MTSU
SIDELINES
3// 26// 2014 E D I T O R I A L LY INDEPENDENT
Tuition bill geared toward immigrant students Pg. 4 Female authors you can’t miss Pg. 6 Bringing 2-D paper to life Pg. 12-13 A man’s perspective of feminism Pg. 15 A statement of courage, commitment and character Pgs. 10-11
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3 NEWS 6 A&E 10 COVER 12 Features 14 OPINIONS 15 SPORTS S T A F F
Emily West >> Editor-in-chief John Coulston >> Assistant A&E Editor
Amanda Gambill >> Managing editor Sam Brown >> Sports Editor
Quint Qualls >> News Editor Connor Grott >> Assistant Sports Editor
Daniel Jansouzian >> Assistant News Editor Robert Allen >> Opinions Editor Taylor Davis >> Assistant News Editor Laurel O’Neill >> Designer
Bailey Robbins >> Features Editor Cat Murphy >> Photo Editor
Claire Osburn >> A&E Editor
Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E and Features Editor
2 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Maranda Faris >> Copy Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser
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Cover designed by Laurel O’Neill, Emily West and Cat Murphy. Women featured on cover in random order: Jonell Hinsey, Ebony Rowe, Olivia Jones, Kelsey Lebechuck, Zeny Panol, Irma Melton, Beverly Keel, Mariela Fernandez de Quinto, Blanca Daza de Martinez, Amelie Lonia, Magaly Estrada, Ola Al Zoabi, Seira Takahashi, Yeain Choi, Alya Aljuaid, Marwa Al Busaidi, Beatriz Pena, Asha Patel, Chi Zhang, Dulce Tores, Elizabeth McPhee, Priscilla Oboh, Hai Chin Hsu, Emily West and Amanda Gambill.
NEWS Student Services Center and One Stop now open for students By Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor After nearly two years of construction, about 100 employees from five offices and two buildings moved into the new Student Services Center during spring break last week.
at 6 p.m. when the building closes, a door that has “I am” printed on it will close and complete the message, “I Am True Blue.”
“This building is for students,” Laurie Witherow, associate vice provost of admissions, said. “Now they don’t have to walk all over campus to complete their enrollment process.”
A cannon ball fireplace is located underneath the staircase to warm up the lobby during the winter and 9 screen television monitor hangs on the left wall, the same size as the entrance monitor in the Student Union Building.
Witherow said she believes student recruitment will benefit from the new building and the MT One Stop, a second floor counter that serves students in everything from financial aid and scholarships to transcripts and admissions.
Located adjacent to the lobby, visitors will meet in the new campus tour room able to sit 75 people. Witherow said this is something MTSU has never had before and hopes is will bring more visitors to the campus.
As soon as a student walks into the building they see Witherow’s favorite place: the lobby with plush chairs and spacious waiting areas for visitors.
“The architects call the Student Union and Student Services Center sister buildings because the design is very similar,” Witherow said.
The second floor balcony has the inscription “True Blue” printed across the glass railing. Witherow calls it “I am True Blue” because,
Upstairs, Witherow lead Sidelines staff through the One Stop and through the offices behind the counter. Also offered at the One Stop is the food pantry located among the offices that
students can come when they are hungry and cannot afford groceries that week. There are also different lounging areas located throughout the building with computer hookups and wi-fi for the entire center. Connecting the building to the Student Union and the MTSU Blvd. parking garage, the walkway is open to all students this week. According to Witherow, they will close the bridge when the Student Union closes. Students will walk through the second floor hallway to the parking garage and the wall will close off the rest of the building at 6 p.m.. Witherow said some of the staff were in tears when they moved in last week. “We have waited on this for a lot longer than two years,” she said. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@ mtsusidelines.com. Follow us on Twitter @mtsusidelines.
At the beginning of the week, the One Stop Shop had its grand opening along with Blue Print. Photo by Daniel Jansouzian. SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3
NEWS ‘Tuition Equality’ bill aims to empower immigrant students By Quint Qualls // News editor
Proponents of the bill raised awareness of the issue throughout Nashville. Photo provided.
In-state college tuition will become available to undocumented immigrants if the “Tuition Equality” bill that is currently making its way through the state legislature passes.
nessee who hope to attend in-state schools are required to pay out-of-state tuition, more than three times what their documented counterparts pay.
Undocumented students who attend Tennessee schools for five years prior to graduating high school and meet the academic requirements of the Hope scholarship will have access to instate tuition if the bill becomes law.
“Just imagine you and somebody else can start off in kindergarten with the exact same footing,” Kokoye said, “and go all the way through, but once you get to 12th grade, you’re going to start applying to colleges, and they can’t or they have to give an arm and a leg to get the same applications fulfilled as you would. This bill would basically level the playing field for undocumented students and give them the opportunities they need.”
Drost Kokoye, a recent MTSU alumnus and a refugee from Kurdistan, has worked with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition to make the “Tuition Equality” bill a reality. Although refugees have access that undocumented immigrants do not, she could attest to the many struggles that immigrants face in coming to the United States. “As immigrants there are so many different hurdles put in front of us to get that American dream, that promised light at the end of the tunnel that you think of when you come to America. The ‘Tuition Equality’ bill would basically make it easier for undocumented students to jump one of those hurdles that a lot of people are having a hard time with as it is,” Kokoye said. At the present, undocumented students of Ten4 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Schools affiliated with the University of Tennessee system do not allow acceptance of undocumented students. “This is a common sense proposal,” said Eben Cathey, communications coordinator for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. “This is a proposal that benefits our higher education institutions and our economy, and it’s the right thing to do for these young people who deserve an opportunity to get a college degree.” The “Tuition Equality” bill has garnered bipartisan support from legislators across the
state, including House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick who said he wished to co-sponsor the bill earlier this month. “There’s been kind of a shift in the climate of how people view immigration issues,” Cathey said. “And I think Tennessee lawmakers have decided that immigrants are contributors to our state and they deserve access to things other Tennesseans have access to, like in-state tuition.” The Tennessee Board of Regents, the higher education system that MTSU is a part of, currently has a policy that denies in-state tuition to undocumented students, but the “Tuition Equality” bill will change that policy if passed. “We expect this bill could bring more students into our institutions – students who most likely would not have previously enrolled because of out-of-state costs,” said Monica GreppinWatts, TBR communications director. “There is a great benefit of serving these students and increasing the number of college-educated individuals in our state.” To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sidelines_news and @mtsusidelines.
NEWS CRIME BRIEFS ARREST Greenland Drive March 21, 9:46 a.m. On March 21, Murfreesboro Police reported the arrest of Samuel Hunter, 19, for driving under the influence, underage consumption of alcohol, underage possession of alcohol and reckless driving to MTSU Public Safety. ALCOHOL Homecoming Circle March 21, 1:57 a.m. Authorities issued a state citation to Kelsey Dempsey, 19, for underage consumption of alcohol. ASSAULT Corlew Hall March 20, 10:35 p.m. A victim reported that a non-student assaulted her. VANDALISM Ezell Hall Lot March 20, 6:55 p.m. A complainant reported that her vehicle had been vandalized.
THEFT Corlew Hall March 17, 8:35 p.m. A theft and simple assault were reported at McCallie Dining Hall. ASSAULT Murphy Center March 15, 6:37 p.m. An alleged assault was reported at the Murphy Center. THEFT Corlew Hall March 15, 5:40 p.m. A complainant reported his bicycle had been stolen.
RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT MTSU Boulevard March 20, 4:40 p.m. Authorities arrested Xavier D. Martin, 20, for felony reckless endangerment and issued him a state citation for HOV lane violation and improper turn. CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION Off-Campus March 20, 12:39 a.m. Authorities arrested Justin Hall, 22, for criminal impersonation and two violations of probation warrants.
TRAFFIC Champion Way March 18, 4:59 p.m. Complainant reported a hit and run that occurred on March 16. SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 5
A&E Looking for Ms. Right on the bookshelf By Taylor Davis // Assistant News Editor In a world where 83 percent of authors in the United States are men, according to a 2011 study by VIDA, an online organization for women in the literary arts, we should celebrate and recognize female authors who have created quite a buzz with their best sellers and movie adaptations. So grab your library card and start searching the shelves for these women’s works:
Veronica Roth
The 25-year-old Northwestern graduate has written three best-sellers so far. The “Divergent” trilogy has sparked curiosity among the masses making the best-seller list in its first week of publication. It was nominated for “Choice Book” in the 2013 Teen Choice Awards and has been made into a major motion picture currently in theaters starring Shailene Woodley.
Richelle Mead
The 37-year-old Michigan native created the six book series “Vampire Academy,” which has also recently been made into a feature film. A sequel series called “Bloodlines” is currently in progress with four books already completed, and another title, “Silver Shadows, ”releasing soon.
Veronica Rossi
This author is not quite as popular as the others, but her series “Under the Never Sky” has been adorning the shelves of bookstores since the beginning of 2012. Her books hit the best-seller list in February 2014 with a possible movie deal in the works.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
You may know this woman’s voice from Beyoncé’s girl power jam “***Flawless.” Born in Nigeria, Adichie has written four books and in was featured on The New Yorker. Her second novel, “Half of a Yellow Sun,” won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007. In 2013 “Half a Yellow Sun” was released as a film starring Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofur.
Suzanne Collins
addiction, mental illness, prostitution, Hopkins is the New York Times best-selling author of “Crank,” “Burned,” and several other novels. Hopkins’ daughter was kidnapped by the girls’ father for three years, and the author has said she based her most famous novel “Crank” loosely on her daughter’s addiction to crystal meth.
J.K. Rowling
No list of successful authors is complete without the woman whose “Harry Potter” books took the world by storm. This author led a “rags-to-riches” lifestyle, which started with her on state benefits and ended with her as a billionaire. Rowling had her “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” manuscript rejected by 12 different publishing houses before it was picked up. Rowling was told when it hit the bookstores that she should get a day job. Since her success, she’s written two books for adults, one under the name Robert Galbraith.
Janet Evanovich
This 70-year-old author has written more than 30 books in her time, topping multiple best-seller lists throughout the years. Her most attracting series is the Stephanie Plum mystery novels, book number one titled “One for the Money,” which was recently adapted to a film starring Katherine Heigl.
Nora Roberts
Roberts has written more than 200 books, 184 of which were bestsellers. Since 1991, her books have spent more than 972 weeks on the best-seller list, adding up to almost 19 consecutive years. In addition to her incredible number of romance novels, she’s also written crime fiction under the pseudonym J.D. Robb.
Eleanor Catton
A Canadian native raised in New Zealand, Eleanor Catton was the youngest shortlisted for and eventual winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2013 for her second novel, “The Luminaries”. The historical fiction novel, at 832 pages, is also the longest work to win.
Collins created “The Hunger Games” series in 2008, entrancing readers so much that it stayed on the best-sellers list for more than 60 consecutive weeks. “The Hunger Games” series not only captivated the audiences on the page, but on the screen as well, starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. In 2012, Amazon announced that Collins had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time.
Warsan Shire
Ellen Hopkins
Laurel O’Neill contributed to this report.
Most notable for her novels about teenage struggles from drug 6 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014| www.mtsusidelines.com
Having gained much of her popularity through the internet, Warsan Shire is a 26-year-old British-Somali poet whose work shows a range of themes, from heartbreak to loss to activism. She has published one book, “Teaching My Mother To Give Birth”, and she was named the first Young Poet Laureate of London in October 2013.
A&E ‘Girls’ season 3 leaves lasting impression By Claire Osburn // A&E Editor
Broadway and breakups rocked the “Girls’” finale Sunday night in what was a lovely summation of the third season. I’ve always had a special relationship with “Girls.” I appreciate its brutal honesty and cultural relevance. Despite its randomness, it has the ability to make me laugh, cringe and empathize all at the same time. This season came with its new version of the same old problems. Charlie leaves Marnie feeling lost and insecure, Shoshanna’s stuck in a post Ray, party girl haze, Jessa ditches rehab and Hannah is suffering her usual career and relationship pitfalls. Adam’s eccentric sister comes to crash right before he lands a role on Broadway, making Hannah question her own success. An advertising position at GQ offers her little more than free snacks, a wicked hangover and a hang session with Patti LuPone.
An innocent girls trip to the beach has the foursome hashing out two and a half seasons worth of issues, made infinitely worse by the party crashing Elijah and his posse. His perfectly snarky commentary is the highlight of the season. The most talked about, however, are Hannah’s questionable outfit choices, which range from high waist pleated pants, to bondage lingerie. Marnie attempts to fill the Charlie shaped hole in her life with sex from Ray and flirting with Desi, Adam’s drifter-esque costar. They bond over folk tunes and sexual tension. Shoshanna’s shrill urgency and elaborate topknots are better than ever. As is Jessa’s wardrobe, and former junkie indifference. By far the best part of this series, though, is the soundtrack. Featuring an eclectic mixture of old school and dance pop tracks, the chosen tunes perfectly narrate the array of emotions watching an episode of “Girls” warrants.
Worth the “ews” and “ahs” are this season’s twelve episodes, whose painfully awkward confrontations, realizations and disappointments are part of its appeal. This less hipster, more realistic approach seems to be working for show creator/ writer/star Lena Dunham, evident by the season four renewal. Will Hannah choose grad school over Adam? Will Marnie get over herself? Will Jessa finally get her life together? Will Shoshanna ever graduate and grow up? Either way failed relationships, dramatic showdowns and passionate freak-outs will continue to be shamelessly had, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. To contact the A&E editor, email Claire Osburn at ae@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sidelines_ae and @mtsusidelines. SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 7
A&E “Nymphomaniac: Vol. I” paints a beautiful portrait of passion, tragedy By Brad Belemjian // Staff Writer Lars von Trier has made a name for himself in the world of cinema within the past five years by writing and directing such films as “Melancholia” and the highly controversial “Antichrist.” The first volume of Von Trier’s two-part sex epic, “Nymphomaniac” concludes his self-proclaimed “Trilogy of Depression” with the story of Joe, portrayed by Charlotte Gainsbourg, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who is taken in off the streets by Seligman, played by Stellan Skarsgård, after Joe is brutally beaten and left for dead. She begins to reflect back on the events of her life that defined her as a nymphomaniac. The majority of the film is told through lengthy flashbacks where young Joe, played by newcomer Stacy Martin, begins to explore her insatiable sexual compulsions through dangerous competitions, like determining who can seduce the most men on a train ride, or having at least 10 consecutive partners in a single day. The role of young Joe strikes the perfect balance of eroticism and deep emotional pain all throughout Martin’s incredible performance. Even more impressive is that this is her first role in a feature film. Martin delivers captivating insight into her character and allows the audience to feel her highest highs and her lowest lows. Shia LaBeouf also stars as Jerôme, the man Joe gave her virginity to and continues to become increasingly infatuated with over 8 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | mtsusidelines.com
the course of the film. Aside from the recent controversy surrounding LaBeouf, he delivers a worthy performance, even though his British accent tends to fade during a few scenes. Other impressive performances include Christian Slater as Joe’s father, Uma Thurman as a distressed wife and Sophie Kennedy Clark as Joe’s childhood companion. A film such as this one relies on strong, committed actors and actresses to intrigue the audience and bring them into their world, which in this aspect, “Nymphomaniac: Volume I” absolutely accomplishes. As a writer, Von Trier’s style is like none other’s in the film industry today. His expertly crafted narrative brings his characters to life in ways no writer has ever done. An interesting aspect of this film is the careful inclusion of analogies. Von Trier relates the pursuit of sex to fly fishing with the character of Seligman. He incorporates the music of Dmitri Shostakovich and the odd choice of the German metal band Rammstein. The dialogue is sharp, biting and occasionally, quite humorous. Every line is carefully constructed and creates what could have been an offensively exploitative train wreck into a provocative, unflinching look into the life of a distressed woman with a serious mental illness. Von Trier’s use of visuals in his films is one of his well-known trademarks as a director. During scenes between Joe and Seligman, brief clips of stock footage and home videos
intersect the dialogue. For example, Seligman says, “If you have wings, why not fly?” Then a model airplane flying through the air appears on screen without warning. This inclusion of strange visuals may seem unfocused when reading about it, but they add to Von Trier’s vision in unexpected ways. The film as a whole is beautiful with his use of bleak, pastel colors that create a visually appealing experience, while painting a dark, emotional portrait. Von Trier is no stranger to controversy after his polarizing tale of grief “Antichrist” in 2009. “Nymphomaniac” is no exception. Many have criticized the film as “glorified pornography” but I would have to disagree to a certain extent. While there are multiple scenes of graphic sexual content, it is filmed in such a way that is much more than just pornography. One exception to that point though is in the final scene, which barely crosses the line from provocative art to pornography. Although I have personal issues with the final scene, the last few seconds are imperative to the character progression of Joe. “Nymphomaniac: Volume I” is a rare, thrilling look into the life of a woman with an uncommon and misunderstood mental illness. Von Trier brings his best elements to the table and creates a film unlike any other. The narrative excels from expert writing and an astounding performance from Martin. “Nymphomaniac Vol. I,” although not for everyone, is a prime example of what careful and passionate filmmaking can create.
MTSU
SIDELINES Looking for the next editor-in-chief Applications due April 11.
Candidates for the position must be currently enrolled students in good standing, have a 2.5 minimum GPA and have two semesters of media experience. Submit a resume, a cover letter, three samples of writing and three letters of recommendation. One must be from outside the college. Deliver to Leon Alligood, Sidelines adviser, Box 8 or deliver applications to the Center for Innovation in Media. Editor selection interviews will be held April 18.
SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 9
COVER
tipping the scales: one woman’s mission to do right By Amanda Gambill // Managing Editor Nestled in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership on the second floor of the Student Union Building are two offices, denoted only by blue script on the wall reading “June Anderson Center.” A quick glance and students might miss it. These are the offices of June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students.
Barbara Scales, the director, has a decorated office with posters of past center events, MT Lambda events and photos of her husband and son. It is clear she has made the university home after being here just a year and a half. One aspect of Scales’ job is scheduling the programming for Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “honoring women of courage, character and commitment.” Scales embodies just that.
Courage With 17 years of experience in social services, Scales, 41, has always been a source of strength for others. From dealing with college students who report rape to investigating child abuse cases as an investigator for child welfare in Texas, Scales has faced difficult situations head on. As a young woman, a friend confided that a family member had sexually abused her. Helping her friend led her to a social justice career. “I want to do something that brings awareness about men who do that kind of thing to their daughters, and so when I got into college and began to look into fields ... I began to think about that, and that was probably when it really started — when I really wanted to do something to bring awareness of child sexual abuse and issues and when it comes
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to women and young girls,” she said. Scales boldly passes her strength to others, whether it is by planning a workshop program to educate women on negotiating salaries, Start Smart, or being a confident in serious situations. “When women come here and disclose that they’ve been raped here on campus or sexually assaulted, I’m able to get them the help that they need to help them succeed, graduate and feel supported while they are here during that time,” she said unwaveringly. To remain courageous within, Scales is driven by the “little bitty tidbits of ‘you’ve helped me.’” For example, she helped a child abuse victim who went on to email her that she was going to college. With a huge smile and an energetic demeanor, it is hard to imagine her feeling burned out or stressed. She explained she is happy “by choice.” “I think I’ve done this long enough that I’ve learned ... not to take [the stresses of work] home; I literally trained myself. At lunch time, you may find me closing my door, eating my lunch and just watching my favorite show to de-stress,” she said, gesturing to her computer that had emails pinging in every few minutes. With these tactics and her passion for social good, Scales takes on the challenge of helping others.
Character Scales has always had the greater good in mind. As a child living in Berkeley, Calif., Scales and her parents have always been “big into church and assisting people” through donating clothes and working at soup kitchens. “It doesn’t surprise me that I’m in the field that I’m in because I knew whatever field I wanted to go into I wanted to bring awareness in some kind of way or assistance to help human nature. That’s always been a part of me,” she said, punctuating each word confidently. She goes one step further by volunteering or serving on the boards of multiple community projects, such as The Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. Her mother and father not only rooted her interest in social good, but also in gender equality. Growing up in liberal Berkeley in the 1970s,
Scales saw her mother become an activist for women’s rights. “That was one of the things that sparked it,” Scales said, with a light behind her eyes. “My mother will tell you in a heartbeat ... ‘You can do that, too,’ ‘What do you want to do?’” Her father and mother pushed her with the understanding that she could do anything regardless of her gender. The idea has spread into her own parenting of seven-year-old son, Isaiah. “I teach him respect, respect, respect,” she said, mentioning her niece is part in that as well. “[I tell him], she can do anything you can do, and guess what, you can do what she can do as well, and you guys are equal on those planes.”
COVER
women are doing here currently on campus,” she said, tapping the small button pinned on her shirt of Sojourner Truth, this year’s honoree. Scales is one of those women we should honor, too. March does not conclude Scales commitment to social justice nor does it conclude the efforts on behalf of the June Anderson Center. To contact the features editor, email Bailey Robbins at features@ mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ mtsusidelines.
She considers herself not only a feminist, but also something much more than that — an advocate. Her advocacy comes in the form of knowledge, which she cites as “the key” to not only power but empowerment. “If people don’t know, then they won’t do anything about it, but if they know and have knowledge about it, they know how to address it,” she said. She instills this in her niece and the students who walk in her office, with something as simple as the idea that women should know their own identity without makeup and dresses to complete it. “You can wear whatever you want to wear and still be a woman,” Scales said passionately. “And a successful one.”
Commitment Scales ensures the Center is a place for all students to feel supported. Committed to bringing “social change, knowledge and awareness to the community around social welfare issues,” Scales launched a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an annual rape awareness walk for men participants and Start Smart at the campus. “One of the things I want to leave here is programming and events that brought awareness to what women go through and how we can succeed as women ... placing the tools in front of women,” she said. Some of the tools are in the form of inspiration, for example, the Women’s History Month schedule of events. “It’s so important for us to honor women — for those trailblazers like Anne Sullivan, Sojourner Truth, Sally Ride — those women who have forged the way for us today. To recognize those women that have done great things that has brought us here. And also to honor the great things
Office Location & Hours Student union 330 times Monday, thursday, friday 8 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Tuesday & Wednesday 8 A.M. - 6 P.M. Off hours available by appointment SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 11
FEATURES
Infectious Art
By Molly Mobley // Contributing writer
Professor Charles Clary has been infected by a love for art his entire life. As an art professor at the university and a successful 3-D paper sculptor, he’s now able to share his wonderful art addiction with the world. Some of Clary’s earliest memories are of observing his mother, an art teacher, at her drafting table and being encouraged to put his imagination of paper. “My mom had an art room with a drafting table, and my first memory (of art) was me sitting next to her drafting table as she was working on her stuff, and I would be drawing cartoons and weird characters based off of cartoons and she would always be really supportive of what I was doing and would make helpful commentary every now and again, but got me really excited about what I was doing,” Clary said fondly. He’s been creating masterpieces ever since.
Educated artist Raised in Morristown, his passion for art eventually drew him to MTSU, where he obtained his first degree in painting. After graduating, Clary decided to pursue other opportunities. “I took a couple years off and just experienced life,” Clary said of his time off between schools. “I got a real job, and I hated every minute of it and just realized it wasn’t something I wanted to do.” During this time, he was still spending his down time creating original works. He had developed a certain style in his last undergrad semester and liked the direction it took. “It was more me, it wasn’t trying to be anything other than what I wanted to do,” Clary said. “It was the first time that I felt really comfortable with the work, but it wasn’t ready for grad school, so I took a couple years off ... About a year later I was really fed up, and that’s when I decided to go to grad school.” Clary enrolled in graduate school at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Ga., and from there his work began to infiltrate the art scene. Through the school, he was able to participate in a New York residency art program for three months. This led to an internship in Brooklyn, and eventually developed into a freelance job in Miami. But it was in New York that Clary’s’ art took a turn from 2-D painting to 3-D paper sculptures. “I wish it was more romantic,” Clary laughed. “But I was in New York, and I was doing large scale wall paintings with hundreds of little cut-out drawings interacting with one another on the wall. I left for home from my internship, got off the subway, and started walking back to my studio, and I passed a paper store. So I walked in, and I’m a little ashamed to say that the paper that struck me the most was done by Martha Stewart; it was her scrapbooking paper. I grabbed as much as I could at that time and took it back to my studio and started playing around with a lot of the abstract forms that were in my paintings but cutting those out and layering them on top of one another to give them a two-and-a-half-dimensional 12 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
environment in which my little characters could reside in and that set me on this path.”
Biological blend of 3-D art Clary drew inspiration from his other love of music, as well as his fascination with science, and began experimenting with creating complex and beautiful 3-dimensional paper sculptures. “A lot of my childhood started coming back into my work, and that’s when my art started connecting with my music,” he said. “I started thinking, you know, what if music was this virus that could evolve and then we as the viewers act as the contagion and take it from one place to another place and it’s this non-dangerous kind of disease.” This inspiration of infection also stemmed from his deep love of science. Growing up, Clary had been fascinated by the subject, at one point wanting to pursue a career in microbiology. Although the desire to become a scientist went away, the effect of science on his art stayed.
FEATURES “When I bring my experiences to my students it really speaks to my decision to do this” he said surely. “I have these two passions, creating and teaching, and both of them function together. I can’t separate them. They can’t exist without the other.” Now through many galleries and through his curriculum at MTSU, Clary intends to continue creating sculptures and sharing his innate artistic gift with his students and the world. “I hope to be considered one of the guys that really projected paper art to the next level, or really made some great strides in this,” said Clary expectantly. “Or I hope that students will come back and be like, you were the guy who made me take a left instead of a right, and look where I ended up, and be thankful for that.” To contact the features editor, email Bailey Robbins at features@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ mtsusidelines.
“The beauty of those images never went away,” he explained. “I still have files on my computer that are nothing but weird — funky stuff growing in a petri dishes, I still use it as source material. Whether it’s the structure of the piece or the color harmonies used.” These unique works of art based on biology create a beautiful representation of depth and color, while requiring quite a bit of patience. Clary’s use of science as inspiration led him to create a piece representing his mother’s death from cancer last year. “Both my parents died last February of cancer, so it was like, trying to come to terms with that disease,” he said. “Looking at it under a microscope and looking at all these close-up images, it’s a beautiful thing, but it’s very destructive. That really influenced the last years worth of work.”
Art across the world
Photo by Ethan Grissom.
Clary’s artwork has influenced the art scene both nationally and internationally. From Tennessee to Paris, Hong Kong to Arizona, his work has slowly metastasized across the world. Now, as an adjunct teacher at MTSU, he hopes to infect his students with his passion for art.
Photo by Ethan Grissom. SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 13
OPINIONS Why I’m male and a feminist By Robert Allen // Opinions Editor Buried beneath all the basketball coverage and spring break fever of March, an important dedication to women and society may have been overlooked.
spectrum, society perpetuates a cycle where women and other minority groups can’t rise to the top and are therefore always viewed as inferior.
“Does your girlfriend make you say that?”
In case you weren’t aware, March is Women’s History Month, and the United States campaign for this year is “Inspiring Change.” On a broader scale, The United Nation’s theme for International Women’s Day for this month was “Equality for Women is Progress for All.”
But the problem doesn’t stop with male leaders. Men in households have to believe and understand that their daughters, wives and women in general can achieve and perform at the same level as they can. Otherwise, these limiting beliefs will constantly hold all genders and races back when it comes to drive, motivation and confidence in one’s ability to succeed.
Feminism is all about equality, which I think we all agree on. Feminism doesn’t have anything to do with society’s standard of femininity.
These two themes showcase the significant progress made by women throughout the last half century. However, the fact that a divide between women and men still exists means we need to continue pushing for equality. Men have a crucial role to play. That’s why I’m a male, and I’m a feminist. We, as men, need to join in on the fight for equality across all genders and races because we serve a vital role in both professional and personal settings. When men don’t push for equality or even outright refuse to acknowledge a problem exists, the tone is set for our society to never completely improve. Today, men hold the majority of top leadership positions. If these same male leaders aren’t establishing a culture of equality across the
We can be a voice against a society standard that is, in fact, simply wrong. For example, both young girls and boys are told at an extremely young age that toys and even basic human qualities that we all possess are “too girly” or “just for boys.” Because of this, being a feminist isn’t just a need; it’s essential. At the very core, it doesn’t matter that I’m a male in this fight, but society tends to tell me, and the other men who identify as one, otherwise. I’ve brought this sentiment up in conversations before only to catch scoffing laughs and jeering remarks. “You’re a dude. That doesn’t make sense?” “Wait, can men even be feminists?”
Comments like these further showcase the problems with sexism in society.
In fact, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. There’s nothing in that definition about being a woman. But feminism has a bad stigma attached to it. Many think of hostile women, masquerading as elitist and rebelling against all societal norms. When in fact, we know those are over exaggerated examples that just aren’t true. What is true is that we live in a world where women and minorities aren’t treated equally or afforded the same opportunities as white men. Of course, there’s the commonly discussed pay gap where white women are only paid 77 cents on every dollar men make for the same jobs, according to a Forbes article “The Geography Of The Gender Pay Gap: Women’s Earnings By State.” When you dig deeper, Hispanics and African-Americans are paid even less. Recently in the news on leaders, Michele Bachmann claimed Americans “aren’t ready” for a female president just as politicians and pundits asked if we were ready for a black president. The fact that we even have to ask is a problem. My reason for feminism is simple. I believe in bridging the gap between genders and races because sexism and discrimination doesn’t just hurt those groups – it holds back society and humanity at large. We can’t progress if more than half of our population is stifled by inefficiencies and inequality.
14 SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
SPORTS NFL scouts view MT Talent at Pro Day By Trenton Duffer // Staff writer Twenty scouts from 23 NFL teams visited MTSU for its annual Pro Day workout on Thursday to assess a number of Blue Raider athletes who hoped to increase their worth in the upcoming draft Of the 18 players that participated in MT’s Pro Day, offensive lineman Josh Walker (6-foot-5 5/8, 320 pounds) and cornerback Sammy Seamster (6 foot 1/2, 200 pounds) both posted workouts that impressed the scouts on hand. Walker ran the 40-yard dash in times of 5.25 and 5.28 seconds. The senior offensive lineman posted a vertical jump of 27 ½ inches, while adding a 7-foot-9 broad jump. Walker also had 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Walker is considered to be a potential seventh-round draft pick or a priority free-agent pickup after the draft after finishing an overall good Pro Day. Walker is scheduled to have a private workout with an Indianapolis Colts offensive line coach on April 7 in Murfreesboro. He will also have a private workout with the New Orleans Saints on April 9. Seamster also had an impressive Pro Day on Thursday afternoon, running his 40-yard dash time in 4.44 seconds. The senior cornerback added a vertical jump of 35-inches and had a broad jump of 10 feet, four inches. He ran the short shuttle in 4.19 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.86 seconds. Like Walker, Seamster is considered to be a potential seventhround draft pick or a priority free-agent following the draft. Quarterback Logan Kilgore went through a 54-play script on Oakland High School’s field on Thursday. Kilgore has recently participated in an NFL Regional Combine in Atlanta on March 8. Kilgore will continue his offseason workouts, with the senior quarterback traveling to take part in the NFL Regional combine in Detroit on April 12. Kilgore is expected to be one of many Blue Raiders who will earn a spot in an NFL camp. Walker, Seamster, Jimmy Staten and Kenneth Gilstrap are also potential prospects to be drafted or become an undrafted free agent.
Photo by Brett Turner.
The Blue Raiders that participated in the Pro Day activities consisted of: Anthony Amos, Roderic Blunt, Drayton Calhoun, Corey Carmichael, Jacob Corbaley, Aaron Davis, Josh Davis, Kenneth Gilstrap, Kyle Griswould, Tavarres Jefferson, Logan Kilgore, Dearco Nolan, William Pratcher, Stephen Roberts, Sammy Seamster, Jimmy Staten, Josh Walker, and Mike Williams. SIDELINES | March 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15