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valentine day edition of mace and crown 2010
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Volume 52
Mace & Cr wnIssue 4February 10, 2010
Fri 02/12 - 40° Sat 02/13 - 42° Sun 02/14 - 42°
Norfolk Weekend Weather
Valentine’s DAY: It’s ok to
be dateless
see page 5
EntertainmentSports section staff
reveal their dream dates
See Page 8
Commentary
Stuart MillerMace & Crown
The idea that college football signing day for Old Dominion University was similar to “Christmas Morning” seemed to be a recurring theme for Ted Alexander and ODU head coach Bobby Wilder. They gave their public addresses to ODU alumni in the Big Blue room at the Ted Constant Convocation Center Feb. 13, last Wednesday evening.
“You can have 19 players on your wish list on this Christmas morning for college football coaches across the country, and then you wake up before your alarm goes off, run downstairs, and hope that those 19 players are under the tree,” said Ted Alexander, the voice of Monarch football.
“And then you realize a few hours later, and maybe a couple of doses of Pepto Bismal later, that Santa has been very good to us this year. 19 for 19.”
After thanking his coaching staff and the people behind the scenes who helped with the recruitment process, it was back to business for Wilder.
“Our team motto is to ‘Stay humble and stay hungry,’” said Wilder. “We have to stay humble because last year is in the past and we know we have to improve so we have to stay hungry.”
With the addition of the 19 new players for next year, along with seven players who have already joined the team for the spring, the Mon-archs are taking steps in the right direction for a successful second season.
Among the seven players added to the spring roster are defensive tackles Dominik Davenport (Hampton, Va./Phoebus/West Virginia) and Ronnie Cameron (Westbury, N.Y./Holy Trinity/Hofstra), defensive end Deron Mayo (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan/Hofstra), quarterback Dominique Blackman (Los Angeles, Calif./Carson/Los Angeles Harbor College), tailback Angus Harper (Alexandria, Va./Edison), linebacker Ken McAdow (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run/North-eastern), and kicker Jared Brown (Yorktown, Va./Grafton).
Angus Harper is one of the most intriguing stories for this third signing day in ODU’s recent football history. The running back from Edison High School in Alexandria grad-uated high school early so he could pursue his dreams of becoming a student athlete.
“Angus initially had made that plan because he was being recruited by the likes of Maryland, North Carolina, and Boston College and that was his initial thought process, to sign with a BCS school,” said Wilder.
“In the fall we kept recruiting him and telling him we wanted him to play tailback, as opposed to the other schools who wanted to move him to a defensive back. When it came down to it, he said, ‘I don’t want to play BCS defensive back, I want to play running back for Old Dominion.’”
The other student athletes that will be joining the team will report to camp during the summer (story continues on page 10)
Janah StokesMace & Crown
The Office of Student Activities and Leadership (OSAL) staff passed scissors to a crowd of more than 100 students who gathered to participate in the new U-Center’s ribbon cutting. The space that was used for the gym in Webb has now been turned into a center for growing student organizations, giving them more space to prosper.
Thursday, Feb. 4, OSAL, the Greek office, ODU Out and other student organizations gathered to celebrate their new offices at the U-Center. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, students received scissors with enthusiasm, excited to participate in the grand opening. Dangerous? No. A chance for many organi-zations and students to unite? Yes.
The U-Center was not only built for members of the organizations that earned office spaces. It was also built to attract stu-dents who do not participate in them.
The U-Center space was also used for organizations during the 1960s, Nicole Kiger, director of Student Activities and Leadership, said. This time, however, mate-rials and supplies needed to help maintain groups had doubled.
In addition to new offices, the U-Center contains a study room, which is useful for commuters who only have access to quiet time in the library, Kiger said. It could also be used for students living on campus who are searching for a fresh environment to con-centrate on school work.
The library is not close to every student on campus. Putting the U-Center inside Webb makes this quiet study area convenient for most students.
Five new organizations were given offices, including the F.O.R.E.I.G.N.E.R.S., the Maniacs, T.R.U.S.T., and Pre-Law. The now vacant offices upstairs will be used by new organizations as temporary meeting spaces.
Although U-Center offices were provided to certain organizations, there are still oppor-tunities for other organizations to move into them. Considering that close to 230 orga-nizations exist on campus, they must fulfill certain requirements and responsibilities to get office space.
Assistant Director Dionica Mahler-Rogers said the floor plan presented will make it easier for organizations and students to connect fluently with each other.
The tables are round and offices are arranged in a circular manner, encouraging students to form surrounding groups. Student organizations will also be able to reach out to peers who visit the Webb’s food court area frequently.
Computer labs are available for all stu-dents. Storage is also offered in the U-Center along with conference rooms.
The U-Center is facing great expectations and hopes that it will continue to expand and nurture ODU’s student activities and envi-ronment.
Contact OSAL for more information about getting office space at www.studentaf-fairs.odu.edu/osal
New student activities center unveiled in Webb Center
Santa comes late, but delivers big for ODU football
Christian Ernst / MaCE & Crown
Christian Ernst / MaCE & Crown
This week in Black History
Month
See Page 2
Exclusive
2
Editor in Chief Vanesa [email protected]
News & Analysis Editor Bryoney [email protected]
Assistant News Editors Christian Ernst
Sports Editor Stuart [email protected]
Assistant Sports Editor Garrison [email protected]
Arts & Entertainment Editor Lorraine [email protected]
Assistant Arts & Enter-tainment EditorM. [email protected]
Art & Design Director Anton [email protected]
Assistant Graphic Designers Sarah [email protected]
Allison [email protected] Photo Editor Megan [email protected]
Assistant Photo Editor Danielle [email protected]
Copy Editor Cameron [email protected]
IT Manager Sateesh [email protected]
Distribution Manager/Assistant IT Manager Mihail [email protected]
Advertising Director Mitch [email protected]
Faculty Adviser Dr. Joyce [email protected]
The Mace & Crown is a free paper for the Old Dominion community and greater Norfolk area.
Contact Information: The Mace & CrownOld Dominion University1051 Webb University Center
Phone: 757-683-3452 Fax: 757-683-3459Advertising: 757-683-4773
WWW.MACEANDCROWN.COM
General Information: The Mace & Crown is a news-paper published by and written for the students of Old Dominion once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer.
Originally founded in 1930 as The High Hat, the paper became The Mace & Crown in 1961. The Mace & Crown is a primarily self-supporting newspaper, maintaining jour-nalistic independence from the university.
We reserve the right to choose our content accordingly. We accept submissions in the form of letters or guest columns.
Such submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style. No anonymous submissions will be printed.
Mace&Crown
02 | the mace&crown news | 02.10.10
This week in Black History MonthBlack History Month began as “Negro History Week” in 1926, created by Carter G. Woodson. It changed to a month-long celebration in 1976,
February being chosen to commemorate the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, according to history.com. To help celebrate Black History Month this year, each week in February the Mace & Crown will feature a “This week in black history” section.
On February 10, Ronald H. Brown was elected chairman of the Dem. National Committee,making him the first black person to head a major political party.
1989
1909
1817
1970
1977
On February 11, Clifford Alexander, Jr. became the first black Secretary of the Army.
On February 13, Joseph L. Searles III became the first black person on the
New York Stock Exchange.
On February 15, Black and African Nationalists disrupt U.N. sessions to protest the murder of Congo Premier,Patrice Lumumba.
Information source: Blackfacts.com.
On February 12, The NAACP was founded in 1909.
On February 14, Frederick Douglass is thought to have been born in 1817.
On February 16, Joe Frazier became the World HeavyweightBoxing Champion.
1961
1970
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the mace&crown | 0302.10.10 | news
University students voting to get ODU PINKBryoney HayesMace & Crown
ODU has broken the top-25 in Victoria’s Secret’s PINK Collegiate Collection vote, meaning the school has a chance at obtaining its own collegiate line.
As of Friday, Feb. 5, ODU was ranked No. 17, with 38,958 votes. The school still needs votes to continue moving up the ranks.
As of Feb. 5, Saint Louis University was in first place, with 165,596 votes. ODU has been gaining momentum since last year, when voting for the contest was reset.
“We tried last year and we failed miserably,” senior Aja Halloway said. “I don’t even think we made the top-100. Then they found out that schools were cheating by making their own voting software. So they reset everything. Once reset, ODU started climbing.”
Right now, the only Virginia schools that have their own PINK collections are Hampton University, University of Virginia and Vir-ginia Tech.
Though Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia have a fairly large student body, as of Fall 2008, Hampton had only 5,427 students, meaning the largest schools aren’t guaranteed the line.
Members of the ODU VS Collection’s Facebook group encourage one another to
vote every day and monitor the voting closely, posting updates as ODU climbs to higher positions.
“Yay #18,” one group member wrote. “If we all post this as our status, all of our friends will vote too.”
Ashley Doane, the creator of the Facebook group, said she first found out about the current voting system in September 2009, after the votes were reset.
“In September 2009, ODU was ranked 172 and I knew we could do much better,” Doane
said. “That is when I created the group on Facebook and started recruiting members.”
The current group has around 2,400 members, with several who are active in their efforts to get ODU PINK. In addition to updating the Facebook page at least once a day, members encourage everyone to email Victoria’s Secret with reasons why the uni-versity should be included in the company’s collegiate line.
“We are the PINK Movement because Old Dominion University deserves it,” Mallory
Hayes said. “I remember walking into MacArthur Center and seeing HU clothing and thinking, ‘No way.’ Where is the ODU stuff?”
Citing stats like the university’s student body population of 23,000, alumni population of 100,000, and high support for ODU ath-letics, these emails are an effort to show Vic-toria’s Secret executives that if they chose to have an ODU PINK line, it would sell.
“I think it would be cool,” senior Robert Seabrook said. “It helps school promotion, even though more and more people are fig-uring out who we are. The Victora’s Secret promotion wouldn’t hurt.”
It’s not just up to voting, however. Even if ODU did obtain the most votes, Victioria’s Secret and the university would have to come to an agreement. Some ODU students are working hard to make sure that the school has that option.
Voting is not restricted to ODU students, but each voter may only vote once per day.
“There are few things better than rocking your favorite brand of sweat clothes and simul-taneously supporting the best university there is,” Hayes said.
To vote, visit http://www.vspink.com/nom-inate_your_school.jsp.
To join the Facebook group, search Vote ODU for VS Pink Collection.
photo CrEditVote for ODU to get a collegiate line from Victoria’s Secret by going to www.vspink.com/nominate_your_school.jsp.
Bryoney HayesMace & Crown
Although they don’t have their own ZIP or area codes, college campuses are like mini-cities, com-plete with restaurants, residences, and transportation systems. Navigating them, especially for new uni-versity students, can get complicated.
This is where ODU student George Arnaout comes in. The 23-year-old international student, who is in the Engineering Management Ph.D. program, has developed an application for Android phones to help students find their way around college campuses.
University Maps has all the buildings for the top-100 universities in the United States, and includes ODU.
“I had to include ODU,” Arnaout said with a laugh.Once students download University Maps, all they
have to do is select the university they want, then the building and click “navigation.” A screen similar to a radar will appear, and students will follow the a ball to the door of the building they’re trying to reach.
“It’s really simple,” Arnaout said.The application may be simple to use, but a lot of
work went into designing it. To build it, Arnaout had to get the latitude and longitude coordinates for each building of the 101 universities he included. Next he shrank them down into location codes, or 4-digit ver-sions of themselves, called LoCodes.
“Each three meters has a specific LoCode,” Arnaout said.
Arnaout put the location information into a site he developed, LoCode.com. On the site, he could type col-leges into the search bar and pull up satellite images
and LoCodes of each building.Some campuses are huge, with as many as 1,000
buildings, Arnaout said. This is one of the reasons he’s trying to get University Maps out to the public.
“So universities will send me the data instead of me trying to collect it,” he said.
Arnaout said his advisor, Dr. Shannon Bowling of the Engineering Management Department, came up with the idea before they had the technology to implement it.
“When they created the Android phone it was pos-sible,” he said.
The next step with University Maps is to make it compatible with the BlackBerry and iPhone. Because they have three different producers, they require three different sets of coding.
“It’s another language,” he said.Arnaout stated that University Maps will be useful
to students.“It will save you time so you won’t be late to classes
or exams,” he said. And students won’t need to go to the information desk for directions.
Outside of classes and projects, Arnaout, who is Leb-anese, is one of two consuls for the F.O.R.E.I.G.N.E.R.S., or the The Fantastic Outstanding Ridiculously Enter-taining Immigrant Geniuses (with) Narcissistic (and) Egotistical Rationale Squad, a social club on campus designed to promote interaction between American and International students.
He is also a martial arts student, and his area of con-centration for his Ph.D. is Modeling and Simulation of Transportation Engineering.
University student creates University Maps app for Android Phone
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*Note: “Be Mine” valentine heart used in the Mace & Crown logo was taken from buycostumes.com.
The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009
54
04 | the mace&crown news | 02.10.10
STDs: What not to give for Valentine’s Day
Parking becomes less of a problem for ODU students
Christian Ernst Mace & Crown
The Valentine’s season is here, and many have romance on their minds. But it’s important to be aware of some of the con-sequences of reckless love: STDs.
In 2008, more than 22,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 in Virginia were infected with Chlamydia and more than 6,000 with syphilis, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Hampton Roads area has high rates of infected young people, with a majority of cities in the area having a more than 3 percent Chlamydia infection rate in 2008, according to the CDC.
Norfolk specifically had a high rate of infections, with more than 2,500 reported cases of Chlamydia, 1,100 cases of Gon-orrhea, and 42 cases of syphilis in 2008, according to the Vir-ginia Department of Health.
Though these figures are high, steps can be taken toward the prevention of STDs. Although abstinence is the most effective course of action, the pressure of Valentine’s Day may require extra steps.
Both partners should be tested for STDs before engaging in sexual activity. This will allow knowledge of any existing problems.
Testing is available at Student Health Services. HIV Testing costs $20, while a combined Chlamydia/Gonorrhea test is available for $27.
A list of all tests and fees is available at http://studentaffairs.
odu.edu/healthservices/fees/index.shtml. The number 1-800-873-TEST is set up to schedule anonymous HIV/AIDS tests at local testing centers, with one center in Norfolk and six others in the Hampton Roads area.
Another available service at Student Health Services is free condoms.
Students can pick up three free condoms from Student Health Services each week. If more are needed, they can be purchased at the same appointment for $1.
Condoms don’t prevent all STDs, however. Both genital warts and herpes can spread through skin-to-skin contact at the infected sites.
Condoms also break and spreading infections is still pos-sible.
Treatment is available for some STDs. Chlamydia and Gon-orrhea are treated with antibiotics, and syphilis is treated with penicillin. Not all STDs are treatable, however, and those that are can still cause damage to the body before treatment.
If an STD is contracted, Student Health Services can help. They offer a variety of consultations including ones involving sexual health and STDs.
For more information on testing, or to set up an appointment with Student Health Services, visit http://studentaffairs.odu.edu/healthservices/ or call (757)-683-3132.
Katie S. DavisMace and Crown
ODU Parking Services caught a break from the heat of unhappy students this semester. Despite the ever-evolving nature of large scale, controlled parking, the heads of Parking Services are currently offering students more accessible parking spots than in the past 14 years.
These developments have caught the attention of many stu-dents who are talking about the unusual ease in which they are parking for class.
“I think that parking has gotten noticeably easier this semester and even last. It used to be the worst part about going to class, but now it is rarely an issue,” said commuter student Amanda Hollandsworth, a senior.
Between five garages, each placed on the outer edges of the campus, and numerous lots dispersed in between, it is more convenient now to get to the appropriate buildings in a timely fashion. Another large factor in smoother parking operations was the decision to change the freshman car policy.
There are now few cases where first-year college students living on campus and under the age of 21, can bring their cars onto campus. This allowed Parking Services to redistribute the entire parking plan as old freshman parking spots became available for alternate use.
Director of Parking Services, James Long, works to maintain order and functionality for drivers on ODU’s campus.
With a growing enrollment each year and constant special or athletic events here on campus, it is necessary to “change things on the fly” said Long. “Our whole thing is we have moving targets.”
ODU’s parking is considered an auxiliary service, therefore it is not given any financial support from the university or the state. In fact, state laws prohibit any auxiliary service, such as Dining, Housing, and even the TED Constant Convocation Center, from using any state funds. This leaves Parking Ser-vices as a self-sufficient entity with a heavy financial burden.
Recent developments in ODU’s parking plans have pro-vided a Visitors’ Lot on the far side of campus. Directly beside Foreman Field, and between Webb Center and the Regis-trar’s Office, there is a new parking lot where the first hour of parking is free.
This conveniently located lot features an attendant with campus maps and a telephone to help guests with whatever
they may need. It is a nice accommodation for students who need to drop off a paper or meet briefly with a professor.
Also, private developers are building a large housing complex for students on 38th Street. Construction includes an adjacent parking garage, capable of holding approximately 700-900 cars.
These developers are completely separate from ODU and Parking Services, but Long is working with them to provide safe transportation for students who reside there via shuttle buses.
He has also taken initiative in multiple ways over his 14 years at ODU. Currently, local schools including EVMS, NSU, and TCC of Norfolk’s parking executives are all collaborating with Long to share resources and improve their respective parking, possibly even combining transportation efforts for students.
Another step toward further improving parking stems from the Parking Advisory Committee. ODU Parking officials have
started meeting with the senators of Student Government Association to get feedback from the student body.
“The more people who know about the challenges we have, the better it will be for all of us,” said Long. He said he is exited about opening this forum.
Although parking will always be a complicated process, parking officials are doing everything in their power to accom-modate the needs of the students.
“It is important that the students give us feedback… we can work together to make parking a nonevent,” said Long.
FrEE-ExTrAS.COWith love and sex on our minds this month, it’s important to remember to stay safe.
The District Leasing Agents needed!
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“The more people who know about the challenges we have,” said James Long,
“the better it will be for all of us.”
The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 News&Analysis54
the mace&crown | 03news | 02.10.10 the mace&crown | 0502.10.10 | entertainment
Commentary
Vanesa VennardMace & Crown
Commentary
I’ve heard the most negative, discouraging things about Val-entine’s Day, especially from those who are single. “It’s Single Awareness Day.” “It’s depressing.” “It’s a made-up Hallmark Holiday.” “I hate Valentine’s Day.”
To be honest, I think we’re getting a little too old for this. Not too old to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a loved one, but too old to worry about not having a loved one to celebrate with.
I’ll admit it, my valentine this year is my Chihuahua. But instead of being sad and depressed, singles should reflect on the positive sides of not having a valentine.
First of all, when you don’t have a specific valentine, the world is your valentine instead, or so I would like to think.
When you have a boyfriend/girlfriend your dating choices
become slim. Then there’s that risk that your date or partner could be your worst valentine ever.
With a dog date, at least I don’t have to worry about spending Valentine’s with a horrible person, someone who I will never forget.
My Chihuahua won’t stand me up, take me to a restaurant I don’t like, be completely awkward or a creeper, or “acciden-tally forget his wallet” during a date.
You could even spend the day with friends, go out to a party or club that night, and mingle instead of doing the routine dinner and a movie.
I think Valentine’s Day is the only holiday where if one spends it with just family and friends, he or she is allowed a pity party.
“Oh I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone.” Don’t feel down, get down. Go out and have fun and stop thinking that your life is in shambles without a valentine.
If you build it up in your head that Valentine’s Day will be the worst day ever if you don’t have a partner, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. If you never get a valentine you’ll feel like a loser, or you’ll settle to celebrate with a loser so you’re not alone and will most likely wish you were alone.
When you don’t have a Valentine, you don’t have to worry about what to buy someone. This is outstanding for guys, since girls usually expect flowers or chocolates at least.
Why spend money on someone during a holiday that isn’t that important when you can save that money and spend it on yourself?
There’s still time. If you really don’t want to bother buying someone a Valentine’s gift, end it now. Plus, you could always risk buying the wrong gift, one so bad that the relationship could end before dinner.
Now that would call for a Valentine’s Day you’d never forget.
Best of all, without a valentine, you are free from giving in to the societal belief that this is the one day out of the year that one needs to show his or her partner how much they care.
Well, I think everyday should be Valentine’s Day. Then it wouldn’t be such a slap-in-the-face “big deal” for those who still feel like it is. Besides, love should not be celebrated sea-sonally, it should be celebrated every day.
That’s what V said:No Valentine? No problem! Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be depressing
Kevin Hollister Mace & Crown
Commentary
A wise man once told me, “Having a girlfriend in college is like bringing sand to the beach.” With that being said, this piece is not coming from a guy bitter because he does not have a girlfriend for Valentine’s Day; it’s coming from a guy who willingly dodges Cupid’s arrow.
Quite frankly, it’s best to be single when Feb. 14 rolls around.
Sprinkled in a mere month and a half after Christmas and New Year’s, another chick-oriented holiday simply becomes overwhelming for a college guy (both financially and men-tally) like a trip to the dentist to drill a cavity.
Where does she want to eat? Do I need to make reserva-tions? Do I need to buy flowers? What kind of flowers? She probably wants to see that movie “Valentine’s Day?” Am I really going to be forced to watch a movie with a cast that includes George Lopez and Taylor Lautner?
Forget relationships. Buddies in relationships only try to rationalize Valentine’s Day by the end result. They hate it too, but just can’t admit it.
Essentially, because the dessert is so appetizing, most guys are willing to sit through a mediocre meal.
As your “chained-down” bros deal with the stress and agony of a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, for single guys it’s the best time of the year to woo a lady.
Remember in “Wedding Crashers” when Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson utilize the presence of marriage as an aphro-disiac for women? Well, it’s the same concept, except sub-stitute marriage with the phrase “Valentine’s Day.”
Single guys have “tons and tons of opportunities to meet gorgeous ladies that get so aroused by the thought of [Valen-tine’s Day] that they’ll throw their inhibitions to the wind.”
“And who’s gonna be there to catch them?” “Grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly, pal!” Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is for girls. It’s as if the holiday
was designed to give every woman two birthdays: their real one and Feb. 14. They get gifts, plenty of attention and an undisputable say over all the day’s activities.
But think about it: Any boyfriend-less girl feels left out and inferior. Instead of leaving her to drown away sorrow with a
box of Franzia, single guys can exploit her insecurity into an impromptu date.
Sure, this method may seem a bit sneaky and underhanded, but girls let me paint this scenario: You’re dateless and dreading being alone on a day that symbolizes love. Suddenly, that stud who sits behind you in History approaches. He has no plans for the evening either, and offers to accompany you for dinner so that you don’t have to be alone on Valentine’s Day. Now, is that sleazy?
Alright ladies, it may not be the romantic holiday you’ve envisioned, but doesn’t it beat watching “He’s Just Not That Into You,” for the third time this week? Why not give single guys a chance to sweep you off your feet, even if it is just for one night?
And for you guys: If there is any shot you have of scoring a date with the Taylor Swift-like blonde from Accounting, it’s Valentine’s Day. So put yourself out there. Trust me, an evening
with her is far better than a night playing Call of Duty. It works out for both parties. A single guy is able to bypass
the gift-giving and aggravation that is Valentine’s Day, while the girl gets to feel loved and appreciated. Best of all, with romance in the air, things have the potential to heat up faster than a Jonas Brothers’ song.
Valentine’s Day: Best time to woo all the single ladies
gUArdIAN.CO.UkValentine’s Day could present single guys with the opportunity to appeal to women who haven’t found a date.
The Mace & Crown September 30, 200906 | the mace&crown entertainment | 02.10.10
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the mace&crown | 0702.10.10 | entertainment
CD Review: Lil Wayne “Rebirth”
Thomas KargboMace & Crown
Upon his entry into jail, Lil Wayne has released his own version of a rock album. Now I’m not saying that I hate Lil Wayne, but I hate the hype he gets as a rapper.
Since 2007 when he became a legend by selling a million albums in a week for “The Carter III,” but I wasn’t moved by the “No Ceilings” mix tape he released last fall.
With this new installment of rock I was treading softly as I listened on.
As the album played I noticed a certain contrast between the slower and faster songs. “Drop the World” featuring Eminem is the best song on the album because the music and lyrics fit.
Lil Wayne is a rapper, and though I like the idea of him branching out, this album isn’t going to do him any justice for his career.
Past rappers like Jay-Z and Outkast may have collaborated with rock artists to target another
audience or merge them, which isn’t a bad idea because “Collision Course” with Jay-Z and Linkin Park topped off at #1 on the Billboard charts.
If anything, Lil Wayne would achieve sales and high ranking in the polls due to his previous success on other albums.
I guess for all the Wayne fans out there, I’m sorry for this mediocre album, but “The Carter IV” is rumored to be released by the time he’s out of jail, if not then early 2011.
Mise En Place (Mise en place: A French culinary term that means everything in its place; cut, dice, measure and prep
everything before you start mixing or cooking.)
Q&A with the campus Executive Chef Timothy Brown
Timothy Brown has been a National Certified Executive Chef for 15 years. He is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University and has been in the food and beverage industry for 30 years.
Culinary term of the week: Sauté - To cook on high heat with a minimal amount of fat very quickly.
Question: Dear Chef Tim,
How would you make a vegetable and beef/ seafood stir-fry?
Shunia Burruss
Answer: There are a lot of different ways to prepare stir-fry’s. There are some main ingredients in a basic stir-fry.
Your vegetables which would include celery, water chestnuts, carrots, onions, mushrooms and bean sprouts. Protein, if you desire, would be chicken, beef, pork, or seafood. Then your most important items for flavor would be your sauce. Soy sauce, hoison sauce, chili sauce, chicken or vegetable stock, then a quick thickening agent of cornstarch mixed with a little bit of cold chicken stock before adding to the hot liquid. The amounts of ingredients can vary depending on your taste buds. You can make the stir fry as hot as you like by adding or removing the amounts of chili sauce you would use. Then you would pre-cook the rice and add it last just before serving so the rice does not soak up all of your sauce. There are plenty of Asian markets in the area that have all the ingredients you would need to make a good stir-fry. Just watch out for the pre-made stir fry sauce, they have a tendency of having a lot of additives in them.
Timothy A. Brown, CECExecutive ChefDining Services If you would like to have a culinary question answered, please send your question to [email protected]
AMAzON.COMLil’ Wayne experiments with a rock sound, but “Rebirth” is disappointing to fans and critics alike.
The Mace & Crown September 30, 200908 | the mace&crown entertainment | 02.10.10
Stephanie RiddickMace & Crown
Demetri Martin has important things to share, like his little book of stories and “Bruce the Funny Dog.” The guitar playing and singing former law student turned comedian kicked off season two of “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” on Comedy Central this past Thursday, with more of his musical sketches and stand-up humor.
The NYU School of Law dropout found a more pleasing career in comedy. He’s a former staff writer for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and his “Trendspotting with Demetri Martin” segment appears on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” He’s toured several countries doing stand-up and even starred in the Ang Lee film “Taking Woodstock.”
M&C: I see that you are working on two screenplays. What is the difference between writing a screenplay and writing for your show?
Martin: A screenplay is about 120 pages. The jokes I tell are usually one or two lines. That’s a gigantic dif-ference there. Kinda crazy. With a screenplay, I’m just alone at my desk and I have no idea where it’s headed.
M&C: Do you write your jokes with a specific audience in mind, or do you just rely on your own sense of humor?
Martin: My jokes definitely reflect my own sense of humor. Sometimes when I think of a joke, it’s like someone just told it to me. Whispered it in my ear or something. If I find it funny, that’s the time it’s most funny to me, because it’s new, and then the next step is to try it out on other people.
M&C: What made you decide to incorporate a lot of your drawings and graphics into your comedy routine?
Martin: Once I started doing comedy I started to realize how important my notebook was in terms of jotting down ideas. In my notebooks, when I look back at them, that’s something I realized; that there are a lot of little drawings in here. I would illustrate a lot of my ideas. It’s easier to represent information graphically than it is just verbally. In fact at one point I realized, ‘Hey, maybe I can just bring some of these drawings on stage and just be the speaker and show them to the audience. It might make the sketch better.’
M&C: Your “If I” special was a narrative style show, not like your usual stand up. Would you be doing another special like that ever, perhaps on Comedy Central?
Martin: When I did the show the first time, it was more of an underground thing. I was surprised that people responded so well to it overseas. But maybe someday, if people seem to like that stuff, I would put it together. I would put together maybe a new show that’s a narrative. But it’s hard for me to gauge what the audience is into, even though I did think some stuff was funny. Parts of it, but it’s got more of a story to it. The jokes are easier to just go tell.
M&C: You play your guitar and sing for certain bits. What kind of influence does your music have on the whole performance?
Martin: The first time I started putting music with comedy was when I did that “If I” show. What I was trying to do was punctuate different things. That was the first time that I thought this could really help kind of create an emotional framework, and within that
framework a joke works better by setting it up emo-tionally. It was a challenge trying to talk and finger-pick at the same time. Secondarily, I started to realize when I did it more on stage I can really control the tempo of the performance. That’s what I loosely learned about it. My skills are pretty limited. I wish I were really good at music.
M&C: Has it been challenging changing from stand-up to a TV show?
Martin: Yeah., I find it really challenging. One of the great things about being a comedian for me is that I can just go anywhere with a notebook and just daydream and draw and write stuff down and think of stuff. I don’t get a chance to really go share those ideas or tell those jokes. It’s really kind of a one man show. The humbling thing about doing a television show is how much planning it requires. I was the guy who always did my homework in homeroom. Always waited to the last minute. It was a problem. I’m way too old to be cramming the way that I am. I tell my friends all the time I just feel like I’m in exams all the time. That’s the hardest thing about it. With stand-up I never really ended up in that situation. If I really procrastinated, I could just improvise on stage if I had to. That’s a really different creative process.
M&C: Some people are saying you’re being billed as the next “Chappelle Show.” How do you feel about that comparison?
Martin: Since Chappelle was so successful, I think there’s always those remnants of having a comedian in a studio addressing an audience, and then going to field pieces. The comedian can do characters and do scenes or whatever. So that was definitely a starting point that springs from Chappelle’s format or legacy. But of course I think we are very different comedians. And I don’t know if I will ever have the appeal that Dave Chappelle has when you talk about a broader audience. And that’s not something I have a problem with. I just know what I am and who I am. I just do my best. And try to make things that are really funny.
M&C: Did you have a favorite comedian who influ-enced you and inspired you to go into comedy?
Martin: My dad really liked Bill Cosby, and I remember seeing the special called “Bill Cosby Himself.” And then Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” was huge when I was a kid, and I remember quoting that with my friends and thinking that was really funny. Then when I got into high school, I saw Steven Wright on TV. And that’s probably the clearest influence on my stand-up. I met him a couple of times, and he’s a really nice guy, just a gracious mild mannered guy who I think is one of the great comedians. He’s very original and inventive. I just love that he had these really short jokes that didn’t require any segway. He could just kind of go from joke to joke.
M&C: How do you come up with your jokes?Martin: Usually, when something is frustrating
me or it’s interrupting my daily pattern, then there’s probably a joke in it. I just don’t usually see it as a joke. I see it as an annoyance. But if I switch my perspective, there’s opportunity, then I can be constructive and say, ‘Ah. This is what’s going on. Maybe this is why it’s bothering me’ or ‘This is what’s funny about it to me.’
Demetri Martin chats about “Important Things” Season Two
Angel EasonMace & Crown
Whats with the mistress?
Former presidential candidate John Edwards has finally admitted what has
been expected for years: That he is the father of a two-year old daughter with his mistress, Rielle Hunter.
Rielle Hunter is his former cam-paign videographer. Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth told the Associated Press
that “the whole family feels relieved” that her husband claimed paternity.According to sources, Edwards and his
wife are separated. “I am Quinn’s father,” Edwards said in a statement. “I will do everything
in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves.”This was released a week before a man who claimed he was the
baby’s father, former aide Andrew Young, was scheduled to appear in an exclusive interview with “20/20.”
Basically, John Edwards wasn’t going to come clean to the public about the affair, if he had a choice.
Slide over Terrell Owens, Michael Vick is on the scene
BET will begin a 10-part series following Michael Vick, who said this is an opportunity to document some important changes in his life since spending nearly two years in prison for his role in a dog fighting ring.
“The Michael Vick Project” will follow Vick as he joins up with the Philadelphia Eagles,
his attempts to make amends with the world, and his relationship with his
family.“At times it’s hard to talk about
it, but for the most part, if you talk about it and let it all out, it kind of helps put the demons to rest,” Vick
told the Associated Press.Vick’s PR team is really trying to
change the image of the former football player with this project.
Will you be watching?
Fashion Crime: Kanye West and Amber Rose are guilty
The Grammy award winning rapper Kanye West and his model girl-friend Amber Rose were recently spotted at the Louis Vuitton men’s wear show in Paris during fashion week. They both appeared to be wearing fur head to toe.
Amber Rose seemed to love her lynx fur jacket so much that she refused to take the
hooded apparel off as they took their seats in the front row of the show. The public didn’t seem to care about the fashion statement though.
Recently, A-Listers have been walking out in their best furs with little
criticism from the fashion industry or the press.
The DirtVILLAGEVOICE.C
OM
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DAILYPRESS.COM
The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 the mace&crown | 0902.10.10 | sports
Andrew McCarthyMace & Crown
Commentary
As I was walking through the aisles of a popular movie rental store the other day, something dawned on me. I noticed now more than ever that there seems to be an overwhelming surplus of crappy straight-to-DVD movies. You know, the cheesy “scary” flicks that incorporate low budget special effects, a cast of C and D list actors, and plots a six year old could predict.
Then it hit me that much like the human body, a film is only as good as the ingredients you put into it. Both entities thrive from quality input from the director, and accordingly, suffer from a lack of substance. A combination of high production values, good acting, and a decent script can be as beneficial to a movie as vitamins, minerals, and proteins to the human body.
Poor diets that claim to shed pounds fast can be just like movies that sound good on paper but don’t work out. So com-paring a list of the worst diets is much like going through the top-ranked worst films. How about that for a couple of oxy-morons?
First on my list are the diets that sound too good to be true. These diets tend to go against common sense as well as dieti-tians’ orders. “The Chocolate Diet” or the “Ice Cream Diet” that includes some off the wall rational as to how you will lose weight. These diets are much like the 2007 film, “I Know Who Killed Me,” starring Lindsay Lohan.
Lohan actually plays the roles of two characters in this
film, which on paper sounds good. My first thought was there is no such thing as too much Lindsay Lohan, until I saw the movie. Too much of anything unhealthy like Chocolate, or Lindsay Lohan, clearly won’t produce good results.
“Detox” diets that claim to rid your body of toxins and leave you feeling refreshed are proven to be almost useless. Doctors have spoken out against these fad diets stating that once your body resumes its previous diet, your body will be in no better shape for “cleansing.” There are vital organs like your kidneys, liver and excretory system that must maintain healthy levels. A crash diet does little good.
I would compare these types of diets to the Nicholas Cage movie, “Knowing.” The film’s intensions are to take you through a brief, yet mind-expanding journey and leave you
with a feeling of amazement and a sense of enlightenment. In reality, you go through almost two hours of guessing only to be let down in the climax and disappointed by the results. These diets and this film promise more than they really offer.
Finally, the least healthy diets are those that focus on one specific food. You may have heard of diets consisting of only celery, grapefruit, or lettuce. Besides getting sick of just one food, the lack of variety in a diet means you’re starving your body of much needed nutrients, healthy fats, proteins, or min-erals. A healthy diet includes the right mix of all necessary food groups.
This diet is comparable to the 2001 film, “Glitter,” starring Mariah Carey. A little grapefruit or salad on the side is nice every now and then, but only eating the same thing for days on end is how it feels to watch a musical structured around Mariah Carey. You in turn force-feed yourself something that doesn’t taste all that great in the first place and keep your body repressed from what it really needs.
Finding a diet that really works for you is the key to losing weight in a healthy fashion. A diet that works for one body type or metabolism may not work for another. Write down what your intake is on a daily basis and identify what needs to go. If it’s just too many carbohydrates or fats, find a healthy limit on one of the two and see how your body reacts.
The best diet is well-rounded and can be maintained throughout your life. Much like your favorite film, you can watch it over and over again and it won’t get old. Identify a healthy variety that works for your body type and stick with it.
A ‘B’-rated diet: Like low budget films, bad diets produce poor reviews
Ben DecowskiMace & Crown
Commentary
Ben DecowskiThe athlete who would be my dream date for Valentine’s
Day would undoubtedly be tennis star Maria Sharapova. After she falls in love with me on first sight, I would take Maria to dinner at a nice restaurant. While we are eating, we will talk about the wonders of life and laugh. Sharapova will be so madly in love with me after this that she will invite me back to her place to watch a movie. Then I will sing Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” to Maria and her heart will literally melt. I will then one up cars.com’s David Abernathy and perform open heart surgery with a slightly used toothpick to save her life. Then I will tell her that I have to leave and she will give me a goodnight kiss and thank me for a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
Justin BrownMy dream date. Well, it has to have all the ingredients: mul-
tiple women, controversy, and football. So, if I had the chance to take any athlete(s) out on a date it would have to be the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders to a Redskins game against the ‘Boys. Hey, cheerleaders are athletes too (if you ask them at least). I would get the best looking girls in sports, I would be at a Redskins game, and they would be watching my Redskins stomp the Cowboys. Not too much to ask for right?
Donnell ColeyIf I had to choose an athlete to be my valentine, I would
go with Michelle Wie. Not only does she have that cute and innocent look I look for, but she is extremely talented. She has worked the women’s golf game into a frenzy with her celebrity status. She can be my sugar momma valentine any day.
Stuart MillerI’d like to take out Diana Taurasi to dinner. After a lovely
game of H-O-R-S-E I would take her out to a fancy restaurant where we would talk about her path to becoming a player in the WNBA, and how she could be on a date with anyone more perfect then myself. I’d love to ask her about her tenure at Uconn as a member of Geno Auriemma’s team. Afterwards, I’d invite her to my house watch the movie “Love and Bas-ketball,” because it is a nice romantic movie that would appeal to both our loves for basketball.
Matthew McCrackenWhile most people are focused on Maria Sharapova, I would
ask Maria Kirilenko to be my Valentine. As a professional tennis player also from Russia, Kirilenko has it all, from her athletic ability to her heart-stopping smile. If I had the chance to take her on a date on Valentine’s day, I would take her to Bluffton, S. C. Known as one of the smallest towns in South Carolina, I figured I could introduce her to my grandparents there, and show her a good time on the May River. Although it isn’t Miami or New York City, it will be relaxing and secluded; this is just what Kirilenko needs. She doesn’t need another guy to flaunt how much money he has, or how many houses he owns. To tell the truth, I don’t even have the money to take her to a nice restaurant, but there is nothing that my grandmother can’t cook! Maria Sharapova and I would go kayaking on the
river until the sun went down, and then lay on the dock talking about one another’s lives. To finish things off, when I feel the time is right, I’m going in for the big finish; the kiss.
Garrison Cole My ideal date with an athlete would be with tennis sensation
Ana Ivanovic. I would pick her because she is of course very sexy, and is actually pretty good at her sport. She is far from Anna Kournikova because not only is she attractive, but she wins.
Valentine’s Day the sports’ way: Members of the M&C sports section discuss their ideal athlete Valentine date
CNN.NETSometimes one just isn’t enough. Justin Brown likes a bit of contro-versy with his courtship.
CHOCOLATE.WORDPRESS.COMYes, Glitter is a bad movie, but at least it won’t go to your hips.
The Mace & Crown September 30, 200910 | the mace&crown sports | 02.10.10
Justin BrownMace & Crown
The Old Dominion University wrestling team has been having a promising year. Whether it is their ranking of 25th in the country, or their elite wrestlers like James Nicholson, the wrestling squad is going to be making some noise in the ring as they get closer to the end of the year.
As a team, the wrestlers have already clinched the regular season duals title and look to win their first Colonial Athletic Association tournament title. After they wrestle the CAA tournament it will be time for the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in which the team and head coach Steve Martin are excited about.
“Our goal is to be top ten at the national tournament,” said coach Martin. “Whether that happens remains to be seen.”
The way it works is that individual wrestlers who win their
conference tournament get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Wrestlers who do not win the conference still have a chance to get in with an at large bid. Those bids are given to wrestlers who deserve to wrestle at the highest level, but unfortunately could not win their conference.
From there, certain wrestlers get seeded and according to coach Martin, that is pretty much the only way to win the NCAA tournament.
“We want to get six to eight kids into the national tour-nament. Last year I think we had five or six. We should go in with three seeded wrestlers. James [Nicholson] will be in the top six or seven at 125, Chris Brown will be in the top 12 at 165, and Jesse Strawn will be in the top 12 at 197,” he said.
Of those seeded wrestlers, Nicholson, an Iowa native, has the best chance of winning his weight class and becoming an NCAA champion. He is already a returning All-American and had a good chance last year had he kept his weight in
check. “I took last year for granted and I’m not going to let that
happen again,” said Nicholson. He claims he is running 20 extra miles a week and is working harder than he ever has before.
From a program that wasn’t on the map until coach Martin took over, to a wrestling program that is now feared by big schools, ODU is going to make a big splash in the national spotlight this year.
As the season has gone on they have shown why they deserve to be nationally ranked and hopefully will continue their hot streak into the two upcoming tournaments. For ODU, when it comes to being on the mat, they are on the national map.
Garrison ColeMace & Crown
Commentary
As Valentine’s Day approaches there is love in the air. Now, before you go giving all your love to that one person there are quite of few hundred people you should be saving your love for: ODU athletics. Whether it is both the men’s and women’s basketball team, football, baseball, the SRC, or any other of the sports teams on campus, there is no question you should love ODU athletics. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the Mace decided to hand out roses as gifts for the success that ODU has enjoyed this year.
9 Roses for ODU Football:Although football season is over for the Monarchs, it is
still amazing to talk about what they accomplished. The best record of all time for a start up program by going 9-2, only losing one game at Foreman Field just to name a few. It all seemed so perfect having football here on a Saturday evening, and students should love what they got to witness.
5 Roses for the SRC:Believe it or not the SRC will be a year old next month
and the love affair that students have with it has not dimin-ished since the facility opened. With three full court bas-ketball courts, an indoor track, and great fitness classes there is no reason why students should not be at the gym. “The SRC offers a plethora of opportunities for physical and emotional growth amongst our peers,” said junior Ryan Ward. The most important reason why students should love the SRC is because it is free to use whenever, which is a big plus.
901 Roses for the ODU Women’s Basketball:The Lady Monarchs continue to do what they do, and that’s
consistent winning within the CAA. After a disappointing season a year ago, and a slow start the Lady Monarchs are once again atop the CAA, and vying for CAA Championship number 18. Coach Wendy Larry and her squad deserve just as much support from students as the men do. Since games are free for students with their ID’s the student section needs to be full and loud when the ladies take the floor.
16 Sweet Boxes of Chocolate for Men’s Basketball:The men’s team is also atop the CAA Standings and in
prime position to not only make the NCAA tournament, but make some noise if they get there. The Monarchs boast one of the nation’s best big men in senior Gerald Lee. However, the Monarchs embody the word “team” as coach Blaine Taylor can go as many as 11 deep in any game. If any student has not hopped aboard the bandwagon, then don’t worry because there are still seats available.
500 Roses to ODU Students:As a student body we need to support not just the “top of
the line” sport teams but each and every team here at the uni-versity. “I love ODU and [the athletes] represent our school so why wouldn’t I show my pride and support them,” said sophomore Sarah Schmitt. Junior Donnell Coley echoed the similar sentiments when he said “the fact that we are one of the best mid-major schools in almost every sport.” Whether it is wearing the school colors or supporting our teams at games there are plenty of reasons why students should love ODU ath-
Time to show the love for ODU sports
Monarch Wrestling: Pushing forward to the national spotlight
(Continued from front page) so that they can get started with strength and conditioning and begin to fit the mold of an Old Dominion football player.
On the offense, ODU welcomes four wide receivers: Prentice Gill (Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral/Los Angeles Harbor College), Lyshod Graves (Reidsville, N.C.), Larry Pinkard (Washington, D.C./Ballou), and Antonio Vaughn (Ahoskie, N.C./Hertford County).
Three offensive lineman: Mike Justice (Springfield, Va./West Springfield), Ellett McGeorge (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) and Wes Moulton (Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes); as well as quarterback Rashad Manley (Hampton, Va./Bethel), tailback Colby Goodwyn (Hampton, Va./Phoebus), and tight end Preston Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek).
Defensively, the Monarchs look to add to their already ferocious unit by adding three defensive ends - Jagger Blehm (Va. Beach, Va./Green Run), Shawn Butts (Va. Beach, Va./Kellam), and Dominque Guinn-Bailey (Portsmouth, Va./Churchland); three linebackers - Darryl Brown (Va. Beach, Va./First Colonial), Rodney Hunter (Alpharetta, Ga./Etowah), and Jeremy Majette (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith).
A pair of safeties in Eriq Lewis (Washington, D.C./Coolidge)
and Paul Morant (Hampton, Va./Phoebus), and cornerback Aaron Evans (Newport News, Va./Woodside).
Wilder talked about the importance of being able to recruit players by bringing them to home games at Foreman field in front of a sellout crowd.
Along with the games, Wilder stressed how much the football camps which the team holds on campus helped in the process of recruiting, seeing that at least eight out of the 19 players added to the roster this signing day were present at the ODU football camps.
“The camps are a big part of the recruitment process now, you try to get as many of the top juniors on your campus so that you can see what they are developing into,” Said Wilder.
“It gives you an advantage, you can put them through drills with our staff and you can put them through drills that are spe-cific to football. It’s almost a rule at the BCS level now that you have to attend camps to get a big scholarship.”
Not only has the team gained plenty of notoriety through the summer football camps, but they have seemed to create a filter for football players who attend high schools in the Hampton Roads area.
Schools like Phoebus, Oscar Smith, First Colonial, Kellam,
and Deep Creek are just some of the high schools that the new signees attended and blossomed at during their young football careers.
“We have 79 student athletes on our team, and with the announcement of the 19 players today it brings our roster to 98 players,” said Coach Wilder.
“Now with these additions, 65% of our athletes on the team are from the great state of Virginia and 40 member of the team are from right here in the 757.”
Wilder stressed the importance of having a team that is con-nected with the local community and the success of the team comes from the fan support.
“We have seven home games again next season starting on September 4th against Jacksonville and need I remind you that it is only 211 days away,” said Wilder.
With the excitement and hype from ODU’s third signing day, fans are reminded that “the other season” as coach Wilder likes to call it, begins after Spring Break with the first prac-tices leading up the annual Blue and White scrimmage on April 24th.
Monarch football signing day
The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009sports | 02.10.10 the mace&crown | 1102.10.10 | sports
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Stuart Miller Mace & Crown
When you first meet Dominik Davenport, the new defensive tackle for the Old Dominion University Monarch football team, it can be a little intimidating. The 6’1” 264 pound Hampton Roads native is truly a sizable package and looks like a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. However, what is more impressive than Davenport’s size as a football player is his character and heart.
“My inspiration to play football was from my great uncle. He came to almost every game of mine and was always a big supporter of mine,” said Davenport. “My family is what ulti-mately brought me back home and brought me to become a part of Old Dominion’s program.”
The former redshirt freshman from West Virginia Uni-versity truly encompasses the quote “home is where the heart is.” Davenport comes from a family of five and has two older brothers who are 20 and 21 years old, so he is the “baby” of the family, although his size says differently.
Davenport, 19, started playing football at the age of six in Newport News, Va., after he received the go-ahead from his mother and stepfather.
“Most mothers worry about their children getting hurt playing tackle football,” said Davenport. “My mom wanted me to use my size out on the football field instead of around the house with my older brothers.”
Davenport started his young football career as a fullback and played at that position until he got to high school, where he started to play defensive end as well.
Davenport considers himself an old school nose tackle, modeling his game after former NFL star defensive tackle
Warren Sapp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. The irony of his role model is that Davenport seems to have the same style and attitude of the future NFL hall of famer because of the way he gets in the quarterback’s head and “Brings the Hype-ness,” as he put it.
Luckily, for ODU quarterback Thomas DeMarco, Dav-enport will suit up in the same uniform as him because he has a knack for hitting the quarterback. “I bring a lot of energy when I play and hopefully the defense can feed off of that,” said Davenport.
“When I see that hole to the quarterback all I think is ‘Kill the Quarterback,’ because my grandmother always yelled that from the stands while I was in rec league.”
While at Phoebus High School, Davenport was a two-time Daily Press Eastern Region Defensive Player of the Year, two-time AP Group AAA First Team All-State honoree, two-time Daily Press Eastern All-Eastern Region First Teamer on both the offensive and defensive lines, and a VHSCA First Team All-State defensive line selection during his time with the Phantoms.
He was rated the No. 13-ranked player in the state of Vir-ginia by the Roanoke Times.
With all of these credentials, it was no shock that Dav-enport was recruited by a Big East conference powerhouse like WVU.
While at WVU, Davenport played behind All-American Chris Neild who took the time to help him develop into a solid defensive tackle.
“It was hard to sit out the whole year and watch from the sidelines but Chris [Neild] taught me a lot,” said Davenport.“He showed me how to be a true college defensive lineman, he taught me how to focus coming off the ball, and how to use
two feet to get the best possible push to make a play.”Coming to a new school can be hard, especially in the
middle of the year. For a student athlete the change in location and team can be even harder, but with a mentor like head coach like Bobby Wilder, the transition was easier for Dav-enport.
“I think [Wilder] is a great man, he always greets you with a smile, and is like a father figure to a lot of us,” said Davenport. “His methods have rubbed off on a lot of the players because I have been able to fit right in with the team so there was no halt in my progression as a member of ODU football.”
Not only is Davenport looking to create an image for himself with his play on the field, he looks to make a statement with his appearance as well. In his picture on ODUsports.com, Davenport sports a gleaming gold grill on the top row of his teeth adding a little ferocity and style to his image.
When asked about the grill, Davenport smiled and said, “That’s one thing I was hoping someone would bring up soon. I don’t know if coach Wilder will allow me to wear it. He hasn’t said anything to me about it yet so hopefully it can be a part of my game-time attire.”
Davenport is a member of the 2010 recruiting class along with 25 other promising additions and will look to bring success to ODU football in the program’s second season.
From Mountaineer to Monarch: 757 native comes back home to continue ODU football’s success
Monarch Wrestling: Pushing forward to the national spotlight
Monarch football signing day
Ben DecowskiMace & Crown
The Old Dominion University women’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking loss to rival Virginia Commonwealth University last Sunday. The loss came after gaining control of the number one spot in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) last week when they defeated University of North Car-olina Wilmington.
The Lady Monarchs lost some of their luster against the Rams as they fell 75-56. The loss snaps ODU’s 8-game winning streak and recent surge through their CAA schedule.
The Lady Monarchs started the game at a strong pace by jumping out to a 15-6 lead with 12:39 minutes to go in the first half. Junior Guard Jasmine Parker hit two three point shots and put in a lay-up to give her a quick eight points.
It looked as if the Monarchs were going to run away with it until VCU senior forward D’Andra Moss and senior guard Kita Waller stepped up.
Waller hit a three point shot and Moss followed it up with one of her own to make it 15-12 with 9:18 minutes left in the first half. Moss then stole the ball from ODU freshmen guard JoNiquia Guilford and hit another three to tie the game up at 15 points.
For the next six minutes and 21 seconds the game went back and forth as both teams fought to stay on top.
ODU center Mairi Buchan hit a three pointer to reclaim the lead for the Monarchs making it 18-15. Then Moss hit a jumper that was followed by a basket from Waller to give the VCU Rams a 19-18 lead.
ODU junior guard Kquanise Byrd hit two free throws and junior guard Shadasia Green hit a jumper to give the Monarchs
a 22-19 lead. Moss and Waller again responded for the Rams, both putting in a basket to regain the lead 23-22.
ODU and VCU exchanged baskets again and then ODU took its last lead of the game when Shadasia Green put in a lay-up that gave the Monarchs a 26-25 lead with 2:10 minutes left in the first half.
VCU closed out the half scoring eight straight points to give them a 33-26 lead.It was an intense first half with the two teams exchanging the lead seven times. VCU’s D’Andra Moss put up 14 points and ODU’s Jasmine Parker had 10 of her own. Both teams struggled shooting the ball with ODU posting 40% from the field while VCU shot 45.2 percent.
VCU controlled the second half allowing ODU to within only four points, and at one point, extending its lead to 22 points.
“We gave ourselves a chance and we just exe-cuted,” said Moss who finished the game with 20 points only behind Kita Waller’s 23. “I thought our kids really did a great job sticking with the game plan and just what we were trying to do first and second half,” VCU head coach Beth Cun-ningham said.
ODU went completely cold in the second half shooting only 28.6 percent from the field while VCU became hot shooting 53.3 percent.
“Well, you know, one of the things we have to do is try to figure out what happened and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again because there are too many people that want to come into this house and make a name for themselves,” said ODU head coach Wendy Larry.
The loss was a tough one for the team to take.
“It’s very hard to have a winning streak at home and then of course lose and lose by a good amount,” said senior forward Jessica Canady with a disappointed expression.
Sophomore forward Tia Lewis was clearly frustrated with the loss and said, “I had to try to match that aggressiveness and push back. I mean I warned the refs a couple of times and they didn’t do anything, so I just started pushing back.”
So with the spirit of Valentine’s Day looming in the future, it is with heavy hearts that the Lady Monarchs slip back into a tie for first place in the CAA as they get ready to take on Del-aware at home on Feb. 11.
Lady Monarchs suffer heartbreaker against rival Rams
The Mace & Crown September 30, 200912 | the mace&crown sports | 02.03.10the mace&crown | 1202.10.10 | sports
Matthew McCrackenMace & Crown
Coming off a devastating loss against Northeastern, Old Dominion men’s basketball was taken out of the run for first place in the CAA conference. With a 61-42 win over the College of William & Mary on Wednesday, they are now in a three way tie with George Mason and Northeastern for the conference title.
Before the game, individuals were worried that William & Mary’s deep shooting threats would be too much for the Mon-arch’s usual zone defense to handle. Staying in a man-to-man defense most of the game, William & Mary could only hit 25 percent of their shots from behind the arc all game, an embar-rassing five of 25.
While the Monarch’s eight-game winning streak was being torn apart by the Northeastern Huskies, William & Mary’s Tribe was coming together for a big win against Drexel.
Expecting to end ODU’s 19 home game winning streak, William & Mary was not only swept for the season against the Monarchs, but also known as the team who gave ODU their 20th straight win at home, dating back all the way to Jan. 24, 2009.
The Monarch’s monstrous win against William & Mary was not just another notch in the win column; it was a message to all teams around the country that ODU is a contender for the NCAA tournament.
“I want to compliment them, they are outstanding. I really think if they can get into the NCAA tournament, they could make way. They could beat a lot of teams,” said William & Mary’s head coach Tony Shaver about the Monarchs.
Having the number one scoring defense in the CAA, ODU thrives on versatile players to make plays off of loose balls, turnovers, and fast break points. To start the game, the Mon-archs went on an 8-0 run with scoring coming from four of their five starters.
Taking over four minutes to get on the score board, the Tribe
was forced to play from behind. Thanks to their athletic ver-satility, the Monarch’s man-to-man defense held deep threats David Schneider and Quinn McDowell to three for nine from behind their Arc in the first half.
Known to live or die by the three point shot, William & Mary’s heart began to fail as the Monarchs stayed ahead.
Despite playing good defense for 30 second intervals, Darius James was able to hit a couple of shots as the shot clock expired on his release. Not a usual starter, James recorded 11 points in the game, with six being in the first half. “I just play bas-ketball, play basketball like I know how to play,” stated James with a modest smirk.
To end the first half, William & Mary went on a 7-2 run, bringing them within seven points going into half time. William & Mary’s heart seemed to come to life as they brought it to a four point gap to begin the second half.
To calm the crowd’s nerves, Keyon Carter used his entire 6’8” frame to finish an and-1 layup at the 14:50 minute mark to bring the Monarchs up 11 points. After that, William & Mary’s shots came off the rim almost as if the ball was filled with bricks.
Aside from their bad shooting, Frank Hassell and Gerald Lee didn’t help William & Mary’s attempt at a come-back. Playing on opposite sides of the hoop, Lee and Hassell seemed to be playing monkey in the middle against William & Mary on the offensive glass.
Recording 16 rebounds among the two, with eight of them being offensive, Lee and Hassell became the unstoppable dynamic duo. “Frank makes life easier for Gerald, and Gerald makes life easier for Frank,” said Monarch’s head coach Blaine Taylor.
Only allowing William & Mary to score four points in the last five minutes, ODU scored 11 points. With an alley-oop from Kent Bazemore to Marsharee Neely late in the second half, ODU seemed to be toying around with William & Mary. To seal the deal, Frank Hassell finished at the basket for an and-1 layup at the 2:15 minute mark to stretch the Monarch’s lead to 23 points.
William & Mary probably left the Ted Constant Center contemplating why they double-teamed Gerald Lee all game when he only finished with five points. Although Lee is a great player on both sides of the court, Hassell was the player to watch, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds, one shy of a double-double.
Dressed for success after the game in jeans and a leather jacket, Hassell said to opponents, “We are all good players, so focusing on Gerald Lee won’t help you too much.”
Tune into the rest of the season as Hassell and the rest of the Monarchs fight for the CAA conference title.
The Streak Continues: 20 straight wins at home for men’s basketball
Andrew WhartonMace & Crown
Walking around the campus of Old Dominion University, one can already hear the familiar ping of an aluminum bat. Despite the recent winter weather that has reminded us all what month it is, the collegiate baseball season is right around the corner. Although the main focus of the student body will be on the men’s basketball team finishing their 2009-10 season, there is still no shortage of excitement for the boys of summer to hit the diamond again.
What to Expect in 2010:The ODU baseball program has been in a lull since having
successful seasons in 2006 and 2007, but they have been quietly building a young team with strong pitching and good defense. Many freshmen and sophomores gained valuable experience last year after the Monarchs were left with many holes to fill in 2008. That experience should carry over into the new season, and expectations should be higher for everybody.
The CAA has proven to be a more balanced conference in recent years, and any of the top six teams is capable of winning it all in 2010. For ODU, the key will be their young pitching. With head coach Jerry Meyers, who is one of the nation’s most highly-regarded pitching coaches, anything less than success on the hill for ODU would be unacceptable. Meyers was the pitching coach for the USA National Team, which won the
gold medal at the FISU World Championships in 2008, while posting a 24-0 record with a 0.88 ERA.
A Turning of the Tide:Coming off a second straight sub .500 season, ODU looks to
reverse its recent fortune with a squad that returns 19 out of 24 lettermen from the 2009 season. Among the returning players are All-CAA senior Jake McAloose (3B, Virginia Beach), and CAA All-Rookie selections Brett Harris (RHP/OF, Chesa-peake) and Ben Tomchick (RHP, Virginia Beach).
Who to Watch:McAloose led the Monarchs with a batting line of
.413/.502/.609 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage), while hitting six home runs and 44 RBI. Tomchick was second in the CAA with a 3.51 ERA in 82 innings pitched, and Harris acted as a dual-threat, hitting .303/.333/.362 and driving in 31 while winning six games on the mound. Harris was also selected to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American team.
Coaches’ picks:In a recent vote by the league’s head coaches, the Monarchs
were picked to finish fourth overall in the Colonial Athletic Association. James Madison was the overwhelming favorite since they are returning all eight of their defensive starters and 11 of 13 pitchers. This situation was quite the opposite for the Monarchs last season when they were forced to rely on a young and inexperienced pitching staff. Pitchers Anthony Shawler, Daniel Hudson, Dexter Carter, and Ryan Bergh were
all selected in the 2008 MLB Draft. Votes (First Place Votes) 2009 Finish (Overall/Conference)Aside from the 24 conference games to be played this
season, ODU will also be facing a decent slate of teams from other conferences. Maryland, N.C. State, and East Carolina are all scheduled to play the Monarchs throughout the spring, with Maryland coming to the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex on April 20, for the second game of a home-and-home series. East Carolina is currently ranked 18th in the 2010 Preseason Colle-giate Baseball Top 40, with James Madison, N.C. State, UNC Wilmington, Georgia State, and Liberty all receiving votes.
No. 1 Disappointment:In the past six years, the preseason favorite has failed to
appear in the championship game the following season. The last team to do it was VCU in 2003. However, ODU hasn’t won a CAA Championship since 1996, and hasn’t appeared in the championship game since 1999.
The season officially begins for the Monarchs on Feb. 19, when they face the Fordham University Rams at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. Fordham finished fifth in the Atlantic-10 Conference in 2009 with a record of 16-11 (22-32 overall), and is predicted to finish 9th this season. The Rams are led on the mound by sophomore right-hander Jordan Grangard, and at the plate by senior infielder Mike Mobbs. Game time is 3 p.m.
Monarch baseball ready for spring, high hopes for CAA glory
raChEl Chasin / MaCE & CrownAlthough they defeated William & Mary at home, the Monarchs fell to bitter rival VCU on Saturday, 70-58.
