The Daily Helmsman

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Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis www.dailyhelmsman.com

Vol. 79 No. 77

Wednesday,February 22, 2012

U of M is still tied for first place in C-USA as they go into tonights game against ECU

see page 8

Crunch time for Tigers

Spreading the vibe

858 Vibe will host a four-week co-ed Bible study group starting March 21 at 8:58 p.m. in room 304 of the University Center.co

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Campus Outreach has spon-sored a series that is back by popular demand. 858 Vibe, formerly known as Word Up, prides itself on not being “your normal Bible study.”

Tony Dentman, coordinator,

said he talks for 10-15 minutes and then lets the students talk freely. A session is scheduled for tonight at 8:58 p.m. in the University Center room 304.

“Some students got togeth-er and said we needed a Bible study that is appealing to col-lege students and we came up with 858,” he said. “Our first

four-week series focused on love, sex and relationships.”

The series started on Jan. 25, and was scheduled to end last week with at least 100 students in attendance.

“We understand that every-one doesn’t know Christ, but we invite everyone to come togeth-er and search for answers,” he

said. “We talk about things that are relevant to college students and look in the Bible to see what God says about it.”

At the series’ end, students requested that it continue. At their urging, Dentman decided to allow the women to meet for

BY TimBerlY mooreNews Reporter

Tigers prepare takeover

The University of Memphis will be taken over Thursday for a week full of spirit, culminat-ing with the Tigers’ final home game.

The Student Government Association spearheaded a year-long campaign to get more stu-dents involved in Tiger athletics. The Tiger Takeover — the new official name the SGA has chosen as for the basketball homecom-ing and Senior Day — is set to be the final stage of the promotion.

“The storyline is perfect,” DeWitt said. “What better way to show our support than come out to our seniors’ last home game of the regular season.”

Four teams — the Interfraternal Council, the Pan-Hellenic Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Registered Student Organization Team — will compete in three contests over five days of competitions.

The Tiger Takeover tips off Thursday with a banner compe-tition in the University Center at 2 p.m. The banners will be displayed during the pep rally on Monday and the homecom-ing game at FedExForum on Tuesday, where the Tigers will take on the University of Central Florida.

The competition will continue on Friday with a canned food drive. The SGA has held canned food drives during past home-comings. DeWitt said he wants to make serving the community a campus tradition as well.

Finally, teams will receive points for participation in Saturday’s watch party for the game at Marshall, Monday’s pep rally and game day events before The U of M’s UCF rematch.

Tiger Takeover is the latest installment in the SGA’s cam-paign to get students involved in athletics.

Last semester, SGA President Tyler DeWitt sought to increase student support for U of M football. Despite a disappoint-ing 2010 season that left the Tigers 1-11, the student atten-dance record was broken in last year’s season opener against Mississippi State with about 4,800 students attending.

“The SGA lobbied the athlet-

BY CHriSToPHer WHiTTeNNews Reporter

see Vibe, page 4

see TakeoVer, page 7

Alumni mentor the next generation of leaders

Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart are co-sponsoring a local mentor-ship program in honor of Black History Month, featuring prom-inent University of Memphis alumni and encouraging the city’s black leaders to pay it forward to the up-and-coming generation.

Tiger legend and former NBA star Penny Hardaway, DJ radio personality Stan Bell, award-winning Fox 13 news anchor Mearl Purvis and Memphis City Councilman Harold Collins

are among the city’s public fig-ures who are participating in “Coca-Cola Pay it Forward in Memphis.”

“The overall goal is simply to provide a young adult with a mentor, but most importantly, it provides the mentor the oppor-tunity to share their personal life experiences and to pay it for-ward, so the young person has that opportunity to be success-ful in their future endeavors,” said Scottie Walker, a Coca-Cola employee who is a mentor par-ticipating in the program.

Memphis was chosen to take part in a localized campaign in

addition to the national “Pay it Forward” campaign in which nominees have the chance to win a five day apprenticeship with Grammy recording artist Ne-Yo, Essence magazine presi-dent Michelle Ebanks or fashion designer Tracy Reese.

“It’s a great opportunity for Memphis, Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola. Memphians will have the opportunity to work with local Memphis leaders,” Walker said.

Collins, a U of M alumnus, said it was an honor for Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart to ask him to be a mentor.

“If they took the time to ask

me, I thought I should take the time to do it,” Collins said.

The online contest gives young people an opportu-nity to spend the day work-ing and learning from some of the community’s own leading role models through a one-day apprenticeship.

“I look forward to meeting the young person and answer-ing their questions,” Collins said. “But you can’t inspire someone in just a day. I hope to establish a relationship that will last a lifetime and inspire them

see MenTor, page 4

858 Vibe supplies an alternative way to worship on campus

BY miCHelle CorBeTNews Reporter

www.dailyhelmsman.com2 • Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Across1 Baroque composer of the “Goldberg Variations”5 Civil rights activist Parks9 Online money14 Hairdo that’s picked15 Barely manages, with “out”16 “I’m not kidding!”17 Corner Monopoly space18 *Strikers’ formation20 Soldiers’ shelter22 Most restricted, filmwise23 TV oil family name24 Thoroughfare25 Volcanic rock27 Futuristic personal transport devices31 “Filthy” money32 Pastrami seller33 Former Mideast leader34 Were in the present?35 *Severe reprimand, in metaphor38 Simpson judge39 Indian breads41 Prehistoric threat, for short42 Kate’s TV roommate44 Pollution legislation goal46 13-piece suit?47 Tenn. athletes48 Train schedule listings49 “I, Claudius” star Derek52 Not draw any cards55 1963 hit for the Drifters ... or where you can see the ends of the starred answers57 Mixed bag58 Demander’s words59 “Othello” conspirator60 Fund-raising dinner, often61 Like pocket protector wearers62 Cyclops and Wolverine, e.g.63 Part of CBS: Abbr.

Down1 Tijuana’s region

2 Requiring binoculars to see3 *Where evidence is gathered4 Faith-based battle5 Show contrition6 Giving the go-ahead7 Splinter group8 Pose, as a question9 Trick into wrongdoing10 Piña __: rum drinks11 Got down12 Trig class ratio13 Be mindful of19 Mysteriously unusual21 Flooring craftsman24 “Chill out!”25 Mel who voiced Bugs26 Like an otological test27 Teammate of Rivera and Posada28 *Extremely easy task29 Actress Holmes30 Pumps and clogs

32 Day at the movies36 Milano’s land37 Strike lightly40 Enjoyed every bite of43 Teacup poodles, e.g.45 Unimportant person46 Remain a little longer48 Setting for this puzzle’s theme49 Become a member50 Author Tyler51 “Good buddy”52 Emulated Michael Phelps53 Is out sick54 With perfection56 New Jersey fort

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Volume 79 Number 77

DOMINO’S PIZZA 550 S. HIGHLAND 323-3030No Waiting!

Solutions on page 7

YoU reAllY liKe US!Yesterday’s Top-Read Stories

on the Web1. The boys are back in town

by Christina Holloway

2. UM law professor honoredby Sara Harrison

3. Memphis Fashion Weekendby Timberly Moore

4. Tigers hold off Central Floridaby Bryan Heater

5. Student protests preachersby Timberly Moore

TIGER BABBLEthoughts that give you paws

“One of these days, the fi re alarm will go off at 4 in the morning and I will die of suffocation.”

— @nephrastar

“Someone turned the standup poster of Edward, Bella, Jacob around in the UC window. Whoever did that, I love you. Seriously. .” — @SarahDoty

“Woman sitting in Dunkin Donuts wearing extremely short cutoff shorts and fi shnet hose.”

— @bendeming

“Class average for the fi rst test in my operations management class was 63. That’s some great teaching there.”

— @Jaredistheman

“I’m not entirely sure why the Uof M doesn’t have an app yet. ”

— @AleWearsACrown

Tell us what gives you paws. Send us your thoughts on Twitter

@dailyhelmsman or #tigerbabble. Or post on our Facebook wall at facebook.com/dailyhelmsman.

Send us a letter

Have opinions? Care to share?

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Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

Sudoku

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The University of Memphis Wednesday, February 22, 2012 • 3

Ash Wednesdayworship service

A service observing the beginning of Lent including

The Imposition of Ashes

TONIGHT @ 6 p.m.

The Wesley Foundation3625 Midland Ave. • 458-5808

The Wesley Foundation is the campus ministry of The United Methodist Church

www.wesleymemphis.org • Facebook: wesley@memphis

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Upcoming Specials: TUESDAY, FEB. 28 | DATING DOCTOR DAVID COLEMAN | 8 P.M. | UC THEATRE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 | LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY SHOW | 8 P.M. | UC ATRIUM

SAC Cinema: The Help

2 & 7 P.M. | UC THEATRE

Dance star to speak at UM

Students are set to lace up their dancing shoes to welcome a judge and choreographer of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” for a lecture at The University of Memphis.

Debbie Allen will speak at the Michael D. Rose Theater at 7 p.m. Thursday in a lecture titled “Black Women in American History: Passionate, Powerful, and Proud” as a part of The U of M’s Black History Month events. Before the lecture, students have planned a dance tribute to Allen.

Xavier Jones, member of the Black History Month Committee and senior business manage-ment major, said the committee created a list of women who fit the theme of the event. Allen was chosen from the list and also reached out to The U of M about the opportunity.

“She was just the perfect fit. We wanted somebody who could speak in the now and she fit all the criteria we were look-ing for,” Jones said.

Allen has been nominated for 14 Emmys, three of which she won, and she has also won a golden globe.

She will speak on her suc-cess as a black woman through-out her various careers in act-ing, dancing, choreography and writing.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to be open to exposure to someone whose life experi-ences exceed their own. There will be a lot to gain from learn-ing about her life experiences,” Jones said.

Junior political science major J.C. Griggs is attending Thursday night’s event, which is hosted by Multicultural Affairs and the Black Student Association along

with the Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence.

“It would be a shame for the student body to not go and sup-port this great opportunity,” Griggs said.

A group of students, includ-ing dance majors and non-majors alike, have planned a dance trib-ute for Allen to be performed before her lecture.

“Why would anyone not want to listen to someone who has been as successful as Debbie Allen? Why would I or anyone want to pass up this opportuni-ty,” said Ashley Mahone, junior communications major with a minor in dance.

Mahone will be one of the 20 plus students performing the dance tribute that will be themed around Allen. The dance will include an African dance and songs from the movie “Fame,” which Allen starred and directed.

“My craft is of a very artistic background and Debbie Allen has dipped her toes in every corner of the arts,” Mahone said.

BY JASoN JoNeSNews Reporter

Debbie Allen

Make sure that little bird in our ear is you.

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the next two weeks and continue co-ed studies after spring break.

“This week the ladies will be talking about love,” he said. “They will be listening to Eve’s song ‘Love is Blind’ and discuss it. According to God, love is not blind, but culture has degraded love to be something that God has not intended to be.”

Lashall Mcclain, sophomore psychology major and 858 Vibe leader, said college students need to seek God to learn what love is.

“As females, we tend to settle for guys who don’t appreciate our worth because we don’t know what it is,” McClain said. “We need to find out what love is before we say we are in love.”

Mcclain won’t speak during tonight’s Bible study, but will facilitate the discussion.

“I don’t like speeches because we want to get deep with the women,” she said.

McClain asked Dentman to continue the series for the women after she received many requests from students.

“We saw that the Lord was working heavy on people’s hearts, so we said it was just bet-ter to keep going,” she said.

Taylor Dodd, sophomore

accounting major, said she attends 858 Vibe because of its laid-back environment.

Dodd said it was important to her that 858 continued provid-ing a place for students to gather and discuss the Bible.

“I think, as college students, we need that continuous con-tact with everything going on on campus,” she said. “As students, we are under so much pressure and presented with so much temptation every day.”

Dodd told her friends to come to 858 and said the main attrac-tion for her was how much she could relate to those in leader-ship at Campus Outreach.

“I brought my friend with me last week, and he wanted to know when the next one was,” she said. “He was disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to come back until after spring break. But he told me to let him know when it was starting back, so he could come and bring a friend with him too.”

Vibefrom page 1

MenTorfrom page 1

to go into public service.” Atlanta, Ga.; Birmingham,

Ala.; Detroit, Mich. and Chicago, Ill. will also provide local oppor-tunities similar to Memphis’.

“I think Memphis was chosen because we have a lot of Wal-Marts and we drink a lot of Coca-Cola, but really when you think about the history of African-Americans, you think about the role Memphis has played. You think about when Dr. King gave his life to provide equal oppor-tunities to black men. Me, being a councilman 44 years later, it’s shown how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown,” said Collins.

Feb. 29 is the last day of nomi-nations. Nominees must be legal residents of Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Missouri or Tennessee and between the ages of 18 and 24.

Entries can be submitted via www.cokewalmartpayitforward.com.

Winners will be notified March 22.

“I hope to show them that you don’t have to be a special person to achieve dreams and goals, as long as you work hard and com-mit yourself you can do whatev-er you want to do,” Collins said.

Bird is the word. Follow us!

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Former CIA officer Ray McGovern will be speaking on United States’ involvement in the Middle East Thursday at the First Congregational Church in Midtown.

Veterans for Peace is sponsor-ing the free presentation titled “So Really: Why are we in Iraq? Afghanistan? Iran?” that will begin at 7:30 p.m.

McGovern is a retired CIA analyst turned activist who has openly criticized federal officials for what he calls their “mishan-dling” of intelligence information leading to wars in the Middle East.

During his time with the CIA, he served under seven presi-dents, from John F. Kennedy to the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, for whom he prepared the President’s Daily Brief.

“He speaks from the point of view of someone who has been on the inside,” said José B. Dávila, who helped Veterans for Peace organize the event. “He knows a lot of tendencies and ways of thinking of the U.S. government, especially the way they relate to available evidence.”

At Thursday’s event, McGovern will be speaking on what lies behind the U.S. transi-tion from the war in Iraq to the new escalation with Iran, Dávila said.

“He’ll be talking about how we can go that way and what the common threats one sees between the three,” he said.

Dávila said McGovern enjoys speaking with students and has organized visits to both Christian Brothers and Rhodes Universities.

McGovern will also be present-ing at CBU at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Spain auditorium of Buckman Hall and at Rhodes at 4 p.m. in the Orgill Room in Clough Hall. Both are free and open to the public.

Dávila said he tried to orga-nize a lecture by McGovern at The University of Memphis, but his contact never responded.

McGovern began his activ-ism after retiring 10 years ago, though his criticism of intelli-gence reporting began in the late 1990s.

He is known for his dissent against the war in Iraq as well as his requests for a new investiga-tion on the details of Sept. 11, 2001.

He gained popularity after confronting Donald Rumsfeld during a question and answer session in 2006 about the mis-taken intelligence evidence that led to the Iraq war.

Last year, he was arrested for silently standing with his back to Hillary Clinton as she delivered a speech on the Arab Spring’s pop-ular movement towards demo-cratic freedom in the Middle East. He said he was protesting her hypocrisy.

Local

Former CiA analyst to vist memphisBY eliZABeTH CooPerNews Reporter

Ray McGovern


“Word Up” Invites You to Join UsThis Thursday @ 7 p.m. • UC Iris Room (338)

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Football

Tiger football: A new foundationThe Tigers will start rebuild-

ing after going 5-31 over the last three seasons under for-mer coaches Larry Porter and Tommy West, with only two wins against Conference USA opponents in that time.

Fuente said that the team has a long way to go before the start

of next season.“Obviously, we have a lot to

teach from a work ethic stand-point and an accountability and discipline level,” he said. “You can’t build a house without a foundation.”

One of the challenges faced by the new staff will be boosting the morale of a team that hasn’t had a winning record in the last

four seasons. Fuente said the players still need to recognize the amount of work it takes to bring the program back to a high level of competition.

“I don’t think they fully understand, yet, the complete commitment it takes,” Fuente said. “It’s not a short term deal; there are no magic wands. It’s not just a sprinkle of fairy dust.”

While transitioning into a new coaching staff can be a slow process for a team, Fuente said that the team is beginning to embrace the new leadership and his coaching style.

“I think they believe what we’re teaching them,” he said. “I think there are still some that are hesitant to jump in with both feet and really embrace it, but I think we’re reaching them.”

Spring practice will mark the first time Fuente has held a head coaching position. Before being hired at The U of M, he served as co-offensive coordinator at TCU.

“You’re used to going to a particular drill for the last 10 or 11 years of your life and now, all of sudden, you’re not — you’re in charge of all of them,” he said.

During practice, Fuente will begin the process of naming a starting quarterback for next season. Last year’s starter Taylor

Reed will battle this spring for the lead position with Jacob Karam, a graduate-transfer QB from Texas Tech.

“They’re both good athletes; they’re both good people,” Fuente said. “I’m looking for-ward to going out there and seeing what they can do.”

Fuente said that the top priority of the spring sessions would not be to select starting players, but to develop the team as a whole.

“Our objective is the health of the team,” he said. “There are no ones and twos at any position right now. We’re try-ing to teach the team how to compete.”

The Tigers will play their annual spring Blue-Gray Game at the Liberty Bowl on March 31. The team will begin their final season in C-USA before leaving for the Big East at home against the University of Tennessee at Martin on Sept. 1.

Head coach Justin Fuente works to repair a damaged program in spring practice.BY DAViD CAFFeYSports Reporter

TakeoVerfrom page 1

ics department, and look what happened,” DeWitt said. “We went all out for one game and we broke a record.”

The athletics department and the SGA provided a tailgating area for students that DeWitt said he hopes will continue now that The U of M will get more money from a bigger conference.

Dean of Students Stephen Petersen said the leadership SGA has put toward reinvigorating campus — something he said he hopes will continue in future generations of the SGA — is impressive and far trumps par-ticipation in years past.

“The SGA has done a great job organizing and building compe-tition among teams of students on campus. This new concept and new name should certainly raise some excitement.”

DeWitt said The U of M still needs to work on improv-ing attendance at games. Being known for basketball, there is no reason the student section shouldn’t be filled every game, he said.

“We’re entering a new era for University of Memphis athletics, and we definitely want to go into the Big East conference strong. That brand standard will ener-gize our students,” DeWitt said.

The SGA and DeWitt altered the original homecoming plans to do away with the “king and queen festivities” because they felt it didn’t work, Petersen said.

“It never was a homecom-ing,” DeWitt said. “This is about school pride. We’re going to stand up together and show everyone that we’re a commu-nity. We’re students. We care.”

The Tigers lost to UCF for the

first time in the program’s his-tory, 68-67, in this season’s first conference game after a three-point play by the Knights that resulted from a controversial foul call.

The Tigers look to even the score this time around as they continue to fight for a place in this year’s NCAA tournament.

“Tiger Takeover is an out-standing idea for students to get involved in this week’s Homecoming festivities, which culminate at next Tuesday’s basketball game versus UCF,” said head basketball coach Josh Pastner. “…this is a great way to get involved not only with Homecoming, but to also play an active role in Tiger Nation.”

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contact: rev. mary allison cates, campus ministeremail: [email protected] phone: 901.481.0103 blog: presbyplace.wordpress.com

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...on separation from god. free dinner & discussionthursday, feb. 23 @ 6:30 p.m.449 patterson(at midland)

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Tigers look to bounce back

Basketball

Head coach Josh Pastner said he knew about 24 hours before-hand that the Tigers were going to struggle against UTEP.

“I didn’t like our approach,” he said. “I was warning our guys about Saturday’s game and it came back to bite us in the butt.”

The Tigers may have felt a little cocky heading into the game on Saturday, and with good reason. Memphis had won four straight games dating back to a come-from-behind victory over Xavier on Feb. 4, and was shooting 52.8 percent from the floor during that streak with an average margin of victory of 16.75 points. So it came as a bit of a surprise to the players just how poorly they played against UTEP.

“When we go on our streaks and have games that we win within the team, there’s just a sense of feeling kind of com-fortable,” sophomore forward Tarik Black said. “We’ll feel like, ‘We’ve got this game in the bag,’ because we know as a team that we’re supposed to win that game.”

The Tigers were held to just 37.5 percent shooting, a season-low, and allowed the Miners to come back from seven down late in the game to pull off the upset.

“That early in the game and being up by that much, we looked at the scoreboard and see we’re up 15, and it’s just like, ‘Oh, we’re up 15, we’re going to win this game by 40,’ and that’s the mindset we’re going to have to change,” said Black.

“We’re not a team that can just show up,” Pastner said. “We’ve got to have great energy for 40 minutes, be locked in and understand what’s at stake.”

The loss to UTEP might not end up hurting the Tigers’ NCAA tournament chances too much, but a loss to East Carolina tonight might do just that.

When these two teams last met, the Tigers broke the game open late in the first half with a 10-0 run on the backs of three consecutive three-pointers. The Pirates never really threatened after that and the Tigers went on to win 70-59. Chris Crawford led the Tigers with 16 points, while Will Barton (15 points) and Wesley Witherspoon (12 points, 11 rebounds) also turned in good numbers.

Memphis will have to contain the Pirates’ top scorers Miguel Paul and Darrius Morrow, who went for 13 points and 12 points respectively against the Tigers on Feb. 8. Junior forward Maurice Kemp will also pose a threat in the frontcourt, averag-ing 10.3 points and a team-high 6.4 boards per game. Memphis held Kemp to just four points

last time, but allowed him to pull down 11 rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass.

The Tigers will need to win to remain tied with Southern miss at the top of the Conference USA standings ahead of a tough road game against Marshall on Saturday.

“You can’t do anything until you win the next game,” Pastner said. “And we’ve got to win the next game.”

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

BY SCoTT HAllSports Editor

Senior forward Wesley Witherspoon turned in his first double-double of the season against East Carolina on Feb. 8.

by C

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