Binder2

Page 1

Travels abroad: Ukraine protests lead to evacuation of students page 3

Vol. 5, Issue 7 Jan. 31, 2014

EC stats on sanctions for sexual misconduct unclear By Malena Carollo Editor-in-Chief The sexual battery in the Beta complex lounge Jan. 8 was the first reported sexual assault of the 2014 calendar year at Eckerd. Though there has only been one other case documented in the Clery logs this school year, reports are not uncommon. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, one in five women have experienced sexual assault sometime during their life. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with less than 10 percent of their perpetrators seeing prison time according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Often, victims aren’t fully clear on what constitutes sexual assault, are afraid to report an incident, are ashamed or feel conflicted because they know their rapist. At small private schools like Eckerd, the average number of cases reported annually is four to five. The Annual Crime and Fire Safety Report for 2012, a federally mandated report on campus and local crime statistics monitored by the Department of Education, filed by Eckerd said 15 forcible sexual offenses were reported at Eckerd from 2010 to 2012, five each year. The 2013 report will be released by Oct. 1, per federal guidelines. The St. Petersburg Police Department has only investigated five cases total involving Eckerd students from 2010 to 2014. According to Public Information Office Mike Puetz, the SPPD investigated two cases in 2011, two in 2013 and the most

recent in 2014. They were unaware of any at Eckerd for 2010 or 2012. None of the cases resulted in an arrest. In each instance, there either was not enough physical evidence to proceed, or the victim did not want to follow through with the investigation. The discrepancy in cases between Eckerd and the SPPD exists because no law mandates that a college report cases of sexual assault to the police, according to Student Press Law Center Attorney Advocate Adam Goldstein. It is instead at the victim’s discretion to decide to pursue charges with the police. To gauge disciplinary actions for the reported cases on campus, The Current requested a list of the outcomes of sexual assault cases that went through the college’s conduct procedures from 2010 to 2013. The list would include closed cases in which the accused student was found responsible for a violation of Eckerd’s sexual misconduct policy as defined in the EC Book, and would include the name of the person found responsible, what they were charged with and the sanctions they received. The name would only be used by The Current to determine whether there were multiple conduct hearings by one student to present the fullest context for the statistics, not released. Additionally, The Current requested the number of how many students were found responsible for violent crimes--murder, sexual battery, robbery and aggravated assault--on campus for 2010 to 2013 per crime. Eckerd is also allowed to release this information

photo by Rosie Kraemer The Women’s Resource Center’s rape awareness project last fall displayed students’ thoughts and feelings to the community.

under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA was designed to protect educational records and other similar records directly relating to students. Because of a 1998 amendment to the law, Eckerd is legally

allowed to release to the public this information about perpetrators of violent crimes and forcible sexual offenses. The amendment does not mandate that the college release the information, though. “Congress amended FERPA to

Service Learning unveils plans for new curriculum By Sydney Cavero Asst. News Editor The Office of Service Learning and the General Education Committee (GEC) will unveil adjustments to the curriculum this spring semester that will go into effect beginning with the class of 2017. Developed collaboratively by Academic Service-Learning Coordinator Amanda Foster, Director of Service-Learning Ronald Porter and the GEC, the “Reflective Service Learning in General Education” program, or RSL, encourages students to make service an integral part of their education throughout their four years at Eckerd. Students must still complete a minimum 40 hours of service, but will now be able to start logging those hours freshman year instead of waiting for the Quest for Meaning class during senior year. According to Porter and Foster, the RSL also requires that students develop an online service-learning portfolio that will include each service-learning activity completed over their four years, the number of hours spent doing the activPlease Recycle

INDEX:

NEWS 2-4

ity and a reflection written subsequent to the activity’s completion. Students will submit the reflections and logged service hours to a mentor online through a website from the same company as TritonTrack, so students’ login information will be the same for both accounts. This mentor will then either approve the reflection or send it back for revision. When the reflection does gain approval, it will become part of the student’s online portfolio showcasing the hours and reflections completed from freshman to senior year. The student will also submit a reflection about the cumulative impact of their servicelearning experiences to be evaluated by their professor as part of their senior capstone course. “I like the idea that you can reflect back on all the different activities that you’ve done throughout your college career,” Freshman Jordan Schutt said. “It would be easier to keeptrack of them.” Students may complete their 40 hours through either co-curricular or academic activities,

VIEWPOINTS 5-8

though at least one of each student’s service-learning experiences must be academic. Academic options include an RSL independent study, an RSL Winter Term course or an RSL course taken during the spring or fall semesters. Co-curricular activities may include a spring break service trip or an individual RSL experience. Before each activity, the student must write a proposal including what they plan to do, the organization with which they will do it and a contact from the organization. This not only holds the student accountable for the validity of the activity as a service-learning experience, but also allows them to contemplate beforehand what goals they plan to achieve. Through each experience, the student should strive to engage with at least one of the three major goal areas as outlined by the RSL program: academic enhancement, civic learning, and personal growth. The prompt that the student receives to aid them in writing their reflection after the activity will be based upon the goal area that the student chooses to focus

ENTERTAINMENT 9-10

on, as outlined in their proposal. “There’s a relationship here between reflection — looking at the emotional level of when you go into a space and you’re encountering situations that you may not be used to — asking how you feel about that,” Porter said. “Then there’s an academic component where I think students are going to be moved to reflect quite deeply on how the service work they’re doing is connected to larger social, political, and economic issues. We’re formulating Reflective Service Learning by kind of tying those two areas together.” Foster said the Office of Service Learning is currently working closely with professors to develop courses that will fulfill the academic service-learning requirement. “There have been faculty members who have signed on to teach a new class, so over the course of this year and then two years prior, we’ve had five faculty members each year teaching new courses in reflective service-learning,” Foster said. “They’re across all disciplines so

allow for the release of these especially serious disciplinary outcomes not because of the need to inform the police, but because of the need for the public to be See STATISTICS, page 3

VIEWPOINTS Letter to my freshman self Associate editor Greg Riley returns with a piece revealing his deepest emotions. page 6

ENTERTAINMENT The Sundance report The evolution of leading ladies in pop. page 10

THE QUICKIE Tale of a Triton: Alison Roskoph Student makes stem cell donation, potentially saving a man’s life. page 12

HEALTH & FITNESS Tropical Smoothie’s secret Let their protein-packed smoothies fuel your workout and help build up and repair muscle. page 13

SPORTS Good Vibes returns The Current welcomes back its action sports column.

See SERVICE, page 4

THE QUICKIE 11-12 HEALTH & FITNESS 13-14 SPORTS 15-16

page 15 The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.


2 News

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

LET’S BE BRIEF By Sydney Cavero Asst. News Editor

Stoplight to open Friday

Campus

Department of Transportation

The stoplight outside of Eckerd is scheduled to open Friday, Jan. 31, according to the message board beside the construction site.

Sustainbility update

RA Applications due Feb. 7

Evan Bollier

There will be a Green Jobs CPS Event Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. in the Triton Room, where young professionals with jobs in the sustainability field will share insight about their experiences.U-Haul has waived the registration fee for the U-Haul Car Share program, which now offers two Toyota Priuses and a Ford F150 truck to students. Students can rent by the hour and gas and insurance are included in the hourly rate. New users may register with promotion code “Evan” for a free one hour reservation. The Carbon Offset Fund voting period will be during the first two weeks of March.If interested in collaborating on an end-of-year recycling and waste mitigation campaign, please contact Sustainability Fellow Evan Bollier, Senior Julia Calder or Dustin Colson Leaning to volunteer. The recycling program is accepting volunteers and operates Monday through Friday 1 to 3 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

Residence Life

RA applications are due next Friday, Feb. 7. Applications are open to all students and are available on the Residence Life page of Eckerd’s website.

Wheelchair lift installation begins in Cobb A wheelchair lift is currently being installed in Cobb to transport those in wheelchairs from the first to the second floor. The lift complies with the American with Disabilities Act and cost an upwards of $40,000 to install, according to the Director of Planning, Development and Construction Bill McKenna.

Athletic Ambassador applications due Feb. 4 Office of Service Learning

The Office of Service-Learning is currently accepting applications for a Student Assist Athletic Ambassador position to facilitate a stronger connection between service and athletics at Eckerd. A full position description and application is available in a recent email from Director of Service Learning Ronald Porter to all students. Hard copies of these applications, including resumes and cover letters, are due by 4 p.m. Feb. 4 to the Office of Service-Learning. Email Porter, Service Learning Interns Laura Lea Rubino or Amanda Foster with any additional questions.

Service Learning Innovator applications due Feb. 4 Email from the Office of Service-Learning

photo by Aaron Levy The stoplight outside Eckerd’s entrance is scheduled to begin operation on Friday.

The Office of Service-Learning is currently accepting applications for two open ServiceLearning Innovator positions for the spring of 2014. Applications and a full position description are available in a recent email from Ronald Porter to all students and should be turned in to the Office of Service-Learning as a hard copy by Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. Email Ronald Porter, Laura Lea Rubino or Amanda Foster from the Office of Service Learning with any additional questions.

Winter term class presents Writers in Paradise By Ian Lindsay Entertainment Editor For those staying on campus during Eckerd’s coveted Winter Term, the learning possibilities span from emphatic classes with Elie Wiesel, to creating and learning puppetry, to the life-changing experience of working with successful authors in Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise. The conference began 10 years ago when it was brought to life by Alumnus Dennis Lehane and Professor Ameritus Sterling Watson. Both writers have distinguished careers and publications. The person responsible for organizing the conference is Co-Director Christine Koryta. “We wanted a conference that welcomed all styles and genres of writing and encouraging excellence in all of them,” said Watson. “Yes, I believe we have achieved excellence, but we keep changing and trying to get better.” The conference recently changed its name from Writers in Paradise to Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise. “We had conference participants who had difficulty conveying the level of professionalism inherent in our conference for professional development purposes,” Koryta said. “So we decided to revise the name to reflect this. The new name also honored the institution where the conference originated so it was really win-win all around.”

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the conference. The activities included workshops, lecture series, panel discussions, wine and cheese receptions with book signings and nightly readings from the faculty. This year, the prominent names of the faculty and guests included Andre Dubus III, Laura Lippman, Laura Williams McCaffrey, Peter Meinke, Stewart O’Nan, Lori Roy, Ann Hood, Jon Chopan, Les Staniford, Attica Locke and Tim O’Brien. “We were particularly excited to feature Tim O’Brien, author of the award winning, ‘The Things They Carried’ as our Keynote Speaker for the 10th Annual conference,” Koryta said. O’Brien read Chapter Six of his famous work, a story titled “How To Tell a True War Story,” Jan. 18 to a standing-room-only crowd. Following the reading was a Q&A between O’Brien and Lehane. “Tim O’Brien’s reading was by far one of my favorites,” Senior Creative Writing Major Shannon Vize said. “He is an incredible writer and even better storyteller. The entire audience was captivated as he read and it felt like we were in the jungles of Vietnam with his characters.” Lehane also read a short-story from a collection of various authors that was inspired by Bruce Springsteen. “I chose ‘State Trooper’ because it’s the only Springsteen song which really haunts me,” Lehane said during his reading. The lyrics, “Maybe

you got kids/Maybe you’ve got a pretty wife/The only thing I’ve got has been botherin’ me my whole life,” showed up in Lehane’s short story. This year there were more than 101 participants in the conference, eight of whom were made up of the advanced Writers in Paradise class offered during Winter Term. Students were able to be involved in professional workshops and be critiqued by authors with major publications like Andre Dubus III. “I’m learning about writing in such a new and constructive way,” said Junior Creative Writing and Literature major Whitney Harrison. “[I’m having a] lot of fun.” Harrison participated in the nonfiction workshop instructed by Laurie Roy, author of “Bent Road.” The conference also allows for students to socialize with both aspiring authors and published storytellers. “Not only do you learn to write,” Junior Interdisciplinary Arts Major Mikaela Roosa said, “but you learn how to speak, how to do a proper reading, and the craft lessons have been really helpful as well.” A new addition to the conference was the 11 Eckerd students that made up Creative Writing Professor K.C. Wolfe’s Intro to Writers in Paradise Class. The class offered the opportunity to attend lectures and readings, and an introductory course for the actual conference. The planning for next year’s conference has already begun and Eckerd offers its extending hand

photo by Lia Nydes Author and Director of the Florida International University Creative Writing Program Les Standiford reads humorous anecdotes from his book tour.

to anyone interested. “There’s always more to know. That is what keeps all good teachers interested

and on their toes,” Watson said. He expressed that even he learns and makes life-long friends at Eckerd.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

News 3

News Eckerd group evacuates Ukraine By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor Violence in Kiev, Ukraine has reached a boiling point as Ukrainian police began to crack down on anti-government protests. As of press time, three protesters and one police officer were killed. Across the same city, the Greece, Ukraine and Republic of Georgia Winter Term course arrived in what they thought would be the last stop on their trip. The Winter Term class was in the final stage of a three country tour through Eastern Europe as they arrived in Kiev. The group began to explore the city, which was described by Senior Julie Fisher as peaceful. “We saw no fighting in the streets, but we did see many government vehicles and ambulances,” she said. The city itself had been quiet except for the uprising in Independence Square. The protests are the product of a governmental decision. In November, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych suspended a treaty that would have eased Ukraine into joining the European Union. Protesters argue that Yanukovych was bullied into shunning the European Union by the Russian Government in order to join a rival customs union. Ukraine’s economy has been in a steady decline since the 1990s, only worsening with the global recession of 2008. As part of the prospective Russian Customs Union, Ukraine would be eligible to import Russian

natural gas more cheaply than most competitor states. The move was seen as an act of cowardice by the opposition protestors and a final straw for a government that had seemed to tread water for too long. The Eckerd group first felt the weight of the situation early in the morning of Jan. 22. Several students awoke in their hotel to the sound of gunfire. “We could hear several gunshots and explosions from our hotel window,” Junior Robert Patterson said. None of the students observed any fighting as the violence was contained to Independence Square, about three miles from the hotel where Eckerd students were staying. Not all went unseen, however, as students including Patterson and Fisher reported seeing flashes from their windows. The descriptions of these flashes varied from flares to possible explosions or flash bang grenades. Eckerd administration immediately sprung to action overnight. The entire group was quickly flown to Amsterdam, Netherlands on one of the first flights out of Kiev on Jan. 22. Junior Eric Claver was optimistic in spite of the sudden change. “While we did not appear to have been in any danger,” Cleaver said. “The school had to take precautions.” Much of the credit for saving the trip goes to Professor Bruce Foltz, who monitored the situation well before setting foot in the country. Yet the recent escalation of

violence does raise some questions. While protests have been peaceful until recently, the U.S. State Department only responded with a travel alert Jan. 24. These alerts are often consulted by travelers to certain countries and are usually updated on a daily basis. Despite the usual promptness, the Ukraine travel alert was later than usual. Similar political demonstrations in Egypt in December 2013 warranted an immediate response from the State Department. The Winter Term group returned to the U.S. Jan. 25, many still following the protests in Ukraine via the international news. As of press time, the leaders of the anti-government opposition have staged multiple meetings with Yanukovych. Most of these meetings have not been fruitful The students saw this as a historic moment, though they were unsure as to the emotion with which to greet it. A common theme among the members available for comment was the sense that escalation is a very real possibility. Patterson was direct in his opinion of events. “We might have [seen] the beginnings of a civil war,” Patterson said. Fisher also worries about the country’s future, especially concerning the media coverage or lack thereof of the event. “There are not a million burning buses on every street in Kiev,” Fisher said. “But the violence is very real and there is now a very serious threat of escalations.”

From STATISTICS, page 1

informed,” Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center Frank Lomonte said in an email. “Since it is not uncommon for a perpetrator to receive only a slap on the wrist, a person who has committed a very serious violent offense might be walking around among students in the dorms or the Greek houses without anyone knowing. Congress decided that people might need this information so they can decide whether they want to be alone with that person or trust that person, after a finding of dangerous behavior that — anyplace other than a college campus — would land you in prison.” In both cases, The Current was denied the requested information. According to Director of Campus Safety and Security Adam Colby, the college’s interpretation of FERPA is to not release any information unless a situation presents an imminent threat to campus. “The thing is that this [kind of case] is involving two individuals who have the right to be heard, and [they are] expecting a level of privacy provided by the college,” Colby said. “And we’re going to provide that level of privacy unless we feel that there is an imminent threat to the campus.” According to an email from CEO of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management Brett Sokolow, level of threat shouldn’t be a factor affecting the college’s decision to release of information per the 1998 amendment. They are still not legally obligated to release the information. When a sexual assault is reported at Eckerd, it is reported to Dean of Students James Annarelli, the college’s Title IX coordinator. Title IX is part of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law which makes it illegal for any program that receives federal funding to discriminate based on sex. Each case is turned over to Eckerd’s Title IX committee, chaired by Associate Dean for Student Life Lorisa Lorenzo, which determines if a violation of Eckerd’s sexual misconduct policy took place. Should they find it has, Colby said, the case is referred to a conduct review committee, which Colby

said often hears the most severe charges. At the same time, the victim has the opportunity to pursue charges through Eckerd’s student conduct process. The process involves a hearing by a board comprised of the associate or assistant dean of students, two staff members appointed by the dean of students, the student director of the Student Community Standards Board or a designee and a faculty member. The student conduct process provides an advocate from Outreach Services for both the victim and the accused, looking at the case as a whole. During this process, the victim is made aware of their option to pursue legal charges with the police and supported in that process. Regardless of whether or not the student chooses to pursue charges, the incident will be reported in the college’s Annual Crime and Fire Safety Report. A large part of the college’s reasoning for not releasing the statistics is a fear that victims would be intimidated to come forward if they released this information. “There’s a fear of reporting anyway,” Lorenzo said. “And you want to have a culture where they feel comfortable reporting and not having to worry about their information being released.” Recent legal precedent in higher education, however, supports the release of information on sexual crimes on campus. At Oklahoma State University, an internal review of their procedures was conducted in 2013. A high profile sexual assault at OSU went unreported to police because the administration cited protecting student confidentiality under FERPA, despite evidence showing the suspect committed multiple assaults throughout a two-year period. With the advice of Attorney James Sears Bryant, the board found that OSU’s interpretation of FERPA was “misguided” and “misplaced.” It recommended the school adopt a policy to notify local police about alleged sexual assaults as they occur and to employ an independent advocate solely in service of the victim. Other schools, such as Amherst College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale University, have all faced public scrutiny for their handling of sexual assault investigations.

Wellness dorms seek to provide holistic health By Sydney Cavero Asst. News Editor Eckerd offers Beta Dante, Iota Byars and Alpha Gershwin as housing options “for those students interested in an environment that promotes health and wellness, including smoke-free and substance-free living, along with wellness programming,” according to Eckerd’s website. Freshman and even many upperclassmen are often unaware of the policies and special rules enforced in these wellness houses before movein day. These include increased fines for substance-related violations as well as being encouraged to “be a role model on campus by maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle that supports academic achievement,” according to the 2013-2014 Addendum to the Eckerd College Housing Agreement for Students Living in a Health and Wellness House. “A lot of people thought it was physical,” Freshman Kira Pryzant, a previous resident of Alpha Gershwin, said in reference to her freshmen friends in the dorm. “Like an active, exercise, eat healthy kind of thing.” Pryzant added that while many of the residents in her dorm liked living there, they were unhappy about having to follow the different rules and policies imposed on residents of wellness dorms that they were unaware of beforehand. Many freshmen in Iota Byars such as Kirsten Henke were placed

C

in a wellness dorm after they named theme differs from traditional housIota as their top choice. Henke ing, the general atmosphere of their was also clueless prior to her ar- house and how they “run things.” rival on campus as to the implica- RAs will also answer any housing tions of living in wellness housing. questions that students might have. Director of Campus Hous- Carmack and Reeves hope to ining Justin Long said that students clude Admissions in the process to could always contact him and re- educate potential students as well. According to a New York quest a room change if they are unsatisfied with their housing Times article titled “Does it work? placement. Though changes may Substance-free dorms; clean livbe requested at any time, the first ing on campus,” most dorms with two weeks of both fall and spring similar policies to Eckerd’s wellsemesters are designated as room ness dorms nationwide deemed “substance-free” change periods. Requests made themselves after that may be more difficult versus “wellness,” a title that is to accommodate, though Long more indicative of expectations. Long believes that this said he is generally successful. Residence Coordinators Aus- “substance-free” title has not tin Carmack and Victoria Reeves been implemented because it hope that hosting a new “housing fair” will further educate students about their housing options and also “enhance a sense of community.” Though it is currently in the early planning stages, they said that they hope to have it ready by the spring semester before room draw. All RAs will attend the event and will have their own booth at which they will explain the specifics of their own dorm, including whether it is themed or not, how that Wellness house Alpha Gershwin.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

would not fully encompass all of the objectives that the Wellness dorms should accomplish. “We don’t want it to be looked at just as that,” Long said of the dorm’s reputation. “We want it to also be a quieter, more tranquil community. If you’re living in Health and Wellness, you should also be getting more healthy living and health and wellness programming, even if it’s just making stress balls or having parties that don’t involve alcohol.” Long said this these theme-related dorm events should contribute to the environment these dorms try to emulate. They also allow students the opportunity to more fully understand the aspects of their dorms that are not related to the prohibition of substances, such as the peaceful and quiet environment for residents and the value of healthy lifestyles. One section of the 2013-2014 Addendum to the Eckerd College Housing Agreement for Students Living in a Health and Wellness House states, “To the best photo by Aaron Levy of my ability I will maintain a

silent and tranquil community acknowledging the benefit that such a practice will have for both my neighbors and myself.” Residents of wellness dorms are required to put their initials on many places next to each section, signaling their comprehension of and agreement to the policies and procedures outlined. These other procedures include taking full responsibility for guests, maintaining a “clean and orderly living space” and upholding “a silent and tranquil community.” Freshmen Ashley Law, Carmen Burke, Kirsten Henke, Isabel Arnold, Marina Belotserkovskaya and Samantha Bingham, residents of Iota Byars, say that they have never seen nor remember signing the agreement. Though some residents are unaware of these policies, the significantly lower complex charges per resident in wellness dorms indicate that there is some measure of tranquility present. The most recent edition of the Complex and Damage Charges emailed to students revealed that Iota Byars and Beta Dante each have no damage fees for their residents, while Alpha Gershwin residents only had to pay $14.61 each. Regardless of whether students are well-informed upon entering the dorms, much of the student body and the administration would agree that wellness housing is a valuable option for students as well as an important contributor to the Eckerd community.


4 News

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Contract adds quarters to laundry list By Rose Kraemer Asst. News Editor

At Eckerd College, the days of keeping a stash of quarters for doing loads of laundry are not yet history. The antiquated system is, however, equipped with a convenient service that allows students to go online and check to see if any machines are unoccupied. Instead of hauling 10 pounds of track shorts, sweatshirts and beach towels down to the cold and damp laundry room, students can save themselves a trip from potential defeat. Eckerd currently has a contract with Mac-Gray, a company providing services both fundamental and advanced in features. Prior to Mac-Gray, the campus used Coinmach, much like the machines used now, but different in its payment method. Instead of dropping quarters into a slot, students had a card they could add money to and swipe to activate the machines. Students would then receive a text when their laundry was done. Director of Housing Justin Long began working for Eckerd in May 2006, just as the contract with Coinmach expired. By the time he was hired, the decision to switch to Mac-Gray had already been made. According to Long, the benefit to

the residential and commercial use washers and dryers like Mac-Gray’s was their recent change in providing low water-use machines that are environmentally friendly. Other than that, however, Long believes there is room for improvement. “With new contracts coming up and possibly a different vendor, I would love to give the students the ability to pay for laundry in their tuition costs or provide them the ability to use a debit or credit card in the machines,” Long said. “This way they don’t need to worry about getting quarters.” As for the cost of the machines, Long said the prices are within reason. Initially, the business office determined the cost per load as $1.25 to wash and $1 to dry, but after the first year of use, ECOS pushed for lower costs, agreeing on 75 cents per wash and 50 cents to dry. According to Long, all prices around campus are the same, with the exception of Nu and Iota laundry services. Because the cost of rent is higher in Nu and Iota, any additional laundry expenses are subsumed into the total. The business office processes the total revenue from the machines. According to Business Office Controller Robin Smalley, the total revenue Mac-Gray collects from the machines in one fiscal year is ap-

proximately $50,000. For their collection services, the cost of leasing the machines as well as the added service LaundryView, which allows students to electronically check the status of the laundry room, costs Eckerd about $47,000 per year. Smalley said that because Eckerd is a non-profit, it is required to remit sales tax to the State of Florida which results in the college breaking even or, at times, absorbing a slight loss on the laundry operations. “This [year’s] loss was about $3,600,” Smalley said. “Estimated at the time of initiating our contract with Mac-Gray, the cost per load was set to allow for the operations to break even.” On campus, Long said there are 50 washers and 70 dryers based on all the units provided by MacGray. The machines are in high demand which causes them to break down from time to time. Long said all work orders are placed specifically with Mac-Gray, and that in most instances they will service the same day as an order is placed. Most issues are corrected promptly, Long said, with the few that are not being ones likely to require extra parts that need additional time to purchase and install. The closest off-campus alternative for students is a short drive

Sustainability fellow continues to advance program By Simon Scheidegger Contributing Writer

bers of the club regularly engage in recycling, composting or both. Bollier thinks that Eckerd is on Al Gore won the Nobel Peace the right track to become a sustainPrize in 2007 for his efforts to able campus. The effort that has raise awareness for climate change been expended so far seems to have and sustainability, and though an impact on the environment, the Eckerd is not the most advanced campus and the students as well. institution concerning these is“I am starting to see more sues just yet, that same year was students that are interested still a remarkable one in the in sustainability,” Bollier said. school’s journey to sustainability. This is paramount for the Sustainability Fellow and 2011 success of the SustainabilEckerd graduate Evan Bollier has left ity Program, though he still his footprints on campus ever since sees room for improvement. he came to Eckerd as a student in In many buildings there are 2007. Bollier is the face of Eckerd’s lights that consume a lot of energy, sustainability efforts as he works which could be saved by replacto create a more environmentally- ing the Mercury Vapor lamps light friendly community. He has started bulbs with more efficient LED numerous initiatives that work to- lamps. A recent study from the wards that goal, but understands United Nations Environment Prothat it can be a lengthy process. gram (UNEP) suggests that LED Sustainability efforts were rare in bulbs could lead to energy savthe first 50 years of Eckerd’s history. ings of up to 93 percent compared The creation of the “Alumni Grove” to other kinds of technologies. in 1967 was one of the first steps. “We are planning to replace the In 2002, a group of eager and lights in the MacArthur Gymnaenvironmentally active students sium next summer,” Director of Fafounded the Recycling Club. Recy- cilities Management Douglas Ault cling has become a vital part of Eck- said. “It costs money to save money. erd’s sustainability program since We are making steady progress.” then. The approximately 20 memHe also acknowledges that there is still much to be done. This past summer, 2013, the outdoor lighting in the Sheen complex was replaced with LEDs. Over Christmas break, the Cobb classrooms were equipped with occupancy sensors so the lights now turn off automatically when there is no motion for a certain period of time. According to the UNEP study, occupancy sensors have a saving potential of up to 75 percent. “[Occupancy sensors] do save money,” Bollier said, “You just have to photo by Rosie Kraemer make them a priorThe Gamma Complex Lounge hosts all things sustainable. ity item. It is kind

of a culture change,” he said. Bollier emphasized not only the importance of making improvements, but also educating people to make them aware of environmental issues. “Turning off the lights is not necessarily always their priority,” Bollier said, referring to the lights on the soccer field. He has sometimes found them shining in the middle of the night. Students as well as faculty, campus security and every other part of the Eckerd community must be a part of these efforts. Eckerd signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007, thus committing to take immediate action to improve sustainability on campus. In Florida, a total of only 15 college presidents have signed the ACUPCC. Bollier said it is difficult to compare Eckerd’s sustainability efforts to other colleges that signed the commitment due to differences in their size and location. Those that would be similar to Eckerd in size are located in the northeastern United States where the climate is entirely different, and therefore the way that energy is needed is different as well. Eckerd also has far higher costs for air conditioning than schools in colder areas, which makes an accurate comparison difficult. When more schools devote themselves to becoming sustainable communities, it will be easier and Bollier will have a clearer indication of where his work stands in an inter-collegial comparison. Bollier has brought remarkable changes to campus, though they have often been challenging and time-consuming. He proposed to incorporate solar panels in the campus community when he joined Eckerd, but it was not until October 2013 that solar panels were installed in front of the James Center. Bollier continues to be happy and fully confident about what he started six years ago. “The little stuff that I can get done, I feel like, are big victories,” Bollier said.

down 54th Avenue South to Easy Kleen Laundromat. Prices are significantly higher there for washing, depending on the size of the load. The starting price is a base $2.25 with a 25 cent increase as the laundry load grows larger, reaching the highest cost of $7.25. The base cost for the dryers is 25 cents, but as load size increases, so does its prices in 25 cent increments. Sophomore Abbey Walter is displeased with the laundry services on campus. Because she is on the soccer team, she goes through about two to three outfits per day and washes her clothes at least once a week. “Laundry should be free since we are paying a big chunk for tuition,” Walter said. “The laundry machines are okay, but we have some dryer issues in Delta.” In gathering quarters, many

students frequent Epsilon for the change machine where they can convert their dollars into quarters. There is also a change machine in the Triton Pub. Though Walter knows of her options on campus, she uses quarters from a small sack her mother sends to her in the mail. Her roommate also obtains her quarters from off campus. Although contracts are near expiration and improvements are still needed, Long is temporarily content with what services Eckerd is currently able to provide, but looks forward to the day he can check quarters off the laundry list. “I think our laundry system works well,” Long said. “I just think it would be much better to provide other payment methods — or free — and get away from coin use.”

photo by Rosie Kraemer Empty dryers in Omega are high in daily demand. From SERVICE, page 1

we’ve had spanish, psychology, human development, marine science, environmental studies, sociology-kind of a little bit of everything.” Though it is a unique aspect of a liberal arts education to take a variety of classes across different disciplines, the Office of ServiceLearning is working to increase the diversity of the classes that students may take to fulfill the academic component of their RSL portfolio. Foster said she hopes that there will eventually be service-learning classes available in all disciplines offered at Eckerd. Because each course is unique, there are different criteria to meet in order to be considered a Reflective Service-Learning class. As professors create syllabi that incorporate service-learning as an integral part of their course, they meet with Porter and Foster to exchange ideas and design the syllabi collaboratively. “There was an Advanced Spanish Conversation course with Professor Angulo-Cano and she had her students work at a few different agencies that deal with Spanishspeaking populations,” Foster said. “We had some students working with migrant farmworkers in BethEl, some working with the Pinellas Refugee Education Center — lots of interesting work. But in all of those experiences they had opportunities to converse in Spanish, so they’re connecting with their learning from class and utilizing it in real-world situations.” Foster said she believes students may enjoy the increased amount of freedom the new system allows; students may now fulfill their service requirements while they are freshmen or sophomores before their hectic senior year, when they may be busy studying for comps

or applying to graduate schools. “People are looking at grad schools, they’re thinking about graduating and they have so much on their minds,” Freshman Amy Delano said. “They’re gonna rush into it and they’re not gonna get the full experience. I think if you start early, you’re gonna learn more and you’re gonna have more fun doing it. You can take the time to choose what you really want to do and try different things.” Porter and Foster agree that service-learning also gives students the opportunity to have an experience that could influence them to change their major, even their life direction. Having that exposure earlier, Foster said, could help students refocus as they discover likes and dislikes or further pursue a previously undiscovered passion. “I think this is part of a larger educational shift that’s going on in academia,” Porter said. “We have Internet technologies that are being developed and debate about online learning and experiential learning. No one solution to these complex issues is going to solve the problem, but Eckerd is taking a step to see how it can go about enhancing its educational focus on service-learning, especially for a student population that seems to be so interested in service-learning.” Porter said that representatives from the Office of Service-Learning will be visiting classrooms at the beginning of the spring semester to more fully explain the new Reflective Service-Learning addendum to the curriculum and answer any questions students might have. Any questions following these visits may be directed to the Office of ServiceLearning located in Brown Hall.

Police blotter: felony arrests Police arrested Junior Luke McKinnon Jan. 17 for simple battery, resisting a merchant, grand theft and possession of an altered driver’s license.

Police arrested Junior Eli Peake Dec. 12 for two counts of carjacking with no weapon, DUI hit and crash with property damage, burglary with

assault or battery, occupied burglary attempt, resisting an officer with violence and leaving scene of accident involving property damage.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Viewpoints 5

Viewpoints INSIDE VIEWPOINTS Letter to my Freshman self page 6 MBFGC

page 7

Same-sex marriage shift

page 8

Recreational marijuana legalized for first time in US, stores open in Colo. By Shannon Vize Viewpoints Editor

Film females M unseen at Sundance, community remains homogenous By Hailey escobar Asst. Entertainment Editor Almost three years ago, I saw a commercial on the newly developed OWN network. The commercial was for the newest installment in the channel’s documentary spotlight series, a film about the misrepresentation of women in the greater media and its effect on women’s and girls’ sense of self worth. This film was called “Miss Representation” and it not only sparked my being a feminist, but it also cemented my desire to be in the film industry in a behind the scenes role. I still remember my sense of shock as the statistics faded onto screen. “Women comprise only 16 percent of all writers, directors, producers, cinematographers and editors,” one of the statistics read. “And only seven percent of directors and 10 percent of writers in film are women.” While these statistics are from 2011 when the film was produced, the atmosphere for women still isn’t welcoming in the male-dominated studio systems. It is for this reason that I was, at first, pleased with the sights I saw at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be another up-andcoming filmmaker, screenwriter or producer who was a woman. It gave me hope that there was a chance for more women to make it by going through independent film channels. However, after doing the math, not everything was as I thought it was. Out of the 200 films that are normally selected for the Sundance Film Festival, 60 had female directors, approximately 79 had at least one female producer, and 24 had a female screenwriter. That’s a little over a quarter of the films being featured at the festival with women in positions of power. Sure, it’s better that the 16 percent I saw back in 2011, but it is still disheartening to see as an aspiring female filmmaker. It continues to astonish me that an industry that is focused on attracting all walks of life doesn’t possess the matching variety within its leadership. In fact, we’ve even developed an entire genre, what See FEMINISTA, page 7

C

ost of us spent the first day of 2014 in bed. But in Colorado, history was being made. On Jan. 1, Colorado became the first state in the history of the United States to legally allow the sale of recreational marijuana. This was a significant step for marijuana advocates all over the country. Medicinal and recreational marijuana legalization have been key topics in elections for several years. Advocates in both Colorado and Washington finally got to see their hard work pay off when both states voted to legalize recreational marijuana last year. Colorado officially began selling the plant Jan. 1 and Washington is expected to follow suit later this year. “I was pretty impressed with the people of Denver during the New Year’s celebrations,” Senior and Colorado native Erin Steen said. “From what I heard, everyone was really respectful despite being excited that they could now smoke marijuana legally. It just further goes to show that legalizing marijuana isn’t really a big deal. It was a change that we were all ready for and it needed to happen.” As a supporter and advocate for the legalization of both medicinal and recreational marijuana, I was excited to see how Colorado would move forward with the process and be received by my fellow American residents. “I am a huge supporter of the new marijuana laws in Colorado,”

Senior Chris Higgins and Boulder, Colo. citizen said. “I think it’s something that the people wanted and luckily through Amendment 64 we were able to get a plant legalized.” “For starters, the industry made a couple million dollars the first day the shops opened. Tax revenue for that is around 30 percent,” Higgins said when discussing what effects, positive or negative, he had witnessed while home for break he said. To say the first day of legalization was a success is an understatement. Every store selling marijuana Jan. 1 had lines down the street hours before they opened. Shops reportedly made over $1 million the first day, according to The Huffington Post. Senior and President of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy(SSDP) Elisa Edelstein commented on the effects of legalization by saying, “Within the first five days of the year after the legalization was in practice, Colorado gained $5 million in revenue. As of the second I am saying this, America has spent $2,556,611,869 on the drug war this year alone (including federal and state). Thousands of students are denied scholarships each year due to drug charges. Legalization is not only economically sound. It will keep kids in schools and out of prisons.” The state stands to make a fortune in taxes through legalizing marijuana and the first $40 million will go to school construction. Then, the money is expected to be put into regulating marijuana shops and creating educational campaigns about marijuana. Edelstein high-

lighted the amount the United States’ government spends yearly on the war on drugs. C o l o r a d o ’s monetar y gains could be the incentive other states need to jumpstart the legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana in their own cities. “More states have already looked towards following in Colorado and Washington’s footsteps. Both medical and recreational marijuana legalization bills have been introduced in a number of state legislatures since Colorado’s bill passed. Oklahoma and New York are the ones I k n o w of for sure, but I’m positive that more will follow. It helps to have a leader, and I’m proud that

Colorado was at the forefront of this movement,” Steen said. As the country and world watch, it is important to see how Colorado handles all of the challenges that come with being the first to legalize recreational marijuana. The state has already set the standard for many to follow by implementing age requirements, amount restrictions, and where it is and is not legal to consume marijuana. However, a key component to the process is getting the federal government’s support. As of now, the federal government has said they don’t plan on intervening in either Colorado or Washington for the time being. But, marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance and anyone caught growing, smoking or possessing the plant can be arrested and prosecuted under Federal law, even Colorado residents. Due to Federal banking regulations most owners of legal shops can only accept cash. Many advocates of the

courtesy of Flickr Marijuana plants like these may soon be on the windowsill of many Colorado homes.

See LEGALIZATION, page 7

Snapchat hack affects privacy of millions Exploit in app’s coding described as “easy to fix” By Ely Grinfeld Viewpoints Editor A hacker group called “SnapchatDB” released a list of millions of accounts and numbers Dec. 31, 2013 to raise awareness of an exploit in Snapchat’s coding. Chances are, if

you were on Snapchat prior to this New Year, your information could have been leaked as well. The hackers claimed their motive was to throw the coders of Snapchat, the popular messaging app released in 2011, into the fire for not fixing a known issue. Regardless

photo by Stefan Krapczynsk Chris Mutterer, sophomore, sends snaps to his friends on Snapchat.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

of their intent, the hackers publically posted a database on their site, SnapchatDB.info, containing more than 4.6 million account names and numbers, with the last two digits blurred out. Thankfully, the hackers did not access snapped images or videos. The exploit that the hacker group worked from had been published by Gibson Security, an Australian research firm that tests popular phone applications. In an article in Ars Technica, Gibson Security released a statement that they attempted to alert Snapchat about the bug they found on Aug. 25, but they never responded. Since then, the website SnapchatDB has been taken down and Snapchat has, rather slowly, taken steps to ensure their users’ privacy once again. This is not the first time Snapchat has been criticized for easy coding mistakes. A Forbes article in May reported that there was a bug on both iOS and Android devices that allowed people to see images past their expiration. More importantly, the Snapchat leak is not the

only recent attack on popular social media sites. Last December, malicious software in advertisements led to a leak of around 2.5 million Yahoo! and Facebook passwords. But then again, if they were using Yahoo!, they probably deserved it. While hacks and information leaks happen often, they become a greater concern when millions of people are put at risk. Should the systematic dissolving of our privacy deter us from sending the odd sext to our crush once in a while? Yes, and no. Snapchat’s major flaw was that the company promised a kind of privacy that it did not have. Snapchat servers kept a monolithic database of all the accounts and the numbers associated with the device used to send snaps, which was easier to access than they imagined. But that is still not much of a reason to go into a hermitic state of existence, removed from all technology. Snapchat has been updated several times since the leak, and installed some interesting secuSee SNAPCHAT page 7


6 Viewpoints

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Letter to my freshman self: Greg Reilly By Greg Reilly Associate Editor Dear Freshman Self, I know you’re not in a great place right now. You’re wondering why you decided to go to College of Charleston, a school that has nothing for you. You’re wondering why you didn’t go to one of those Florida schools where you could play college golf and study journalism, the only two things you were put on this earth to do. But even if you did, your back hurts so much these days you can’t even hit a ball, and you’re not sure if you ever will be able to play again. So maybe you should just give up on golf, become a frat star that goes to bars five nights a week and just get a business degree. That seems like the easy thing to do, right? Wrong. You’ll learn soon enough

that you’ve got to follow your dreams, even if some of the closest people to you will tell you transferring is a mistake and ask you, “Why would you ever leave all those pretty girls at Charleston?” Because you’re better than that. You weren’t born to sit on the couch all day with your bros, watching TV and drinking beer until it was time to hit the bar on a Tuesday night. You think that girl in Spanish class is cute, but she’s not good for you. Even though you’ll leave eventually and wind up at a special place called Eckerd College, don’t be afraid to have a little fun. Don’t let anyone make you try anything else you don’t want to. I know that’s pretty standard advice, but everyone needs a reminder now and then. Just be true to yourself. By the way, there’s a much nicer girl in your

PerspECtives

“I do feel comfortable, I feel that we have been prepared through Autumn Term and through different classes what we need to say and report.” Tatiana Hoecker, sophomore

“Yeah, you call Campus Security and the police if it were something really bad.” - Kaitlyn Hayes, freshman

English class. You should go talk to her instead. But first, go buy a pair of jeans, some Sperry topsiders, and some decent looking shirts. You’re not going to pick up any chicks in those khakis and t-shirts. Grow your hair out, too. I know your mom tells you that buzz cut looks good, but it doesn’t. You don’t have to look like a total frat star, but you’ll figure it out. After you get your back fixed and start practicing again, keep going to class. Don’t stay up all night just because your friends do. You don’t want to have to appeal a rejection letter from Eckerd College, fly down to campus six weeks before Autumn Term and explain to admissions why they should admit you. Don’t worry though, they’ll come around. But that brings me to my next

point. Don’t take no for an answer, ever. The most successful people you’ll meet in your four, well five, years of college are the ones that took what they wanted, and never took no for an answer. You’re going to get to work with a lot of impressive people, so learn as much as you can from them, and stay close to them. When you finally get to Eckerd, you’ll wish you had gone to school there in the first place. The girls you meet in your Autumn Term class will become your best friends, and don’t let them forget that. You’ll get to do what makes you happy, and you’ll learn right away that having fun is what life is all about. You’ll make lifelong friends at The Current and on the golf team. But don’t work too hard. I know you, man. You’ll burn yourself out if

you’re not careful. I know you’re always thinking about the future, but it’s okay to be a normal college kid sometimes. Going to Eckerd will be the best decision you’ve made, but it won’t all be good. You’ll have some great times, but you’ll have some lows, too. The school that took you in when you were at your lowest won’t always be your best friend, and it will let you down pretty hard. But that’s life, you’ll learn that the hard way. The good will no doubt outweigh the bad, so make the best of it, and keep having fun. If you’re interested in writing a letter to your freshman self for The Current please email: currentviews@eckerd.edu

Do you feel comfortable and/or prepared to report an emergency on Eckerd’s campus?

“Yes. I have training to do what I needed if there was an emergency.” Matt Carlson, sophomore

“Yeah I definitely feel comfortable because Eckerd is such a tight-knit community I would just email or go into Campus Safety and talk to somebody, Adam Colby or someone like that, any of them are helpful.” - Meg Meckes, senior

“I think I have the number to call if there is an emergency so if something happened I could call them, but if something happened I would probably be shocked or surprised and be nervous.” - Kana Mizuno, freshman

“I wouldn’t know how to. For a medical emergency I would feel comfortable, but maybe for a violent crime I would be a little hesitant” - Erin McGrath, freshman Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

MBFGC:

Under the crescent moon By Colin Casey Asst. Sports Editor

When justifying the 2022 FIFA World Cup awarded to Qatar, in spite of the nation’s questionable human rights record, FIFA President Joseph Blatter had critical advice for any LGBT individuals. “I’d say they [LGBT attendees] should refrain from any sexual activities,” said Blatter. While Blatter was joking at the time, he touched on a part of the world that seems, in a Western sense: staunchly opposed to LGBT rights, the world of Islam. Islam is currently the world’s second largest religion with followers spread across the world. But the most common image of the religion comes from the Islamic theocracies of the Middle East where homosexuality can be a criminal offense. These are the countries that most Westerners think about when Islam is mentioned. We begin in Saudi Arabia, a staunch ally of the US and one of the largest producers of crude oil on the planet. Given the amount of influence and experience in dealing with countries which have granted rights to LGBT citizens, a casual observer would expect a more lenient attitude. Not even close. Today, Saudi Arabia is one of six countries that can charge an LGBT person with the death penalty. The government is mainly ruled by royal decree from the House of Saud, a group of wealthy Royals descended from the founder of Saudi Arabia. The state religion is a specific conservative sect of Islam called Wahhabi Islam, which preaches a return to the original teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith. Unlike the Wahhabist state Saudi Arabia, Iran has not pulled punches when dealing with LGBT rights. In 2007, then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously declared “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.” Iran is predominantly Shia Islam, another conservative sect of the religion, opposed to the Wahhabi, which are conservative Sunni. To most Westerners, a country that utilizes a religious moral code to design its laws is not ideal. Most modern developed nations at least have a clear separation between the Church and state. Unfortunately they do not understand that most early laws,

especially in the U.S., were derived from a Christian moral code. The modern Middle East is still a fairly new political concept as far as boundaries go. The last major change occurred in 1973 with the defining of the modern Israeli border. Until the mid twentieth-century, Middle Eastern governments were a who’s who of European colonies and tribal leaders. To this credit it is visible where some of these religious laws may come from. All sects of Islam still look to the same books for guidance and law, The Qur’an and the Hadith. The Qur’an is the verbal revelations from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad and the primary source of the Islamic religion. The Hadith is the personal reflections and thoughts of Muhammad the Prophet. Given this knowledge, what parts of Islam are inherently anti-LGBT rights? Just like the Judeo-Christian Holy Texts, the Qur’an is often open to the individual interpretation of the reader. The individual message of a given passage may depend on the viewpoint of the interpreter. Unlike the multilanguage translation issue of The Bible from its original Aramaic oral tradition, The Qur’an is only read in Arabic. This means that interpretation of the text’s true meaning is solely that of the reader and not a middle language interpreter. Perhaps the most noted portion of the Qur’an is the retelling of the story of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. In the story, God speaks to Lot and his family to leave a sinful city to be spared for they are good and righteous. The people left behind are Sodomites, citizens of Sodom. This is where that term becomes a disparaging remark for LGBT people. The story’s meaning has been debated across cultures. Yet, just as conservative Judeo-Christians often view this as a condemnation of homosexuality, passing through the cultural looking glass merits similar reactions. Conservative Islam draws eerily similar conclusions. Perhaps the two sides are not as far apart as commonly thought. On their own, the religions are not pro-hate of any group. Islam is no exception despite the videos seen on the evening news from the Middle East. While it may seem counterproductive to just wait for equality, history has shown us that time is often the only thing that allows governments to move beyond existing prejudices. Cultures are a fluid medium. Nothing will remain as a constant forever. Remember it was only several hundred years ago that Christians were burning nonbelievers and witches at the stake. Perhaps a similar case can be made. In time, regardless of sect, nationality or prior belief, the present public immorality opinion of the LGBT will be corrected.

Viewpoints 7

#Amusing Musings Here is where we immortalize the funniest quotes from EC students and faculty. No names, no shame. Follow us on twitter: @TheECCurrent Guest Professor “Green room...what is a green room? Why not blue? I like blue. I’ll call it a blue room.” #ColorDiscrimination

political issues

Guest Professor “I like to speak about the potatoes - about morality and philosophy.” #VegetablePhilosophy

Guest Professor “No philosopher can help you in the water if you don’t know how to swim.” #LearningtheBasics

Snapchat hacked continued From SNAPCHAT, page 5 -rity measurements. Some of these measurements included clicking on little ghosts that resemble Ghostface Chillah, Snapchat’s mascot. They’ve also given users the options to opt out of being found based on their phone numbers, and to check whether they want their last sent snap to be replayed. The account registration process is also more intimate, asking for your birthday as to better prevent spam accounts. As great as the updates are, users still ought to remember that their

information is still readily accessible online. More importantly, users should realize how dangerously cyclical those precautions are. Snapchat, among other popular social platforms, offer measurements that increase security but only make our internet use more risky. We, once again, give (even more!) information to web platforms that we know have been hacked, and can be hacked again. Thorough integration with social media may appear to make our lives easier, but people unknowing-

ly cross boundaries with what they post online, under the pretense of having control over your online persona. That is far from reality. The best way to remain in control over personal information is simply not to divulge it to sites unless absolutely necessary and learn to be more mindful of what you post. Conspiracy theories aside, the internet is no longer the anonymous haven that it once was, and if users are not careful, their number may not be the only thing the world gets to see.

Feminista, Sundance continued From FEMINISTA, page 5 we call “chick flicks,” for films that are targeted towards female audiences, yet most of those films are also made by men. How can executives or audiences expect a wide range of storytelling if a majority of those stories don’t have a voice to tell them? When director Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to ever win an Oscar for best director of “The Hurt Locker” in 2009, I finally began to see what I could be one day. I finally had a role model and I have found many other new inspirations during my time at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. I’m proud that I aspire to follow my dreams as a filmmaker, not only because I’m following what I want to do but because I know that I might be an inspiration to other girls someday just as other women have become mine.

photo by Hailey Escobar Kat Candler, director of “Hellion,” is one of the few women directors at Sundance.

Recreational marijuana gets green light in Colo. From LEGALIZATION, page 5 legalization of marijuana understand that it not only brings in an immense profit from taxes, which can benefit every state and city, it also just makes sense. “We deny people a very low risk and non-toxic medicine every single day and it is unjust,” Edelstein said. “I think this is a brave and noble thing that Colorado is doing. Because alcohol and tobacco are legal, I think it is com-

C

pletely unjust to outlaw a plant that has never killed a single person.” Marijuana was made illegal because of a variety of reasons, one of which was the lack of education surrounding the effects of smoking or consuming it. Yet, it is less dangerous than other legal substances like cigarettes or alcohol. This all goes to show that although we have taken the biggest step towards widespread legalization of both medicinal and recre-

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

ational marijuana, the government and the people still remain divided on our green friend “Mary Jane.” As Washington and other states begin legalizing, I can only hope that more people will become educated on the positive effects legalizing both recreational and medicinal marijuana can have. Many advocates of the legalization of marijuana understand that it not only brings in an immense profit from taxes, which

can benefit every state and city, it also just makes logical sense given that alcohol and tobacco are legal. “We deny people a very low risk and non-toxic medicine every single day and it is unjust. I think this is a brave and noble thing that Colorado is doing. Because alcohol and tobacco are legal, I think it is completely unjust to outlaw a plant that has never killed a single person,” Edelstein said. Marijuana was made illegal be-

cause of a variety of reasons, one of which was the lack of education surrounding the effects of smoking or consuming it. Yet, it is less dangerous than other legal substances like cigarettes or alcohol. It is even used as a medicine to treat cancer cause by tobacco. Although we have taken the biggest step towards widespread legalization of both medicinal and recreational marijuana, the government and the people still remain divided on the issue.


8 Viewpoints

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

American politicians reflect shifting views on samesex marriage: Learning to love our abhorrent “gayhbors” By Ely Grinfeld Viewpoints Editor The world that disenfranchised groups called a distant dream is materializing. In a call to invalidate Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban, Attorney General of Virginia Mark Herring (Dem.) said that the state has been on the wrong side of history. The backlash to his words was immense. Political pundits, left and right, both used Herring's call-to-action as a litmus test for the country's current level of acceptance for gay marriage. Not just shocking in themselves, his words accrued support for same-sex marriage from all over, stemming from landmark political events where federal judges ruled the same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. Lay support for same-sex marriage also seemed to be steadily increasing with a Washington Post poll from June that showed 58 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage. Headlines from editorials strewn all over search engines show editorials propose Republicans as having finally realized they are "losing the fight." While I do agree with Herring that the country truly has been on

the wrong side of history when it comes to issues like same-sex marriage, I can't help my overwhelming sense of ennui. Where were these politicians not even 10 years ago when states allowing samesex marriage were counted on one hand? Where were these politicians when a simple marriage certificate could have prevented countless deportations and broken families? The damage is already done, and disenfranchised groups ought to understand that they work from the bones of their ancestors. Still, it's worth pointing out that the sudden appearance of a bipartisan moral compass for samesex marriage seems pretty fishy. A sudden, wistful acceptance of the country's queer folk stems from political pundits' realization that LGBT-identifying individuals are, in fact, a demographic that is critically important to the country. Now more than ever, politicians realize that in order to win over big cities, they have to cater to, and explicitly show support for whatever LGBT community exists there. Even crazier, the rates of tolerance and acceptance for same-sex marriage increases while Obama's current satisfaction rates

are decreasing. People are finally disassociating political issues from their organizations, and samesex marriage is an issue that is finally greater than being a political ploy. Could it be that Americans are finally seeing same-sex marriage as (gasp) a human-rights issue rather than a foil for the GOP developed by those pesky liberals? It also could be that we are living in a world that grows more listless and dangerous by the day. Now, political discourse is centered on Obamacare, the average American's access, the economy and the ever-growing gap between classes in America, or the ever-popular marijuana legalization debate. Thankfully, the greater acceptance of same-sex marriage allows the country to focus on huge things that require nuanced political discussion and attention from the public, not whether we are disgusted at the sight of two same-sex lovers kissing at an altar. The developing wave of tolerance for same-sex marriage is great, but let's call it what it really is: empathy. No amount of political hammering will convince people of their inhumanity and ignorance, only a change in heart can do that.

courtesy of WikiCommons Portrait of Mark Herring at McAuliffe Ralley, where he preached for Virginia’s reform.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Entertainment 9

Jan. 31, 2014

Entertainment Winter term trip to Sundance film festival By Hailey Escobar Asst. Entertainment Editor In 2001, a young Kat Candler wandered around the chilly streets of Park City, Utah seeing as many films as she could. She didn’t realize it then, but 13 years later she would return to the Sundance Film Festival several times as an acclaimed filmmaker with her feature length film, “Hellion” starring “Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul along with Juliette Lewis and Josh Wiggins. This is just one of many stories in Sundance’s 30 years where aspiring filmmakers have been known to find inspiration and establish future contacts. Producers and established filmmakers fill the streets and the buses around town. I experienced the weeklong independent film festival as an aspiring filmmaker myself, facing the freezing cold and high altitudes while watching extraordinary films from all over the world. I’ve met producers, actors, directors and fellow film lovers from different walks of life. What I didn’t expect to experience during my time at the Sundance Film Festival was the extraordinary amount of new ideas that I would be exposed to through the thought-provoking works of the festival. I watched dramatic narrative films such as “Hellion” and short films such as “Dawn.” I was exposed to the multiple facets of the human condition and stories that I never would have heard. Some of the most eye opening of these experiences were laid out in the documentaries featured in this year’s festival, particularly in two of the films I was fortunate to see: “Watchers of the Sky” and “The Internet’s Own Boy.” It was

By Hayden Johnson Asst. Entertainment Editor

photo courtesy of Hailey Escobar The Egyptian Theater, where major films debut duing the festival. also these films that made me realize how important these films were for students to see, whether or not they are studying film or not. “Watchers of the Sky,” director Edet Belzburg tracks the ongoing struggle for justice beginning with Raphael Lemkin’s creation of the word “genocide.” This struggle led her to modern fighters against international crimes, religious and ethnic groups such as Samantha Powers, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Benjamin Ferencz, and Emmanuel Uwurukundo. Through these interviews, and the story of Lemkin’s struggles, one begins to see how twisted justice and peace has become twisted in politics. l

Brian Knappenberger’s, “The Internet’s Own Boy” is not unlike Belzburg’s film, focusing on the corruption of politics. The film’s focus was on Internet freedom, particularly in the case of Aaron Schwartz. About a year ago, Schwartz, a computer genius who was known for his activism and the creation of Reddit, committed suicide after being targeted by government prosecutors. These two films are only a taste of the untold stories that have been told throughout the festival’s history. Each one exposes a truth that is normally ignored by the mainstream media in fear that it won’t make money. After all, most main-

stream films these days seem to be remakes or adaptations or sequels. “Journalism is broken,” Knappenberger said. “Over the past 30 or 40 years we’ve consolidated down from 50 to 60 news outlets to about five, and they just bat around stories. That’s why independent film is important.” It’s these stories that make independent film so important for not only filmmakers, but those outside of the industry as well. Without this area of film and gatherings like the Sundance Film Festival these ideas and stories would end up tucked away in the shadows, diminishing the culture of the film industry.

Beyoncé releases music videos to accompany new album By Jennifer Lincoln Staff Writer At first listen, Beyoncé’s jaw dropping, sweat producing, visual album sounds like an ode to her bodacious behind and her position (as Jay-Z put it in the song “Drunk in Love”) as “the baddest “….” thus far.” However, after going through all 17 videos on the visual album, I’ve realized it’s so much more. Of course, she looks like the embodiment of sex in every scene of the videos, showing exactly how she earned the nickname “Queen Bey.” Not only her sexuality, but the tasteful way she portrays herself as an empowered, independent, successful woman. In her duet with Jay-Z, “Drunk in Love,” she follows her own advice from her past song Countdown, and proceeds to “Grind up on it girl, show him how you ride it.” In the accompanying music video, you can see by the way they look at each other with that excitement of first love just how much fire is still in their relationship years later. That fire has multiple facets, from passionately nasty sex in the back of a limo “Partition,” my personal favorite track off the album, to the jealous love games many couples play in the track “Jealous.” The visual side of the album is an absolutely incredible piece of

C

“Escape From Tomorrow” filmed at Disney

radiating her powerful mesartistry, achieved by the sage of feminism towards efforts of many top direcmillions of young women tors. The evocative editing who need it most. techniques and powerful “Pretty Hurts” ascetics which makes spoke to me espethe videos surpass an cially as a young average music video. woman growing up I firmly believe that in American sociBeyoncé is the only ety today. She adartist who could ever dresses our culture’s produce such a ridiculous focus on tasteful, beautifulthe outward beauty ly done song about of girls being codepenoral sex in the dent on their weight. track “Blow.” The The video follows her in shapes she forms a beauty pageant setting with her body struggling with eating and the clothing disorder-like behaviors. draped over it in Then later shows her prepevery video was ping for plastic surgery. consistently mindIn” Flawless,” she takes blowing. Jay-Z has in a sample from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted every way earned the Talk which includes quotes right to belt out “This such as, “We teach girls is my s***, bow down to shrink themselves to b******,” and assures make themselves smaller, everyone in her photo courtesy of Instagram we teach girls that they song “Flawless,” cannot be sexual bethat just because she took some ings in the way that boys are,” time to have a baby and be with and “Feminist: the person whobeher family, she’s still on top of her lieves in the social, political, and game and will always be the best. economic equality of the sexes.” Although this album would still Beyoncé takes complete control be amazing even if all the songs were of her sexuality and her assurance just about how amazing her derri- in herself, and displays it in this alere is, Beyoncé manages to tackle bum in a way that is meant to indifficult issues for women in songs- spire young girls for years and years like “Pretty Hurts,” and “Flawless,” to come. As if a powerful feminist

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

album perpetuating positive girlpower attitude and self confidence wasn’t enough, she also made it exceptionally personal, including deep ballads about thethrows of her relationship with Jay Z in the songs, “Mine,” and “Jealous.” Other songs are about finding closure after someone you love has passed away like in the song “Heaven.” She even dedicated a song to her daughter Blue Ivy that included guest vocals from the baby herself “Blue.” The whole release of the album was a spectacular feat within itself though. Considering that she is one of the most famous recording artists today, and the sheer number of people involved that kept the album under wraps too speaks volumes for the release process. “I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” Beyonce said in a statement on the day of the record’s release. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans,” Beyonce said in a n interview with ABC news. There’s so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans.” The album did feel like a personal letter from her to her fans—one filled with hope, love, sorrow, happiness.

Watching previews of movies that have already been made, or just another sequel, or a sequel of a remake in 3D, makes me feel that the movie industry views me as a mindless subhuman cretin. Although I wouldn’t argue with the cretin part, I don’t like the fact that it usually costs more than $10 to do so. However, the movie “Escape from Tomorrow,” is a movie that in my opinion treated me as sentient being capable of abstract thought and object permanence. The movie came out almost a year ago, and you may have, or may not have heard of it. What really drew me into this film was that it was exceptional. So strange that there is no possible way that this movie could ever be made again. The reason is because “Escape from Tomorrow” was shot entirely in the Walt Disneyworld and Disneyland parks, without the permission of the company. Surprisingly though, Mickey has not yet decided to sue the pants off of the creators of the movie. The movie is about a family vacation to Walt Disney World that quickly turns into a surrealist psychological thriller that is beyond comprehension. It begins with Jim--the father--finding out on the last day of his family’s trip to Walt Disney World that he is fired. He tries to keep the information from his family but has a grueling mental breakdown. While on the famous Disney monorail, he becomes infatuated to the point of obsession with two underage French girls. As he tries to follow them around the parks he begins to lose his mind with vivid hallucinations and run-ins with bizarre characters. The only way to get a true sense of it is to see it yourself. I think that if there is anything that I could comprehend from this movie, it’s the underlying dichotomy of the ideal and the real. The ideal is what Walt Disney World is supposed to be, or what Disney represents. It’s a world built up on happy endings, atomic family values, fantasy and turkey leg vendors. The real in the sense is more so the grittier parts of life such as insanity, adultery and diseases like “cat flu” which was featured in the movie.The use of guerilla filmmaking also works very well with the dichotomy of the ideal and real. In one scene the mother, Emily, slaps her daughter, Sara, in front of a Disney staff worker. The stunned reaction of the staff worker toward the mother trying to subdue her daughter is what really epitomizes the genre of guerilla filmmaking, organic moments of life. “Escape from Tomorrow” can be called a Disney movie gone depraved. It stretches the imagination of the film medium. I would say that this is one of the most original films I have seen.


10 Entertainment

Jan. 31, 2014

Style under the sun: Fashion

tips for the Florida winter season

By Shannon Vize Viewpoints Editor

Although I’m from the north, four years in Florida have acclimated my body and wardrobe to Almost every day during Win- thrive in 70-and-80 degree weather. ter Term, I faced the morning But that doesn’t mean I don’t have dilemma: what to wear. Not be- options to look stylish and stay cause I have a lack of clothes, warm. There are a few suggestions but because this winter, tempera- to help get you through the last few tures dropped to record lows. days or weeks of the Florida winter. The first rule I lived by when it My crop tops and jean shorts were no longer a viable option. came to surviving winters in Maine and Wisconsin was to layer, which works just as well here in Florida. You can still wear your warm weather favorites without freezing by layering with your cold weather clothes over them, especially at night when the temperature drops. Consider throwing on an oversized flannel or cardigan over a crop top, tank or maxi dress. Embrace patterned leggings and long tunics or sweaters. Layering clothes and accessories makes an outfit interesting and stand out. Some girls even manage to pull off wearing tights under shorts, so don’t courtesy of forever21’s sinstagram be afraid to experiment.

A jacket from Forever 21’s winter catalog.

My next go-to winter clothing item is boots. I prefer to go barefoot around campus, but when it’s not warm enough to do so boots are my first choice and high or low top converse are a close second. Riding boots are always a popular choice and can complement dark jeans perfectly, but I prefer boots that stand out and really make an outfit. Combat boots are a classic and go with everything, photo courtest y of drmartensofficial’s instagram so even after it warms up Boots that are fashionable in cold weather. you can still rock them with shorts, skirts or dresses. Dr. keep you warm without looking Martens is the best brand of com- bulky and they spice up any outfit. bat boots out there and they have a Invest in pastel or patterned scarves variety of interesting boots ranging made in a lighter material, so they from burgundy, to green to patent can be worn with a majority of your multicolor. Charlotte Russe, Urban wardrobe in cold or warm weather. Outfitters and Forever 21 also have a When looking for tights, try expergood selection of boots as well if Dr. imenting with different patterns, Martens don’t fit into your budget. textures and opaqueness and pair Finally, my last style advice for them with skirts, dresses and shorts looking fashionable while still stay- you normally wouldn’t think to. ing warm, is accessorizing. AccesHopefully temperatures pick sories can add to your outfit drasti- up soon, but until then folcally. Scarves and tights are perfect low these easy tips to stay as winter accessories because they stylish and warm as possible.

New album brings Eminem from retirement to hip-hop By Greg Reilly Associate Editor Eminem’s latest and rumoredto-be-final album of his legendary rap career, “The Marshall Mathers LP2,” brings a blend of his entire repertoire. Famous rock producer Rick Rubin produced this album, and his influence has been noted by many critics. After he toned his defiance and anger in his previous album, “Recovery,” Eminem brings back his “me against the world” attitude that was conveyed in his earlier work. In the first verse of one the album’s early top-sellers, “Berzerk,” he raps about how he beat drug addiction, defying his critics and

returning to his old style. “Let’s bring it back to vintage Slim,” he says, referring to his old nickname. One sign that this could be his last album is the reflection he does in one of the singles, “Survival.” “Wasn’t ready to be no millionaire, I was ill-prepared/I was prepared to be ill though, the skill was there,” he says, acknowledging his immaturity early in his career, but also self-praising his talent level. Despite the varying tone of his lyrics, Eminem continues to follow the pattern of teaming up with other high-profile artists. Rihanna, who was also featured on “Recovery,” joins Eminem again in the single “The Monster,” another retrospective song about the fame he experienced so

quickly and how it’s affected him. He also introduces Kendrick Lamar in “Love Game.” This song focuses on the heartbreak he’s endured in his life. There is no holding back on the graphic sexual references as he lets out his anger. Another staple of Eminem’s albums is mixing songs frm other enres songs into his work, as he does in “Ryhme or Reason,” which features The Zombies’ hit, “Time of the Season.” In this song, Eminem raps about his lingering hate about never knowing his father, a frequently heard issue in his music. In “A**hole,” he features Skylar Grey, rapping about his reputation, and how he can’t change it. The song starts off, “Came to the world at a time when it was in need of a

villain/An a**hole, that role; think I succeed in fulfilling/But don’t think I ever stopped to think I was speaking to children/Everything was happening so fast/It was like I blinked—sold three million/Then it all went blank, all I remember.” Whether you are a fan of Eminem or not, this album is fantastic exploration in creativity and deep lyrics. While some call his lyrics too violent and angry, he tempers them with incredible reflection within his themes. His album displays a good degree of balance of his traditional anger and selfdoubt with a retrospective look and self-praise. If this is the final album for the greatest rapper of all time in my opinion, Eminem is certainly going out with a bang.

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” strikes the same gold By Ian Lindsay Entertainment Editor After nine years of staying classy, imagining a sequel, then holding our breaths after the laughter, it finally happened. Saturday Night Live writer Adam Mckay and comedian Will Ferrell teamed up again to drop the absurd comedic bomb that is “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Premiering in December the season that Hollywood plateaus during the holidays, reviews from fans and critics alike were mixed. According to RottenTomatoes the film grossed $122 million at the box office and scored a 75 percent rating on rottentomatoes.com, a whole nine points higher than the orginial. The movie had a marathon campaign to hype the sequel that is comparable to the cult like following of the original. Everywhere you looked you saw Rob Burgandy’s red blazer. From social media to NFL games, the commercials were inescapable. “Anchorman 2” follows the same

journalism. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie. Many fans were disappointed, because the sequel follows the same formula of slapstick and raunchy comedy as the first. Only this time with a revamping. It is more fast paced, more ridiculous and more offensive. In other words, it is an Anchorman catered to the smartpromotional photo phone wielding cyber addicted society of today. The channel 4 news team poses for movie poster. I loved it. The jokes, formula as the first movie with all separate ways. Each reporter from like the first, were hit or miss, of the major cast and newsteam the Channel 4 News Team found but for me it was a reliable fun returning, including Steve Carell their own career in different odd time, a light hearted comedy (Brick Tamland Weather), David jobs and the gang reunites after that you can’t take too seriously. Koechener (Champ Kind Sports), Burgandy is offered a job at a netMy favorite scene was the upPaul Rudd (Brian Fantana Man on work in New York City that wants graded fight sequence between the streets) and Christina Applegate to offer the first 24-hour news news channels. The rumble has (Veronica Corningstone). There are channel. The world of the legend is such a myriad of famous faces, how also a few surprising cameos rang- now set in the 1980s. Through varicould one not be impressed? I recing from Harrison Ford to Drake. ous quirky stunts and questionable ommend this to any college student The film picks up a few years broadcasting the news team rises with a low attention span and a after the news team headed their once against up the hierarchy or cheap but well welcomed laugh.

the current

By Gary Furrow jr. Quickie Editor After graduating high school, one will hear the same tips and stereotypes about college life as if they were a broken record on repeat. The record usually sounds like this: professors do not care about one’s drama, expect no sleep and college students live off of ramen noodles. Some of these stereotypes are just fairy tales for most students. For me, the biggest tall tale is the one about the college diet. I can not stand ramen noodles. Not only are they high in fat, but they are just oily and taste like wet play-doh. However, I can see where ramen is appealing for a college student because it is cheap, quick and easy to make. I wracked my brain to see if there was a way to make this pasta wannabe to become a dish that I would want to eat. I looked to my mother’s recipes, the reason why I am a food snob for inspiration and came up with ideas perfect for a student’s budget. My version of my mother’s chicken parmesan and summer vegetable pasta are all under $10, made in a microwave from ramen noodles. These recipes will make any mouth water. Ingredients: Chicken Parmesan: Packet of ramen Noodles (does not matter what flavor you will not use the flavor packets) 2 cups of water 1 frozen chicken patty (sandwich type) 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce Parmesan Cheese (either shredded or powdered) Salt and pepper to taste: Summer Vegetable Pasta: Packet of ramen Noodles (does not matter what flavor you will not use the flavor packets) 2 cups of water Microwaveable, steamable vegetable medley pouch of your choice Powdered Parmesan Cheese Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Equipment: photo by Gary Furrow

Ramen noodle delicacy.

Spoon Bowls Measuring cups Microwave paper towels Directions: Chicken Parmesan: Prepare the ramen by boiling the 2 cups of water in a bowl for 2 minutes in the microwave. Add the noodles to the bowl and stir till soft. Drain the water. Place the chicken patty between two paper towels and microwave for suggested cooking time. Then place the patty on top of the Ramen. Add two tablespoons of sauce on top of patty. Place cheese as well to top and microwave till cheese is melted. Summer Vegetable Pasta: Prepare and drain the ramen. Steam the vegetables in the microwave for suggested cooking time. Mix in vegetables, olive oil and cheese to taste while hot and enjoy.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

The quickie

The Quickie 11

There’s always enough time for a quickie

Save the date Across 1 Coral and rock formations underwater 6 Without hair 10 Dancing queen 14 Shopping _________ 15 The buckeye state 16 One that sees 17 Vice-_______ 18 a slow, gelatinous leak 19 _______ shucker 20 Critters that cause problems 21 Bump on the outside of the eye 22 To criticize someone for their mistake 23 The most common illness 24 A flower or a part of the eye 26 Ice ________ 30 To mail 31 Country bordered by China and India 32 Identical ______ 36 Being forcibly sent away with no return 37 Garden tool 38 Country home to Bollywood 40 Assumed arrival time 41 Received after winning 43 Brazilian aardvark 44 “That’s what she _______.” 45 Beat someone up 46 Starting a video game over 49 Synonym for half 50 Floats, music, dancing, all moving down the street 51 Not bottom 56 Spoken exam 57 Not fake 59 Party game - don’t say the word 60 Bird home 61 Tim and ______ Awesome Show, Great Job! 62 A role someone fills 63 ______’s Anatomy 64 _____ Earnheardt Jr. crossword by Sydney Cavero and Jennifer Lincoln 65 Animal skins

For answers, visit theonlinecurrent.com

Down 1. Repondez s’il vous plait 2. Dueling sword 3. Mistakes 4. A fine arts _________ 5. Lil Jon says 6. These ______ are made for walking 7. Pirate saying 8. Short for ‘Elizabeth’ 9. A female deer 10. Small neck scarf 11. ‘Beauty’s’ name 12. Collect these at Mardi Gras 13. Another word for guns 21. Short for sister 22. Covers your entire body 23. Cover your pens with these 25. Recently set free 26. Past tense of shy 27. Joint below the thigh 28. “Coming up _____ on Nickelodeon” 29. Largest country in Samoa 30. Long, sharp, metal weapon 32. From Thailand 33. ______ and Eve 34. How you show your sources 35. Wind-catching part of a boat 39. To suggest someone for a position 42. “I just ______ the flowers” 45. Cheerleaders have a lot of this 46. Happens fleetingly 47. Remove something from paper 48. _______ and sweet 49. ________ and Gabanna 50. Common college drinking game 51. Extension of the spinal cord 53. Son of Adam and Eve 54. Water-faring vessel 55. Loss, dry soil 58. Time period

Eckerd College Education Alliance By Stefan Kapczynski Contributing Writer

While Eckerd College is regarded as a place where students enjoy their own educational journey, there is a group on campus that is invested in educations that are not their own. The Eckerd College Education Alliance is a relatively new club on campus, formed this past August as part of the Entrepreneurship Club. According to Co-founder, Junior Ross Busch, the club’s goal is to “take inspired, driven, hopeful and caring Eckerd College students and coordinate their volunteer commitments in local schools”. Through ECEA, students can spend their volunteer hours working at Gulfport Elementary School, Sanderin Elementary School, Baypoint Middle School and Lakewood High School. The work they do is not administrative. Volunteers spend their time in the classroom, helping teachers and working directly with the students. “Many Pinellas County schools are in great need of various dif-

promotional photo Gulfport Elementary school is where many senior members of the Eckerd College Education Alliance volunteered to meet their service requirements for their fall QFM hours.

ferent types of aid,” Busch said. “[A]s an organization, we meet with the principals of local schools to see how our students could help improve the educational environment of their building. Once the principals have identified target areas of need, we work to address those needs with our peers.” The ECEA presents a unique opportunity for Eckerd students to gain experience working in the education field. The club boasts 33 students as recurring volunteers. “A typical volunteer day may include entering a classroom with

a partner teacher and having that teacher assign one of our volunteers a group of students to specifically work with,” Busch said. For example, Busch works with a third grade teacher at Gulfport Elementary. “When I come in to volunteer she typically assigns me six to eight of her students to work with regarding reading comprehension skills,” said Busch. This not only gives valuable experience to the students volunteering, but it frees up teachers, allowing them to provide more spe-

cialized attention to students in need. If a student is able to supervise a class in an activity, for example, the teacher can spend more time with students who need extra help with their reading. “I felt I was able to help kids in what seemed like an unsupportive atmosphere,” Senior Connor Ohlsen said. “[I]t was really great to see how these kids reacted to someone showing interest.” Senior Miranda Watrous, cofounder and organizing board member who aspires to become a teacher on day, believes in the

importance of an education. “[A] good education gives you an essential foundation for everything else in your life,” Watrous said “as educated students, I think it is our largest responsibility to help others in their own educational journey.” St. Petersburg has some of the highest dropout rates in the state, but ECEA is dedicated to challenging that statistic and providing a better future for these kids. For more information on volunteerig with ECEA or for any quetions about their efforts, , email the club founders at ecea@eckerd.edu.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

The Quickie 12

EC student matched for stem cells, donates in Washington D.C. By Leah Bilski Quickie Editor When Senior Alison Roskoph was out with Eckerd’s Hillel recruiting donors for the Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive last year, she had no idea she would be the one chosen as a match for life-saving stem cell donation. Roskoph, an environmental studies major, received a call from the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation in October saying that she was a potential match for stem cell donation. “I called my mom right away,”

Roskoph said. “I told her ‘I’m doing this, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.’” The next day she was having blood taken and sent away to a lab for further analysis. Roskoph carried on as normal for the next six weeks, working her way through her second to last semester at Eckerd and staying active in the campus’ Hillel group, all the while waiting to hear the results. “It wasn’t until finals week that they got back to me and told me that I was the one, I was a match,” Roskoph said. She found out

photo courtesy of Alison Roskoph Roskoph at a Washington, D.C., hospital at the beginning of her procedure.

that her stem cells were needed by a man in Maryland suffering from chronic myelogenous leukemia and that she would need to fly out to Washington, D.C., in January to make her donation. Her decision to go through with the procedure never changed, she was doing it, and the next few weeks were all about preparation. “I was home in Ohio fighting back the flu and common colds, because I couldn’t get sick,” Roskoph said. She needed to be in perfect health to make the donation and Roskoph wasn’t going to let having a cold throw her off course. Roskoph came back to Eckerd for Winter Term, but flew out to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10 to start the pre-donation process. She was given injections every morning to enhance her stem cell count, which often left her exhausted. Still, it never stopped her from going on a full tour of downtown D.C., The following Monday marked the day of the donation, and Roskoph was prepared as she could ever be. The process of donating stem cells is invasive and takes upwards of four hours to complete, so her day started at 7 a.m. and ended close to noon. To remove the stem cells, blood needs to be filtered outside of the body several times and then circulated back into the donor. “I’m not a huge fan of needles,

but I knew what I was doing was so much less painful than what my recipient was going through, so I stayed with it.” Roskoph said. She stayed busy during the procedure by watching movies, her first choice being “Dolphin Tale,” which was filmed at Clearwater Marine Aquarium where she interned last summer. After the donation, Roskoph was told to take it easy and was soon on her way back to Eckerd. The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation asks that the stem cell donor and recipient do not meet until a year after the photo courtesy of Alison Roskoph donation has been made due to the foun- Roskoph sitting in Ford Theater before her donation. the most touching part of her exdation’s rules, but Roskoph doesn’t mind that she won’t perience was how she could affect meet the man she helped right away. so many people with her one ges“What I did will stay with ture, but she stays modest through me for my entire life and wait- all the attention she’s receiving. “I can’t believe how many people ing a year won’t make me any less happy with my choice.” she said. have heard my story. It’s crazy to Roskoph wouldn’t hesitate to know that so many people are so indonate again. She explained that terested in what I did,” Roskoph said.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Health & Fitness 13

Jan. 31, 2014

Health & fitness Foods to put some spring into your step By Sabrina Lolo Health & Fitness Editor

which reduces wrinkles and dryness. Strawberries aren’t just good for eating either; they are also an excellent natural exfoliYou know what they say, you are ant and often used in facials. what you eat. 6. Eggs: Egg yolks are Eating the right foods does full of choline, a key nutriwonders for the body. Healthy eatent needed by the brain to ing habits leads to improvements in produce acetylcholine, which is mood and focus. Clean eating along essential for storing memories. with exercising leads to a better phyThere are a variety of ways to sique, which raises one’s confidence and self-esteem. Eating healthy make eggs such as scrambled, also leads to better stamina, skin, poached and sunny-side up. memory, weight loss and it boosts 7. Blueberries: Eatone’s chances of living a longer life. ing these on a regular basis However, eating healthy food has been proven to enhance doesn’t have to be a burden. There memory as well. Blueberries are healthy foods out there that are contain anthocyanins, an antigood on the taste buds as well as the oxidant that has been shown body. Here are a list of 10 foods to to increase signals among brain incorporate into your diet which, acphoto by Alex Zielinski cells and improve resilience, cording to CNN Health, your body Eggs are an excellent source of nutrients for the brain. which in turn enhances learnwill thank you for later. ing and memory. 3. Asparagus: Asparagus is loaded with 1. Artichokes: These vegetables 8. Spring garlic: Spring garlic is excelfolate, a B vitamin that is important for are filled with magnesium, a mineral that is lent when it comes to weight loss. Accordneurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and essential for more than 300 biochemical reing to CNN Health, this treat is filled actions in the body, including generating en- norepinephrine, which is vital to mood. with the compound allicin, which prevents Asparagus can be included in a stir-fry, ergy. According to CNN Health, if the body overeating by stimulating satiety in the omelets and even grilled on a barbecue as a is running low on magnesium, the muscles brain. This kind of garlic has a milder and nutritious side to meat. have to work a lot harder to react, theresweeter taste compared to most garlic and 4. Salmon: This fish is a great food for fore making you more tired. Unfortunately, can be enjoyed on a salad or as a healthy preventing wrinkles. They contain a fatty artichokes have a reputation for not being side to a meal. acid called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an the healthiest since they’re usually served 9. Legumes: Beans are one of the best omega-3 that is a natural shield against the with butter or other unhealthy seasonings. foods to eat if one is trying to lose weight. release of UV-induced enzymes that deOne can include artichoke into their diet in According to CNN Health, the body has stroy collagen, which causes skin to wrinkle a healthy manner by steaming it, grilling it to expend energy in order to break down and sag. Grilled salmon steaks and canned or pairing it with healthier seasonings such the bean into fiber. Beans can also satisfy salmon make an excellent alternative to as light salad dressings. hunger without eating too much of it. burgers and hot dogs. 2. Spinach: There was a reason Popeye 10.Walnuts: These nuts contain lots 5. Strawberries: Along with salmon, loved spinach so much. These leaves are a these tasty fruits can also give one a smooth of the amino acid tryptophan, which the good source of iron and vital to red blood body needs to create serotonin. Serotonin complexion. Strawberries contain a high cells, which fuel the muscles with oxygen is a chemical that not only enhances one’s amount of antioxidants to help skin recover for energy. Spinach is especially great if from damage done by pollution and UV mood and mood stability, but also helps one you’re a vegetarian. It can be used as an rays. They are also filled with Vitamin C, better deal with stress. ingredient in dips and salads.

Top three tips on how to manage a healthy college diet By Mary Jean Harford Contributing Writer Making one good serving for one meal is reasonable when you are on vacation and have a significant amount of time. But when you’re in college and only have 15 minutes to make a meal, cooking a full course dinner just doesn’t make sense. The way I’ve learned to manage the juggling act of time and responsibilities is through planning, preparation and practice. If you’re already keeping up with a healthy diet, good for you. You’ve probably heard all of these tips before so let them serve as a small reminder. If you’re looking to start down a healthier path, think about trying these ideas. 1.) Plan ahead: Maintaining a nutrientdense diet takes work, and planning ahead is the largest component. This requires a few of steps: research, cataloging and listing. The research aspect is the most fun, but probably the most time consuming. Dive into the Internet. There are too many blogs out there to count, so find one or two you love to begin with and check in frequently. A few that I read each week are Food52, 101 Cookbooks, Love and Lemons and The Year in Food. Next, start cataloging the recipes that stand out, using a tool like the Feedly, a blog subscription reader, to organize them in one

C

place. Finally, make a list. Write out what you want to make on what days and exactly what you need. This will ensure a smooth grocery shop that stays in your budget and an easy week full of healthy food. 2.) Prep ahead: At the beginning of the week after I go grocery shopping, I like to prepare my groceries into planned meals. For example, for my salad of the week I will wash, chop, store the produce, cook the protein and make the dressing. For a main course like pasta primavera, I sauté the vegetables in coconut oil with a little garlic and salt, cook the pasta and pack up individual servings. This way I have everything on hand and ready to go. 3.) Practice: Hone your skills. I am nowhere near as quick with a chef ’s knife as I would like to be or as creative with legumes as I could be, but with steady practice I will get there. This applies to every area of cooking. So pick a food group, a special ingredient, or skill that you would like to be more comfortable with and focus on that for a week (or month, pick your own pace). You probably won’t end up a master of baked salmon in seven days but you will be confident enough to make it on your own and not get food poisoning. Youtube will become your best friend at this stage; do you not know how to chop a fennel bulb? Look it up. With each investigation, you will gain a new skill to add to your repertoire.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

From the iPod of Mary Jean Harford

Sex on the Beach

By Alana Brillo Contributing Writer

Sexual battery has been a consistent issue on college campuses. Last year, the rape case between Florida State’s starting quarterback Jameis Winston and the unnamed sorority girl was highly publicized. The unnamed sorority girl, who eventually dropped out of FSU, claimed that Winston raped her at a party last year. At Eckerd, a sexual battery occured in Beta complex. While this incident seems like an unusual one at a place like Eckerd, it may happen more often than most people realize. According to a study done by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, statistics show that between 20 to 25 percent of college women and four percent of men report having been sexually assaulted in college. But fewer than five percent of these cases actually get reported. Unfortunately, the lines between consent and force are often blurred since most of these cases involve acquaintances. Both men and women need to realize what consent means and when things start to get out of hand. No means no, no matter what. The Eck-

erd College Handbook states that each individual involved in sexual activity must clearly and effectively consent to participation. Silence doesn’t mean consent, and someone who is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol isn’t capable of giving consent. Also, freezing up or not participating during sex signals lack of consent. It’s also important to not let drugs or alcohol get the best of you. Always watch who makes your drink, and don’t leave it unattended if you plan on finishing it. However, if something does happen, you need to report it. There are many resources available for victims here at Eckerd. According to the Handbook, when a case of sexual misconduct is reported, the school will help the victim arrange a medical evaluation or treatment and encourage the victim to report the incident to the St. Petersburg Police Department since it is considered a felony under Florida law. Eckerd also will offer the victim immediate and ongoing support, guidance and counseling. Students can receive guidance and counseling from a variety of on-campus sources such as Outreach Services in Brown Hall, Health Services and Campus Ministries.

Like us on Facebook for the latest breaking news and updates. Go to www.facebook.com/TheOnlineCurrent and follow us on Twitter at @TheECCurrent.


14 Health & Fitness

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Tropical Smoothie creates post-workout meal

Protein-packed smoothies help fuel muscles after exercise By Sabrina Lolo Health & Fitness Editor For a long time, I had some difficulties with my protein intake. I’m not someone who naturally gains muscle, and I drop weight very easily, even when I don’t necessarily want to. Buying tubs of protein powder got a bit pricey and because I was always so busy, I needed something quick and inexpensive. So recently I started looking to Tropical Smoothie, and I’ve found that they have some excellent protein smoothies. “Island Green and Peanut Paradise are definitely our most popular smoothies,” 4th Street Tropical Smoothie employee James Barber said. “My favorite is the Kiwi Puncher.” Tropical Smoothie has several protein shakes listed under “Supercharged Smoothies” on their menu with a variety of diverse flavors. The Peanut Paradise, Health Nut, Lean Machine, the Muscle Blaster and the Triple Berry Oat with Splenda are the best choices for a post-workout meal as they are packed with full servings of real fruits and vegetables along with protein supplements and vitamin C.

But remember, these smoothies are for

those who are trying to gain muscle weight

by loading up on protein. If you’re trying to lose weight, I would suggest the Strawberry Beach, the Blue Lagoon or the Hawaiian Breeze with Splenda. These are listed under the Low Fat Smoothies section and are under 200 calories while most of the others are 500 calories or above. Tropical Smoothie creates their wellknown smoothies by going out of their way to make sure they stick to their all natural philosophy. They don’t use any frozen yogurt, ice cream or sherbet as that’s what most smoothies are made of. Most of their smoothies start off with fruit that is sweetened with Turbinado sugar, a partially refined light brown

cane sugar. It is a much healthier alternative to white, refined sugar and has less calories. Tropical Smoothie also uses ice with a little water to make their smoothies thick. Since ice can dilute flavors, they juice concentrate instead of regular juice to make up for the ice. Smoothies are made to order and the ingredients are so simple and fresh that I could still taste the fruit off the tree. Their cool, creamy and refreshing taste often makes one forget that they’re actually beneficial to the body and fuel the muscles. This is what makes these smoothies so wonderful; they are not only great for you, but taste great as well. The nearest Tropical Smoothie is about a 10 minute drive from Eckerd and is located on 4th Street North. They’re open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturdays they open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

By Mary Jean Harford Contributing Writer This issue, I brought two seasonal vegetables to the table: kale and fennel. Fennel is an inflammatory reducing apiaceae vegetable because of its high phytonutrients levels. It supports the immune system with its high vitamin C content. It’s also high in fiber. Kale promotes eye health with its antioxidants and vitamin A. It also has higher levels of calcium per calorie than milk and more iron per calorie than beef. This salad is filling and sturdy and will most definitely hold you until dinner and last through the week for leftovers. I suggest prepping all the ingredients separately and storing them to make this salad throughout the week. photo by Sabrina Lolo Muscle Blaster protein smoothie.

Ingredients for Supercharged Protein Smoothies: 1. Peanut Paradise: Made with 2 ounces of peanut butter, 1 banana, 6 ounces of nonfat yogurt and 2 ounces of Whey or Soy protein. 2. Health Nut: Made with 4 ounces of blueberries, 4 ounces of mangos, 1/2 of a banana, 1 tablespoon of almonds and 2 ounces of Whey or Soy protein. 3. The Lean Machine: Made with 4 ounces of strawberries, 1 banana, and 2 ounc-

Ingredients:

es of Weight Management and Energizer. 4. The Muscle Blaster: Made with 4 ounces of strawberries, 1 banana and 2 ounces of Whey or Soy protein. 5. Triple Berry Oat with Splenda: Made with 1/3 cup of strawberries, 1/3 cup of blueberries, 1/3 cup of cranberries, multi-vitamin, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed, 1/4 cup of whole grain oats and 2 2 ounces of Whey protein and 2 cups of Splenda.

Increase strength and size with this power workout By Sabrina Lolo Health & Fitness Editor It’s 2014. A new year, a clean slate, a chance to start over and make a fresh start. For many people, going to the gym and getting in shape is their new year’s resolution. But more times than not, people won’t follow through with their resolution past the first couple weeks. It either gets too difficult, is too time consuming or just doesn’t seem worth it anymore. However, if you take your goal seriously and truly want to get in shape, this workout is for you. This workout is meant to increase size and strength by incorporating compounded exercises and power exercises. Compounded exercises are exercises that involve two arms, such as the dumbbell lunges and lateral raises, and are meant to shape the body. The rest of the exercises are considered power exercises because they involve the whole body and are designed to increase bulk. First, warm up by jogging on the treadmill for seven minutes. Then stretch out, making sure to stretch the thighs, hamstrings and shoulders well. Start the first set with 12 reps, 10 the second, then eight reps the third, adding five pounds to each set. The last set should be a weight you have to work to get eight reps in while maintaining good form. 1. Dumbbell Squats: Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell on each hand with the palms facing the side of the legs. Keep the toes slightly pointed out and head up at all times. Slowly lower the torso by bending the knees while maintaining a straight back. Continue until thighs are parallel to the floor. Then, raise the torso by pushing down on the floor with your heels and straighten-

Meals with Midge:

Kale & Fennel Salad Recipe with Creamy Green Dressing

ing the legs. 2. Dumbbell Static Lunges: Start by standing upright, holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides. Step about two feet forward from the foot that’s being left still behind and lower the upper body down while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Make sure to keep the front shin perpendicular to the ground. Then push back up with the heel of the foot and repeat. 3. Barbell Clean: Start by placing the feet shoulder-width apart and flat on the ground. Grab a barbell with the hands slightly more than shoulder width apart, keeping the arms fully extended, and squat down next to the bar. Position the shoulders over the bar, making sure to keep a flat back. First pull by extending the knees and lift the bar straight up, simultaneously keeping the elbows fully extended with the bar close to the body. Scoop the bar by thrusting the hips forward, pulling the bar towards the shoulders until the knees are under the bar. Catch the bar in a squatting position with the bar at the collar bone. Stand up and release the bar back onto the floor and repeat. 4. Supine Row on Bench: Set up with a bar and a bench. This exercise has you hanging from underneath a bar raised off the ground and the feet propped up on a platform that’s as high as the bar. The body should be parallel to the floor and supported by the hands one end and feet on the other. Then pull the chest up towards the bar. Hold the position for a second, then lower yourself down to a hang and repeat. 5. Reverse Grip Pulldowns: First, elect the weight you want to use and adjust the thigh pad. While standing, grasp the bar with the palms facing up at wider than shoulder width apart. Holding the bar, sit

down on the machine. Keeping the back straight and eyes forward without leaning back, slowly pull the bar down to the upper chest without letting it touch the chest. Pause for a second, then slowly raise the bar back up without letting the weight touch the stack and repeat. 6. Dumbbell Lateral Raises: Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows slightly bent. Bend the hips and knees a little bit as well. Raise the upper arms to the sides until the elbows are shoulder height. Maintain the elbows’ height above or equal to the wrists. Slowly lower the arms and repeat. 7. Push-ups: Start by getting down on the ground and set the hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The body should be in a straight line from the top of the head to the heels and the butt should not be sticking up in the air. The head should be slightly ahead, not facing straight down. Arms should be straight and supporting your weight. Then bend the elbows until they’re at a 90-degree angle. Pause for a second then explode back up. Do the maximum amount of reps for each set. 8. Planks: Start off in a push up position. Then lower forearms to the ground so that both elbows and hands are flat on the ground. Straighten the body but keep the neck and spine neutral, working the abs by pulling your stomach towards your spine. Then flex the abs and glutes and hold the position for one minute while keeping the body in a straight line. Since this is the

last exercise, do this three times in a row after the previous seven have been completed.

Creamy Green Dressing 2 stalks of scallions 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons ripe avocado 1 teaspoon honey Dash of fresh pepper Salad 1/2 bunch (or bag) of kale 1 cup cooked brown rice 4 carrots thinly sliced 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced 1 avocado cut into small cubes Handful of almond slices Directions: b 1. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. It will last about four to five days in the fridge. 2. When you’re ready to eat, massage some of the dressing into the kale, as this will make it more tender. Toss all the ingredients in the ratio you prefer together. Each issue I’ll be sharing an allergen friendly recipe that is easy, nutritious and delicious. If you make one, tag me in your Instagram photos (@midgesmoments) with the hashtag #mealswithmidge. If you have any requests, like converting a classic recipe to its healthier version or a particular kind of meal for a particular allergy, send me an email at mjharfor@eckerd.edu.

photo by Mary Jean Harford Freshly made kale & fennel salad.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Sports 15

Sports UPCOMING

SPORTS Feb. 1

BASEBALL

Noon v. Warner University (DH)

SOFTBALL

1 p.m. @ Southeastern University (DH)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

2 p.m. v. Palm Beach Atlantic University

MEN’S BASKETBALL

4 p.m. v. Palm Beach Atlantic University

Feb. 2

BASEBALL

Noon v. Florida Memorial University (DH)

Feb. 4

BASEBALL

7 p.m. v. Clearwater Christian College

Feb. 5

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 5:30 p.m. @ Nova Southeastern University

MEN’S BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. @ Nova Southeastern University

Feb. 8

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2 p.m. v. Rollins College

MEN’S BASKETBALL 4 p.m. v. Rollins College

Feb. 12

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

5:30 p.m. v. Florida Southern College

MEN’S BASKETBALL

action Good vibes: Your sports source By Dominick Cupetilli Asst. News Editor Hello all you action sports fans. I know you’ve been missing Good Vibes, but I am back from abroad and ready to get back to sharing what’s going on in the action sports scene. I hope you are ready for it. Looking back on the time we’ve been apart, there is plenty to talk about. Mick Fanning edged out Kelly Slater to win his third ASP World Title, Tom Fooshee won his fifth WWA Wake Park World Series in six years, and Jack Olson won the Tampa Am here at the Skatepark of Tampa. But hopefully you already knew all of that. As we come back this semester, the biggest event of the season has just finished up: Winter X Games. With its contract up, Aspen didn’t know if this would be the host city’s last round of the games. However, X Games announced that it would return to Aspen for five more years. The first night of X Games started with a warm hearted feel to it, as Colten Moore rallied to win the Snowmobile Freestyle event. Moore’s older brother, Caleb, died just one year ago participating in the same event. Moore was followed by Joe Parsons and Heath Frisby on the podium, but everyone was excited to see the Texas native get the gold. Day two started with the men and women’s finals of Snowboard X races. Nate Holland took home his seventh gold for the men, and Lindsey Jacobellis won for the women. Alex Tuttle and Konstantin Schad followed Holland, while Eva Samkova and Helene Olafsen wrapped it up for the women. Next up was the Women’s Ski Superpipe. Maddie Bowman would step up in her second run to beat the impressive first run by Roz Groenwoud, giving her the gold. Groenewould maintained her second place prize, and Marie Martinod finished with bronze. Snowboard Big Air presented by America’s Navy was taken by Max Parrot, knocking out two huge runs to combine for the only 90+ point scoring run. Yuki Kadono was not far behind in the number two spot, and Stale Sandbech finished with third. The day ended with David Wise getting the gold in Men’s Ski Superpipe, with Kevin Rolland behind him getting silver. After two disappointing runs, Alex Ferreira stomped out a strong third try, barely edging out Mike Riddle for third place by a point. All three men on the podium for the Snowboard Slopestyle ended up with very impressive runs to get them there. Max Parrot won over Mark McMorris, who has won the last two years in this event, by under a point. McMorris fractured a rib during the event, but still plans on competing at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Sandbech got

Winning Shots

7:30 p.m. v. Florida Southern College

C

his second bronze of the weekend as well. The Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle was similar to the men’s, as all three top positions were separated by two points. Silje Norendal managed to get the gold on her last run to defeat Jamie Anderson and Spencer O’Brien. Snowmobile Long Jump returned to the games for the first time since 2010. Levi LaVallee won the returned event with a monster jump of just over 147 feet. That is just one yard short of half a football field. Cory Davis followed in second and Moore got his second medal of the weekend with a bronze in the event. The Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Final was won by veteran rider, Kelly Clark, earning her ninth X Games medal in 11 years. Chloe Kim and Kaitlyn Farrington were right on her tail to get the silver and bronze medals. GoPro’s Ski Big Air event was led by the event’s reigning champ, Henrik Harlaut, with two very impressive runs. Vincent Gagnier finished in the silver medal spot, and Kai Mahler finished out the podium after getting back to silvers the last two seasons. The final day began with the Men’s Ski Slopestyle. Nick Goepper started out with a lousy promotional photo first run but was able to come back and win the event on his final run. McRae Williams trailed behind him in second, and Andreas Hatveit finished with bronze. The five lap Snowcross Adaptive race was taken by Mike Schultz with a time of 4:36. Garrett Goodwin followed with 4:50, and the bronze went to Doug Henry with 4:54. Henry is a veteran racer and is paralyzed from the waist down from a previous injury. Next up was the Women’s Ski Slopstyle. Kaya Turski took the event, winning gold. Maggie Voisin was close behind in the number two spot, and Kim Lamarre squeaked by with bronze. Monster Energy’s Snowmobile Snowcross finished just as expected, with Tucker Hibbert standing on top of the podium. Hibbert pushed his streak of six consecutive snowcross wins to seven with the gold of this event. Kody Kamm trailed with second place, and Justin Broberg ended up in the bronze spot. The weekend concluded with the main event, Men’s Snowboard Superpipe. With Shaun White focusing on Olympic efforts, riders were excited to take advantage of his absence. Danny Davis won his first X Games medal. Louie Vito also capitalized on the opportunity, raising his medal count from one bronze to a bronze and a silver. The podium was rounded out by another first time medalist, Greg Bretz. The X Games will not continue their world tour expansion of events as they did last year. They said this is due to economic strains that this effort placed on them last year. The next event will be Austin, TX, June 5-8.

Send your fan photos to currentsports@eckerd.edu for a chance to be featured in upcoming issues of The Current.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

SCORE BOARD Men’s Basketball Jan. 25 @ Florida Tech W 79-75 Jan. 22 @ Saint Leo University L 64-57 Jan. 18 v. Barry University L 68-65 Jan. 15 v. University of Tampa L 64-49 Jan. 11 @ Rollins College W 66-59 Jan. 8 @ No. 4 Florida Southern College L 84-55 Jan. 4 v. Nova Southestern University W 75-63

Women’s Basketball Jan. 25 @ Florida Tech L 64-61 (OT) Jan. 22 @ Saint Leo University L 67-63 Jan. 18 v. Barry University L 69-55 Jan. 15 v. University of Tampa L 66-57 Jan. 11 @ No. 14 Rollins College L 57-46 Jan. 8 @ Florida Southern College W 53-43 Jan. 4 v. No. 4 Nova Southeastern University L 69-50


16

the current

Jan. 31, 2014

Sports

Men’s basketball Tritons enduring difficult season gears up for second half of season By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor

By Will Creager Asst. Sports Editor The men’s basketball team finally got back into the win column after defeating Florida Tech Jan. 25, ending their three-game losing streak. After entering halftime trailing 38-32, the Tritons looked inspired in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 47-37 on their way to a 79-75 victory. Sophomore Guard Jerrick Stevenson scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the second half, including two huge free throws with five seconds left to push the Tritons’ lead to four and clinch the game. Senior Guard Alex Bodney finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Sophomore Guard E.J. Moody and Senior Guard Josh Snodgrass each chipped in ten points of their own. Junior Guard Jermaine Jackson scored 28 points for the Panthers. Redshirt Sophomore Corbin Jackson had 12 points to go along with his game-high 10 rebounds. “We know that we need to go on a bit of a run in order to be in the conversation for an at large bid to the NCAA tournament, but we are on a game by game mission right now,” Bodney said. “We are trying to win each possession and get better every chance we get. We feel confident that with that mindset we have enough talent to finish the year strong.” “We’ve appreciated the fan support so far this season and would love to see that carry on for this home stretch of games as we try to make a run. The edge we get from a good crowd can’t be overstated.” They started off their regu-

lar season strong, beating Nova Southeastern 75-63 at home in their first SSC game of the season Jan. 4. Four days later they traveled to Lakeland and took on No. 4 Florida Southern College, losing 84-55. They recovered Jan. 11, with a 6659 road victory over Rollins College, but then lost consecutive home games to the University of Tampa and Barry University Jan. 15 and 18. The team traveled to Saint Leo University Jan. 22. They got off to a slow start, and were down 18-4 10 minutes into the game. However, the Tritons recovered and narrowed the lead to 24-19 by halftime. The two teams went back and forth for a majority of the second half, but every time Eckerd made it a one-possession game Saint Leo came back and extended their lead. With 5:57 left in the game, the Tritons finally broke through and tied the game on three free throws by Stevenson. This was the first time the Lions weren’t winning since the game was tied 0-0. However, Eckerd could not hang on to the momentum, and wound up losing 64-57. Saint Leo was led by Senior Guard Jerrel Harris, who scored 17 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. Bodney led the Tritons with 18 points, while Stevenson finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. In spite of their 3-4 SSC record, the team feels confident that it can beat every other team in the Sunshine State Conference, according to Bodney. Eckerd will host Palm Beach Atlantic in a non-conference match-up Feb. 1. They then begin the second half of their conference schedule Feb. 5, when they play at Nova Southeastern.

five-game losing streak, it looks like the team might be ready to turn things around, as they’ve played The women’s basketball team much better in their past two games. “I really like the way we have has struggled of late, losing seven been playing lately and if we conof their last eight games. They lost their last five Sunshine State tinue that I think we will pick up Conference games. They are now some conference wins,” Junior 7-9 overall and 1-6 in SSC play. Guard Kayla Bowlin said. “It’s imTheir lone conference win portant for us to focus on one game came Jan. 8, when they beat at a time. Every conference game Florida Southern College 53-43. has been close and we just come up Although they are currently on a a little short at the end. We hope to improve our performance down the stretch in games and take control. We are looking forward to the second half of conference play and the SSC tournament.” On Jan. 22, the Tritons lost 67-63 on the road to a very good Saint Leo University team that is 5-2 in SSC play. The two teams went into halftime tied at 32-32, and although the Lions led for a majority of the second half, the Tritons never trailed by more than eight points in the entire game and fell photo by Spencer Yaffe just short of a huge upset. Senior Guard Amy Buccilla Junior Guard Kayla Bowlin goes for a layup in a scored 16 points while Junior game against Barry University Jan. 18.

Guard Rana Thomas and Senior Forward Liga Vente each added 11 points. Vente also grabbed a teamhigh eight rebounds. Senior Forward Chelsea Williams led Saint Leo with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Tritons followed up that game with another strong outing Jan. 25, when they took Florida Tech to overtime before finally losing 64-61. The two teams were evenly matched, as the Tritons trailed 51-50 with 13 seconds left when Buccilla drew a foul, sending her to the free-throw line. She made the first one to tie the game 51-51, but then missed the second one. The Panthers then outscored Eckerd 13-10 in overtime, making all seven of their free throw attempts to clinch the victory. Vente scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Bowlin scored 12 points and dished out eight assists. Thomas and Buccilla added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Guard Kayk Wilson scored 22 points for Florida Tech, converting 14 of her 17 free-throw attempts. Eckerd will look to turn their season around in the second half, which starts Feb. 5 when they play at Nova Southeastern University.

866-8891 Maximo/St. Pete Beach 4925 34th St. S

ORDER. TRACK. REVIEW.

DOMINOS.COM

STUDENT VALUE MENU 1

Large Cheese OR 1-Topping Pizza

$7

3

Medium 2-Topping AND 8-Piece Bread

S3

S1

2

Large 3-Topping Pizza

$8 S2

$9

4

$10

Large 2-Topping AND 8-Piece Bread

S4

IMPORTANT

photo by Spencer Yaffe Sophomore Guard Jerrick Stevenson driving to the basket against Barry University.

Thanksgiving Fall Finals Spring Semester Begins Spring Break Spring Finals

DATES

Thanksgiving Fall Final sNovember 28-29 Spring Semester Begins December 9-12 Spring Break January 28 Spring Final sMarch 22-30

May 12-15

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

C


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.