The Summa
FEATURES
2012: A Year to Remember From golden gymnasts, to live lip-dub proposals, and a superstorm that impacted the nation, 2012 was a spectacular year.
» PAGE 6
ENTERTAINMENT
Vol. 5, Issue 7
University of St. Thomas
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Hobbit: A Journey in Review The first of a new trilogy, the new Lord of the Rings movie delights Tolkien fans old and new.
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ustsumma.wordpress.com CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS LIFE
Future for Graduate Student Housing Holds Little Promise UST Raises included a portion of the there’s any specific plans to for different departments on Tuition, Ups Fewer graduate graduate student housing, do any construction,” said campus. which dislocated all graduate Matt Prasifka, assistant vice Though there are no housing Student students living in those president of Campus Life. set plans to offer alternative alternatives campus apartments. The “There are a few houses on options for on-campus Scholarships available for graduate housing facilities campus that were available housing for graduate students current and future graduate students By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
In Spring 2012, UST made the decision to repurpose several properties owned by the university. Some of these properties
were demolished to build new facilities for UST departments, such as new living quarters for custodians. Additionally, some of the properties were deemed structurally unsafe and dilapidated, resulting in the decision to construct new buildings to replace the old ones. “Currently, I don’t think
for students to rent outside the residence life structure, and they just got to a point where, for safety and upkeep reasons, they were pushed down.” Prasifka said that some townhouses and condos around the property also fell into the range of demolition, and in an effort to accommodate growing departments, they were converted into office spaces
specifically, some actions have been set in motion to change this. “I think it is a discussion piece, kind of at the administrative level,” said Prasifka. “Things are always discussed. I am the advisor for SGA, and late in the fall
HOUSING Page 2
MARATHON
UST Alumni Hosts Cheer Party for Houston Marathon Runners Alumni board supports runners and students in Annual Houston Chevron Marathon By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
Despite the dreary weather, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted their annual Cheer Party for runners that included UST students and alumni in the Chevron Houston Marathon this past Sunday Jan. 13. St. Thomas Alumni including Fr. Mike Buentello, Dr. Dominic Aquila, Dr. Elmer Ledesma and many more students participated in the marathon as runners. “It’s an alumni tradition, and several students attend every year as well,” said Hank Emery, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving at UST. The
MARATHON Page 2
UST MarComm / Courtesy Photo
A NEW STAR IN HOUSTON The Houston Symphony will play a benefit concert for the new UST Performing Arts Center on January 22. The new Center will be located on the northwest corner of Graustark and Sul Ross, across from the Guinan Residence Hall adjacent to the Campus Life Mall.
New Vision, New Stars Houston Symphony Concert to Benefit UST Fine Arts and Drama, Music Depts. By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
The Houston Symphony will host a concert to benefit the construction of a new UST Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, January 22. The concert, entitled “New Vision, New Stars” will be the second fundraising concert event the Symphony has put on for UST. “The original concept started several years ago, as the university started planning for a new
performing arts center on campus,” said UST’s Senior Development Director, Susan Bradford who is the project director for the benefit. “The Performing Arts Society thought it would be a good idea to have an event. In 2011, they inaugurated the fundraising drive, with a soprano from Houston Grand Opera, Anna-Maria Martinez. And that event was followed up by planning with the Houston Symphony for a second concert this year, to raise money for the new performing arts center.” Planning phases have
been able to progress as more funds are raised for construction. “That first event was a success, so everybody said to continue to do an event that raises awareness in the community,” Bradford said. “This [event] specifically is to take funds that are raised from this event to be used to develop the next design phase of the building, which would be the interior design: what should it look like. We had a concept, but now it’s turning into a real design
CONCERT Page 2
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
To match a steady incline in tuition rates for the upcoming semesters, UST will also be increasing the value of scholarships and financial aid it awards to students, beginning Fall 2013. According to the university’s vice president of finance, James M. Booth, the increase in financial aid awarded to the new students is expected to come from donations and the university budget in response to the rise of tuition. “The donations come from alumni and from friends of the university,” said Booth.“Tuition is increasing by five percent, so for a semester, including fees, it will be $14,120 for 15 credit hours. Booth estimated that UST awarded $11.6 million in financial aid for the current year - 20 percent more than in the 2011-2012 school year. “The scholarships will be increased for the freshmen that will be coming in August, as well as for the transfer students,” said Vicky Alleman , vice president of marketing communications and enrollment management. “Every year we get our scholarship amounts, and we look at what other schools in our area have given out. We then evaluate based on what our tuition is and how much we deem appropriate to give the students to help pay.” For incoming students, scholarships are merit based and dependant on student high school GPAs. This year, scholarships will now range anywhere from $7,000 to $15,500, said Alleman. FAFSA recipients will
AID Page 2
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The News
The Summa Housing Continued...
semester, a resolution was passed concerning graduate student housing and wanting the university to look at adding some housing. I think it’s definitely something that the administration is aware of.” Though the facilities set aside exclusively for graduate students are no longer available, Prasifka said that graduate students are welcome to live in Guinan Hall as well as Young Hall for now. “I came to UST in 2009, and I was able to get an apartment over at the corner of Graustark and Colquitt,” said John Boyer, Ph.D student of Philosophy. “They were granting me a reasonable rent there. I lived there for two semesters, and then I got a notice that they were going to be tearing it down. They ended up replacing it with the new nursing temp building.” The decrease in housing has created a problem for some graduate students, who have different needs from the majority of UST students. “Grad students basically come from out of state; you come here and you’re not exactly working full time, so the opportunity to have grad housing is really good
Marathon Continued... marathon attracted 32,000 to 34,000 runners this year and benefits numerous charities annually. According to Emery, part of the reason the Alumni Association have made this a tradition is the race’s close proximity to the university. In fact, the route is set up right in front of Link Lee Mansion on Montrose Boulevard. “We asked our alumni and students that are running to identify themselves, so that we can look for them as they are running and cheer them on,” said Emery. “It’s become kind of a party every year, where we stand out there and cheer on the runners and we serve donuts and coffee to the people who attend.” “The Cheer Party was created partially to accept donations for the Alumni Board, and the donations go towards scholarships,” said Emery. “The scholarships are given away at the end of the year, in May. There’s an application process, but the funds raised go towards that alumni scholarship.” Undergraduate students,
and helpful,” said Boyer. “Many other schools have this: Rice has their grad housing, Baylor provides reasonable rent.” After his first move, Boyer stated that it soon became a pattern. “They shuffled me over to a place across the street from Branard and Graustark,” said Boyer. “I was there for two years, and then they kicked me out again.” Boyer is also aware of other students who have faced identical situations. “They basically have torn down most of the grad housing available. There’s a few students who have been shuffled around a bit, but it’s been on a month-to-month rent with no guarantee,” said Boyer. For the upcoming academic semesters, Graduate Student Association (GSA) will be working on making this issue a priority to fix. “I think the goal is to try to get the attention of the university, and at least get something going,” Boyer said to SGA as a former GSA representative. “What GSA can really do is get the administration’s attention and make it a top priority to consider.” including Raul Medina, also participated in the race as a contributor to UST, despite that the tradition is put on by the alumni. “I heard about the marathon from friends who are marathon runners,” Medina said who is majoring in Biology. “I trained for a fast marathon, which took dedication and long hard running days in order to get the time I wanted to run in the Chevron Houston Marathon.” Regardless of whether people are highendurance runners or sideline supporters, Medina encouraged students to reach out and participate next year. “The Houston Marathon is such an amazing event that you don’t want to miss,” said Medina. “Even if you can only watch it, the crowd’s energy transmits to us runners and it gives us the extra push throughout the race to run the best we can. It is an event that brings Houston together, and race day is always fun and entertaining.” The money donated towards scholarship awards was mostly raised through $5 donations given to the alumni for the breakfast served at the Cheer Party.
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
Concert Continued... phase, with an architect and project manager working on it.” Students will also participate in the concert by contributing their vocal talents to the show. “I have done quite a few fundraisers for the school of music for the past couple of years I’ve been at UST,” said Kaci Timmons, a senior in the music department. “I think it was just easy because I’ve done things like this before, so my name came up. I have done at least six fundraisers with my colleagues and Dr. Knapp over the years I’ve been at St. Thomas.” Two other music students, Teresa Wells and Philip Todd Kings, will join Timmons in performing at the Houston Symphony. “We are doing a three part arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner,”
Photo courtesy Aryeh Oron
Timmons said. As a senior who will be graduating at the end of the semester, Timmons is honored to contribute to the Music Department’s future building and growth of the Performing Arts program. “I’m really excited to get the opportunity to do it,” Timmons said. “This program has been good to me, so I am very glad to be able to give back
in the way of fundraising for the people coming after me to go through this program.” The concert will be held on Tuesday, January 22 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Houston’s Jones Hall downtown on Louisiana Street. The costs for general admission tickets vary from $35, $55 and $75 and can be purchased from the Houston Symphony box office.
A Recycling haikU Please read this copy Then pass it on when finished then please recycle! Aid Continued... also see an increase in their financial aid packages from the university’s institutional grants. The university will also present more opportunities to transfer students for earning scholarships, depending on previous academic performances. According to Alleman, scholarship awards for transfer students will range from $4,000 to $10,000. In addition to these options, the Phi Theta Kappa, also known as the Honor Society, has a $4,000 scholarship available for transfer students as well, according to Alleman. Since UST is a private institution, students are encouraged to seek available options when it comes to offsetting the tuition price. “It’s really important for students to look at the net price calculator,” Alleman said. “When high school students are looking at universities to attend, all of us are required now to have that. What you do is input your individual information, and then it tells you at the end how much you can expect to get in scholarships and financial aid. It
helps the student to get some kind of estimate for what they can expect.” Alleman said that she encouraged students to apply for any aid opportunities each year, despite that awards might not increase when tuition rises. She also suggested scholarships awarded by academic departments are a place many students forget to look. “If you are a music major, you would go to your music professor, or chair of the music department, and talk to them about what scholarships are available,” said Alleman. “We also have STEM; those are
for students that have STEM majors: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” President Dr. Ivany announced to the Student Government Association in November that the university will be making efforts to accommodate students financially with the increasing tuition. Increases in scholarship awards will be awarded to incoming students for the fall 2013 semester. No clarification was given regarding increases to scholarships currently awarded to existing students.
Retired French Professor and Dean of Students, Donald W. Hogan, Dies at 90 Funeral services for Donald W. Hogan took place Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 at St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood, Texas. Hogan was a Foreign Student Advisor, Professor of Modern Languages and Dean of Students for the University of St. Thomas for 29 years. He is survived by his wife, Mary Margaret Hoesel Hogan, and six children, seven grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
Donald W. Hogan July 29, 1922 - December 5, 2012
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Opinion
The Summa
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“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In Response to “Political Catholicism on Social Justice”
PERSPECTIVE
Dear Residence Life...
By TIM & MARY HALBLEIB Letters to the Editor Submission
Dear Editor: We are parents of a freshman student at the University of St. Thomas and recently read [your news editor, Stephanie Hernandez’s] article, “Political Catholicism on Social Justice” in the Nov. 1, 2012 Summa newspaper. We want to comment on a few things in your perspective. In your second to last paragraph, you say the following: “There are other issues that should be treated with equal importance; issues that Catholic social justice teaching stresses as equally important.” I have [referenced] a joint statement from Bishop Kevin Farrell and Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Dallas and Fort Worth that was written on Oct. 10, 2008 about “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” The article explains that “not all issues have the same moral equivalence.” It states that there are issues that are ‘intrinsically evil” and there are issues that are matters of “prudential judgement.” The intrinsically evil issues that you down play in your article are abortion, same sex unions and repression of religious liberty - all of which have a greater moral equivalence than economic issues; the U.S. budget and immigration that you tout in your article as being equally important. We hope you will read the bishop’s statement. Your article besmirches Paul Ryan, a father, husband, devout Catholic and hard-working public servant who is concerned about the United States heading toward economic disaster just as Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal are doing now, with massive debts that they can’t pay. He doesn’t want you, anyone’s children or grandchildren to be hurt by this massive debt the government has accumulated. When one lives beyond one’s means, racks up credit card debt and does not pay this debt, this is stealing, which breaks the sixth commandment. The government is living beyond its means by paying for things it cannot afford while accumulating debt it cannot pay. In other words, the government is stealing. Difficult times call for difficult measures, or all U.S. citizens will be destitute and in misery when our country’s economy collapses and chaos breaks out. An editor has a great responsibility to inform readers correctly on what the Church states. It is a great injustice when an editor does not accurately present the Church’s teaching. You owe your readers an apology and the Catholic Church’s teaching on ‘Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” even if it is after the election. We will pray for you. EDITORS NOTE: “Political Catholicism on Social Justice” by Stephanie Hernandez can
be found in Vol. 5, Issue 4 of The Summa (printed Nov. 1, 2012). The joint statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” made by Bishops Kevin Farrell and Kevin Vann can be found at www.prolifedallas.org/pages/Joint_Statement.
The Summa
University of St. Thomas Student Newspaper
3800 Montrose Blvd. • Houston, TX 77006 • 713.525.3579
The Summa is the official newspaper of The University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. It has a circulation of 2,000 copies. The Summa is a student run organization, whose purpose is to inform, comment, and interpret events of local, national, and worldwide importance. This paper serves as an open forum of student expression and welcomes letters from the UST community. All submitted materials are due by the last Friday of the month. The Summa is dedicated to serving as a model of ethical journalism, acting with honesty, objectivity, and integrity.
By CHELSEA FERRAMOSCA Opinion Editor
Did you know that UST Residence Life allegedly would not allow a service dog to stay with his epileptic owner in Guinan? According to the student, residence life claimed that the service dog, who was trained to warn her of oncoming seizures, threatened the well, being of the other residents. The Americans with Disabilities Act states, “Entities must permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.” This makes the decision by residence life not only ridiculous, but contradictory to the Disabilities Act. Let’s say the girl had a seizure and fell down the stairs or onto a tile floor, resulting in injury. Who do you think the family is going to sue? The student transferred
out of UST because of this decision by Residence Life, but that does not mean Res Life would ever admit they made a mistake. Instead, they continue to enforce pointless rules, ignore threats to health and safety to its students, and continue to make life unbearable for their residents. Let me give you an example: during finals week last semester, I had a 4 pound. Miniature Dachshund in my room in Young Hall for an hour. I knew before bringing the dog to my room that he did not bark or bite, and that my roommate had no allergies. Nonetheless, as I was taking the dog back to his owner, another student decided that residence life needed to know I was breaking the rules. So instead of studying for my finals, I was waiting in the residence life office for a lecture, followed by their discussion on whether I needed to sit before a student body to choose my punishment or not. In the end they, hopefully realizing the stupidity of calling together a student jury over a dog, settled for making me write an essay on how I could have ended life as we know it with a Miniature Dachshund. Their reasoning for being so harsh was the fact that a lot of rules were being broken in Young Hall throughout the semester. This is true. However the rules being broken frequently were those with actual reasoning for being
in place, such as allowing nonresidents to spend night, alcohol in under aged rooms, and students refusing to sign guests in. I might add that the students who were primarily responsible for these offenses were not punished until warnings were given repeatedly over the semester. The actions of other students in Young are not my business, but it is hard for me to accept that my offence received more immediate attention than these others. I personally do not feel they are equal. There are reasons we do not respect the rules as residents in Young. Why would we when we are not respected ourselves? We live in complete filth. Most rooms have ants, roaches, rats and countless other members of wildlife living in the walls, kitchens and bathrooms. Mold is growing in some area of every room, while appliances break after one use. Rooms above the garage literally shake every time the garage door is opened and students are allowed to blare music in their cars loud enough to drown out two people sitting next to each other. Complaining and maintenance requests, in general, do nothing. So yes, I broke the rules by having a dog in my room, but would it be too much to ask for residence life to keep their priorities straight?
Letters To The Editor The Summa welcomes letters from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Please include your name and classification or position. Anonymous letters will not be printed. The Summa reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and inappropriate content.
Submit your letter to The Summa by e-mailing thesumma@stthom.edu Legal Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in The Summa are those of the writer of the article, the editor or the Editorial Board. They are not necessarily those of the UST administration, the Board of Directors or governing organization.
Jeremy Heallen • Faculty Advisor Katie Thomson • Editor-in-Chief Chelsea Ferramosca • Managing Editor Stephanie Hernandez • News Editor Claire Logue • Features Editor Chelsea Ferramosca • Opinion Editor Sarah Oyarce • Entertainment Editor Sandra Efraimson • Health Editor Claire Logue • Sports & Clubs Editor Michelle Ott • Photography Editor
Staff Writers & Photographers Daniel Brown • Sandra Efraimson Chelsea Feramosca Stephanie Hernandez Claire Logue • Marium Nisa Sarah Oyarce • Jacqueline Rivas Katie Thomson • Ingry Umanzor Design Editor James Ramos
Distribution Aamir Mazhar
Copy Editors Syeda Batool Hosain • Bianca Gomez Brittany James
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The Summa
Smash the Patriarchy By MARIUM NISA Staff Writer
A woman is raped and asked to marry her abuser. She committed suicide. Another woman is gang-raped on a bus. She died from her injuries. These Indian crimes sparked waves of protest and outrage around the world; yet, will the victims, or India’s women at large, find any relief? Unfortunately, no. It’s a universal rule that chaste woman should be at home, under the benevolent choke hold of patriarchy. The female population in South Asia is raised with an inundated fear of men, while the male population grows up inundated with the power to subordinate women, systematically and sexually. This notion makes a woman submissive in India. She is afraid of, and controlled by, her own sexuality. Growing up on Bollywood movies and dramas, the media teaches boys and girls that there is a one interpretation of the “ideal woman.” She must be obedient to her parents and comply with customs and tradition to be rewarded with marriage. If she is not domesticated as such, she is seen as worthless and unfit for marriage in the patriarchal society. A common scene in these Bollywood movies follows a single woman walking down a dark street, when she is suddenly approached by a gang of thugs who comment on her hopeless physique. Yet, before any of them can rape her, like in the aforementioned cases, a man arrives and beats up the entire gang. Unfortunately this is not reality. Outside of Bollywood, on the streets of India, women are raped daily. There is no hero to save them. The media is not the only factor to blame for violence against women. Egregious political corruption in India often denies women access to justice. For instance, if a woman is raped and chooses to report it, her abuser can easily hush the police through bribery. The police will then turn the blame back to the victim, making her a suspect of indecency. Even if the victim chooses to report the assault, the process is nearly impossible to get through. Centuries of patriarchal culture dictate that women obey men, specifically their husbands. Although not limited to arranged marriage, union to a stranger may foster a greater amount of spousal rape, which is not recognized as an offense in India culturally or legally. As a result, these women have no outlet for justice. A family’s reputation is often intertwined with a woman’s public purity. Therefore, a woman who reports rape is less likely to get married than a woman who doesn’t. By reporting a rape, she puts family’s reputation at risk, since women are valued for their virginity. This puts women and their families at risk for possible financial and political strain. As a result of political corruption, the battle between traditional and modern, and women’s role in such a society, it will be difficult for any feminist changes to come. So, as I watch the recent protests and riots in the streets of India, I’m touched to see men and women shed light on the topic; however, I believe it will accomplish little. India must change its outlook on women. That can begin with the images perpetuated by the media, which is essentially their teaching ground. Movies and dramas have to project a strong woman, one who is not afraid to speak up, and possibly a society where men are brought to justice. The government also needs to welcome more women in the police force, allowing other women to feel comfortable reporting sexual assaults. Most importantly, patriarchal thought in India must change to make the society more accepting of women. For instance, women are taught submissive behavior: don’t go out after dark, don’t wear revealing clothes, don’t speak up to you fathers, etc. This state of mind is essentially telling them to be fearful of any man in your life. Imagine a society in which boys are taught about valuing women. A society in which there is no rape or assault. I do not want the West to assume change is coming to India any time soon. We must understand the infinitely complex traditional value system, which the citizens believe and live in. Feminist movements in India must address these deeply ingrained cultural values, coupled with the current community support and media reform. Only then will Indian women be free of fear of rape.
The Opinion
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
Cultural Perceptions on Violence Against Women: Does It Really Matter? By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
The world has been rocked by the tragic, brutal death of Jyoti Singh, a young Indian woman who was gang-raped and sodomized on a public bus. She died on December 28, 2012, due to internal injuries inflicted during the rape. Indian and American commentators have pointed to the Indian culture, in which some men maintain a patriarchal, chauvinist view of women; often being considered a strong factor in the rapists’ actions. India is a country where women are just beginning to emerge in the workplace, and where women in rural communities remain bound by dowries and the prevalent belief that women are weaker, inferior creatures to men. These patriarchal ideas are something that we in the Western World seem to pride ourselves for not having, as we are enlightened by feminism and equality. While Saudi Arabia deprives women of the right to drive, and some men in India see nothing wrong with eveteasing, a common form of sexual harassment. In addition, genderselective abortions are routinely performed because females are not considered as valuable as males. These backward, misogynistic views of women surely can’t exist in our Western world, where women are given equal rights to man and can work any job they choose, despite the historical glass ceiling. But is there really any difference when it comes to how often this crime is committed against women? In the Western world, we like to think that the perceptions of women are “superior” to those other cultures...until videos like the one from the Steubenville, Ohio rape case surface, thanks to the intrepid, albeit invaisve, work of an anonymous hacker. Haven’t seen the video? It is 15 minutes of an all-star high school baseball player bragging about how that girl was “so dead” and “so raped,” while other boys in the room laugh about her drunken unconsciousness. “It isn’t really rape because you don’t know if she wanted to or not,” he says at one point. One of the students attempted to defend the girl, but the mocking face of the alleged rapist, as he gloats about what he did to his 16-year-old female classmate, has reverberated across the internet, causing an uproar in Steubenville, as they demand justice for the alleged victim. His words and attitude are a reflection of what every rapist, regardless of culture, say to normalize their actions.
The misogynist cultures of India and Mexico are often blamed for the appalling number of rape incidences, and low number of reports and convictions within their nations. When hundreds of women’s bodies began to pile up in Ciudad Juarez, their family members tried to file reports of their missing daughters and wives, police responded with questions such as, “what was she wearing, why was she out late?” This same attitude has fallen upon rape victims in India: they blame women for not keeping their place within the sheltered, malecontrolled world, and for not conforming to the standards of modesty. She must have been dressed in a way that showed too much skin, or she must have been somewhere without a man to monitor her. Therefore, she is to blame for what happened. Yet when we look at the numbers in the United States, can those accepted attitudes truly be the thing to blame for a continued violation of women? A 2008 Department of Defense report states that there were 2,908 reported sexual assaults in all branches of the U.S. military within the year. Due to the fact that many women who came forward to report their rapist are blamed, or charges are dropped in the event of a trial, that number could be higher because of a reluctance of women to report the crime. I recommend watching the Academy Award nominated documentary, the Invisible War, which documented the events surrounding veteran rape victims, and the reasons why that crime so often goes unpunished in the military. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) compiled statistics drawn from the Department of Justice, stating that every two minutes, a woman in the United States is a victim of rape; with approximately 207,754 reported sexual assaults per year. At the end of the day, no matter what the accepted cultural perception of women is - whether it be that they maintain their place as inferior to men, or as an equal member of society - it doesn’t change the fact that these crimes happen. While it is true that more rapist will face the consequence of their actions in places like the United States, where laws are not as dominated by a gender bias, the fact that the same act still happens, regardless of a cultural gender bias, is unacceptable.
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The Features
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
5
Claire Logue / The Summa
Claire Logue / The Summa
“I am for sure this year, without a doubt, going to try to run a marathon.”
“I think I’m going to take up under-water basket weaving.” Bianca Gomez sophomore
The Summa
Vivian Cabrera junior
Mall Talk: What’s Your 2013 New Year’s Resolution? By: CLAIRE LOGUE Features Editor
Four UST students shared their New Year’s Resolutions with The Summa for the new 2013 year. What are your resolutions for this year and how are you planning on keeping them? Experts suggest finding an accountability partner increases the chances of you successfully keeping your resolutions, like avoiding that last slice of pie or taking a nap instead of hitting the trails.
“My senioritis is getting to me. I don’t exactly have one right now. I’ll get to it when I get to it.”
Allison Solis sophomore
Claire Logue / The Summa
Claire Logue / The Summa
“My resolution is to get confirmed in the Catholic Church.”
Celt Close-up: Sean Edwards
By CLAIRE LOGUE Features Editor
One of the newest members of the basketball team, Sean Edwards, is making a big name for himself this season. Edwards, a freshman engineering major from Houston, Texas, recently shared some of his personal side with The Summa. TS: What do you like to do outside of class? SE: Play basketball, and chill with family and friends. TS: What is your all time favorite song? SE: Dreams by Lil Keezy is
TS: What do you before a my favorite song. He is also game? my favorite artist. SE: I pray and listen to my TS: What is your favorite favorite rapper’s mixtape. book? SE: Maniac Magee. TS: What TS: What was your most position do “If I could go embarrassing you play on the team this year? anywhere, I would go moment? SE: I was SE: Point to Los Angeles to see assigned to Guard. Chris Paul of the LA say the Pledge Clippers play.” of Allegiance TS: How for graduation long have you Sean Edwards and I left some been playing Point Guard - Men’s Basketball words out. basketball? SE: I’ve been Freshman Engineering Major TS: What is playing since I your favorite was 4. TS: Do you have a quote? SE: “What doesn’t kill you, basketball player that makes you stronger” inspires you the most? SE: Chris Paul.
Batool Hosain senior
TS: Finish this phrase: One day I’ll be… SE: Successful TS: Finish this phrase: I have never… SE: Been to a haunted house, but I’ve always wanted to go. TS: If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why? SE: If I could go anywhere, I would go to Los Angeles to see Chris Paul of the LA Clippers play. TS: If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why? SE: I would meet Chris Paul because hopefully he would give me some tips on how to be a better player. TS: Tell me something interesting about yourself.
SE: I am left handed. TS: What’s the weirdest thing a stranger has ever said to you? SE: “How are you going to play basketball with no shoes.” TS: If you could change the world, what would you do? SE: Give everybody enough money to support their families. TS: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done? SE: I went to sleep on the roof of my house. Edwards plans to play basketball throughout his time at St. Thomas. Be sure to see him and his fellow teammates in action in Jerabeck Gym.
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The Features
The Summa
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
Some of the best moments of 2012 It was the year of “The Prefect Storm” that wracked the New England coast, the year of multiple occasions where we said ‘goodbye’ to too many children and too many movie goers. It’s important to remember the hard times, but it may be even more important to relish in the spectacular or the simply lovely, mundane things in life. Here’s a review of some of best moments of 2012. By Claire Logue
When the greatest marriage proposal ever, happened. photo courtesy robertafosse via youtube.com
When Gabby Douglas won the Women’s All-Around Final in the Olympics. Julian Finney/Getty Images
When rugby player Brian O'Driscoll imgur.com visited his biggest fan.
When Christian Bale visited the hospitalized victims in Aurora, denverpost.com Colorado.
When the world didn’t end on December 21, 2012!
nydailynews.com
When eight-year-old Wyatt Erber, won $1,000, and gave it all to his two-year-old next door neighbor with lukemia. thetelegraph.com
When this man adopted a kitten.
reddit.com
When Mr. Rogers was autotuned. “Did you ever imagine?” npbsdigitalstudios via youtube.com
When butterflies, in Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park, drank the tears of a yellow spotted river turtle.
Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures
When the San Diego 4th of July fireworks show malfunctioned and lit the entire night sky for 33 seconds.
news.yahoo.com
And when this frog sat on a bench. Like a human. insidetheme.com
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Entertainment
The Summa
7
With six story lines, watching Cloud Atlas is definitely a unique experience By DANIEL BROWN Staff Writer
Whether or not the viewer finds Cloud Atlas entertaining, sitting through the film is undeniably a unique experience. Cloud Atlas, directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, is the 2012 adaptation of the 2004 book of the same title, which was written by David Mitchell. What distinguishes both versions from most of the competition in their respective media outlet is that Cloud Atlas’s plot is composed of six different story lines which, while radically different, possess several underlying themes that connect them. Reception to the film was polarized; some critics, such as Roger Ebert, lauded the film with above average ratings, while others had the opposite reaction. The six story lines are interrupted and continued at seemingly random instances, though each of the premises are easily understood. The first story introduced takes place at the Chatham Islands in 1849, and concerns a
lawyer’s illness and his firsthand experience with slavery. The second is about a homosexual English musician’s life, death and attempt to achieve worldwide recognition in 1936 Europe. The third takes place in San Francisco, CA. in 1973, and follows a female journalist’s discovery of a conspiracy and her subsequent attempts to expose it. The fourth occurs in present day United Kingdom, and concerns a 65-year-old publisher who goes to his brother for help in eliminating his financial debt. The fifth takes place in the future year of 2144, and in the fictional city of New Seoul, Korea, a geneticallyengineered clone (referred to as a “fabricant”) is interrogated for information before her execution. The last story is postapocalyptic where a tribesman on the Hawaiian Islands must fend for himself and others, while simultaneously combating delusions brought about by his own guilt. The story seems difficult, if not altogether impossible, to adapt into a film. The directors addressed this by altering the structure of the plot from its previous format. In the novel, the stories are nestled within
one another; for example, the very first story is cut off at a critical moment and resumed at the very end of the novel. The film’s version of the story lines are cut off at several moments and resumed when they are relevant once again. This is very effective in terms of suspense and connectivity, since the audience is never sure which plotline will progress next and is subsequently thrilled when the underlying themes compare the relationships to one another. Cloud Atlas has very impressive special effects and make-up, and effectively interconnects the various narrations. All of the actors take up multiple roles in various story lines and are able to convey different personalities for each character they play. The film’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to flesh out each of the stories to the point where each could be a separate short film, but are most effective when viewed in relation to one another. Which story lines are better is debatable, allowing individual members of the audience to emotionally attach themselves to a specific story line and still understand the main themes of the entire film.
By far, the most irritating and glaring flaw is the theme of reincarnation. At first, it appears as though the film borrows the theme from the novel, since both versions hint that specific individuals possessing the same birthmark contain the same soul throughout history. The directors themselves commented that the actors them were supposed to indicate that two characters had the same soul; for instance, the Wachowskis told The New Yorker, “Tom Hanks starts off as a bad person … but evolves over centuries into a good person.” This creates an inconsistency of sorts, and if the progression of each “soul” is meant to convey the struggle between good and evil, said
progressions are far from linear and understandable. Cloud Atlas is an enjoyable and relatively faithful adaptation of the novel and most people will be entertained even if they do not realize the underlying relationships. If anything, people will most likely be annoyed with or by the saccharine sweet nature of the film’s second half and the seemingly endless length of the film. Both the film and the book can be described as a giant sandwich with several different layers; even if the individual finds each layer appealing and delicious, they should make sure that they have a sufficient appetite before biting off more than they can chew.
the contrasts between two loves that flourish: the love between a married Anna and the unattached (and much younger than her older husband) Count Vronsky, and the idealistic Konstantin Levin and his long-time love interest, Princess Ekaterina “Kitty” Scherbatiskya. The love between Anna and Vronsky is vilified, while Levin and Kitty’s relationship develops into a society-approved true love and a happy marriage over the course of the story. For Wright’s adaptation of the novel, he chooses these four characters to focus on. Anna Karenina has been made into over a dozen film adaptations, starting with the Russian 1914 silent film. For a story that has been adapted to cinema so many times, the typical gowns-andpalace-intrigue drama can be repetitive; thus Wright attempts to be revolutionary with his vision of this classic story. Matthew McFayden (unrecognizable from the dashing Mr. Darcy in Wright’s Pride and Prejudice), plays Anna’s brother, the boisterous Count Oblonsky. His part of the story opens up the film, and brings unintended humor to the movie as he trifles away his dallying with the pretty governess. His infidelity sets the subtle tone for how Russian high society treats extramarital affairs, as Anna is called upon
to smooth things over with his wife Dolly, warning her that refusing to forgive would result in a divorce that would bring shame and the status of a society outcast. The unfairness of how society treats women who divorce their husbands goes quietly forgotten as Dolly forgives her husband and the two resume a semihappy marriage. But the point is made clear: in the eyes of society, the woman will be to blame and made to suffer for the failing of a marriage. Jude Law, similarly unrecognizable from his previous handsome leading man roles, plays Count Karanin, who is at first cold and unscrupulous. Wright crafts this version of Count Karenin as a man bound by the strict codes of honor dictated by both religion and society’s morals; not necessarily the cruel, unfeeling husband who gloats to see Anna in misery for a love she cannot righteously have. He is magnanimous with his forgiveness for Anna and Vronsky’s passion, causing the audience to sympathize with all three, as they are bound in the unforgiving situation of extramarital love; unforgiving, because society makes it that way. Visually, the film is a certain success, the overwhelming extravagance
of Anna’s daily and ballroom attire seems to undercut the idea that having all the money and material wealth in the world cannot bring one any amount of satisfaction with life, when bereft of a love that makes you feel alive. Anna is never without at least one diamond-studded accruement, her neck at times literally dripping with ropes of pearls and diamonds for some ball scenes, elaborately cut velvets, furs, silks all adorn each cast member, with some stylistic liberties for the time period takes by costume designer Jacqueline Durran, who strove not to present an accurate depiction of 1870s fashion, but instead designed costumes to give a more dramatically enhanced effect for the extravagant lifestyle lived by the Russian aristocracy. Most notably different about this adaptation of Anna Karenina is the way all scenes of society interaction are presented. To emphasize the evanescent artifice and superficiality of the aristocratic mannerisms, all the scenes of high society are acted upon a literal stage. Wright described the Russian aristocracy as always playing roles enforced upon them by society expectations, and as having a sort of identity crisis; though they were Russian,
the aristocracy of that time strove to emulate a French lifestyle by wearing French fashions, speaking French and maintaining a social life similar to French standards. To portray this ever-present masquerade put on by the people within Anna’s social circle, all the ball scenes, dinners, even ice skating gatherings and horse races are played out on an actual stage. The witty banter and increasingly vicious gossip is deliberately over-acted, to emphasize the act put on by everyone around Anna. The dancing is used as a tool to tell the story of interactions between people, as they fight for attention; the waltzes are flowing and over-elaborate, and gives those scenes an almost fairytale like quality to the film, that at times seems a little too forced for even a period drama; nonetheless, it gives an original twist to a story told so many times over the past century. For those who have never read the book, I will not give away how the story ultimately ends. Avid readers of Tolstoy may not be pleased with Wright’s decision to overstylize the storytelling, and his complete focus upon the relationship between Anna and Vronsky.
Warner Bros. Pictures / Courtesy Photo
Anna Karenina pleases critics, disappoints fans of novel
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
Joe Wright departs entirely from this cinematic traditionalism, as was his custom in earlier films, with Anna Karenina, the tragic romance written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The screenplay was written by British playwright, Tom Stoppard and the music was composed by another of Wright’s usual collaborators, Dario Marinelli. For those unfamiliar with this 18th century classic, Anna Karenina tells the story of a young aristocratic woman, who lived during the pinnacle of the Russian Empire’s power. The novel is lush with its descriptions of court intrigues, opulent luxury, and the social mores that ruled with almost more absolute power than the Romanov monarchy. Anna was married off at a young age, this marriage was arranged for social and political gain without love. She lives a relatively untroubled life, enjoying a nearly palatial lifestyle in Moscow; her life seems to be filled only with care for her young son, balls, dinners and gossip of the people within her aristocratic social circle. The novel is almost a study in
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The Entertainment
The Summa
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: a modern Pride and Prejudice adaptation By MONIQUE OCAMPO Guest Writer
January marks the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice’s publication. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s most recognized novel, has been adapted into many movies and TV mini-series and inspired the creation of Bridget Jones’s Diary. The most famous adaptations are the 1995 BBC mini-series starring Colin Firth and the 2005 movie starring Keira Knightley. In April 2012, internet vlogger Hank Green debuted his own adaptation of Pride and Prejudice: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Set in modern day California, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a series of YouTube videos created by Lizzie Bennet as part of a project for grad school. What makes this adaptation different from others (aside from the modern day setting) is the amount of interactivity the vlog has with its audience. All of the characters have accounts on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest. Lizzie Bennet has also recorded Q&A videos for her audience.
At this point, the show has over 60 episodes, averaging about 100,000 views per episode. The channel has over 100,000 subscribers and 9.3 million total video views. Episode 60 is the most viral of all of them, jumping from 308 views to over 100,000 views in one night. Although no adaptation is a perfect substitute for the original source, I consider this to be on par with the 1995 BBC mini-series because of how fully developed the characters are. Minor characters such as Charlotte Lucas and Lydia Bennet turn into major characters that contribute to the show. Another wonderful thing was the variety of ethnicities the show has: Charlotte Lucas becomes Charlotte Lu, a Chinese girl who happens to be Lizzie’s best friend since they were infants. Charles Bingley and Caroline Bingley are now Bing Lee and Caroline Lee, a soon-to-be doctor and his interior decorator sister. But the best thing about this adaptation is that it is a very character-driven series. Most Pride and Prejudice adaptations center on the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
Bones (FOX)
FOX / Courtesy Photo
What’s it about? A forensic anthropologist, an FBI special agent and their team work together to solve cases and murders. What’s happened so far? The team investigates the murder of a ballroom dancer a couple of days before a major competition and the homicide of an archeologist who has recently made a great discovery prior to his death.
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
ABC Family / Courtesy Photo
What’s it about? The series trails four girls who started receiving threatening messages after their leader Allison died. What’s happened so far? Mona tries to regain a friendship with the Liars after allegedly murdering some of their close friends, and so she decides to “blow up” Aria’s dad’s girlfriend, Meredith.
Bernie Su / Courtesy Photo
However, this adaptation is not just about Lizzie Bennet, but also about Jane Bennet, Lydia Bennet and Lu. All four characters are fleshed out from characters in a comedy of manners into people with real problems and personalities. Lu goes from a supporting character who ends up getting the short end of the stick by marrying for convenience to someone Lizzie cherishes. She sees things that Lizzie doesn’t like the fact that William Darcy likes Lizzie in spite of the bad first impression he made when he and Lizzie first met. Jane Bennet is still nice, but she’s definitely not boring and goes from being camera shy to participating in Lizzie’s videos with gusto. But the most surprising character change
is Lydia Bennet. She’s still an irresponsible young girl, but there are moments in the show where she has vulnerable moments. And while she provides a lot of comic relief, her comedic moments show that she’s just as witty as her sister. This is because of the four amazing actresses and the team of wonderful writers. By keeping everything in a first-person video blog format, everything is told in Lizzie’s point of view. However, firstperson has limitations. Lu, Jane, and Lydia function as the closest thing this adaptation has to a third person narrator. They see things that Lizzie doesn’t see, which makes the story all the more interesting. If you are wondering
TV Tracker American Horror Story (FX)
FX / Courtesy Photo
What’s it about? American Horror Story: Asylum, which is in its second season, takes place in present day and has flashbacks from 1964 in a hospital for the criminally insane.
where Mary, Kitty, and Mr. Collins are, they also appear in the show, but they’ve been adapted into a 2012 setting. Instead of Mary and Kitty being Lizzie’s sisters, Mary is the Bennet sisters’ cousin. Kitty still follows Lydia everywhere, but I cannot say how. And Mr. Collins is no longer cousin to the Bennets, but Lizzie’s childhood friend who works for a venture capital firm. At this point, I bet you are wondering how Darcy has been adapted and why he isn’t as prominent a character as Lizzie’s sisters and best friend. You’ll have to watch the show to find out. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries can be seen on youtube.com/lizziebennet. New episodes are upload every Monday and Thursday.
By Sarah Oyarce
Modern Family (ABC)
ABC / Courtesy Photo
Whats it’s about? This “mockumentary” style show showcases the lives of three families that come together to make a “modern” family.
What’s happened so far? Johnny has an intimate scene with a call girl then the show flashes back Lana is released from the hospital and exposes the killer.
What’s happened so far? Jay takes the rest of the adults to Palm Springs for New Year’s Eve while Alex and Haley are left babysitting the younger kids where Luke brings a date for himself and Manny.
Revenge (ABC)
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
ABC / Courtesy Photo
ABC / Courtesy Photo
What’s it about? Emily Thorne returns to the Hamptons to seek revenge against whoever framed her father and sent him to prison for a crime he did not commit.
What’s it about? The show takes place in Storybrooke, Maine where fairytale characters live under a churse that takes away memories of who they really are.
What’s happened so far? Helen tells Daniel to buy Stonehaven United Solutions, while Emily orchestrates a fake kidnapping to keep Helen on her heels about Aiden.
What’s happened so far? Gold reveals that he might have a spell that he thinks will allow people to leave Storybrooke and still remember who they are all while the town mourns Archie.
The Entertainment
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Summa
9
The Hobbit: great film; hard to line up with The Lord of The Rings trilogy By KATIE THOMSON Editor-in-Chief
I’ve been a long time fan of Tolkien and his works The Lord of the Rings: The Trilogy and The Hobbit. I also fell in love with The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movie trilogy that Peter Jackson put together almost 11 years ago. Initially, when I saw the movie trailers for The Hobbit, I wasn’t sure what to think; but after letting it build up closer to the release date, I decided to brave the crowds and see it in theaters the week it was premiered. Coming away from the movie, I can only really explain it as “an experience.” I don’t mean that in a negative way; just that there were a lot of aspects of the film I didn’t expect, when I went in thinking I had an accurate impression of what Peter Jackson’s work would be for the film. The biggest surprise is that Jackson found a way to turn the modest novel into
a trilogy. All three parts are expected to average around three hours long, and if the other two keep the same momentum that picked up at the end of this movie, they’ll surely leave fans satisfied. While I didn’t find myself checking for the time in the theater, there were several parts in the film that seemed to carry on for too long. The actual plot did not seem to take off until 20 minutes into the film with the back story. The Hobbit finally comes together when older Bilbo Baggins (played by Sir Ian Holm, who returns from LOTR) begins to recount his journey. Young Bilbo is impeccably casted by Martin Freeman, who is well known for his roles in British television shows including The Office (BBC) and Sherlock. Ian McKellen returns to play Gandalf, who seeks out the comfortably-rooted Bilbo to invite him on a quest. Bilbo is recruited as the ‘burglar’ for a group of dwarves who
are traveling to regain their homeland and wealth at the Lonely Mountain, which is inhabited by the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo tags along trying to find his place in the group and crosses orcs, trolls, ghosts, elves and even Gollum (played again by Andy Serkis), along the way. You can tell that Ian McKellen is happy to be back playing Gandalf as he gives another stellar performance, despite his smaller character role in this film. Other returning actors are Hugo Weaving (Elrond), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) and Christopher Lee (Saruman).
I did enjoy seeing Saruman before his corruption, but those who are unfamiliar with LOTR or the books might not find The Hobbit a great place to start. Thorin, the main dwarf character of the travelers, leads the journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and his crown as the King Under the Mountain. Thorin, played by Richard Armitage, also gives a stellar performance in the film. The film seemed to spend more time bridging the connection between LOTR and itself rather than focusing on the objective of the journey – reclaiming the Lonely Mountain from Smaug.
New Line Cinema / Courtesy Photo
The landscape and backdrop for the film makes the novel’s illustrations come to life and are beautiful. Peter Jackson’s details making Tolkien’s Middle Earth realistic show exhaustive efforts. A big aspect of controversy surrounding the film is Jackson’s use of 48-frames-per-second filming, which gave the movie almost a home-movie feel. The opening scenes with Bilbo and Frodo seemed very realistic and almost too fluid, making me feel like it cheapened the film quality It was definitely... different. It takes a while to adjust, but after a while, you notice it makes the fight scene seem very realistic and intense. Jackson and his writers did a great job keeping The Hobbit’s light heartedness well balanced with the dark tones from the LOTR movies. Overall, The Hobbit will be difficult to line up to the LOTR movie trilogy, but it was exciting and easy to watch.
Puzzles Corner January Crossword
Sudoku
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Created by Sarah Oyarce 3
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Riddle of the Month! Q:What has a mouth but can’t chew? A: A river.
ACROSS 1. National Pizza Month 6. Senior US Sen. From Nevada Reid 7. Houston Texans quarterback Matt 8. Late Mexican Banda singer Rivera 10. “Diamonds” singer 11. French novel turned
into musical, movies Les 12. Purity or intensity of a color 13. Fruit with a lot of potassium DOWN 2. Django Unchained director Quentin 3. Tennis star Williams
4. Island of which Haiti is a part of 5. Another word for students 9. Switzerland’s currency is known as the Swiss____ 14. Acronym for ‘absent without official leave’
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The Health
The Summa
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
Organ donations needed in the Houston area: UST students can help By INGRY UMANZOR Staff Writer
Someone once said, “don’t think of organ donation as giving up a part of yourself to keep a total stranger alive. It’s really a total stranger giving up almost all of themselves to keep part of you alive.” To me, this is a phrase that only makes sense if you can understand the importance of becoming an organ donor. There are thousands of people right now on a waiting list praying for a miracle to happen, anxiously hoping to get an organ donor to give them the normal life they have been yearning for so long. Leslie Meigs, a senior, was one of those patients. She had bacterial meningitis when she was just eight years old, which caused chronic kidney disease. As a little girl, she experienced times of weakness, and now she explains how the hardest part was going through dialysis. “I know I can’t speak much for how it specifically feels for other people who have been in different types of organ failure, but for people in kidney failure specifically having to go through dialysis, you are nauseous all the time, you are throwing up all the time,” Meigs said. “You are there three times a week, sometimes every day, trying to filter all these toxins from your blood and is so unnatural of a process and is so hard on the body that, you feel like you’re dying going through dialysis, it is just excruciatingly painful. Pre-transplant life, you really feel like your body is shutting down.” For 12 years, she had to adjust to a very strict diet and take almost 20 pills a day. “Going to the movies with friends I couldn’t have popcorn, I couldn’t have the icees, I couldn’t go out to eat to restaurants because I couldn’t eat anything there because of the diet they had put me on,” Meigs said. “Now that I had my transplant, there are no restrictions whatsoever, so it’s like night and day.” After a transplant, Leslie said you can never live a normal life, but you are still able to live close to a normal one. She explained how good she felt now and how thankful she is to be back to eating everything she desires. Most organ and tissue donations occur after the
Brandy Vasquez / Courtesy Photo
donor has died, but some organs and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive. In her situation her father was her donor, but for many people out there waiting for a transplant, their chances are not the same. Leslie enrolled at St. Thomas in 2008 and had her transplant the second semester of her freshman year. She had to take a year off in order to get used to the changes, such as the medications, and to let her body get used to the new organ. She had her transplant about three years ago from today. “The past three years have been really tough, nowhere near as tough as it was before my transplant and I have felt nowhere near as sick as I was before my transplant, but it’s definitely a long process getting used to the organ and getting used to the medications,” Meigs said. “You’re faced with that moment when you realize my life could really be over; you know this really could be it if I don’t have a donor.” People of all ages and backgrounds can be organ donors. If you are under 18 years of age, your parent or guardian must give you permission to become a donor, but if you are older, you can show you want to be a donor by signing a donor card. You should also let your family know your wishes. Leslie’s new goal is to take her story, her experiences and the passion they have rooted in her and show people who have not experienced organ failure to see what it is like so they understand how important it is that we do have donations. We need the organ register list to keep growing and so promoting the
significance of this subject is very convenient. If you are not aware, organs you can donate are kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, and lungs. “I’ve met a lot of people who have received organs from deceased donors and one thing that we all share and that we all have in common is our lives now live in honor of that person, and to meet other people and to see that same passion for life, which that donor gave them is incredible,” Meigs said. Leslie explained that there is also a type of Olympics for transplant patients. They are called World Transplant Games and they are done every couple of years 60 different countries participate. “They are actually really good at what they do, I was not prepared, I was not very good when I first went, but they are very athletic and you have heart transplant recipients, lung-transplant recipients who are going off and doing triathlons, hundred meter swimming races, I mean it is incredible to see these people,” she said. “It is because of the passion that the donor gave them because it really is like you’re getting a second chance at life.” There are a lot more people in need of a transplant than there are people willing to donate an organ. To put this in simpler words, an organ donation is beneficial for two main reasons; for the organ receiver, an organ donation can mean a second chance at life while for the family of an organ donor who has recently died, saving another life can be consoling. Please register to donate and save millions of lives.
Sandra says...
By Sandra Efraimson Health Editor
We are all often reminded to keep our eyes on the road. We hear it so much that we all roll our eyes at the constant advertisements that try to scare us about the dangers of talking on the phone while driving or putting on makeup, or those that aim to remind us not to text and drive. We are haunted by the YouTube videos that circulate on Facebook but still have not heard enough horror stories that scared us enough to prevent ourselves from immediately putting the details and lessons as far back in our minds as we possibly can. In some states, talking on the phone or texting while driving is already illegal, and is penalized with a ticket and an appearance in court. Some technologies are even available to disable your phone when driving to avoid these preventable accidents. Of course, ‘that would never happen to me,’ we say - some of us even take pride in ignoring calls when driving and deny our once in a while quick text replies “almost there” or “be there in a minute.” Seems harmless, right?
There must be more people who get into accidents than we hear about; they must be too careless to realize that they are always on their phone, even when operating a motor vehicle like I was until I got into my wreck. I admit that it was what I always thought before nodding and feeling like I was doing okay with my driving habits. There is another factor though that I did not consider: the GPS map on my phone. Over the holiday break, I was driving to pick up my husband from work after dinner with a good friend. I missed my exit to I-10 and immediately picked up my phone to help me re-route. I got off the first exit I saw, which I have never been to, and it happened to be a very dark road with a very sharp turn. I was trying to find my way back to the right route when, in a split second, I smashed my car onto a telephone pole. My car, which has very high front test crash ratings, saved my life. Disoriented and confused, I called my husband, and a co-worker of his brought him to where I was stranded, and ironically, I could only tell him where I was by telling him the GPS location from my phone. The car was totaled and I was lucky enough to come out without any harm, just bruises and a lot of pain that worsened a few days after the shock (and has continued to last several weeks). I am telling you this, not to lecture you or to tell you anything new that you do not already know, but to remind you that it could also happen to you, just like it happened to me.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
The Health
The Summa
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Five ways to stay motivated to exercise regularly By Jacqueline Rivas Staff Writer
Sticking to a fitness routine to lose the pounds can be hard to complete. If you just talk about it without actually sticking with the routine, you are not helping yourself. By working out and having a routine, you will stick to it and get in shape. There are different ways to stay motivated. The technique to shed those extra pounds is to change your perspective, set a goal, plan a regular time to work out, think fun with a variety of workouts, and reach out for others to help you out. When you change the way you think you can accomplish anything you can imagine. Stop being a couch potato and start thinking like an athlete. When you think big, big things will happen. So if you start thinking like an athlete then little things that you do around the house or other places will change. For example, when talking on the phone, most people sit down and chat. Do not do that, walk around and get moving. Another way you start thinking like an athlete is to invent new reasons to move
Shutterstock / Courtesy Photo
around so that you will engrave that in your mind. Setting goals is easy but actually doing them is extremely hard. Now the key to setting goals to exercise is to set them to a realistic standard where you can start. Your first goal could be to run four miles in four days out of the week. Another example could be fitting in your old jeans sitting in your closet that you have not been able to wear. Make sure you write down the goal and keep updating it so that you will not stay in the same routine. Working out regularly is a
huge challenge. Now the main excuse not to workout is, “I do not have time.” You have to make the time if you want to get in shape. Finding time and looking at your schedule will be very helpful for you. You can always try to wake up earlier, cut down on media, turn chores into exercise, and even make it part of your routine. When you finally find a time that works for you make it a part of your daily routine. I know that working out is not fun, but incorporating fun into it will make a difference. Make your exercise routine a variety of exercise methods so you will not get bored. Try
to include activities that you enjoy and look forward to doing it. For example, you can try to combine in dancing and playing sports with family. Another reason you should do a variety of workouts is to workout different muscle groups. When planning to work out with your set routine you can always try to reach out for others to help you out for support. Doing it yourself is harder than having help from another person for encouragement. There are many benefits to joining an exercise group. You will have motivation and you can even
gain friendship from it. The more people the merrier. This can bring a positive attitude to your workout routine. The support from others will take you a long way to shedding the pounds away. Just remember to think about these steps to a new start. Start thinking of yourself as an athlete not a couch potato. So remember to set a goal, find a friend, mark a time in your calendar, and have some fun for the next workout. If you follow these steps you will be setting yourself up for a better health and more happiness in your life.
The importance of detoxing your body By Jacqueline Rivas Staff Writer
As the New Year has arrived, we need to think about detoxing our body from all the chemicals we have ingested. Cleansing our body would be a great start to a new year for a better and healthier body. Detoxification is cleaning your blood and eliminating many toxins from most of your organs. It is critical to detox your body every year so it can work properly. Eating healthier, drinking water, going to the gym, and taking your vitamin C, it will help get the substances out. Eating healthy is vital for detoxing because it helps the digestive system. Eating plenty of fiber supports maintain bowel health and also normalizes bowel movements. The fiber is meant to capture and push out the buildup of substances in your colon. Fibers include brown rice, organically-grown fruits, and vegetables in which all can help you in different ways. It not only benefits your intestines but it helps regulate your cholesterol levels and also controls blood sugar levels.
Cynthia K Seymour / Courtesy Photo
Another important way to detoxing is being hydrated at all times. Drinking water not only benefits your body but your health as well. It is significant to hydrate your body and consume plenty of water. The recommended amount to drink is two quarts daily so that you can flush out some of the toxins. Instead of drinking sodas just remind yourself that water is much
healthier and has no calories. It’s a win-win situation. If you don’t feel like drinking water you can always switch it up. You can have fresh fruit juices, herbal teas, or even coconut water to change it up a bit. By going to the gym, your body not only detoxes but you will also be losing weight. Exercising is a natural and effective way to do this. When you exercise you always
speed up your circulatory and respiratory system which play a huge role in cleansing naturally. Also, when exercising, you breathe deeply allowing more oxygen in, this helps your cells to perform their job to remove toxins. Another great way is to sit in the sauna at the gym. The sauna removes wastes through perspiration when you sweat. Finally, another way
to detox is to take vitamins. Vitamin C is very vital to cleansing the body. This vitamin is an influential antioxidant which does help to cleanse the body from harmful substances. As we know this is not the only function it has. Not only will you detox your body but it will benefit you in many ways. It supports your immune system, helps with wound healing, and also helps keep healthy skin. Consuming the vitamin will support your body tremendously. Also, by taking vitamin C the body produces glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins from your body. Entering a new year with eating healthy and detoxing will help you in many ways. Doing it naturally is even better. Detoxification is the way to start the New Year along with a good year resolution to helping your body. The healthier body, the higher your chances to block off any diseases and illnesses. Keeping a positive attitude to do this will encourage you to help your body flush out the unnecessary substances for a better living.
12
The Sports & Clubs
The Summa
Upcoming events for SWAT: “stopping slavery across the street”
Tuesday, Jan. 22 New Vision, New Stars 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Jones Hall in the Houston Theater District Wednesday, Jan. 23 Center for Irish Studies 10th Anniversary Celebration Open House 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Irish Studies House
Stephanie Hernandez / The Summa
new life. SWAT’s 2nd Cup fundraiser will be set up in Crooker from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. On March 8, SWAT will host the Freedom Music Festival, and will bring in local artists from the local area. The money made from ticket sales and donations will go towards the YMCA Trafficking Persons Assistance Program, a survivors program which teaches life skills, English lessons and health care. The concert will take place at the UST
Jones Hall at 5:30 p.m., and will be open to the public. Educating others and bringing awareness to the issue, even if it’s just you, can be the first step towards making a difference. Join SWAT and our efforts today! Show your support by liking us on facebook at f a c e b o o k . c o m . / S WAT. ust and get more details about how you can become an active member on our details page.
How to get involved with the Nursing Student Association By Sandra Efraimson Health Editor
The Nursing Student Association is a club that was created in the fall of 2012 for students who are interested in health, compassion and volunteering. This club is a place for those who find these passions significant and for those seeking careers in nursing, but anyone is welcome to join. You will find that this club unifies new friends among students who share similar views regarding how important it is to care for others. Since this club has been created, everyone has emphasized the passion for volunteering and learning about some of the career options that are available in the health care field, with an emphasis in nursing, which has a broad spectrum of career
Upcoming Events Friday, Jan. 18 African American Student Union Art Exhibition 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Jones Hall
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
Did you know that slavery still exists? And that it not only exists, but that it happens here in America? SWAT (Students Working Against Trafficking) was established at UST in 2009 as a chapter of Houston Rescue and Restore, human trafficking advocacy group in Houston. As a club at UST, it encourages students to learn about modern day slavery, human trafficking and how students can make a difference. SWAT’s objective is to bring awareness to slavery in its modern day form of human trafficking and to help inspire students to find ways to make a difference against it. They are currently planning several events for the spring 2013 semester. On Thursday, Jan. 24, the SWAT club will host their event, the 2nd Cup - a nonprofit coffee gathering to raise money for human trafficking survivor homes. Make sure to forgo your daily Starbucks fix! Instead, buy from 2nd Cup, so that your purchase can help a survivor build a
Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013
opportunities. Activities include volunteering, writing for the NSA Newsletter and becoming a part of a network of people who enjoy helping others and like to advocate awareness for those who cannot do so for themselves. It is a club that focuses on unity and doing the type of work for others that inspires you and that includes values that have an emphasis on human health care. Meetings have been held with speakers that can share valuable information regarding scholarship opportunities and career options. These meetings also present tailored seminars to guide those who are interested in applying for the UST Nursing Program, which was reopened in 2012. This club encourages leadership and has a President, Sarah “Beth”
Moreno and various active Vice Presidents that have joined to form the club from scratch. Elections for this club will be held soon, in March, and the opportunity to find a leadership role will be available to all members. Although this club is in its infancy, it is easy to join and it is encouraged that members share ideas for volunteering events and on campus activities. You may seek to join the club by emailing NSA@ stthom.edu. Soon, you will be able to access more information at the website and enjoy continuous post of upcoming events, bulletins containing stories that inspire and promote volunteering, and information that can guide students to join a club with members that share a passion for caring for others.
Wednesday, Jan. 23 Intramural Billiards Tournament 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Guinan Lobby Thursday, Jan. 24 Mass of St. Thomas Aquinas & Reception 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Chapel of St. Basil Ahern Room, Crooker Center Monday, Jan. 28 UST Blood Drive 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Old Book Store Tuesday, Jan. 29 Intramural Table Tennis Singles 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Jerabeck Lobby
SIDELINE HTX UST Celts Men’s Basketball Jerabeck Center, 4000 Mt. Vernon
Jan. 26 | Celts vs. Langston Jan. 28 | Celts vs. Bacone
UST Lady Celts Basketball Jerabeck Center, 4000 Mt. Vernon
Jan. 26 | Celts vs. Langston Jan. 28 | Celts vs. Bacone
Houston Aeros (NHL)
Reliant Stadium, 8400 Kirby Drive
Feb. 1 | Aeros vs. Texas Stars Feb. 3 | Aeros vs. Rockford Icehogs
Houston Rockets (NBA) Toyota Center, 1510 Polk Street
Jan. 23 | Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets Jan. 26 | Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets