Brian MitchellStaff Writer

The holy month of Ramadan is observed by Muslims around the world. Recently, Millsaps students and faculty joined in on the ritual by partaking in a traditional Muslim Iftar dinner.

The evening fast-breaking meal during Ramadan, this version of Iftar featured an authentic Turkish meal, a slideshow, a discussion of Ramadan and a perspective on the Muslim way of life. Many hands went into making this Millsaps-hosted event possible.

“The food at the Millsaps Iftar was prepared by members of the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue (IID), a group based in Turkey that has branches throughout the United States, including Jackson,” says Dr. Lola Williamson of the religious studies department. “I worked with Sabri Agachan, a Jackson IID representative and SLACKERS (the religious studies student organization) leaders, as well as Millsaps Muslim students to make this Iftar possible.”

Those in attendance learned of the history and purpose of Ramadan and gained insight as to the spiritual goals that it seeks. Ramadan is the month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for

the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. This holy time is meant for purifi cation of the body and mind.

“It’s important to learn about other religious cultures and practices,” says Dr. Darby Ray of the religious studies program. “(Our) participation in the Iftar is a great way to learn about Islam. Hosting an Iftar aimed at students resonates perfectly with Millsaps’ commitment to studying the whole world.”

The event seemed to be a success in providing education and the overall experience of the Islamic faith.

“This just goes to show how Millsaps is such an inviting community of all faiths,” says junior and religious studies major Alex Allain. “Millsaps seeks to understand others, and embrace the faiths of all students. This dinner was an indication of the type of understanding we have here [at Millsaps].”

“This helps develop cultural awareness and sensitivity in our students,” says Ray.

This sensitivity will continue to grow, thanks to some proactive Muslim Millsaps

Kathleen MorrisonNews Editor

Millsapian Jonathan Giurintano, a senior, will soon be busy capturing the hearts of “Cosmpolitan Magazine” readers everywhere as Mississippi’s hottest bachelor of 2007.

Last spring, “Cosmopolitan” invited readers to nominate friends, coworkers and relatives that they thought fi t the bill of the nation’s “sexiest single.”

Giurintano, however, laughingly submitted an application for himself.

“It was all kind of a joke,” he says. “I never expected to get it.”

The editorial staff of “Cosmopolitan” chose one bachelor from each state to be, collectively, the 50 hottest bachelors in the nation. These 50 men are featured in the November issue of “Cosmopolitan,” accompanied by short interviews detailing their preferences in women, dating and more.

Giurintano says he was studying abroad in France when he got the news that he had won for his state.

“I just started laughing. I thought it was hilarious,” he recounts.

Senior Taylor Allee, who traveled to France with Giurintano, says that his reaction was true to his character.

“He was really calm about it – almost like he didn’t really believe it was

true. He is not cocky about it at all,” she says. “I think the fact that he is so humble about it proved he really deserves it.”

John Kellogg, a senior, says he was one of the fi rst people Giurintano told about winning the contest.

“I was surprised. You never really expect that to come up in conversation. But it’s a great honor for a great guy,” says Kellogg. “And now he can say he is one of the 50 hottest guys in the country. Maybe he could use it as a pick up line.”

Although Giurintano submitted his application with no real intent to change his bachelor status, he now has a few girls in mind.

“I’m hoping I can catch the attention of somebody big. I have high goals,” he says. “Someone like Scarlett Johansson. I’m hoping she reads Cosmo.”

Ranging from age 19 to 34, this year’s crop of bachelors can be found at www.cosmopolitan.com, where readers and friends can for the bachelor they fi nd most eligible. Voting ends today. From that, six semifi nalists will be chosen.

Then, all 50 bachelors will convene in New York City for “Cosmopolitan’s” ‘Bachelor party’ on Oct. 18. There the men will spend the day doing a press junket, appearing on the Today Show and conducting interviews.

Submitted photoLook around, this Cosmopolitan bachelor might be standing next to you.

October 11, 2007, Volume 72, No. 7

The LifeFelder Rushing lives the

gestalt lifestyle.

Features

“Chairete, o philoi. (Be joyful, oh friends),” as the ancient Greeks would say.

Be joyful, for Friday Homer rhapsodist Mark Miner will be initiating Millsaps’ fi rst Homer Marathon, or a reading of the entire “Iliad” in English. The marathon will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Friday continue until 10 p.m. and resume again at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The marathon will then continue until about 2 p.m. that day when, as chair of the classics department Dr. Catherine Freis puts it, “the reading of the profoundly moving 24th book of the ‘Iliad’ will conclude the marathon.”

The marathon, says Freis, was her students’ idea.

“Some students last year had heard about a Homer reading at another college,” she explains, “and several students wanted to have a reading here at Millsaps, particularly those students taking my Homer class in the fall.”

Many students and several professors have signed up to participate in the reading; each individual will volunteer to read in 15- to 30- minute time periods. Anyone who is interested in listening is welcome to come and stay as long as he or she would like.

“I am really excited to hear the real Homer rather than simply read it from a book,” says sophomore and Greek student Amy Marcellus. “It is much more enjoyable to hear it spoken in its original form.”

The rhapsodist will kick off the marathon by reciting from memory in ancient Greek a number of lines from the “Iliad” which some of the volunteers will read aloud in English in 15-line increments.

Professor of English Dr. Anne MacMaster notes the value of readings like this one.

“I attended a similar reading of ‘Go Down, Moses’ at William Faulkner’s actual home, Roanoke, and it was a really good experience,” she says. “You get to have this experience with literature that is so different from reading words from a book.”

Senior Katie Hamm, who is currently an English major, looks forward to the experience.

“I expect this speaker to pronounce all the names of the people in the ‘Iliad‘ correctly; on the other hand,

Ancient tradition comes to Millsaps

Hottest bachelor a Millsapian

Edgar MeyerStaff Writer

Iftar dinner serves a feast of diversity

Opinions................2Features.................4Life........................6News continued.....8Sports.....................9

...as Granny Friedman always said, “Tom, never cede a country to a country that fi lters

Google.”“New Patriotism” page 2

SportsLate surge lifts Majors

over Centre.

Iftar continued - page 8

Photo by Hillary Hamblen Students enjoy food and fast-breaking to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Technology: Does it kill people?

Homer continued - page 8

Bachelor continued - page 8

Isreal ScottContributor

On Sept.15, 2007 I was glad to have attended the Truth Conference hosted and sponsored by Thursday Night Bible Study and the Millsaps Religious Studies department. The confer-ence panel was composed of some of academia’s fore-most scholars of religion and philosophy.

The five-member panel was a mix of voices and opinions, containing theo-logians, a philosopher, and a Jewish scholar. The keynote speaker, Mr. Greg Koukl, was a Christian with the theme of “Who are we to say?”

His main goal was to apologize and reconcile a lost dialogue due to the ignorant efforts of Chris-tians who callously lash

out against people of other faiths. Furthermore, Koukl stood in firm opposition to the main conference topic, moral relativism – an ideol-ogy which maintains that no one person or culture can measure another ac-cording to its moral stan-dard.

Within this debate on re-ligion and ethics, issues of race and the treatment of various social classes was also visited. One of the fi-nal and most compelling remarks that I heard Koukl say was “Diversity is not merely the presentation of liberal opinions; it is the re-spectful presentation of op-posing opinions discussed in an intelligent manner.”

In the weeks following the conference, I noticed a number of articles filled with sincerity and sardonic humor that were written in response to issues brought up at the conference. Dr. James Bowley wrote one such article that stood out to me for the style in which it was written. He divided his feelings about the confer-ence into six distinct voices which I believe was done to mitigate the fact that these ideas in fact came from the mind of one man express-

ing his perception of con-ference attendees.

I call myself simply a Christian, but many would call me a very conservative Christian. As such, I took keen interest in the “Mr. Be-liever” voice present in Dr.

Bowley’s article. “Mr. Believer” seemed

to be portrayed as an in-dividual reared in church from birth and rendered clueless as to how anyone

can believe anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover, the au-thor painted a picture as though the“Mr. Believer” voice only listens to people who lift up Jesus Christ.

While this image is true in some cases, I must assert that there are also many people who listen to in-formation about a plethora of re-ligions and phi-losophies and still choose to align themselves with a “believ-ing” mentality. Such people that come to mind are John Piper, the Rev. Frank Ham-mond (author of “Pigs in the Parlor”), Bishop Ronnie Cruddup, the Rev. Francis Chan and many more.

In my opinion, many of these

individuals are not widely noticed by the public eye because many conferences discussing religion and eth-ics invite Christian speakers merely for amusement pur-

poses. Many ethical schol-ars dismiss spiritual experi-ences as evidence for truth because those experiences are personal and therefore not what they consider to be a justifiable means to acquiring truth.

After being made a mockery of once, Christian invitees would naturally re-fuse invitations to similar conferences, feeling that they will do better service within their own congrega-tions.

As a religious stud-ies major, though, I must ask when a philosophy of only accepting the empiri-cal became the standard by which everything must be measured? Lastly, I find it ironic that the very people who emphasize the impor-tance of being conscious of the world around them would celebrate the phi-losophy of “having an open mind” while dismissing more conservative views with sardonic humor. It is only through sincere, intel-ligent dialog that we can understand and respect one another. Many fail to realize that respect does not equal acceptance. Be blessed be-yond belief!

Lastly, I find it ironic that the very people who empha-size the importance of being conscious

of the world around them would cele-

brate the philosophy of “having an open mind” while dis-

missing more con-servative views with

sardonic humor.

Michael FranklinContributor

Last Tuesday, three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman spoke at Auburn University as part of the university’s Littleton – Frank-lin Lecture Series.

This came as no surprise to me, for Auburn already serves as a home to a laundry list of greatness which includes astronauts, agricultural en-gineers, Olympians, timeless coach-es and athletes, as well as military experts.

Friedman spoke on two subjects: His latest book, “The World is Flat,” and his upcoming work focusing on environmental results of globaliza-tion. For those in the audience who had not read through the first couple of chapters of “The World is Flat,” Friedman spent the majority of his time outlining how the economic playing field between industrial and emerging market countries has been leveled or “flattened.” He then went on to discuss some complications arising as a result of a truly even global-economic playing field.

Friedman listed 10 events during the last 20 years which have served to transform the traditional order of entrepreneurship from a setting where only someone with substan-tial intellectual, investment and so-cial capital could profit from his or her ideas to a world where anyone from any set of circumstances can stand to make a fortune.

These 10 “flatteners,” as Fried-man calls them, include the falling of the Berlin Wall, browser-style Internet, workflow software, open sourcing, outsourcing, offshoring, supply chaining, insourcing, In-forming and the “steroids” of the preceding. The following is a sum-mary eased by one of the world’s great flatteners, Wikipedia:

- The falling of the Berlin Wall al-

lowed the world to be seen from a global perspective instead of divided upon Eastern and Western policy

- Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. provided a source of instant worldwide communication suitable for all users.

- Workflow software allows my computer to be able to talk to yours and v i c e - ve r s a . There is no paper made middle man.

- Open Sourcing such as, “open of-fice,” blogs and Wikipe-dia has pro-moted access to the design and produc-tion of goods and knowl-edge. Open sourcing has led to vast increase in the spread of knowledge.

- Friedman argues that outsourc-ing has allowed companies to split service and manufacturing activi-ties into components, with each component performed in the most efficient, cost-effective way. The most famous example is a customer service agent in Bangalore, India ac-cessing your Regions Bank account in Jackson, Miss. It was cheaper to hire and Indian rather than a Mis-sissippian.

- Offshoring is simply the manu-facturers’ way of outsourcing

- Wal-Mart is the best example of a company using technology to streamline item sales, distribution and shipping. Wal-Mart does not produce any of its own products.

- Friedman uses UPS as a prime example for insourcing, in which the company’s employees perform services--beyond shipping--for an-other company. For example, UPS itself repairs Toshiba computers on behalf of Toshiba. The work is done at the UPS hub, by UPS employees.

- Search engines such as Google are providing unprecedented access to information

- The “steroids” are products such as mobile phones, IPods, Personal Digital Assistants simply provide users with the ability to conduct business and realize ideas anytime,

anywhere in the world.Now, more than ever, Friedman

feels that the American Dream can be realized outside of the United States. Through his formula “Curi-osity Quotient + Passion Quotient > Intelligence Quotient” Friedman states that a curious and passionate

individual is now greater than an indi-vidual who simply has a high IQ score. More simply, it is no longer true that suc-cess is immi-nent simply through US citizenship. These flat-teners give most individ-uals the abil-ity to pursue the Ameri-can Dream and live/consume as Americans.

Herein is a problem.As hundreds of millions more

people begin to consume metals, paper, plastics, water and electric-ity by living as we do in the United States, there arises a greater need than ever to discover new outlets of consumption not based on finite resources. Friedman agrees that it is a good thing that more individuals are able to consume as we Ameri-cans do. Friedman would agree that it is a good thing that more and more people can eat a Big Mac and buy press-on nails whenever they so chose. Friedman would see as a victory of the Enlightenment the ability for millions more people able to access information from the In-ternet. However, the maintenance of this consumption is based on dated technology and finite resources.

Friedman asserted that the future belongs to the nations innovative enough to produce cheap and envi-ronmentally safe energy. Friedman pointed out that many people like to view the 1800s as belonging to the British, the twentieth century as dominated by the United States, and cede the 21st century to China.

“However,” he said, “as Granny Friedman always said, Tom, never cede a century to a country that fil-ters Google.”

At this point the lecture took a more serious tone. The speaker af-firmed that a nation’s ability to function in a continually flattening world directly depended on its abil-ity to provide for its citizens an en-ergy plan and infrastructure based on the 3 Rs of waste prevention, re-duction, reutilization and recycling. Friedman said that “we are not hav-ing a green revolution, but instead we are having a green party; we will know when it becomes a revolution when someone gets hurt.”

Friedman is not only talking about individuals getting hurt but also nations. He is saying that na-tions which fail to consistently im-prove upon their technology and infrastructure will be the ones lit-erally left in the dark. Probably the most prophetic statements Fried-man made on Wednesday were the ones concerning a greener military. Friedman talked about a general in Iraq demanding solar energy. It goes without saying, a military not reli-ant upon supply routes for energy will be a more deadly and effective a force. It is a cause and effect re-lationship. As technology becomes greener, it becomes better. As na-tions become greener, they become better.

Friedman asserted in a Malthu-sian manner, “the worldwide de-mand for energy is increasing ex-ponentially, and we are changing in increments.”

The energy we save driving hy-brid cars is equal to the amount of energy the people of China use making breakfast every morning, and the energy saved using more efficient light bulbs is consumed in China by mid-morning. The devel-oping world is consuming electric-ity faster than anyone can imagine, and only the nations independent of fossil fuels able to provide their own source of green energy, “grenergy” will land on top.

Even though research organiza-tions such as the Pooderbagers feel it is plausible to create more fossil fuels by reintroducing the dinosaurs into speciation, most feel fossil fuel dependence is passé. Friedman’s conclusion dictated exactly what our nation needs to hear - that when patriotism and “being green” are in-terchangeably linked, nations will survive, or just as businesses com-placent of the Internet and flatten-ing world, they will be left behind.

OpinionsPage 2

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Kathryn Buchan, buchamk@millsaps.edu

The

Purple &

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Justin Sledge

Allisa Vincent

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tor-in-Chief Kyle Doherty,

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New Patriotism: Greenest Side of the Pond

The mentality of believing

Friedman asserted that the future belongs to the

nations innovative enough to produce

cheap and environmentally

safe energy As nations

become greener, they become better.

Justin SledgeContributor

In the recent weeks an uprising, led mostly by students and Buddhist monks, has erupted in the military dictatorship of Myanmar. What began as a peaceful protest against exorbitant fuel surcharges had led to a signifi cant social uprising which has sadly also engendered the massacre and arrest of unarmed, innocent monks and students simply pleading for basic civil rights.

It is diffi cult to put solid numbers on the rising, but hundreds, if not thousands of monks and student have been killed, with many more arrested or otherwise detained. The press has been fully curtailed and the internet has been effectively shut down all over Myanmar. I

suspect that without the direct aid of the workers in Myanmar the entire rising may face the same fate as those that rose up in Tiananmen Square – mass arrest and summary execution. All the while, the UN is chattering...

It is incumbent on the privileged Millsaps student to be concerned with this uprising – anything less is fl atly irresponsible, alienated and indicative of our living in a bubble so far removed from the world at large that our place in it becomes a blight. Students have formed a signifi cant sector of the social impetus for revolutionary change in the world, and we should be aware of it.

We need only look to the May 1968 uprisings in Paris when student protestors siding with workers threw the French government into total disarray. This event was so signifi cant that the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze described it as, “not an aberration in the fabric of reality, but reality itself breaking through.” Students, like us, took the reins of history and for a brief few weeks transforming poetry into action and theory into revolution.

The uprising of May 1968 sadly failed for the same reason the uprisings in Myanmar may fail. The revolutionary potential for students is certain, and it is amazing, but it is also limited. Without siding in solidarity with those who produce society – the workers – any uprising is

doomed.Millsaps students have a

long legacy of social awareness, radicalism and understanding the world in order to change it.

Look through the archives of the P&W in the late 1960s and

you will be proud of what you see – I was . . . Of our solidarity and relationship with Tougaloo, our support of JSU when the police fi red 460 rounds in less than a second into a dorm of unarmed students, killing several and our continuing support of contemporary social issues.

We are the future, like it or not, and I wonder how we will explain to our children that during the prime of our lives we let the horrors of fascism return to the world stage without as much as a complaint because we just didn’t

pay attention. We were just too busy with papers, television, parties, Facebook, etc….

Fascism, the single most dangerous force in human history in my opinion, is returning. It is under our feet and in our heads. It is in the streets of Baghdad, where Haliburton, Veritas Capital Fund and Washington Group International have swayed the arm of Imperialism onto oil-rich Iraq.

Fascicm is also in the violent repression of d e f e n s e l e s s B u d d h i s t

monks; it is in the horrifi c false consciousness of Fundamentalist Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism.

Fascism is in voting for the lesser of two evils rather than declaring the process a sham.

Fascism is in the apathy of those of us who turn away from

its reality because we just do not have time to keep up with the news.

We must turn our attention to these struggles and those that came before. Look up May 1968, the Tlatelolco massacre, the U.S. risings among students or Tiananmen Square. Become acquainted with your world, its struggles, and it producers – the workers.

I don’t expect everyone to become a revolutionary; I don’t expect Millsaps to become the Sorbonne. I can, however, expect that you know what is happening in your world and for you to work hard toward understanding that we form part of the defensive line in a war against fascism and destruction.

If you don’t know where to start or you are just interested in this line of thinking drop me an e-mail (sledgjj) and we can chat.

Leon Trotsky said, “Life is not an easy matter... You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfi dy and baseness.”

It is high time we begin looking for our idea because the fascists have found theirs…

OpinionsPage 3

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Kathryn Buchan, buchamk@millsaps.edu

The Cats’ perspectives

Struggle and your place in it

Three cats can often be found, lounging in various places around Murrah Hall. They are affectionately known by many students as the pets of campus – a trio of feline friends. In the coming weeks, the cats’ opinions on various topics sug-gested by students, will surface here as comedic and alternative entertainment.

Addressing issues that have recently been submitted, as well as new sug-

gestions each week, the pieces by the cats will provide a slightly different and sarcastic perspective. All topics welcome: E-mail suggestions to buchamk@millsaps.edu. This week, they wish only to introduce themselves:

Mr. T, interpreted by Allisa VincentOriginally from Tennessee and named af-

ter his state, his handle has been shortened to Mr. T. After being inadvertently locked in a neighbor’s RV in Tennessee and dumped in Jackson when discovered, he now leads the trio of Millcats as protector and hunter. Often grouchy, he keeps to himself, only bothering to show himself when food is not plentiful.

He comments that he has “very strong opinions – on the war in Iraq, all things po-litical, the roaches, the puddles outside of Galloway, beer cans in the bushes and park-ing problems – but they will wait . . . until next week,fools!”

Millcats, interpreted by Franklin LandryHaving many aliases and the given name of Wolfi e, he

is affectionately known as Millcats to the Millsaps commu-nity. He prides himself on the softness of his fur and the color of his eyes. His laid-back, friendly manner keeps the peace between Mr. T and the absent-minded Sylvester, and he is often found sprawled out, sunbathing on the hoods of cars parked behind the Christian Center. Owned by a local resident of Belhaven, Larry Wells, Millcats is the only cat of the three with a known owner and home. He enjoys visiting with students, following them around, swishing his tail and purring.

Sentimental in everything, he concerns herself with do-mestic issues of all those around him, saying that his opin-ions are focused on “welcoming incoming freshmen, bid-ding farewell to those graduating, cooking (involving fi sh and fowl, of course), landscaping, Caf’ food (lines, seating and ‘Fro-Yo’) and the weather.”

Sylvester, interpreted by Nyaboke OmwegaAbsent-minded and skittish, Sylvester is an easily dis-

tracted picky eater. He plays with leaves, pounces on shadows and darts quickly into the bushes at the fi rst sign of a student. The maintenance and grounds staffs are his only friends. Originally from Belhaven College, he fl ed the strictures of the environment and ended up on the streets, eventually fi nding his way to the comfortable life of the Millsaps community.

He has grown soft from the easy life of raiding (expen-sive) garbage cans at Millsaps and can only be roused by mention of the evil squirrel mafi a, at which point he has been known to arise from a sound stupor to fl ee for the rel-ative safety of the air conditioning unit outside of Murrah.

He actively speaks out against “littered cigarette butts, the smell of the Gingko tree, Kava House food, athletics and the monotony of college fashion.”

It is incumbent on the privileged Millsaps

student to be concerned with this uprising

– anything less is fl atly irresponsible, alienated,

and indicative of our living in a bubble so far removed from the world at large that our place in it becomes a

blight.

See your opinions here next week. To respond to this or other articles,

e-mail buchamk.

Diantha Williamson Staff Writer

After just 74 days of sales, Apple distributed its millionth iPhone.

“It just seems like the phone of all phones,” says Mimi Nguyen, a Millsaps freshman.

“If we had to boil the iPhone’s SMS down to a one-word description, ‘purity’ would certainly be a finalist,” write Ryan Block and Chris Zeigler, online reviewers of the product. “The app’s simple enough; messages from numbers that don’t already have a ‘conversation’ going get added as a new entry in the main grid. Swiping to the right on a line item here presents an option to delete the conversation entirely, while tapping it opens the bubbly goodness.”

Originally priced at $499, the price has already dropped to $299, according to the Mac Web site. But even at $299, the purchase is “Absolutely (worth it),” says Matt Mutchler, a sophomore who has had his phone for a few months.

For some, however, the cost was too great for a cell phone.

“If someone wants to buy me one, I would love to have one,” says Marie Thomas, a freshman. Thomas will not be purchasing an iPhone any time soon, however.

Chavin Kean, a sophomore iPhone owner, agrees that cost was “a factor,” but “it was not a deterrent.”

The device has made its mark with other Millsaps students as well.

“Internet, camera, phone, iPod, e-mail and all the ways Apple integrates these features together really is amazing in itself,” says Alex Cummings, a sophomore.

“I am a hard core Apple fan, and the phone I had was in shambles. I was hesitant when it first came out because of the high price, but when the price cut was introduced, I went and got it the same day.”

Cummings bought his iPhone in hopes that it will last him a long time.

“I also like the ability to continually upgrade the phone,” he adds. “This way I will not be tempted to get a new

one.” Cummings expresses hope that iChat

instant messaging and a Global Positioning System system will become available through downloadable upgrades.

The versatility of the features of the iPhone are major factors in its high success ratings.

“It is very convenient,” says Kean. “For example, I was lost in west Jackson the other night, and I had to use the map feature to get to where I was supposed to be. One of the best features is the actual Internet being on the phone. You can check any Web site on the Internet in the palm of your hand. It works a little bit slower than the regular Internet, but it is fine.”

“The iPhone is three different systems working in one unit: A phone, iPod and navigation system,” says Mutchler, already an at&t customer and Mac user. He says he has also had no trouble with the service. It is a revolutionary compact device, so I wanted to see if it would actually function in a cell phone world,” he says.

Still, some doubt the necessity of all the features that iPhones offer, considering many of them to be gimmicks.

“No one uses half of those features…why do you need an iPod in a phone anyway?” says Gwen Agho, a freshman. “And then you have to have that at&t plan.”

The at&t plan requires the iPhone owner to pay for Internet access. Still, iPhones owners agree that the Internet service is decent.

“The Internet through at&t…is also better than what I had read about,” says Cummings. Like Mutchler though, he too was already an at&t customer and this upgrade has not been a hassle.

Mutchler likes the panoramic screen and wishes the phone had video camera capabilities to accompany its two-mega pixel still-shot camera. Cummings, like many, is astounded by the combination of functions and technology.

“It’s a fun gadget to have,” says Cummings, “When it comes down to it, if you are looking for a versatile smart-phone that is easily the most fun to work with, then go for it!”

Video and computer games have millions of casual players worldwide, but as with other cultural phenomena, they also have a legion of hard-core devotees.

Many of these gamers stake their cyber lives on their games, playing until they advance, win or die.

“One of my friends, whenever he’s outside of class, he’ll be playing,” says senior Matt Ludlum.

An avid player of the online game “World of Warcraft” (also known as WoW), Ludlum sometimes played for as much as five hours per day before cutting back during his senior year of high school. He says he has never considered himself addicted to a game but could see how it could happen.

“A couple of my friends were or are addicted,” says Ludlum. “It doesn’t seem like an addiction because when I was with my friends everyone was playing.”

How far does obsession go? Several gamers around the world have died from food and sleep deprivation while playing WoW. At least two of these players have been given virtual funerals online.

One such funeral in 2006 was disrupted when players attempted to hold vigil with their characters in one of the game’s open battle zones. A rival faction charged the virtual mourners and slaughtered the entire gathering.

Such recent game-related deaths caused the Chinese government to require online game companies to implement “anti-obsession devices” in their games. These devices used timers to penalize gamers who played for more than three to five hours

at a time. Subsequent studies revealed, however, that many gamers admittedly register multiple names to circumvent the time restrictions.

Many gamers who spend hours playing with friends view their gaming as a social

activity rather than a personal obsession. To the outside observer, however, the meeting grounds of such gamers may seem like war zones.

On campus, perhaps the most notorious of these war zones is the west second floor hall of Bacot dormitory. On a typical night

several freshman gamers crowd into the room of resident Ben Clemenceau to play “Halo,” “Oblivion” and other games.

Standing in the hall, one might hear shouts and gunshots echoed by trash-talking on into the hours of 2 and 3 a.m.

“One night David (Butler, a junior), came into the room and said that all the RAs (resident assistants) had been getting noise complaints,” explains Chris Bankhead, a freshman.

In a similar testimony, west hall resident Jacob Biggs explained he had originally

been drawn to Clemenceau’s room after hearing “excessive cursing.”

Although the men of the west hall generally deny obsessing over games, a few will make exceptions when attempting to beat a particularly challenging game.

“There was this one three or four day period where I’d skip meals and classes…and didn’t sleep very much,” says Joe Richards, a freshman who became addicted to the game “Ninja Gaiden.”

“The only reason was that it was one of the hardest games ever made,” he explains.

Still, the question remains: What hypnotic power drives people to play these games in the first place?

“Reality is too boring,” answers freshman Thomas Walden. “You’ve got to get a break from it.”

“It’s like a casino; the system is designed to keep you there forever,” says Micah Shear, a sophomore and former WoW gamer. “It’s a separate known universe with its own fan base, which in turn attracts more fans, and it just sort of steamrolls into the greatest game on Earth.”

Whatever the allure may be, it is clear that gaming cultures are firmly rooted on this campus as well as around the world and will not be shutting down anytime soon.

FeaturesPage 4

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Nell Knox, knoxnl@millsaps.edu

Apple iPhone craze spreads to Millsaps

Photo by Mary Clark RardinUsing her iPhone, Victoria Sheppard, a sophomore, sends emails, checks Web sites and communicates via text message.

Lloyd GrayContributor

Photo by Mary Clark RardinGaming enthusiasts create the character of their dreams and duel with foes in the popular online community. World of Warcraft attracts a world-wide audience of players who meet friends in cyberspace.

World of obsession: Online games

Bjorn CarlssonContributor

With a long-awaited Sept. 25, 2007 launch, Halo 3 has finished the fight for Microsoft and Master Chief.

The release of the final installment of the Halo trilogy was followed with spectacular sales and nearly unanimous critical praise.

The reactions of students at Millsaps has been mixed, with play time for fans largely limited due to busy academic and extracurricular schedules.

Nick Handelman, a freshman, is one student who bought the game and wishes he “had more time to play it.”

Hadelman was one of many who attended the midnight release of the game.

“A cop came by with a megaphone and kept yelling ‘Halo 3!’ at us,” recalls Handelman.

Other students admit to their Halo obsession but have postponed purchasing the game due to commitments to schoolwork.

“I would probably flunk out,” says Emily Brandon, a freshman who has reserved the game. She plans to play the game when she is not so involved in school activities.

Other students are more apathetic about the release. “If I hadn’t been home sick (the week of the release),

I wouldn’t have known it came out,” says Chad Bowen, a junior. “It is not a big deal (for me)…zero percent of my close friends play it.”

Ever since the release of the first title in 2001, the Halo series has become a pop cultural phenomenon. Each successive release has enjoyed increasing fanfare and record-breaking sales.

Handelman goes as far to describe the latest release as “a historic event, people have waited six years (for this)…it’ll last a few good years.”

According to Microsoft, “Halo 3” set a record of entertainment sales in a 24-hour period with $170 million, topping the previous record of $151 million held by “Spiderman 3.” Critics have praised this installment for its engaging single-player experience as well as its expansive multiplayer options. In addition, it has been hailed as a key “crossover” title that has attracted and ensnared countless casual gamers.

The popularity of the Halo series can be likened to the Harry Potter heptology in its ability to attract new audiences to a medium. In fact, a large part of the trilogy’s success can be attributed to its appeal to the casual as well as the hardcore gamer audiences.

The mechanics strike a balance between intuitive gameplay and deep strategy that many find irresistible. The popularity of the series on college campuses is inestimable.

FeaturesPage 5

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Nell Knox, knoxnl@millsaps.edu

Commentary byKyle DohertyEditor-in-Chief

Looking over the new shows in the fall line-ups of the major television networks is always a good way to see a clueless approximation of where our popular culture is.

If you have been on the Internet at any point in the past month or so, you have probably seen an ad or two for the new show “Chuck” in which the title character (wearing the same clothes and sporting the same haircut as Jim Halpert from “The Office”) presents himself, some flames appear and he quips something about you needing a new firewall.

I would not expect NBC to save its funniest gags for a pop-up ad, but that would make a “Family Circus” comic blush.

I n t r i g u e d , I decided to experience this nerd-volution myself and watch an episode. Since television is

far too mundane and low-tech for such a cutting-edge nerd-themed show, I decided to watch it on NBC’s Web site.

Upon logging on, I was struck by a lame joke accusing me of being a geek for, apparently, being on the Internet.

After sitting through the requisite “Cars.com” commercial (what kind of nerd would buy a car from the Internet, right?), I discovered that “Chuck” is about this total nerd who works for a technical support team called, yes, the “Nerd Herd.”

Chuck wears bandages on his f i n g e r s w h i l e chatting up some ladies because, he e x p l a i n s , his hands c h a f e against his video game c o n t r o l l e r after hours of “Call of Duty.”

In nerd f a s h i o n , C h u c k

a c c i d e n t a l l y downloads a bunch of government secrets… into his brain. Somehow.

Now, with a brain laden with secrets, Chuck relies on a beautiful secret agent to protect him from other, less attractive secret agents. Along the way, he stops a potential terrorist attack using nerd abilities like accessing a Web site. The most ridiculous line: “Mr. Bomb, meet Mr. Internet.”

“Chuck” is by no means the only evidence that the e n t e r t a i n m e n t industry is painfully out of touch with modern times.

Rather, it is the latest descendant of a proud tradition of movies and TV shows where the Internet requires bizarre, arcane knowledge to operate and beeps a lot.

With the recent success of comic book movies and science fiction shows such as “Lost” and “Heroes,” network executives obviously sense some sort of sea change in the entertainment landscape and decided that all those nerds who watch those shows will enjoy infinitely less interesting fare that explicitly involves the nerds

and their inscrutable culture.

The people behind “Lost” and “Heroes” and the good comic book movies understand that there is a market for that sort of thing beyond greasy hackers who carry calculators on their belts.

Others, however, have yet to even realize that most everyone has been introduced to Mr. Internet these days.

As nerd culture catches on, TV networks cash in

Promotional PhotoThe NBC show “Chuck,” whose cast is featured here inside of a computer, seeks to ride the wave of the nerd-volution to ratings success.

Third round just as charming for Halo enthusiasts

Promotional PhotoHalo fans quench their thirst in the latest round.

NBC shows pull out of iTunes contractMeagan MaloneStaff Writer

NBC and iTunes have had a falling out.

Before the split, iTunes users and fans of NBC programming were able to download episodes of their favorite NBC shows from the current season onto their vid-eo iPods.

However, discrepancies over the price of each episode caused NBC to stop providing this service.

“The way they see it,” says Billy Hargis, a freshman, “They should charge five dollars per epi-sode because you can watch it as many times as you want. They in-sisted that iTunes up the price to $5.99.”

As Hargis points out, paying such a price for a single episode means paying upwards of $100.00 for one season of a show.

Or, as Hargis says, “One could simply wait for the DVD to come out and pay much less than half that price.”

“iTunes refused to do it,” Hargis says. “I respect iTunes for stand-ing up for their customers.

“(iTunes and NBC) had such a strong bond. I don’t think it’s smart especially since NBC’s in such a bad spot. They’re not in a place where they need to be burn-ing bridges,” says Hargis.

Also, downloading capabilities are somewhat popular nowadays and to potentially alienate a por-tion of one’s viewership is risky.

“I don’t have a video iPod, but my sister used to watch episodes on the bus or in the subway. It is more handy,” says Hargis.

However, Hargis admits to watching “The Office” religiously and adds that he’s “thankful for NBC’s streaming their shows on-line” so that he can catch them that way.

The split from iTunes does not affect junior Katie Collins. An ar-dent fan of NBC shows, especially “Heroes” and “The Office,” she has never downloaded an episode on her iPod.

“What’s the point?” Collins asks. “I just buy the DVD. It’s much easier to access with DVD if you want to watch the show with friends when you’re together.”

Instead, for missed episodes,

she visits NBC online to get caught up. Collins uses the online feature “if I have a meeting or chapter runs over. You can re-watch any episode from the season that is presently on.”

However, this luxury does not last forever.

“Last season they had every single ‘Heroes’ episode, but when the DVD came out they took them off so you would buy the DVD,” she says.

While it certainly has serious implications for some, many were unaware NBC’s decision.

“It’s really not that big of a deal, and it doesn’t affect my life,” says Kaycee Wright, a se-nior. Though she watches “Law and Order: SVU,” an NBC pro-gram, she is not concerned about the recent split.

Similarly, freshman Joe Muller says that since he’s been to col-lege, the amount of time he spends watching TV has decreased sig-nificantly.

“I don’t watch any TV now,” says Muller. “Even if I wasn’t busy, I would consider TV a waste of my time. Photo by David Smolkin

Although the iPod is great for listening to tunes, NBC has bailed.

“Chuck” can be veiwed on NBC Mon-day nights at 8 p.m. or online at www.nbc.com/chuck

Review byWalt LottContributor

World-class pianist Alon Goldstein gave a stunning recital at Millsaps.

Goldstein, an Israeli pianist, has performed around the world and won several prestigious awards, and his performance on Oct. 5 was indicative of his musical talent and achievement.

Goldstein chose a wide variety of pieces to perform. The recital began with two Bach arrangements of choral pieces, followed by a transcendental Late Beethoven Sonata, a contemporary sonata by Israeli composer Dornam and finally Schumann’s Fantasy in C.

Each of these diverse pieces is demanding to perform. Bach demands a sensitivity to multiple melodic/harmonic lines, the Dornam is both physically demanding and requires an improvisatory approach to written notes. Additionally, the Schumann necessitates stamina and an ability to convey raw

emotion, and the Late Beethoven, perhaps the most challenging piece on the program, demands emotional sensitivity and an almost philosophical understanding of the

music. Goldstein mastered these various difficulties superbly and with conviction.

Goldstein has developed an approach to interpretation that is both original and true to

what the composer intended. “I was taken with his ability to be

so introspective that it comes across as organic and improvisatory,” says music professor Ben Tomlinson. “Each gesture was beyond fluid, was entirely in the moment.”

It was exactly this organic style that helped Goldstein captivate the audience.

Goldstein’s concert was awe-inspiring, but his influence did not stop Friday night. On Saturday morning, he gave a free masterclass for pianists in the Jackson area.

In a masterclass, pianists will perform, then receive a mini-lesson from whomever is giving the masterclass. Here, aspiring pianists were able to glean how Goldstein approaches a piece and develops his particular style.

Goldstein displayed a mastery of his instrument that was touching and inspiring. From the supple lines of the Bach to the sublime Beethoven, Goldstein’s playing was consistently masterful (as was his Glenn Gould-like singing. That’s right, I snobbishly dropped a semi-obscure name. I apologize

for nothing!) In short, if you missed this guest recital, you missed a performance by a true artist.

The LifePage 6

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Kate Royals, royalkr@millsaps.edu

World-class pianist performs at Millsaps

Photo by Walt Lott World-renowned pianist Alon Golstein visits Millsaps for to perform and teach.

Catherine SchmidtManaging editor

Choctaw Books is one of those untouched places where you can forget that Starbucks and Britney Spears exist. Simply entering the used bookstore can make you feel like a sounder person.

Despite the books stacked on the floor and haphazardly wedged in shelves, there is the sense that everything is as it should be in the world. It’s a feel-good zone where you can forget about your to-do list and focus on one task: finding the next book to befriend.

And with about 100,000 books, Choctaw Books has no shortage of potential friends.

Starting with a shelf of books in an antique store and later opening Choctaw Books with several thousand books in 1982, owner Fred Smith has accumulated a vast collection of rare and used books over the years.

Smith graduated from Millsaps in 1975 with a degree in history and while professional book collecting and selling was not always in his future, it was a logical step.

“I grew up in a house full of books,” explains Smith, whose aunt was also in the antique business.

Over the years, Smith has had to set limits for himself on keeping books from the store.

“I made a point years ago of not keeping any Civil War books. It’s one of our big sellers,” says Smith, “So I developed an interest in the Mexican American war because people rarely come in looking for those books. I have sold a lot of things that I wish I had back, but it’s a major conflict of interest.”

In the early years, Smith bought books from dealers and from locals, but Choctaw Books is now at capacity.

Lodged in what was once a house, Choctaw Books winds through little

rooms loosely organized by topic and genre: fiction, mystery, theology, Civil War, travel (by region), poetry, religious, etc.

While there are corners of a l p h a b e t i z a t i o n and organization, much of Choctaw Books calls for some probing, bending, neck tilting and squatting.

“I used to know where everything was in here, but the stacks on the floor are out of my control,” admits Smith.

While Smith may be able to direct you to a particular book, the best tactic for this store seems to be simply entering with an open mind.

“I do have folks coming in looking for specific titles, but a lot of people are open to what they run into,” says Smith.

And you may quite literally run into the next book you cannot live without.

The prices range from a dollar into the thousands for some of the rarer specialty titles, such as a signed Faulkner limited edition and signed Eudora Welty first editions.

While the many first edition and signed books distinguish the store, so does the inherent personality.

It is not uncommon to find people

gathered around Smith’s desk, talking about books or telling stories in the way Southerners do best.

And if you think you have too many books, Smith can put you at ease.

“I have three or four l i f e t i m e s worth of things to read,” says

Smith. “But you can just pick up a book when you need it. And who knows, we may get snowed in some day.” Visit Choctaw Books at 926 North Street.

Alum offers city more than good read

Photo by Catherine SchmidtOwner Fred Smith and a customer converse among the stacks of 100,000 books at Choctaw Books in Jackson near State Street.

The LifePage 7

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Kate Royals, royalkr@millsaps.edu

Kyle DohertyEditor-in-Chief

 Sitting in the garden of local author, Mill-

saps enrichment instructor and host of the long-running “Gestalt Gardener” National Public Radio program Felder Rushing, one forgets that State Street is mere yards away.

Surrounding Rushing’s sanctum sancto-rum of a garden is a high tin wall which obscures the view of the street without. He says that the word “garden” refers to one’s guarded place.

“We just decided to… not gentrify, but just hunker down and have fun. This is the kind of garden you’d find in California or Europe. It’s a cottage garden. They’re not popular in the South, but it works,” Rush-ing explains. “That’s what people want to do, they want to feel safe and secure and that’s what a garden is supposed to be.”

One accesses the garden by means of a walkway of stepping stones laid in a long swirl that leads to a circular wooden deck next to a small pond, myriad flora and a man made of rusted metal – a “harvest im-age,” not a scarecrow, Rushing informs.

After a tour of his garden-in-transition and an explanation of his intentions for it, including a fountain designed to create just enough noise to block out the sound of cars, Rushing explains what it is to be a gestalt gardener.

“The word ‘gestalt’ - there’s not a good English definition for it. It’s a German word. It’s a psychological term, and it basi-cally means the whole,” he shares. “It’s not just about the earth, wind and fire. It’s not about the digging and planting and harvest-ing. It’s also about dragonflies and tempera-tures and all the senses and getting along with the neighbors and being a decent hu-man being, not being wasteful and stupid and overdoing things.

“Very few people are real gardeners. A lot of people would rather be fishing or cook-ing or dancing or (making) music. Garden-ing is just my way of expressing what they express through their clothes or their food or their music.”

Rushing, who has obviously given the philosophical aspects of gardening a great deal of thought, goes on to explain the pur-pose of the enrichment course he teaches at Millsaps.

“There’s a lot of people who want to gar-den just like a lot of people want to dance and they cannot dance - cannot dance! - and there are dance classes at Millsaps. Some-times the students learn and sometimes they don’t. It’s the same with gardening,” he says. “The idea of the enrichment is to find people who want to do certain things with their spare time, creativity or whatever and learn something from someone who is successful in that area. If you take a photog-raphy class, you expect to learn how to take pictures. Well, if you take a gardening class you may not learn how to garden, because I don’t teach gardening. I teach the philoso-phy of outdoors.

“Gardening is a good outlet unless you turn it to a chore, which is what I don’t do. I tell people, for example, that if you can grow fungus in a cup of coffee, you’ve got all the basics of the water garden down. It’s just a step up from there to have a foot tub with water plants in it or a bowl with a goldfish in it.”

Rushing refers to this manner of spread-ing knowledge as a “meme” (pronounced “meem”).

“A meme is (...) a mental virus. When you hear a song and it sticks in your head and it goes round and round and round, the only way to get it out of your head is to whistle it and that affects the people around you and then they spread it. That’s what teaching is,” he asserts. “Teaching is taking things that we all agree on and spreading it among other people in a way that those people in turn spread it. A lot of professors teach facts that you file away and that’s all you do with it. These enrichment classes teach real-live things that you can actually do. You’re not just learning to speak Span-ish, you should speak Spanish.

“If enrichment instructors don’t do it in a way that the students actually do it, then they haven’t really taught. (...) That’s the idea of an enrichment class, not just to transfer bones from one pile to the oth-er, but to do things that create ripples in ponds that replicate themselves. It’s a re-ally cool thing.”

Changing course, Rushing begins to talk about how to apply the gestalt gardener’s approach to Millsaps’ peculiar flora. Spe-cifically, he offers advice on dealing with the controversial female ginkgo located

near Murrah Hall.“First and foremost, the easiest thing

to do would be to get rid of the ginkgo, which is kind of an American thing to do - just cut it down,” he suggests. “There’s no way to keep it from doing that, so what I would suggest would be to pick up one of the fruits gingerly, slice it open, rub it around, look at it, feel the texture, smell it - get that smell so close to you that all of a sudden, you’re so into it that, from a

distance, it doesn’t smell bad at all. That way, you familiarize yourself - it’s what they call diversity. There’s a lot of stuff you don’t like, but if you get to know it a little better, you might not like it, but it’s not as offensive.

“I would suggest that every year they have a little requirement that every stu-dent have to pick one up and do an essay on the texture of it. Who says that fra-grance has to all be good?”

Photo by Kyle DohertyLocal gardener Felder Rushing incorporates gardening in to all areas of his life. Rushing will teach an enrichment course at Millsaps on Oct. 16 from 7 - 9 p.m.

Gestalt gardener explains memes, holistic living

Kate RoyalsThe Life Editor

Most times hearing a child recite a nursery rhyme and tell a joke wouldn’t mean much to college students.

However, Millsaps students Jameel Rucker and Dixie Krauss were impressed by Kelsey Burke who did just that.

Kelsey, the daughter of Millsaps accounting professor Dr. Kim Burke, is deaf.

“Her mom said she [Kelsey] is able to participate in gymnastics and sports – that’s amazing,” Rucker says.

Kelsey Burke took part in a presentation by Anne Sullivan, the executive director of the Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, at last week’s Friday Forum.

Burke, a student at Magnolia Speech School, received a new device that is implanted on the head and allows her to hear sounds.

Krauss pointed out that the implant was practically invisible: “I didn’t even notice it when I was looking at her.”

However, Sullivan stressed that Kelsey is where she is today because of the combination of the implant and attending the Magnolia Speech School.

“You have to have the right intervention and follow up,” Sullivan explains. “Technology does not ever replace a good teacher and good parents.”

In her talk, Sullivan talked about the challenges and triumphs of children with communication disorders. Sullivan, who works with hearing-impaired children through an oral and auditory program, explained the importance of communication in today’s world.

“Other than the very things for survival, communication is at the heart of how we survive and thrive in this world,” Sullivan explains. “With communication, two things can go wrong: you can’t hear and acoustic signals aren’t going to take on meaning, or sound can get to the brain, but the whole neurological system doesn’t respond like it should.”

Sullivan’s job is to try to help children with these problems recover their communication skills and live in the speaking and hearing world.

“With those who are deaf or with neurological dysfunction, it’s like a rock thrown in the water and concentric circles appear. It affects every aspect of life: Social, educational and vocational,” Sullivan says. “The quality of life just plummets.”

Sullivan also took this opportunity to address the future parents in the audience, explaining that most of the phone calls she gets are from parents who are at a loss for what to do when they discover their child has a communication disorder. Sullivan stressed the importance of addressing the issue early in life with the appropriate treatment and response.

For example, she cited aphasia, which involves brain damage in the language area of the brain.

“But, we know how to train another part of the brain to bypass that area,” Sullivan explains, pointing out that if this process is

begun early enough, the child has the huge opportunity to overcome the problem.

Sullivan also addressed certain misconceptions about an increasingly significant problem in children today: Autism.

“One in 150 children is autistic and there’s a higher incident in children whose parents are very bright. It’s fascinating what you can do with an autistic child. I firmly believe in medication, a gluten-free diet and occupational therapy. Occupational therapy works with sensory integration, such as using surgical brushed under the feet of a child who constantly walks on his tiptoes,” she says. “The general population has a misunderstanding of autism. Kids flap their arms because they don’t know where their arm is. If you wrap down their arms with Ace bandages they can start to feel their arm and can therefore focus on other things and begin to learn.”

Sullivan also presented a DVD that showed an extremely intelligent boy from New Jersey who had apraxia, a condition characterized by difficulty speaking and the failure of brain signals to reach muscles.

“His parents were told he would never be able to speak again, but they called me and moved to Jackson where he enrolled in Magnolia Speech school,” Sullivan explains.

The DVD showed the boy on the day he enrolled, completely unable to replicate the sounds the teacher made, and then one year later. After a year, he was shown in the film saying, “September” and “Yesterday was Thursday.”

Learning to speak no joke for child

Photo by Kate RoyalsAnne Sullivan stressed the importance of communication in today’s world and the resulting difficulty children with communication disor-ders experience.

Cree CantrellStaff Writer

Each year brings new students with new interests to Millsaps College. This year, a freshman is making her interest a campus-wide group by creating the Speech and Debate club.

The club began as the brainchild of freshman student Victoria Romano, who started the club after seeing the need for such an organization at Millsaps.

“I’m really excited about being able to start this club. Like many other people, I was surprised that Millsaps didn’t already have one (a speech and debate club),” says Romano. “I really felt that we needed a speech and debate program to further oratory skills that are already tied within our curriculum.”

Having already drafted a Constitution, the Millsaps Speech and Debate Club is well on its way to recognition by the SBA as an official organization at Millsaps. The fledgling club is seeking membership in the American Forensics Association (AFA), a mother organization for many other debate associations.

Mississippi’s chair of the AFA, Joanne Edwards, has committed to helping the Millsaps speech and debate club get off the ground. Edwards is the director of the University of Mississippi Forensics Club and has extended an open invitation to the Millsaps Speech and Debate Club to sit in on Ole Miss practices and competitions

to learn the ropes of college debates.

Club members plan to attend events at the University of Mississippi, Mississippi College, and Louisiana State University before becoming actively involved in competition.

Historically, Millsaps has been a force in the realm of college debate.

“We have had a debate program in the past,” says sponsor Dr. Michael Reinhard of the political science department. “But it has been dormant for some time.”

The new generation of Millsaps debaters hopes to return Millsaps to its former prominence. So far, 25 people have signed up to participate in the inaugural year of the program.

The club has received some help from Millsaps alumni.

“We were contacted by an alumnus interested in creating cross campus, cross disciplinary debates at Millsaps,” comments Reinhard. “(They have) donated some prize money in order to get the program going.”

Reinhard was a participant in debate during his high school years, and more recently he has served as a judge for the National Christian Forensic League. Reinhard hopes to bring some of the tips he has picked up through his debate experience, but he says that the club is free to develop according to the desires of its leadership.

One goal of the new club is to get the local community involved. According to Reinhard, St. Andrews

High School is interested in hosting high school debate competitions, and the Millsaps Debate Club is set to get involved as a sponsor, possibly using Millsaps as a venue for the competition.

The Speech and Debate club promises to draw interest from a variety of academic majors on campus.

“The club definitely fits well with the new public management major,” says Reinhard. “I think that it will also be of interest to both English and philosophy majors as

well.” Students, such as junior Katie

Lewallen, are excited about the new club.

“It (the speech and debate club) is a great way to take what we are already doing in class and to receive state and national recognition for it,” comments Lewallen.

For more information on the Millsaps Speech and Debate Club, students are encouraged to contact Victoria Romano or Dr. Michael Reinhard.

Millsaps’ Young Democrats club recently made an effort to boost student voting with their voting registration drive.

Club members manned a table outside the Caf’, where they provided information about state elections and encouraged passers-by to register.

“We really wanted to reach out to Mississippi residents that weren’t aware that state elections were this year, or to freshmen who haven’t registered yet,” says senior Eric Sumrall, president of Young Democrats.

Sumrall says that given the caliber of students who attend Millsaps, they expected a low-key drive due to many students already being registered.

“It wasn’t really an active recruitment, but it was there for the people who were interested,”

says Sumrall. “We understood that Millsaps students are known for being involved, and expected that a lot of (them) are already registered in their home state.”

Many Millsaps students say the apathy of our generation is to blame for low voter turnout at the polls.

Junior Christie Kokel says this apathy does not apply only to state or national elections, but to campus-wide elections as well. As 2nd Vice President of the Student Body Association, Kokel handles student elections and says that in every election less than 50 percent of the student body votes.

“Last year, people didn’t want to vote because they had to remember a password,” Kokel says. “This year we have a new system, and we are trying to remain optimistic that voting will increase. However, I think it’s the mentality of people our age (not to vote).”

Katie Lewallen, junior, echoes Kokel’s sentiments.

“No, I don’t believe Millsaps voting is where it should be,” she explains. “I think it has a lot to do with the apathy of the voting population at large.”

Although the voting drive is a good start, Lewallen believes more could be done to increase interest in voting.

“On Novemeber 6th, there should be something cool going on to promote voting. I think it would be great if Young Democrats and College Republicans got together for a voting party,” offers Lewallen. “Maybe teachers could even give school credit for voting.”

Young Democrats deems their drive a success, though, mainly due to the number of people who switched their registration to Mississippi in order to be able to vote in this year’s state elections.

Thursday, October 11 Millsaps Singers Fall Concert The French Connection 7:30 p.m. Ford Academic Complex Recital Hall Millsaps College’s 80-voice stage choir presents a variety of French choral music, including French folk songs, a selection from the comic opera La Jolie Parfumeuse and Vierne’s Kyrie Eleison. Featured guest artist is organist Margaret Cooper Wilson, B.A. 2005, performing works for organ by French composers Franck, Widor and Messiaen. Free admission, $5 donation accepted Contact Linda Nix, 601-974-1422 or nixls@millsaps.edu Friday, October 12 Homer in Verse Friday Forum 12:30 p.m. Ford Academic Complex, Room 215 The ancient poet Homer comes to life as traveling rhapsode Mark Minder performs excerpts from his epic poems in ancient Greek in the costume and manner of a rhapsode (literally, a person who stitches together a song). Rhapsodes were highly trained professional performers who competed with each other at public contests and festivals throughout antiquity. Miner has toured extensively, performing the works of various Greek and Latin poets. A marathon reading of Homer will follow. No cost for admission. Contact Lynn Raley, 601-974-1423 or raleyhl@millsaps.edu Monday, October 15 Southern Circuit Film Series The Guestworker 7 p.m. Ford Academic Complex Room 215 Cynthia Hill’s film is the story of Don Candelario Gonzalez Moreno, a 66-year-old Mexican farmer who has been coming to the U.S. for 40 years, harvesting crops to provide for his family. Without benefits or retirement, he battles against the elements, his age and backbreaking work. Opening Short: Kristy Hiby’s Bowl Digger, a loving documentary about octogenarians Maxie and Hilton Eades, rural South Carolinians who create wooden bowls and dough trays as durable as their creators. No cost for admission. Contact Austin Wilson, 601-974-1305 or wilsola@millsaps.edu

Page 8

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Kathleen Morrison, morrikm@millsaps.edu

Kathleen MorrisonNews Editor

Voters’ drive battles student apathy

Photo by Laura HoweStudents interested in debate now have a place to disuss, practice.

September 26 – Theft

At approximately 3:00 p.m., a member of maintenance notified Campus Safety they had found five televisions that were stolen from the Saints football camp.

September 28 – Theft

At approximately 5:15 p.m., a bag that

was left on the bench in front of John Stone Hall was stolen.

October 5 – Vandalism

On October 4, 2007 at approximately 3:15 p.m., a student notified Campus Safety that three windows in the KA house had been broken.

SECURITY REPORTS

Sophistry club coming to campus

students.“Millsaps Muslim students are in the

process of forming a student organization to sponsor more events like these,” adds Williamson. “One event that is in the planning is a panel discussion on Islam that will involve students as well as Muslims from the greater Jackson community. The new organization – Muslim Student Organization (MSA) – is also working with Chaplain Lisa Garvin

to establish a place in the Chapel for daily prayers.”

The Iftar dinner, as well as the coming works of the MSA, continue to advance understanding in Millsaps students – not only giving them a taste of diversity, but a glance into other worlds.

“Diversity isn’t just a display here. Millsaps values diversity greatly, and what it can teach us,” remarks Allain.

I expect others will not,” she explains. “I think the marathon will be really interesting, and I am looking forward to attending.”

“Homer’s ‘Iliad’ was originally performed by relays of rhapsodists (literally ‘stitchers of song’) before enthralled listeners,” Freis says. She also points out that Miner, whose aim is to recite Homer’s ‘Iliad’ in all 50 states, is actually descended from a line of traditional Greek rhapsodists who would recite Homer aloud in a three-day long festival.

“Homer was experienced orally then,” Freis expounds, “not as a written text. There are still traveling bards in Japan, Russia, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Iran who recite epic poetry to listeners. So, we wanted to recreate that same experience in the Homer Marathon.”

Also that day, the Bachelor of the Year will be chosen from the six semifinalists by a panel of Cosmopolitan editors.

Giurintano says his whole family will be traveling to New York with him.

“I’m pretty excited about the trip,” says Giurintano. “It coincides with fall break, so it works out really well. Plus, I

have comps in a month and this will be my last chance to get away for awhile.”

Although the man named Bachelor of the Year will receive a $10,000 cash prize, Giurintano says he has not even thought about winning, much less what he would do with the prize money.Photo by Laura Howe

Dr. Anne MacMaster reads the “Iliad” with her class to prepare for the Homer marathon.

Iftar continued - page 1

Bachelor continued - page 1

Homer continued - page 1

Ben CainSports Editor

Junior quarterback Juan Joseph eclipsed Beau Pollard’s nine year-old record for career completions by a Millsaps quarterback in style when he found fellow junior Eric McCarty open for a 62-yard touchdown strike against DePauw on Sept. 29.

Joseph has not slowed up since the record-setting performance, racking up 353 passing yards on 31 completions in last weekend’s 29-7 win over Centre. Despite missing the Majors recent home contest against Rhodes College, Joseph currently ranks fourth in total passing yards among all NCAA Division III quarterbacks. He also owns the No. 3 spot in the average passing yards per game category.

The P&W recently sat down with Joseph to discuss the record, his gridiron career’s progression at Millsaps and the Majors’ goals for the rest of the season.

P&W: Tell us about your thoughts on owning the record for most completions at Millsaps.

Joseph: It’s an accomplishment that I am proud of. A lot of the credit goes to good play-calling by my coaches and to our receivers, who have been making some good catches.

Millsaps has been playing football for a long time, but in the past, we didn’t throw the ball as much here, so our new offensive style also helped me break the record.

I try not to think too much about it; as long as we win, I’m happy.

P&W: You missed the Rhodes game due to an injury, but not many people were

able to find out exactly what the injury was.

Joseph: I had a deep thigh bruise that resulted from a hit I took against Mississippi College. It seemed to be getting better, but I got hit on the same spot against Austin College.

You don’t really feel the injury while you play, but things start to tighten up on the bus ride home from away games. That Sunday it was really tight, but I thought it would loosen up. By mid-week I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to see the trainer, and I was told that a blood clot was beginning to calcify.

I started a treatment program of deep tissue massage every day and they made me a special pad to protect the spot on my leg, so fortunately I was able to get back on the field the week after the Rhodes game.

P&W: Our team went through several quarterbacks during your freshman year, and though you started the season as a backup, you ended up with the starting job by the end of the year. How did you work your way into that role?

Joseph: When I first got to Millsaps, my attitude wasn’t right, and that had a lot to do with me not starting. I was laid back, and I didn’t have that “go get the job” attitude. I felt like if I got noticed at practice, that would be good, but if not, I was just a freshman anyway.

Eventually, though, I saw that I could do the things that the other quarterbacks were doing. I got a shot in our homecoming game that year, and I did a good job. Then Billy Bob (Orsagh) left after the season ended, and I was pretty much the only guy still here.

When I was younger, I was used to not getting a lot of playing time, so that combined with my parents’ support helped

me to keep working hard when I wasn’t playing.

P&W: What do you consider to be the keys to our offense’s success this season?

Joseph: Everybody is learning the system better, both the coaches and players. (Offensive coordinator) Coach (Shannon) Dawson has been teaching this system for several years, and every time we watch film we see little things that we can improve. Our receivers have worked on their route depth, and I have worked on my drop depth and reads. Everybody is a lot more comfortable doing their jobs this year.

P&W: Millsaps made its first appearance in the NCAA playoffs in years last season, but we made a quick exit. Do you expect us to get back to the playoffs and go farther this year?

Joseph: The first thing we have to do is win the conference. [Head coach Mike] Dubose emphasizes that every day at practice, and he tells us that the most important game for us is always the next one we have on the schedule. Once we win the conference, then we can worry about the playoffs.

Last year, winning the conference championship was the big goal. Once we won it, we got a little satisfied. Now, I think we have a different attitude about the playoffs. This season, our preseason goals included winning both the SCAC championship and a national championship.

To go farther in the playoffs, we have to get better every week. We will need to be mentally prepared and mentally tough. Every team will bring their “A game” against us, because at that point it’s either win or go home.

SportsPage 9

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Ben Cain, cainbg@millsaps.edu

Photo by Frank EzelleJoseph looks downfield against Centre.

Football10/13 Millsaps vs. Sewanee-Univ. of the South Sewanee, Tenn. 1:30 p.m.

Cross Country(Men’s and Women’s)10/13 MC Watson Ford Invitational Clinton 8:30 a.m.

Men’s Soccer10/13 Millsaps vs. Birmingham-Southern Harper Davis Field, 2 p.m.

10/14 Millsaps vs. Haverford College Memphis, 4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer10/13 Millsaps vs. Birmingham-Southern Harper Davis Field, 12 p.m.

10/14 Millsaps vs. Univ. of Dallas Harper Davis Field, 3 p.m.

Volleyball10/16 Millsaps vs. Mississippi College Clinton, 7 p.m.

10/17 Millsaps vs. Dillard Univ. Hangar Dome 7 p.m.

10/18 Millsaps vs. Wesley College Hangar Dome 7 p.m.

MajorCalendar

Q&A with recovered QB

Photo courtesy of Frank EzelleJunior quarterback Juan Joseph, one of the nation’s most prolific passers, recently set a new Millsaps record for most career completions.

Major AthleteHometown: Birmingham, Ala.Majors: BiologyFuture Plans: Medical schoolFavorite Musical Artist:Led ZeppelinFavorite Pre-game Music: Led ZeppelinFavorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Caf food: Grilled chicken wraps with LOTS of jalapenosFavorite Drink: Jack and cokeFavorite Restaurant: Little TokyoFavorite Professor: “I can’t choose.”Favorite Book: “The Sun Also Rises”

Anna Johnson

After three quarters of close play against Centre, Millsaps opened up the scoring, posting 20 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 29-7 victory on Oct. 6.

Despite totalling 442 yards on offense, the Majors could not muster a touchdown until the final period. Freshman kicker Taylor Russolino carried the team through the drought with field goals of 34, 35 and 38 yards to tie the school record for successful field goals in a game.

Junior quarterback Juan Joseph, who threw for a career-high 475 yards last weekend, completed 31-of-47 passes for 353 yards. His target-of-choice was junior Eric McCarty, who broke the 100-yard plateau for the second consecutive game, hauling in nine passes for 164 yards.

The Millsaps defense limited its opponent to less than 200 total yards for the fourth time in five games. The Colonels were held to 167 total yards, including just 22 on the ground. Senior Shawn Gillenwater, senior Casey Younger, senior Denarold Anderson and freshman Nick Presti recorded one sack each to bring the Majors’ sack total to 16 in the last three games.

It appeared as though the Majors would cruise to their 10th consecutive SCAC victory, marching 34 yards to the Centre 12 on their opening possession. However, a holding penalty, put the Majors in a third-and-long situation and Joseph’s pass skipped just off the hands of Raymece Savage setting up Russolino’s 35-yard kick.

After forcing the Colonels into a three-and-out, the Majors drove to the Centre 15 when Joseph found sophomore John Milazzo streaking downfield for 16 yards. The drive then met an abrupt end when sophomore running back Kenneth Metzger coughed up the football after a hit by linebacker Adam Hay.

The Colonels finally picked up a first down with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter; however, their drive soon stalled and the Majors quickly took the ball 60 yards thanks to two big catches by McCarty for 27 yards. The Majors would again settle for a

Russolino field goal—this time from 34 yards out.

The Majors would drive once more, behind a 26-yard strike to McCarty and a key third down reception by senior Neil Woodall. Another reception by McCarty for 11 yards put the Majors at the 24, but the Colonel defense forced the Majors back before Russolino connected on a career-best 38 yard field goal.

The Colonels responded just before the half, as backup quarterback Grant Conliffe engineered a 77-yard drive on 15 plays, converting on four third downs and one fourth down. On the drive, Conliffe and junior split end Tyler Hinkel hooked up three times for 31 yards, including a 13-yard reception with eight seconds remaining in the half to cut the Majors’ lead to 9-7.

The third quarter was a stalemate, as Millsaps was unable to score on Centre’s “bend but don’t break” defense. On their opening possession, the Majors drove 53 yards to the Centre 11, thanks to a 22-yard reception by

junior Burt Pereira. But the Colonel defense came up with yet another big stop, as Joseph’s fourth-and-three pass was batted away by Brian Sneed.

After being forced to punt for the first time in the afternoon, the Major offense got back on track with a 70-yard drive at the

end of the third quarter. On the first play of the

drive, Joseph completed a 36-yard pass to McCarty inside the Centre 35. An 11-yard reception by Pereira and a 13-yard screen pass to Metzger put the Majors inside the Centre

10-yardline for the first time of the game. Facing another fourth down deep inside Colonel territory, the Majors cashed in this time, as Savage scored on an end around run from the one. The two-point conversion failed and the Majors led 15-7.

The Colonels responded

by driving to the Millsaps 18, as Conliffe and Hinkle again hooked up for a 26-yard gain. The Majors, however, stuffed running back Josh Ware for a loss of four and Conliffe missed on two consecutive passes. On fourth down, the Colonels set up for a field goal but fumbled the snap, allowing the Majors to take over.

After each team traded punts, the Majors put the nail in the coffin with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, capped off by Joseph’s 12-yard strike to junior Donnie Epps with three minutes, 40 seconds remaining. Joseph completed 6-of-7 passes for 68 yards and the Majors converted on two third downs during the drive, and Russolino’s point after put the Majors up 22-7.

The defense stuffed the Colonels on the ensuing possession on four plays and the Majors tacked on one final touchdown when Metzger broke into the open field and raced 22 yards for his third rushing TD of the year.

Metzger led the Millsaps backfield, rushing for 51 yards on nine carries to go along with two receptions for 20 yards. Woodall had an active day from the fullback position, pulling in two passes for 18 yards and rushing for 14 more.

McCarty’s nine catches led all Millsaps receivers, while Pereira and Epps contributed four catches for 41 yards and five catches for 31 yards, respectively.

Gillenwater led the Millsaps defense with 12 tackles and a forced fumble, while senior safety Ray Kline tallied six tackles and Younger and senior Canaan Farris had five stops piece. Kline, junior Marcus Harris and junior Jonathan Brooks also each had two pass breakups.

With the win and No. 12 Trinity’s loss to Rhodes 27-13, the Majors are the lone team with an undefeated record in conference at 4-0. The Majors have outscored SCAC opponents 149-34.

Millsaps takes on conference rival Sewanee on the road on Oct. 13.

Kevin MaloneySports Information Director

SportsPage 10

October 11, 2007 • The Purple & White

Contact Ben Cain, cainbg@millsaps.edu

Photo courtesy of Frank EzelleFreshman Taylor Russolino booted through three field goals in the Majors’ 29-7 win.

Photo courtesy of Frank EzelleJunior Raymece Savage carries the ball downfield against the Colonels.

Russolino’s boot, late rally stave off Colonels

Photo courtesy of Frank EzelleSenior Casey Younger (90) and the Millsaps defense held Centre to 167 total yards, only 22 of which came on the ground.

With four conference games left to play,

the Millsaps volleyball team owns a 3-game lead on the nearest competition for the final spot in

the SCAC tournament.

Dear diary,It feels good to be back. In its article about my

fierce ultimatum to Joe Torre the other day, the Associated Press said I was the “Boss of old.”

Usually those AP buffoons raise my blood pressure, but this time they made me feel refreshed. Getting back to my lifestyle and public expression from 30 years ago makes a 77-year-old man feel downright young.

ESPN’s mini-series “The Bronx is Burning” summoned nostalgia within me for my past rear-kicking days. And though I hated that they cast that Red Sox fanatic, Oliver Platt, as me (I would have also gone for someone more attractive), I appreciated the energy that on-screen George put into his tirades.

My renaissance as a fire-breather was not just for old times’ sake; it had to happen. Since Joe has had the privilege of calling himself “Skipper” for my team, I have spent nearly $1.6 billion for any players he needed (or I wanted). That’s more than $130 million every single year for his 12-year tenure. This year I nearly broke $200 million for this team!

I brought Joe in here to win championships, which he did early on. Maybe it was luck that he just waltzed into New York and won four World Series in his first five years because we haven’t won one since.

Those who don’t understand the purpose of playing the game, like I do, love to hail Joe for getting their Yankees to the playoffs 13 years in a row, but that’s not all that special. Those redneck Braves down in Atlanta won their division 14 years in a row on half the pay scale I’ve given Joe’s roster. Of course, they only have one World Series to show for it.

Winning the championship every year is a goal I’ve set, and I’ve committed my checkbook to the cause, but it seems that Joe can’t follow through.

Diary, I had to lay down the law before Sunday’s game. I was just getting tired of postseason disappointment. I’m an old man and I don’t know how many more seasons I’ll see. This little bit of angry energy I was able to muster, though, got me to the ballpark for the first time since April.

I hoped that it would send the same kind of energy through the clubhouse and in the stands. It worked for Sunday’s game; we won and had momentum.

Monday had a different feel, though. The players were coming out in the media and talking about how much they loved Joe Torre and the fans were chanting his name every time he stepped out of the dugout. Then we lost.

Obviously nobody understands that being sentimental won’t win you a championship.

It’s ok now, though. I’m getting rid of our weakest link and I’ll find somebody that wants to win.

Of course, if the new guy doesn’t work out, I can always appease the masses and bring Joe back. Just ask Billy Martin. I hired and fired him five times just to prove a point.

My point now is I’m back and I have total control.

The Boss,George M. Steinbrenner

Out in left field

Thomas Richardson Graphics Editor