The Minaret 04/24/2014

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MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933

THE Vo l u m e

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April

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2014

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theminaretonline.com

First Ever Diversity Week Helps Students Knock Down Oppressive Voices

By CHANCE SMITH News Writer

This week, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement and various other organizations on campus hosted UT’s first ever Diversity Week. Events began on Monday, April 14, and ended on Monday, April 21. The OSLE designed this week to spread the awareness of the diverse population and organizations that UT has to offer. Diversity Week began with an event called the Wall of Oppression in which students were asked to decorate individual cement blocks with words that they found offensive or oppressive. The colorful blocks were painted with various phrases and words that the diverse student base at UT tends to hear regularly. There were explicit words such as “n•••••” and “slut” colorfully decorated next to phrases such as “But you don’t look like a Jew?” The powerful words and phrases on the cement blocks were then stacked to form a wall in the Vaughn courtyard. “I love walking by and seeing people talking about the wall and being able to relate to some of the issues that others have painted on the bricks,” said junior graphic design major Devin Phinazee. “It See DIVERSITY Page 4

In Other News...

4 Bacterial Count on Keypad Locks Could Enable Break-Ins

7 Student Art Show Features UT’s Creative Talent

9 GLTSBA Hosts

Annual Drag Show

12 America’s Most Banned Books of 2013

14 What College has

Taught Me About Love and Sex

20 Lacrosse Spotlight: Marty Heyn Anchors Formidable Spartan Defense

News................................. 2 Diversions........................ 6 A+E................................... 7 Opinion........................... 11

Sports............................. 16

Casey Budd/The Minaret

Students work together to pull down the Wall of Oppression, covered with all of the most hurtful words they have experienced throughout their lives.

Ryan Shuck Foundation Hopes to Create Scholarship for Disabled Students

By LAUREN RICHEY News & Features Editor

Ryan Shuck loved UT. While living on campus he made friends everywhere he went, and never missed a sporting event. Even after he graduated in 2004, Shuck was an actively involved booster. Yet, what makes his story special to the UT community? Shuck had a something that resembled cerebral palsy and paraplegia, there might soon be a UT scholarship in his name and a second annual 5k race will take place in his name. When Shuck was 18 months old he was in a car accident that caused him to be paralyzed on the left side of his body. As he got older, his injuries also prevented normal growth and he developed severe scoliosis in his spine. The doctors originally told his parents that his brain function and motor skills would be limited. He was able to prove them wrong. Shuck graduated Tampa Catholic and then went on to get a degree in sports management at UT. Traveling on his motorized scooter he was able to become an independent student, never asking for anyone’s help. He then went on to live on his own for 10 years, in an apartment near Howard, where he was known as “The Mayor of Soho” making friends with many of the local bartenders. Last year, Shuck passed away in his sleep on Mother’s Day at 29 years old.

He left behind a grieving community of works, Kabbage and the other five board family and friends. A group of Ryan’s close members of the Ryan Shuck Foundation friends wanted to do something more to have also organized another 5k, that is set help define the remembrance of their lost to take place May 18 at Al Lopez Park. friend. Shuck’s sister, Kelly Gowyen, had Half of the money raised will go towards already been running marathons for Team the Hoyt Foundation, the other half will Hoyt, an organization that sends the “Yes go toward Ryan’s. You Can” Message to disabled people “We’re still working out all of the across the country, for a few years. Every kinks,” Kabbage said. “It’s a learning race she ran was in honor of her brother. experience for everyone but it’s keeping It gave Eddie Kabbage, a bartender at Ryan’s memory out there, which is the Macdinton’s, and a few of Shuck’s close most important thing.” friends an idea. Lauren Richey can be reached at “A group of us just wanted to get lauren.richey@theminaretonline.com together to make a fundraiser. The fundraiser turned into a foundation and it escalated within the month,” Kabbage said. They started the Ryan Shuck Foundation, that held its first “Running for Ryan” 5k race last September. Over 240 runners turned up for the cause, some not even knowing Shuck personally. The success of this event got them thinking. What else could they do to honor Ryan? “Now, one of our main goals is to get together with the Hoyt Foundation and UT to get a scholarship in his name,” Kabbage said. “We would get to set the parameters, it would go toward someone with a similar disability to Ryan’s. The school would ultimately get to choose out of a few applicants The Ryan Shuck Foundation who would get the scholarship.” Ryan Shuck’s legacy is still going strong with a While the UT scholarship is still in the potential scholarship in his name.


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APRIL 24 2014 | THE MINARET

MINARET

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Keesee

jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR Mia Glatter

mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Natalie Hicks

natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com

NEWS + FEATURES Lauren Richey, Editor

lauren.richey@theminaretonline.com

Katherine Lavacca, Asst. Editor

NEWS + FEATURES

Staying for Summer? Top Six Things to Do Near Tampa

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By THERESA STANTON News Writer

Gatorland Gatorland allows you to wrestle gators, zipline above crocs and be a trainer for a day. To wrestle a gator, you have to pay $10 plus admission. Regular admission is $15 but Florida residents only have to pay $10. If you want to be a trainer for a day, it’s $125.

Crystal River River Adventures: For $45, you can swim, snorkel or kayak with manatees. Address: 498 S.E. Kings Bay Drive, Crystal River.

katherine.lavacca@theminaretonline.com

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Justine Parks, Editor

justine.parks@theminaretonline.com

Jordan Walsh, Asst. Editor

jordan.walsh@theminaretonline.com

OPINION

Paola Crespo, Editor

Paola.Crespo@theminaretonline.com

Annabella Palopoli, Editor

annabella.palopoli@theminaretonline.com

Richard Whitaker, Asst. Editor

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richard.whitaker@theminaretonline.com

SPORTS

Jordan Llanes, Editor

jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

St. Cloud

Griffin Guinta, Asst. Editor

griffin.guinta@theminaretonline.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Horseback through Bulls Creek as a guide informs you about the area’s history and various animals.

Casey Budd, Editor

casey.budd@theminaretonline.com

ADVERTISING

Brandon Caples, Ad & PR Director minaret.ads@gmail.com

ADVISER

John Capouya

Jcapouya@ut.edu

COPY EDITORS

Zoe Fowler, Head Copy Editor

zoe.fowler@theminaretonline.com

Khadijah Khan

khadijah.khan@theminaretonline.com

Jackie Braje

jackie.braje@theminaretonline.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Jackson Ellis Catalan

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Wendy French

STAFF WRITERS Mark Sugden Selene San Felice Kai Miller Danielle Carpenter Doha Madini Claire Farrow Brianna Kwasnik Sonny Billote

COLUMNISTS

Hannah Webster Caitlin Malone Jake Koniszewski Avery Twible

MORE INFORMATION THE MINARET is a weekly student-run publication at the University of Tampa. Letters to the Editor may be sent to editor@ theminaretonline.com. To reach THE MINARET call 813.257.3636. Your first two copies of THE MINARET are free. Each additional copy is $1.00

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Helicopter Tour Not afraid of heights? Then take a helicopter tour of downtown Tampa and Davis Island. Get a bird’s-eye view of the skyscrapers and the bay. For $97, it will be a flight to remember.

5

Florida Aquarium

Relive Jaws, by swimming with sharks at the Florida Aquarium. Save $15 by booking online. With the discount, expect to pay $160 for gear.

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Dolphin Cruise

Travel to the bay to explore 400 types of dolphins and sea life. Book online and get 25 percent off.


NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

Bacterial Count on Keypad Locks Could Enable Break-Ins

By ANNABELLA PALOPOLI Opinion Editor

Everytime you touch something, you might be leaving part of yourself behind, and not just your fingerprint. The bacteria you leave on keypads could potentially give away the numbers of a passcode. I, along with freshman biology major Ashaki Gibson, swabbed numeric keypad locks of doors around UT and counted the bacteria that grew from samples of each number key. We hypothesized that the numbers of a passcode could be learned by determining which number keys are home to the most bacteria. We found that there is significant correlation between bacterial growth on certain keys and the passcode for that keypad. So, get ready to break into some science labs (disclaimer: please don’t actually try this). Most passcodes using a 10-digit keypad are four, five or six numbers in length, according to datagenetics.com. With no information about the code except that it is four, five or six numbers in length, your chances of guessing a combination would be 1/10,000, 1/100,000, and 1/1,000,000, respectively. Once the numbers of a four, five or six-digit code are revealed through a bacterial count, the code possibilities are greatly decreased. For example, a sixdigit code using five keys results in 300 different code possibilities. One of the keypads we tested used a four-digit code with two keys, which results in only 14

different code possibilities. This could potentially be a security issue. One needs only 10 cotton swabs and 10 petri dishes with appropriate growth media in order to greatly increase the chances of cracking the code of a 10-digit keypad. Because of this, keypad locks may not be the most secure way to lock a room, unless they are made from a heavy metal with oligodynamic properties, such as silver or copper. A metal with oligodynamic properties denatures proteins, making it toxic to bacteria. In this way, brass doorknobs are essentially self-cleaning. The metals that are currently used (mostly aluminum and stainless steel) do little to impede bacterial growth. Another way to avoid this security problem is to simply clean the keypads more frequently so they don’t have a chance to accumulate microorganisms. If you are to use a keypad lock, the safest four- to six-digit code would be six-digits using four numbers, resulting in 1560 possible combinations if the numbers of the code are learned. Overall, these circumstances do compromise the security of keypad locks, but I doubt UT in particular has anything to worry about. Unless someone really needs an old hole punch or a preserved fish specimen and is willing to test possibly hundreds of passcodes, I doubt there will be any faculty lounge or science lab break-ins. Annabella Palopoli can be reached at annabella.palopoli@theminaretonline.

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The Ryan Shuck Foundation

Bacteria found on the number keys of a keypad lock correlate with the passcode.

From the April 14 to April 20 Reports

Day Late, Dollar Short On April 14, a student filed a delayed theft report from 2013.

Sticky Fingers On April 17, unknown person(s) entered an unlocked room and stole a laptop.

On April 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m, the Panhellenic Association is hosting a fundraising event for Circle of

There are new Constitutional Amendments Cabinet Positions and Election Campaigns. Full Amendments are available on the SG website.

Sisterhood at PIA Day Spa. Sounds Like a Personal Problem On April 14, a student reported harassment from his ex-girlfriend who is a student.

Rise and Shine On April 16, a malfunctioning smoke detector activated the fire alarm system inside a residence hall.

#HATERADE On April 20, student reported that person(s) unknown “keyed” his car while it was parked. Reports compiled by Katherine Lavacca

On April 24, Panhellenic and IFC are recognizing students with a 3.75 GPA

Sodexo is hosting a vendor fair for $7 per entry on Wednesday, April 30 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

or higher at a scholarship banquet. On April 30, Pi Beta Phi is hosting a Mean Girls movie marathon to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the movie.

There will be a Clean Water 6K Race Sunday, April 27 at 8 a.m. by S.E.A.C. at Pepin Stadium. Be there at 8 a.m. to sign up. The race begins at 9 a.m. Proceeds will go to UNICEF WASH.


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NEWS + FEATURES

From DIVERSITY Page 1 really makes everyone aware that they are not alone and that many people face the same issues that they do.” Phinazee, who is the Student Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion, was the event coordinator. He included the Wall of Oppression display so that students could walk by, take notice and identify with something that another person had said. Jennifer Litherland, an alumna of UT, saw the wall and what some people had been saying and decided to add something of her own. Her cement block was painted entirely pink and displayed the word “Retard.” “I was always upset by the word ‘retard,’” Litherland said. “People use it far too much. I love seeing people’s reactions to the wall because there’s something everyone can correlate with.” Another contributor to the wall was sophomore biology and chemistry double major Kadijah Freeman. She created a piece about interracial couples because her boyfriend is of Puerto Rican descent and is mistaken as a Caucasian by some people. “My boyfriend lives in New Jersey, and when he visited me, we went shopping one day,” Freeman said. “While we were out, a lady walked up to him and said, ‘You don’t know your colors, do you?’ I couldn’t believe it. She was talking about the fact that he was dating me and I’m black. When I saw the wall, it symbolized a sense of freedom. You’re not bound by the terms and phrases that people label you by.” The week culminated in the breaking down of the wall on Monday afternoon. A large group of people gathered to pull the wall down. Ropes were attached to the entire wall, participants grabbed on to them and the wall was pulled down after a countdown. While most of the wall tumbled immediately, some of the base bricks were left standing. When bystanders noticed, they rushed to the base bricks, picked them up and hurled them into the pile of already broken ones. While the Wall of Oppression was a large factor of Diversity Week, it was not the only event that occurred. On Tuesday,

You may have seen Andrew Golden and his service dog Bandit around campus, but you may not know how important Bandit’s job is.

April 15, there was an African dance workout hosted by the African Dance Organization in the Vaughn courtyard. According to senior biology and chemistry double major and president of the African Dance Organization, Natalie Osayande, “The event educated students about African culture, specifically Nigerian, through the art of dance.” On Thursday night, GLTSBA Pride hosted a drag show that had the theme, “Gender-bending the bars.” The drag show was prison themed and open for any student to participate and attend. Other events for the week included a diversity trivia challenge on Monday night that tested students’ knowledge about UT’s diverse population, privilege monopoly Wednesday afternoon that examined the different privileges that students are born into and a video presentation called, “Born This Way” on Tuesday night that featured the story of two gay men in Cameroon—a country in which being gay is a punishable offense. “I think Devin Phinazee, the Student Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion for OSLE, did an incredible job of coordinating both Diversity Week and the GLTSBA Pride Drag Show,” said senior new media production major and president of the GLTSBA Pride organization, Christian Reich. “He has certainly set the bar for the position during its inaugural year.” Chance Smith can be reached at chance.smith@spartans.ut.edu

Minaret: How long have you had Bandit and how was he trained? Andrew: I’ve had Bandit for his entire life, 8 years. I was there when he was born, and cut his umbilical cord. We also share a birthday. I’ve always viewed it as a sign from god that he and I were meant to be paired together. He is a purebred Cardigan Welsh Corgi and was originally bred by my family to be a show dog. I trained him in all of his basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, come, etc.) and showed him for several years before my family and I ever knew that he was capable of doing what he can do. My father and I had many friends who trained and owned service dogs. One day, one of these friends was visiting and noticed Bandit bothering me to no end, being outright obnoxious. She suggested that I check my blood sugar (knowing that I was a type 1 diabetic). I did and it turned out that my sugar was 45 (normal would be around 100, 60 would be dangerously low). Bandit had just been alerting on me. After that incident my father and I asked our many friends for help in training Bandit’s natural instinct to aid me, and now, 5 years later, Bandit is an absolute pro at what he does. M: How does he help you in your daily life? A: I have hypoglycemic-unawareness, in other words I can’t feel when my blood sugar levels drop too low. On a daily basis Bandit will wake me in the morning at 7 am when he knows that I need to take my medication. Throughout the day, if my sugar drops below 90, Bandit will alert me (by barking, whining, or generally being obnoxious) and tell me to get something to eat. If I am asleep and my sugar drops, Bandit will wake me and I know to grab something to eat. Bandit does NOT keep me from needing to prick my finger and check my sugar on a regular basis. I still have to check my sugar levels 5 times a day, but Bandit keeps my levels from going too low in between those checks. A question I often get is “How does he do

it?”. The easiest way to put it is that he can smell when my sugar drops. His nose is highly sensitive and when I become hypoglycemic my scent changes. He picks up on this scent change, and alerts me by barking or whining until I actually do something about it. M: Do people often come up to you wanting to interact with him? A: People constantly come up to me to interact with him whether he is in his vest or out of it. And normally, I don’t mind. Bandit is well enough trained that interaction will not affect his ability to do his job. Personally, and honestly though, there have been instances where people have been absolute idiots in approaching him. Service dog or not, you ALWAYS ask the owner before you pet a dog. You don’t bend over and scratch his butt in the middle of the cafe or gang up on him and pet him without asking me. I don’t mind people petting Bandit, and I realize that you all miss your own dogs but please try to be smart about it and considerate for Bandit and his owner/ trainer. M: What are Bandit’s favorite parts of campus? A: Bandit absolutely loves sitting by the dock next to Boathouse. Before he was a service dog he used to herd sheep, cattle, and ducks. He LOVES sitting next to the dock waiting to herd and chase after any ducks that might run by. He also loves the courtyard in ResCom and can often be found running around like a crazy dog, burning off energy in the courtyard.​

Currently, there are 346 girls who are sponsored and 86 chapters, according to shesthefirst.org. The cost of the annual sponsorships are different for each country. For example, in Ethiopia the cost is $1,200. In Guatemala, it costs $1,000. “Twice a year we get to write letters to these girls and they get to send us pictures and we get to send pictures to them. Every summer, there’s an opportunity to go meet girls that the national organization offers. I thought that was such a great way to impact these women,” said Baranowski, the president of UT’s chapter of She’s the First. Nemanja Lilic, a sophomore economics major, is the only male in the campus chapter. He was convinced by Kurkechian to join. “I think that it’s a very good cause and I think that we’ll do some good doing it. … I really want to give the best effort that I can and try to track down as many people as I can,” Lilic said. Kurkechian, vice president of She’s the First, was inspired to assist in creating the organization because she and Baranowski wrote a paper about gender empowerment in their Research Methods class. The book I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old Pakistani who was shot by the Taliban for choosing to go to school, was also a

factor in Kurkechian’s involvement. “Since writing that paper and seeing how democracies work and how it influences gender empowerment, I just became really interested in learning about that,” Kurkechian said. “Over the winter break, I read I Am Malala, and it kind of just all came together after that… I think I thought of her when Rachel asked me and I definitely wanted to become a part of the organization.” Wade, the secretary of She’s the First, aspires to work in education policy. She has experience in the education field and has taught middle schoolers. “I think it’s an internal drive in me that just says, ‘You were offered all of these opportunities so it’s your responsibility to help the next person,’” Wade said. Next semester, the members of the club hope to host a Bake-A-Thon, an event where they will bake and sell tie-dye cupcakes to raise money in order to be able to fund a girl’s education. “We will get a notification of what country she’s in and we will be in contact with her. That’s actually one of our main goals for fall 2014,” Baranowski said. In addition, they also hope to show a documentary about girls’ education and use that event as a fundraising tool. Zoe Fowler can be reached at zoe.fowler@ theminaretonline.com

She’s the First Sponsors Women’s Education in Developing Countries

Photo courtesy of Adria Rebbecchi

Above are the women who organized the University of Tampa’s She’s the First Organization. By ZOE FOWLER

News Writer and Copy Editor

Rachel Baranowski, a junior and government world affairs major, founded UT’s chapter of She’s the First in the spring of 2014. She just finished Half the Sky, a book written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn about women’s oppression in developing countries, when her friend told her about the organization. Soon after, she asked Taylor Kurkechian and

Leanna Wade, both juniors and government world affairs majors, to join her in creating a chapter on campus. She’s the First is a national organization that sponsors girls in developing nations so they can become the first in their families to finish secondary school. Members of the organization have the opportunity to sponsor girls in Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, South Sudan, Tanzania, Gambia and Uganda.


NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

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Diversions

Sudoku

The Weekend Update UT Trivia Night

April 24 The Bungalow 6:30 p.m. Pre-register your team at uttrivia@gmail.com

Measure For Measure April 25 Falk Theatre 8 p.m. - 10:45 p.m. Free with UT ID

Drive-In Movie Fast and Furious 6

April 25 Top of West Parking Garage 8 p.m. Free with UT ID

Pottery Painting

PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net

Picture

WEEK of the

Photo by Ellis Catalan/The Minaret UT Students compete in a bodybulding competition.

April 26 Color Me Mine Tampa 1 p.m. $20

RHOyal Masquerade Ball April 26 Plant Hall Grand Salon 8 p.m. $5 with mask

April All-Star Classic 3v3 Basketball Tournament April 27 McNiff Courts 6 p.m. Free with UT ID

Spring Concert Jazz Ensemble April 28 Falk Theatre 7:30 p.m. Free

Spring Concert Orchestra April 29 Fletcher Lounge 7:30 p.m. Free with UT ID

Exam Jam

April 30 Vaughn Center Lobby 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free with UT ID


Arts + Entertainment

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

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Student Art Show Features UT’s Creative Talent By KAI MILLER

Arts + Entertainment Writer

This year the University of Tampa’s annual student art exhibition included over 50 eclectic pieces from creative students. The student showcase made its debut to the public on April 4 and will continue until April 24. Each student featured is displaying pieces of work that involves their area of expertise, which includes painting, ceramics, mixed media and much more. For UT senior Keith Evans, paper and graphite are his preferred mediums as noted by his chosen display piece “Hendrix I,” a portrait of the late rock n’ roll legend Jimi Hendrix. “I think that picture is so symbolic of his entire attitude and approach to music. It was sleek and sophisticated,” Evans said. Evans may have started his journey at UT as a business management major, but ever since he declared art as his minor, he has been able to hone his passion for creative expression. He uses his talents to showcase his admiration for pop icons and their craft. “I’m influenced by pop culture. I love pop culture. I like the fascination and buzz that we as ‘normal people’ give to celebrities,” Evans said. A majority of Evan’s work entails pictures that embody the character of famed celebrities. However, with the recent passing of his father, Evans’ work has taken on a whole new meaning. “[My father] actually bought the paper that I drew the Jimi Hendrix on. That piece and whatever success I may find is dedicated to him,” Evans said. Although most of Evans’ visions become a reality when he puts pencil to paper, he doesn’t want to limit himself as an artist. Evans is also an avid painter, often experimenting with oils on canvas.

“I don’t want to put myself in any genre of art. I would consider myself to be an artist that’s exploring,” Evans said. For UT junior Jana Graves, changing her major proved that digital art was her creative niche. Although Graves initially entered UT as a biology major, she eventually found that art allowed her to express her thoughts on societal issues. “I just want to show just how messed up America is. We’re so into ourselves that we don’t realize everything that’s going on,” Graves said. Graves is showing two pieces in the exhibition, “Wedding” and “Wall Street War.” The latter is a mixed media piece that delves deep with a backdrop displaying the iconic Kevin Carter photo of a vulture preying upon an emaciated Sudanese toddler. The piece also features men in suits with television sets for heads. “I wanted to juxtapose Wall Street and all the greed that’s going on,” Graves said. Graves drew inspiration for “Wall Street War” from The Sounds of Animals Fighting’s “Uzbekistan” when she was assigned in her design class to create a piece based off of a song. “You really do have to look up the lyrics. The very end talks about how people are really materialistic and ungrateful for the things that they have,” Graves said. Graves further explained that the song describes how through advertising, “We want what the companies want us to want and [we] don’t think outside of the box.” UT junior Nick Oliveri’s piece focused on one major company: Wal-Mart. After viewing the documentary The High Cost of Low Prices, the painting major felt compelled to create a piece that would expose the corporation in its wrongdoings. “Basically they exploit a lot of their

Kai Miller/ The Minaret

Senior business management major Keith Evans is displaying his piece “Hendrix I” at the UT student art show.

sub companies that they sell from and their employees,” Oliveri said. Oliveri’s “Welcome to Wal-Mart” is a blend of both realism and abstraction. The piece’s vivid colors and symbolic imagery is defined by his use of stenciling and spray painting, a style Oliveri best describes as urban street art. However, Oliveri hopes through his work that he can influence others to speak out on social issues. “[In] all of my pieces, I try to have an

underlying social meaning. So that hopefully as a group we can make some change,” Oliveri said. Oliver went on further to say, “It’s not just Wal-Mart. There’s a lot of shady stuff going on with big businesses in effort to maximize profit. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world and if you stay away from the mainstream, we could probably tackle some problems.” Kai Miller can be reached at kai.miller@ spartans.ut.edu

Datz Owners Prepare to Open New Restaurant Roux By MADISON IRWIN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Many people on campus have eaten at or have at least heard of Datz. It is quite a popular place for the UT community; after all, it won staff pick for Best Local Restaurant in The Minaret’s Best of UT Magazine. The owners of Datz recently signed a release to open up a third restaurant on South MacDill Avenue in the St. Croix Plaza called Roux, which will consist of a menu that is inspired by the South, in which Cajun and Creole cooking will be used. Datz, which opened in 2009, is the original of the two restaurants that are currently open and offers southern comfort food with a gourmet twist. Last April, co-owners Roger and Suzanne Perry opened up their second restaurant Dough, which is a bistro and bakery that specializes in doughnuts, gelato and all sorts of other sweets. This time, the Perrys are taking on a whole new theme with Roux: New Orleans. “I’m envisioning deep reds, but no Mardi Gras or Bourbon Street stuff. There won’t be masks on the walls and I told Roger, ‘no naked women,’” Suzanne said. According to Suzanne, this new project happened almost overnight. Her and Roger signed the lease and made renovation plans as soon as they drove past and saw the for lease sign inside what used to be a restaurant called Wimauma, which closed last

May. However, St. Croix Plaza owner John Zambito wasn’t ready to rent at the time. Nevertheless, Roux is now officially set to open this summer on June 2. The restaurant will take up the space of Wimauma as well as the dentist’s office next door because they needed that square footage to get a full liquor license. Dinner at Roux is going to be upscale with white tablecloths and heavy silver, but lunchtime will feel a little more casual. Lunches will include po-boys and muffaletta sandwiches. As for dinner, customers can expect an elegantly authentic New Orleans experience with seafood dishes, crab, lobster and steaks. Some of the dishes include Cajun sausages, alligator, frog legs as well as the classic Crawfish pie and gumbo. Suzanne said there will be higher price-points but will still remain moderate and affordable. “Right now, there isn’t an excellent New Creole restaurant in the Bay Area,” Suzanne said. “We decided that we wanted to step in and address that void with our new place.” The Perrys have been to New Orleans many times and have always been delighted with its multicultural roots and old Southern charm. “The history of the city and its blending of different populations has led to such amazing cuisines that we couldn’t help but want to bring some of that here to the Tampa Bay Area,” Suzanne said. There is a possibility that Roux may be the next popular place to eat off

Roux Tampa/ Facebook

Datz and Dough co-owners Roger and Suzanne Perry plan to open a third restaurant Roux later this year.

campus come next semester. “I’m excited for the new place to open,” said Ellen Lundgren, a freshman marketing major. “I’ll definitely have to try it out. I love Datz and Dough, so I could

imagine the food being just as delicious. But I’m especially excited to see what the owners will do with the theme.” Madison Irwin can be reached at madison.irwin@spartans.ut.edu


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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ Is Quirky and Endearing

By SELENE SAN FELICE Arts + Entertainment Writer

If you’re looking for a film to make you laugh but will still take you along for an action-filled ride, consider a stay at The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson’s newest film provides action, comedy and celebrities galore without any of the dumbed down jokes or excessive violence of mainstream movies today. Anderson has only directed about 13 movies since he started filmmaking in 1994, but each one of his movies has been more quirky and unforgettable than the last. The Huffington Post reported that The Grand Budapest Hotel is now Anderson’s highest-grossing movie and his first to cross the $100 million mark at the global box office, topping his record for 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom by almost double. The Post also reported that the film has set the record for the highest ever grossing opening weekend for a limited release. What makes Anderson’s latest movie

so great is that it has all of the qualities one looks for in a quality movie such as comedy, action and an A-list cast, with the look and unpredictability only Anderson himself could imagine. The film is about M. Gustave H., the renowned concierge at the Grand Budapest, and the lobby boy, Zero Moustafa. The two are swept into a fantastic adventure when an elderly guest leaves a famous painting to Gustave H. in her will. The plotline of two hotel workers and a painting may not sound that exciting, but The Grand Budapest Hotel takes viewers on a journey so exciting, they wouldn’t hesitate to see it twice. For once, seeing a movie with action doesn’t have to mean watching innumerable dehumanized and meaningless extras suffer fake deaths. While Grand Budapest doesn’t exactly have a low body count, every death has meaning and adds depth to the story. Whether it’s for an immense plot twist, or simply to add a bit of humor to break up the drama, each character’s death is

The Grand Budapest Hotel/Facebook

Wes Anderson’s attention to detail in The Grand Budapest Hotel makes it one of his best films yet.

memorable. As with any Anderson movie, the writing of The Grand Budapest Hotel is a work of art in itself. The plot moves along quickly, while still allowing itself to be completely unpredictable and full of twists and turns. Although the story moves along at a fast pace, viewers are still able to appreciate each and every line thanks to the stellar performances of the entire cast. Members of Anderson’s trademark cast are impossible to forget with appearances from Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, Jude Law and many more. However, the roles of these A-list celebrities are not as obvious as one may think. Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson are done up to be almost unrecognizable characters––Tilda as a frail old woman and Wilkinson as an esteemed author. Murray and Wilson, who have previously played starring roles in Anderson’s films, are only on screen for moments at a time. The appearances of these well-known celebrities are essential to Anderson films, but they do not outshine the amazing performances of some of the lesser known actors such as Tony Revolori, who plays one of the main characters, Zero. Ralph Fiennes, who is most wellknown for his roles in The English Patient, Schindler’s List and the Harry Potter movies as Lord Voldemort, takes his acting to a completely different level as The Grand Budapest’s esteemed concierge, Gustav H. While his role in the Harry Potter films is certainly unforgettable, Fiennes’ performance in The Grand Budapest will be remembered for entirely different reasons. Instead of having his role consumed by the look of his costume, makeup and special effects, Fiennes is able to truly demonstrate his skill in this film by showing true

emotion and character with the delivery of each and every line. He also forms an extremely believable bond with his costar Revolori. Revolori has only previously played very short parts in television shows and short films, but he seems just as experienced, composed and talented as his other more famous co-stars. He plays the role as Zero, the lobby boy, making the character quirky, lovable and always sincere. While The Grand Budapest is considered a comedy, it didn’t need fart jokes or dumbed-down humor to keep audiences laughing. The comedy element of the story is just as fast paced and cerebral as the main storyline itself. Simple, quirky elements play a role in this as well. The enormous Mexicoshaped birthmark of Saoirse Ronan’s character, Agatha, is just one of the minor details which build the unusual humor of Anderson’s films. The mise-en-scène element of The Grand Budapest is Anderson’s greatest work yet. His attention to detail is remarkable, and each and every shot of the film proves so. Each shot is framed perfectly along with an incredible color scheme, making the film essentially the definition of picture perfect. Although The Grand Budapest Hotel clearly deviates from the mainstream movie norm, after watching the film, viewers may never want to see another “normal” movie again. Selene San Felice can be reached at selene.sanfelice@spartans.ut.edu

4 out of 5 stars

Pop Culture Finds a New Place in College Classrooms

By KAI MILLER

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Imagine for a moment that when it came time to register for classes, you could take a course in which you study the history of hip-hop, Beyonce’s career or even the sociology of Miley Cyrus. This ideal coursework isn’t as farfetched as it may seem. Over a decade ago, Harvard University established The Hip-Hop Archive & Research Institute. Since 2002, the Hip-Hop Archive & Research Institute’s mission has been to facilitate and encourage the pursuit of knowledge, art and culture as well as leadership through hip-hop. Past research projects and activities have granted students the opportunity to create performance pieces, manuscripts and even album work. However, hip-hop being a framework for academia isn’t something relatively new. UT professor Aric Brian can recall a time during the late ‘90s when UCLA was offering an English course entitled The Poetry of Tupac Shakur. Brian has served as a jazz instructor and the leader of the Jazz Ensemble for the past eight years at UT. “I think with hip-hop there’s a lot of historical, social and cultural types of things that people can learn from even [if they’re not] musicians,” Brian said. “It’s just like the jazz history class [offered at UT]; musicians can maybe take something away from it that’s maybe different from a non-musician but both get something out of it.”

Brian, a proclaimed hip-hop fan who notes Dr. Dre’s The Chronic as being “revolutionary,” does see the possibility of UT incorporating courses similar to Harvard’s but not as soon as some students would hope. “If it would happen it would have to be further down the road. UT has some catching up to do before they would come to that point. I think there are other things that need to happen first,” Brian said. However, he did acknowledge the technological offerings that UT students should consider and take advantage of. “I know they have a really good studio here. So, they could teach that side of things,” Brian said. But what if UT were to follow the trend set forth by Skidmore College in offering a summer course about the sociology of Miley Cyrus or a class about Jay-Z like Georgetown University? How long would this process of curriculum reform actually take and is it even plausible? UT Provost David Stern seems to think so. According to Stern, the process by which curriculum is chosen is both “well-defined” and “formal.” This process begins with a faculty member or group of faculty members who develop a proposal that must be approved by their department, dean and the curriculum committee of Faculty Senate. “It would open students to new ways of thinking critically about the cultural experiences that are so familiar. That is

Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Harvard’s Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute could serve as a model for other pop-culture based classes.

one of the goals of our core curriculum, to develop critical thinking skills in our students,” Stern said. Stern’s role throughout this process concerns decisions made each semester, which begins with a portfolio of approved courses. “The department faculty decides what needs to be offered to ensure students can meet curricular requirements, to accommodate students demand, and where possible to offer new or innovative offerings. This requires a complex balancing act

within departments,” Stern explained. For UT sophomore criminology major Brendan McCann, the possibility of having a course on hip-hop taught at UT is a “good idea” but simply unrealistic. “A school like UT [is] where I just don’t see a lot of the student body getting into hip-hop and caring about it that much. Harvard is where I feel like people are more open-minded and even if you don’t like hip-hop, you’re interested in it,” McCann said. Kai Miller can be reached at kai. miller@spartans.ut.edu


ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

9

GLTSBA Hosts Annual Drag Show By BRANDON CAPLES Ad + PR Director

Jane Ojasu/The Minaret

Stephanie Shippae, who has been doing drag for 20 years, was Master of Ceremonies at GLTSBA’s drag show.

Bright lips, big wigs, tall heels and fake boobs were just a few things to see at the GLTSBA (Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Straight, Bisexual and Asexual) Pride drag show event on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. Over 100 students and parents filled the Fletcher Lounge to watch 17 performances, making for an entertaining drag show.The night was young and some of UT’s finest students gay or straight put on their best drag gear to compete for various prizes. GLTSBA Pride is a student-run organization on campus. Each year members throw a drag show, and it is always a big hit in the UT community. Christian Reich, the president of GLTSBA and a senior at UT, thought that it was a wonderful event. “GLTSBA Pride drag show is our premier event of the year,” Reich said. “The club and I spent a lot of time planning this event.” This year’s Master of Ceremonies Stephanie Shippae has been doing drag for over 20 years. “I loved the atmosphere here at UT––it’s always fun,” Shippae said. “I know I have done my job when I’m up on stage and entertaining and the audience is in it more than me.” This wasn’t Shippae’s first year doing the drag show here at UT, and it won’t be her last because she was asked to return for next year’s drag show as well. “Stephanie is great,” Reich said. “She is funny and always connects with the audience, and she’s such an amazing performer.” Michael Buckley, a marine biology major at UT, performed drag for the first time as Rie Shetty and performed the Pussycat Dolls’ song “Jai Ho.” He stumbled in his five-inch heels, but he still took home third place in the drag show. Buckley described his first time doing drag as “fantastic.”

“I still need to practice more in the heels, but other than that, it went great,” Buckley said. Tess Devlin, a freshman new media major at UT, is happy she won first place in her first drag show. Her stage name is Jack Doff. Devlin set the stage with a drawn on six pack and black slacks, lip syncing the Rihanna hit “S&M.” Being a part of GLTSBA Pride means so much to Devlin. “I just recently came out and I was nervous,” Devlin said. “It changed my life.” For Devlin, it’s all about feeling welcomed and she does at the GLTSBA annual drag show. GLTSBA Pride is known for taking students outside of their comfort zone but without any judgment. For sophomore criminology major Laurin Aguilar, the overall feel was exciting to her. “I love the being around a group of diverse group of people including the LGBT community,” Aguilar said. “I think everyone’s performances were good and what’s so great about drag is that it’s suppose to be fun and I can tell that all the girls and guys were having fun.” “It is important to have an organization like GLTSBA Pride at UT because it creates a safe space for individuals who are discovering their sexuality,” Reich said. The drag show is just one of many events that GLTSBA Pride put on for the UT community. Overall, many students described the night as fun and full of laughter. GLTSBA Pride isn’t just opened to students that are a part of the LGBTQ community; it is opened to all different sexual groups. Brandon Caples can be reached at brandon.caples@spartans.ut.edu

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10 APRIL 24 2014 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Actor on the Rise: Sam Claflin

Do It Yourself: Pumpkin Muffins

By SAMMI BRENNAN

By KAELA BERNARDINO AND BRIANNA KWASNIK

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Once again, the British are coming. Ipswich native Sam Claflin is in pursuit of showing America exactly what he can accomplish as an actor. Soon, Claflin will star in the horror film The Quiet Ones. Growing up in Norwich, England, Claflin had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player until an injury left him seeking an alternative. His parents persuaded him to follow an acting career which led to his graduation from the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His breakout television debut was in the award-winning Starz mini-series The Pillars of the Earth, and his role in another award-winning series, Any Given Heart, followed. His first acting credit for a film was in the television Syfy movie The Lost Future. On the big screen, Claflin got his claim to fame as the character Philip in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is the fourth installment in the series. A year later, he starred alongside Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman as William. In 2013, Claflin played the role of Finnick Odair in the sequel to the The Hunger Games and will reprise his role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2. On April 25, Claflin will star in the supernatural film The Quiet Ones. The film tells the story of an Oxford

Arts + Entertainment Writers

You Will Need • • • • • • •

1 box of vanilla cake mix 1 can of pumpkin 1 cup of chocolate chips Baking cups Can opener Mixing spoon Mixing bowl

We found a recipe that can satisfy your sweet tooth for the upcoming finals week junk food binge. With just three simple ingredients and a 30-minute study break, you can have delicious chocolate chip pumpkin muffins to help you and your friends get through your next study session.

tray, and put two to three tablespoons of batter into each cup. If the batter seems to be in need of more chocolate chips, sprinkle a few more on top of each muffin.

Step Five

Put the tray in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, you can increase the temperature to make the muffins cook faster.

Step Six

Put on oven mitts or use pot holders to take the muffin trays out of the oven. Let them sit on the top of the stove for five minutes before enjoying. Kaela Bernardino can be reached at kaela.bernardino@spartans.ut.edu Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu

Step One

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sam Claflin/Facebook

Sam Claflin stars in The Quiet Ones, out April

University professor who gathers a team of students in order to prove that the idea of supernatural forces is only a result of psychological trauma. Claflin will play Brian, a student camera man who documents the events of a young girl who believes she is possessed, and Claflin will also possess your heart with this role. Sammi Brennan can be reached at samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu

Step Two

In a large mixing bowl, mix the box of cake mix and pumpkin until smooth.

Step Three

After you’re done mixing, add in the chocolate chips and mix again. You can add as many or as little as you want. You can always add more after you put the batter into the baking cups.

Step Four

Place the baking cups in the baking

Kaela Bernardino/The Minaret

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6-Week Terms May 27 – July 3 July 7 – Aug. 16 12-Week Term May 27 – Aug. 16 Registration Now Available! Register Online:

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THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

Opinion

11

UK Doctor: ‘I’d Rather Have HIV than Diabetes’ By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Columnist

Dr. Max Pemberton has made a bold statement in a recent op-ed he wrote for U.K. newspaper The Spectator, in which he said, “Medically speaking, I’d rather have HIV than diabetes.” Comments in response to the publication of the article online vary from outraged to appreciatively informed. However, it got people talking about it, and I believe that was his overall goal. “To put it starkly, the latest statistics show that because of Haart (antiretroviral medications), HIV now no longer reduces your life expectancy, while having type-2 diabetes typically reduces it by 10 years. But this isn’t an easy thing to say publicly,” Pemberton wrote in his article. In writing this article, he wanted to inform people that a diagnosis of HIV is no longer a death sentence. Although precautionary measures should still always be taken to prevent getting or transmitting the disease, he explains why medical professionals now consider it a chronic disease. “[HIV] is regarded in public health terms in the same category as, for example, type 2 diabetes,” he wrote, which is where his comparison of the two diseases stems from. When I first heard this, the shock made my mouth drop open and my mind go blank. My first thought was, “Wow, he must really want to raise awareness on this issue to go so far as to make a bold, attention-catching statement such as that.” As someone with neither HIV nor type-2 diabetes, I was able to think about the message he was trying to deliver from a neutral perspective. I have never seen the effects these diseases can have on someone, so I resorted to processing what he was saying from a logical point of view

as opposed to emotional. At the end of the article, I completely understood where he was coming from, and it was hard for me to disagree. Pemberton provides a lot of support for his argument. For starters, he exemplifies his credibility by saying he has been practicing since the mid 1990s, he works in the center of the bustling city of London and he works specifically with high-risk groups such as sex workers and drug addicts, according to ABC News. Despite his focus with high-risk groups, he still confidently makes the claim that he hasn’t seen someone die of HIV in years. “People with diabetes are four times more likely to have cardiovascular disease than someone without diabetes. In 20 to 30 percent of people with diabetes, there’s damage to the kidney filtering system leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis,” he wrote. This is just one of the examples he uses to support his statement that the prognosis for those with type-2 diabetes is much worse than for those with HIV. It is crucial to remember that he is a doctor practicing in the U.K., a country with universal healthcare. The “incredible pharmacological advances in how the [HIV] virus is treated and managed” that he speaks of are applicable throughout the world, but in his country, they are available to all. The highly active antiretroviral therapy, or Haart, has “resulted in being able to maintain the infected person’s immune system and therefore prevent the opportunistic infections that resulted in the development of Aids and led to death,” according to Pemberton. This is true in places like the U.K. where these expensive treatments are covered by the government. However, in places like the U.S. where extensive treatments may not be covered by insurance, it is understandable that feelings

thestehoscope, Peru/commons.wikimedia.org Having HIV in the UK, a highly developed country, is vastly different than having it where treatment is unavailable.

of outrage may arise when people read this doctor’s statement. Pemberton says that the most recent statistics show that in 2012, less than one percent of the U.K. population died of HIV. He does not, however, specify if this is less than one percent of the entire population or less than one percent of the population who has been diagnosed with HIV. In presenting his argument, he fails to use supportive evidence from any country other than his own. This successfully convinces me that in the U.K., the number of people who are dying from HIV is very low, but the lack of application of his argument to any other countries diminishes the credibility of it. However, lacking the article is in supportive detail, it gets the job done of starting the argument and spreading awareness of the current state of

these life-altering diseases. Pemberton certainly made a daring move by writing this op-ed, but he clearly felt it was important to get people’s attention. This move could have potentially altered to his reputation or lost him clients, but he seemed to have thought the need for awareness far outweighed the risks. As I mentioned before, I was able to look at this from a non-emotional standpoint. In doing so, I was able to clearly see the strong case he presented. I support his movement to educate the public on the status of HIV in the current day, as developments in the last 30 years since its discovery have been monumental. The stigma that used to come with the diagnosis of HIV, as well as the ostracization of those diagnosed, needs to be abandoned. Avery Twible can be reached at avery. twible@spartans.ut.edu


12 APRIL 24 2014 | THE MINARET

OPINION

America’s Most Banned Books of 2013

By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Columnist

When I was a kid, I would take any book off the shelf and read it. I loved exploring all these different worlds created by talented authors. By the time I entered middle school, I started hearing about books being banned from the school library, but I did not know why. The school must have had a good reason to ban them, right? Now that I am older, I am looking back at the most banned and challenged books of 2013, and I’m confused by some of the choices. The most banned book was Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series due to “offensive language, [being] unsuited for age group, and violence,” according to The Huffington Post. I have not read those books since elementary school, but I do not remember there being any wildly offensive language. Sure, there is plenty of toilet humor, but you have to be abnormally prudish to be offended by the mention of butts. It was not specified if older kids were reading below their age group or if little tykes were reading the series, but I find “unsuited for age group” to be a poor argument for banning a book. Even if older kids are reading a series targeting a younger crowd, they should not be punished for it. Entertainment comes in many forms and an older kid reading Captain Underpants won’t hurt anyone. As for the little kids, if they’re reading ahead of their age group, good for them. Regarding violence, I remember there being fight scenes in the series, but it’s nothing worse than what you’ll see in a cartoon or children’s comic. I thought ultra-conservative parents and teachers would have the book banned for nudity since a grown man runs around in his underpants in front of children, but that issue was not brought up. I’m confused as to why some of these other books made the list. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Jeff Smith’s Bone series were both banned for racism, among other reasons. While racism is obviously bad, the authors of these books were

simply trying to discuss issues of racism. It’s hard to discuss serious issues in a novel if they’re not present. “People focus on a word, or a handful of words, and often lift them out of context of the books,” said Barbara Jones, who directs the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. When people read words they deem offensive, they tend to stop reading and complain instead of reading through the whole text to understand it in context. On the other hand, I can understand why some of the other books were banned. E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey series was among the top ten most banned list for sexually explicit material. I wouldn’t want my kid reading about BDSM until after high school. If it’s blatant erotica like Fifty Shades of Grey, then I can see why school libraries won’t stock it, but if it’s only kissing or implied sex, libraries should be more lenient and at least consider putting the novels in high school libraries. Even if sex is part of a book, it’s important to note that it can be about more than just sex. Since I went to Catholic school for a few years, I can understand why Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima is banned due to themes of the Occult/Satanism. Catholic schools tend to avoid giving their students access to texts discussing Satanism. While I agree that the contents of a book can influence people, the reactions of parents, teachers and other authority figures can also influence children. By banning books, some students could wonder why they’re banned and end up seeking out the books themselves. Instead of outright banning books, parents and teachers should try to keep an open mind. Let students read the books and talk with them about it. Answer any questions they may have about certain characters, scenes and themes. Parents and teachers should avoid closing off kids to books and instead use them as a way to open each other’s minds. Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john. Books that make the banned list are usually considered harmful to the education of children. koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu


THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

OPINION

13

Brooklyn’s Smallest Penis Contest Returns in a Big Way By CAITLIN MALONE Opinion Columnist

I can still remember the first time I ever saw a penis. I was in sixth grade and some boy in my class thought it would be funny to jump in front of the door to the girls’ bathroom and show off his package. Unfortunately for me, I was on my way out of the bathroom so I got a front-row view of his provocative presentation. The one thing that stuck out in my mind though was how small it was. Granted, I was no expert on the matter of penis size in the sixth grade, but that thing was tiny. Every summer in Brooklyn, Kings County Bar holds an event to make the little things count. On June 14, Brooklyn will be holding its annual Smallest Penis Contest where men fight for the title of having the smallest penis, according to The Huffington Post. The contestants are judged in a number of categories, including their “poise” while dressed in both evening wear and bathing wear. The winner of the contest receives a cash prize, which they have the option to donate to charity. They are also given a “wee crown and scepter,” according to The Huffington Post. I like what they’re trying to do here. They are not really making a spectacle of those guys who are less endowed, but rather making these guys feel like they’re important, even if they are lacking in that certain area. Last year, the promoters of the event told The Huffington Post that it is supposed to be all about “empowering the little guys.” They also described it as a competition for “confident people

with a sense of humor.” Last year’s winner Nicholas Gilronan also described the event in a positive light. He said it was “laid back, fun [and] casual” while comparing it to just another “fun time on a Saturday afternoon,” according to The Huffington Post. It’s no secret that most women make a big deal about how wellendowed their future partner is. Brian Mautz, a Post-doctoral researcher from the University of Ottawa, did a study at the Australian National University last April that showed that an increase in penis size resulted in an increase in attractiveness to women, according to NBCnews.com. For the experiment, they created 49 computergenerated, life-sized male figures that were presented nude to 105 Australian women with an average age of 26. The women were not told which traits varied. They were left alone in the room, and their answers remained anonymous. They were asked to rate the male figures as sexual partners on a scale of one to seven. Past studies similar to this one have shown that women prefer men with broader shoulders and narrow hips, according to NBCnews.com. But Mautz’s study showed that penis size was just as important as those other things. Not only were the ratings higher for the figures with a larger penis, but the women also spent a longer time looking at those figures as well. This whole idea about how penis size affects attractiveness exists for the same reasons that the importance of a woman’s bra size does. Society

MINACOMICS

Scott Akerman/Flickr

Proud competitors flock annually to Brooklyn to compare the size of their genetalia

has created this idea that men with larger penises are manlier, making them more successful in the bedroom. Male endowment seen in porn is said to be in the top one to 10 percent size wise, according to voxii.com. This makes it very hard for men who are less endowed to feel confident about their sex lives. I am not very picky when it comes to how big or small my partner’s private parts are. As long as our sex life is enjoyable, I could care less. I also think that the amount of pleasure you get from sex depends on the size of a

man’s penis compared to the size of a woman. Smaller women are probably not going to want a partner with a gigantic penis. They’d probably feel like they’re having sex with a baseball bat rather than a human being, which doesn’t sound very pleasurable. At the end of the day, it’s all about personal preference and what makes you enjoy your time spent in the bedroom. As I and many others like to say, “It’s not the size that counts, but how you use it.” Caitlin Malone can be reached at caitlin.malone@spartans.ut.edu

And the winner of the smallest penis is...


14 APRIL 24 2014 | THE MINARET

By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Columnist

After four years of writing this column, I can’t believe I’m sitting at my desk typing out my last one. I’ve spent the majority of my college career addressing

One

Date outside your comfort zone. Keep finding that it just isn’t working out? Maybe it’s because you go for the same type. Every. Single. Time. Remove yourself from your box a little; you might be surprised by who you meet and what you find attractive.

Two

Age has nothing to with maturity. Men twice your age may still be in the mindset of a college freshman, while someone younger than you may know more about what you want from a relationship than you do. Don’t write someone off—or on—simply due to how old they are.

Three

Beware of friends trying to bet your vagina in a game of pool.

Four

You know that super hot athlete with the bad reputation? Yeah, he probably got that rap for a reason. Approach with caution.

Five

This one goes out to one my best friends: think twice before having sex with someone named after a wild animal. He might be a little too wild… Awooooo.

Six

Friends-with-benefits is not a long-term arrangement. It will inevitably go one of two ways: self-destruction or formation of a real relationship. Few come out with a friendship intact.

OPINION

What College Has Taught Me About Love and Sex

the sexual topics of our campus to the best of my ability, often releasing my most personal experiences in print for all to see. And I don’t regret a single moment. The topics of sex and love are simply a part of college. To ignore them is to ignore a

Seven

Consider the consequences before becoming involved with your student mentor or anyone, really, in a position of power over you. There is not only a real possibility for things to get extremely awkward every time you are forced to see them with, but the chances of the experience living up to the forbidden love you’ve been fantasizing about are slim to none.

Eight

“He’s just not that into you.” Know that this happens. Our friends, God bless them, will tell us every possible reason BUT this one when a guy doesn’t call. Not everyone will like you. Accept this and learn to move on, not obsess.

Nine

No matter how convincing the argument seems, do not get involved with someone who is in a relationship.

Ten

If someone really wants to see you, they will make the time to see you. A relationship is a 50/50 effort with both members occasionally having to compromise. If this isn’t happening, it’s likely not worth your time. And there is probably a reason they are not putting in the effort.

Eleven

Never date a guy whose name has been turned into a verb. Let’s say you go on a date with “Bob” and run into a group of

huge aspect of student life. While I know I haven’t done anything to exactly earn a Pulitzer Prize, I hope at the very least, I’ve provided some entertainment throughout my time at The Minaret. I can’t think of a better

mutual friends at the same place. If your date goes to the bathroom and multiple people approach you to ask, “Hey… are you getting Bobbed?” you should probably sneak out through the kitchen.

Twelve

You should also immediately leave the room if someone asks you to sleep with them for the purpose of critiquing their skills (luckily, I worked that one out the first time around and got the hell out of there).

Thirteen

Never feel obligated to have sex with anyone. You don’t need to join the collegiate hook-up culture if it isn’t your style. You don’t have to play wing woman to the max and screw a guy because your BFF is sleeping with his friend in the next room. You don’t owe anyone your body because they were nice to you or bought you dinner. Listen to your gut. Always.

Fourteen

Don’t take the word of your friends as the end-all-be-all when it comes to dating advice. People fall into a trap of dating or sleeping with the people who make their friends jealous. Date who you want to and sleep with who you’re attracted to. You might have close friends who give you solid advice on what they think about the character of the men or women who you’ve involved yourself with. But c’mon, we all have those slightly (or not so slightly) superficial friends that have detrimental powers of persuasion.

way to leave you than to sum up the lessons I’ve learned about sex and love in college through stories I’ve heard from close friends, questions I’ve been asked by complete strangers and my own experiences.

Fifteen

Don’t stay in a relationship that you know you aren’t into. You’ll waste your time and someone else’s, in addition to doing some emotional damage along the way. If you see it isn’t working, be honest, and get out. You’ll both be better off.

Sixteen

If he looks, walks and acts like an asshole… he’s probably an asshole.

Seventeen

Let go of the last person you loved before trying to love the next. It’s easy to use someone to move on, but you will likely hurt them in the process and never learn to heal on your own.

Eighteen

Feel out the situation before you pull out the handcuffs. Seriously though.

Nineteen

It’s hard to remain logical when you fall in love. Use caution when giving your heart to someone when you know the relationship has a quickly approaching expiration date.

Twenty

With that said, however, don’t love with regrets. Know that, even when painful, you learned a valuable lesson. After all, that’s what college is all about. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannah.webster@spartans.ut.edu

Feds Close Pot Shops for Involvement in Cartels By ELIZABETH ROCKETT Opinion Writer

The DEA suspects that four medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver and Boulder, Colo. may be linked to Colombian drug cartels, according to The Huffington Post. This accusation raises concerns for the future of legalization of medical marijuana in other states. Raids by federal officials have not found any evidence that ties any of the business owners to any sort of illegal activity, according to The Denver Post, so this investigation seems to be completely illegitimate. The feds have begun to raid at least a dozen businesses that fall under ownership of four interconnected medical marijuana companies: VIP Cannabis, Kushism and Highlands Cannabis Co. in Denver and Grateful Meds in Nederland. Investigators believe the raided businesses were all “one big operation,” according to The Denver Post. Investigators consider the active purchasing of area dispensaries and grow warehouses to be reason enough to target these businesses. This does not seem like suspicious behavior but rather economic growth. The feds are continuing their investigation and prosecution of these businesses in order to prevent eight crimes that are cause for federal prosecution: these include the distribution of marijuana to minors; revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels; and the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states, according to The Huffington Post.

According to The Denver Post, none of the business owners are admitting to any illegal activity. So far, the only thing that this raid has done is left over 100 employees jobless at VIP Cannabis alone, not to mention federal seizure of over $2 million of marijuana plants and products. The federal government seems to be doing everything in its power to stop marijuana businesses from thriving, even though they could substantially help better our economy. The only legitimate link to any drug cartels was already discovered in July 2012. Cuban immigrant Juan Guardarrama had previously been distributing Colorado-grown marijuana in Miami as well as working with Colombian and Cuban-born jewel thieves, illegally selling diamonds in the U.S., according to The Denver Post. However, Guardarrama began serving his 10-year term in prison this past March. With one extremely obvious tie to Colombian drug cartels already taken care of and no substantial information that would tie any of the business owners to drug cartels, the federal government has no business raiding the businesses and homes of innocent people. “The idea of the drug cartel… maybe there’s a link, maybe there’s not. But here’s what people don’t understand. What country is responsible for the most marijuana that’s consumed in this country? It’s the United States. It’s home grown, it’s a cash crop. This is just as American as baseball and apple pie,” said David Krahl, a criminology professor at UT. Krahl stressed that Colorado grows some of the highest quality strains of marijuana available, so why would dispensaries waste

puremmj/Facebook

It seems as if federal officials are reaching pretty far in order to incriminate legalized marijuana dispensaries.

their time dealing with drug cartels and the risk of illegal imports? They wouldn’t, because the lower quality is not worth the trouble. The DEA is taking advantage of the American population who are already on edge about illegal immigration and things of that nature by creating the illusion that illegal imports may be involved in the recreational use of marijuana. Krahl said that his fundamental question involving the legalization of marijuana is, “Who gives a shit?” Krahl strongly disagrees that marijuana should be considered a gateway drug because it has never caused the death of a

human being. Marijuana is a “drug” that isn’t doing anyone any harm. The DEA is trying to take advantage of the American people, portraying marijuana as a potentially dangerous drug that could bring more crime to the states. People need to realize that with the legalization of marijuana, there will be even less room for crimes that have to do with illegal drug cartels, because all of the products will be grown on American soil in order to ensure quality. Elizabeth Rockett can be reached at elizabeth.rockett@spartans.ut.edu


THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

OPINION

Master It Graduate Open House, April 25, 6-8 p.m., Vaughn Center, ninth floor Join us for a special Graduate Open House event to learn more about UT’s graduate degrees! Talk with faculty, admissions counselors, academic advisors, students and alumni about the following programs: Business • MBA (seven concentrations) • M.S. in Accounting • M.S. in Finance • M.S. in Marketing • Certificate in Nonprofit Management • Certificate in Accounting • Certificate in Business Administration Exercise Science and Nursing • New! M.S. in Exercise and Nutrition Science • M.S. in Nursing Education • M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology • Master of Education Creative Writing • MFA in Creative Writing

RSVP at www.ut.edu/gradvisit.

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16 APRIL 24 2014| THE MINARET

SPORTS

Sports

Bodybuilders Display Physiques at Annual Contest By LAYLA SOUCHET

practically naked on stage with hundred, if not thousands, of people staring and critiquing them. They have to cut back on certain food intake, increase their workout regimens and spend countless hours practicing their posing. But why do they do it? As it turns out, it’s not always for the competition. “It didn’t matter if I took first place,” junior marketing major Eliza Majka said. “I won when I stepped out on that stage because I beat the girl I used to be.” “I have never felt better. Seeing my passion under the lights is incredible,” Majka said. The preparation takes almost as much brainpower as it does physical work. Not only do they have to mentally prepare themselves for the journey and the competition, but they also have to exercise their brains. Junior finance major Darius Thomas,

who took first place in Men’s Physique, said, “It’s hard trying to put everything together [diets, exercises]. It took a lot of reading and research. It was time consuming.” But the experience didn’t cause a drastic change for Thomas. “Cutting carbs and what you can’t eat is as drastic as it gets,” he said. “I already eat pretty clean.” Food was the most talked about subject of the evening. After all the time spent on training their bodies for this competition, the lure of junk food is almost too strong to ignore. “[The hardest part] was not being able to eat all the food I wanted to eat,” said junior human performance major Samantha Garris, who placed in second in Women’s Figure. “I felt drained towards the end. Sometimes I didn’t have the motivation to work out. I just had to think about the competition and know that I couldn’t give up.”

Celebratory meals are customary and the competitors weren’t holding back on what they were having for dinner. “Pizza and hot wings,” Thomas said. “Mexican,” senior liberal studies major Erika Mangano added. Besides food, everyone could agree on the emotional atmosphere of the night. Kelsey Bahr, the vice president of the bodybuilding organization and first place winner of Women’s Bikini, wasn’t as sentimental as some of the other competitors. “I did this for me,” Bahr, a junior exercise science major, said. “I just want to throw the trophy away. I feel like I was the trophy. Everyone tonight was a winner when they stepped out on the stage. They don’t need a trophy to tell them that.” Mangano, first place winner in Students with Disabilities division, said, “[It was] nerve-wracking, but it felt good. Everyone was cheering for me even though I walk differently.” She also won the best poser award, beating out all the other first place winners in a pose off to “Hot in Herre” by Nelly. Since the biggest event of the club’s year is finished, they continue to look towards the future to tap its fullest potential. Junior exercise science major Dan Brockunier, president of the Bodybuilding Team, said, “I’m way proud of the competitors. They put in the work; it takes a lot of heart to go do what they did. Hopefully the program will expand [next year]. This year there were two more competitors and three more divisions. Hopefully we’ll get more students to give it a try.” Gina Ruccione, a senior exercise science major and the founder of the UT Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding Team, said, “Whether or not we win by number, we have already won. We influence other people to do good.” As the fans and competitors filed out and the next organization began to set up in Reeves Theater, all that remained were the echoes of cheers, judges trading fitness secrets and the lingering scent of pizza and wings. Layla Souchet can be reached at layla.souchet@spartans.ut.edu

as defensive end Geneo Grissom and prospect fullback Dimitri Flowers left after each suffering a knee injury. However, the injuries were not serious and both players will be ready to play come fall. Meanwhile, Oklahoma spent much of the game looking for a viable backup to starting quarterback Trevor Knight. Baker Mayfield, a transfer from Texas Tech, went 9-for-9 with 125 yards passing but will not be eligible to play until the 2015 season, leaving Cody Thomas and Justice Hansen to fight for the position. Quarterbacking questions would be the story of the day as many teams looked to solidify the most important position on the field. It was expected that Notre Dame would elect the reinstated Everett Golson as the starter once again. However, Malik Zaire has put on a strong performance and could possibly steal the job away from Golson. While he lacks impressive mobility, the lefthanded throwing Zaire completed 18-of-27 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns in his spring game performance.

The University of Miami Hurricanes had some unexpected competition at QB after Ryan Williams, the favorite to take over the starting job, tore his ACL earlier this month. Redshirt freshman Kevin Olson now looks to be the frontrunner ahead of Gray Crow, but neither looked impressive in the spring game. The University of Central Florida looked at three different possibilities as the replacement for departed quarterback Blake Bortles. Sophomore Justin Holman received the majority of the snaps, completing 18of-31 passes for 165 yards. Pete DiNovo, a redshirt freshman threw UCF’s only touchdown pass in the game and true freshman Tyler Harris was unimpressive for head coach George O’Leary. Tennessee, another team entering the spring game with quarterback questions, left with excitement about their young receiving corps. Josh Malone, a 6’3, 202-pound freshman, stole the show, catching six passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns in front of 68,548 fans, the second largest crowd in Tennessee’s spring game history. One team with no issues at the

quarterback position is defending National Champion, Florida State. In the game, signal caller and reigning Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston attempted a staggering 56 pass attempts, completing 27 of them for 394 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. It seemed to be a strong sign that FSU is eager to gain rhythm and timing between Winston and new wideouts Isaiah Jones, Kermit Whitfield and Jesus Wilson. Other notable performances came from Ole Miss’ I’Tavius Mathers, who racked up 121 yards on four carries, including a 96-yard run, and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, who completed 7-of-9 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. While some football coaches and programs continue to see fewer benefits of spring games, we’re glad that others still do. If anything, the games are for the fans. And for fans, football in spring is like Christmas in July; we just can’t get enough of it as we impatiently wait for the real thing to come. Nathan Krohn can be reached at nathan. krohn@spartans.ut.edu

Sports Writer

“Where’s the tanning person?!” The scream rang out through the theater. It would’ve sounded strange anywhere else, but at a bodybuilding competition, this was a real emergency. “My armpits…,” said sophomore advertising and public relations major Jennifer Mitchell as she came walking out on stage, her arms high in the air, showing two giant white circles under her arms; the areas were glaring drastically against the unnatural brown of the rest of her body. Just then, the employee from Hot Spot Tanning came from behind the curtains stating, “This happens all the time.” As she resprayed Mitchell’s underarms and evened it out with a paint roller, other competitors were scattered backstage, trying to calm nerves and hunger pangs. However, the fun didn’t end there. By the time the 2nd Annual Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding Competition began in Reeves Theater on April 19, there was the tanning spray emergency, the head judge had gone missing and the trophy presenter had been hit with a door. Also, the air smelled like hairspray, pizza and synthetic oils. On the women’s side of the stage, the tanning booths were set up and the sounds of laughter filled the halls. Even though these ladies would be competing against each other, they just looked like friends getting ready. They helped each other apply extra hairspray, adjust bikinis and even shared some rice cakes. Various resistance bands and dumbbells were on the other side and just outside the men’s changing room. Directly across from them stood a table full of cookies, sweets, pizza, wings and subs: a small reminder of where this journey started and where it will end. The men were much more reserved than their gender counterparts, with only the someone saying,“I’ve had two candy bars today, guys…” “Well I’ve only had one meal!” The world of bodybuilding is a strange one. Competitors have to get into the mindset of changing their entire lifestyle just to be

Ellis Catalan/The Minaret

Contestants trained hard for months to attain the perfect physique for the bodybuilding competition.

NCAA Football Teams Gear Up for Spring Practice By NATHAN KROHN Sports Writer

The season ended just two months ago but our appetite for football refuses to be satisfied. A little taste of college football action in the April spring games is expected to hold us over, but it only builds anticipation for fall. The games are meant to be an exhibition for coaches to see how players react to game-like circumstances so that come fall they don’t flounder when the games count. Recently, there’s been a growing trend of big program schools opting out of the spring game. According to a recent report from si.com, Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin chose to skip the game this year citing that the game is used as more of a show rather than for team improvement, a sentiment shared by some coaches. However, 54 FBS programs still see the value and hold spring games. Let’s take a look at which of those teams and players impressed. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops dodged two bullets in their spring game


SPORTS

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

17

Michael Danner Generates Offensive Spark By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer

Photo courtesy of Tampa Spartans

Outfielder Michael Danner has been a sparkplug for the Spartan offense all season long.

As a senior, Michael Danner has grown and improved as a player on the University of Tampa baseball team. Before joining the University of Tampa baseball team, Danner played for Polk State College and appeared in a total of 113 games. During his sophomore year, he helped Polk State College to the state baseball championship. He also set single season records for grand slams and RBI’s and was named Academic All-American and PSC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Danner then joined the University of Tampa team during his junior year and excelled immensely. He won numerous awards, was a power hitter for the team and started in all of last season’s NCAA Tournament Contests, which then led to Tampa winning the National Title. This season, Danner has continued to impress and was just recently named the SSC Offensive Player of the Week and the South Region Hitter of the Week after ending the week with a batting average of .800 and a slugging percentage of 1.600. “They are both good accomplishments (SSC Offensive Player of the Week/South Region Hitter of the Week),” Danner said. “I think my love for the game has shaped me into the player I am today, along with great support on and off the field.” All the support that Danner receives has helped him become a successful player. Even though the University of Tampa team has had much success over the past few seasons, they still entered this season with the same mindset, and they are putting the same importance and focus on each game and opponent they face. “I haven’t approached this season any different from the rest,” Danner said. “After winning a championship we have to stay

humble and just play our style of baseball that we have so far.” Winning the Championship last season was a big deal and a great accomplishment, but the Spartans baseball team use that win as motivation. They still are working hard as a team and focusing on this season separately from last season. They want to be able to put all of their effort into this season’s individual goals and are working hard to accomplish them. “It’s something to be proud of but it’s not what we focus on,” Danner said. “Our team is motivated to hit our goals that we have been given throughout the season.” So far this season, the baseball team has been accomplishing a lot. They are currently ranked number one in the conference, with a record of 14-1 and an overall record of 39-2. The teamwork that the baseball team exhibits is one of the reasons why they are an extremely successful team and is something Danner has appreciated while playing on the team. “The relationships I have gained from my teammates have been so important,” Danner said. “Also the winning tradition and just being able to step out on the field day in and day out living out my dream of playing baseball are some of the things I’ll take away from playing here at Tampa.” As the baseball team’s season approaches its end and the postseason gets closer, the team is keeping their focus and accomplishing their goals. With motivation from last season’s win, team focus and the success of players like Danner, the baseball team will continue to succeed. “This has definitely been an once in a lifetime experience playing here at Tampa,” Danner said. The next home baseball game is May 3 against Florida Tech. Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu


18 APRIL 24 2014 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Pro Sports

Comprehensive NBA Playoff Guide

Western Conference Championship Up for Grabs

By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer

After waiting for six long months and yet another exciting (and depressing as a Lakers fan) season, the playoffs have arrived in the NBA. It’s time to sit back and watch the eight teams in the Western Conference duke it out. The problem with the West is that it isn’t like the East, where the winner is likely going to be Indiana or Miami. There are in fact six legitimate teams that could walk away as the winner of the conference. The San Antonio Spurs are the favorites to win right now and for a good reason. The Spurs finished first in the West for the second year in a row and look to make their second straight Finals appearance. Gregg Popovich has made a strong case for yet another Coach of the Year award, and his team has home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. It’s hard to bet against a team that at one point this season went 19-0 and did not lose a game in the month of March. With Russell Westbrook back, however, the Oklahoma City Thunder could make their second Finals appearance in three years. Westbrook, who missed 36 games this year, is the x-factor to the entire Western Conference. The second best point guard (behind the Clippers’ Chris Paul) has shown to be a huge key to his team, and MVP-to-be Kevin Durant won’t be able to lead this team to the Finals alone. If Westbrook is able to stay healthy throughout the playoffs, there is no reason that the Thunder can’t upset the Spurs. It was a good season for one of the

basketball teams in Los Angeles, not named the Lakers. The Clippers finished the season 57-25, which was a better record than the Indiana Pacers, who finished in first place in the East, while the Clippers finished third in the West. Power forward Blake Griffin is the face of this team and will lead them against a hard first round matchup against Golden State. Behind him is point guard Chris Paul, who led the league in assists per game and steals per game. It also isn’t bad that they have Center DeAndre Jordan, who led the league in both rebounds per game and field

goal percentage. Despite a terrible success rate at the free throw line, Jordan’s defense will be key for the Clippers throughout the playoffs. Rounding out the top six teams that will be in the race for the Western crown are the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. Houston made the biggest free agent move this past offseason by signing center Dwight Howard, giving them a deadly duo with shooting guard James Harden. Howard, who never really looked comfortable in Los Angeles during his year there, seemed to fit

Keith Allison/Flickr

Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs are looking to repeat as Western Conference Champions this year.

in almost immediately in Houston. The Trail Blazers really came out of nowhere and surprised a lot of people with their play. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, point guard Damian Lillard and shooting guard Wesley Matthews led the Blazers to a number five seed, even though they had the same record as Houston. This is a huge improvement for a team that finished 33-49 last season and missed the playoffs. They have to like their chances in the first round, as most teams would much rather play the Rockets than the Clippers. Finally taking the six seed is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have the unfortunate matchup against the Clippers in the first round, a good little Northern vs. Southern California rivalry. Between guards Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, the Warriors have the best guard combo in the NBA. Big man David Lee didn’t have a shabby season either, averaging 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Warriors’ leading rebounder, center Andrew Bogut, will miss the playoffs due to an injury to his ribs. The Western Conference matchups will prove to be worth the watch. It honestly can go multiple ways, but I think the Spurs and the Thunder will be the last teams standing. After a dramatic seven game series, the return of Russell Westbrook will prove to give the Thunder the edge as Kevin Durant and company look to add the first championship trophy to the Oklahoma City. Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu

Miami, Indiana Aiming to Cruise Through East By DOMINICK FALCO Sports Writer

The NBA had a wild season that showed the collapse of the Knicks, the revamped Brooklyn Nets finding their way in a rollercoaster season and the reigning two-time champion Miami Heat rolling through the regular season. All of that is out the door now that the playoffs have arrived. With the matchups in place, let’s take a look at what to expect in the Eastern Conference. At the top of the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers were able to fight off the Heat’s late surge at home court to clinch the number one overall seed. With the number one seed, they will get the privilege to play the number eight seed Atlanta Hawks. It is a miracle that Atlanta made the playoffs. Finishing at 38-44, they are the only playoff team with a below .500 record. If it wasn’t for such a weak Eastern Conference, Atlanta would be at home. This is a mismatch on paper, but Atlanta is a scrappy team. Indiana is too talented for Atlanta to handle in a series, but the Hawks will be able to steal one game. The Heat are set to take on the seventh seeded Charlotte Bobcats. The Heat are looking to make a run at their third consecutive championship, while the Charlotte Bobcats are making their first playoff appearance since 2008, and only the second time in franchise history. Although what Charlotte has done over the past two years since their

horrendous seven win season in 20112012 is impressive, they will be at the mercy of the mighty Heat. The Toronto Raptors are set to face their divisional rival, the Brooklyn Nets. The Raptors have made tremendous progress with their team with the acquisition of Kyle Lowry and the development of guard Demar DeRozan. Brooklyn was looked at as a top title contender after the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from Boston. Things started rocky for the Nets as they began the year with a 1021 record, but they were able to turn it around after the New Year, going 34-17. Brooklyn will be pushed, but experience will play a big part in this

series for the Nets. The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards earned the fourth and fifth seeds, which will pin the teams against each other in the first round. Chicago went through a second consecutive season without all-star point guard, Derrick Rose. The Bulls are the most resilient team in the NBA. When Rose is out, center Joakim Noah steps up as the leader of the team. The Wizards should be an interesting team to watch in the playoffs. This team could go on a run and score in bunches with the explosive punch led by point guard John Wall. Chicago has the advantage in this due to their number one ranked defense and former Coach of the Year,

tourprogolfclubs.com/Flickr

Indiana locked up the number one seed this year under the strong leadership of Paul George.

Tom Thibodeau. The two best teams in the Eastern Conference have been the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat for the entire season. It looks like these two teams are destined to meet each other in the Conference Finals. Paul George and the Pacers will get another shot at knocking off LeBron James and the reigning NBA champions. The key to this series will be Indiana center Roy Hibbert. If Hibbert can stay out of foul trouble, then the Pacers will have a great shot to keep the Heat out of the paint and force them to attack from the perimeter. The Heat are very aggressive in the paint and will get many calls, and Hibbert will probably get a good share of those fouls, opening up driving lanes for James and Wade to attack the basket. Even if James and Wade are unsuccessful in their attempts to put up points in the paint, Chris Bosh should be able to pick up the slack with his solid jump shot. The Miami Heat look like they are on their way to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals. It will be difficult for any team to knock off the Big Three, as they search for their third championship together. Miami will represent the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA Finals. We will see how the Heat will perform in these playoffs, but until then, it will be a captivating Eastern Conference Playoffs. Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu


SPORTS

THE MINARET | APRIL 24 2014

19

Countries Anxiously Await June World Cup in Brazil By RICHARD DUH Sports Writer

With the World Cup opening match only about two months away, it’s about time we looked at the World Cup in its entirety. We’ll look ahead to the opening matches, marquee matches and who the favorites are to lift the famous trophy. There are eight groups in total and some of the group matches are tasty, to say the least. Group A: Brazil, Cameroon, Croatia and Mexico The first matches sees Brazil take on Croatia and Cameroon take on Mexico. This group should see Brazil dominate given that they are the host country and that they boast a rejuvenated squad full of exciting new young players such as Oscar, Neymar, Willian and the enigmatic David Luiz. Brazil has endured World Cup failures in the past couple of tournaments. As a result, they will be looking to make that right this year. Second place in the group should see a scrap between Croatia and Mexico. The Croatians would be looking towards their inspirational midfielder Luka Modric to lead them to success while the Mexicans have the talismanic striker Javier Hernandez to try and fire them to glory. Group B: Australia, Chile, Netherlands and Spain This is a tighter group than in Group A as the top spot seems to be between Spain and the Netherlands. It would be seen as an upset if either Chile or Australia claim second spot due to the sheer strength of Spain and the Netherlands. Spain and Netherlands actually play in the opening group match in a rerun of last year’s final. Chile had a very good showing in 2010, reaching the round of 16 before losing to Brazil. They will be looking to striker Alexis Sanchez to upset the odds. The battle between Spain and the Netherlands may be

Amil Delic/Flickr

Neymar, the young new face of Brazil, is expected to make a huge impact for the Brazilians.

a battle of philosophy. Both teams like to pass the ball around, although Spain has the slight edge in philosophy and should be favorites for the World Cup. Group C: Colombia, Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan Colombia slightly stands out as favorites in the group led by striker Radamel Falcao. Second place could go to any one really. Ivory Coast has a dangerous attack line with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho. After some tough groups in the last few World Cups, the Ivorians will be looking to make a statement come June. Japan shouldn’t be ruled out either as they impressed last World Cup before losing to Paraguay. The “Blue Samurai” can count on talismanic winger Keisuke Honda to run the show for them. Group D: Costa Rica, England, Italy and Uruguay Another very tight group. It seems like

a race between all but Costa Rica for the top two positions. A key matchup comes when England plays Italy. Whoever loses that match may find a hard time qualifying as they still have to play Uruguay. England will be hoping to prove the doubters wrong as they are always tipped as one of the favorites but always disappoint in the end. This group also looks like a battle of strikers. Daniel Sturridge of England versus Mario Balotelli of Italy versus Luis Suarez of Uruguay. Whoever scores the most might just qualify. Group E: Ecuador, France, Honduras and Switzerland France will be looking to avenge what was a very poor showing in 2010 as they were dumped out of the group stages. Since 2010, the French changed their manager, attitude and look at their lineup. Striker Karim Benzema has had a magnificent season with Real Madrid and will be looking to help the

French qualify and they should in the end. Group F: Argentina, BosniaHerzegovina, Iran and Nigeria This has Argentina written all over the group. A team blessed with talent with the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Angel di Maria… the list goes on. The Argentinians should have too much for the other teams in the group. However, Bosnia is spearheaded by Edin Dzeko, who is doing well for Manchester City and Nigeria are the African champions, so they both may have a say in who wins the tournament. Group G: Germany, Ghana, Portugal and the U.S. This is one of the so-called “groups of death.” Most would view Germany and Portugal as favorites. However, Ghana and the U.S. are capable of putting up upsets on their day. The opening match in the group sees Ghana play the U.S., whoever loses that match might just have to pack up their bags early. Ghana does hold the edge in recent matches against the Americans, having beaten them in the last two World Cups. One would think that the U.S. has learned their lesson by now but we wait and see what transpires. Group H: Algeria, Belgium, South Korea and Russia The Belgians should do well in this group as they have now reached their golden generation. With a team chock full of exciting players such as Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Christian Benteke and Jan Vertonghen, they should breeze through this group. South Korea may provide a shock as they are known for excellent team spirit and drive, but all in all, Belgium should be too strong in this group and may even be dark horses for the tournament. Richard Duh can be reached at richard.duh@spartans.ut.edu

Surprising Brewers Highlight Wild April in MLB By JAMES BELLUSCIO Sports Writer

The first place Milwaukee Brewers are the biggest surprise in the Major Leagues this season. The Brewers are 15-5 which is the league’s best record so far this year. I know what you’re thinking, it’s early. It is only April and the Brewers’ fast start to the 2014 campaign is just one of many surprises thus far. The surprising early dominance of Milwaukee is attributed to a player that has steered the Brewers’ success and looks to be poised for a run at MVP this year. In 2013, center fielder Carlos Gomez came into his own as a superstar and a player that can play all facets of the game. Now in 2014, Gomez has picked up just where he left off. He is batting .345 with 10 extra base-hits, four being home runs. With the help of the return of slugger Ryan Braun, Gomez led the Brew Crew to a league leading nine game winning streak that established the Brewers as an early season contender. Another player worth mentioning in the National League is Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. The former All-Star’s career has been dwindling the last few seasons because with age comes injury. He has had difficulties staying on the field for more than a month at a time, which has taken a noticeable pop off his bat. What made Utley so great a few years back was his ability to add power to

the top of the Phillies lineup, and so far this season that power is back. He is batting a ridiculous .486 with 10 extra base hits and three home runs. If Utley, Ryan Howard, and the top end of the Phillies starting pitching can get healthy, expect them to make a run in the late summer months. But, in baseball, asking for a team to stay healthy is certainly asking for a lot considering the 162 game, sevenmonth season. Carlos Gomez and Chase Utley have impressed the baseball world the most so far at the plate, but what about the pitchers? Any baseball team that wants to make the next step needs a work horse

in the front of their starting pitching rotation. “King” Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners provides exactly that for the up and coming ball club out in Washington. He is simply the best pitcher in the AL right now and continues to beat out his closest competitors by virtue of his ridiculous strikeout numbers (an MLB-best 30 punchouts in 21.1 IP) and by dominating tough AL West rivals, the Athletics twice and the Angels once, in his three starts. It’s more of the same for the justturned 28-year-old “King,” who has topped 200 innings each of the past six years while posting a cumulative ERA of 2.94, WHIP of 1.17 and K/9 of 8.5.

Steven Paluch/Flickr

The Brewers have had solid pitching and dominant offense to start off the 2014 MLB season.

At this point, Hernandez is showing no signs of slowing down. Felix has clearly been the best starter, but what about the allimportant relief pitcher? After leading the National League in saves in the past three years, Atlanta Braves Craig Kimbrel seems to be on track for that yet again this season. He has five saves and continues to own opponents with a 1.59 ERA. This last “April Award” goes to a player that you may not have heard of until now. Colorado outfielder Charlie Blackmon is batting .478 and owns the league’s third best slugging percentage at .696. While he’s capable of starting in the Rockies outfield all season, the 27-year-old won’t be keeping this up for much longer. He will most likely come back to earth and finish the season with a sub .300 batting average, but any start like Blackmon’s is worth mentioning. The first month of this season has brought baseball fans many great moments already. Players have certainly come out of the gate sprinting thus far. The hard play and flock of young talent raining in Major League Baseball looks to carry this entertaining season all the way into the fall months. Look for tight races throughout the league, and buckle up for a season on surreal highs and devastating lows, baseball is finally back. James Belluscio can be reached at james.belluscio@spartans.ut.edu


MINARET

Michael Danner [17]

UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933

SPORTS

World Cup [19]

Lacrosse Spotlight

Marty Heyn Anchors Formidable Spartan Defense

By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer

Currently ranked sixth in nation, the men’s lacrosse team is headed into the Sunshine State Conference tournament with confidence as they rely on their strong defensive unit, headed by sophomore Marty Heyn, to hinder any opposing offense. “Wayne Magee, Larry Gress and Marty are a unit on the defense and they play a team defense style with Marty at the top of that group,” coach Rory Whipple said. “In games, we put Marty on their number one attack man and he will shut down that opponent.” As the leader of the defense, Heyn makes sure that he is always keeping his teammates in check, telling them where to go and how to best defend their goal. He is always looking for a way to make it easier for his offense to score. “My team relies on me to communicate with them on defense,” Heyn said. “I try to tell them where to go and try to help them better themselves. I try to get the ball on the ground, that’s my job, so they can get it back and score.” In order to maintain his leadership position despite his mere sophomore status, Heyn does his best to work hard at every practice, showing his team an improvement every time he steps on the field. “I would say Marty is probably the best defender in all of Division II,” junior midfielder Bobby Calhoun said. “The team looks toward Marty’s play as a way that he leads, he leads by example. He goes out and he practices hard and he runs hard and other defenders take note.” Not only do his teammates and coaches acknowledge his immense level of skill and hard work, but Heyn has been recognized twice by the SSC as Player of the Week.

Photo courtesy of Tampa Spartans

Marty Heyn leads a staunch Spartans defense, which helped lead the team to its first ever SSC title.

This is an honor that has given Heyn just enough confidence to carry himself through the remainder of the season and lead his team to a conference victory. “It’s great to be recognized for sure,” Heyn said. “I try to stay humble. I try not to be too cocky, but that definitely boosted my ego a little bit, which is a good thing and a bad thing. But I

definitely feel very grateful to be recognized by the conference twice.” One game in particular that showcased Heyn’s skill and ability to raise the team to one of the top in the nation was against New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) on Feb. 14. Before this game, UT was ranked 13th while NYIT sat at fifth in the nation. This match

was especially interesting due to the fact that two Spartan players are recent transfers from NYIT. “Marty went against the pre-season player of the year Luke Miller and held him to one assist,” Calhoun said. “We won 15-9. It was a great game because our face-off kid is also from New York Tech with me, and we were both very excited to play in that game. Seeing Marty being able to dominate Luke like that and our offense tear them apart was great.” Just like every sports team, the Spartans’ ultimate goal this season is to win the conference title and then set their sights on a national championship. With Heyn providing the proficiency that he brings to every game and practice, the team is confident that this will be one of their best seasons yet. “The defense is going to go as far as Marty takes us,” junior defensive midfielder Michael Asher said. “First we want to win the conference tournament and ultimately make it to the NCAA playoffs and hopefully win a national championship. Marty definitely has stepped up and become a leader of the defense side of the game.” Based on his successful seasons thus far, Heyn has demonstrated the skillfulness to be recognized for an honor much above Player of the Week. “Marty is a great player, a great individual. He’s a great leader––he’s one of our hardest workers, certainly our best defenseman and he’s just a super kid to have in the program overall,” Whipple said. “If he doesn’t become an All-American this year, it will really be a disappointment.” Tess Sheets can be reached at tess.sheets@ spartans.ut.edu

Spartans Carry Strong Momentum into Postseason

By JOSIAH KACHELMEYER Sports Writer

The University of Tampa men’s lacrosse team, ranked at number six, made program history this past week. In only their second year as an official NCAA program, the team clinched the Sunshine State Conference and hosted their first ever playoff game at the Naimoli Family Athletic Complex on Saturday, April 19. The Spartans capped off their successful regular season with a win on April 12 against SSC conference rival Lynn University. The convincing 19-5 victory propelled Tampa into the postseason for their first time as a young program, and they would go on to come back against a tough Rollins team for a 13-8 playoff win. The Spartans will advance to inaugural SSC Championship against Florida Southern College on April 26 at Naimoli. Jake Rooney lead the Spartans in the semi-final game vs. Rollins with four goals, including a late score that helped seal the deal. Rooney had a huge sophomore season, netting 57 goals and leading all Spartans scorers. Rooney, whose parents are both UT alumni, is very proud of what he and his team has accomplished this year. “Our team has worked so hard throughout the

Photo courtesy of Tampa Spartans

The men’s lacrosse team is firing on all cylinders as it prepares for rigorous postseason play.

fall and into the spring to get this title,” Rooney said. “It’s nice to see our hard work pay off.” Freshman Connor Whipple, son of all-time winningest head coach in NCAA Division II and current UT head coach Rory Whipple, has been another key part for the team this season. Whipple was second on the team in goals scored with a tally of 45 scored in the regular season. The talented allied health major has also been a main

facilitator for the Spartans offense as he had a team leading 39 assists to his name this spring. Whipple also emphasized the team’s camaraderie and work ethic as big reasons for all of the wins. “This is such a great group of guys we have this year,” Whipple said. “Everybody puts the team as a whole ahead themselves as individuals and I know that’s why we’ve been doing well. If we continue doing what we’re doing,

the sky’s the limit for this group.” The Spartans have certainly enjoyed the friendly confines of the Naimoli Athletic Complex thus far. The team has yet to lose a game at home in the stateof-the-art facility that began housing lacrosse games for UT this spring. Their record in the stadium this season, including their recent playoff win, is an impressive 8-0. Rooney attributes a lot of the team’s home success to the environment the stadium provides. “We love playing at home,” Rooney said. “We have never lost here, the atmosphere our fans make is amazing, and it really creates a tough environment for the opposing teams.” In addition to the help of having a definite home field advantage and turnyour-head talented players, a hard work ethic is what Rooney believes is the main ingredient to the Spartans’ recipe for success. “Our success comes purely off hard work and how close our team is,” Rooney said. As for the ultimate goal for the University of Tampa Men’s lacrosse team, Rooney made it quite clear: “We all want to win and we all want a national championship ring. Bottom line.” Josiah Kachelmeyer can be reached at josiah.kachelmeyer@spartans.ut.edu


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