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T H U R S D AY, J A N U A RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 0
VOL. 93, NO. 16
“Covers the campus like the magnolias”
IS and ZSR ‘bridge’the technology gap
Outside the Bubble...
By Samantha Hoback Staff Writer
Major earthquake causes widespread damage in Haiti An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit southern Haiti on Jan. 12. This earthquake was the most powerful quake to hit Haiti in over a century. It’s epicenter was about 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and could be felt strongly over 200 miles away in eastern Cuba. There was heavy infrastructure damage and a serious loss of life reported. Survivors continue to search desperately for victims trapped beneath the rubble. In the quake sixteen United Nations peacekeepers were killed and at least 140 United Nations workers were missing, including the chief of its mission, Hédi Annabi
Tuberculosis patient flies despite the CDC ban An unidentified patient who was infected with an active case of tuberculosis flew aboard a commercial jet from Philadelphia, Penn., to San Francisco, CAalif., on Jan. 9. The person flew despite being on a donot-board list issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). An investigation is currently underway because the government alerted the airline 14 hours before the passenger checked in.
Notorious wanted drug trafficker arrested in Mexico Teodoro “El Teo” Garcia Simental, a notorious drug trafficker, was arrested on Jan. 12 by the Mexican federal police and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration. Simental worked for two rival drug cartels and was on a list of the top 24 drug traffickers in all of Mexico.
Microsoft software sends texts from the future A glitch with Windows Mobile has resulted in users reporting the dates on their texts saying they were sent in 2016. The problem started on Jan. 1 and is continuing to be reported. Microsoft is aware of the problem and is working on a solution with telephone manufactures and other partners.
New Hampshire Considers Appealing Adultery Laws Legislators in New Hampshire will weigh repealing a 200-year-old state law that considers adultery as a criminal offense. Many find the law unconstitutional. There are laws in about two dozen other states that also criminalise adultery. These laws were written in the past in order to pass laws against fornication, homosexuality and other offenses.
Students and faculty will not have to make the trek out to Carroll Weathers Drive to fix a broken laptop, replace a lost charger or recover class work. The Information Systems Help Desk is now located in ZSR Library, a much more convenient location for the university community. Rick Matthews, the Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer, and Lynn Sutton, the Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, collaborated on the idea for combining the IS center and the Information Technology Center in the library to make the two services more accessible for students and faculty. “For several years, Information Systems hoped to relocate to a more accessible campus location in order to better serve our students, faculty and staff with their computing related needs,” Matthews and Sutton said. The idea for the combined facility originated in early 2009. After Provost Jill Teifenthaler approved of the proposal, The Bridge began to take shape in ZSR. “A group of ZSR and IS staff and students collaborated during the late spring and summer to
name the new facility,” Matthews and Sutton said. “The group agreed that naming the facility ‘The Bridge’ was ideal because the center will provide a strong connection between our students, faculty and staff and many of the technology resources of the university.” Last August, The Bridge officially opened, offering multimedia services to students, faculty and staff with ZSR staff only. Over the winter break, the IS Service Desk officially moved from its former location on Carroll Weathers Drive to The Bridge on the main floor of ZSR in the former ITC space. “Students, faculty and staff will benefit from The Bridge in a number of ways,” Matthews and Sutton said. “The Bridge is more accessible, offers combined multimedia and information technology services and expanded hours of operation.” Students and faculty still have access to the computer lab equipped with scanners and audio and video capturing stations. Everyone also has access to the screening room, which has a multimedia center with video production equipment.
See Bridge, Page A3
Rachel Cameron /Old Gold & Black
Damian Blanenship receives help from Allen Stanton and Rebekah Warner in the newly established Bridge.
Service for Others By Katie Phillips | Staff writer
The university truly lives up to its motto, pro humanitate, with the abundance of service trips that take place annually around the globe. Two university groups, 21 students total, participated in international service trips in both Brazil and India over holiday break. All university service trips are run through the Volunteer Service Corps. Trips are led by a student leader (who has participated in the same trip previously) and a faculty/ staff leader. Groups meet regularly in order to fully prepare for the trip and get to know one another. Eleven students departed on Dec. 27 for Santarem, Brazil. Staff leader Jessica Czarnowski, a study abroad advisor, accompanied the 11 participants. Students worked through a non-profit organization, Amizade, which translates to friendship in English. Students helped build an after-school community center for neglected children. “The children that we worked with are labeled ‘street children’ in Brazil,” senior Richard Mayer said. According to Mayer, “the children all have homes but are called street children because the school system in Brazil has a four-hour workday.” Photo Courtesy of Leah Beachley Graphic by Bobby O’Connor/Old Gold & Black
See Service, Page A2
Student passes away in car accident over winter break By Sara Olson | Staff Writer
Students and staff mourned the death of Matthew Francis Savoie Jan. 13 at a Catholic Memorial Mass held in his honor at 4 p.m. in Wait Chapel. Savoie, a 19-year-old freshman at the university, passed away on Dec. 28 after being involved in an automobile accident over winter break in his hometown of New Orleans, La. At the service, Savoie was remembered by his fellow classmates as beinging an enthusiastic, kind and funny individual. “It is impossible to put into words how much I loved and admired Matt,”
said freshman Ryan Bourg, who spoke in memory of Savoie. Bourg, Savoie’s freshman roommate fall semester, said, “He was a lot more than my roommate – he was my best friend, my teammate and my brother.” “Matthew was always making jokes and laughing with you,” freshman Tommy Adams, another student who spoke on Savoie’s behalf, said. “He was one of the most passionate and athletic kids I’d ever known,” Adams said. Savoie was known for his talent on the university’s club soccer team. During his senior year of high school, he was named the Most Valuable Play-
er for soccer in the state of Louisiana. He was also awarded MVP for his state championship game preformance, in which he scored the winning goal in overtime. Furthermore, Savoie was nominated to be Gatorade’s Player of the Year in 2008 for soccer. According to his parents, Bobby and Lori Savoie, Savoie had been considering playing Division I soccer at Clemson University but instead chose to come to the university. “But he always said that if he got into Wake Forest, he’d go to Wake Forest,” said Savoie’s dad. “He always wanted to go to school here.”
Life | B5
INSIDE: Brieflies
A2
Top Albums of 2009
Pressbox
B1
Wake Radio counts down the 10 best
Spotlight
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albums of the year.
The Hot List
B6
Sudoku
B6
In Other News
• Innocence and Justice Clinic celebrate success | A3 • University buys Solar-Powered Shuttle | A2
Leah McCoy, Savoie’s lower-division advisor, described him as “polite and cooperative.” “He was the ideal advisee,” McCoy said. “He had wide-eyed enthusiasm about everything… His first and deepest love was his family and his home in New Orleans.” “Whether you die at 19 or at 99, you could not have any more love than that child had,” Savoie’s mother said, adding, “And for that I’m very grateful.” Savoie leaves behind an older sister and a younger brother. His family asks students to e-mail their stories about him to memoriesofmatthewsavoie@ gmail.com. Gifts in memory of Savoie
Sports | B1 Overtime Win The men’s basketball team beat the Terps in a last minute layup to win 86-84, bringing their record to 13-2.
should be sent to the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, La. More than 2,000 mourners attended Savoie’s funeral, which was held on Dec. 31 at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in New Orleans. At his funeral in Louisiana Savoie’s friends, teammates and relatives reflected on the unforgettable impact he had made on their lives in his short 19 years. Counseling and grief support services for students and staff members at the university are available through Campus Ministry and the Counseling Center by calling 336-757-2749 or by visiting the office in Reynolda 118.
Opinion | A4 Tiger’s Failure Wood’s behavior is not unlike that of other celebrities, but he is held to a higher standard
A2 Thursday, January 14, 2010
It is the
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Old Gold & Black News
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Day of classes
Brieflies In-demand opera singer to perform in Wait Chapel Baritone opera singer Nathan Gunn will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 in Wait Chapel. A pre-performance talk will be given at 6:40 p.m. in the Balcony Room of Wait Chapel by Associate Professor of Music, Richard Heard. Gunn most recently appeared in “The Magic Flute” and in “Romeo et Juliette.” General admission is $22, $17 for senior citizens and non-Wake Forest students, and free for Wake Forest faculty, staff and students.
University to sponsor 12th annual MLK basketball contest For the 12th year in a row the MLK basketball tournament will bring together intramural teams from different North Carolina schools. The tournament will culminate in a championship game. There will also be slam-dunk and three-point shot contests.
Renowned gospel artist Kurt Carr to perform at GospelFest The university will hold the fifth annual GospelFest sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Gospel artist Kurt Carr will perform, as will several Winston-Salem community choirs, including the Wake Forest Gospel Choir. The event will take place at 3 p.m. on Jan. 17 in Brendle Recital Hall and is free to students and children under 12. General admission is $5.
Museum of Anthropology hosts tattooing lecture with exhibit C.W. Eldridge, the proprietor of the Tattoo Archive in downtown Winston-Salem, will speak about the historic context of tattooing in America and cultures around the world at 7 p.m. on Jan. 28. This compliments the museum’s exhibit “Only Skin Deep? Tattooing in World Cultures,” which is at the museum now through Aug. 28.
Maya Angelou to speak at Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Maya Angelou, Reynolds Professor of American Studies, will deliver the keynote address at the university’s ceremony honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18. The program will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Lecture to address the history of diversity on campus Herman Eure, associate dean for faculty development and professor of biology, and Nathaniel French, director of the magnolia scholars program, will speak on the topic of diversity on the university’s campus during the time in which they were both students and their perspectives now as university administrators on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. As this lecture also celebrates the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, Eure and French will share their personal reflections related to King’s dream of equality, inclusion and civil rights for all.
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days until
PAG E 2 18 60 32 59 There are
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Groundhog Day
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WakeUP! Week
St. Patrick’s Day
Solar-powered shuttle purchased New environmentally friendly shuttle to start service on campus By Bobby O’Connor | Graphics editor The university recently purchased a solar-electric hybrid shuttle from Cruise Car to move students, faculty and staff around the Reynolda Campus in an environmentally friendly manner. “It’s a great little shuttle,” Jim Alty, associate vice president for Facilities and Campus Services, said. He said that the new shuttle will work in conjunction with the other shuttles but only be used on campus to connect north campus with the main quad, library and south campus. “The primary use (of the shuttle) is to shuttle students around campus,” he said. The shuttle seats 14 passengers and is equipped with a solar panel roof that converts direct sunlight into electricity to help power the vehicle and reduce emissions. During the day, a series of solar cells on the roof helps generate the electrical energy needed to charge the shuttle’s 16 batteries. While at night the shuttle is plugged into the vehicle to completely recharge the batteries using electricity. “An all electric car uses less fossil fuel than a gas driven vehicle,” Wake Forest’s sustainability director, Dedee DeLongpré Johnston said, in a press release. “And, a solar-electric hybrid vehicle uses electricity that comes from the sun so it’s better for the environment. When the batteries are charged by sunlight, the vehicle is off the grid — something an all-electric vehicle will never be. When the vehicle does need to be plugged in, the batteries are already partially charged.” By reducing the need for single-occupancy vehicle travel on campus, we reduce emissions and parking-related concerns for students, faculty and staff,” Alty said in a press release. The shuttle is almost maintenance free because the solar top is designed to last for at least 20 years and requires only a simple periodic cleaning, while the batteries are rechargeable and don’t require replacement. The solar panels can generate up to 180 watts, 60 volts and continuously
Photo Courtesy of Media Relations
Sustainability director Dedee DeLongpré Johnston and the new solar-electric hybrid shuttle that the university purchase to service the Reynolda Campus. charge the vehicle’s batteries while it is in direct sunlight, according to the shuttle maker’s Web site. While the vehicle is in the Dun, the battery is constantly recharging itself. The batteries are able to hold the equivalent of 150 gallons of fuel or amps. The solar top will replenish 12 gallons or amps in the winter when the days are shorter and 18 gallons or amps in the summer. Gasoline powered vehicles that stop and start frequently generate a lot of emissions. The Cruise Car vehicle improves campus sustainability efforts by reducing carbon dioxide air pollutants because it has only negligible air and water emissions.
The shuttle is a unique opportunity for the university to show its commitment to environmental, economic and social issues. “An all-electric vehicle generates fewer harmful emissions and uses less fossil fuel than a gasoline-powered vehicle,” DeLongpré Johnston said. “But, the electricity is still generated by burning fossil fuels. A portion of the electricity used by a solar-electric hybrid vehicle comes from a renewable source though, so it’s better for the environment,” DeLongpré Johnston said. “ When the batteries are charged by sunlight, the vehicle is off the grid — something an all-electric vehicle will never be able to do. When the
vehicle does need to be plugged in, the batteries are already partially charged,” DeLongpré Johnston said. Cruise Car sells efficient solar electric hybrid low speed vehicles that can be made street legal and also provides alternative energy transportation solutions for military bases, resorts, residential communities, colleges, corporate and health care campuses. Cruise Car is the leading manufacturer and distributor of solar electric hybrid low speed neighborhood vehicles and fleet vehicles in the U.S. “We are trying this with the students and if the demand is high enough then we will expand the fleet,” Alty said. He said he expects the shuttle to be in service by the end of January or the beginning of February.
Service: Students help others abroad Continued from Page A1
The children go to school in one of three shifts and spend the rest of the day on their own as both parents typically work.” Mayer also commented beforehand on the experience: “We partner with them, the children. So they are actually mixing the cement with us, carrying water with us and we get to interact with them. Of course, we play soccer with them. It’s like the national sport. So it’s a nice mix of a couple of different things.” The group also had the opportunities to spend time hiking in the nearby rain forest, riding a riverboat trip down the Amazon River and touring through a variety of local towns. The service group works in conjunction with a group called the Pastoral de Menor, an outreach branch of the Catholic Church. Eleven other students spent two weeks in Calcutta, India working with the City of Joy program that is run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Tasks included changing beds, bathing patients, cleaning wards and feeding and comforting the sick in local residences. The City of Joy program creates opportunities for students to witness, know, love, experience, and serve the poorest of the poor. Staff Karen Anderson and student leader Jordan Brewster lead the participants in a culturally awakening experience. According to participant Nilam Patel, “It was possibly the most amazing experience of my life … I feel that everyone went away with new found appreciation for what they have in life and how lucky they are. I know that all of the trip participants love each and everyone
one of the people that we helped and I don’t think anyone would change the experience for the world.” A few participants would spend the morning at the Daya Dan, a home for disabled children with at least one living parent. The rest would volunteer at Prem Dan in the morning, a home for disabled men and women. In the afternoon, a couple of participants would volunteer at Shishu Bhavan, a local orphanage. The rest of the group would spend time at Kalighat, the first home that Mother Teresa established for the “destitute and dying.” “We met so many other International volunteers that quickly became our close friends that we will continue to keep in contact with. It was great to see language barriers be broken down through service. We met several Japanese volunteers that didn’t know a lick of English but it didn’t seem to matter at all. Kindness is an international language and I’m so happy that I was able to experience it firsthand,” Patel said. The trip ended with two days of cultural education in New Delhi and visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra. “Not only did we gain insight on ourselves through service but we also realized that the rest of the world is in it together,” Patel said. Students have participated in annual service trips over winter break since 1994, when Jessica Davey (‘95) went to Calcutta to volunteer with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Since then, students have volunteered in Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rico, South Africa and Vietnam, and in Mississippi and Tennessee. For more information on university service trips, visit www.vsc.groups.wfu.edu
Photo Courtesy of Leah Beachley
A volunteer blows bubbles to Indian orphans at the Shishu Bhaban, a part of Mother Theresa’s Missionary of Charity.
News Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 14, 2010 A3
A ll L ined U p
Law clinic assists convicts By Renee Slawsky | Asst. news editor
Emile Thompson and Caitlin Tourney, third-year law students at the university’s law school and members of the Innocence and Justice Clinic, successfully petitioned Jim O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney, for the early release of Machello Bitting. This event marks the first time that students’ work in the clinic, which is only a year old, has resulted in a reduced sentence for an inmate. The Innocence and Justice Clinic was created last year to investigate and review claims of innocence by inmates to determine whether there is DNA or other evidence that could lead to the inmate’s exoneration and release from prison, according to the clinic’s Web site. Innocence and Justice Clinic codirector Carol Turowski said in a press release, “I think it’s important to hold our system accountable and make those corrections and prove to everyone in the community that our system does work.” Bitting, 38, was convicted in 2002 for a December 2000 convenience
store robbery and wasn’t scheduled to be released until 2012. The miscalculation in sentencing resulted from inaccurate information that Bitting was on probation in South Carolina at the time he was arrested in 2000. Tourney and Thompson discovered the sentencing miscalculation, that Bitting had completed the terms of his probation before the December 2000 incident, and turned the information over to O’Neill. “If it wasn’t for the research of our clinic students, Mr. Bitting would still be serving a sentence that was longer than it should have been,” Turowski said. Tourney and Thompson, working with the Innocence and Justice Clinic, prepared a motion for appropriate relief that the district attorney’s office filed with the Forsyth County Superior Court. The prosecutor’s office petitioned for Bitting’s immediate release, which was granted by Judge William Wood on Jan. 8. “The judge was pleased to see students had pursued this case and with all the support of the Bitting family and the
Darryl Hunt Project, the judge ruled that it was appropriate to allow him to have served his time on this case,” Turowski said. The Innocence and Justice Clinic is a clinical offering at the law school that has its origins in the Forsyth Innocence Project, which began in 2007 where students worked in teams to review and investigate claims of innocence to determine if evidence exists that could exonerate inmates. The clinic expanded the mission of the Innocence Project by providing students with the opportunity to review and investigate all types of innocence claims and pursue litigation when appropriate. “Our job as advocates for Mr. Bitting was to provide him with a voice,” Thompson said in a press release. “Working with the district attorney and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Breeding, a 2006 Wake Forest School of Law graduate, we were able to do something great and give Mr. Bitting two years of his life back.” Bitting was released on Jan. 8 from prison after serving nine years.
Bridge: Combines IS and ITC Continued from Page A1
Meenu Krishnan/Old Gold & Black
Students peruse textbooks in the basement of the bookstore.
There are digital still and video cameras available to students and faculty as well. The biggest change this semester is the new IS service desk, ,which offers computing support to students and faculty. “The convenient facility provides a well-designed space for students, faculty and staff to work with The Bridge staff to troubleshoot and correct computing, account and connectivity issues,” Matthews and Sutton said. “Additionally, individuals can drop off and pick up ThinkPads, check out loaner ThinkPads during the repair period as well as receive assistance on commonly used computing programs.” Another feature of The Bridge is that students and faculty can purchase computer parts, such as power adapters, batteries and external hard drives, at the new ZSR location. “Information Systems is committed to attaining the high-
est level of quality and integrity in all relationships with students, faculty and staff,” Matthews and Sutton said. “We are dedicated to continuous improvement in the services we provide to students, faculty and staff, through effective implementation and management of information technology products, services and support.” Students, faculty and staff will be very excited about the new and improved IS service desk in ZSR. With cold weather in the forecast for the upcoming weeks, the walk from any campus location to ZSR is much more convenient and bearable than a hike out to Carroll Weathers Drive in January. The Bridge will be a welcome change to campus life and the university community. “We have already heard from lots of folks who are happy to be able to get help from the Information Systems Service Desk at a central campus location,” Matthews and Sutton said. “The location is more convenient, and the Library and Starbucks are more pleasant places to wait during quick repairs.”
O PINION O L D
This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
University made good use of break
A
fter nearly a month of free time at home either rejuvenating the mind, fleshing out plans for summer jobs and internships or just catching up with long-time high school friends, it’s time again to buy textbooks and set high goals for an emptyslated semester. While first-year students are excited to get back to the friends they made last semester, and seniors are antsy with angst to get on with the rest of their lives, most students are stuck somewhere in the middle — glad to be back to campus, but in no rush to start classes over again. But while most of us were sleeping in late and enjoying the great holiday food that kept reappearing meal after meal, much of campus was stirring with activity as construction workers went into high gear to ensure many of the university’s projects will be completed on schedule. Despite the complaints made by many students last semester that areas of campus were noisy, congested or unpleasant to look at (and what’s more, the administration was ignoring the complains), its seems obvious that the university heard these student concerns and had our interests foremost in mind when the flight of students home and an empty campus was taken full advantage of to finalize the move of IS to the library where it is now been
renamed the Bridge. Traffic congestion was completely avoided and efficiency was optimized when workers weren’t having to schedule loud operations around exam schedules. Of the construction products and facility upgrades that took place, those most noticed and anticipated are the Bridge, the undergraduate admissions office and the new freshman dormitory. The Bridge is a wonderful example of how the master plan of the university is pushing forward the overall convenience and coherency of our campus environment. Countless complaints were voiced in recent years of the troubles brought on by having technical support so far from the heart of campus. Now, with the Bridge, students are able to find knowledgeable assistants right where it is most often needed: the library. Standing tall against its name, the Bridge is the epitome of how problems at the university should be solved: a problem was voiced by students, administration heard the problems and took up the suggestions made by many concerned parties and then a change was made that both solved the initial problem and solves other problems that are looming in the future. As students, it is wonderful to know that our administration legitimately wants our feedback and values all genuine opinions given out.
OLD GOLD&BLACK The Student Newspaper of Wake Forest University since 1916
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News: Caitlin Brooks, editor. Elizabeth Forrest, assistant editor. Opinion: Hunter Bratton and Nilam Patel, editors. Sports: Connor Swarbrick, editor. Ashton Astbury and Allison Lange, assistant editors. Life: Caroline Edgeton and CeCe Brooks, editors. Olivia Boyce and Chantel O’Neal, assistant editors. Photography: Kelly Makepeace, editor. John Turner, assistant editor. Graphics: Bobby O’Connor, editor. Online: Elizabeth Wicker, editor. Business Staff: Jake Gelbort, invoices. Circulation: Jake Gelbort. Adviser: Wayne King. The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Stone Printing of High Point. Send e-mail to ogb@wfu.edu. To subscribe, please send $75 to P.O. Box 7569, Winston-Salem, NC 27109. © 2009 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Old Gold & Black. Send guest columns to ogboped@wfu.edu. The deadline for inclusion is 5 p.m. the Monday before publication. To view editorials policies, visit www.oldgoldandblack.com
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B L A C K
Take it easy on Tiger Woods
Cory McConnell
S
T H U R S DAY , J A N UA RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 0
Guest Columnist
ome weeks ago, the most famous golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, suffered a blow to his public image (and undoubtedly his pocketbook) with the revelation that he has cheated on his wife many times with several different women over the course of the past several years. But let’s be honest, is anyone surprised? Well, sure. Most people generally thought Tiger to be an upstanding athlete, someone who has maintained a familyman image despite the incredible fame and wealth garnered for his achievements. All of that seemingly changed overnight when he crashed his car in a strange incident that somehow led to the media finding out about Tiger’s mistresses, with key plot elements including shady cell phone voicemails and Vegas waitresses. But the question that the overwhelming media coverage of Tiger’s supposed fall from grace presents is this: why the big fuss? His sponsors are taking it seriously; since the incident, many of his sponsors have dropped Tiger from endorsing their products. Gatorade, one of his biggest contributors, has discontinued their Gatorade Tiger product indefinitely. Of course, in a statement from Gatorade, they stated Tiger’s recent activities had nothing to do with the product’s sudden removal. Again though, I have difficulty understanding why everyone suddenly threw Tiger under the bus. First of all, before I get into defending Tiger, let it be known that I believe infidelity in any form is not ok. Tiger’s actions were obviously wrong and horrible and he certainly deserves to be criticized to a degree. But let’s think about the precedents that our media has set in what exactly celebrities can get away with. In terms of athletes, these incidents are often and accepted. Ray Lewis almost certainly was involved in the stabbing death of a man after his NFL Ravens won a super bowl, but during the trial every key witness had a sudden and inexplicable change of heart, and Lewis continues to play in the NFL as a supposedly innocent man. More recently, NFL QB Michael Vick did nearly two years of jail time for animal cruelty charges stemming from his part in a dog fighting ring, and yet he will play on for the Philadelphia Eagles. Compared to these crimes, Tiger’s offenses seem tame, and yet those people have all been apparently pardoned from their sins. In terms of celebrity, this is even omitting the hip-hop culture, in which infidelity isn’t so much frowned upon as glorified. Let’s be honest, no one would bat an eyelash if it was discovered Snoop Dogg had an affair with a Las Vegas waitress. He’d probably write an awesome song about it. So far I’ve heard a couple different theories about why Tiger’s transgressions were such a big deal. The first theory is that because Tiger is a golfer, we the public hold him to a higher standard of conduct. This theory makes absolutely no sense.
Ok, of course we expect Tiger to act differently than, say, the aforementioned Snoop. But anyone who’s paid attention to golf in recent years knows that golfers are no holy bunch. Look at John Daly, PGA Tour golfer whose gambling, drinking and courting habits are so ridiculous that he’s become more of a punch line than athlete. John Daly, for those who don’t know, resembles a strange combination of Arnold Palmer, Keith Richards and Santa Clause. He even spent a night in jail right here in Winston-Salem’s own Forsyth County Jail last year for going to the local Hooters and binge drinking to an excess that would undoubtedly kill anyone who is not John Daly. It’s unfair to assume that Tiger is a great guy just because he’s a golfer, or to assume anything about someone based on their profession (Tupac was a Shakespeare nut). So the assumption that Tiger won’t cheat on his wife because he’s the figurehead of the mellowest game in sports is ridiculous. Another (and more humorous) explanation of why Tiger’s actions were so shocking is his wife’s hotness. For the record, Tiger’s wife is, in fact, very attractive. No one is debating her Swedish supermodel-caliber hotness. But as is the case with so many celebrities, a hot wife does not a satisfied man make. Anyone who’s taken an introlevel psychology class knows about the irrational and inevitable grass-is-greener mindset ingrained into the male psyche in regards to the fairer sex, and how that gets even more complicated with fame. Is Tiger an idiot for cheating on his wife? Sure. Is the media’s reaction completely overboard? Absolutely. Should anyone be surprised? Nope. The real reason why Tiger’s transgressions are topping headlines and selling newspapers is this: We love to see celebrities fall. The National Enquirer has never sold a single copy because of something good a celebrity has done. Controversy is the single most powerful marketing tactic in news media. Think of it this way: when Christian organizations were setting Beatles records on fire back in the ‘60s for “blasphemy,” someone had to go out and buy all those records before they could set them on fire. Tiger is the same way; for every person shaking their head and saying negative things about him, that’s another newspaper sold or television rating boosted. This is all besides the fact that Tiger will surely make a comeback of sorts, winning some major championship and redeeming him from past actions. Because the sad reality of athletes is that no affair, murder or drunken episode is anything an incredible jump shot, 300-yard drive or game-winning touchdown pass can’t fix. And when Tiger does make his inevitable comeback, I’ll be watching on TV while I sip on my newly reintroduced Gatorade Tiger. Cory McConnell is a sophomore from Wexford, Penn.
L E T T ER T O THE E DITOR
Abortion clinics offer false hopes of procedures without consequences
It would be one thing to inform women that Crisis Pregnancy Centers don’t facilitate abortion but it’s disingenuous calling them deceptive. It is self-deception to seek to undergo a medical procedure that you don’t even want described. Renee Slawsky’s article has quotes around terms in the description implying they were meant to horrify (horror, your word) the women seeking options (“False abortion clinics deceive with promise of options”, Nov. 19). These terms are the literal translations of the D&C procedure: dilation and curettage meaning opening and scraping. Those terms wouldn’t be quote-worthy if they were describing a dental procedure. It’s clear why they are a horror. As you mature and see yourself or friends experience a wanted pregnancy
in peril, infertility, a baby’s death, the joy of adoption, healthy children born at low gestational ages you’ll rethink your mocking quotes around “when life begins.” The saddest self-deception is the disregard of consequences that aren’t measurable. Look around at all the messed up lives. The issues are almost all emotional and spiritual. Truly “false hope” is thinking a five-hundred dollar trip to a clinic will scrape away regret, shame, guilt, abandonment, fear, anger and other heartbreaking fallout from people doing what they think is right in their own minds. (I’m not affiliated with any Crisis Pregnancy Center other than by friendships with several volunteers, and I am also thankful for receiving excellent low-cost contraceptive care from Planned Parenthood as a young and poor, married college student.) Patricia Petersen Pfafftown, N.C.
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Quick Quotes “We made the commitment to the White House, and we are going to take it down even though it is a very grey area and we were advised by a lot of people to leave it up.” - Freddie Stollmack, Weather Garment Company President, commenting on the companies decision to remove their Time Square ad portraying the president wearing their coat despite the company feeling that they held legal grounds for using the image as advertisement.
“” “Demand and supply are in good balance, and there is maybe slightly overdemand, which supports price levels.” - Pertti Fallenius, Chief of Executive Turkistuottajat, talking of how his public fur auctioneering services are still in high demand with furs remaining popular despite increased social pressures against use, concerns of a weakened global market and global warming predictions.
“” “Let’s get the iconic song Ms. Robinson — made famous by the 1960’s hit the Graduate — to number one in next Sunday’s charts in honor of North Ireland’s disgraced first lady.” - Campaign page on Facebook Web site, pushing many Irish music lovers to download the song that reminds listeners of Iris Robinson (the wife of North Ireland’s First Minister who had an extramarital affair with a 19-year old male) after she recently announced she attempted suicide.
“” “(We have) borrowed ideas from the advanced experience of Hong Kong on public housing management.” - Guangzhou Land and Housing Management Bureau Web site, discussing their reasons for making it possible to evict those living in government housing if caught spitting in public.
Opinion Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 14 , 2010 A5
Reason and Religion | What is Atheism?
Blind faith leads to a destructive environment Adrian Bardon
Guest columnist “It will not do to investigate the subject of religion too closely, as it is apt to lead to infidelity.” –Abraham Lincoln
T
he atheist is commonly misrepresented as upholding a claim that (allegedly) no reasonable person would make: that one can be certain that no god exists. Since the claim of being able to prove a negative is rarely thought to be defensible outside mathematics, the believer need not take atheism seriously. But this is based on a confusion about how belief works. Rational belief doesn’t require certainty. Even theists quite reasonably claim to know lots of things in the absence of absolute certainty: gorillas are hairy, the Sun will rise tomorrow, broccoli is good for you, the Moon is dusty in spots. The theist even maintains a host of “negative’” beliefs: two suns will not rise tomorrow, clean water is not poisonous, etc. All these beliefs are falsifiable but quite reasonable, and we congratulate the theist for holding them. These beliefs are also, typically, held on the basis of evidence; when the theist wants to know if it is raining outside, he or she looks out the window. With no rain in sight, the theist properly claims to know it is not raining.
Furthermore, as Richard Dawkins has pointed out, modern theists have no problem with atheism when it comes to Baal, Thor or Zeus. If there are a thousand alleged gods, the Christian is an atheist with regard to 999 of them; Atheists “just go one god further.” So, clearly, atheism is not to be dismissed just because of the kind of claim it makes. We must simply look at the evidence, as we do for all our other everyday beliefs when they come into question. It is here that, suddenly, the theist seems strangely uninterested in evidence. Sam Harris notes that, if you were to tell someone that his wife is cheating on him, or that gnomes are responsible for the divots in his lawn, any sane person would ask for some substantial evidence before agreeing. But the Christian, for example, solely on the basis of a text — one of many contradictory ones with equal credibility — written by persons unknown thousands of years ago, is perfectly willing to believe that there is an invisible super being, who had a son who was a god and not a god, and there are actually three of them, who are really just one and not three, and water became wine, and wine becomes blood, and people rose from the dead, and there are talking snakes and Noah marched male-female pairs of at least 350,000 different species of beetles on board his boat, etc., etc.
Not to mention that the Sun orbits the Earth, which led to Galileo’s arrest when he dared raise some objections. Religion is a particularly widespread example of what I like to call “willful credulity.” Willful credulity refers to a powerful, natural human tendency to believe what one wants to believe. Obvious motives to religious belief include fear of death and a desire to feel loved and important. Religions promising an afterlife for you and your family, and a personal god who loves you and thinks you are really special, have been particularly successful in gaining followers. Daniel Dennett compares religious devotion to romantic love: it is easy to convince yourself that your loved one is your “soul mate,” your one and only intended (out of seven billion, most of whom you haven’t met); other times, desire to feel romantic love leads people to convince themselves another loves them when, in retrospect, that was patently not the case (sigh). Why is it such a big deal if people want to convince themselves (and their children, and other vulnerable populations) about an afterlife and a benevolent deity? Many atheists these days say the problem is terrorism, which, of course, typically has a religious motivation. Indeed, any act is justifiable for someone who believes he or she is acting on behalf of the
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Searching for Equality | A Citizen’s Public Duty
Animals forced to endure painful deaths
Ethical vegetarianism prevents the infliction of harm to fellow beings
If so, then send Hannah Werthan or Hunter Bratton, opinion editors, an e-mail at wertr7@wfu.edu or bratrh7@wfu.edu.
Rethinking the State | A Critical View of Government
insane, causing them to kill and cannibalize their fellow inmates in the factory-farm. The natural solution to this, because the meat industry is interested in profit, not actual animal husbandry, is to cut off the birds’ beaks — a very painful procedure — in order to prevent them from killing each other. Of course the conditions of the factory-farm could be changed, but that would result in a loss of profits. The bird you ate, if indeed you ate a bird, had an extremely painful end as well as beginning. The slaughter process begins with the birds being hung upside down from their feet and dragged through electrified water, in order to stun them. Matt Moran In theory, this would stun the birds, in reality the cost of keeping the electricity at peak voltage Staff Columnist is too high, the electric baths are generally about ello comrades, I hope everyone had an 30 percent the strength required to fully knock enjoyable and refreshing break. Mine the bird out. was pretty good, although if you see Thus paralyzed but fully conscious, the birds me on campus you will find me anatomically are strung through two spinning blades which changed, although you are unlikely to notice. I cut their necks. possess, as I write this, exactly four less cavities In theory, this would kill them before they and four more fillings than when we all left for entered the scalding tank. In reality the speed break. of the slaughter line (increased 800 percent in Despite brushing and even the occasional the last 25 years) results in sloppy slaughter flossing, something that apparently is rare in practices. our generation, the slow creep Jonathan Safran Foer, author of decay, attacked, without my of the new Eating Animals, knowledge, four of my molars. interviews a slaughter house No human, the only known Going to the dentist is an employee who says that live interesting experience. I’m not birds going into the scalding animal capable of moral reaparticularly afraid of it, but it’s tank happens “all the time.” soning, has justification for not something anyone I know Therefore, the bird whose inflicting unnecessary suffer- flesh fed you this holiday looks forward to. But the experience really is season is a being whose ing on another being. not all that bad. By the time life began and ended in the actual procedure begins unimaginable agony. you will have had at least two, Let’s be honest with and possibly more, medications of one kind or ourselves about what this means. another to prevent any pain as a result of the A living, sentient being just as capable of drilling and scraping of the cavity repair process. feeling fear and, more importantly, pain, as Mine began with a topical anesthetic to numb ourselves was electrocuted and then had most of the part of my mouth about to be injected with its neck ripped out. Novocain, which in turn numbs everything so I The lucky ones die at this point, the unlucky don’t feel the drilling. ones are killed from a combination of drowning I can’t even begin to imagine how much more and scalding in the near-boiling water they are unpleasant the process would be without the about to enter. numbing, and am grateful modern medicine Imagine for a second if any one of these has advanced to this point, all in response to an things, much less all of them, were happening to innate avoidance instinct for pain. human beings. Pain, and by pain I mean real pain, not the Imagine for a second the public outrage and stuff masochistic athletes call “weakness leaving intensity of revulsion we would feel to the the body,” is something we avoid as much as people responsible. possible. Twenty-three million chickens and turkeys We even loathe to inflict it on other people, are killed in the United States every day in even the most macho defender of waterthe manner described. That’s 269 deaths every boarding is unlikely to actually enjoy it and second. We have a tendency to be anthropocentric in should be locked up if he does. nearly all we do, but we cannot be in the case of Yet we are also hypocrites with pain, often infliction of unnecessary pain. No human, the we behave as if humans are the only animals only known animal capable of moral reasoning, capable of feeling it. has justification for inflicting unnecessary The turkey you probably ate with your suffering on another being. Christmas dinner, for instance, was debeaked Unfortunately, space restrictions will force when it was a very young chick. me to end this article here, thus it will be in two The debeaking process involves a hot blade parts. slicing through the beak of the chick, severing In the second, I will further explore our most of it. hypocrisy when it comes to pain, as well as This is required in the modern industrial making a basic and concise argument for ethical farm because the tremendously overcrowded vegetarianism. conditions in which turkeys and chickens are kept prevents the establishment of a social Matt Moran is a sophomore from Pittsburg, Penn. hierarchy, which literally drives the birds
Learn from our Middle East past in Yemen H Elliot Engstrom
W
Managing editor
hen Americans were trying to figure out exactly why Osama bin Laden and his cohorts hated us so much in the days following Sept. 11, 2001, it seemed that few people actually thought it would be helpful to simply listen to bin Laden’s own stated reasoning. One would think that this was due to the panicked reaction of the nation in the days following the largest attack ever to occur on American soil, but it would appear that in 2010, this same practice of ignoring the obvious and structuring a viewpoint of the world based on false assumptions persists. When Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States, he did not do so because he hated our way of life or “hated freedom,” though he does not seem to be fond of either. He did so because he was angry about the fact that the United States had soldiers and bases in and around the Arabian Peninsula. For radical and even many non-radical Muslims, this is a holy region of great importance. In fact, when bin Laden declared his war, it was specifically declared on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. The forces ostensibly were in the country in the 1990s to protect against any possible action by Saddam Hussein. Bin Laden said that if the U.S. were to leave, he would defend Saudi Arabia, his country, with his own forces. However, the United States elected to remain. With United States forces occupying the Middle East, Islamic extremists adopted two new strategies – strike Americans on their own soil, and try to get as many Americans as possible to come to our soil, where we can more easily kill them. The attacks of September 11 facilitated both of these goals. A massive United States invasion into the Middle East not only has given these people
true faith. Only someone in the grips economic conservatives can reject of religious or other ideological fervor doing anything about resource could come to think that blowing depletion because of the burden up a school bus full of children is a that would place on the magical free reasonable, even admirable, thing to market, and in which Glenn Beck can do. do whatever it is he thinks he is doing, The real danger of our continued without being laughed off the stage. indulgence of religion, however, is We desperately need to deal with not terrorism or religious conflict. serious challenges in an adult manner. Without religious divisions, human Dealing with resource depletion and beings would still have plenty of climate change requires a willingness reasons to make war on each other. to face hard facts; religion is all about Without religion, there would still avoiding hard facts. A world in which be racialism, classism, nationalism religion gets a pass when it comes to and — the original motive for war — rational assessment of belief is not resource competition. a world in which a consensus on Rather, the real difficult decisions problem is that about the future is our indulgence likely. Religion is a particularly wideof irrational Why does religion spread example of what I like to belief and willful get a pass, even from call “willful credulity.” credulity creates people who might an environment not subscribe to the in which those same belief system? willfully deluded by self-interest Religious “moderates,” agnostics, and can block reasonable, scientifically even some atheists celebrate faith in grounded steps to ensure our longany form because of the idea that term well-being. religion encourages or instigates moral It is our tolerance for religious behavior. The notion that there is an credulity that creates an environment essential connection between religion in which Senator James Inhofe of and morality is what I like to call “The Oklahoma can declare that climate Greatest Lie Ever Told,” and is the change is an international scientific subject of my next column. conspiracy, in which George W. Bush is allowed to suppress scientific Adrian Bardon is an associate professor findings and put oil and gas lobbyists of philosophy. (His columns this semester in charge of energy policy, in which are part of a book project.)
more Americans to kill at a closer distance, but also has bolstered their recruitment. This should not be a surprise, considering that the most recent statistics from Afghanistan report that 70 innocent civilians are being killed for every one target of value. If your family and friends were killed by American bombs, would you too not be more likely to pick up a gun and point it at American soldiers? However, the United States seems to once again be ignoring the facts in regard to Yemen. While no direct action has yet been decided upon, the defense community is openly trying to decide how to act in response to what they perceive to be a large threat coming out of the country. While there truly are some dangerous people in Yemen, one must step back and look at the scenario with an analysis of the probable costs and benefits in mind. If more United States forces are sent to Yemen (there are already several smaller operations occurring) we probably will be able to eliminate a few threats to United States security. However, we would only find that we will have created an even larger threat, as Americans would both be on the Arabian Peninsula in force and positioned only about 200 miles from Mecca. Considering how Islamic militants have reacted in the past to an American presence in their holy land, such an action from the United States would be nothing less than a provocation of the gravest kind. Regardless of the fact that the majority of the enemies of the United States in the Middle East are either fictional, much less substantial than they are reported to be, or in fact enemies that American foreign policy has directly created, the United States continues to push into this tumultuous region with little or no thought given to the consequences of its actions. While Osama bin Laden surely should be held responsible for his actions, it also must be remembered that the attacks of September 11 were blowback for past actions of the United States. If we continue to pursue a foreign policy as provocative as our current one, we should expect nothing less than an even larger amount of blowback in the future. Elliot Engstrom is a senior French major from Matthews, N.C.
A6 Thursday, January 14, 2010
Old Gold & Black Opinion
Discovering the Right Solution | Constructive Criticism
Radical opinions gaining popularity in Britain Seth Williford Staff Columnist
T
he political fault lines in the United States shifted on Christmas Day. The most pungent political issue of the last decade became the first big issue of the new decade. For those of you who were hibernating after exams, here is a quick rundown. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a British-educated Nigerian, flew from Amsterdam into Detroit carrying a bomb. He was able to enter the United States without a passport, because the man who put him on the plane claimed the 23 year-old was Sudanese. There were many ways in which the system failed, contrary to the claims of Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, who quickly reversed her
comments. Of course, Republicans were ready to go the next day, criticizing the president for the ineptitude that allowed for a terrorist to enter the United States, and to almost have the chance to harm our citizens. And, of course, they were open with their criticism of the Napolitano, the skunk-haired former Arizona Governor, lampooning her oratorical failures over the security failures (she eventually said that there had been mistakes). However, Republicans should be careful in their criticism of the president, especially during this election year. Certainly there is a concern that the president does not take terrorism seriously. He does not take it lightly by any means, and will do what is necessary to protect this country. But President Obama has a very naïve view of the world. In Obamaland, terrorism is a direct result of poverty, is only a response to specific U.S. intervention and can be solved by being nice to the countries that don’t like us. Yes, one reason for terrorism is extreme poverty. However, poverty only allows for radicalism to be more widespread and more fervent, but not
any less destructive. Yes, radical hatred like sulfur” treatment that President of the U.S. is heightened by greater Bush received from Chavez, implying foreign intervention in countries that that the U.S. president is the devil. are hostile to the values that we have What seems to be forgotten in all tried to export. Though heightened this is, despite the focus on Yemen, hatred may be related to heightened where Abdulmutallab was trained, intervention, it ignores the fact that the U.S. needs to take a serious radicalism was already present, and look at Britain, and Britain needs to sometimes pervasive. Terrorists are look introspectively. Abdulmutallab not mad at the U.S. only because of may have received his training in our interventions, Yemen, but he they are disgusted was radicalized in by values such Britain, where he A minority of a minority has as individual was a student. He declared violence as acceptable freedom and came from a wealthy in Islam, and it is the job of all separation of family, a rarity in church and state, Nigeria, and it moderate Muslims and nonvalues we have was his father who Muslims to battle this idea and held dear since warned authorities its reality. long before we about his son’s invaded any radicalism. Mark Middle Eastern Steyn, a conservative country. commentator, wrote Being nice to other countries is about a very interesting statistic. always a good tactic to use, so it One in five of all British students are is natural for President Obama to Muslim, and one in three of these want to open and close with other students believe it is acceptable to countries, such as shaking hands with die violently for one’s religion. Here Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, we are, focusing intently on Yemen, smiling broadly. That really seemed which is important, when we should to help Chavez’s opinion of President be coming to understand why Britain Obama, who also received the “smells is such a hotbed of radical opinion.
I want to be clear and unequivocal; the problem is not Islam, but radical Islam. Steyn, in his 2006 book America Alone, wrote how much of Europe, including Britain where Adbulmutallab was educated, was being flooded by Muslim immigrants. Extreme multiculturalism helped to partition England, France and others into divisions between the Western neighborhoods and the predominantly Muslim immigrant communities. Extreme multiculturalism has encouraged separatism in the absence of assimilation. A minority of a minority has declared violence as acceptable in Islam, and it is the job of all moderate Muslims and non-Muslims to battle this idea and its realities. However, if the president wants to begin to tackle the War on Terror, which we are apparently not fighting, we need to get better people in TSA, not better machines; we need better intelligence, not better relations; and we need a more realistic mentality, and not more naivety. Seth Williford is a junior political science major from Wilson, N.C.
Obama needs to reach across the table for support James Hornstein
of other issues. More importantly, the president took on an issue that has and will forever further Guest Columnist polarize the political parties. Even worse, the s we begin our spring semester, we start president’s health care battle has divided the not only a fresh new year but a brand Democratic camp into factions as we begin the new decade. The predominant political tedious process of trying to marry together the issue of the just concluded era was terrorism House and Senate version of the health care bill. and the awesome and frightening threat it posed “It’s the economy, stupid.” These words to the United States. The despicable actions captured the aim of Bill Clinton’s political perpetuated on Sept. 11 left a lasting mark on campaign perfectly as it recognized what the our society and was the impetus behind the public’s concern and worry was for back in the political agenda that followed. early ’90s. However, Obama and his fellow The drastic recession that struck the country Democrats strayed from a similar path in the toward the end of the 2008 election seemed beginning of his term, due to a pie in the sky to make such a negative impact that it would campaign promise where he vowed to take on become the dominant theme of politics for at the complicated beast that is health care. Now least the next several years, if not more. the political hot potato that has been lurking President Obama seemed to follow this logic in in the background throughout his short term, his first several months of office before he veered terrorism, has surfaced once again with the PCorps_K225x10_SER_Red-Suc.pdf from the course with an innumerable amount failed airplane bombing around Christmas time.
A
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Unfortunately for Obama, once the dust has settled on the health care battle he must combat Republican attacks on his leadership during war which will come at the worst possible time, the midterm elections. I am an Obama supporter who wanted to see him succeed because his success meant the betterment of America (despite what our friend Rush Limbaugh might say). However, I think it is important for our country to recognize the gray area in politics between the two extremes. If the Republicans are able to pick up several seats in both the House and the Senate when the mid term elections come along we will be looking at a very interesting political scenario. We will have a president who has a majority in both houses but not the supermajority that enables one to be able to run carte blanche. This super majority has lead to Obama failing to really pursue the idea of bipartisanship. Guaranteed
bipartisanship on an issue such as health care was a long shot at best. However, the new Republicans in office will have ridden the wave of protecting the country once again as the war in Afghanistan and terror will take center stage. Therefore, Obama will have to not only try and reign in the Democratic Party, and perhaps remind them that their power is only effective if the executive branch passes the legislation, but he will also have to reach out to the guys across the table if he wishes to enact more changes. I believe Obama is more moderate than the rest of his party and the more difficult the road he has to navigate in Congress, the better the eventual legislation will be as more opinions will be heard and bipartisanship will have to be pursued in order to pass the legislation needed to help the country in this time of need. James Hornstein is a freshman from Lincoln, R.I.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Spring Sports: Before their seasons commence, take a look at the expectations and preparation mechanisms of spring athletic programs. Page B3.
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{ UPCOMING GAMES } MEN’S TRACK: 1/15 Virginia Tech Inv. 1/16 Virginia Tech Inv. 1/22 Hokie Inv.
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Accumulating Accolades
MEN’S BASKETBALL: 1/17 @ Duke 1/20 @ UNC 1/23 v. Virginia WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: 1/14 @ Georgia Tech 1/17 v. Miami 1/22 @ NC State
{ NATIONAL STAGE } Coaching carousel rocks college football off-season
{ BY THE NUMBERS }
14 2 2 1 15.6
consecutive losses at Duke women’s basketball has suffered
straight road games now facing men’s basketball at Duke, then UNC women’s soccer players selected to attend U.S. U-23 National Team camp
Brian Westerholt/Sports on Film
Freshman Andy Lubahn battles for possession of the ball against Virginia. The Deacs fell to the Cavs in the Final Four, ending the team’s season and bid for another national championship in Cary, N.C. pointed to Virginia’s defensive tactics as the reason specimen, which he is, but I think there’s also that By Alex Botoman | Staff writer Though they fell short in their bid for their second national championship in three years, members of the Wake Forest men’s soccer team were well-represented in ACC as well as national awards and four Deacons will look to make a career in Major League Soccer next year. Despite losing numerous players from the 2008 team, which some considered the most talented college soccer team of all time, the 2009 Deacs advanced to their fourth consecutive College Cup (soccer’s version of the Final Four), losing their semifinal match to arch-nemesis Virginia 2-1 in overtime. “I was (angry). I thought that it was a tremendous feat that we got that far, but I was very upset with the way we went out,” Head Coach Jay Vidovich said. “I thought we could have won the game.” It marked the third setback of the year against the Cavaliers, who had defeated Wake 1-0 at Spry Stadium in the regular season and also advanced over the Deacs in penalty kicks in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Freshman striker Andy Lubahn
for Wake’s struggles against them. “Playing UVA, just their style of play is frustrating,” Lubahn said. “Especially because they kind of play ‘anti-football’ I guess you could call it, while we try to play soccer. We always play well against them and somehow they get a fluke goal, so it’s extremely frustrating.” Even with the loss, Wake’s talent was widely recognized. Junior midfielder Corben Bone was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year while junior center back Ike Opara won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. However, neither Bone nor Opara will be back to help the Deacs next season. Both have signed lucrative Generation Adidas contracts and elected to forgo their senior seasons to enter the 2010 MLS Draft. A force in the back, Opara is projected to be picked as high as second in the draft and could immediately step into an MLS lineup just as Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez did in winning 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year with the Los Angeles Galaxy last year. “Everybody always talks about Ike as an athletic
intangible that Ike Opara is a warrior,” Vidovich said. “The main thing that sticks out about him is his athleticism,” senior goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald said. “The way he can time balls in the air is unbelievable; he’s not going to get beat in the air. It’s amazing how much he’s improved from his freshman year technically and reading the game.” Bone is a creative attacking midfielder that many also see as a top-five pick in the draft. He entered Wake his freshman year as one of the most hailed recruits in the nation, and his play over three years has certainly not disappointed. “He’s just an exciting player to watch on the field. He’s buzzing around all over the place,” Vidovich said. “He’s got nice skill and he’s always showing up in dangerous areas, so he’s always got the ‘wow factor’ that way.” Joining Opara and Bone in the MLS Draft are senior striker Zach Schilawski and senior winger Austin da
See Soccer, Page B4
M. basketball clenches win in OT Mysterious,
curious made up sources
transfer from Georgetown added to the men’s basketball team this week
By Connor Swarbrick | Sports editor
points averaged by Lady Deac Brittany Waters
Hurricanes. Miami’s James Dews sank a follow with 30 seconds left to put the Hurricanes, over to top as they clinched a 67-66 win over the Deacons. Dwayne Collins had 11 rebounds and a season-high 23 points for the Hurricanes who are off to their best start in 50 years. As the students returned to campus after winter break, so too did the Deacs as they took on ACC rival Maryland (10-5) at LJVM Coliseum. The students would not be disappointed as Smith hit a floater with 20 seconds left in overtime to boost Wake Forest to an 85-83 win over Maryland. The win made it the Deacs’ third overtime victory in four games.
Sources: Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman interviewing Super Bowlwinning Coach Tony Dungy to replace Jim Grobe. True? No, completely made up. And in fact outlandish. But attaching the word “Sources” seems to instantly give the statement at least some credibility. How many times have you seen that phrase attached to a sports article on the Internet, be it blogs or ESPN and SI? Probably half a dozen times in just the past half hour. This is a cautionary tale about the accuracy of unnamed sources. I too have often fallen victim to these mysterious people lurking somewhere in the sports world. In 2007 as a freshman I wrote an article in this very paper reporting that sources said Jim Grobe was leaving Wake Forest to coach at Arkansas. It was everywhere: ESPN, SI, Razorback blogs. It had to be true, right? Wrong. Someone, be it a fanatic with a blog or an unethical writer at one of the major sports outlets, made that up or relied on someone who made it up. They did not speak with Coach Grobe but somehow felt the authority to be a “source close to the situation.” Being in the business of print journalism I looked pretty stupid. All ESPN had to do was take the story off of their Web site. However, I couldn’t pull the newspapers off the stand, so they sat there for a week with an inaccurate story. At the time I attributed this occurrence to a misunderstanding that snowballed. It
See Basketball, Page B2
See Pressbox, Page B4
{ DEAC OF THE WEEK } On Jan. 12, Brent LaRue was named the ACC Men’s Track Performer of the Week due to his impressive performance at the UNC Invitational Jan. 8. LaRue broke his own school record in the pole vault competition, posting a high of 16-0.75 (4.90m) to LaRue win the event. This topped his previous mark of 15-9.00. LaRue also won the 60m hurdles preliminary heat with a time of 8.18. He went on to win the finals competition in this event with his top time of the day, an 8.14. LaRue will help lead the Deacs in the Virginia Tech Invitational this weekend.
{ SPORTS WORDS } “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” ~ Vince Lombardi NFL Head Coach 1954-1969
Michael Crouse/Old Gold & Black
Seniors Ish Smith and Chas McFarland celebrate after a thrilling overtime victory over Maryland. The Deacs are now 2-1 in the ACC, tied with Duke for second place. By Connor Swarbrick Sports Editor
Wake Forest Maryland
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If you were fortunate enough to be in the Winston-Salem area and attend the basketball games over Winter Break, your Screamin’ Demons pass was worth its weight in gold. The Deacs gave the fans their money’s worth with five home victories from the Dec. 13 win over Elon to the thrilling Jan. 12 win over the Maryland Terrapins. After starting the season 5-0 the Deacons lost two straight to William and Mary on Nov. 28 and highly ranked Purdue on Dec 1.
Over the break, the Deacs ripped off seven straight victories over Gonzaga, Elon, UNC-Wilimington, N.C. State, UNC-Greensboro, Richmond and Xavier. Behind sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu’s eight overtime points, the Deacs beat the Richmond Spiders 74-68 Dec. 31 at the LJVM Coliseum. Four days later in the Inaugural Skip Prosser Classic, the Deacs needed two additional extra sessions to close out the Xavier Musketeers. Senior Ishmael Smith scored a career-high 28 points, including nine in the two overtime periods, to lead Wake Forest to a 96-92 win. The Deacs could not make it eight straight when they traveled to Coral Gables, Fla., to take on the Miami
PRESS BOX
FROM THE
What a turbulent off-season it has already been in college football. While head coaching turnover is an annual winter tradition, few could have foreseen the staggering number of changes at the top of so many high-profile teams. Already there have been 21 new coaches hired to lead Division 1 teams, but what sets this offseason apart are some of the programs in question: Notre Dame, USC, and (maybe) Florida. Three of college footballs’ giants all experienced a major leadership crisis within weeks of each other. That’s not even mentioning Tennessee, which was most recently ditched by Lane Kiffin so he could replace Pete Carroll at USC, or Florida State. One would have to go back to the offseason of 2000-01 to find a time when the landscape of college football changed so dramatically. That offseason, Ohio State hired Jim Tressel, Georgia hired Mark Richt, USC hired Carroll, Miami signed on Larry Coker, then-little known Urban Meyer became the head man at Bowling Green and Dan Hawkins was set to begin building up the Boise State program. Each of these hires helped define the next decade in college football. Could we be witnessing a similar realignment to begin this decade as well? Will Brian Kelly bring Notre Dame back to national title contention? Will USC and Florida, the two indisputable kings of the last decade, continue to rule? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait eight months to find out.
B2 Thursday, January 14, 2010
Old Gold & Black Sports
Lady Deacs suffer 14th consecutive loss at Duke By Gary Pasqualicchio | Staff writer
Wake Forest Duke
51 65
While many of their classmates were at home awaiting the holidays, the Wake Forest women’s basketball team was busy, compiling a 3-3 record in six non-conference contests. The team picked up wins over North Florida, Wofford and Valparaiso and fell to South Carolina, San Diego State and Richmond. Ending the non-conference season with a 9-5 record, the Deacs returned home from the San Diego State Tournament to open ACC play. Although it may not be fair to say the Lady Deacs go as freshman forward Sandra Garcia goes, the start of ACC play proved just that for Wake Forest. The 6’3” Garcia poured in 22 points, including the game-winning three-pointer in the team’s conference opener, a 66-63 home win over Virginia Tech on Jan. 7. However, in a 65-51 loss at Duke three days later, Garcia was held to just six points on 3-8 shooting in a lackluster performance. The Deacs and the Hokies each shared some big runs in the first half of their contest. When Wake Forest jumped out to an early 12 point lead, Virginia Tech responded with an 18-4 run to take a 33-30 halftime advantage.
The Hokies took control of things with 4:19 left in the game, pulling away to lead 62-55. However, after four free throws from Garcia and a key triple from junior Camille Collier, the Deacs pulled within just one point of the lead. That’s when Garcia stole back the game for Wake Forest, canning a three-pointer with 23 seconds left to give the Deacs a two point lead they would not relinquish. As is the case in the always competitive ACC, the good feelings of that win didn’t last long as the Lady Deacons next had a date Garcia with the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils. The Deacs played Duke tough in the second half after falling behind 35-15 at the break. In the second half, Wake Forest out-scored the hosts 36-30, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their sluggish first half play as they fell 65-51. Freshman Lakevia Boykin led Wake with 12 points, but a 32 percent team shooting performance just wasn’t good enough to end the Blue Devils’ 22-game win streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium. “I thought for 28 minutes we played
pretty good,” head coach Mike Petersen said. “For 12 minutes, we looked like we had never met each other, pretty much.” Although the Deacs fell only by 14 points after losing their previous five games to Duke by over 40 points per game, Coach Peterson was not happy with the team’s free throw shooting. The final score would have been closer if Wake had shot better than 52 percent (13-25) from the foul line, including just 2-8 in the first half. “I’m 2-for-8 putting it from 35 feet,” Peterson said, comparing the team’s struggles at the line to his golf game. “That’s not good. We’ve got to be a little bit better than that from the free-throw line.” Inconsistency has defined the upand-down season thus far for the Lady Deacons, who won their first six games of the year and haven’t won back-to-back contests in ten games since. Much of that inconsistency can be attributed to youth as Wake Forest’s roster includes five underclassmen among the team’s top seven scorers. Included in that group are Garcia, who averages 9.5 points per contest and a team-high 8.1 rebounds, and Boykin who is fifth on the team with 6.3 points per game. However, that youth will continue to be counted on as the Deacs look to finish strong in conference play and make the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Michael Crouse/Old Gold & Black
Senior Tiffany Roulhac drives to the basket in a Dec. 2 matchup against Illinois. The Lady Deacs lost the game 50-65. After a 7-0 start, the team’s record stands at 11-6 after several tough losses.
Track and field excels at first invite Basketball: Deacs down Maryland
Continued from Page B1
File photo/Old Gold & Black
The men’s and women’s track and field teams have just begun their 2010 campaign. Each squad has so far competed in just one meet, the UNC Invitation, in which both teams fared very well. By Maggie Cancelosi | Staff writer
Men Women
6th place 5th place
The Wake Forest Track & Field program started off the season with its best foot forward by competing in the Eddie and Jo. Jr Tar Heel Invitational on Jan. 8. For the men, Senior Brent LaRue set the school record in the pole vault with a mark of 16-0.75, placing second in the event. The All-American later competed in the 60m hurdles and won with a time of 8.14. Last season, LaRue finished second in the event at the ACC Championships. Jon Reid finished eighth with a time of 2:01.87 and Anthony Marois finished 10th with 2:02.62 to represent the Deacs well in the 800 meter. The 4x400 relay team, dominated by Justin Bookheimer, Alex Hill, Charles Klug and Anthony Marois, finished with 3:30.96. The field athletes had a strong showing as well,
particularly Senior Thomas Sensing who finished sixth in the shot put with a mark of 47-5.00. Sensing later took 11th in the weight throw at 42-8.00. Sophomore Michael Wooten received 12th in the weight throw at 35-3.00, as well as 16th in the shot put at 36-5.75. For the women, senior Caroline Vaughn showed up the competition by placing second in the 60m hurdles. She confidently performed in her heat for prelims with a time of 8.76 and finished in the finals with 8.75. Vaughn also competed in the high jump and the shot put, finishing eighth in the high jump with a mark of 4-11 and 12th in shot put Vaughn with a toss of 25-6.00. The 4x400m relay team consisting of freshmen Myesha Barr, Gwen Ricco, Maddy Ricco and powerhouse senior Caroline Vaughn placed fourth with a strong time of
Georgetown forward Nikita Mescheriakov transfers to Wake On Jan. 11, Wake Forest announced that former Georgetown basketball player Nikita Mescheriakov was transferring to the school for the spring semester. Mescheriakov, a 6-7, 215-pound forward from Minsk, Belarus, redshirted his first season at Georgetown before playing in 23 games last year. This season he appeared in seven games off the bench before announcing his decision to transfer in December. Mescheriakov will sit out the next two semesters per NCAA transfer rules. He will be activated to play in the 2011 spring semester and will have a year and a half of remaining eligibility.
3:59.83. Gwen Ricco had another great showing in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.07 and finished fifth. Sophomore Carmen Green took fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 44-8.00 while teammate Sarah Brobeck placed sixth in the shot put and later seventh in the weight throw (38-0.00). “I entered the meet with high expectations for myself. I have worked hard since our last season. It was a blessing to see all that lifting and training come full circle in a big throw,” Green said. “I am excited about the remainder of this Winter season; I will continue to improve my marks. In the Spring season, I am chasing a Hammer Throw school record, so watch out!” For the pole vault, Michelle Lange cleared a height of 10-11.75 to receive third in the event while freshman Madison Kocher cleared 10-0.00 to finish fifth. Sophomore Samantha Howell reached 16-5.00 for the long jump. The Deacons will be reunited as a full team and will also compete in the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va. on January 15-16.
Deac Notes
Aminu led the Deacs with 24 points. He also contributed 13 rebounds and three blocks for his 10th double-double of the season. The Deacs have struggled form the charity strip all year, but against the Terps they looked solid going 16-for-20. Aminu was 10-of-12. Freshman C. J. Harris continued to expand his role as he recorded 18 points, one shy of his career-high. He was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and knocked down three-pointers at key moments to extend Maryland’s signature 2-3 zone, something the Deacs struggled to do in the postseason last year. Smith continued to be aggressive from the field going 8-of-23 for 16 points while also dishing out eight assists. Senior Chas McFarland contributed eight points and Aminu 12 rebounds. Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez led all scorers with 30 points to go with seven assists and flaunted after hitting several key shots over the Deacs smaller guards. Overall the Demon Deacons shot 46 percent (32-of-70) from the field in the game, while the Terrapins shot 40 percent (28-of-70). Wake Forest out-ran the Terps and capitalized on their on ball defensive pressure to outscore Maryland 18-2 on the fast break. The Deacs will return to action when they begin a daunting two game road trip. The team will travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the Duke Blue Devils on Jan. 17, followed by a visit to the Dean Dome against the UNC Tarheels three days later. Duke most recently took down Boston College 79-59 in Cameron Indoor Stadium and are 11-0 at home on the year. Going into their match up, the Deacs and Blue Devils are tied for second place in the ACC. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network.
D’Agostino, Fountain selected for first U.S. U-23 WNT camp of 2010
Portrait of Prosser to be auctioned to support Literacy Program
On Jan. 12, Bill Irwin, head coach of the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team, announced that Wake Forest’s Bianca D’Agostino and Kaley Fountain were among 24 players selected for the first camp of 2010. D’Agostino, a junior midfielder, started all 24 games for Wake Forest in 2009 scoring two goals and adding six assists. Fountain recently completed her senior season at Wake Forest, moving from defender to forward and scoring 11 goals. The camp is scheduled for Jan. 13-20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The team will play two games against the Korea Republic Women’s National Team during the week.
To raise money for the Wake Forest Literacy Program, the Deacon Club will auction a painting of former basketball coach Skip Prosser. The painting was done by Xavier graduate Ashley Scribner, who followed the Muskateers when Prosser coached there. The Literacy Program, founded last year, promotes reading among local students in Forsyth County. 79 percent of local fourth graders participated in the program with 27 percent of that group reading twenty or more books and reaching “Champion” status. Bidding on the painting will take place from Jan. 13-26 on WakeForestSports.com.
Sports Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 14, 2010 B3
Deacon Spring Sports After enjoying a short break in their season’s schedule, the men’s golf team is preparing to kick-off the spring portion of their schedule in early February at the JU Invitational at TPC of Sawgrass on Feb. 8-9. Led by Head Coach Jerry Haas, the Deacon team is currently ranked ninth in Golfweek’s Men’s Team Collegiate Poll. So far in the 2009-2010 season, senior standout Brandon Gielow has emerged as the team’s leader. Gielow, who is ranked as the 21st best collegiate golfer nationally by Golfweek, leads the Deacs with a 71.6 18 hole average and has already notched two top-10 finishes half-way through the Haas season. “Brendan is a great example for the team,” Haas said. “He is the hardest worker athletically and academically that I have had since I’ve been here. He is all I could ever want in a player.” The first half of the men’s golf team’s season was also marked by a remarkable debut for freshman Evan Beck. After posting nine rounds of golf for the Deacons, Beck has achieved a 73.0 18 hole average, second only to Gielow who leads the team. “He has a huge upside,” Haas said. “He is very focused and motivated. You do not have to tell him anything twice. He has all of the right goals and will be a cornerstone for this team.” Thus far in the season, the men’s golf team has tied for 27th at 2009 NCAA Men’s Golf
Championship, tied for fourth at 2009 ACC Men’s Golf Championship, third of 14 at 2009 VCU Shootout, and seventh of 15 at 2009 Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. Construction on the new golf center has also seen progress over the winter. All of the greens will be useable during the spring season, and 14 acres of sod have been laid down on the range. The facility will feature five hitting bays, putting and chipping greens, and a full range of cameras to help each player analyze his or her swing. There will also be a putting room and a club repair room, as well as coach offices and team locker rooms. This will not only help the current team but it will also be a big help when it comes to recruiting. With Calloway clubs at their disposal the area is all the players could ever want. “The new golf center is coming along great,” Haas said. “It will be a huge help not only in player development, but in recruiting as well.” Upcoming matches include: JU Invitational at TPC of Sawgrass (Feb. 8-9), Wexford Intercollegiate at Wexford Plantation (Feb. 22-23), Seahawk Invitational at Landfall Country Club (March 1-2), General Hackler Championship at TPC of Myrtle Beach (March 14-15), Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate (March 28-20), Wolfpack Invitational at Lonnie Poole GC (April 9-10), ACC Championships at Old North State GC (April 23-25), and NCAA Championships at Honors Course (June 1-5).
By Lauren Howell | Staff writer
Women’s Golf
Men’s Golf
By Joe Maugeri | Staff writer
team. If Atkinson maintains the team’s top singles spot, Forman will be a solid No. 2 The men’s tennis team reached new heights option. The senior from Del Mar, Calif., in 2009, accomplishing things that no other spent last season Parr in the singles lineup. team had done in the program’s 55 year Forman is also currently seventh in team history. Led by Head Coach Jeff Zinn, the history in doubles wins. Adding to Wake’s 2009 Deacs won 22 matches and ended the veteran leadership will be seniors Andrew year ranked 17th in the country. The team Brasseaux and Jason Morgenstern and junior reached the ACC Tournament Final for the Jonathan Wolff, all experienced players at first time ever and finished in the NCAA both singles and doubles, who will battle Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. for positioning throughout the early part To top it all off, in the fall senior Cory Parr of the season. The team’s elder statesman, redshirt senior Carlos Salmon – arguably the program’s greatest is a doubles specialist who will player ever – and junior Steven continue to help the team. Forman won the ITA National With Zinn knowing about Doubles Championship, the what to expect from his upperprogram’s first national title of classmen, it is the underclassmen any kind. who will have the chance to take It’s safe to say that 2009 will be this team over the top. With Parr a season to remember in Wake gone, the team will need to rely tennis history, but the 2010 squad on depth more than ever and will try to go even further. Zinn sophomore David Hopkins will will return for his 13th season as be sure to provide some at the head coach of Wake and will likely Forman top of the singles lineup. As a pass legendary coach Jim Leighton for the most ACC coaching wins in freshman, Hopkins anchored a top singles program history. The Deacs will be heavily position but struggled this fall, going 4-5 favored to make their ninth straight NCAA in tournament play. All four are obviously Tournament appearance. Whether or not question marks without an ACC match they can again reach the Sweet 16 or even under their belts, but they did get their feet the elusive Elite 8 will depend on a mix wet in the fall season. The standout from of veteran leadership and emerging young that group was Kreyman, who finished 9-1 in singles play and 4-1 in doubles. talent. The 2010 Deacs will have to move on Forman and junior Iain Atkinson will anchor the team, which is ranked 16th in without Parr and move out of the shadow the preseason ITA poll. Atkinson is ranked of the 2009 team. An ACC Championship 41st in singles and 16th in doubles, where and/or an Elite 8 berth would go a long way he will team with Forman as Wake’s top toward accomplishing just that.
Baseball
By Alex Leopold | Staff writer
greatly. We also added some quality freshmen arms that will contribute immediately,” With records of 6-24 in the ACC and Murray said. The Deacons will be returning plenty of 22-30 overall in 2009, it is no surprise that Wake Forest’s baseball team will be looking firepower to the lineup but will have to cope with the graduation of key contributo improve leaps and bounds in 2010. First year Head Coach Tom Walter has tors Weldon Woodall and Evan Ocheltree. been given the reigns to the program this Woodall led the team with a .328 batting season after Coach Rick Rembielak’s con- average and had a team-high 39 runs batted tract was not renewed. The 39-year-old in. Brooks, one of the team’s vocal leaders, Walter will hope to initiate a similar revival to the one he concocted with the Privateers, will be in charge of initiating the Deacons who he lead to a 153-147 record in five sea- revamped attack. Last season, Brooks batted .313 with five homeruns in addisons which included two NCAA tion to his 11 stolen bases. He will tournament appearances. set the table for Murray, who also Senior catcher Mike Murray, batted with a .306 average while one of the team’s captains alonghitting six homeruns. side junior outfielder Steven With a 16-6 nonconference Brooks, said that “Coach Walter record last season, Murray is enthusiastic about the game believes that this season can be and about taking this program much better with a few improved to where it should be. He and results in ACC play. Yet, jumping the entire coaching staff connect up the standings will be a difficult to the players extremely well, and task in the loaded-ACC. he works intensely but creates an Murray “North Carolina is coming off atmosphere where we want to their fourth straight appearance come to the park every day.” One of Walter’s main tasks will have to be at the College World Series, UVA was an to rebuild a pitching staff that had a 7.30 Omaha team that brings back a ton of their Earned Run Average in 2009. There is reason players, and the trio of Georgia Tech, Miami for optimism; however, as the Deacons are and Florida State are perennial Omaha conreturning the core of their staff including tenders,” Murray said. Returning to the ACC tournament is one the sophomore trio of Zach White, Austin of the team’s goals, but Murray said that Stadler and Michael Dimock. “We are excited about our pitching staff “the first goal is to compete hard each day this year. Last year a lot of the struggles and get better. A lot of us have a sour taste were due to injuries. Dan Marrs and Mac from how last year went, and we are working Williamson are doing well coming off their tirelessly to make sure we are going to be a injuries, and will help our pitching staff tough team to deal with this year.”
By Jordan Weed | Staff writer
Women’s Tennis
Men’s Tennis
By Gary Pasqualicchio | Staff writer
to the top 6 players this year (Michelle Shin and Stephanie Kim), it has been tricky to As the women’s golf team reassembles find a rhythm as a group without the luxury for the spring season, they know that they of a team practice facility. “It will be really convenient not to have to work around have some big shoes to fill. Last year’s team set the school scoring other people’s schedules this spring and to record and won the ACC Championship have unlimited range time,” White said. “At the beginning of the year, I told for the first time in 14 years, and junior Natalie Sheary was needed an ACC Player Coach that I wanted to qualify to play in every tournament of my last season,” she of the Year with All-American honors. said. “I worked with my swing “We definitely accomplished a coach over the break and hopelot last year, and defending the fully will be able to finish in the ACC title is obviously a goal for top six for the first tournament us to work towards this coming in February.” season,” senior Dolores White Although it will be hard for said. “But we have to rememSheary to top her spectacular ber to take it one tournament performance of spring 2009, at a time, because we have some she remains optimistic about work to do in the regular season her improvement. “I finally feel before we start thinking about the like there’s some of part of my championship tournaments.” game that is coming together. The Deacon’s first competition Sheary I’ve been practicing my putting will be the Northrop Grumman a lot and I think that will really Regional Challenge, which will take place Feb. 8-10 in Palos Verdes, Calif. help me this spring.” The new practice facility, in addition — just before the completion of a brand new golf complex being constructed on to the five driving bays, will feature one extended bay that the women can practice campus. “The new complex is going to be so on. While women golfers traditionally rely helpful,” Junior Natalie Sheary said. She more on a perfected technique rather than was the 2009 ACC Individual Champion strength and long drives, Sheary and White and a key player for the Deacs this fall. both said that they have noted a shift in the Sheary was second on the team earlier this sport that they are starting to work on. While they say many people are surprised year, with a 74.0 stroke average — right behind sophomore Cheyenne Woods, who to find that women’s teams do weight trainfinished the fall with seven of her 12 rounds ing in addition to workouts, Sheary said, “Power has gotten more and more imporat par or better. White agrees that the new facility will tant in women’s golf. They are making the help increase the caliber of her personal courses longer in the LPGA, and I think it game as well as the players’ chemistry as a almost draws more attention to the sport team. With the addition of two freshmen in general.” on our own or the team will not do well as a whole,” Cutillo said. “We’ve all been While much of the university spent their working really hard, especially in the few break in a state of relaxation and recovery days we’ve been back.” from the chaos of finals season, the womWith a 2009 season marked by seven’s tennis team has been working hard in eral close, disappointing losses, the Lady preparation for its upcoming season. Deacs look to improve their ranking this The season commences with a double- season. header against Elon and Wofford at home With a current preseason rank of 39, on Jan. 16. the team would like to advance to the This year’s roster has a bit of a foreign top 25. flavor with four of the eight players on On an individual level, Cutillo would the team hailing from other like to play the best she can and countries. contribute as much as possible Those players are senior Aileen to the team as a whole. Davis from Scotland, senior Sasha Last year, Wake lost in the Kulikova from Russia, freshman opening round of the NCAA Anna Mydlowska from Poland Tournament at the hands of and sophomore Martina Pavelec South Carolina, 4-0. However, from Germany. it was the sixth consecutive The team had a fairly successNCAA Tournament appearful fall tournament season with ance for the team. In ACC an overall singles record of 33-22 tournament play, the team beat Skorupka and a doubles record of 10-9. Virginia Tech in the first round, Pavelec and sophomore Ryann but lost to top-seeded Miami in Cutillo both had wins over ranked the next round. opponents. Another player to watch is They finished the year with a 13-13 Kulikova, who was ranked No. 44 at the record, which the Lady Deacs will hope end the fall season. to improve upon. According to Cutillo, the Lady Deacs’ Other notable matches for the Lady training regiment consisted of gym work- Deacons include their ACC opener against outs, weight lifting, sprints and competitive N.C. State on March 6 and the ACC Tourplay four times per week. nament from April 22-25. The NCAA “We’ve had many talks with our coaches Championships begin on May 7. about how we want to do better this year. Under the guidance of Head Coach Chad It’s hard that our season begins so soon Skorupka, a fourth year coach who played after break, so our coaches have really been at Penn State, the Deacs have expectations emphasizing that we have to work hard of continuing to improve.
B4 Thursday, January 14, 2010
Old Gold & Black Sports
Soccer: Program receives plethora of honors Pressbox: Continued from Page B1
Luz. Da Luz, the son of Wake Forest women’s soccer head coach Tony da Luz, grew up a Deacon, but wasn’t an immediate star to the level that Bone and Opara were. After starting his freshman year, da Luz came off the bench serving mainly as a role player in his sophomore and junior seasons. However, 2009 brought a breakout senior year as he led the team with 15 assists to finish with a school-record career mark of 39 assists. Schilawski also served as a role player in his first three years behind stars such as Marcus Tracy and Cody Arnoux, though he did come off the bench to score the game-winning goal in Wake’s victory over Ohio State in the finals of the 2007 College Cup. This year, in his first full season as a starter, Schilawski notched 14 goals
and seven assists for a team-leading 35 points. “I knew the qualities of Austin and Zach (coming into the season),” said Vidovich. “Zach and Austin were guys that came off the bench and they were role players, but they weren’t role players, they were guys that were significant contributors. They would have been starting on any team in the country.” With such talented players, it is no surprise that Wake Forest players received numerous national honors. Bone finished third in the voting for the 2009 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy – soccer’s version of the Heisman. He follows in the footsteps of former Deacons Marcus Tracy, who won the Hermann Trophy last year, and Sam Cronin, who was also a finalist. “In the past two years there have been six finalists and two winners, and 50 percent of those players have gone to Wake Forest,” Vidovich said.
“It’s a tremendous statement about the quality of the players that are coming through our program.” Bone and Opara were named First Team All-Americans by numerous soccer publications, while all the members of the MLS-bound quartet were named to the NSCAA All-South Region First Team. A couple Wake Forest newcomers also received recognition as Lubahn was named to the College Soccer News All-Freshman first team. Defender Anthony Arena was named to the second team. Lubahn scored 10 goals in his first season in the gold and black, tying a Wake Forest freshman record. “Coming into the year I was just trying to help the team, and scoring goals is how you do that,” Lubahn said. “I had a good season and when all the awards came at the end of the year it just helps make that season a little more special.”
The Deacons’ awards did not stop at the touchline as Schilawski was named the NSCAA/adidas Men’s Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year. Senior Justin Lichtfuss was named to the Scholar All-South region team. “(Schilawski) is one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met and obviously one of the top strikers in the country,” his roommate, Fitzgerald, said. “It says a lot about a school like Wake where they put such a high emphasis on both athletics and academics and you can excel in both. I’m so glad he won that award; he was most definitely the most deserving.” While next year’s Deacs will again have to cope with the loss of a talented cadre of players, their success this year gives hope that they make it back to the College Cup for the fifth consecutive time. “It’s a long journey, but it starts now,” Fitzgerald said.
Field of greens Michael Crouse/Old Gold & Black
As the commencement of spring golf nears, construction of the novel golf facility comes to a close. The facility boasts five hitting bays, putting and chipping greens and cameras to help players analyze their swings.
Be cautious of unnamed sources Continued from Page B1
wasn’t until this year as I watched my father Jack Swarbrick, Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, go through the process of hiring a football coach that I truly understood the phrase unnamed sources. Blue and Gold Illustrated dubbed it the “Theater of the Absurd,” and that it was: 10 days of rumors, speculation and just plain lies. Perhaps one of the best instances of falsely reported physical location, after the Stanford v. Notre Dame game, “sources” reported Swarbrick stayed in Palo Alto, Ca., to interview Stanford Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Hundreds of Notre Dame faithful watched him board the team bus which dropped the whole travel party off at their chartered plane. Swarbrick proceeded to sit next to his family and then Head Coach Charlie Weis on redeye back to South Bend, Ind. And when they deplaned Swarbrick was apparently still in California. Hmm. It only gets better: - “Brian Hanley writes his sources suggest that Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz would be in the mix.” - “A university source suggests Stoops is the first choice of Swarbrick.” - Hanley also reported “A source said Edsall has been contacted by a Notre Dame representative to gauge his interest.” - “FootballCoachScoop.com, a Web site dedicated to coaching rumors, starts its 15 minutes of fame by saying East Carolina’s Skip Holtz is a candidate.” - “New York Times report indicated Harbaugh and Swarbrick would meet while the two were in New York City.” - “According to ESPN.com’s Schad, there is mutual interest between Notre Dame Officials and Edsall.” Unfounded lies, all of it. This was truly an eye-opening experience for me. It was one that left me somewhat in question about the state of journalism. It is the nature of the beast, the time that we live in. The public demands information immediately and as a result frivolous unfounded reports emerge. These situations affect people’s lives and families, so I hope you take the time to consider the credibility of an unnamed source.
L IFE
Box office movies were a popular way to occupy students over break. Page B7.
INSIDE: BED OF ROSES : Second book in romance series seems predictable but still entertains. Page B6.
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A T : w w w. o l d g o l d a n d b l a c k . c o m ogblife@wfu.edu
B L A C K
By WAKEradio | Contributing writers Every year as WAKEradio picks its top 10 albums of the year there are some stand out favorites and some real unknowns that make the list. This year is no different. We all knew the Avett Brothers album would be golden, but who could have guessed how much everyone loved Polka Dot Dot Dot? WAKEradio is a station that plays everything, even the unknowns, and this year listening to those unknowns has really paid off. Here’s your top 10 albums of the year selected by the staff of WAKEradio: 1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion. Animal Collective’s eighth studio album takes listeners on an electronic, experimental journey through reverb and harmony. More accessible than their previous work, MPP revels in the use of samplers and layered melodies, creating an upbeat and jubilant atmosphere. MPP is easy to dance to, easy to love! First Listen: “My Girls.” (Kory Riemensperger) 2. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – The Good Feelings of Dent May. Dent May is definitely a breath of fresh air. While most artists individualize themselves by going edgy (read: punk), Dent May defies conventions and adopts a sweet, homey vocalcentric sound. The orchestration of drums and ukulele underneath May’s nasally, sweet voice makes for a perfect,
breezy indie-pop hit. First Listen: “You Can’t Force a Dance Party.” (Jay Lowrey) 3. Passion Pit – Manners. Manners is one of those great albums you can just put on and tune out with. The constant rock beat underneath high pitch vocals makes every song feel like fun party music. Each song on the album blends right into the next, perfect for studying or a nice long drive, much like Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. First Listen: “Little Secrets.” (Jay Lowrey) 4. Polka Dot Dot Dot – Syzygy. While Polka Dot Dot Dot is from the other side of the country, WAKEradio has taken quite a liking to them. Their sophomore effort Syzygy is full of infectious choruses, heartbreaking harmonies and playful instrumentations. The musicians play the banjo, ukulele, guitar and various household items. This is about as true to folk music as you can get, but it’s as clear and as serious as their musical talent is. They certainly don’t sacrifice the whimsical for the “adult.” (Nathan Bedsole) 5. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon: End of Day. Man on the Moon proves to be a fantastic debut album for Cudi, with eerie tones and innovative drums in the production, fascinating motifs of dreaming and nightmares scattered through the lyrics and stylistic vocals that keep you guessing between more traditional rap verses and melodic singing patterns. If you are not a hip-hop fan, an open mind will help you see that Man on the Moon demonstrates the versatility of hip-hop. (Jacob Martin) 6. Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP. The Blood Bank EP by Bon Iver can be described as having a more experimental sound. The EP begins with “Blood Bank,” a track which recalls his full length album. He finally progresses to “Woods,” which uses an auto-tune recreation of lead singer Justin Vernon’s trademark multi-tracked falsetto to add a surprising compliment and strong reinforce-
ment of his musical genius. First Listen: “Blood Bank.” (Laura Minton) 7. Avett Brothers – I and Love and You. The Avett Brother’s I and Love and You makes combining bluegrass, folk, rock and pop seem effortless. Whether the song is energetic like “Slight Figure of Speech” or packed with sentiment like “I and Love and You,” the mix of refreshingly honest lyrics and almost a dozen instruments never feels forced and still holds onto the simplicity that makes the band unique. (Mo Earley) 8. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest. Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest sounds a bit like a good night’s sleep. A soothing collage of ambient instrumentation and cascading harmonies, this four-piece Brooklyn band wows with a distinct, ethereal sound. Be sure to treat your ears to the infectious piano jingle of “Two Weeks.” (Kara Solarz) 9. The Love Language – The Love Language. The Love Language is a band which really grows on you. Their self-titled debut contains one stand out hit (“Lalita”), but as I listened more it was clear there was more to the album than just that one song. The musical style of the album is really hard to pin down. There are poppy songs like “Lalita,” but there are also more somber affairs like “Two Rabbits.” Either way the ethereal vocals are sure to please. First Listen: “Manteo.” (Jay Lowrey) 10. Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazer’s Do. “Me rule dancehall ting.” Thus spoke the illustrious Major Lazer, Jamaican commando who lost an arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984 (and had it subsequently replaced by the “BMW of lasers”). This undercover soldier turned nightclub DJ has been spinning dancehall perfection with his laser limbs (and collaborators Diplo and Switch) ever since the June release of Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do. Firstly, scratch the zero off of this album’s rank, and then go pick it up, stat. (Carleigh Morgan)
Upcoming Local Concerts Flogging Molly The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, NC Fri., Feb. 19 8 p.m.
Black Eyed Peas Time Warner Cable Arena Charlotte, NC Sat, Feb. 20 7:30 p.m.
Jay-Z The BP3 Tour Greensboro Coliseum Complex Greensboro, NC Sun, Feb. 28 7p.m.
John Mayer with Michael Franti & Spearhead Greensboro Coliseum Complex Greensboro, NC Mon, March15 7:30 p.m.
Graphic by CeCe Brooks / Old Gold & Black
Music Review | Intro to Indie
Playlist immerses listeners in the indie music world By Isabel Ortiz | Staff writer
I only recently started getting into indie music, but these bands have produced some of the best music I’ve listened to. Most (but not all) of these songs are ones that I Shazam’d using my trusty iPhone at a variety of locations. Now, as a newcomer to the genre, I don’t know exactly which bands are or aren’t true to the genre. But I’ve compiled a playlist of some of my recent favorites that sparked my interest in the indie music world. Hopefully some – or maybe even all of them – will give you a taste and entice you to partake in the wonderful ambiguity that is indie music.
1. “Teardrop” by Massive Attack. You might recognize this as the theme of the best medical drama on television, House M.D. It’s a tick on the long side at 5:22 and somewhat slow, but it makes good use of deep, deep bass that resembles a heartbeat. 2. “Swing Tree” by Discovery. This is definitely one for electronic and funk fans, sounding somewhat like an 80s track. Formed by Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles, Discovery plays up synthesizers like crazy. 3. “When They Fight, They Fight” by The Generationalists. For this song, The Generationalists rely on shakers, a
killer bass line, and occasional brass to make this song pretty unique. This particular song is reminiscent of the `50s, as far as the general feel of the song goes. 4. “Basic Space” by The XX. This is a bass-heavy song with interesting changes in tempo and creative lyrics. Make sure you listen to it all the way through, because it gets better and better as it progresses. (I had a tendency to want to skip over it after a few seconds, but just trust me – it’s a good one.) 5. “Sky Ghosts” by The Depreciation Guild. “Sky Ghosts” is a bit different from the rest of the songs so far. It has a heavy, static-y sounding guitar in the background. In short, it has a bit more of a rock undertone.
6. “Calypso” Gold by Princeton. This is a great song to play at a beach bonfire. “Calypso Gold” has a cool, Caribbean sound that simultaneously makes good use of some string instruments. 7. “What Ever Happened?” by The Strokes. Like “Sky Ghosts,” it has a more typical rock sound that I find makes for a good driving song. “What Ever Happened?” was featured in Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette. 8. “No You Don’t” by Islands. This song also relies on synthesizers. But there is much more of an emphasis placed on the lyrics of this song, which tell an interesting story about controlled substances.
9. “Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear. There is just something about this song that makes it a pleasant listen through and through. The harmonies are excellent. Once again, we hear some synthesizers, but they perfectly complement the song without being too overwhelming. 10. “Ambivalence Avenue” by Bibio “Ambivalence Avenue.” This is my favorite of this lot. The lyrics blend perfectly into the music. Trying to listen to both the lyrics and the music requires very active listening and a lot of concentration. I found this song to be a good one to drive to, because of its faster tempo.
B6 Thursday, January 14, 2010
Old Gold & Black Life
She Said | Illuminating Your Love Life
Accept your man’s immature side Famous Release
Sloths and opossums spend about 80% of their lives sleeping.
Director Kevin Tancharoen’s remake of the popular 1980s musical called Fame was released on DVD on Jan. 12. The film centers around the trials and tribulations of a group of students attending the New York Academy of Performing Arts, a magnet school for aspiring stars. The film showcases great young talent of the gifted artists, actors, dancers and musicians at the school. It stars Kay Panabaker and Naturi Naughton and features some impressive performance pieces.
Adrienne Alexander Staff columnist
We’ve all been there. The classic scenario where you’re hanging out with your guy. Watching a movie, having a meal together or doing nothing in particular. You look at him, he looks at you, and in that moment, your feminine heart craves a display of tenderness from him. You want him to say something sweet. To make you feel special. To help stir up the magic that you know you two are capable of making together. The moment is intense. The tension is palpable. You’re waiting, breathless … and then he lets loose a juvenile impression of an inopportune bodily function or quotes a line from his favorite
1. Being chased 2. Falling 3. Being lost or unprepared 4. Public exposure 5. Losing teeth 6. Going nowhere 7. Flying 8. Wet dreams 9. Looking for a bathroom 10. Feeling trapped
No Pants, No Problems Improv Everywhere organized the ninth annual “no pants” subway stunt in New York City on Sunday, Jan. 11. Hundreds of New Yorkers spit into groups and boarded the subway wearing their regular tops paired with only their underwear. Participants acted as if nothing was peculiar during the ride. They spoke to their friends or read the newspaper as onlookers oogled the odd behavior. This tradition started in New York City with only seven participants, but this year hundreds stripped down to their undies in the bitter cold. Improv Everywhere organizes a number of amusing events like this all over the country just to make life a bit more like the movies.
to make peace with it. If it makes you feel any better, he is painfully aware that you are light years ahead of him in this area and he does try quite hard to put his most grown-up self forward when he interacts with you. You may be appalled at some of the antics you’ve witnessed from your guy, but I assure you, you’ve barely seen the tip of the immaturity iceberg. In his natural habitat, with only other males around to impress, I shudder to think what goes on. All kidding aside, though, you would do well to handle his lesspleasing behavior in much the same way as you would deal with your babysitting charge. When his actions are harmless, you let them slide, allowing him to enjoy himself without requiring that he choose to behave exactly as you would. You are different people with different personalities, after all. When his behavior is seriously disturbing – think the young-adult equivalent of the time you caught the five-year-old trying to use his pet hamster as the conductor for
5 8 1 8 4 3 6 9 3 9 4 7 8 3 2 7 9 1 7 3 7 6 2 8 1 4 6 7 7 2 8 1 9 5 3 4
Class is back in session but luckily the first days back are quickly followed by a three day weekend. That means more time to celebrate with friends you haven’t seen in a while before the heavy workload begins! 2 oz. vodka 2 oz. orange juice 2 oz. grapefruit juice 1oz. strawberry syrup Mix ingredients, pour into a large glass and enjoy!
“She Said” is a bi-weekly column that presents one girl’s perspective on the college sex scene. You may contact her with your feedback or ideas at alexae7@ wfu.edu.
Easy
Check back next week for the solution to this week’s problem. If you hadn’t noticed, we like to keep people waiting in suspense.
Solution from12/3
Puzzle by websudoku.com
Book Review | Bed of Roses
New addition to romance series proves sappy By Samantha Hoback | Staff writer
Every girl dreams of her wedding day. When she grows up and falls in love for the first time, she can’t help but scour through Martha Stewart magazines fantasizing about whether she wants a DJ or a live band at the reception. Author Nora Roberts has tapped into this childhood memory for many of her female readers in her latest series, the Bride Quartet. In the first novel, readers met a group of women who have been best friends since childhood when they discovered their love for weddings and marriage. As adults, these four friends have established a successful wedding planning business, attracting some of the biggest clients in the area. Whether it is photography, floral arrangements, baking or management, Mac, Emma, Laurel and Parker are able to make a living doing what they love.In the second novel, it is Emma’s turn to fall in love. As the head of the floral department and onsite green-thumb in the group, Emma finds peace among roses, calla lilies, hydrangeas and baby’s breath. Within her circle of friends, Emma is the
heart-breaker: beautiful, confident, outgoing and adventurous. Her bubbly personality has led her to many romances, flings and flirty friendships, but she enjoys the single life and has not had a serious relationship. Mac has just gotten engaged, and the whole house is buzzing with white tulle and excitement. Watching one of her best friends fall in love and get engaged, Emma longs for that kind of connection and happiness in life. While it may seem that she should have no trouble meeting Mr. Right, Emma is secretly holding out for the only man with whom she could ever dream of spending the rest of her life. Jack Cooke is a family friend that has been around the girls at Vows since childhood. He works as an architect and boasts a pretty impressive social resume. Although he is a self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life, he can’t help but notice Emma and the feelings he gets when she is around him. When the two run into each other again at one of the Vows’ events, the sparks that have been mustering for years reignite, and their friendship develops into the relationship that both
The WAKEing Dead | By Cory Bullock
Drink of the Week Three Day Weekend
his electric train – you call him on it. You express your disapproval in a calm way, maybe call attention to whatever aspect you find particularly objectionable (Too dangerous? Offensive?? Illegal???) The key is to remember that you are only voicing your opinion with your boyfriend rather than insisting on a particular behavioral response as you would on your job. Your sweetie is entitled to choose how to express himself even if his ways are not always pleasing to you. And this may come as a surprise to you, but there’s a good chance that he isn’t crazy about all your girlie habits, either.
Surrender to Sudoku
Top 10 Recurring Dreams It seems that many people have the same dream themes. Clearly our conscious is trying to tell us something.
(utterly stupid) “man movie,” complete with ridiculous accent or incharacter gesticulation. You let out an exasperated sigh and turn away from him in a huff. Or, if you’re the more outspoken and demonstrative type, maybe you accuse him of “always ruining the mood,” punctuating your remark with a notso-playful shove in the arm. Your frustration here is understandable. A beautiful moment has been lost. You got your hopes up and were disappointed. And, maybe worst of all, your 20-year-old boyfriend is behaving like the 5-year-old kid you babysit. You wonder, what’s wrong with him? Why is he so immature? Will he ever grow up? The short answer to your question is “no.” Your man is “normal.” He’s not maturing more slowly than his male peers. And he is unlikely to ever reach a state that you would consider to be full maturity. Like any other unchangeable circumstance, your best response to your bf ’s outburst of childishness is
The WAKEing Dead
have feared. With their friends keeping a close eye on the progress of their romance, Emma and Jack must work hard to defeat the doubt and uncertainty from their family and friends in order to keep their relationship on solid ground. Bed of Roses is a classic love story full of romance and flowers, heartbreak and happy endings. With the success of the first novel in the Bride Quartet, Nora Roberts’ fans had high expectations for the second novel. Although Emma’s story proves to be romantic and engaging, the overall plot is very predictable and sappy. Unlike the first novel where Roberts included more mystery and uncertainty, Bed of Roses not only gives away its own outcome, but it also hints at the outcomes of the two books left in the series: Savor the Moment, due in April 2010; and Happy Ever After. Although readers who enjoyed the first novel should absolutely continue with the series, Bed of Roses does not bring quite the same satisfaction as its predecessor. Nora Roberts does a wonderful job of illustrating how a childhood friendship can blossom into an unexpected romance, although the story line does not offer anything unique or innovative. Without the infamous Nora Roberts byline attached to it, Bed of Roses would not be as successful a novel.
Life Old Gold & Black
The Young Victoria This historically accurate adaptation about the early years of Queen Victoria is a must see for any fan of films about British royal families. The film not only sufficed as educational, but it also was an absolutely beautiful and entertaining piece. From beginning to end, The Young Victoria shows the growth of Victoria from her late teens to her early twenties. Though not covering much of a time span, the story line, though expected, focuses on the beginning of Victoria’s relationship with Prince Albert, her first cousin from Germany. What truly makes this film so different from many of its kind is the acting: Emily Blunt and Robert Friend, playing Victoria and Albert respectively, exemplify gorgeous chemistry between one another through being able to maintain the development of a romantic relationship without being overdramatic. Many times in historical adaptations when the relationship of two individuals is the focus, much of the development is overdone, melodramatic and unrealistic; however, Blunt and Friend provide a truly honest relationship with one another that is simply a delight to watch. While much of the story is fixated on the romantic component, it also includes portrayals of Victoria’s odd relationship with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and her desire to rebel against the Kensington system, the rules set by her mother and her comptroller, Sir John Conroy, that prevented Victoria from having personal freedoms while growing up; everything had to be done just the way others saw fit for her. Because she chooses to separate herself from her mother as a young adult, Victoria grows up to be a feisty, independent young woman; however, she still maintains insecurities as a result of being such a young ruler. Blunt manages to perfectly balance Victoria’s confidence with her vulnerability, providing the audience with a charming, down-to-earth, beautiful portrayal of England’s longest reigning monarch. The film also features absolutely stunning costumes, artistic cinematography and witty screenwriting. It manages to appease a variety of viewers for it is not a boring historical documentary, though it remains accurate, nor is it a chick-flick, though the plot centers on Victoria and Albert: it truly is one-of-akind. - CE
Thursday, January 14, 2010 B7
Nine This was certainly a trip. Once more, Daniel Day-Lewis is superb, Nicole Kidman looks like a goddess, Judi Dench plays the woman who is smarter than you, Marion Cottliard is stunning and Penelope Cruz embraces her sultry side. Perfectly casted and acted by all involved (including a surprisingly great performance from Fergie), Nine is a character development story about Italian director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) and his struggles with separating fantasy from reality. Centered on his relationships with various women, who all symbolize different female roles in Contini’s life, we see his character develop from an irresponsible, chain-smoking alcoholic who grows up to become a lonely but wiser man. Directed by Rob Marshall, most well-known for Chicago, Marshall creates the sex-infused, lingerie filled spectacle performance that embodies the musical component of the film. With gorgeous Italian scenery to match the passionate music and characters of the movie, this truly is pleasing for the eyes. Speaking of being easy on the eyes, Day-Lewis delivers a gorgeous performance, even though his character is struggling most of the film. It was very surprising to hear him sing and do it well, too. In addition to Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Kidman, Cruz, Cottliard, Fergie and Dench all deliver very strong vocal and dance performances. Though each woman is a different character in Guido’s life, they manage to mean equal importance to him: Kidman plays his leading actress, Dench plays his costume designer/ mentor, Loren, his mother; Cottliard, his wife; Cruz, the mistress; Hudson, the sexy reporter; and Fergie, the childhood fantasy. Though he struggles with staying faithful to his wife and depending too much on motherly advice, Guido eventually comes to terms with what truly is important and what he needs to do to become a real grown up. - CE
Avatar Think of Dances with Wolves, Fern Gully or even our current war with the Middle East, then add futuristic space technology, a different planet with blue inhabitants and a gorgeous, lush rain forest all in 3-D, and you have James Cameron’s Avatar. Now holding the spot for the second highest grossing film ever (Cameron’s Titanic is still number one), this film is truly the beginning of a new age in 3-D cinema. The entire story is an in-your-face experience that really captures the essence of what’s on the screen and brings it right to your seat without looking fake. Visually this film does not cease to entertain the eyes; the plot is nothing we haven’t heard of before, but it still nonetheless engages the audience through drama, suspense and, of course, a love story between the two main characters. The film is set in 2154 on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. On this moon, where the indigenous Na’vi race resides, the humans who desire to colonize the location also wish to obtain a precious natural mineral source underneath Eywa, a large tree that represents the people’s deity in which they worship. Because humans cannot have much exposure to Pandora’s atmospheric air without having to use gas masks, scientists grow Na’vi-human hybrid bodies, called avatars, for humans to be transferred into in order to walk on ground level with the natives. The process occurs through the use of a machine that allows the mind and soul of the human to go into the Avatar body while their human body is, more or less, asleep; therefore, the Naívi peoples refer to the humans as “dreamwalkers.” The male protagonist, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is chosen to be a part of this science experiment as a result of losing his twin brother who was trained to be an avatar operator and losing his legs while serving time in the marines. He joins Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the head of the Avatar program, in this experiment, which the scientists hope can improve the peace and order between the people. The problem with the humans, though, is the fact that the group working to obtain the mineral source is not necessarily on the same side as the group of scientists studying the planet and the people who inhabit it. Through the tension between the two races, Jake struggles with choosing which group to stand by. This visually stunning film is a true experience for the audience to see and feel through this emotionally driven masterpiece. - CE
Holiday Movie Season: Recap By CeCe Brooks and Caroline Edgeton | Life editors
Up in the Air If you are someone that at all pays attention to award season buzz, you have definitely heard about Up in the Air. George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick have all been nominated for Golden Globes and have very good chances at being nominated for Academy Awards, with Clooney already being predicted as the Best Actor winner. Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who is constantly flying all over the country as a “career transition counselor,” a.k.a. the outside guy who fires people when their bosses are too cowardly to do it themselves. Through his opening monologue, Ryan makes it clear that he avoids any type of connection with people and feels completely at home on a plane. His goal in life is to reach 10 million miles. While sitting in a hotel lounge he meets another frequent flyer, Alex (Farmiga), and they begin a casual relationship after bonding over their “elite” travel status. When he is called back to company headquarters in Omaha, he is told by his boss Craig (Jason Bateman) that eager young employee Natalie (Kendrick) has come up with a system so that they can fire people over the internet and eliminate travel costs, thus grounding Ryan. Outraged he argues with Craig, who then suggests Ryan take Natalie on the road to show her what the job is really like. He is initially annoyed by her amateur traveling skills and she is baffled by his purposeful isolation. Through his work with Natalie and encounters with Alex, Ryan begins to question his way of life. What makes the movie so great, in my opinion, is its resemblance to real life, not necessarily how realistic it is, but how there are moments of sadness, humor and apathy interspersed throughout the film. Clooney’s Oscar buzz is not unwarranted as he manages to have the audience rooting for a character with few likeable qualities. With this being only her second high-profile role (you may remember her as Jessica from Twilight), Kendrick shows that she is just getting started. While Up in the Air isn’t as light as many blockbusters, ignore people who claim that it is “depressing.” - CB
Sherlock Holmes
Invictus The most basic description that came to mind after watching Invictus is Remember the Titans with more significance. The plot seems pretty familiar on the surface: leaders try and ease race tensions through sports. However, director Clint Eastwood does a terrific job of separating this film from the rest. If you have not heard of the film or the story, it chronicles the efforts of South African President Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) and rugby captain François Pienaar (played by Matt Damon) to get the South African rugby team to win the 1995 World Cup. The Springboks had traditionally been made up of white players and supported by the white Afrikaners. When Apartheid ended, many of the black South Africans wanted to eliminate the Springboks because they represented the country’s history of prejudice and apartheid. Morgan Freeman unsurprisingly succeeds at portraying the iconic leader. Supposedly, Mandela had always thought Freeman was the only actor who could ever play him. Despite Damon’s much shorter stature than the real Pienar, his performance was consistently authentic. The most powerful aspect of the film is not just that it is based on a true story, but that all of this occurred merely 15 years ago. Eastwood has managed to make a sport and historical situation largely ignored in the Western world appealing to American audiences. - CB
Unlike directors such as Ron Howard or Martin Scorsese, Guy Ritchie did not have the luxury of using his previous works as evidence of his ability to make a box office and critical success. While Snatch did well in both those areas, it is more often considered a cult hit than anything else. Despite Ritchie’s weaker resume, Sherlock Holmes was one of the more hotly anticipated films coming out during the holiday season. Robert Downey Jr. continues his comeback portraying Holmes with the perfect amounts of wit, humor and eccentricity. Since I have never read any Sherlock Holmes books, I do not know if the film recycles any of the stories, but recurring characters Dr. Watson and Irene Adler do have major roles. Watson (Jude Law) is Holmes’ loyal business partner and roommate, but is trying to become more independent by moving out and getting engaged. Holmes does not make this task easy by constantly appealing to Watson’s curiosity and weaknesses. Irene (Rachel McAdams) is an American thief and object of Holmes’ affection despite her criminal nature. The film’s best aspect is the chemistry between the characters, specifically Holmes and Watson and Holmes and Adler. Although some descendents of Arthur Conan Doyle have expressed anger with the film’s insinuations about Holmes and Watson’s relationship, most audiences have praised Law and Downey’s performances. Apparently there was some concern about McAdams’ looking too young for a romantic interest for Downey, but this never really becomes an issue. Downey also accurately represents Holmes’ notorious ability to make incredible observations from small details, which are even more surprising when combined with his copious drinking. Hans Zimmer, who also did the score for The Dark Knight, does an excellent job with the music in the film. Hopefully for Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes is the start of a new era. Though his previous work is popular among cults, this blockbuster of a film has certainly attached more respect to his credibility. Through fantastic computer graphics, top-notch actors and excellent overall cinematography, this must see can entertain all. - CB
B8 Thursday, January 14, 2010
Old Gold & Black Life
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