theTrinitonian NEWS 4
Vol. 115 Issue 10
SPORTS 15
OPINION 7
Serving Trinity University, San Antonio Since 1902
October 30, 2015
Sexual assault forum commences New forum opens up discussion surrounding results of recent survey taken by Trinity students BY JESSICA LUHRMAN
NEWS REPORTER
A total of 434 students, 19 percent of the student body, responded to the Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault sent to the Trinity campus in the spring of 2015. Of those respondents, 27 students reported that they had been sexually assaulted. The Coalition for Respect held a forum on Thursday, October 29 discussing the results of the Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey. Following the discussion on the survey, a panel discussion was held; members included Melissa Flowers, director of Residential Life, Steven Bachrach, assistant vice-president for special projects and Title IX coordinator, Laura Hernandez, corporal investigator for TUPD, Iris Baughman, student representative for the Coalition for Respect and Kristin Eisenhauer, senior psychologist for counseling services. The panel was moderated by Brenna Hill, student government association senator. Trinity is a part of a national push for universities to assess the attitudes on campus towards sexual assault. In 2014, the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was launched, creating the “Not Alone” program. This prompted universities to assess their own campus’ attitudes towards sexual assault and to work towards prevention. Trinity’s Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault was compared to
DAVID TUTTLE offers his remarks at the Coalition for Respect forum, detailing plans and steps to address sexual assault.
other “small institutions” that included 54 institutions with 3,500 or fewer undergraduates. According to the Report on the Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey, sexual assault includes a multitude of variations of sexual contact that were unwanted and not consented to. The 27 sexual assault survivors further notes that their assailants were 89 percent male and most were known to the person that was assaulted. 15 percent of the 27 respondents indicated that their current romantic partner assaulted them. A total of 27 percent of the assaults involved a stranger. Sheryl Tynes, associate vice president for academic affairs serves as a co-chair for the Coalition for Respect’s Education and Prevention
subcommittee, explained the results of the survey to the forum. Tynes described a time period when students are most often to be sexually assaulted. “There’s a lot of national research, people talking about a ‘red zone.’ This is somewhere in the first few weeks maybe the first months up to Thanksgiving when students are more likely to be sexually assaulted,” Tynes said. “You can see Trinity fits that pattern. That’s why we do the sexual assault program the very first Friday night of new student orientation, because we know stuff is happening.” The survey indicated that five percent of sexual assault occurred during new student orientation, 58 percent occurred during the first year, 22 percent occurred during the second year and 15 percent occurred during the third year.
information provided by Trinity University
NEWS...1-4
OPINION...5-8
PULSE...9-10
The other small institutions that were polled had an average of 27 percent of their student bodies respond to their survey. At Trinity, that response rate was much lower at 19 percent. “It would be nice to get our response rate up,” Tynes said. “I think that in any kind of survey like this, people are more likely to respond if it resonates with them or if it impacts them.” The survey indicated that 50 percent of instances included another person or other people drinking alcohol, and 25 percent of other person or people using drugs. 72 percent of the sexual assault survivors indicated that they were drinking alcohol during the sexual assault incident. Flowers described the effect of substance abuse on sexual misconduct instances. “I think the slides made it clear that the party culture on this campus should be examined. That particular slide didn’t show comparison data to other institutions, but we had an opportunity to look at that as well, and Trinity is a little higher with regards to alcohol consumption for those who have experienced sexual misconduct and sexual assault,” Flowers said. “We can make every policy we want but we can’t necessarily enforce everywhere. We can’t enforce off campus parties or in every singular residence hall room.” The Step Up: Bystander Action program is intended to stop sexual assault instances through intervention, according to Eisenhauer. “That’s where Step Up: Bystander Action program comes in because we’re teaching students skills for parties and events where we’re not present to be able to address the situation if it looks like it’s going awry. So friends
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT...11-12
photo by Sarah Thorne
can be on the front line and do the right thing. We’ve now trained all the first years, sophomores and juniors. By the end of next year the whole campus will be trained and we’ll really have no excuse for not stepping up to intervene,” Eisenhauer said. Dean Tuttle, the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, explains the prevention plans of the Coalition for Respect in the future. SGA and the Coalition for Respect plan to host another forum in the spring and a mock sexual assault case. “SGA is going to host a studentonly forum in the spring. So the focus wouldn’t be on what the institution doing, but what the students are doing to create the culture,” Tuttle said. The forum was attended by approximately 25 individuals. A student from the crowd asked the panelists, “What do you think about the fact there’s like 20 people here and there’s about 2,000 people at this school? Do you think that says anything about how people feel about this or what kind of importance they put on this topic?” Baughman explained the importance of continuing the discussion of sexual assault at Trinity despite low attendance to forums. “I would say that even with poor attendance, I would say that it’s still really important to have events like this,” Baughman said. “I’m happy to be a part of something even if there’s not a huge audience for it, just to keep the sentiment that we care about sexual assault at Trinity and that we’re keeping a pulse on it.”
SPORTS...13-16
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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2015 •
WEEKLY PREVIEW
NEWS BRIEFS
30
On Thursday morning the sheriff ’s deputies busted a gambling ring in San Antonio. The raid resulted in several gambling machines as well as over $100,000 of illegal methamphetamine on the property. The property was in a rural area of Bexar county. Along with the gambling machinery and drugs stolen goods were found on the property resulting in a value of $15,000. Three individuals have been arrested but the owner of the property has yet to be found. More are expected to be arrested although no other arrests have been made yet. Several individuals were found inside gambling during the time of the raid however no new information regarding the subjects has been released. mysanantonio.com
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FRIDAY
What: El Dia De Los Libros When: 11:00 a.m. Where: Coates
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What: Angels and Demons When: 5:00 p.m. Where: Coates Lobby
mysanantonio.com
International
As of Thursday couples in China will be permitted to have more than one child. Since 1979 couples in the country have been restricted to one child for population growth purposes. The decision was made to help aid the aging population in the Communist China. 1.36 billion members of the population are over the age of 50. Punishments in the past for having more than one child were as severe as forced abortions. Despite the rule change one child families are standard in China now. Although the controversial law is being amended to allow for two children families it is estimated that the population issue will continue to stay as well as the gender imbalance currently waging in China. bbc.com
compiled by Tyler Boelts
WEDNESDAY
What: Dealing with test anxiety When: 3:00 p.m. Where: Coates Library Room 100.4
A very old and outdated dance
1962
If there is no booze does anybody show up to a Halloween event? Guess we will find out. But not personally, from somebody else or Yik Yak. Who doesn’t like the Monster Mash? It’s old, outdated. Not fun or funny yet it still is being replayed like it’s a classic that we all love. Hopefully this will be the year that we finally get rid of this.
Meet the SENATO The Trinitonian LETTOSudoku TER THE
U.S.
On Thursday at Fort Lauderdale international airport a Boeing 767 engine caught fire prior to takeoff. The plane which was scheduled to fly from Florida to Caracas, Venezuela had the left engine catch fire during it’s taxiing to takeoff. Of the 110 passengers only one has been reported with serious burns. Several others were sent to the hospital for minor injuries. The airline Dynamic Airways flies from Fort Lauderdale, New York, Venezuela and Guyana. Immediately following the incident there was a significant struggle to reach the airline’s CEO, Paul Kraus. The numbers listed on the airline’s website did not contact through to the CEO. Fort Lauderdale airport temporarily closed down however it re-opened Thursday afternoon and has since resumed flying.
TUESDAY
What: Ebola: Lessons Learned When: 2:10 p.m. Where: Northrup Hall Room 040
What: Monster Mash When: 2:30 p.m. Where: Coates Esplanade
Monster Mash
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What: Facilities Services Halloween Picnic When: 11:00 a.m. Where: Prassel Lawn
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Location: Coates Center Date: 10-27-15 Time: 3:41 p.m. Classification: Theft
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Opinions expressed in the Trinitonian are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Trinity University, its students, faculty, staff or the Trinitonian. Editorials represent the opinions of the Trinitonian Editorial Board. The first copy of the Trinitonian is free; additional copies are 50 cents each. ©2015. All rights reserved.
HONOR COUNCIL Compiled by Tyler Boelts. Information provided by Trinity University Police Department
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NEWS •
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OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
Trinity Progressives host screening and discussion of the film The Mask You Live In
NEWS REPORTER
On October 21, Trinity Progressives screened of part of the movie The Mask You Live In and had a discussion on gender roles and stereotypes. The showing was a follow-up to the organization’s showing of Miss Representation last year. “Last year we showed Miss Representation and it was really successful. We really like the topic of gender stereotypes and the effects they have on everyone. This is the sequel to that so it was a natural steppingstone,” said Nick Santulli, a sophomore at Trinity and debate coordinator for Trinity Progressives. The movie was shown as a continuation of the campus’ discussion on gender and gender stereotypes in society. “People responded to it really well so we thought it would be good to show the other side of things and see why men feel the need to be more masculine in society,” said Beth Legg, a Trinity
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How do you start to break this cycle of masculinity? How do you start having to not put on that particular mask? Jennifer Henderson Professor of Communications
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BY ALEXANDRA URI
sophomore and president of Trinity Progressives. The movie deals with issues regarding masculinity and the struggles men and boys face in society. According to the movie’s website, “The Mask You Live In follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.” Only one hour was shown of the movie to narrow the conversation. The clips were chosen to showcase the strongest and most provocative parts of the movie.
“We just thought that if we wanted to focus on masculinity this part really did the best job of that,” said Jennifer Henderson, professor of communications at Trinity.
After showing the clip a discussion about issues brought up in the movie was led my communications professors Jennifer Henderson and Aaron Delwiche. Students shared whether they agreed with the movie’s argument about the portrayal of gender. “Looking back to elementary school I remember we would all go in the same cafeteria but the girls would all sit on one side of the cafeteria and the boys would sit on the other side. It was always just how it was done,” said Becca Burt, a senior at Trinity. The group also discussed the title of the film and the masks people wear in their everyday lives. “How do you start to break the cycle of this masculinity, I guess, you know how do you start having to not put on that particular mask. I would argue that we all wear masks every day in all kinds of situations depending one whoever we are interacting with at that time. We have thousands of masks. It seems like this masculinity mask goes over the top all of the other masks, like the double bad Halloween mask that you can’t see anything out of,” Henderson said. The discussion also covered the media’s role in gender stereotyping and what students can do to combat that. “One of the things we say in communication all the time is you are the next media makers. You get to make the changes of the world. I think there is a lot of change. It is slow in coming, the good change is always slow in coming,
but I do think there is change coming,” said Henderson. The group also talked about how individuals can contest gender roles. “I think there’s a very simple way to combat gender roles in gender roles and its you just have to ask people questions,” said Phillip Flagg, a senior at Trinity.
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Looking back to elementary school I remember we would all go in the same cafeteria, but the girls would all sit on one side of the cafeteria and the boys would sit on the other side. Becca Burt Senior
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The Progressives open up a discussion regarding hegemonic masculinity in young boys in modern American Culture
The take-away from the evening’s discussion is that people are the same regardless of their gender. “I think a lot of it would be emphasizing the fact that we’re all people,” Santulli said.
Mabuhay performance enchants Trinity community The event showcased traditional food and dance from the Philippines in annual celebration BY JESSICA LUHRMAN
NEWS REPORTER
Last Friday, October 23, the Filipino Student Association hosted Mabuhay, the annual cultural event including dance performances and food in Laurie Auditorium. Joy Tan, the co-president of FSA and a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major, has been dancing in Mabuhay for four years. “Mabuhay features a variety of traditional Filipino dances. We have one called the ‘Coconut Dance’ and it’s guys dancing with coconut shells. It’s a comedic performance. I am also co-coreographing a dance called ‘Tinikling,’ which is a dance between clapping bamboo sticks,” Tan said. There were nine performances during Mabuhay including performances from Looney Crew, the Prowlers Dance Team and the Indian Student Association. After the Mabuhay performances, Filipino foods were available for guests. “We have a lot of comfort Filipino foods like chicken adobo, menudo and traditional Filipino desserts. So if people don’t know what Filipino food is, it’s a good way to get introduced to our staple foods,” Tan said. Lawrence Pasaoa, a senior biology and sociology major, has been dancing, choreographing and producing dances in Mabuhay for six years. Pasaoa has also been credited with bringing the “Coconut Dance” to Trinity. “When I was a kid, the Coconut Dance was a traditional dance. When I brought it to Trinity, I wanted to make it more modern by adding Snoop Dogg,” Pasaoa said. In the Philippines, “mabuhay” is often used to welcome others or as a greeting, meaning “to live” or “to thrive.” The goal of Mabuhay is to welcome the Trinity community to Filipino culture. “Every year when people come up to you and thank you for sharing your culture, that’s one of the most meaningful moments. Especially because your culture
The men of Coco Bros celebrate last years Mabuhay by performing their famous coconut dance for the Trinity community.
is something you grow up with, so it’s very dear to you,” Pasaoa said. Dzung Vu, a junior and accounting major, has danced in Mabuhay for two years. This year she performed in the “Umbrella Dance” featuring women dancing with umbrellas. “The best part is the audience’s response. They were so well received and excited for each performance. It really gave the performers motivation,” Vu said. Dancers have been practicing since the beginning of the fall semester. Many of the dancers who participate in Mabuhay have no dance background. “I didn’t have any experience with dance my freshman year. A lot of people come in not knowing how to dance. We teach them. You don’t need any dance experience to learn,” Tan said. When Mabuhay first began, it was a much smaller event, according to Pasaoa. “The first time I ever did it, it was still on the
file photo
Esplanade. It wasn’t a huge event at all. There were no more than 30 people, including the dancers.” In 2012, the FSA moved Mabuhay to Laurie Auditorium. Tan notes that the turnout for the event has increased. “Every year we’ve been getting more of a turnout. My freshman year was the first year we had it in Laurie and it’s been growing every year. Last year we’ve had about 150 people which is about how many we expect every year,” Tan said. The most memorable aspect of the annual festivity is sharing Filipino culture with others, according to Pasaoa. “Seeing people you know have fun dancing in the dance of your culture is probably the most rewarding part,” Pasaoa said.
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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2015 •
Classical Mythology Film Series Series hosts several movies and discussion of mythology and influences from the past BY ALEXANDRA URI
NEWS REPORTER
Thursday October 22, students had the opportunity to watch Forbidden Planet as part of the Classical Myth Film Series. The series began as a way for students taking Classical Myth to see how stories of the past have influenced modern day media. “For several years I’ve enjoyed attaching film series to my courses, as a way of building the community of the class, inviting the larger community to take part, and introducing students to what’s called ‘reception studies,’ the study of how later works--e.g., film and video, the modern novel, the graphic novel--transmit and transmute ancient sources. The classical myth series in particular is attached to CLAS 1305 Classical Myth, as an optional way for those students to see how ancient Greek and Roman myths have influenced modern storytelling. It’s also simply a fun way to spend a few hours each week,” said Benjamin Stevens, a professor of classical studies at Trinity.
The movie, which can be regarded as a classic film to today’s viewers, takes place in an imagined future where planetary travel is a common practice. “Forbidden Planet is a ‘classic’ in a modern sense, a foundational modern science fiction film that is beautifully shot and intelligently constructed,” said Stevens. Students who went to previous movies in the series enjoyed them and decided to keep coming. “I started coming here and I’ve come back every Thursday,” said Carl Teegerstrom, a first-year at Trinity. The series is open to students outside of the class and the films have been a real draw, especially last week’s showing of O Brother, Where Art Thou? “That one was really good so I came back expecting this one to be just as good,” said Alyssa Alvarado, a firstyear at Trinity. Forbidden Planet can be interpreted to represent both a Shakespearean reworking and as a Aristotelian tragedy. “In terms of reception studies, its plot has been analyzed primarily as reworking Shakespeare’s The Tempest--a planet (like an island) controlled by a man with access to mysterious powers (like Prospero) and whose daughter (like Miranda) falls in love with a member of a marooned crew (like Ferdinand), etc.--but more recently it’s been read
as representing a mid-twentieth century understanding of Aristotle’s view of the genre of tragedy: in particular it can be read as a version of the Oedipus myth, in which a man’s intelligence blinds him to his responsibility for a tragic situation,” said Stevens. The film series will continue throughout the semester with a wide variety of films. “Coming up are Spartacus, in time for a biopic about screenwriter Dalton Trumbo; Black Orpheus, a breathtaking retelling of the Orpheus myth at carnival; Blade Runner, which develops an ancient and Miltonic image of human beings, fallen angels and their creator; and Disney’s Hercules,” said Stevens. A similar film series will begin in the spring semester of 2016 in conjunction with the Afterlives of Antiquity class. “Next semester’s CLAS 1315 Afterlives of Antiquity will have an attached film series, focused on the course themes of journeys into the underworld and encounters with the dead in films like Atonement, Interstellar, Pan’s Labyrinth, Se7en, and Silence of the Lambs,” said Stevens. The series is held on Thursdays in the Richardson Communications Center room 320 and are announced in Leeroy.
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OPINION • OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
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pinion
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We want to read your thoughts on gun control! Do you want more regulations? More freedom? Let us know! Submit your written pieces to trinitonian@trinity.edu for a chance to be featured in our upcoming issues.
Service learning and Trinity’s impact
Today’s #AskTingleTU column is the second in a four-part series introducing you to the new Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success (The Center). As a reminder, Experiential Learning (EXL) is “hands on learning” or “learning by doing” and it takes numerous forms: course-embedded projects, undergraduate research, service learning and internships. Whereas the first column highlighted the value of internships, today’s focus is on Service Learning. As a quick primer, Trinity students are really good at Service Learning. In the most recent reporting year, you logged over 125,000 hours of community services, which amounted to a 2.9 million dollar economic impact on the city of San Antonio. Trinity students read more than 1,600 books to children, donated 200 pints of blood and served 11,200 hot meals with our community partners such as Haven for Hope and the San Antonio Food Bank. In fact, Trinity has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest recognition a school can receive from the federal government for commitment to the community, every year since 2008. In hopes you’ll read the entire column — which I know you wouldn’t if I rambled on using academic jargon — I’ll let students describe the value of experiential learning in their own words. This week, Maddy Loeb, senior history and Spanish major, and Ana Ruiz, senior business administration major, describe their experience with Service Learning while at Trinity. Take it away Maddy! “Since my first semester at Trinity, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with a program known as Multi-level Educational Youth Outreach (M.E.Y.O.), an after-school
program for kids on the West Side of San Antonio. This program is one of the best parts of my week, and has had a major impact on my experience at Trinity. Working with those kids and witnessing the strong community on JACOB TINGLE the West Side has provided me with a fresh perspective on my education. #AskTingleTU One that transcends the confines of the classroom. It is so easy to become immersed in the rigorous academic lifestyle at Trinity and consequently lose sight of how truly privileged we are to attend this university. My time with M.E.Y.O. gives my Trinity experience new meaning and purpose. It reminds me that I am tasked with not only academic success to benefit my own future but also with benefiting these kids and others who, without dedicated advocates for their education, will not be afforded the same opportunities. In this way, service within the San Antonio community has shaped my future for the better and has made my time at Trinity more worthwhile. The smile on a nine-year-old’s face as they conquer multiplying decimals with confidence — well, it’s simply unbeatable.” Ana Ruiz also began serving the San Antonio community during her first semester at Trinity. She describes the experience this way: “As an incoming freshman I was asked if I had the preference to live in a community service oriented hall: HOPE Hall. I knew I was interested in volunteering while at Trinity, but I did not know much about it. Regardless, I decided to take a chance and join the hall. As I look back, I think of how the click of one checkbox transformed my entire Trinity experience.
In just four years, the hall has grown, not only in the number of our members, but also in the amount of people that we serve, the stories we hear and the connections we are able to make. I am grateful to have been able to witness this growth.” “Engaging in service learning has given me the opportunity to grow from a scared first-year to the Director of Community Outreach and Relations for the hall. It has allowed me to learn the importance of serving others. Some say that service is like putting drops of water in a cup. If there are enough drops, the cup will be overflown and the mission will be fulfilled. While this is a great analogy, HOPE Hall has taught me to view community service more as drops of water that cause a ripple. While the impact may be small it first, it gains momentum and continues to spread beyond what we could ever imagine.” As Maddy and Ana describe, Trinity students are indeed served through their own service. Last year, 20 students received President’s Volunteer Service Award, a huge honor for an institution our size. As an alumnus and resident of San Antonio, I couldn’t be more proud of the dedication and commitment of Trinity students. Want to better understand what it means to live in a community? Want to have an impact on San Antonio, Bexar County, and South Texas? Get involved — today! Email Edwin Blanton (eblanton@trinity.edu) or drop by The Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success to find your direction. Jacob Tingle is the new director of Experiential Learning, co-director of Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success and chair of the sports management minor program.
Why we should examine the causes of prejudice In last week’s Trinitonian, Professor David Crockett wrote about the importance of open and respectful dialogue on university campuses. I couldn’t agree with him more on this point, and it makes me wish he had been present at the Prejudice Panel about which he wrote. My experience from inside the room was that the students and speakers did a fantastic job in presenting and being respectful of various opinions related to discrimination and anti-Muslim sentiment. The panel was initiated by Trinity students concerned about the case of Ahmed Mohammed, a 14-year old boy from Irving, Texas who was arrested and illegally detained by authorities for bringing a homemade clock to school. The panel discussion connected Mohammed’s arrest with the documented rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in modern America and raised questions about how the conditions surrounding his arrest are linked to broader forms of racism and xenophobia. Students in the room shared their own experiences of prejudice on the basis of different identities — black males spoke about what it’s like to be racially profiled, women reflected on being perceived as
sexual objects, and one individual shared that he receives hate mail for expressing his political opinions. The most powerful moment of the panel — at least for me — was when a young woman opened up about how painful it has been for her to be treated as an outsider or terrorist simply because she comes from a Muslim family. The panel reminded me that we all experience different forms of prejudice in our lives and that, as members of the collective community of Trinity University, we will be better off if we recognize and empathize with the shared aspects of our experiences. If we have learned anything from history, we know that we are always strongest as a community when we stand together. It is this belief of collective solidarity that motivates me to address issues of social discrimination in our world. Anti-Muslim sentiment is one such manifestation of this broader problem, and it is no secret that negative perceptions of Islam are only getting worse. There are many studies that demonstrate the rise of antiMuslim sentiment in post-9/11 America, including an alarming 2014 study from the Arab American Institute, which found that only 27 percent of Americans have
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a favorable attitude towards Islam, a twenty percent drop since 2001. The negative views of Islam as a Simran Jeet Singh religious tradition are dangerous for Guest Column us as a society. For one, people have used these perceptions to justify stereotypes about entire communities. In last week’s column, Professor Crockett used this same logic to justify the racial profiling of American Muslims. As an American and as a Sikh, I believe it is ethically wrong to consider people guilty by association. We have all studied American and world history, and we all know what happens when we begin to judge an entire group based on the actions of a few individuals. In addition to being ethically wrong, studies have also shown that racial profiling is ineffective and takes away from resources that could be spent on effective measures that would actually make our nation safer. As someone who has been pulled over and questioned by officers because of how I look, I can tell you that racial profiling is
incredibly dehumanizing and alienating. As someone who is racially profiled at airport screenings every time I travel, I know that having my turban searched for weapons and swabbed for bomb residue is a racist policy that humiliates me and makes me feel like I do not belong in the country where I was born and raised. Our nation is currently in a moment where anti-Muslim sentiment is increasing and fear of the other is being used to justify discrimination against entire communities. Members of our own community at Trinity University are directly affected by such injustice, and we can only support and empathize with one another once we open up our hearts and minds to what is happening in our world. We are stronger and healthier — both individually and as a community — when we engage in such genuine conversations. This is why I am proud to support each and every student who organized and participated in the Prejudice Panel last month.
Simran Jeet Singh is a professor of religion.
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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2015 •
Unattainable standards
Imagine the following situation: you’re in your dorm room, staring at a book or computer, trying to get one last bit of reading done before you go to bed. You think about the reading, plus the paper you have due next week, that test COURTNEY JUSTUS you still have to study for and all Turquoise Verses the people you promised yourself last week that you’d call and text to hang out “sometime soon.” And what if you have a job, an important position in a club or some other kind of activity or production that you are committed to? What about all the other commitments that come up as a result of life in general? You think about everything you have to do and compare it to everything you would accomplish in an ideal. You think about people’s angry reactions to your imagined failures. As a result, fear and guilt ensue. Am I going to mess up my term paper like last time? Are my friends mad at me right now? Am I doing a good job with my part? Am I a terrible person? Why can’t I do all these things right? If you can imagine this situation, or relate to even half of these concerns, then you’ve got some idea of what I go through nearly every day. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a tendency towards perfectionism. It’s not entirely cured yet, but I’m a lot better now than I used to be. I know midterms and the weeks that follow them are difficult for almost everyone, and that stress can lead to a degradation of physical and mental health, both of which I do my best to avoid, especially considering my past experiences. In the middle of midterms last semester, I experienced a personal loss while I was pretty sick. That death is still hard for me to talk about. Weeks after midterms were over, I was still not over this loss, and I found myself experiencing bouts of great sadness and anger as I struggled with academics, extracurricular commitments and relationships, wondering whether I would ever be good enough at anything or for anyone. Fast forward to the following semester. Midterms are over, and I’m sitting in front of a computer, thinking about the papers I have to write, the people I should call and whether people are actually going to like the article I’m writing. Even with the praise I’ve received about my writing, I still feel insecure about it, perhaps more so than I should. But I choose to put aside the insecurity and high-level stress because the unreachable standards that I set out for myself in the past will not make my present or my future any better. Every day I think about how lucky I am to be able to study and do what I love, surrounded by people that truly care about me, and I realize that there is no need to overwork myself due to unjust, useless comparisons that I have invented myself. Trying to reach standards that are both unhealthy and unrealistic will only get us further from who we really want to be, and while I may still overstress sometimes, I won’t let myself get so damaged by perfectionism ever again.
Courtney Justus is a sophomore English and philosophy major with a minor in creative writing.
I’ll be honest. After three back-toback Trinitonian issues about the gold-mine that was the Prejudice Today panel, I truly thought I had my fill. And after wasting my own blood and treasure a much less glorious debate on one notorious Facebook group, surely then I was finished. But, lo and behold, a voice of considerable ethos dotted across the newest issue. What sort of scholar would I be if I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to test my mettle against the likes of Dr. Crockett? Given his rousing appeal for the merits of open discussion I feel it necessary to remind him: you asked for this. I have been advised by minds who I respect to always attack the most profitable argument made by my opponents; as such, Dr. Crockett’s argument goes as follows. First, liberal universities are becoming enclaves for a certain type of thought that is corrosive to the free expression
OPINION
A relection on islamophobia as a stiffling narrative I read with interest the piece called “‘Isl¬¬amophobia’ narrative stifles alternatives,” by my good colleague, professor David Crockett. He mentioned many things but his starting as well as finishing point concerned free speech in universities. He rightly stated that universities must be places where everyone is free to express his or her opinion without interference. But what seemed to be a defense of free speech turned out to be a call for its confinement. Let me explain: The series of commentaries published in Trinitonian that Professor Crockett called a “minor fracas” were about a student-organized panel on prejudice. The first was a criticism of the panel by Nikita Chirkov on Oct 2, for among other things, its use of the term Islamophobia, which he found as ridiculous as made up terms such as “marketophobia” or “offendophobia.” In the next week there were several pieces on the same topic, two of which were direct responses to Chirkov. In one column, Joseph Khalaf was tough not only on Mr. Chirkov but on the panel’s organizers. In another, Anne Belleville gave a measured and respectful response to Mr. Chirkov while defending the panel. She explained the concept of Islamophobia and what it actually entails, and thus challenged Chirkov’s interpretation. Professor Crockett finds the panel, that neither he nor I attended, and the subsequent commentaries, or rather some of it, to represent examples of “the conventional wisdom of the university” and/or “the tyranny of the public opinion.” One may now ask in what way was the student organized panel, sympathetic to the argument that Ahmed Mohamed was a victim of prejudice, an example of “the conventional wisdom of the university?” And in what sense should the two responses to Chirkov’s piece qualified as “tyranny of public opinion?” Professor Crockett did not explain. Perhaps his sentiment resides in the title of his commentary that the “Islamophobia” narrative stifles alternatives. Could this be interpreted as a call for restraining Islamophobic speech so that alternative viewpoints find the opportunity to be expressed and perhaps then true “free” speech to be restored? Dr. Crockett’s stated point is that the minority voice, in this case the voice
of ideas. Second, while the vanguards of this thought decry systems of domination, they simultaneously colonize the public sphere by stifling alternative viewpoints. Third, this colonization results in a spiral of silence. Finally, well-rounded voices of reason are pushed away from the discussion and we are forced to accept that what happened to young Ahmed Mohamed was an instance of Islamophobia, instead of recognizing the incident as a high profile case of overreaction. The first thing Dr. Crockett misses with his analysis is the very nature of democracy. Whose ideas are being silenced, and where is this silencing happening? Perhaps liberal art colleges are communities that breed limits on discourse, but I can scarcely think of any community that doesn’t. All communities are constituted by sets of rules that govern the conduct and shape the identity of its members. Some rules of a community are
of those who question that the treatment of Ahmed Mohamed, was an example of discrimination against Muslims Susan Siavoshi in this country, Guest Column or even the voice of those who believe that if prejudice against Muslims exists it is due to their own fault, have the right to be expressed. But who is stopping these voices? What institutional, financial or structural forces have been garnered against minority voices? Dr. Crockett, a member of one “minority,” has been the most frequent commentator in the Trinitonian. In many of his pieces he speaks of controversial matters and chooses a side, sometimes gently mocking the opposing position. Occasionally he has been taken to task in the same manner. Does he consider these challenges to his opinion as examples of “the tyranny of public opinion?” In the present case, has the university prevented or even discouraged representatives of “minority” opinion from organizing an alternative panel? Chirkov suggested that there are “threats and pure hatred from other students and administrative staff” against/toward conservatives. Are these “threats” taken within the university setting? If so have they been reported to the authorities? And if so, has the university failed to respond? If there has been a lack of proper university response then shame on the university. If not, then what is this talk about constraint on alternative viewpoints? In other words where is the beef? Freedom of speech does not mean protection of our speech from potential challenges raised in others’ speech. Nor does it mean that the opposing side has the responsibility to ensure that we speak our mind. That responsibility belongs to those of us who, in one way or another, hold a minority point of view. On occasion, many of us have found ourselves in a spot where due to fear of the reaction of the majority opinion, we hesitated to express ourselves. But we did, we got bruised and we became part of an intellectually-lively community. This is what a university experience is all about. There is a national debate about whether or not Ahmed Mohamed’s case
Ok, I’ll bite incredibly important, such as doctrines against violence. Nathan Rothenbaum O t h e r s are much Guest Column m o r e trivial — the compulsion to wear clothes. A prohibition on making excuses for racial discrimination lies somewhere between these two poles. The readers can decide where. I suggest that those who think “political correctness has gone too far” either venture outside the Trinity Bubble or read any of the comments on Youtube. With supreme irony Dr. Crockett argues that we need to appreciate how far we have come in the way we dole out our racial punishments. After all, 120,000 Arab-Americans could have been incarcerated. Maybe this “glasshalf-full perspective” should be
is an example of Islamophobia. In my personal view it is, but I also believe that the skeptics have every right to express their opinions, not only in this case, but in others such as the murders of three Muslim students at North Carolina University. And they actually do, judging by the loud voices in major media outlets such as Fox News, numerous talk radio shows and across social media. But along with opinions come facts. According to a 2006 Washington PostABC poll, 46 percent of Americans have unfavorable view of Islam but more importantly a large minority, 33% of Americans thought that “MAINSTREAM [emphasis is mine] Islam encourages violence against nonMuslims.” Well, it does not. Contrary to the public opinion the Quran is no more violent than the holy texts of other Abrahamic religions. But, the negative view of Muslims due to the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria (whether our invasion of Iraq contributed to the rise of ISIS is a matter for another discussion) have increased since 2006. And in fact these statistics do not suggest that the majority of Americans necessarily have favorable view of Muslims. There is a widespread suspicion of not only of the small minority of the radicalized Muslims who would like to hurt us but of all Muslims, over 1.6 billion of them. I do not believe that this fact along with the vulnerability and fear that it brings to Muslim Americans should be swept under the rug. Do American Muslims have the right to say that they are victims of discrimination, profiling, and at times even violence without being subject to the condescending reply that they should quit whining and be grateful that “we” have avoided the option of putting them in “detention camps”? Universities should protect free speech and refrain from any attempt to silence minority views. But it is not the responsibility of the university to protect any minority view from being challenged. Free speech is meant to be for all and not only the side with which we sympathize.
Susan Siavoshi is a professor of political science.
applied to conservatives’ bemoaning. No one is being expelled or put in prison; they are simply being told they are wrong. What we witnessed at the Prejudice Today panel was not a revolt against the merits of freedom of speech, but rather the last muffled voice of protest from an ideology finally being stomped out. In short, no one (yet) opposes your freedom to speak, they just think your ideas are both dumb and oppressive. We foolishly believe democracy is a dialogue, but it isn’t; democracy is a dialectic, a contest of ideas where some win and others lose. This is not to say that Dr. Crockett is wrong about his diagnosis of a spiral of silence. But what he is missing is context. Imagine how inconceivable it was for racial minorities to even broker the topic of discrimination in years previous. How just fourteen years ago there was a forced choice between being a Muslim and being an American. The spiral of silence is
simply a descriptor of a centripetal force that modulates group behavior. It is not, in of itself, problematic. The fact that people now bite their tongue instead of openly arguing for oppression is a spiral of silence worth protecting, not changing. While Dr. Crockett uses a lot of words like “white male patriarchy” or “white privilege,” he wastes his breath critiquing these paradigms for excluding other perspectives and not nearly enough time defending the perspectives that are being excluded. To put it another way to those demanding honest debate: what is not up for debate in our love affair with liberal democracy is the appeal to the debate itself. Maybe it ought to be.
Nathan Rothenbaum is a senior anthropology and human communication major.
OPINION • OCTOBER 30, 2015
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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and violence in football If you knew of a specific activity that caused memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, parkinsonism and, eventually, progressive dementia, would you not speak out against it? Would it not make sense to treat it with scorn, to avoid, criminalize and abhor it? People have reacted to cigarettes, alcohol and recreational drugs this way, and they are now in the process of speaking out against processed meat. Why do we taboo these vices? Well, because they’re bad for us. They threaten to shorten our lives, deteriorate our minds and in the case of cocaine, threaten to instill homicidal and suicidal thoughts into the minds of otherwise rational and sensible people. Surely we want to avoid all of these perils in our society in order to enhance the quality and longevity of our lives and the lives of our loved ones, right? It seems as though as an American society we’ve largely said yes. So how long will it take us to add full-contact football to that list? Mike Webster became the first former professional NFL player to be diagnosed with a rare brain disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in 2002. Boston University has been a pioneer in conducting research on the disease since 1996 after it established its own research center specifically for CTE. It’s a part of the university’s previously established Alzheimer’s Disease Center. On September 18 2015, PBS Frontline released an article presenting research findings from a study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University. They concluded that out of 165 professional, college and high school players tested for CTE, 131 of them showed signs of having the degenerative brain disease. The CTE center’s website has a frequently asked questions section that presents startling assertions like “CTE is caused by repetitive brain trauma. This trauma includes both concussions that cause symptoms and subconcussive hits to the head that cause no symptoms.” Another frightening piece of information is that while the effects of a similar disease, such as Alzheimer’s, begin to show in an individual’s ‘60s, the effects of CTE begin to show as early on as an individual’s ‘40s. The symptoms listed at the outset of this article were also provided by the page as the symptoms
most commonly associated with CTE. Perhaps the most frightening bit of information is that traces of the disease have been found in the brains of individuals as young as 17. With all of this research and information available to the public, why isn’t more being done? Is it simply because football is a source of entertainment? A part of me can empathize with people’s appreciation for some aspects of the sport. At the outset of last year’s fall semester, my roommate introduced me to the renowned video game “Madden”. I hadn’t paid much attention to the sport since I stopped playing in middle school, but autumn hours spent playing the game somehow highlighted the extreme athleticism required to be among football’s elite like nothing else could before. My interest in the sport surged and I was drawn into watching a few games, which I thoroughly enjoyed for their uncertainty of the outcome, the strategy behind a team’s plays and the unfathomable amounts of talent possessed by some players. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in awe of some men’s ability to grasp a ball soaring from yards away while simultaneously sprinting, spinning and often times leaping over defenders in order to capture that flying object. Players momentarily move like danseurs in the ways they manage to maneuver down the field, a comparison I’m sure many football players would hate. There is an art to the game. However, any appreciation of athletic prowess is removed as soon as players are treated as nothing more than targets set for obliteration. While I wish I could enjoy the game as I used to, I simply cannot overlook the violence that exists in full contact football. A growing discourse has begun a debate asking if football should be banned. If it continues in the way it has been, then I’d say yes. However, there is a way to save the sport from the violence as I suggested earlier; I’m just fairly certain people won’t like the idea. Flag football presents itself as the most obvious alternative to tackle football. Most people understand flag football as the sport’s wimpy sibling that only little kids play; you know, until they turn 6 and are permitted to suit up to strike and be struck. Fun fact, according to the website Sportsvite, flag football was played throughout the 1940s by American military personnel looking for a recreational activity. I’d love to meet a football
fan prepared to comment on the wimpish-ness of those individuals. It’s the exact same game as football, just without the tackling. Instead, flags are attached to belts located JEFF SULLIVAN around players’ waists, My Perspective and a player becomes “downed” when a defender pulls a ball carrier’s flag. The benefits of switching from tackle to flag football could be enormous. The breakdown of minds would drastically decrease. The game could be enjoyed for its honorable attributes such as tremendous athleticism orchestrated by skillful athletes who have to work as a team to succeed. The sport could be opened to female athletes who have had a desire to participate in the game but have been discriminated against due to the extreme violence, which somehow acceptable only for male athletes to endure. With all of these potential benefits, why has there not been a serious discussion amongst the general public about instituting these necessary shifts in how people play the game? Why have we continued to wait for the next fix-it-all helmet instead of addressing the true root of problem, the game’s barbaric violence? The depressing truth seems to be that the sadistic elements of football are a large part of what fans love in the game. When first setting about to write this piece, I didn’t feel it would be appropriate to assert that sort of sentiment due to my belief that it was a biased and unfounded opinion. However, that was before I watched a two-minute long commercial to the abhorrent television show Friday Night Tykes. The commercial would have one believe that the main purpose of the show is to exploit and promote the suffering of children for the entertainment of a perverted viewer. Within ten seconds of the commercial, which can be viewed on Esquire’s page for the show, a child is shown being smashed so hard by two oncoming defenders that his helmet flies off from the force. Another clip shows a player smashing the top of his head into the facemask of another player after hearing his coach prompt him to “go through him like a wall.” A few moments later, another coach states “you gotta play tough” before two children sprint into each other, creating an
audible crack as their heads collide. While these clips were stomach-wrenching enough, there are more scenes immediately following that depict both a sprawled out, sobbing child and another one whose dazed and crossed eyes make it clear that he’s concussed. “Chop off the head and the body will fall” states one coach, while another instructs a player to “quit acting like a little girl.” To top it all off, I discovered that all the teams depicted in the show are San Antonio youth football teams. It would take a writer far more skilled than I to accurately describe the disgust and repulsion I felt after viewing the commercial. The video, which was published in March of this year, highlights the sadistic desire of, at the absolute least, some football fans to see bigger, harder, faster, more debilitating hits in football, even if the players are middle school children. It seems as though whenever the topic of banning football arises, people are quick to state that adults should be able to do whatever they want to their bodies, even if that means putting oneself at risk of CTE. While the argument is shown to be clearly untrue in terms of other vices, it is the steadfast argument of freedom. If you feel that adults ought to be able to play full-contact football, then fine, I won’t argue with you here. However, the fact that children and teens with clearly developing minds have been allowed and oftentimes encouraged to be exposed to such a mentally destructive game is beyond logic to me. It’s particularly confusing to me that educational institutions, whose inherent purpose is to foster growth of the mind, manage to remain nonplussed, despite the weight of the evidence for CTE while still ostensibly supporting the healthy development of their students. Quite simply, I can’t stomach watching or going to football games anymore. It’s simply impossible to ignore the barbarity. I believe that full-contact football ought to be banned for anyone under the age of 18 years old. Flag football ought to be offered as an immediate solution to the problem of violence in the sport. This shift ought to be made to enhance the minds of all athletes whether they’re children, teenagers or adults. Jeff Sullivan is a junior political science major with a minor in English.
EDITORIAL
Nice and short Due to space constraints resulting from a deluge of guest submissions to our publication (thanks Nikita), we’ll keep the editorial short this week. We just wanted to say one thing. Well one thing, two words, whatever. Thank you. We’ve had our share of rough patches, from staff issues to re-designing fiasco, but the continued interest you, our readers, have shown in the newspaper has been overwhelming. From responses to our fellow student’s opinion pieces to debates between faculty members, seeing engaged and active Trinity students and faculty members warms our hearts. We may not agree with each other across campus, let alone across our own office (hell, it’s hard enough coming up with an editorial everyone can, at the very least, not entirely hate), but sharing different views and opinions is what college and university should be all about. There is still work to do, but being something — a starting point, a response point, a form of catharsis or simply a place to rant — is a chance we cherish. We’ve been able to be a part of the debate in a significant way, from in class discussions to simply receiving
angry letters, and we thank our readers for taking the time not only to enjoy our content, but to engage with us to add to the ongoing discussions, dialogue and conversations on campus. Being able to bring all sides to the table, no matter how far removed from our own perception of “right” and “wrong”, only benefits us all by enabling us to potentially correct certain views we disagree with or to simply learn from others. So without being too sappy, and before our tears distort the print, we’ll say it again — thanks to all those who read, engage with and contribute to our paper and to the essence of the freedom of speech, regardless of what side of the debate you are on. We wish we had more space to contribute to the conversation this week but we’ll leave that to our ever talented staff members and guest submissions. If we had the chance I like to think we’d tackle the notion of Halloween costume culture and the objectification of women. Instead we’ll leave you with some simple advice. Be respectful. Don’t be assholes. Simple enough. That said, have a safe and happy Halloween, Trinity!
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
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“It’s good to be smart, but it’s better to be kind. Ideally you should try to be both.” Aaron Delwiche, Communication
Theatre department recieves awards for outstanding work Trinity Theatre’s production of “The Glass Menagerie” recognized for best Direction and Lighting Design BY NIPUNI GOMES
PULSE REPORTER
On Sunday, October 25th, Trinity University’s department of theatre was awarded Alamo Theatre Arts Council (ATAC) Globe Awards for Direction and Lighting Design for the production of “The Glass Menagerie” in October 2014. The awards were granted to Kyle Gillette, associate professor of human communication and theatre and director of “The Glass Menagerie” and Timothy Francis, lighting designer and technical director for human communication and theatre, and lighting designer for “The Glass Menagerie.” For the past 25 years, the ATAC has been granting recognition to outstanding members of the San Antonio theatre community. “It’s San Antonio’s version of the Tonys. [Some time ago] they separated out college productions, so we are our own category, and within those, each production can get nominated for an award for best directing, best featured actor or supporting actor or actress, lighting design, set design, costume design, sound design… So, all of those are potential categories any individual production could win an award for,” Francis said. “The Glass Menagerie,” which was written by Tennessee Williams and first premiered in 1944, is what is known as a ‘memory play.’ It is a four-character production that tells a story inside the mind of one of the characters, Tom Wingfield, who remembers his mother Amanda and sister Laura as they all lived in poverty in St. Louis, MO. “It was a small cast: Sarah Tipton played Laura Wingfield, the daughter; Tristan Harness played Amanda, the mother; Dallas Atkins played Tom; and Tyler Osiri played Jim O’Connor. There were many other students involved too. The assistant director was Ruthie Banks, and this award I very much consider a representation of all of their work, not just mine,” Gillette said. According to Gillette, others involved include Jodi Karjala as costume designer, Sarah Martin as set designer and Katie DeVolt as stage manager. “This production, I feel very proud of what everyone did on
Trinity’s theatre department was recognized for Direction and Lighting Design at last week’s ATAC awards.
this. They’re focused, the cast was so specific and careful; they brought such sincerity to their relationships and such rigor to the rehearsal process. The designers also did such a lovely job, particularly Tim [Francis], of isolating, creating this sense of a floating island that really helps accentuate the actors’ work. It’s a beautiful play,” Gillette said. The preparation process for “The Glass Menagerie” was long and arduous. According to Gillette, the designing process was initiated in the summer of 2014, long before rehearsals even began. Work intensified once the semester started. “We worked for five weeks since the beginning of the semester: building the scenery, painting the scenery, hanging the lights, focusing the lights, choosing what sounds we’d use, cueing those in, building costumes from scratch and, of course, rehearsing the show. Even a fairly small show like that, which only had four characters, behind the scenes, there was at least forty people,” Francis said. “It was four-hour rehearsals, six days a week and that’s a lot,” said junior theatre major Ruth Banks, assistant director of the production.
photo by Luke Wise
Students had active roles in the production of the play as well. Under Gillette’s and Francis’ direction, they were instrumental to all elements of production, including lighting design and both the design and construction of the costumes and set. “The visual elements were designed and constructed specifically for that show. We bought the raw materials and made [the set] from scratch. […] With lighting, students assisted me as well. Students who were in the theater class would help hang and focus all of those lights under my direction. […] Not only did students perform in our show, but they are primarily responsible for the construction under our supervision of the scenery, the lighting and the costumes,” Francis said. “The Glass Menagerie” was Banks’ second instance working as an assistant director for Gillette. During her first year, she took part in the production of “The Skin of Our Teeth.” As a sophomore, her goal was to have an even more active participation in the production of the play.
Singing students excited to show skills Mu Phi Epsilon’s annual ‘Trinity Idol’ competition provides opportunity to showcase musical talent BY EMILY ELLIOTT
PULSE REPORTER
Mu Phi Epsilon, Trinity’s music fraternity, is preparing to hold their annual Trinity Idol competition on Wednesday, November 4, Trinity Idol. Students will perform songs of their choice in front of a panel of three judges from various faculties of Trinity, including Andrew Hansen, associate professor of human communication and theatre and John Jacobs, assistant director of student involvement. After several weeks of auditioning and practicing, the contestants are preparing for the real deal. In order to perform at Trinity Idol, contestants had to make it past an initial audition round; about 30 contestants auditioned in this first round, and only some were selected to advance to the next round, much like auditions seen on reality shows. “It’s Mu Phi’s attempt to emulate American Idol at Trinity. There are two rounds of judging; we picked ten contestants from the
first round, and they will be performing on the night of Trinity Idol,” said Susan Lo, junior music education major and Mu Phi Epsilon member. The three judges will then select their three favorite performers whom audience members will then vote on to determine the winner. As an active member of the fraternity, Susan will also be working the event to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible. “I’m helping with ushering and setting up the stage,” Lo said. As the event approaches, students may find themselves getting nervous, but with time left to practice before the event, anxious students can calm their nerves. “Seize the chance to practice your song in front of friends or even strangers,” Lo said. Contestants are using this performance as a chance to share their skill or passion for music with others. “I really like to sing, and it was one of those moments where I got to sing, but I don’t have to make a huge commitment. I used to sing
in my previous school, at talent shows and stuff, but that’s pretty much it,” said Kenneth Kusima, a first-year engineering major and Trinity Idol contestant. After auditioning with Ed Sheeran’s “Tenerife Sea,” Kusima was selected from the first round contestants to perform at the showcase, and since then, he has been building excitement for the event. “It’s been an informative process. You really know what to expect, but at the same time, you’re fighting because you have no idea how the other people are going to be. But in general, just to get the chance to sing and perform, that’s awesome,” Kusima said. Kusima says that as a first-year student with a heavy workload in engineering classes, this is a good, short term opportunity to work on one of his passions, as he plans on performing an original song. “I really like the way Trinity is allowing this. You don’t have to be a music major; you can be whoever from Trinity, and you can perform and just share your music. It shows
that the liberal sides of Trinity; you’re not defined by your major or anything else,” Kusima said. Although Trinity Idol is a contest, members of Mu Phi Epsilon initiated and put great effort into the event to ensure it’s more than just a competition. “I run Trinity Idol, I’m the Trinity Idol chair. I do booking, planning, auditions, decorating, everything; it’s my job to make sure it all gets done,” said Sonny Luna, senior fine arts major and member of Mu Phi Epsilon. The fraternity has planned this event to be one that celebrates music and the enthusiasm several students have for it. “This is a vocal showcase and talent competition; it’s a chance for students who are not necessarily ‘professionals’ with talent and passion for music to express it,” Luna said. The relaxed, open nature of the event allows contestants to feel comfortable while receiving feedback and support. “This is about putting yourself out there in front of a small group
of people, getting feedback on your talent and growing as an artist,” Luna said. This competition has provided several students with opportunities for growth, which they say ensures that their enthusiasm for music continues to develop and strengthen, no matter how involved they may be with music. “A lot of people audition to see how they perform vocally. I’ve set up contestants [...] and members of Mu Phi Epsilon to coach them. It’s more about developing your passion. It’s a competition, but it’s not about being in a competition,” Luna said. Trinity Idol will be held on Wednesday, November 4 in Laurie Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The first 50 people at the door with a canned food donation will receive a free t-shirt. Students of varying backgrounds, majors and skill level will use this performance at Trinity Idol as an opportunity to take a break from classwork and sing their hearts out in front of an audience, with hopes of producing an exciting show.
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Finished but not forgotten
Students reflect on their most fun, unique and memorable assignments during their time at Trinity
“For my Asian Religions course, we had to visit the Hindu Temple of San Antonio. At first, I found it very strange and different from Christianity, but after sitting through the ceremony and talking to the Hindu priest afterwards, it opened my mind to a whole new culture and religious practice.” — Noah Davidson, sophomore
“The most memorable assignment I can think of that I’ve completed at Trinity was my term paper for my First Year Seminar — ‘Harry Potter: the Hero’s Journey,’ I reread and found quotes from the Harry Potter series during finals week, the best homework assignment I could’ve asked for.” — Sarah Lincoln, senior
THEATRE continued from page 9 “When we started working on ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ I was determined to make more of a mark on this show, and Kyle really gave me the opportunity to do that. […] From the get-go, I felt like my input was valued, and that was great, especially since I was only a sophomore, because in most schools you kind of have to work your way up to doing anything significant,” Banks said. The participants in the production of “The Glass Menagerie” were not solely theatre majors. Students from all sorts of academic paths
“Over the summer, Dr. Henderson required us to watch BBC’s version of ‘Sherlock’ for Media Fandoms. I’ve never been told to watch Netflix for an assignment before!” — Sara McCarty. sophomore
When I took Dr. Drennon’s The Urban Experience class, one of the more memorable assignments was to ride one of the VIA buses to the end of its line and back to downtown, and I got to see a completely different side of San Antonio from the area around Trinity, and helped to get me interested in the field of urban studies.” — Emily Mikhail, senior
“In my writing workshop we had to solve a murder mystery using clues and facts about the case. Each group had the same information and our group got the closest to solving it.” — Mitchell Kight, senior
participated in all aspects of production simply due to interest in Theatre. “What’s one of the strengths of a liberal arts institution of our size is that really anyone who wants to be involved in theatre is able to be involved in any capacity. Our theatre stage is our version of a laboratory where students get to experiment and learn a craft. For example, Dallas, who played Tom, is a physics major, but he works a lot with theatre. I have a lot of students working with me who are not theatre majors, especially in the costume making studio,” Francis said.
“For my archaeology class, we had to dig through trash and document the haul. Luckily for me, I was able to recover a flattened Whataburger cup and an “original flavored” ramen wrapper, what a stroke of luck! This was memorable because I spent my whole weekend digging through garbage.” — Judson Nguyen, sophomore
“We went to the LBJ library in Austin Texas in order to learn more about Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency and the effects he personally had on the Vietnam War. This experience taught my classmates and me the important role that the president plays on domestic and international affairs.” — Taylor Moser, sophomore
According to Banks, when invited to the ATAC Awards, the members of “The Glass Menagerie” did not know what to expect, since invitees do not receive specifications of the recognitions they are to be given. They had not expected to win more than a single award, and were surprised came when Gillette was called to the stage for the Direction Award. “I was so excited for Kyle and I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that I had assistant-directed, until he shook my hand and was like, ‘Congratulations,’ and I was like, ‘For what? You won the award!’
BY EMILY ELLIOTT, PULSE REPORTER
and he was like, ‘You directed it too!’ and I was just like, ‘Whoa! That’s true!’ … It was exciting to have a sort of visualization of your hard work,” Banks said. “I feel really proud of the students. I feel really honored to have worked with such talented students to create such a lovely ensemble together, [especially] with Ruthie Banks, my assistant director. I feel like it’s their award, and I feel deeply grateful for their hard work and their open-heartedness and their open-mindedness in rehearsals, and then I feel proud of Tim and just the whole department,” Gillette said.
Experts share advice for grad school application Career Services staff, recent grad offer suggestions for those pursuing farther education BY NIPUNI GOMES
PULSE REPORTER
Many students make one of two decisions regarding the path they wish to take after graduating from college: entering the professional field or enrolling in a graduate program. This decision depends on many factors including the undergraduate degree said student earned as well as the career path he or she wishes to follow. For those planning to attend graduate school after finishing their undergraduate studies, the office of Career Services as well as a Trinity graduate who successfully enrolled in a renowned graduate program
offer advice to consider during the application process. According to the director of Career Services, Twyla Hough, the first thing a student should consider when thinking about graduate programs is the reason that they wish to attend grad school in the first place. “Regardless of whether they are thinking about it or they are sold on it, I still want to know how they’ve come to that decision, and also how they have come to the decision about the timing of when they want to go to graduate school … Some people realize they want to work before they go to graduate school and others say that they want to go straight into
graduate school … [Having] a firm understanding of why one would take on pathway over the other is very important,” Hough said. According to Hough, students should also consider their current health and motivation before committing to yet another rigorous academic program. Furthermore, students must do proper research into whether the program they are considering requires applicants to have prior work experience. “[Students] don’t want to go through [the application] process and then realize ‘I can’t [do this] right now, I’m almost burned out,’ or realize ‘the programs I’m going into really want me to have two to three years of
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work experience.’ So [they must do] that research and understanding what is typically expected of the program they’re trying to go into, and where they are health-wise, to be able to be successful in going into graduate programs,” Hough said. According to Melanie Coulson, assistant director of coaching and advising in the office of Career Services at the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success, some websites for researching graduate programs include Petersons.com, Gradschools. com, Princetonreview.com and World Report and professional association websites. “I would say that there is no need to apply to more than five or six programs, as long as one of them is a safety school, three of them are semicompetitive schools with programs that fit you and that you will probably get into, and one or two super star programs,” said 2014 Trinity graduate Aparna Gomes, now a Master of Public Health Candidate at Yale School of Public Health. Once a student has decided which graduate programs he or she wishes to apply to, he or she must obtain a clear grasp of the application timeline and the requirements of each program, such as personal statements, exams and recommendation letters. “Essays should be done with enough time to do full edits, because the first draft is not going to be the final draft. [They must also get] feedback from not only a career advisor but also a faculty member closest to the field of the program [the student] is trying to get into … I highly recommend that
students take exams in the summer between their junior and senior year … and it allows time for them to retake [exams] if they need to,” Hough said. According to Hough, Trinity University Coates Library offers a useful tool to prepare for these examinations: “Learning Express.” The program is free to all students and provides practice exams for the majority of the admissions tests students need to take in order to apply to graduate programs. Students may have concerns and insecurities regarding their application for graduate programs. When asked what she wishes to have known during her application process, Gomes remembers these insecurities. “I wish I had known how little GPA was going to matter for an MPH program, and how much field experience is worth. [Also] how little college extra-curriculars matter; the extra-curriculars that mattered were volunteer or internship experiences and teaching opportunities, and that it’s that field experience or personal life experience that you need to show in your personal statement,” Gomes said. Hough calls for all juniors who are thinking about graduate school to begin their exploration of programs as soon as possible. “My biggest piece of advice is that if someone is even remotely considering the possibility of graduate school, that should be explored in their junior year, because it will give them the best edge on the whole process and it will be less stressful their senior year!”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT•
MUSIC
POLITICS Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson endorsed Donald Trump for the presidential candidacy in a HuffPost Live interview. Tyson said he likes Trump’s business mind, and wants to “run America like a business, where no colors matter. Whoever can do the job, gets the job.”
AE 11
OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
Adele’s single Hello is set to become the fastest-selling single of 2015. Released last Friday, it has over 107 million views and climbing on YouTube. Until now, Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You Do’ holds the 2015 record of most sales in the first week at 173,000, but Adele is quickly catching up with 165,000 combined sales and streams as of Wednesday.
&
How the “Goosebumps” movie does the franchise justice BY DYLAN WAGNER
A&E WRITER
Alright, let’s get one thing out of the way: I read the hell out of “Goosebumps” as a kid. R.L. Stine’s pulp-horror books were perfect for kids like me — that is, kids who hated horror movies because they were terrifying but loved learning about monsters. The novellas contain a huge vocabulary of horror, science-fiction and fantasy archetypes wrapped in humor as well as terror. The books’ fast-moving plots and cliffhanger moments work well for the younger age group for which they are intended and presented early lessons about good, evil and why no one should touch the cursed artifact. But it’s not just about the spooky content — what is equally important to the series’ significance is that the books almost always starred children I could relate to — there were times when I would come across a hero or heroine that did outright dumb things, but I could usually forgive the misstep because, you know, they were fighting sentient mannequins or vampires or the like. Having a kid learn to understand cursed magical artifacts or inexplicable monstrous entities was very empowering as a child. I’ll admit it, I often fantasized about punching Slappy the Dummy in the face.
“Goosebumps” built up knowledge of cultural mythology by inserting monsters well-known to adults in usually wacky situations — situations within which kids could apply some context and figure out what the creepy creature was about. Not just pulp fiction for kids, the books also served as some kind of monster-hunting guides; they contained simple solutions to insane situations, which put at least my overactive imagination at ease. These horror-trope survival guides inside Goosebumps could be anything from explaining the mechanics of a cursed mirror-portal to demonstrating how to effectively avoid dummy-related issues (hint: stay away from dummies). The recent film adaptation of the Goosebumps franchise stays true to the series’ tone, humor and plot structure, which combined to make a nostalgic movie that anyone familiar with the franchise could tell the direction of, if not the destination. The movie starts with a familiar premise: new kid Zach (Dylan Minnette) and his mother (Amy Ryan) move into a sleepy Delaware town, unaware of the horrors in store there. Zach quickly runs afoul of next-door neighbor Mr. Shivers (Jack Black) when he talks to Hannah (Odeya Rush), Shivers’ daughter. Things quickly spin out of control when a well-intentioned Zach and his new friend, the awkward-scared Champ (Ryan Lee), attempt to save Hannah when they hear her screaming next door. But after accidentally knocking
over a bookshelf of mysteriously labeled manuscripts in her house, the stakes immediately skyrocket as the Goosebumps monster roster comes to life. As Zach, Hannah, Champ and Shivers hurry to stop the monsters with a risky but essential battle plan, viewers like me got to sit back and enjoy the anticipation of seeing another childhood boogieman come to life. While half the fun is seeing all of the monsters, the film’s plot holds together well and its self-awareness — he whole plot is based around Goosebumps monsters coming to life in a universe where people know what Goosebumps is! — helps to give legs to a film that otherwise might have become a forgettable adaptation. Black helps the movie avoid this fate — he plays a great know-it-all character and brought the perfect amount of nerdiness and well-timed comedic relief. I honestly think this is one of his best roles since his substitute teacher in School of Rock, and the fact that he plays a lot of the movie straight makes his very recognizable humor even more funny when it comes out around the monsters. Overall, Goosebumps does what a good movie adaptation should do: present the source material’s core elements in a fresh way that appeals to longtime fans and newbies alike. It does this and does it well, and the sprinklings of meta-humor throughout the movie will be appreciated by those of us who read the books as children. What else is there to say but “Viewers, beware! You’re in for a scare!”
The top 10 “Goosebumps” books to bring back horrible childhood memories Complied by Maddie Smith
1. “Night of the Living Dummy” 2. “The Haunted Mask” 3. “The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” 4. “Welcome to Dead House” 5. “Go Eat Worms” 6. “Monster Blood 2” 7. “Say Cheese and Die!” 8. “The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight” 9. “Welcome to Camp Nightmare” 10. “One Day at Horrorland”
Your life in college: Expectations vs. reality BY PAIGE PEREZ
A&E WRITER
home from class and take a nap before playing video games until dinner. Nowadays, your XBox glares at you angrily from the corner underneath a thick layer of dust. The only time you nap is at your desk, slumped over a pile of homework. Your free time is mostly confined to weekends, where you lay in bed until noon and avoid all schoolwork and responsibility. You’re living the dream, kid.
As tiny peons in 12th grade, we all had the same dream: to finally escape high school and move on to the promised land that is college. From the second you stepped foot onto the campus you’d make Expectation 2: your own rules, be a full fledged You’re going to meet the adult and magically have all the boyfriend/girlfriend of your answers. But sometimes reality dreams. and expectations don’t line up.
Reality:
Expectation 1:
You can finally do whatever you want during your free time. No one can tell you what to do!
Reality:
You reminisce fondly about the times when you could come
Who knew it was possible spend this much time on Netflix? Sure, you saw all those funny posts on Tumblr about how “Netflix is bae,” but now the deep level to which you can identify with it is just downright alarming. (Hey, I’m not judging.) Who needs
to date when Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Gosling and Chris Pine are just one click away? No one you could possibly meet in real life would live up to them anyway. The only downside is when your marathons are interrupted by Netflix to ask if you’re still watching. (I don’t need to be reminded of how alone I am, Netflix. Trust me, I know.)
Expectation 3:
Free alcohol everywhere! Life is a nonstop party!
Reality:
Jungle juice was fun the first sip, but now you’re not sure if the alcohol in it is the kind that’s actually supposed to be ingested by the human body. It’s hard to tell if you’re buzzed, or if your kidneys are actually working overtime to save your miserable life. Somehow you forgot last week why you said you were never going out again, and it isn’t
because you were too hungover; it’s because the contents of your red solo cup aren’t suitable to even dump down the drain in fear that they’ll corrode the entire sink and potentially planet.
Expectation 4:
Your parents finally accept that you’re a responsible adult who can take care of yourself.
Reality:
HA. HA HA. HA. HA. Even you don’t believe this anymore.
Expectation 5:
Fake IDs are the most useful invention alive! No one will question that I’m 25, because my ID says so! Liquor stores only need to see these so they don’t become liable anyway — they don’t actually look at the picture!
Reality:
Somehow, unpredictably, the man behind the counter can
tell that you’re not a native Ecuadorian despite having no idea what an ID from Quito actually looks like. (Maybe you should have thought this one through a little more.)
Expectation 6:
You magically go through a second wave of puberty that makes you super attractive and irresistible to everyone you meet. See #2.
Reality:
Expectation 7:
College is way better than high school and will be one of the best times of your life.
Reality:
Hey, this one is actually true. Any time you get overwhelmed, just think: I could be back in high school right now. No thanks!
“If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.” -Sylvia Plath, a woman who wrote a lot about feeling disappointed in people
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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2015 •
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Weekend Picks Friday 10/30
Saturday 10/31
Sunday 11/1
SBP: Monster Mash
Ghostbusters
Where: Coates Esplanade When: 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Free
Where: Travis Park When: Sunset Free
Dia de los Muertos Celebration
Join Student Programming Board today on the Coates Esplanade for the special Halloween event: Monster Mash. New this year will be an Instagram scavenger hunt. So group up with your five closest friend and battle it out for $25 gift cards! If scavenger hunts aren’t your groove, still check it out for free food, vendors and fun.
Slab Cinema — in collaboration with Councilman Roberto C. Trevino and Bexar County Commissioner, Tommy Calvert—is hosting another special movie night. Go to Travis Park tomorrow night for a screening of the classic “Ghostbusters”. Wear your best costume for a shot at Rampage tickets and other prizes. Pre-entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Esperanza Peace and Justice Center When: 3 p.m Head to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center for the Dia de los Muertos celebration. Join the San Antonio community and see a procession, ofrendas exhibition, musica baile, calavera readings and much more! The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center works to create an environment of social and environmental justice, cultural preservation and community engagement.
How to cure your addiction to the Internet BY SARAH TIPTON
A&E WRITER
Let’s skip over the denial part of the conversation and just admit that we are all addicted to the Internet. It’s like how crack cocaine was to the youth of the 1980’s, except, you know, the dying part. Our addiction is not our fault; it was just thrust upon our generation by the universe. It started off innocently enough; our parents monitored our use of the computer when the things started to go crazy on the Internet in the early 2000s. We would play Neopets or Club Penguin and have a blast, but after an hour our parents would kick us off the computer so they
could do some gosh darn work. But as we got older and got our own computers, the fanciful playtime turned into a sinister monster that ate up your time, soul and morality. I think it is long overdue that we try to kick this heinous habit and become clean, well-respected people. We need to create a shrine to Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation” and try to emulate his technology-free ways. Here are some ways we can start the painful withdrawal process.
Delete All Social Media It will be hard, I admit, but this is probably the most important step. People waste over 1000 hours a week on social media websites (and yes, that is an accurate figure).
Super dapper giraffe wants YOU to follow the
T
By deleting our social media accounts we will be less likely to spend so much time mindlessly scrolling through the Internet. You will no longer be tempted to log in and see what Ryan ate for lunch (9 out of 10 times it was probably Chipotle), which is also a really stupid reason to be on the Internet. Gone will be the endless posts of baes, dogs, food and BFFLs. GOOD RIDDANCE.
Parent-Block Your Butt Do this for literally every website that you visit for noneducational purposes. You know which ones I’m talking about. The Reddits, Tumblrs and Buzzfeeds of the World Wide Web. Also those specific websites I can’t name or hint
at because they are so morally corrupt. This will prevent you from relapsing, but to double the security measures have your best friend set the parent-block password to something you could never guess in a million years to prevent you from relapsing. The human mind is the devil’s plaything and the Internet is the sandbox where he can stuff sand down your pants, kick it into your eyes, nose and mouth and ruin your hair. It’s for the best.
Sell Your Personal Computer in Exchange for your Soul Speaking of the devil, it’s time to give that guy a call so you can do an exchange without having to deal with the hassle
of creating a Craigslist ad (which should’ve been blocked by the previous step). You will do the ultimate exchange, by sacrificing your personal computer/laptop in order to get your eternal soul back. Sure, that may seem a little overdramatic, but in the end it is a worthwhile trade that you will reap the benefits from for years to come. You may be asking, “But Sarah, how am I to survive college without the Internet, let alone a computer, to do research/homework/papers on?!” The answer is simple my friends: we must resort to the antiquated techniques used by our forefathers, such as using pen and paper and a library for all of your work. It will be hard to adjust so quickly, but I believe we will persevere.
SPORTS •
OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
ATHLETE INSPIRATION “When life offers you the day of Halloween, take it as an opportunity to reflect wheither you want take the good or evil route, because all I can be is a cactus.”
Llamageddon
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ports
Trinity football players awarded SCAC player of the week
Trinity football seniors TRAVIS WILLIAMS, JAI BOATMAN and sophomore COLBY DOYAL were honored as SCAC players of the week for impressing with their athletic performance. photo by Nayeli Perez
Three Trinity football athletes were named SCAC players of the week for their athletic performance. BY SARAH PRICE
SPORTS REPORTER The Tiger football team has had a gamechanging season so far going 5-1 while having three of their players be recognized for their recent performance. The SCAC players of the week include senior Travis Williams, senior Jai Boatman and sophomore Colby Doyal. Williams, a running back for the Tigers, received the SCAC offensive player of the week for rushing two touchdowns. His first touchdown was a two-yard run to increase the scoring gap during the second period. Then, going on to score a four-yard run in the fourth quarter to put the tigers up 21-17. Williams had a total of 88 yards and 17 carries in the game, adding to his total of 225 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the season.
Being a senior for the team, Travis plays a key leadership role and strives to keep improving every week. “My biggest motivation to be successful this year has come from the realization of it being my last year to play, and the desire to make it memorable for all the other seniors with me,” Williams said. Joining Williams in the honor is senior defensive back Boatman receiving SCAC defensive player of the week. Boatman had two interceptions as well as a 30-yard return in the fourth quarter adding to his career of six interceptions totaling 69 yards with 24 tackles, ten of those being solo, two quarterback sacks and four pass breakups. Although Boatman has had a successful season so far, he has not yet accomplished his personal goals. “I want to be the leader in interceptions,” Boatman said. “I am currently number two but if I continue to listen to my coaching and put in the hard work Monday through Friday, I believe I will reach my goal.” He is another senior determined to make the most out of his last season here at Trinity by making the best out of every opportunity given.
Athlete Spotlight Year: First year Sport: Soccer Position: Midfielder
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The trio is concluded with Doyal being named SCAC Special Teams Player of the Week. While Doyal’s role on the team is not always the most present, he is always the one to look to at crucial points in the game. He went 1-2 in field goal attempts including a season high 40-yard kick in the fourth quarter to bring the Tigers to a 24-7 lead over the Roo’s. Doyal also contributed going 3-3 in extra point attempts and averaging 59.8 yards from six kickoffs overstepping his season average of 54.7 yards in 27 kickoffs. Doyal has gone 2-4 in field goals this season as well as making 8-9 extra points helping the Tigers on their winning streak. According to Doyal, his hard work and dedication is driven by his parents constant love and support and from his determination to make them proud. “They have supported me through all of my endeavors and I am lucky enough to have them in my life,” Doyal said. “They come to every game they are capable of making and seeing their faces in the stands makes every moment I step on that field worth it.” Doyals contribution to the team have made a tremendous impact, but he really relies on the team to bring home the win.
What is your zombie apocalypse plan? My plan for the zombie apocalypse: Once the zombie apocalypse breaks out, I will first head to the nearest hardware store where I can gather weapons and armor that do not require any ammo. Before heading to the hardware store I’ll have already put on my lacrosse pads and helmet and most likely never take them off again. Everyone will have probably panicked and rushed to the grocery store where they’ll most likely turn into a zombie. Instead of that, I’ll try to find a pick up truck with whatever friends that come with me (pick up truck for quick get-aways) and head to a rich neighborhood where I can settle for around three to four days with enough food, water and shelter. Once we are ready to leave we’ll head to a lake house of my friends where mostly old people live (therefor the zombies there will be less athletic and easier to kill). If we are ever under attack there we’ll have jet skis near by and ready to go (that way, even if the zombies are fast swimmers they still shouldn’t be able to catch us). Once we run out of resources at the lake house complex, we will head to a low populated town up north such as a town in a state like North Dakota. Since the zombies flesh is rotting/dead, they should struggle more to move in the cold especially in freezing conditions where they should not even be able to survive. If we have survived this long, we would try to make our way to Alaska where it is very cold, there are plenty of resources and there are not that many people there.
s i l e a h c tin Mi photo by Karina Duran
Trinity football has always been a team with a great brotherhood aspect making them a close unit that works together through thick and thin. “The biggest contribution has been the family bond on and off the field this year,” Doyal said. “Coach always mentions to us that everyone should be ready to play because you never know when you will get an opportunity.” Having such depth on the team is key because everyone is not going to be on, so to speak, all the time. With the amount of contribution from different players every game, it makes these wins a team effort. Although the team has been successful so far they still have some work to do. “I don’t think the team has reached our full potential yet,” Williams said. “The coaches have been working hard and the team has improved week by week.” With the continuing improvements the team hopes to carry-on their winning streak to go 9-1 for the season. The Tigers’ season progresses as they host Texas Lutheran at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.
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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2015 •
SPORTS
Trinity NFL predictions reaches halfway point BY CLINT SCHROEDER
SPORT REPORTER
Since this week is the eighth week of the National Football League (NFL) season, we officially have reached the halfway point. A lot has happened over the first seven weeks, and I, along with my NFL prediction specialists, have been predicting each game’s results. At this moment, President Danny Anderson and professors Cabral Balreira and Brian Miceli’s Oracle Method are tied for first. For those who are unaware, the Oracle method and Anderson have been neck and neck for most of the season. I’ve been asked this question numerous times: What exactly is the Oracle method? According to Balreira’s official website, the Oracle method is a mathematical ranking model used to evaluate paired comparisons, such as, in this case, two NFL teams. To make those comparisons, the Oracle looks at the two teams that played, the outcome of the game and the points each team scored. Based on these three factors, the Oracle is able to determine the likelihood of each team winning the game. For example, in week 7, the Oracle was 77.46 percent confident that the Pittsburgh Steelers would beat the
Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City. What is notable about this example is that the Steelers in fact lost to the Chiefs, even though they were favored in the matchup. Anything can happen in an NFL season, and it is especially difficult to predict the results of NFL games with numerous injuries throughout the league. The position where injuries can be the most detrimental to a football team if the starter gets taken out for the season is the quarterback position. The Oracle method is unable to adapt its predictions to the season’s injuries, and I would argue that an injury to the quarterback makes a game harder to predict since we have yet to see any results with the backup quarterback running the offense. The team will obviously be worse off without their starting quarterback, and the ability of the backup and the team to perform without the main starter is completely in doubt. The backup could rise to the occasion and spur his team to victory, or he could fall flat on his face and be responsible for an absolute drubbing of his team at the hands of the opposition. Some notable names of quarterbacks who have already missed games this season due to their injuries are Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Marcus Mariota, Jay Cutler and Tony Romo. As of today, 48 quarterbacks have thrown a pass this NFL season. Of those 48, three are in the top ten for most consecutive games started in the history of the NFL: The New York Giants’ Eli
Manning with 173 games, the San Diego Chargers’ Philip Rivers with 150 games, and the Baltimore Ravens’ Joe Flacco with 118 games. What is unique about these three teams? Well, the Ravens are 1-6, the Chargers are 2-5 and the Giants are 4-3 after winning four of their last five games against teams that do not have a winning record. While some may not consider these quarterbacks to be elite, their health and reliability at the quarterback position cannot be overlooked for it allows their teams to focus on other needs, which in turn, propels them to greatness. Biggest surprise of the 2015 NFL season: the old men can still play. The Baltimore Ravens’ Steve Smith and the Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Johnson seem to have new life in them. Smith is 36 years old, Fitzgerald is 32 and Johnson is 30. They all played on Monday night and the game’s results speaks for itself. Both Fitzgerald and Smith are in the top ten in the league in terms of receiving yards and Smith has been playing with four microfractures in his back. It’s no surprise that Fitzgerald is in the top ten in the NFL for receiving yards now that he finally has a quarterback that is good enough to get him the ball on a consistent basis. The Cardinals imploded in 2013 when Carson Palmer, their quarterback, got hurt. Not only is Palmer back and healthy, but Johnson is currently second in the league with the most rushing yards and the team looks poised to make a push for the playoffs
in a weak National Football Conference (NFC) Western Division. The Ravens. They are abysmal. As a diehard Ravens fan, it is tough to watch the team go from winning the Superbowl in 2012 to a bottom cellar team in the 2015 season. Hey, at least we are one of the favorites for the first overall pick. Andy Dalton: Dalton has the second fastest release time in the NFL just behind Tom Brady based on ESPN.com’s John Clayton. With his faster release, Dalton is putting up MVP-caliber stats while leading his team to a 6-0 record, which is tied for the best start for the Bengals in franchise history. The Bengals continue to be a heavy favorite in the American Football League Northern Conference and a favorite to hoist up the Lombardi Trophy in February. I still think they’ll bungle, because the Bengals are infamous for doing so, but this team has the raw talent to carry them deep into January. What’s my prediction for the second half of the NFL season? The Patriots will be the overall top seed in AFC while the Green Bay Packers will be the top seed from the NFC come playoff time. As for the Superbowl, the New England Patriots will once again be on the national stage, but this time, the Patriots will not be celebrating another championship. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons will take center stage, winning their first Lombardi Trophy over a deflated Patriots team and fanbase.
NFL Predictions - Week 7 Want to have your picks featured in our graphic?
Picker of the Week:
Email your picks for the week to trinitonian@trinity. edu no later than 10 a.m. Sunday. Students, Faculty, and Alums can all submit picks for the chance to be featured by the Trinitonian. Whoever has the best results will be the featured picker for that week. Pick early, pick often, and above all else, have fun! All Oracle Method picks courtesy of rank.balreira.com
The
PRESIDENT DANNY
Dean
Oracle Method
ANDERSON
Tuttle
Tingle
Dr. Jacob
Dr. Jennifer
Clint
Steele
Schroeder
KENDRICK
JAMES
Miami (MIA) vs New England (NE)
NE- 66.32%
NE
NE
NE
NE
NE
NE
Detroit (DET) vs Kansas City (KC)
KC- 68.37%
KC
KC
KC
KC
KC
DET
San Diego (SD) vs Baltimore (BAL)
BAL- 50.66%
BAL
BAL
SD
BAL
BAL
SD
Arizona (ARI) vs Cleveland (CLE)
ARI- 77.61%
ARI
ARI
ARI
ARI
ARI
ARI
Minnesota (MIN) vs Chicago (CHI)
MIN- 70.36%
MIN
MIN
MIN
MIN
MIN
MIN
Cinncinnati (CIN) vs Pittsburgh (PIT)
CIN- 52.54%
CIN
PIT
CIN
CIN
PIT
CIN
Tennessee (TEN) vs Houston (HOU)
TEN- 52.12%
HOU
HOU
HOU
HOU
HOU
HOU
New York Giants (NYG) vs New Orleans (NO)
NYG- 55.89%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
San Francisco (SF) vs St. Louis (STL)
STL- 57.67%
STL
STL
STL
STL
STL
SF
Tampa Bay (TB) vs Atlanta (ATL)
ATL- 72.47%
ATL
ATL
ATL
ATL
ATL
ATL
New York Jets (NYJ) vs Oakland (OAK)
NYJ- 69.88%
NYJ
OAK
OAK
OAK
NYJ
OAK
Seattle (SEA) vs Dallas (DAL)
SEA- 61.00%
SEA
SEA
SEA
SEA
SEA
SEA
Green Bay (GB) vs Denver (DEN)
GB- 58.53%
GB
GB
DEN
GB
GB
GB
Indianapolis (IND) vs Carolina (CAR)
CAR- 71.27%
CAR
CAR
CAR
CAR
CAR
CAR
Last Weeks Results:
11-3
10-4
9-5
8-6
8-6
9-5
Overall Record:
73-32
73-32
63-42
60-45
64-41
63-42
Your
Picks
graphic by Sam Skory
SPORTS •
15
OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
Trinity golf tees off in Alamo City Classic Men and women’s golf complete their fall season BY DANA MCLAUGHLIN
SPORTS INTERN The Trinity men’s and women’s golf teams finished their final tournament of the fall season at home on October 20 in the Alamo City Classic. Hosted at the Quarry Golf Club, the Tiger’s home course, the 10th ranked men’s team shot a second-round 298 to finish as the runner-up while the women’s team shot a second-round 312, ultimately placing second.
On the women’s side, the Tigers were led by sophomore Taylor Moser, who finished in third, shooting a final-round 7-overpar 78 with a 153. Moser was trailed by one stroke by teammate Brigette Lee who carded a 76 to finish in fourth-place. The 23rd-ranked Tigers team posted a two-day team score of 635 and falling short of the first place team 11th nationally ranked Rhodes College, who scored 607. Trinity topped conference opponent Southwestern University by 28 strokes, assuring their second place finish. The women’s team shot an opening round of 323 on the first day of play, maintaining
their second-place position throughout the remainder of competition. Other top finishers for the Tigers included junior, Hanna Niner and first year Lauren Pettinati. Pettinati and Niner tied for 11th place with scores of 162. Following the tournament, Moser was selected as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week after tying for first among all players in par 5 scoring in the tournament while averaging 5.17 shots per hole. Moser also tied for second in par 3 scoring, finishing with an average of 3.25 shots. Moser was third at the tournament with 24
pars among her 36 holes, as well as hitting one birdie during the Alamo City Classic. The week before, Niner was named the SCAC Golfer of the Week after leading the Tigers to a first place finish in the University of Houston Victoria Classic, held in Victoria, Texas at The Club at Colony Creek. “Compared to last year, our mood is so much higher as we head into the spring,” Niner said. “I think our positive attitude will carry over into the spring, and I am personally excited to pick up where we left off this fall.” Niner shot an impressive 1-over-par 73 in the final round on October 6 to notch a threeround score of 8-over 224. This
result led her to the championship playoff where she bested in a onehole playoff by Brooke Brasseaux of the host team, University of Houston-Victoria. On the men’s side of the tournament, the Tigers recorded a two-round score of 585 to finish a mere nine strokes behind first place and 16th-nationally ranked Concordia University (TX). As the 2nd place team out of eight, the Tigers were two strokes ahead of 20th ranked The University of Mary HardinBaylor. First year Jacob Hudson played as an individual in the Alamo City Classic and finished in third place with a two-round event score of 141, narrowly missing the championship playoff by one stroke. During the two-day event, Hudson averaged a total of 3.91 shots on his par 4 scoring, tying for the lowest in the tournament. His performance at this final fall tournament allowed Hudson to claim the SCAC Golfer of the Week Distinction for the first time in his budding collegiate career. He was also tied for second in par-3 scoring, averaging 2.88 shots per hole. Out of his 36 holes at the tournament, Hudson had six birdies and 25 pars. Prior to Hudson, fellow Tiger golfer Hartzell earned the distinction of the SCAC Men’s Golfer of the Week on October 7 after leading the Tigers to a runner-up finish at the UMHB Fall Invitational at Stonetree Golf Club in Killeen, Texas. Trinity finished as the top Division III team in the 15-squad field, falling behind Tyler Junior College who captured the team title with a 575. Playing as an individual, Hartzell shot a 3-over-par 75 in the final round, and completed the tournament at 4-over-148 for a 12th place overall. In the Alamo Classic, Redmond Lyons and Travis Hindle propelled the Tigers on the second day of play to secure a ninth place tie at 146. Lyons shot a 72 in the final round, and Hindle posted a 73. The Tiger’s lone senior, Alex Hartzell tied for 11th place with a 75 (147 total) while individual player Corbin Cormier tied for 13th at 79 (148). Reflecting on the brief fall season, Lyons shared that he “feels confident in the team’s preparation for the spring season” and that personally he is “looking forward to continuing to move up in the national rankings once the spring season begins.” “This is the highest ranking our program has had in a long time, and collectively that alone motivates us to continue to play our very best; even in the off season as we look toward conference competition in the spring,” Lyons said. The Alamo City Classic concluded the fall season for Trinity Golf, but both teams will be back in action next year at the Schreiner Spring Shootout from February 29 to March 1 in Kerrville, Texas.
ADVERTISEMENT • OCTOBER 30, 2015
• WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM
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