the miami hurricane - apr. 22, 2013

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IRON WOMANTRIATHLON CLUB PRESIDENT EMULATES HER PASSION

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.The Miami Vol. 91, Issue 50 | April 22 - April 24, 2013

HURRICANESTUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI IN CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, SINCE 1929

co

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FINDING FANDOMS

A LOOK AT THE SUBCULTURES DEFINED BY POP CULTURE

See page 8-9

DESIGN BY MARIAH PRICE

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2 NEWS THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

Check out what’s

exclusively

available at TheMiamiHurricane.

com.

Missed the season fi nale for “Off The Wire?” Check out Monica Herndon’s photo brief about the last episode.

Interested in next year’s housing change? Read what Taylor Duckett thinks about the change in her story.

Didn’t make it to Friday’s event for Autism Awareness Month? Take a look at Cayla Nimmo’s slideshow.

Subscribe for the email edition of the newspaper at themiamihurricane.com/subscribe.

Have a question for V? Ask at [email protected].

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TWITTER ACCOUNTS

PROFILE

GSA president sets sights on program overhaul

While medical students have their own campus, and law students their own building, the 3,267 stu-dents in the UM Graduate School do not have a central hub to call their own. Marcia McNutt, a doc-toral fellow in clinical psychology, wants to change that and more.

She will begin her term as the president of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) on May 15. McNutt is eager to create a new sense of community for graduate students.

“We are hard to define,” Mc-Nutt said. “We’re not just students, but faculty, researchers and profes-sionals too. We’re a special and di-verse group.”

After serv-ing two years as GSA vice president under current presi-dent Amanda Price, McNutt hopes to build on her prede-cessor’s efforts.

D u r i n g Price’s term, the GSA office moved from the outskirts of campus near the baseball field to the first floor of the Unger building. Since then, in-volvement in the graduate school’s appointed student senate has more than doubled.

“I like to look at it like a ship,” McNutt said. “Amanda and I spent the last two years building it, setting the policies in place, and now we’re sailing. It’s now my job to steer.”

Price hopes to see increased health care subsidies and on-cam-pus housing for graduate students

in UM’s future.“Marcia brings experience

from other universities,” Price said. “She went to the University of Ala-bama for undergrad, got her mas-ter’s at Emory in Atlanta, and was a student leader there. Her diverse perspective will move us forward.”

The university currently cov-ers about 60 percent of a graduate student’s health care. Though UM vowed to increase that percent-age annually, the remaining costs are still unaffordable to most grad students, many of whom are older than 26 and no longer eligible for coverage on their parents’ medical plans.

Graduate students must also look for accommodations else-where and are often forced to sign 12-month leases, and pay as much as 30 percent more than they would if they lived on-campus.

McNutt believes that open communication is the answer to ad-

vancing graduate student’s rights. She has bi-weekly meetings with Brian Blake, the new graduate school dean, to discuss these hotbed topics, and they have been success-ful.

“Dean Blake always tells me to close my eyes and imagine my ver-sion of a graduate school utopia,” McNutt said.

Blake said he is dedicated to working with GSA to promote not just academic success but also to develop a tangible graduate student community.

“In Marcia’s term, I plan to support her in all GSA initiatives but hope she will emphasize the introduction of graduate culture into places where graduate students have not traditionally had high exposure,” Blake said. “It will be important to break down the walls where graduate students and under-graduate students are not seen as us and them.”

McNutt plans to foster communityBY JESS SWANSONCONTRIBUTING NEWS WRITER

FIELD DAY FUN: UM hosted a fi eld day for children and teens with autism Friday aft ernoon for Autism Awareness Month. UM students joined the UM Center for Autism and Related Disabilities for the event. More than 100 students and approximately 30 autistic kids from the community attended.

PHOTO BRIEF

HOLLY BENSUR // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Community unites for Autism Awareness

MCNUTT

3


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE NEWS 3

CAMPUS LIFE

Hecht, Stanford stereotypes shape freshman perspective

As future members of the Class of 2017 rejoice in their acceptances and interact on Facebook, the rumors about the Hecht and Stanford Residential Colleges are already swirling.

“Hecht or Stanford guys?” one high school senior posts, and dozens of comments start to roll in.

“From what I’ve heard, Hecht dorms are more welcoming to the party atmosphere, if that interests you,” one comments.

“My friend is currently in Stanford and says they’re about equal in partying even though Hecht has more of a rep!” another responds.

These comments were taken from a closed group on Facebook for admitted stu-dents to the Class of 2017.

In an online survey conducted by The Miami Hurricane, only 21 percent of students had no opinion about either dorm before ar-riving at UM. Three quarters believed that Hecht is the party dorm, and more than half thought that Stanford is the studious dorm.

“There’s certainly nothing that we do from a housing perspective to indicate that there’s a difference between the buildings or that there’s a different vibe or feel,” said Christopher Hartnett, associate director for residence life. “I think some of it honestly is some urban myth and urban legend that students have passed down form one year to another.”

Although information about average GPA by dorm could not be released, the Dean of Students Office keeps record of disci-plinary violations in each building.

“From year to year, there are always fewer disciplinary violations in the spring than in the fall, especially with Hecht and Stanford because they’re freshman,” Dean of Students Ricardo Hall said.

However, Hall said he is not aware of a significant difference between the social cul-tures of the two freshman dorms. With each class, it does take on a different identity, he said.

“This class is really starting to explore all the options Miami has to offer,” Hall remem-bered thinking of the 2010-2011 class.

In fall 2010, Hecht had 314 violations, and Stanford had 170. This dropped to 142 for Hecht and 61 for Stanford in spring 2011. These range from the most minor incidents, such as noise violations, to the most severe, such as theft or assault, according to Hall.

Across the board, violations decreased in the 2011-2012 academic year, with Hecht

having 237 total and Stanford having 177.“We try to figure out what are the rea-

sons behind the differences,” Hall said.Hall said that all freshmen receive the

same consistent messages during orientation, and they are exposed to Resident Assistants and Academic Fellows who all have the same training and provide the same services.

One factor that Hall said may contrib-ute to Stanford’s lower number of violations is that the Rosborough tower includes sub-stance free floors.

“That takes out close to 100 students who are likely not going to have any viola-tions,” he said.

Hall expects the numbers to decline and level off between Hecht and Stanford for 2012-2013, straying away from the stereo-types.

“I’m sure stereotypes tend to be a prod-uct of oral history,” Hall said. “… How would a person even know, unless they heard it from someone?”

According to the survey, students gath-ered information about the dorms’ reputa-tions from current UM students, campus tours and sources on the Internet ranging from Facebook to College Confidential.

“I’m not sure how much there is that we can do to combat it prior to them arriving be-cause obviously the online Facebook legend will probably survive,” Hartnett said.

Freshman William Cafero, who lives in Stanford, had requested Hecht when he ap-plied for housing the summer before arriv-ing at UM. He preferred Hecht because he thought the building was nicer, with better elevators and lobbies, but he had also heard about the dorms’ reputations in advance.

“I heard that in Hecht most of the kids partied and stuff like that, but Stanford was more of a sober dorm,” he said. “That’s what people were saying before I came here, like random kids, Facebook things.”

It could also be a matter of perception becoming reality, Hall said.

“Sometimes we live up or down to those stereotypes,” he said.

This would be in the form of dorm choice. Sixty-five percent of students sur-veyed said the reputations that they heard about in advance affected their decision.

Cafero said this aspect did not affect his choice, however, and after living in the dorms, he does not feel there is a defining dif-ference as far as who works or plays harder.

Thirty percent of students surveyed agreed that, after living in one of the dorms, they found there to be no difference between the two.

“I think quickly they get here and once they have friends that live in both buildings, are participating in programs together, and they meet friends outside of their floor, I think those perceptions go away,” Hartnett said.

collected responses

Year lived in freshmen dorms

2012-2013

2011-2012

2010-2011

2009-2010

Yes No

51% 49%

48%35%

8%8%

82%

18%

STANFORD HECHT

STANFORD “More studious students” “I didn’t want a loud dorm”

HECHT “More social reputation” “People who like to go out”

WERE YOU PLACED IN THE DORM YOU WANTED?

BEFORE living on-campus

BEFORE living on-campus

AFTER living on-campus

AFTER living on-campus

IF YES, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS DORM?

31 respondents said they “had no opinion about either dorm.”

All 57 of them thought “there is no difference.”

32 thought Hecht was the party dorm.

25 thought Stanford was the studious dorm.

19 of them thought “Hecht was the party dorm.”

10 of them thought “Stanford was the studious dorm.”

ABOUT THE RESPONDENTS

DORM PREFERENCES

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

A look at the role that reputations of the Hecht and Stanford Residential Colleges played in freshmen’s selection of on-campus housing.

Living the dorm life

GRAPHIC BY AMILYNN SOTO

Rumors circulate on social mediaBY LYSSA GOLDBERGASSISTANT EDITOR

4


4 NEWS THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

In Colorado and Washington, it’s recreational. In 16 other states, medicinal. But in Florida, marijua-na is still unacceptable – for now.

New laws that acknowledge the benefits of medical marijuana, and even some that approve non-medical cannabis use, are becoming increasingly common.

When Washington passed its groundbreaking legislation, some experts estimated the state could gain $9 billion in tax revenue per year. Others suggest that demand for legalized weed could diminish as the novelty wears off, an effect known to economists as the “forbid-den fruit.”

But financial potential aside, the perception of marijuana as a rec-reational or medical commodity has shifted. Polls show that the public’s eagerness to address legalization is higher than ever.

“There’s been a sea of change,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) said in an interview with The Atlan-tic. “I’m absolutely convinced that in the next four or five years, it’s go-ing to pass the point of no return.”

Blumenauer’s statement re-flects major support for new legisla-tion, which has grown across social and party lines. The Miami Herald conducted a poll in January that said that 7 in 10 local voters are in favor of legalization. This could lead the government to consider options such as a tax-and-regulate measure that treats marijuana like alcohol.

On campus, the UM chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) advocates for more reason-able laws. Alfred Kilzi, president of

SSDP, said that the club “doesn’t condemn or condone” drug use, but works on initiatives to better regu-late marijuana, a Schedule 1 drug.

“I remember being told in D.A.R.E. that cannabis is just as bad as cocaine, heroin and other drugs,” Kilzi said. “But then in high school, the class president, AP students – a lot of those kids used cannabis. It’s disillusioning that we use our justice system as a weapon against these people.”

The federal government classi-fies Schedule 1 drugs as those with no recognized medical benefits but with a high potential for abuse. Teaming up with agencies like the Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN) and People United for Medical Marijuana, SSDP aims to change this label on cannabis.

“There are really sick people in this state, some losing their sight and their senses, who will live through the next year if they can ac-cess medical marijuana,” said Jodi James, director of FLCAN.

Cannabis has been used in a pharmaceutical capacity to treat chronic muscle or joint pain, anxi-ety and neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis.

But broad language of previous bills has hindered their progress and increased skepticism among voters and legislators. For example, voters are more comfortable with medi-cal marijuana regulation when they know which specific ailments would be targeted for acceptable use.

Aside from the medical ben-efits, James and other Florida advo-cates take issue with the arrest rates for marijuana possession, and the use of government money to charge those individuals.

“It costs too much to prosecute adults [for possession],” James said. “And it’s not like we’re rehabilitat-ing them or doing them any favors – we’re putting them into the criminal

justice system.”In some respects, cannabis

could be considered equally or less dangerous than alcohol.

“The physiological effects of marijuana are less harmful than al-cohol,” said Jan Sokol-Katz, a UM sociology professor. “It’s rare to get under the influence [of cannabis] and get into a fight, or a domestic assault.”

By that logic, Sokol-Katz is “saddened, but not surprised” that Florida’s HB1139/SB1250 fizzled when it reached the state senate this past March.

The proposed legislation, spon-sored by Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) and Rep. Katie Edwards (D-Plantation), would establish

the “Cathy Jordan Medical Can-nabis Act.” The bill’s namesake is a 63-year-old woman with amyo-trophic lateral sclerosis, whose mar-ijuana use erased the need for eight of her nine medications.

James said the bill hadn’t “risen in interest” before the senate session opened. However, FLCAN helped draft the medical marijuana provisions, and she feels “real faith” that significant reform is on the ho-rizon for 2014.

“Hopefully, we will have a bill ready to begin the committee process by September,” James said. “And by the March 2014 session, I believe Florida will have medical marijuana legislation.”

Hannah McKool, a UM stu-

dent from Texas whose opinion on drug policy has shifted, believes more tolerant laws could cause more problems than they solve.

“I agree with medical mari-juana legalization, but I don’t think it’s necessary for recreational use,” McKool said. “It could lead to more abuse.”

SSPD member Nick Stevenson believes Florida has fallen behind the tide of states to reform their marijuana laws, but is optimistic that change is on the way.

“If the Florida government can at least start considering the welfare of people who actually need canna-bis to function due to health prob-lems, then I say we are definitely on the right track,” Stevenson said.

NATIONAL NEWS

Strict cannabis policy faces growing opposition

BANNING THE BOWL: Students for Sensible Drug Policy works alongside organizations like the Florida Cannabis Action Network to advocate for new marijuana legislation.

No illegal substances were used for this illustration. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAYLA NIMMO

Laws lag behind public opinionBY SPENCER DANDESSPORTS EDITOR

States that allow recreational pot use

2 ColoradoWashington{

States that allow medical marijuana

18AlaskaCaliforniaConnecticut Washington, D.C.DelawareHawaiiMaineMassachusetts

{

FAST

FA

CTS Michigan

MontanaNevada New JerseyNew MexicoOregonRhode IslandVermont

Florida LegislationSupported by Sen. Jeff Clemons and Rep. Katie Edwards

HB1139/sb1250 failed to gain steam in the senate this past March.

A new bill will be drafted for 2014.

*

5


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE OPINION 5

UP!speak

What are you thebiggest fan of?

CAROLINA MAZZERFRESHMAN

“I’m the biggest fan of ‘The OC’ because I’m really

attached to the characters and their development. I’ve been a fan since I was very

young.”

ANDREW ZIKESOPHOMORE

“I’m a fan of horror movies - they’re really creepy, really

fun to watch, and they make you really scared.”

REUBEN TORENBERGJUNIOR

“I’m a big sports fan. My three teams are the Jets, the Trailblazers and the Yankees because I’m from New York. I’ve loved sports ever since I

was 8 ...”

Speak Up answers are edited for clarity, brevity and accuracy.

Check out video Speak Ups at themiamihurricane.com.

compiled byDaniel Cepero

STAFF EDITORIAL

Last Wednesday, a paradigm shift was presented to the Student Senate. Collectively,

new and veteran senators alike support this face lift to the way the Senate will function and conse-quently the Student Government (SG).

You would think the Senate would serve as the voice of the student body. Yet too many sena-tors represent their own personal interests over their constituencies

and as such, communication between the executive and legislative branches of SG have soured over the past few years. It has been envisioned that by making changes to the standing committees of Senate and the elections of senators that this will bring a greater amount of clarity to the legislative process.

These changes will enhance the credibility of sena-tors by reworking the standing committees of Senate. A revamping of these forums will better allow senators to follow up on specific initiatives. Furthermore, sena-tors would be organized into relevant standing commit-

tees by the seat that they were elected into; by taking this action, this ensures that the student voice is being heard equitably. Officers of the Executive Branch will be integrated into standing committees to keep the lines of communication open. Even though Senate will be more structured, all senators will have the opportu-nity to make their opinion and experience heard both in standing committees and on the Senate floor on all matters.

This was inspired by the failure of communication between the legislative and executive branches, a sense of hubris among senators, and lack of vocal representa-tion of the student body. Undertaken and planned by members of both the legislative and executive branches, this reform is passionately supported by members across student government – but your voice is still needed.

Come to the UC Ballrooms C & D at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday for the opportunity to enact these changes. We encourage you to contact your senator by going to the SG site or, even better, come and voice your opin-ion so that your voice will be heard in the future.

Austin James Sedaghatpour is the College of Arts and Science senator.

AUSTIN SEDAGHATPOURCONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

New structure fosters student voice

Fans fi nd comfort in communitiesThe world we live in as-

sumes that our generation is not connected to anything but tech-nology. But social media has changed how we connect with our interests – our favorite tele-vision shows, celebrities, bands, movies, anime and sci-fi.

Fandoms allow us to find like-minded people on sites like Twitter and Tumblr. This sparks more than just an obses-sion over our passions. It cre-ates friendships and a commu-nity in which we can feel OK about our interest, which other people may not relate to.

This subculture of fan-doms creates an outlet in which people don’t have to worry about what appeals to others.

These communities ensure people don’t have to explain why they like One Direction, Harry Potter or “Gossip Girl.”

They fit right in.It isn’t just belonging to a

fandom that creates this sense of commonality among us. Be-ing a fan of anything, whether you’re part of the fandom, still allows you to form connections with other fans.

Everyone has something they are passionate about. No matter where your interests may lie, following books, peo-ple and shows through social media has become an innova-tive way to express yourself.

Part of the appeal is that it allows us to immerse ourselves in our interests and to experi-ence something different from our everyday lives.

It’s deeper than know-ing every detail of a pop star’s life or every line in a book, it’s about relating to other people.

These interests represent

themes that we hope to carry out in our lives. And in many instances, these interests repre-sent what we aspire to be.

“Gossip Girl” fans love Blair Waldorf and admire her ability to be independent, strong and fashionable. Harry Potter fans admire J.K. Rowl-ing’s creativity and the friend-ship Harry, Hermione and Ron share.

These pop culture interests are an excuse to come together in a more personable, real and riveting way. So grab your wands, your trendy headbands and whatever makes you beau-tiful, and stay true to who you are.

Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.

... this reform is passionately sup-ported by members across student government – but your voice is still needed.

Austin Sedaghatpour,Contributing Columnist

“”OPINION

The MiamiHURRICANE

The Miami Hurricane is published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business offi ce of The Hurricane are located in the Norman A. Whitten University Center, Room 221.

LETTER POLICYThe Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten (please make your handwriting legible) to the Whitten University Center, Room 221, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, FL, 33124-6922. Letters, with a suggested length of 300 words, must be signed and include a copy of your student ID card, phone number and year in school.

ADVERTISING POLICYThe Miami Hurricane’s business offi ce is located at 1306 Stanford Drive, Norman A. Whitten University Center, Room 221B, Coral Gables, FL 33124-6922. The Miami Hurricane is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed free of charge on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and at several off -campus locations.

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To reach a member of the staff visit themiamihurricane.com’s contact page.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDemi Rafuls

ART DIRECTORMariah Price

PHOTO EDITORCayla Nimmo

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORMonica Herndon

NEWS EDITORStephanie Parra

OPINION EDITORElizabeth De Armas

EDGE EDITORMargaux Herrera

SPORTS EDITORSpencer Dandes

ASSISTANT EDITORSLyssa GoldbergAlexander Gonzalez

COPY CHIEFNicky Diaz

COPY EDITORSJordan CoyneErika GlassAshley Martinez

WEBMASTERKateryna Gontaruk

BUSINESS MANAGERTara Kleppinger

ACCOUNT REPS Halima DodoKristyna FongJaydev HemrajaniCarlos Parra

ADVERTISING EDITORDemi Rafuls

MULTIMEDIA EDITORDaniel Cepero

ONLINE EDITOR Alysha Khan

DESIGNERS Ali Fishman Carlos MellaAmilynn Soto

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Rob Finn

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTIsabel Vichot

FACULTY ADVISER Bob Radziewicz

FINANCIAL ADVISER Robert DuBord

6


6 OPINION THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

I t may seem like a pana-cea for your late night studying – the advertised

powerful energy boost used by all hard working people alike – its ease of consump-tion found innocently at convenience stores.

However, these energy drinks are no innocuous substance. Not only are these drinks unregulated

health hazards, but their effectiveness may be embellished. As some say, they may very well be our generation’s cigarettes.

The insidious advertisements containing such enticing buzzwords as guarana, yerba mate and ginseng, which boost cognitive and physical performance, may be exaggerated. Re-cent research has shown that the only effective ingredient for improved energy performance is the high dose of caffeine. The doses in energy drinks often exist in dangerously high levels.

We have all heard about the adverse health effects of energy drinks in the news. From the changes in blood flow and pressure to irregularities in heart rate, recent reports have gone as far as attributing various energy drinks such as Monster and 5-hour Energy to various deaths.

How are all these products still on the con-sumer market?

The fact that these energy drinks are sold as dietary supplements exempts them from FDA regulations and limitations. This is espe-cially a concern regarding the caffeine levels in the drinks. Soft drinks are limited to 71 milli-grams of caffeine for a regular 12-ounce can. A comparable energy drink can contain up to 500 milligrams of caffeine per serving, a ridiculous 40 times more caffeine.

Those of you who imbibe these energy drinks and feel as if you are immune from the aforementioned risks, have flawed judgment. Lung cancer from smoking develops over a course of several years. In general, many health conditions develop over time as a result of compounding your daily unhealthy lifestyles.

Energy drinks deceivingly present a myo-pic benefit with your late-night study sessions at 2 a.m. Have you ever considered or thought about the natural energy and productivity boosts of having a good night of sleep?

If you really crave that energy and perfor-mance boost, these energy drinks are not the way to go for the sake of your health.

After you put it all in perspective, it really isn’t worth it.

Raymond La is a sophomore majoring in microbiology.

Benefi ts of energy drinks not worth riskE

very college guy will fig-ure out at one

point or another how to pick up that cute girl at the bar for a fun night or lifelong commit-ment. But more im-portant than find-ing a drunk hottie is connecting with

a good bro.Cute girls outnumber good bros

by a ratio of 5 to 1. If you’re out one night and you’re thinking about work-ing your smooth criminal moves on some Lindsay Lohan look-alike, or the actual Lindsay Lohan, ditch her and chill with that cool bro who met Harrison Ford that one time.

Unlike your high school sweet-heart, a good bro is something that you will want to hold on to. The diffi-culty of finding one can match that of catching a rare Pokemon or the Hurri-canes being cleared of all NCAA alle-gations. That’s why there are so many dating sites and zero bro finding sites.

If looking, you definitely want to

start your search at a pizza buffet, a special “Star Wars” screening mara-thon or a Super Wal-Mart. Stay away from Starbucks and Buffalo Wild Wings.

False bros are everywhere so do not fall under their spell. Once they start quoting Dane Cook or Instagram their caesar salad, you know they’re not the one. Even if they seem like they might be the perfect fit you’ve been searching for, details like wear-ing Crocs or driving a Kia Soul will show the super nonbro they truly are. When in doubt just ask yourself the question, “Did this guy ever tryout to be on ‘The Real World?’”

If the answer is yes, change the channel on him.

A bro’s girlfriend also shows whether they are the dream bro of the Dos Equis guy, or the nightmare bro of the fake-gold-toothed, Sharpie-tat-tooed, women-fighting Chris Brown. If the girl latches on to him like it’s her life support, you don’t want her third wheeling on your bro time. If you find a bro with a girlfriend that resembles Kristen Wiig, without the obnoxious impressions of course,

then you have yourself the ultimate bro plus one.

When searching for a bromate, don’t be anyone but yourself. Try-ing to impress with an Ed Hardy hat and your knowledge of Michael Bay movies will leave you unsatisfied and wingmanning with someone shallow in the end. Don’t do that to yourself because breaking up with a testoster-one-filled bro is 10 times more diffi-cult than an emotionally erratic girl.

Bringing them to a fancy Italian restaurant won’t stop a fist from fly-ing toward you once you break the bad news, no matter how delicious the garlic bread is.

Nobody remembers those truly romantic couples that stay together forever, but everyone knows a true bromance – Starsky and Hutch, D-Wade and King James, George Bush and Dick Cheney. Go out there and find the perfect bro for you because the possibilities are endless. Most likely, it will end up like a Miller Lite commercial.

Kyle Rambo is a junior majoring in education.

KYLE RAMBOCONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Finding a bromance that will last forever

This year we witnessed the meteoric rise of coach Larranaga and the men’s basketball team, from start-

ing unranked, rising to as high as No. 2 in national polls and winning the ACC Championship. As the philosopher Au-brey Graham says, “Started from the bottom, now we’re here.”

This deserves celebration, but in the end, even Shane Larkin has to go to class.

On an academic scale, the ranking and reputation of the University of Mi-

ami has seen huge gains, but there is still room left for growth.

During the Shalala presidency, the university gained in rankings, including the U.S. News and World Re-port, where the school was once No. 67 nationally and reached No. 38 last year. UM regressed back to No. 44 this year, but expectations remain high for the latest scores to be released in August.

The same tool that helped propel the basketball team, quantitative evaluation, is also being administratively used.

Provost Thomas LeBlanc pointed to the strategic plan that is yearly accountable to the Board of Trustees and is based on data like the six-year graduation rate and incom-ing student SAT scores that would keep the university competitive with other premier institutions.

These goals address issues of student life, from the incoming class quality all the way through to graduation

day, and include targeted and unique programs like the Singer Scholar Interview Weekend offered to incoming freshmen with SATs high enough to qualify for full tuition merit scholarships.

Because reputations develop with retrospective looks at faculty and alumni careers, decades pass before a school can be seen differently. Unlike most of its 18th and 19th century cohorts, UM is the second youngest private institution in the U.S. News top 50.

The work done today should promote positive results down the road. LeBlanc confirmed that the goal of the cur-rent strategic plan is for UM to demonstrate the charac-teristics of a member of the Association of American Uni-versities, the premier consortium of 62 research-intensive institutions by 2020.

The benefits will also help students. Eddy Tsing from the Toppel Career Center noted the change even in the past year from the better exposure UM gets to employers.

According to Tsing, during the next three years the school will expand outreach to employers in national and international regions where UM hadn’t been familiar.

Because UM holds so much potential, campus leaders must do their parts to promote the best student experience, including tackling the enormous long-term issue of student debt.

As LeBlanc noted, “If you have a high quality reputa-tion, then high quality people want to be associated with you, and in a university, people are everything.”

Patrick Quinlan is a freshman majoring in international studies and political science.

PATRICK QUINLANCONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Rising national rankings boost UM status

RAYMOND LACONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

7


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE ADVERTISEMENTS 7

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Buried beneath the fashion posts and inspiring quotes on the blog-ging website Tumblr is a group of people obsessed with “Harry Potter,” “Sherlock,” One Direction and anime.

Sites like Tumblr and Twitter enable fans to bond over their pas-sions and create communities that revolve around their interests, form-ing what are better known as fandoms.

A fandom is a community of people brought together by a common interest who find different ways to celebrate it through outlets like art, live events like conventions or online discussions.

These subcultures can be a gateway to finding like-minded people who share not just the same interests, but also many of the same values.

For Abigail Lubin, a Ph.D. candidate at Miller School of Medicine, becoming involved in the Harry Potter community online has helped her find open-minded people.

“The people I tend to hang out with in the community are very open to new ideas,” Lubin said. “Sometimes I talk with peo-ple in real life, and they’re completely thrown by some ideas. I en-

joy spending time with people who are not shocked when y o u in- troduce something new and different.”

Sophomore Lauren Siminotis echoed similar sentiments about the online Lady Gaga community, which embodies many of the same beliefs that the singer herself advocates for.

“I think that she has a very good message of acceptance,” Simonitis said. “I think a lot of

people are drawn to it ... because for the most part it’s a very nurturing envi-

ronment.”Lubin is an ac-

tive reader and writer

of fanfic-

tion, in which fans use

existing fictional characters to create original stories.

“It allows you to explore ideas

... without any limitations or expectations at all,” Lubin

said. “It’s such a freeing experience. I love it.”

Many online commu-nities dedicated to specific fan-

doms have sprung up in recent years, making it even easier to find people with the same interests.

In 2012, Lady Gaga launched littlemonsters.com, a social media site for her fans. Simonitis was among the first to try out the website in the beta testing period. With this platform, she has been able to discuss Lady Gaga and her music in depth.

“It’s comforting,” Simonitis said. “It’s just nice to talk about it with people who are as crazily, unhealthily obsessed as I am ... instead of bab-bling to my friends who don’t really care about it.”

But these communities are not limited to the digital world. They date back before even television had been invented. The original Sher-lock Holmes fandom is often regarded as the original fandom. According to “The Devil and Sherlock Holmes,” British men wore black armbands in mourning when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed him off, and people in the U.S. started “Let’s Keep Holmes Alive” clubs. The backlash was so intense that Conan Doyle was eventually pressured into bringing the detective back to life.

Junior Adam Orshan bonds over the TV show “Doctor Who” with his friends, who introduced him to the program.

“For me, it’s much more about my group of friends and enjoying something with them,” he said.

Orshan is a member of the UMiami “Doctor Who” Fans Facebook group. He thinks that Whovians are drawn to the show because of the values it fosters.

“I find that most people who like ‘Doctor Who’ are good, nice, honest people because that’s kind of what the Doctor is like and that’s what he tries to get people to be,” Orshan said.

Freshman McKenna Lyons, who is also a member of the Facebook group, has found herself drawn to people who she later discovered were “Doctor Who” fans. She believes it is because many Who fans have similar personalities.

“I think a lot of us have the same manner and thoughts,” said Ly-ons, who describes herself as shy. “The way we interact with people is different.”

Throughout the past decade or so, fandoms have become more mainstream. Superhero movies have become one of the most profitable genres and both “muggle” from “Harry Potter and “whovian,” a word used to describe “Doctor Who” fans, have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Despite this, fandoms still often carry negative stigmas, like that of all major “Star Trek” fans being geeks who still live with their parents. But people within these communities argue that

the interactions influence more than they define.“I don’t think being a part of a fandom is exclusively character de-

fining,” Orshan said. “It’s a part of who I am but it’s not all of who I am.”

There are people intent on removing the labels altogether. Junior Ashu Joshi, president of the campus anime club, sought out the position partially in the hopes of eliminating the stereotype.

“I wanted to remove that stigma from the club,” said Joshi, who has attended anime conventions with the club. “Anime can be open to anyone in the community. It’s meant for everyone to enjoy and appreci-ate.”

Though many people worry about being associated with the stig-mas, Orshan points out that the fandoms themselves help to deflect much of the negative criticism.

“Who cares if someone else think’s it’s stupid?” Orshan said. “You love it and you have a whole other group of people who love it.”

Do you consider yourself to

be part of a fandom?

Do you generally like the

people in your fandom?

How long have you been

into fandoms?

Do you wear costumes, T-shirts, jewelry or

any other merchandise related to your

fandom?

Do you feel emotionally

connected to your

fandom?

Which categories do your

fandoms fall under?

Check all that apply.

Yes 81%

Fantasy/Sci-Fi71%

Live events 40%

8+ 44%

4-7 30%

0-3 26%

NO14%

Social media 94%

Parapher-nalia 43%

Media 59%

No 11%

Yes 89%

Other41%

Yes 72% No 28%

Music33%

Anime16%

Youtube24%

Total Votes: 114

Total Votes: 94 Total Votes: 94

Total Votes: 91 Total Votes: 91Total Votes: 94

Total Votes: 98

No 18%

What’s a fandom? 1%

Poll results Professor insights

Alberto Cairo

Fandom: Science fiction

“I like the opportunity to visit other worlds and explore controversial ideas. These genres explore how writers envision technology and how it can change the world. Science fiction is normally referred to as a literature of ideas.”

Favorite novels: “Game of Thrones” by George Martin, “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem and “1984” by George Orwell

Fun fact: Cairo wrote the Spanish introduction for the “Game of Thrones” novel “A Storm of Swords.”

Professors also contribute to fandoms, and their pop culture passions in-

spired courses on phenomenons such as Disney and vampires.

Karen Culver

Fandom: Disney

“I like that Disney is a media conglomerate that foregrounds imagination, creativity and happiness. It’s a place where adults can ... act like a kid. I definitely have an emotional connection to Disney, in part because I come from a family of Disney fanatics ... I realize that Disney is also mass consumerism, so it’s not all positive.”

Favorite character: Winnie the Pooh and friends

Fun fact: Culver ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon, attended several Disney pin trading events, and teaches an English composition class about Disney. “I think stu-dents are more excited to engage with a class when the professor is excited by what she is teaching,” she said. “So I think professors should be encouraged to bring their fandom into the classroom.”

Thomas Goodmann

Fandom: J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium and “The Lord of the Rings”

“I was already interested in medieval literature when I read Tolkien. What had hooked me was the strangeness of the language Old English. Tolkien’s fictional world is generated from his interest in languages. One seemed to feed the other.”

Favorite scene: “The Fellowship is passing through Moria, past Balin’s tomb and find a bashed book. Gandalf reads the runic letters and tells the group of a dramatic end of a colony of dwarfs. This is not too far from the survival of the ‘Beowulf’ manu-script, an accidental survival ...”

Fun fact: Goodmann speaks Old and Middle English, Old Welsh and Old Norse.

Renee Fox

Fandom: Vampires

“I’ve been drawn to vampire novels for as long as I can remember – I read Anne Rice in junior high and I was hooked, even if I didn’t actually like those novels very much. I think I like how mutable the vampire is as a monster – it can be reimagined almost infinitely in order to capture different kinds of desires and anxieties ...”

Favorite vampire representations: “True Blood,” Brad Pitt in “Interview with a Vam-pire” and Gary Oldman in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula”

Fun fact: Fox’s dissertation focuses on vampires and other reanimated bodies like mummies. “I love being able to teach classes full of books and films that are creepy and pleasurable and complex ...”

BY MARGAUX HERRERAEDGE EDITOR

Which

medium/me-

dia do you use to

interact with your

fandom?

Check all that

apply.

YES 86%

April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE FANDOMS 98 FANDOMS THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

Social media fosters community among fans

Information compiled by Alexander Gonzalez

DESIGN BY CARLOS MELLA

10


10 EDGE THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

Sebastian who? UM’s beloved Ibis may be upstaged on Friday by some rubber ducks and a towering Ferris wheel on the Foote Green.

For the 10th straight year, Canes Night Live will host Canes Carnival on the last day of spring semester classes from 8 p.m. to midnight.

“This event is Hurricane Productions’ larg-est for the semester,” said senior John Lake, the organization’s chair.

College students often reminisce about childhood days when there were no papers to write, presentations to give, projects to complete or exams to study for. So, CNL planners figure that nothing makes students feel more like a kid than going to a carnival. Canes Carnival has become a UM tradition. The event’s 10-year anniversary will be no exception, and senior Alex Achorn, chair of CNL, plans to take it to

a whole new level. After all, “it’s UM’s official end-of-classes celebration,” he said.

What will make this year’s “all-out carni-val” stand out from previous ones? Achorn said that it probably will be the mechanical rides.

“For the past few years, they’ve wanted us to stray away from mechanical rides, but this year is different,” he said. “Since it’s the car-nival’s 10th anniversary, they’re letting us do something special.”

The focal point will most likely be the 50-foot Ferris wheel that will overlook Richter Li-brary. Other rides will include a “Rock-o-Plane” and chair swings. In addition to the rides, there will be inflatable attractions including slides, bounce houses and bumper cars. There will also be a games tent on the Green that will feature classic carnival games, such as balloon darts and ring toss. Games will be hosted by co-pro-gramming organizations.

“We are trying to include as many clubs

and organizations to help in the games tent,” Achorn said.

In addition, students can enjoy free pop-corn, cotton candy and funnel cakes throughout the night. The first 300 students will be awarded vouchers to the food trucks. Live entertainment will be provided by three campus bands: “Sirens and Sealions,” “The Big Tasty” and “The Sun-bears.”

Sophomores Josh Weiner and Alex Car-mona are looking forward to the carnival.

“It’s pretty awesome how the school brings the carnival to campus,” Weiner said.

Carmona agreed. “Josh and I are definitely going,” Carmo-

na said. “It sounds like it’s going to be even bet-ter than last year, not to mention it’s a great way to wrap up the semester.”

Achorn said there will also be “a bunch of giveaways and ways you can win prizes.” But students won’t have to wait for the last day of

classes to catch the carnival fever giveaways.“There will be promotions going around

two weeks before classes end just to market the carnival,” Achorn said.

One thing to look for: rubber ducks. Stu-dents can pick them out of campus fountains and redeem the prize code on the bottom at the carnival.

BY SKYLAR FRISCHCONTRIBUTING EDGE WRITER

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Canes Carnival featuring rides, games, free prizes and food trucksWHERE: The Green WHEN: 8 p.m. to midnight Friday

The event is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/canesnightlive.

GRAPHIC BY ALI FISHMAN

11


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE ADVERTISEMENTS 11

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12 ADVERTISEMENT THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

13


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE SPORTS 13

Some college students may like to sleep for 15 hours on a Saturday. But for triathlete Shannon Glenn, the day is best spent swim-ming, biking and running – and not just a little.

Glenn, president of TriCanes – the UM triathlon club – participates in Ironman com-petitions. The grueling sport includes swim-ming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles in a daylong event.

“After the Ironman [last year in New York City], every single part of my body hurt,” Glenn said with a smile. “It was the most physically and emotionally challenging thing I’ve done, but it was worth it, absolutely.”

Her devotion and commitment to the UM

club and the sport itself have earned praise from her advisor.

“Shannon is a tremendous president for the TriCanes,” said Connie Nickel, assistant director of recreational sports and camp at the Wellness Center. “She is passionate about

the sport and is very organized; hence, the club is organized, and she is a superb leader.”

Junior Corinne Rainey, who was in New York to watch Glenn compete, said watching her cross the finish line made all the training worthwhile.

Glenn, who lives near St. Petersburg, is a biology major in the honors program in medicine, where students can earn both a B.S. and M.D. degrees in seven or eight years. She aspires to be a pediatrician or sports medicine physician.

“I think the best doctors are the ones that know what it’s like to be on the other side,” she said. “And if you can understand the patient … you have a much greater ability to help them.”

Triathlons were not Glenn’s original sport of interest.

“I got cut from a co-ed basketball team in high school because they didn’t want a girl on the team,” she said.

Instead, she started sprinting for her high school, and later registered for a triath-lon as a new way to meet people and com-pete.

One of the hardest challenges was to balance training for a long-distance race while her friends were coaxing her to go out.

“My greatest achievement was crossing the finish line at the Ironman,” Glenn said. “I trained a year for the race and spent so many hours devoted to it. Now I’m trying to figure out which one I’m going to do next.”

Triathlon club president reflects on Ironman racesCLUB SPORTS

Glenn calls 140.6 miles greatest achievementBY KEVIN RODRIGUEZCONTRIBUTING SPORTS WRITER

GLENN

PHOTO BRIEF

NICHOLAS GANGEMI // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Miami uses Sunday shutout to capture seriesTAMING THE TIGERS: Sophomore catcher Garrett Kennedy and junior infi elder Brad Fieger are greeted by teammates aft er scoring during Sunday’s 7-0 win.

Dale Carey drove in three Hurricanes in the aft ernoon, while Andrew Suarez tossed his fi rst career complete game against Clemson (27-12, 13-7 ACC).

“Ever since the fi rst inning, I was locating my pitches,” Suarez said. “Once my off ense got a few runs in, I was more relaxed. I let my defense do the work.”

The Canes (27-16, 10-11 ACC) dropped the series opener to No. 12 Clemson, 1-0. But things turned in Miami’s favor when Bryan Radziewski took the mound on Saturday.

The junior ace struck out 10 for the third time this season, picking up his sixth win in the 2-1 duel.

Miami returns to action at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Florida Atlantic.

SPORTS 3number of complete games thrown by Miami starters this season, including a shutout of No. 12 Clemson by Andrew Suarez.

5the place that the Miami women’s golf team placed in overall at the ACC Championships this past weekend.

14


14 SPORTS THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

Season ends with two lossesTOUGH OUTING: Junior Gabriel Flores prepares to serve on Friday aft ernoon, when the men’s tennis team took on Virginia Tech. Miami was shut out by the Hokies, 7-0.

On Sunday, the struggles continued as the Canes fell 6-1 to top-ranked Virginia during Senior Day. Victor Mauz was honored as Miami’s lone senior.

PHOTO BRIEF

NICHOLAS GANGEMI // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SPORTS BRIEFS

WOMEN’S TENNISMiami lost for just the fifth time this sea-son, dropping the last match of the year to Virginia.

The Canes’ three top singles players all fell, while the other two matches reached a third set before going unfinished.

Next up is the ACC Tournament, where Mi-ami will try to rebound against more top-quality competition.

“I thought we played well at doubles, espe-cially at No. 3,” coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I’m looking forward to getting to Cary and starting the tournament.”

ACC play begins Thursday. The conference will announce matchups on Monday after-noon.

TRACK & FIELDAlthough the team standings might indi-

cate otherwise, the Hurricanes had a de-cent showing at this weekend’s ACC Out-door Championships.

The women finished 11th overall, while the men ended in ninth. In some individual events, though, Miami made its mark.

Shannon Wright, Taneisha Cordell, Alaine Tate and Jokira Jiles ran the 4x400m re-lay and turned in a season-best time of 3:39:81. It was good enough for third place.

Isaiah Simmons had a standout perfor-mance, winning the men’s shot put and placing third in discus. He earned the field MVP award for his dominant freshman campaign.

Spencer Dandes may be contacted at [email protected].

Information compiled from hurricanesports.com.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Ras-Anderica ties for third at ACC Championships

Throughout the season, sophomore golfing sensation Leticia Ras-Anderica spent her time on the greens and moving up the ladder.

The talented Spaniard has led the way for Miami this spring. In fact, at all three major spring tournaments Ras-An-derica has finished in the top 10.

The ACC Championship this past weekend was no different, as Ras-Ander-ica finished in third with scores of 74, 72 and 75 (+8 total).

Miami also used a strong perfor-mance from Rika Park tie for fifth overall by the tournament’s close.

Awaiting Miami in Greensboro, N.C., was a strong field of nine schools from the ACC represented by 45 of the nation’s top golfers.

Breezy and overcast conditions set the stage for round one at Sedgefield Country Club, where the Duke Blue Dev-ils looked to add to their collection of 17 ACC tournament titles.

The Blue Devils finished Friday with a seven-stroke lead. Miami was far be-hind in ninth.

The race was all but over come Sat-urday morning, but as Duke seemed to pull away with the team lead, Miami’s squad made a jump up to seventh place.

The Canes closed out Saturday at 50-over par (618).

Impressively, Ras-Anderica recorded

an eagle in each of her first two rounds.“It felt way easier this year, the

greens changed to Bermuda grass and weren’t so fast, which gave me more con-trol on my putts,” she said.

Park started the day in 18th place, and finished in a tie for 12th with Augus-ta James of N.C. State.

She made a five-stroke improvement (77 to 72) from Friday to Saturday, but Miami struggled as a whole on the back nine.

“We didn’t finish how we wanted, we were in fourth with four holes to go and had a rough finish,” assistant coach John Koskinen said. “We just need to stop making careless mistakes.”

The Canes finished tied for fifth with North Carolina with team totals of 924 after all three rounds.

Overall, Duke held its lead and end-ed 24 strokes clear of second-place N.C. State. The Blue Devils also had four play-ers finish in the individual top 10.

It was the second consecutive title for Duke.

The Virginia Cavaliers fell to third place after an uncharacteristically rough outing from Brittany Altomare.

Still, she finished No. 1 overall in the tournament with a 70 (two under par) on Friday, 71 on Saturday and 76 on Sun-day.

Head coach Patti Rizzo sees the weekend as a step in the right direction.

“We’re really excited about this. The fifth-place finish should be enough to se-cure us a bid into the NCAA regional,” she said. “I’m not sure when the NCAA selection show is, but we’re all excited and looking forward to it.”

Duke takes overall title by 24 strokesBY ANDY LEONCONTRIBUTING SPORTS WRITER

15


April 22 - April 24, 2013 THE MIAMI HURRICANE DEAR V 15

DISTRIBUTORS WANTEDTHE MIAMI HURRICANE LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTORS TO PICK UP OUR PAPERS TWICE A WEEK AND DELIVER TO CAMPUS AND SOUTH MIAMI.

ALL POSITIONS ARE PAID.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT [email protected].

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dear ...Dear V: California girls, they’re undeniable...

,

My boyfriend got a medical school offer in California and wants me to join him at the same school. I did not intend on going to California. I want to travel to New York to work at a marketing firm. I want to live in the “Gossip Girl” world and not in “The OC.” I love him, but I need to live my life.

I Want to Be Blair Waldorf

Dear Pretentious East Coaster, Your worst nightmare is California. The border to

the Pacific Ocean, medical marijuana and the shadow of Hollywood can be turn-offs for the aspiring New Yorker. New Yorkers thrive on action, deadlines and

never having enough time to take in all the necessary culture. Californians are the complete opposite.

But these are stereotypes. The West and East Coast have as many similarities as differences. They are hotbeds of the most successful and richest people and support the organic food movement. Who doesn’t love a yuppie eating a Whole Foods veggie burger that was prepared with the freshest ingredients?

California can be your version of New York. They have the same amount of celebrity appearances, liber-als and marketing firms to wet yourself. California is actually New York without the darkness and Gotham-like landscape.

Everyone has better personalities and they don’t live in fear of super villains like the Joker or the Green Goblin.

The only villains you may encounter is the occa-sional conservative politician who moved out to a re-hab center in Napa Valley. Yeah, talk about the irony.

And remember that at one point, Blair Waldorf was unhappy about not dating Chuck Bass and losing her title as queen bee. She uses her money and social status to make up for her shortcomings as a person. But Blair eventually learns that she defines New York as much as the city defines her. New York embodies Blair. Amen.

Here’s the bottom line. If you envision a future with this rich doctor who will be performing plastic surgery on Tom Cruise and Katy Perry, then be ready to refine your Californian accent.

If New York is more important, then you can al-ways find a cool artist who is confused about his sexu-ality at the Village. There is nothing like starring in the sequel to “Rent.”

And if you’re wondering, I am from the Midwest and that’s where the best farm bars are located. Damn right.

V

h i l i ld f

16


16 ADVERTISEMENT THE MIAMI HURRICANE April 22 - April 24, 2013

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