes his third season is “going good so far.”
“We have a lot of fun and joke a lot, there’s a great camaraderie among us, we are good friends just having a good time,” Farmer said.
SPORTS
“I am a lot more focused. I am the best player I have ever been,” he said. If he doesn’t make it to the NFL after graduating in May 2014, he plans to work at MTSU with strength and conditioning to help future teams.
Farmer’s first game as Blue Raider against Purdue, and Farmer took the field at the beginning of the game as part of the kickoff team. When he left the field, Farmer had recorded the first tackle of the game and of his MTSU career. This wouldn’t be his only display
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features
Don’t be afraid: it’s only zombies mixed with paintball
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features Screams and laughter tear through the chill October darkness and the beating of drums resonatethroughthehills.Crowds follow the gravel drive toward the screaming and roar of chainsaws, some wanting desperately to turn back to the safety of the parking lot, but find turning back impossible. A crowd of unfamiliar faces pushes the fearful guests forward. Is this a nightmare?
few or no issues with the animatronics, fog machines, strobe lights and props.
No. This is Miller’s Thrillers.
T he haunted woods are filled with natural terrors like spiders, bugs and slippery hillsides. The werewolvesandseveredlimbsencountered on the way to the maze are only an added bonus.
eal Estate agent David Miller first R opened the metal gates of his haunted attraction six years ago. "There wasn’t one around, and we alwayslikedfall,”Millersaid.“Sowe started studying the art of scaring.” hen the haunt began, it was just W a haunted maze in the woods on rutted, hilly land.Today, the attraction has grown to include a crew of about 60 actors, the haunted woods, a haunted maze and a hayride unique to Miller’s Thrillers. W orkers for Miller’sThrillers spend nearly all year setting up for only a few weekends in September, October and early November. Gavin Blackhurst, an actor and manager at the haunt, said the set up during operation takes all day, but preparation for the season starts early in April. During operation, setting up the entire haunt for one night takes an hour on a good day. A good day for the crew means encountering
Evenduringthedaylighthours,the woods are eerie enough to still raise goosebumps. Miller constructed his winding maze of chills and thrills on the wooded hillside of an old phosphate mine.
T he workers climb hillsides to spookthosewhoexplorethetrails. Both Miller and the crew are entertained from scaring the wits out of its patrons. t the end of the adrenaline-filled A woods, a haunted house staple exists: The vertigo tunnel. The vertigo tunnel is a spinning room lit with multicolored dots surroundingalong,narrowbridge with only one way out. Only disorientation, frustration and maybe a few chainsaw-wielding monsters stand between haunt-goers and the exit. “Thattunnelishomemade,” Blackhurst snickered, pointing at the bicycle tires which constantly spin and rotate the contraption. The walls, tunnels and buildings at Miller’s Thrillers are set up year afteryearbyhand.Drivingthrough
“the city” set up in an adjacent field,hemotionedtowardthevinyl walls. “Those were perfect last year, but we left them up,” he added, recalling a storm that came through andmangledthewoodensupport beams. He adjusted one of the ruined structures that took months to remedy. Miller’sThrillersincludesanattraction unique in the world of haunts: A Zombie Paintball Hayride. Miller constructed the idea after hearing of roughly the same concept while on a trip. In 2011, Miller made the concept a reality and allowed his visitors to fight a zombie horde out of a makeshift city. Guestsareprovidedpaintballguns mounted to the railings of a trailer and driven through the hayride horror fans dream of. “It’s appropriatefor allages,”Miller said. “So, people who are too scared for haunts, love it because, it’s not so in your face.” Blackhurst added that it appeals to young adults and teenagers, because it’s like a video game. He said it’s reminiscent of “Call of Duty,” while Miller compares it to a “duck hunt on steroids.” Regardless, it takes a bit of precision, but mostly a whole lot of fright. The haunt grows larger each year. When Miller began, his purpose wastoentertainpeoplewhowanted something scary and close to
Creepy Address: 1431 Carter’s Creek Pike Spooky Dates: Every weekend in October, Halloween and the first weekend in November Haunted Times: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. To purchase terrifying tickets: www.millersthrillers.net
home. Six years later, creeping out the public has not led him from his main priority of making people happy. “My favorite is when customers feel satisfied and tell me they enjoyed it,” Miller said passionately. Maranda Faris // Assistant Features Editor
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COVER
flag with one carried during the homecoming parade. The organization has faced this type of controversy since the very beginning.
MT Lambda, a student group dedicated to the rights of gays and lesbians, will have its birthday Oct. 20 after celebrating sexual diversity on campus for 25 years. “We always say that MTSU is the most inclusive university in the state for LGBT,” said Josh Rigsby, Lambda president. For the next month, the atrium in the library will display the span of LGBT history and relics of Lambda’s past. One relic, the pink triangle, serves as the backdrop for Lambda’s anniversary crest and has been around since the days of the holocaust. Adolf Hitler pinned the symbol on individuals to single them out as homosexuals in concentration camps, just as he pinned the yellow star to Jews. Thirty years later, the gay pride movement of the 1970s made it a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ community. Lambda continued the tradition by adopting it as their quiet symbol of solidarity during the inception of the group in 1988. The library display also features a pride flag, which is embossed with 50 white stars and six rainbow stripes instead of 13 red and white stripes. This flag caused enough angst that it was stolen around 5 p.m. on homecoming Saturday. Club officers have replaced the stolen
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John Weaver, one of the three Lambda founders, was a victim of hate speech and discrimination during his first day of class. He recalled being called a “silly faggot” by his classmates and ridiculed for his sexual orientation. Sidelines also published editorialized articles, which were a biased and false representation of the university’s gay culture, Weaver said. The newspaper reported false sexual encounters in the Kirksey Old Main and Keathley University Center bathrooms, and many of the quotes were fabricated, according to Rigsby. Weaver and his friends, Richie Smith and Daniel Webster, were shocked and hurt by the articles, as were others in the LGBTQ community. They decided to take action and start a student organization where all could feel welcome. As an international relations major, Weaver was already trying to start a foreign language club. When inquiring about starting a club, he asked about starting Lambda. “We ran through the list of things that we had to do: write a constitution and get so many people to sign it [and] find a faculty advisor. So we finished all that, and I looked up and said ‘what if we started a gay group?’ And he said, as long as it meets the criteria of any other student organization, you’ll be good to go,” said Weaver, who is still a paying member of the club. Finding a faculty adviser was the
COVER hardest part of initiating the club, according to Weaver. Even though one professor shied away because of a tentative tenure status, Deborah Anderson, a theater professor, volunteered to become the first faculty adviser. The original constitution had 13 signatures. In the age before mainstream computer technology, the Lambda students crafted ways to spread the word. An answering machine was set up with a message about the meeting place and time, and posters were put up around campus with the number. “We actually got death threats recorded on [the answering machine],” Weaver said. He described putting up posters for the club before an hour-long class, and when he got out of class the posters would be “ripped down and have horrible things written on them.” The early days of Lambda were rife with hatred and troubles. “People used to have to plan who they’re going to walk to their car with after they left Lambda,” Rigsby said. Now, the university is praised by those in the LGBTQ community as one of the most inclusive and welcoming universities in the state.
“I’m standing here today with our pins and not being yelled at,” said Chris Wysocki, freshman public relations officer for Lambda. “It really shows how even though it wasn’t immediate for them it really does become something great. MTSU is a great example of a school that didn’t really have a strong LGBTQ community, and now they have one of the best nondiscrimination policies in Tennessee.”
Brandon Thompson, a former vice president of Lambda in 2009, worked with the Student Government Association to pass a bill that added gender identity to the nondiscrimination policy.
Lambda started a campaign in 1995 that would forever change the university for those in the LGBTQ community. Jeff Hendricks, the ’95 president, established the Uniform Equality Committee to review the nondiscrimination policy because it did not include sexual orientation.
Besides legislation, Lambda has sponsored events that have impacted its campus community.
The UEC presented its findings March 28, 1996, to several university officials including the then president James Walker. The committee was ignored. University president Sidney McPhee changed that status in 2001 when the faculty senate reviewed policy and voted for its addition to the nondiscrimination policy. “McPhee is supportive of anything the students do regardless of whether they’re gay or not. McPhee is supportive of academic freedom,” Rigsby said.
“A big part of the reason of why MTSU is so accepting is because Lambda has been here for 25 years, and we haven’t just sat quietly in a corner,” Rigsby said.
Judy Sheppard came to speak in 2003 during the club’s first SpringOut! celebration. She is the mother of a young man who was brutally murdered because of his sexual orientation. The Tennessee Room in the James Union Building was full of hundreds of students, faculty and staff, Rigsby recalled.
on the university roster is female. The group is planning a major conference for the spring that will cost around $65,000, but attendance will be free for students statewide. The group plans to fundraise to cover the costs and use zero funding from the university. “A conference is a big step in the right direction for what we do,” Rigsby said. The organization is also partnering with the department of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs to explore the idea of getting a center for LGBTQ students established on campus in future. “This is not a center for Lambda. This is a center for all LGBT students,” Rigsby said. Sinclaire Sparkman >>Assistant News Editor
“The atmosphere at MTSU was noticeably different the day after this event,” Rigsby said. After a quarter of a decade, Lambda continues to focus on getting the state to allow people who identify as the sex that is opposite of their biological structure changed on their birth certificate. This is a major issue for transgender people because although a person may look male, their name
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A&E
Picking the perfect pumpkin Noel Heath Assistant A&E Editor Among the many festivities that accompany the arrival of fall in Middle Tennessee, pumpkin patches remain a seasonal favorite. Hayrides, corn mazes and the crunch of newly fallen leaves underfoot as you scout for the perfect jack-o-lantern become cherished memories as the transition from summer to winter begins. To make the hunt easy as you look for pumpkins to assemble your pies and embellish your walkways, we explored a few local farms to make your pumpkin picking and harvesttime fun better than ever.
Lucky Ladd Farms 4374 Rocky Glade Road Eagleville
Walden Farms 8653 Rocky Fork Road Smyrna This family farm encourages you to bring a wagon to load up with their beautiful selection of assorted pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. Pumpkins are only $3 a pop, and they’re waiting patiently to be picked. If baking isn’t your expertise, visit the Craft Cabin for supplies and ideas to incorporate into your seasonal home decor. Pumpkin fudge, roasted pumpkin seeds and chocolate-dipped cheesecake are only a few of the finger-licking goodies Walden has to offer. Between pumpkin picking and eating, you can get your face painted, relax on a hayride or take a ride on the “Pumpkin Train.” Admission to the Hay Maze and Animal Farm is free for everyone. For only $4 you can enter the Activity Area, which houses an intricate corn maze, the hay mountain, a 40-foot slide, the “Creepy Corner” and more.
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Grandaddy’s Farm 454 Highland Ridge Road Estill Springs The Dixon Family has been farming at this location since 1951 and knows exactly how to help get your fall feasting and decorating on point. Their Fall Market features more than 35 varieties of mums and more than 100 varieties of pumpkins, winter squash and gourds. Indian corn, cornstalk bundles and painted gourds are also up for grabs. They have an eclectic animal barn and also host pig races at “Bacon Run.” During daylight hours you’re invited to take a walk on the nature trail that runs along the farm’s natural spring. A hayride conveniently takes you up to their largely assorted pumpkin patch. Some of the concessions available onsite are hot chili, soft pretzels and, of course, all-natural pumpkin pies. Admission is $8, and pumpkins are individually priced.
The pumpkins at Lucky Ladd Farms, just south of Nashville, range from mini to giant and come in 10 different varieties. From 50 cents to $30, there’s an ideal option for any purpose and budget. With 60 acres of breathtaking Tennessee land and more than 70 activities, plan on spending a long day or several exploring this destination. The petting zoo features more than 100 fuzzy farm animals. Master carvers can showcase their jack-o-lantern skills in pumpkin carving contests. You can also visit the onsite Red Barn Country Store for delicious local treats, such as homemade pies and breads, fruit butter, kettle corn and caramel apples. For fall fun after dark, get lost in the flashlight corn maze, observe the land on a moonlit wagon ride or stroll the wooded trail of “Pumpkin Hollar,” featuring hand-carved, candle-lit pumpkins. Check out the farm’s annual “Great Pumpkin Smash” event Nov. 2 to recycle your Halloween pumpkins by dropping them sky-high, bowling with them or using a slingshot to catapult them through the air. Admission is $10.
It is your world, make it creamy. With midterms right around the corner, every college student needs to de-stress and cool down with Creamy World, a fresh frozen yogurt, ice cream and smoothie bar. The fluorescent green and orange walls paired with the ‘50’s-dinerinspired checkered floor are sure to wake you up in this spacious place. But you aren’t here for the decor, you’re here to pull the levers to more than ten rotating flavors of frozen yogurt. With flavors ranging from triple chocolate and Tahitian vanilla, to Valencia orange sorbet and sea salt caramel pretzel, you’re sure to find a sweet satisfier. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can swirl flavors, such as key lime bar
Farms, a frozen yogurt provider that mixes fresh milk, dairy and real fruit with other whole ingredients to create yummy yogurts and sorbets. If you’re not interested in frozen yogurt or think desserts shouldn’t be healthy, then check out the ice cream bar. The frozen treats display an array of flavors, such as the unique spumoni, the foreverloved O’Charley’s caramel pie and a refreshing blackberry cordial. If you don’t want to bother with anything you can eat with one of Creamy World’s brightly colored plastic spoons, try a smoothie instead. With eight different offerings, you’re sure to find one that goes down smoothly. Tell your
A&E
mom that you ate your fruits and veggies after you try the carrot orange vegetable medley and the wild cherry cranberry. Think smoothies are boring versions of ice cream? Add a kick with the sustained high-energy blend or multi-vitamin and mineral blend.
No matter what sweet mood you’re in, you’re sure to be satisfied at Creamy World. Amanda Gambill // Managing Editor
and birthday cake. Load up your cup with some, or all, of its 58 toppings, such as granola, sour gummy worms, strawberry mochi or Twix. Good thing specials and discounts can be found on its Facebook page, Creamy World Frozen Yogurt N More. Use a coupon and double up on the Ghirardelli chocolate and caramel sauces, hot fudge or marshmallow fluff. If you get too caught up in the froyo fun, you may find yourself spending more than expected. Typical of any frozen yogurt place, the price you pay is related to cup you weigh. What makes Creamy World different is its supplier, Honey Hill SIDELINES | Oct. 9, 2013 | www.mtsusidelines.com 13
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A&E
The Transformation of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman “Chemistry is the study of change. It is growth, then decay, then transformation,” Walter White spouted off to his uninterested high school chemistry class five seasons ago. What we didn’t know was that Mr. White was talking about himself and that this concept would serve as the iconic show’s theme. The cult classic ended poetically, Sunday, Sept. 29. It is the end of an era where viewers don’t have to choose between a good concept, good writing and good acting. So here’s to the study of transformation and the legend of the aging chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin and the broken thug turned free and enlightened. Caution: If you are not caught up on “Breaking Bad,” do not continue reading. When we first met Walter White, he was a meek, vanilla, middleaged high school chemistry teacher. Then he got cancer. To say contracting a life-threatening illness changes someone is an un-
derstatement. Walt, however, took this to mean he should start making methamphetamine to leave his family money. Walt is “awake” and his alter ego, Heisenberg, is born. Jesse Pinkman was first introduced to us as amateur meth cooker, “Captain Cook.” He was a punk kid in baggie clothes, who said “yo” and “b—” and used his product as much as he made it. His company of choice went by the names of Combo, Skinny Pete and Badger. That is, until he met Jane. The sexy/artist/junkie combination had Jesse falling hard. He became loving, sensitive and high. Walt, on the other hand, with two murders under his belt, had hardened. The story pivoted when he watched a heroin-riddled Jane choke on her own vomit and did nothing because she was a threat. While Jane’s death shook Jesse to his core, even leading to a stint in rehab, Walt grew colder, chalking up her death to a meaningless necessity. Along with his transgressions came the lies. Who can forget the site of a naked Walt standing in front of a grocery store refrigerator? By this time Gus Fring is in Walt and Jesse’s lives. While Jesse is still broken, Walt grows increasingly established in the meth game. His blue product is in such high demand, that Walt realizes his vast control. And with this newfound realization comes this insatiable thirst for power that cannot be quenched. The more broken Jesse becomes
the easier it is for Walt to manipulate him. This is most evident when Walt poisons Jesse’s girlfriend’s son to elicit his help in the war against Gus. This deranged deed alone proves how far Walt will go to protect his empire. Now we’re to the ricin-making, bomb-building Walt. Living in fear becomes a constant for Walt. Every decision he makes is done with good intentions and an end game in mind. When Walt calls Skyler and utters the words “I won,” he truly becomes Heisenberg. With Gus finally out of the way, Walt assumes the position of alpha dog. Meanwhile, Jesse is reeling over killing Gale, an order given to him by Walt. Hatred and resentment bubble up inside Jesse from all the pain Walt has caused. Just in time for Hank to come face to face with some hard cold truth: Walt is Heisenberg. Walt, beyond salvation, and Jesse, full of apathy, are now enemies. Jesse feels betrayed by the one constant in his life, and Walt feels hated. There’s no going back. Especially after Hank’s death, the one time in season five the new Walt expresses pure sadness. Now he’s an exile, and Jesse is a prisoner subjected to the same emotional and physical abuse. He does, however, pull it together enough to stick it to Walt one last satisfying time. While Walt maintains his uniform of a bland button up, khakis and Clarks Wallabees throughout the
entirety of the show — aside from his various hairstyles — the real change is in the way he stares coldly, the snarl in his lips and the deep voice that shakes you to the core. However, Jesse exchanges his Eminem-style wardrobe for that of a more mature man. His emotions convey the hell he’s endured, from blowing everything off, to meth binges and tears, to feeling numb. When Jesse is shown for the last time, he is part crying, part laughing and part screaming as he drives until his old life is far behind him. While Walt is shown, he has a smirk across his face, dying on the floor of the place that changed him. “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. I was alive,” Walt said to Skyler in the series finale. That’s what you call a transformation.
“I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. I was alive,” Walt said to Skyler in the series finale. Claire Osburn //A&E Editor
SIDELINES | Oct. 9, 2013 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15
OPINIONS Splenda continued from page 5 any studies, look into the long-term effects of using Splenda, and I believe that’s where all the risks are. Anything artificial used repeatedly has to have an effect on our bodies, right?
Memes continued from page 5 Some of the posts are heartfelt with compliments of random passersby on campus, and some contain a more serious undertone with students struggling with their insecurities.
It took me just five minutes of scrolling on the page to decide I am not going to come back, and it led me to one conclusion: I miss the MTSU Memes page.
We can’t actually believe that all of that fine powder passes right through our bodies each time.
I don’t see much of a problem with that. In fact, I think it’s kind, and some users are sweet to those looking for advice.
My freshman year of college is when the meme movement began. I miss Willy Wonka sarcastically making fun of campus parking and the classic smart-aleck jerk in class.
I would venture to say that a small portion of it remains inside our digestive system and cells, like a stockpile of sand. And in those quantities, this seemingly harmless product is toxic.
However, I am not sure I understand the overall purpose. I have no time to sleep much less spend my time confessing my supposed sins to Facebook.
I miss Success Baby cheering me on when I have finals. I miss the crying girl understanding my daily struggle to make it to class or my lack of laundry choices.
Research still needs to be done to have the final say on the matter, but I wouldn’t risk it — especially not for a sweet fix.
If the page is supposed to make me laugh, I am the one laughing last. Most of the posts are not even real confessions.
I miss when Chemistry Cat helped me with homework. And how could I forget about my penguins, socially awkward and awesome. Plus, we cannot forget Scumbag Steve and Good Guy Greg.
I am not sure provoking arguments about religious extremists are, in any capacity, a confession, much less is telling the world you ate McDonald’s today. Those aren’t secrets, unless you are ashamed of eating that 1,000 calorie Big Mac and don’t want the world to judge. Stop searching for your next one-night stand or hookup. This isn’t Craigslist. These are personal problems you should not even anonymously share with the world.
I miss the wisdom of Philosoraptor. I miss the memes that involve popular university members. Most of all, I miss the Most Interesting Man in the World. Memes were funny. They poked fun at sensitive campus topics without being hateful, and they managed to make me laugh. The MTSU Memes page hasn’t made a new post since Feb. 7.
This is my rally call to bring back the memes. You have a following of almost 3,000 people, 50 percent more than MTSU Confessions.