NEWS
The Scribe University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT
Lady Gaga undergoes hip surgery pg. 1
KNIGHT LIFE
UBCSSA Chinese Gala was a success pg. 7
inReview
Issue 2 March 2013
Gaga calls hip surgery "bump in the road" DENISE GOTAY Entertainment Editor Pop superstar Lady Gaga had to undergo hip surgery this past week due to a show injury she had during her Born This Way tour. On her website, littlemonsters.com, she posted a personal note to her monster fans telling them how she feels inspired from her fan’s stories of when they had to struggle through their problems as well. “I thought about all of your pain and perseverance…So I thought to myself, I’m alive, I’m living my dream, and this is just a bump in the road,” wrote Gaga. “You have changed my life. I love you and am proud to be a part of your lives. If you can do it, I can do it too, and if we stick together we can get through anything.” Because of the surgery, Lady Gaga had to cancel the rest of her concerts. Gaga had been hiding the injury from her staff for quite some time and didn’t want to disappoint her fans. Photo courtesy of yahoo.com
Oscars Review p. 13
SPORTS
Preparing yourself for cold & flu season naturally pt. 2 MICHELLE DRAINS Staff Writer Indeed Hippocrates couldn’t have said it better, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” What can be more satisfying than healing using nutritious fare? When you have the cold or flu it is important to treat your body to simple, but easily digestible, nourishing foods. Keep it light! Use soups, broths and porridges. When you’re sick the appetite is diminished; this is the body’s natural response… please support it. The energy normally used to process food is diverted to fighting off the “bug”. (continued on page 2)
Continue to cheer our Purple Knights on p. 19-20
Attention Prominent Class of 2013 Yearbook Coming Soon. On sale now! pg. 5
News Preparing Yourself for the Cold & Flu Season Naturally Pt. 2 MICHELLE DRAINS Staff Writer (continued from page 1)
Well it appears grandmother had it right! That time-honored remedy of “Chicken soup” is not just an old wives tale. It boasts many favorable effects on the immune system. It reduces inflammation, and contains an amino acid called cysteine which helps to thin mucus---relieving congestion. In addition the steam helps to open clogged nasal passages and the broth provides hydration. I like to add a few special herbs: Red pepper flakes help to open your sinuses. A few garlic cloves help boost the immune system, and adding a bit of ginger root gives the soup a strong antimicrobial effect, helps quell nausea, muscle ache and chills. There is also an excellent traditional Chinese food remedy called “Congee”. Congee, also known as “Jook”, is a well-cooked fortified porridge and very therapeutic food that gives strength and energy to the whole body. Congee is prepared using herbs that vary according to the weather, season and health needed to enhance immunity, strengthen digestion and prevent illness. It’s perfect for those sick days when you can’t keep anything down. This particular Congee is perfect for anyone fighting off cold or cough and tastes simply sublime. It is also very simple to cook (and the following recipe is dorm friendly)
Seasoning to taste: savory: rice vinegar, soy sauce, salt or sesame oil Sweet: honey, natural sweetener 1.Mix ginger, rice and water in a medium size pot. Bring to boil then reduce to low & let simmer, covered with the lid slightly open 30-40 min (or until desired consistency). You can add more water if the Congee is drying out, sticks to the bottom or becomes too thick. 2.Turn off heat and add green onion to mixture. 3.Season with condiments of choice (I tend to like things on the sweet side) and serve warm. Now what shouldn’t you eat? It is also important to avoid aggravating foods such as sugar, coffee, alcohol, stimulants and dairy. Dairy foods increase mucus production, which makes nasal congestion even worse. And since many people are sensitive to dairy products, your body may be wasting immune cells on the food instead of fighting the virus. There are also some really nice immune enhancing herbs and supplements that can help relieve illness (many of which are available at any local health food store), for instance Vitamin C. Viral conditions of all kinds increase your body’s need for this vitamin. If taken in
“Grounding Ginger and Green Onion Congee” Ingredients: 1 inch piece fresh ginger (peeled and grated) ¼ cup sticky rice 2 1/2 – 3 cups water 3 green onions (sliced into small pieces
significant dosages Vitamin C can even shorten the length of a cold. At least 1,000 mg a day in divided dosages with food has been recommended. Drinking hot water with local honey and lemon is a simple yet effective way to soothe a sore throat. The honey coats the throat, while the lemon acts as an astringent shrinking swollen throat tissue. Honey is also a natural antiseptic. To those of you who are averse to the taste of honey or lemon, Elderberry syrup may be right for you. Elderberry can reduce the duration of flu symptoms from six to two or three days! It is also a great for soothing sore throats and can even aid in reducing fevers. A simple steam inhale using a bowl of hot water and a few drops of essential oils such as eucalyptus or peppermint can help rid a stuffy nose. And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my suggestions for getting through the cold and flu season the natural way.
Photo courtesy of tumblr.com
Photo courtesy of natural-homeremedies.org
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Photo courtesy of open-sourcefood.com
Photo courtesy of .thechalkboardmag.com
NEWS
March 2013
"In the service of Clio" kicks off this semester's Necessary Voices lecture series CHRISTINE OWENS Staff Writer On Thursday, the 21 of February, the University of Bridgeport hosted its first lecture in this year’s Necessary Voices lecture series. Each semester, three lectures are put together for UB students to enjoy and listen to a different speaker each time. At 4:30 pm on this day, the Shelfhaudt Galley in the ABC building filled up with students, faculty and enthusiastic listeners to hear UB Professor Thomas Juliusburger talk about the relevance and importance of history and historians. Each guest arrived at a chair with a small packet. The first page exhibited some letters of the 17th century collected by the Society of Genealogists, which intrigued many and made the anticipation grow stronger. A brief introduction revealed the long career Professor Juliusburger has at the University of Bridgeport. First coming to UB in 1965, not only was he a professor, but also at one point was the Dean of the History Department. He also is responsible for UB’s capstone seminar and has always carried a fearless attitude advocating for academic freedom.
According to Professor Juliusburger, there are two major influences of a historian: they help understand people and society, and they help understand change. To illustrate this further with concrete examples he focused on two great historians and used their careers to depict what he referred to as the “Career of Stages” a historian goes through. The five stages that his lecture progressed on were: entrance, acceptance, prominence, dissilience and strange defeat. He spoke with great passion that not only was it relevant in what historians contributed to the comprehension of today’s world, but magnified that the process in which they took to do so is just as, if not more significant. In his closing words he expressed that history is about scholarship and brought back the idea of learning through reading. After a solid round of applause, it was apparent that there were a lot of familiar faces to Professor Juliusburger filled with appreciation. An excellent beginning to a new year and new semester, kicked off by inspirational words from a wise and charismatic man.
Photo courtesy of probiotixfoods.com
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March 2013
The Scribe Established 1930
Letter from the Editor
Editor in Chief Cheyenne Owen Managing News Editor Kaitlin O'Connell Sports Editor Curtis Moore Fashion Editor Spot Open Opinion Editor Trisha Bartholomew Entertainment Editor Denise Gotay He Said, She Said Kevin Matos Coral Orona-Baez Design & Layout Editor Asha Hobbs
Readers, I hope things are looking up for you as the semester pushes on and midterms approach. To take a break from exam week preparation, The Scribe has compiled this entertaining and thought provoking issue for your enjoyment. Want to get off campus for a bit? Why not take a trip to the theatres to catch a viewing of Snitch or Beautiful Creatures as reviewed by Christina and Jamia respectively? Michelle brings you part two of her steps on how to ward of illness and we present a gallery of photos taken at this year’s Chinese New Year Gala. This issue we’re including some food for thought in our Debate Corner. This issue’s focus is on the current and hotly debated topic of gun control. People involved in the debate have their own varying opinions on the subject. DiaMond and Jamia take on the two sides of the debate: yes, there should be gun control or no there should not be. Also brought to you is information on one of UB’s newest programs, the UB Buddies program. We hope after learning more about this, you’ll want to partake in this wonderful opportunity to create a friendship and exchange cultures. I wish you luck on your exams and projects and hope you find this issue fun and informative.
Cheyenne Owen Editor in Chief
Web Editor Jordon Warmington Art Director Michael Lawson Chief Photographer Teresa Wheeler Staff Photographers Spots Open
Op-Ed Disclaimer: The Scribe neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made. The Scribe will not be liable for any loss, damage or hurt feelings caused by a reader’s reliance on information obtained from the advice column(s). It is the responsibility of the reader to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through The Scribe. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content. The Scribe Editorial Copyright Statement and Policy: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in the newspaper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Scribe or official policies of The Scribe To submit articles, story ideas, illustrations or photographs, please send an e-mail of interest to TheScribeUB@gmail.com, describing the article you would like to have published. After receiving expressed interest, please save the complete article in DOC format and send as an attachment. Please include full name and contact information (telephone number and e-mail address—to be used by editors only). Be aware that submission does not guarantee publication and all submissions are subject to editing.
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Knight Life Dear Prominent Class of 2013, There will be a yearbook for the Graduating Class of 2013. For submissions, ideas, comments, and questions do not hesitate to contact Asha at: ahobbs.designer@gmail.com. Yearbooks are on sale now for $35 online at "www.yearbooksforever.com" If You want to personalize a section in the Yearbook, the price starts at $70 for 1/4 pg. Please continue to spread the word to the rest of the graduating class. Thanks in advance.
Yearbook Designer Asha Hobbs
Photo courtesy of bluematiccentral.com
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KNIGHT LIFE
March 2013
UB Buddies fosters friendships and cultural exchange JAMIA SMITH Staff Writer
Imagine leaving the country that you were born and raised in, to go to a country completely unfamiliar to you. As a student, only are you presented with the challenge to adapt to many of the customs and cultures of this foreign place, but you are forced to learn and communicate in a language with vocabulary and grammar very different from your own. Most likely, you would feel afraid and lonely. Newly founded, the UB Buddies program allows for the diversity of the University of Bridgeport's campus to integrate. This integration benefits both the international and domestic students involved.
Photo courtesy of wordpress.com
Companionship between international and domestic students is something that international students often look forward to when they come to America for education. Exhibiting what you have been taught is a major portion of learning. This program allows international students to use English in real-life casual conversations, increasing their intercultural competence and fluency. In addition, they can help on a more personal level. For example, they can acquire an answer to questions that they may have been reluctant to ask in class. These personal conversations will encourage international students to become more confident when speaking and writing in English.
Domestic students can become enlightened of the culture, traditions and customs of other countries, families and religions. With the establishment of international friendships, domestic students would be open to more opportunities, such as travel, work and study abroad. As our society is expanding and globalizing, interactions with international students are important to the communication skills needed for the business world of today's society. If you are interested in becoming a part of the UB Buddies program to be matched with an international student, you can contact Brandon LaFavor of the English Language Institute at blafavor@bridgeport.edu.
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KNIGHT LIFE
March 2013
UBCSSA Chinese Gala CHEYENNE OWEN Staff Writer On February 15, the fourth annual Chinese New Year Gala was held in Mertens Theater. Hosted by the University of Bridgeport Chinese Students & Scholars Association (UBCSSA), the gala featured many wonderful acts performed by students, professors and outside organizations alike. Below are some photos taken of the many incredible acts that graced the stage, celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Snake.
photos courtesy of Brittany Harris
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Fashion
Photo courtesy of keepcalmandposters.com
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FASHION
March 2013
USPS announces entrance into the Fashion Industry CHEYENNE OWEN Editor-in-Chief
When the weather takes a turn for the extreme, it’s more important to focus on functionality rather than aesthetics, but sometimes both can be combined. This past week, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that they would be releasing a line of all-weather clothing and matching accessories. Jackets, footwear, and headgear are all part of the line that is expected to debut in 2014. Going by the brand title of “Rain, Heat & Snow”, the USPS decided to create this line in hopes of boosting profit after suffering huge losses in the wake of mail going digital. The USPS was even forced to cancel Saturday mail delivery, which will start later this year, to reduce costs. The USPS’s new clothing line will be produced by the designer and manufacturing firm Wahconah Group, Inc. with men’s designs and apparel being the primary focus of the line. The men’s designs will be the first released in 2014 with women’s coming later at a yet to be disclosed date. The functionality of these clothes and accessories is not just in their usefulness in rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Your favorite electronics are rumored to be compatible with this all-weather gear, with jackets that may be compatible with your iPod. Postmen and women are always ready for what the weather brings and that preparedness may be just what consumers want. This clothing line could very well breathe life into the struggling Postal Service.
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Photos courtesy of tampabaycurrent.com
My Best Friend
Express Your Scribe Am I?
You might not be what I wanted Or what I’ve always asked for, But you’re always there when I need a hand, When I need to be told to cut my crap And just enjoy the moment. You’ve always been there for me And I will always be grateful For having you at my side. These are the reasons Why I will always call you My Best Friend And don’t let anyone else tell you any different. Coral Orona Baez Staff Writer
These are not words that have meaning They are words that are symbols Words used in place of emotions Emotions hidden by fear Fear created by… Well that’s it isn’t it I don’t know what to fear Or what is fear Am I scared? Trisha Bartholomew Opinion Editor
Body of Notes
My heart sings to the beat of a drum Pleased by the rhythm bound deep in sound And as my heart sings, my lungs do a dance Expanding and contracting conforming to my stance As my lungs dance, my stomach limbers and is soothed By the rounded movements of my hips, seductive unable to be cooled As my stomach soothes, my feet pick up a beat Controlling the balance of the roll movement my body must complete No longer am I here, there’s no more measurement in time My body’s sweet music is now the sublime So majestic, so great, energy bursts from my core My heart is center of all But with the stop of the drums I am no more. Christina Owens Staff Writer
To read more poetry or to submit your own creative works, visit our website at www.TheScribeOnline.com!
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Entertainment
Songs you didn't know were written by other artists DENISE GOTAY Entertainment Editor When it comes to the artist and their songs, most of the time fans will automatically assume that the artist they listen to always writes their own songs. Of course once in a while, music lovers will be surprised about who also co-wrote the song when they look for the names in the liner notes of the album. The following songs are great examples of music gems within the songwriting aspect of the single. Think you know who else wrote these songs on this list? Then check them out. Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent” Back when Kelly Clarkson became American Idol’s first winner, the single “Miss Independent” became a hit in the US. The track, coming from her first album, Thankful, had a couple of writers including Clarkson, Matt Morris, Rhett Lawrence and pop singer Christina Aguilera. That’s right, the woman behind
the songs “Ain’t No Other Man” and “Dirty” co-wrote Clarkson’s hit single. “Miss Independent” was supposed to be on Aguilera’s second album, Stripped, but it ended up being recorded for Clarkson. “This Love” by The Veronicas In the duo’s 2007 release of their second album, Hook Me Up, Australian pop group, The Veronicas had numerous singles including their third one called “This Love”. Written by Toby Gad and Kesha Sebert, the track had a good commercial success in Australia and in New Zealand. To all of the animal fans out there, Kesha Sebert, also known as Ke$ha actually co-wrote the track back when she was an unknown struggling artist. P!nk’s “Get The Party Started” This song was written by P!nk and former
4 Non Blondes front woman, Linda Perry. Perry was responsible for 4 Non Blondes’ hit “What’s Up” back in 1993. It was Perry’s first dance song she had ever written and according to her, she was going through a “weird phase” when she wrote the hit. “I went through this weird phase where I just wanted to learn how to program drums. So that’s where ‘Get the Party Started’ came from,” said Perry in an online interview with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson Written by Bridget Benenate, Matthew Gerrard and Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” became another hit single from Clarkson’s second album Breakaway. Originally the song was intended to be for Lavigne’s first album Let Go but it was scraped since it didn’t fit well for the album.
Photo courtesy of allmusic.com
Photo courtesy of cduniversal.com
Photo courtesy of bigpondmusic.com
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Photo courtesy of videokeman.com
ENTERTAINMENT
March 2013
Animania! KEVIN MATOS Staff Writer Animania! In this issue of The Scribe, we present you with another two animes to watch until the next issue comes. As always, we choose two types of animes: a light-hearted one, and a more mature one for those who want something more exciting or darker to watch. Thus, we suggest the following: Doki Doki School Hours Doki Doki School Hours is a 20 episode series about life in high school. This series revolves around the life of Mika Suzuki, a 27-year-old teacher who stands at 4’8”, and her students. Featuring a very diverse cast of students, the series has (among others) a young woman who’s into short girls, a talented artist whose only interest is manga and a smart young man whose only interest is his athletic friend. Despite her age, Mika is quite childish, and often gets caught in troublesome situations simply because of her height. Furthermore, she sometimes tends to cry when things fail to go her way. Watch the interactions of this diverse cast as they all attempt to navigate through high school.
Ergo Proxy This 23 episode series is set in a futuristic world. Filled with suspense and action, this series follows Real Mayer, a female inspector working for the Citizen Information Board. In this idealistic “utopian” city, the people live with AutoReivs (androids) under a total management system dedicated to preserve their unique way of life. Having to live in isolated, domed cities after a global ecological disaster threatened to wipe out the human race, the citizens find themselves facing a new problem.
Doki Doki School Hours
A series of gruesome murders begins to occur, and Real Mayer is assigned to investigate the cause and put a stop to it. As she investigates further with her AutoReivs partner Iggy, she finds that the government has been experimenting with a type of life form called a “Proxy”. Meanwhile, AutoReivs somehow start to become self-aware, learning of their role in this society and start to react against it. The series keeps you on the edge of your seat as it attempts to tell the story of this society and the problems it faces upon trying to become a perfect utopia. Ergo Proxy
Photos courtesy of watchanimeon.com
What Grinds My Gears…About Winter Storm Nemo DENISE GOTAY Entertainment Editor With 30 inches blanketing the sidewalks and streets of Bridgeport, Winter Storm Nemo decided to become everyone’s little inconvenience one way or the other. Even though classes were cancelled for a couple of days, Nemo started grinding everyone’s gears one way or the other. Check out what these students had to say about this winter storm. “No parking here since the streets in Bridgeport wasn’t plowed,” -Alex Jones, senior “The fact that I was locked inside my house. I couldn’t go out to do stuff,” -Coral Orona Baez, freshman
“Being stuck at home a lot longer than I wanted to be. I wanted to be with my friends but when I tried coming back to UB the roads were blocked so I had to drive back,” -Rob Wilson, senior “Because of that storm, I couldn’t go to work and get paid,” -Anne, junior Peter Griffin from “Family Guy” Photo courtesy of Fox.com
“That I was starving half the time during the storm. I wasn’t able to buy a lot of food so when the storm hit, I ended up going almost a full day without eating,” -Daniel, sophomore
“I had a lot to do that weekend and when Nemo came, all of my plans were ruined. Plus, I ended up being stuck in my dorm with my annoying roommate,” -Scott, freshman Want more of "What Grinds My Gears"? Visit www.TheScribeOnline.com to see the rest of the quotes and leave comments!
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inReview MacFarlane brings the sound of music to the Oscars DENISE GOTAY Entertainment Editor
Oscar night was filled with the sound of music as Seth MacFarlane entertained the crowd with a couple of song numbers and great performances from some of the biggest stars. As the host of the 85th Academy Awards, MacFarlane greatly delivered the show’s musical aspect of the ceremony. Singing in the opening and closing acts, MacFarlane graces the stage with his vocals to a couple of show tunes alongside a few actors including Kristin Chenoweth, Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon – Levitt. MacFarlane’s singing abilities do justice to his jazz filled performances since he has his very own album under his belt of accomplishments.
During the show’s segment of The Celebration of Musicals of the Last Decade, the performance started off with Catherine Zeta Jones singing “All That Jazz” from the hit movie, Chicago. Jennifer Hudson came afterwards with the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls. The segment ended with the whole cast of Les Miserables with two of their songs “Suddenly” and “One Day More”. As the Oscars made a tribute to 50 years of James Bond movies, the awards had pop singer Adele perform her latest hit, “SkyFall” and Dame Shirley Bassey sang “Gold Finger” during The Music of James Bond. Both singers did an impressive job singing their James Bond theme songs.
Seth MacFarlanehosting Oscars Norah Jones performing
The Memoriam Segment of the Oscars filled the atmosphere with a sad tone as the music plays while they showed who had passed away during the year. Barbra Streisand came out towards the end and sang “The Way We Were” as a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, composer and conductor to numerous movies including The Spy Who Loved Me and The Informant. Jazz singer Norah Jones performed “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” which is on the soundtrack to MacFarlane’s latest movie, Ted. Jones, who sometimes uses a piano during her performances decided to simply go solo without her instrument and sung against a music track. Even though it was a short number, Jones did a terrific job with her vocals. Over all, the Oscars had a lot of interesting performances which kept the crowd going. It seemed like there was a lot of the energy in the air within the show. On top of that, some of the song choices for the performances played a big role introducing the musicals that were nominated for the awards. All in all, the musical aspect of the Academy Awards was successful. Adele's performance
Photos courtesy of justjared.com Photos courtesy of fresnobee.com
Photos courtesy of screencrush.com
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inREVIEW
March 2013
Photos courtesy of inquistr.com
Photos courtesy of glamour.com
Photos courtesy of huffingtonpost.com
Photos courtesy of facebook.com
Photos courtesy of nytimes.com
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Opinion How Men and Women Fight, According to the opposite sex BY KEVIN MATOS & CORAL ORONA-BAEZ
HE SAID Growing up, most of us have undoubtedly seen people fight, especially so during school. It isn’t anything new that two people will get into a fistfight and cause a crowd to gather around them and watch as they fight. This happens with people of either gender, and personally, I have never understood why some people like to watch them. In any case, there are a few complaints I have about them (though I haven’t seen many and know this is a generalization of the way things are). 1-Too much drama: It seems like they bring way too much drama to these fights. Often, you’ll see women not only insulting each other, but also talking about things that are completely unrelated to the initial offense just to try and anger the other person. This includes throwing wild insults that cannot be logically tied into the fight itself. 2-They’re too messy: Too much clawing and scratching with long nails just leave the participants covered in quite a bit of blood. Hair pulling also leaves the participants looking terrible, even if they didn’t lose pretty large chunks of hair in the process. 3-People expect too much: Yes, they claw at each other. Yes, clothes may get torn. No, they won’t end up stripping down to their underwear and rolling into a mud wrestling ring with an announcer and a referee that sends them to their corner at the end of each round. Please, be realistic. Life isn’t a beer commercial.
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SHE SAID Ever seen a guy fight? I have and let me tell you: it’s not fun. All of the fights between guys I’ve seen are because of the same reasons: one was hitting on the other’s girl, the girl is sleeping with both of them, the boyfriend is jealous of his girl’s guy friends and so on. They all center on their unnecessary act of releasing testosterone through a physical fight with another male. The first fight I saw was between these two guys who a girl was friends with and one did something to the girl the other didn’t like. It must have been an excuse for them to fight. The girl did nothing to stop them-what a friend she was. In the end, they fought (which made them look like gorillas doing some sort of mating ritual) and security broke up the fight a few seconds later. What caught me by surprise later on was the fact that, not even a week later, the two guys that fought were the best of friends. I thought they didn’t like each other? Apparently, I was wrong. It baffled me to see them being so friendly to each other, as if the fight had never happened. I consider it a guy thing to fight and then be friends, like making sure one man is worthy of the other man’s friendship.
I’m lucky to admit that I’ve never seen a guy get stabbed or shot during a fight; most of the fights that I’ve seen are mostly harmless and there is never any serious injury to either party. I have heard of fights where of the guys have been sent to the hospital for serious injuries or because he was stabbed by someone else as the fighting escalated. Others have even lost their lives because of such fights. I know that fights aren’t just because of a girl (like the ones I’ve witnessed). There many other reasons why men would fight: stealing, drugs, past tension for something dumb one did to the other, alcohol and more. Drunken fights are always a bit fun to watch. Neither party knows where the other is standing and it usually leads to them doing some sort of drunken dance before throwing their arms around each other and falling to the ground-falling asleep in the process. It always leads to their so-called friends to take pictures and put them all over Facebook or other social websites, letting the world know just how ridiculous their friend is. I still can’t understand this strange friendship men form after a fight, but all I can tell you is that only other men will understand. I still stand by the belief that men need to fight to prove their “manliness” and show others who “is boss” around “here”, wherever “here” is.
OPINION
March 2013
My Life as a Rainbow: Is Marriage really about Procreation? DENISE GOTAY Entertainment Editor
Chapter Twelve I just don’t understand people who are against gay marriage. I mean, I know everyone has their right to express their opinion, but it can only go so far until it doesn’t make any sense. For instance let’s take one of the classic arguments that people who don’t believe in gay marriage like to say – marriage is fit for the sole purpose of procreation. Some religious people tend to use this specific scripture as an example to prove their point. Within the bible, in Genesis 1:28 it notes that “And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Since homosexuals cannot procreate, to some religious officials that means that gay marriage is unfit, unholy and impure; therefore gay marriage shouldn’t even exist at all. Now let’s look outside of the box for a moment and let me explain why I think the whole “marriage is fit for procreation” is downright silly and outdated thinking.
In the book of Genesis, the reason why God told Adam and Eve to go and procreate is the fact that they were literally the only two living beings on earth at the time. Obviously God would want them to populate the earth as much as they could. Right now, there are about seven billion humans on this Earth. As far as I’m concerned, I think Adam and Eve have done their job on making sure this Earth is filled with people. Another thing that comes to mind is since some people believe that homosexuals shouldn’t get married because of the lack of ability to produce, what about the heterosexual couples who are infertile? For multiple reasons, their bodies are not able to conceive a child so does that mean that they can’t get married as well?
What about the married couples who decide that they don’t want to have children at all? Is their marriage less than worthy since they’re not using their time to birth children? To say that marriage is fit only for procreation is a bit naïve and insensitive on some parts. In a time where our society is slowly shifting their views on traditions, it is important for people to understand that some of the things we were taught will end up changing us down the road. In the case of marriage and having the LGBT community fighting for their rights to marry, it is time for some people to realize that we need to think outside of the box and not let out-of-date thinking hold us down.
Photo courtesy of Denise Gotay
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OPINION
March 2013
Ask Belle Vie: She is all knowing Dear Belle Vie, I am currently living in Bodine Hall and I know that I am at my boiling point. At first everything was okay. The noise level was bearable and something that I could usually ignore. But as time passed it slowly got louder and louder until I find myself retreating to the library to study or to even get a nap. I tried to talk to the residents in my wing trying to ask them to tone down the noise a bit but I was shrugged off. When I talked to my RAs they simply told me that they would talk to everyone but nothing ever changed. I want to keep my roommate though and if I were to switch rooms we would be separated. Sincerely, Miss. Fed up
Photo courtesy of a1afforablemovers.com
Dear Fed up, Sounds like you are in a tough situation. You want to keep your roommate, but you also want to switch rooms. College gets complicated when you’re in the beginning stages in learning how to dodge and cope with different situations. However, not everyone can cope with the environments they end up in. I’m not sure if your mind is all made up about moving but it seems that may be the smartest decision. The way I see it is you have two options: you can wait it out in Bodine Hall with your roommate until a room opens up for the both of you or you can move on your own to another room temporarily for the rest of the semester and keep in mind, when it’s time to pay your early deposit for housing make sure you and your roommate are paired. The reason I believe that moving out with or without your roommate is the best option is because at the end of the day, you are here at the University of Bridgeport to get the best education you can. If you are stuck in a noisy dorm hall, I don’t see that you are benefiting academically. Also, from what you described in your letter, I can tell you do not get much sleep. I am a person that needs sleep in order to function well in class or at work. Imagine the extra work you could be getting done with a good night’s rest. With a full eight hours of sleep, you probably won’t feel tired during the day and will be able to get more stuff done. I have come across many people before who are always worried that their ex roommates will be angry at them if they leave them for another roommate. You may feel guilty about the move but I think if you nicely explained to your roommate the reasons why you are leaving, I’m sure she will be okay with it all and may even try to be your roommate the following semester. P.S. Be smart in your decision because your academics are at risk Sincerely, Belle Vie
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March 2013
Gun Control DIAMOND ARTIS Staff Writer
DEBATING
CORNER
PRO The concept around the gun control debate is that the American government would not only require a thorough background check before allowing someone to obtain a gun, but also restrict the type of gun distributed to the public. Of course there is opposition to something completely reasonable as implementing thorough and nationally followed gun control laws. There are three basic arguments against gun control and I will examine each and every one of them to show why these arguments are invalid. The first argument that critics of gun control broach is the age old argument that by implementing gun control in America the government would be tramping on the rights of Americans. The evidence that they point to in order to back up their claim comes from the second amendment of the Bill of Rights which states that Americans have the right to bear arms. I am positive that if the people who drafted the Bill of Rights had predicted something such as the NRA (National Rifle Association) they would have probably added a bit more detail to the right. Anyway, the reason why this argument is null and void is simply because if we
implement gun control then a more thorough background check would be implemented and there would be some restrictions on the type of weapons that citizens would be allowed to have. This argument usually leads to a minor argument that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I will concede to the fact that some people do wield guns just like they wield any other tool, but does that not mean that we shouldn’t limit people’s access to these very deadly tools. We can fix people later, but for right now let’s take the weapon out of the hands of dangerous individuals. The second main argument is the fact that a gun is crucial in both home and personal security. This counter argument is connected with my earlier statement that gun control laws will not take away guns completely from the American citizens, just simply restrict what type of guns are available to the public. Mainly military style weapons would be banned, but really who needs a weapon that is designed for mass killings when you are only trying to protect yourself? There is such a thing as over kill even when you are only defending yourself against would-be attackers. Or on the flip
side of the coin a lot of people claim that by stopping military style weapons from being released to the public that the sport of hunting would be severely crippled. You would probably need more than one shot, but is it necessary to riddle a carcass of an animal with many bullets? The final argument in the gun control debate is a farfetched scenario that could only come out of the brain of someone who obviously read Fahrenheit 451 and has a problem with paranoia. The argument consists of the theory that once military style weapons are banned that the government would slowly exert more and more control over its citizens until it becomes an unstoppable dictatorship ruled by none other than President Barack Obama. Due to the fact that citizens are not able to pack as much fire power as the government we would not be able to fight off this powerful new rule. This conspiracy theory might actually be a valid concern if it wasn’t for the fact that there was once gun control implemented in the United State in 1994, but it expired in late 2004. If this horrid new world of yours were to happen it probably would have already came in to play.
JAMIA SMITH Staff Writer CON A majority of citizens do not misuse guns. Guns are not always used for violence, but for recreational activities. This includes sports like hunting deer, wild birds and other animals or for target shooting. These weapons are also used by gun enthusiasts as collector's items, usually based upon their craftsmanship or rarity. On the other hand, some people feel safer knowing that they are able to ensure the safety of their families. Criminals would feel more intimidated by someone who they would believe to be armed. Therefore, the criminal may be less likely to be aggressive, as the innocent, weak or undefended are often targeted.
A criminal is a criminal. Criminals will continue to find a way to acquire guns regardless of what the law is. It would be more ideal for the government to keep a record of approximately how many guns are circulating. Lastly, as our second amendment right it should be one’s personal choice whether or not they would like to carry a gun.
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Sports
UB Men's Basketball team looks to continue winning streak CURTIS MOORE Sports Editor Make it 10 straight games as the Purple Knights cruise to a win against Queens College. It was a dominant performance by the Purple Knights with the final score 85-58. Not losing in over a month, the team is firing on all cylinders overpowering their opponents. The Purple Knights had three players in double figures which led to the blowout win against the College Knights. This streak of 10 games could not have come at a better time as the season is approaching its stretch run. With the wins piling up their playoff seeding will improve at season’s end. Senior Darian David provided the spark for the Purple Knights offense registering 15 points and handing out eight assists to lead the way against Queens College. The starters were not the only ones providing offense; the bench for the Purple Knights outscored Queens College by 31 points. Leading the way off the bench was Junior Curtis Loving with 14 points and crashing the boards with seven rebounds. Senior Dion Waiters had a well-rounded performance doing everything the team needed with nine points, seven steals and six rebounds. During this 10 game winning streak the Purple Knights have been contributing in many ways. With the season coming to an end the Purple Knights want to carry this momentum heading into the playoffs.
Having won 14 of their last 15 games the Purple Knights are ranked number nine in the East Regional Rankings. Although ranked number nine in the polls, the Purple Knights could make a case for a higher ranking, having a better all-around record than UMass Lowell and S. New Hampshire. No complaints are coming from the Purple Knights as they are riding high on their season long 10 game winning streak. With only three games remaining the Purple Knights wish to move up in the polls with an updated poll coming out February 27. Winners of five straight on the road the Purple Knights will look to make it six straight against St. Thomas Aquinas, and 11 straight overall. With a win the Purple Knights will be 10 games over 500. There is nothing the Purple Knights want more than to stretch their streak to 13 straight to end the season. With the playoffs rapidly approaching the Knights do not want to add another loss to their record.
Photo courtesy of topendsports.com
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SPORTS
March 2013
University of Bridgeport Athletics Schedule 2/27Women’s Basketball: Malloy vs. UB @ 5:00pm Men’s Basketball: Malloy vs. UB @ 7:00pm 2/28Women’s Gymnastics: Southern CT State @ 6:00pm 3/2Baseball: UB vs. Merrimack, Haverhill Stadium in Haverhill, MA @ 1:00pm Women’s Basketball: Dowling vs. UB @ 1:00pm Men’s Basketball: Dowling vs. UB @ 3:00pm Baseball: UB vs. Merrimack, Haverhill Stadium in Haverhill, MA @ 4:00pm 3/4Baseball: Le Moyne vs. UB, Brookhaven, NY, Dowling College @2:00pm 3/5Women’s Lacrosse: UB vs. Post @ 3:30pm 3/6Women’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Men’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Women’s Basketball: UB vs. TBA, ECC Quarterfinals, Time TBA 3/7Women’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Men’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Men’s Basketball: UB vs. TBA, ECC Semifinals, Time TBA Women’s Lacrosse: Findlay vs. UB @ 4:00pm
3/8Women’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Men’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Women’s Basketball: UB vs. TBA, ECC Semifinals, Time TBA Softball: St. Rose vs. UB, Hancock Park in Clermont, FL @ 1:00pm Softball: Stonehill vs. UB, Hancock Park in Clermont, FL @ 3:00pm 3/9Women’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Men’s Swimming: 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet, CrossPlex Center in Birmingham, AL (All Day) Women’s Gymnastics: Ohio State @ 4:00pm Men’s Basketball: UB vs. TBA, ECC Finals, Time TBA Baseball: UB vs. Stonehill, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 10:00am Baseball: UB vs. Assumption, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 2:30pm Softball: Assumption vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 3:00pm Softball: UB vs. Assumption, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 5:00pm 3/10Women’s Basketball: UB vs. TBA, ECC Finals, Time TBA Softball: St. Michael’s vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 9:00am Softball: UB vs. Bentley, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 11:00am Women’s Lacrosse: UB vs. Southern CT State @ 1:00pm 3/11Baseball: UB vs. Bentley, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 12:00pm
3/12Women’s Gymnastics: Brown w/ Rhode Island College & Springfield @ 5:00pm Softball: Sioux Fall vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 9:00am Softball: Minot St. vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 11:00am Baseball: UB vs. Bentley, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 2:00pm Women’s Lacrosse: UB vs. Southern N.H. @ 4:00pm Baseball: UB vs. Rollins @ 6:00pm 3/13Softball: West Liberty vs. UB, Hancock Park in Clermont, FL @ 9:00am Softball: Bemidji St. vs. UB, Hancock Park in Clermont, FL @ 1:00pm 3/14Baseball: UB vs. Bentley, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 12:00pm 3/15Women’s Gymnastics: Arizona State @ 7:00pm PT Softball: Alderson-Broaddus vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 9:00am Baseball: Stonehill vs. UB, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College@ 10:00am Softball: Bentley vs. UB, National Training Center in Clermont, FL @ 11:00am Baseball: UB vs. Stonehill, Winter Park, FL, Rollins College @ 1:00pm Women’s Lacrosse: Post vs. UB @ 3:00pm 3/18Baseball: Concordia (NY) vs. UB @ 3:30pm 3/20Baseball: UB vs. Southern CT State @ 3:30pm Women’s Lacrosse: Queens (NY) vs. UB @ 6:00pm 3/21Baseball: Dominican (NY) vs. UB @ 3:00pm 3/22Women’s Lacrosse: Lake Erie vs. UB @ 4:00pm 3/23Women’s Gymnastics: 2013 ECAC Division II Championship @ 1:00pm Baseball: Mass. Maritime vs. UB @ 4:00pm 3/26Baseball: Post vs. UB @ 3:00pm Softball: UB vs. Dowling @ 3:00pm Softball: UB vs. Dowling @ 5:00pm
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