Homecoming/Halloween

Volume 51

MACE & CROWNIssue 8October 28, 2009

Alternatives to the

overdone costume

Relief comes for veteran

students awaiting GI bill

Bazemore Electrifies In

Blue/White Scrimmage

See pg. 2 See pg. 7 See pg. 14

Fri 10/30 - 65° Sat 10/31 - 68° Sun 11/01 - 67°

Norfolk Weekend WeatherSportsCommentaryNews

See Page 12

Homecoming Concert Presents ...

Homecoming/Halloween Issue

See PG. 12

Best/Worst horror films See PG. 11

Halloween costumes, less is more See PG. 5

Halloween candy and healthSee PG. 15

hollyscoop.com

demandstudios.com

slashfilm.com

impawards.com

2

Editor in Chief Vanesa [email protected]

News & Analysis Editor Bryoney [email protected]

Assistant News Editors Joshua [email protected]

Christian Ernst

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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]

Photo Editor Megan [email protected]

Assistant Photo Editor Danielle [email protected]

Copy Editor Cameron [email protected]

Assistant Copy Editor Miasia [email protected]

IT Manager Stephanie [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 University2101 Webb University Center

Phone: 757-683-3452 Fax: 757-683-3459Advertising: 757-683-4773

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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 | 10.28.09

*Breast Cancer Awareness pink ribbon on front cover taken from elementsforhealth.com.

Christian ErnstMace & Crown

“Sink or Swim: The Saga of Shore Break Rentals,” recently earned Keith Strausbaugh, 2009 graduate of ODU’s MFA in English Professional Writing program, a nomination for the Gotham Screen-writing Contest.

The Gotham Film Festival and Screenwriting contest is rather new, only in its third year. It offers a $2,500 cash prize for the winning screenplay. The festival took place from Oct. 20-25, in New York City, and winners have yet to be announced at the time of publi-cation. The festival is a launching point for new and upcoming screen-writers, and debuts movies from the U.S. and around the world.

Strausbaugh considers his “atypical ODU experience” to be a strong infl uence in how he started screen writing.

“I only took three main courses,” said Strausbaugh. “After I completed the mandatory classes, I took fun or creative electives like screen writing with Robert Arnett. He provided me with advice, encouragement and motivation during the whole process. His teaching in and out of

the classroom was invaluable.”His father, Strausbaugh claims,

introduced him to Chevy Chase and Bill Murray, their movies inspired him.

“The ultimate glory would be to write a classic quotable comedy like ‘Super Troopers,’ ‘Caddy Shack,’ ‘Clerks,’ ‘Uncle Buck,’ ‘Fletch,’ ‘Stripes,’ or ‘Wedding Crashers,’” said Strausbaugh. “I’m not sure I could go a week without quoting one of these fi lms... A great one-liner is an unparalleled thing of beauty.”

Strausbaugh remembers his fi rst screen writing experience.

“I wrote a bad script in Dr. Arnett’s screen writing class,” said Strausbaugh. “Then I took another class with Dr. Arnett, ripped up my fi rst script, and started over.”

“Keith’s writing is an example of comedy being hard work. He worked hard on honing this script by doing many drafts and really getting the script to be funny. I’m espe-cially proud of Keith for his follow through - that he kept working on the script and getting it out to con-tests well after the semester ended,” Arnett said in an article published on odu.edu.

Strausbaugh wrote his screenplay off of his personal experience

working in Virginia Beach. The screenplay’s logline is, “A slacker tries to save his job at a water sports company by winning a national jet ski competition, but when a hotel developer assembles a dream team, he’s suddenly in way over his head.”

“For seven summers I worked at my uncle’s jet ski rental business in Virginia Beach. After hearing ‘someone should make a movie about this place’ a thousand times, I decided to write the screenplay,” said Strausbaugh. “With eclectic co-workers, crazy renters and a lovable but always angry boss, I had plenty of people and experiences to draw from for the writing process.”

Strausbaugh has high hopes for where this recognition could bring him.

“If the script does win Best Comedy or Best Screenplay, I should have a shot at getting it optioned,” said Strausbaugh. “More importantly, it’s an affi rmation that I’m on the right track writing-wise. I’ve sunk a ton of hours into this script and at times wondered if I was wasting my time. I’m just excited that someone in the industry enjoyed my script. It’s an amazing feeling.”

This is Strausbaugh’s fi rst rec-ognition as a screenwriter, but last year, he self published a novella titled “Beer and Loathing in Panama City: A Bloodthirsty Spring Break Exodus.”

Strausbaugh offers some advice to those looking into screen writing as a career.

“I keep a few quotes in my head when I’m working on a project. First, ‘There’s no such thing as writing. There’s only rewriting.’ I’m not sure who said it, but it’s great advice,” said Strausbaugh. “Second, ‘It’s exciting when you’ve written something that you know is good.’ Trust your gut and try not to lie to yourself. Like Norman Mailer said, ‘Look to the phenomenon of feel - if it feels bad, it is bad.’”

Former ODU student nominated for screenplay

Melissa RichardMace & Crown

For veteran students anxiously awaiting GI Bill payments, relief is on the way. Due to increasing pressure from veterans’ groups, such as the Iraq & Afghanistan Vet-erans Association (IAVA), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has issued an emergency, one-time advanced payment to qualifying vet-erans.

To qualify, veteran students must be enrolled in a qualifi ed insti-tution, have received some form of the GI Bill, submitted the proper enrollment forms and be awaiting at least the October payment. Any veteran student who meets these requirements can go to http://www.advancepay.gibill.va.gov and fi ll out the form. Once he or she has done so, a check will be issued to them within three business days, with an addi-tional three days of mailing time.

Because the Treasury Department is issuing the checks, and some may

actually be handwritten, a separate number has been set up for student banking institutions to call for ver-ifi cation of the authenticity of the check: 1-800-827-2166.

This action is a result of veteran interests groups nationwide crying out on behalf of veterans suffering undue fi nancial hardship due to delayed payments by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some veterans have not received payments from the beginning of the semester in August, causing severe fi nancial hardship including foreclosures and reposses-sions.

The GI Bill is used as a recruiting tool to enlist soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. It promises a secure income for veterans post-enlistment, so they can focus on their education.

Many veterans live with family or roommates and use the GI Bill as sole income, or may live alone or with minor children, work part time, and rely on the GI Bill to pay for bills and buying groceries.

The payment, which caps out at $3,000 and will be recouped from future payments to the veteran, may allow some veterans to save their homes or catch up on past due bills.

The training received by military members, which stresses to leave

“personal problems” at home, is in part responsible for why the majority of veterans have kept mum about their increasing fi nancial diffi culties due to the non-payment of their GI Bill benefi ts.

After months of nonpayment, however, it is possible for even the most patient of veterans to come to a point of suffering bankruptcy or foreclosure. This is why veterans have been forced to demand the VA to provide relief until the overdue payments are received.

Thankfully, these payments will come in the nick of time for suffering veterans and may provide a halt to potentially devastating fi nancial problems.

Sources: Information on Emer-gency Payments for Veterans Awaiting VA Educational Benefi ts. http://www.va.gov/

Relief coming for veterans awaiting GI Bill payments

historycooperative.orgVeterans awaiting GI Bill payments can go to www.advancepay.gibill.va.gov to fi nd out about disbursement.

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the mace&crown | 0310.28.09 | news

What Price Victory: A look at the SGA disputeJoshua Peters Mace & Crown

Commentary

Two governments, two presidents, two Senates and one mon-umental problem. Those who have been following the exploits of the Student Government Association and the “Student Gov-ernment” are in front row to a political dilemma that has locked student leadership in a contest against itself.

From the April elections onward, the battle between opposing parties has been brewing. Many student leaders are concerned about the validity of the organizations acting as the elected representative body of the students at large.

There was not enough information given about the partic-ulars of the SGA fi nancial freeze to students leaders concerned about funding issues. Student Affairs has taken responsibility of handling the funding for student organizations, both new and old.

Students who want to create a new organization must take the required paperwork to Sharoyn Baker at the Offi ce of Student Activities and Leaderships, and the process will begin. Request for extensions of funds will be handled in the same manner until the issue is resolved.

In one corner of the SGA/Student Government clash, is Dan Sanford, the vice president elected in April who was impeached due to a procedural failure. In his impeachment trial, he admitted wrong and accepted blame accordingly. Since then, Sanford has become the president of the SGA through rules of succession. Sanford and the Faculty of the ODU’s Student Affairs Offi ce, as pointed out in a previous issue of the Mace & Crown. “University steps in to student situation,” argued the impeachment was invalid because only two of the 14 elected Senators signed the required impeachment document. The remainder of signatures were from individuals who had been appointed by SGA President Carl Pucci.

In the other corner is president of the Student Government Carl Pucci, who was elected president of the SGA in April.

After the conversations I have had with both “presidents,” I can safely say ground can be given to both sides. On more than one occasion, I have heard references of violence toward one camp by the other, general name calling and comments regarding who knew whose father at birth. Little in the way of negotiations are going to get accomplished if this is the con-tinued fi eld of play.

Don Stansberry, the assistant dean of Student Life and Geneva Walker-Johnson, the dean of Student Affairs, have been in almost constant contact with each of the organizations. Pucci’s representatives present a clear sense of distrust for the ODU faculty and say they feel they are directly interfering in student matters.

The largest issues of contention is how President Pucci and

his administration believe Stanford and the “rogue” Senators (as they call them) currently presiding with him in his SGA camp are in violation of the SGA constitution, created by Pucci and some Senators over the Summer.

That constitution, which was voted on at the beginning of the Fall semester, was ratifi ed, but debate has risen over the legality and constitutionality and the manner by which the new constitution was written over the summer, that is, by declaring a “constitutional convention” by “executive,” or presidential, order.

The faculty and staff of ODU have taken extensive steps to resolve the confl ict, going so far as to bring in an advisor from the American Student Government Association, a national organization specializing in dealing with SGAs across the U.S. At the time of printing, word of that advisor’s decisions and suggestions were fl oating around, but were not readily available the Mace & Crown to publish.

At the root of it all, the students of ODU have two organiza-tions attempting to claim the same prize, title, privileges and responsibilities. But neither organization is willing to sit down at the table and work out a compromise.

In my conversations with both leaders, and in the discussion I had at length with Stansberry, it was clear that every side is aware of the potential long-term damage that is being done to the SGA through these actions. The faculty, and to a greater extent, the student body, have lost a tremendous amount of faith in the SGA’s ability to govern itself.

The argument over the level of involvement by faculty and staff with regards to choices of the SGA and SG holds merit as well. According to university regulations, faculty advisors are not allowed to change the direction or choices made by the student organization in question. However, the SGA and SG should realize they are not student organizations unto them-selves.

There is a greater weight carried by their shoulders, a heavier load of responsibility that bears greater discretion by ODU. The SGA is the only student organization on campus that has the capacity to decide the monetary value of every other student organization. No other student organization is penned into the Board of Visitors handbook as the de facto voice of the students and advisors. Those two points alone bear greater discretion than what would be afforded to the College Republicans, the College Democrats, ODU Out, even the Mace & Crown. With the heady power of the almighty coin purse comes great responsibility out of the SGA and the students have been left wanting by what we have seen.

The actions of both sides indicate the defi nition of the SGA’s responsibilities are misunderstood. The BOV, in the estab-lishment of the Student Government at ODU, indicated that it should be an advisory organization, and only that.

To assume that it carries any further power or capacity to

further infl uence university policy without the consent of the masses is a painful indictment of those in charge.

The September 2009 Senate elections and constitutional ratifi cation illustrate another problem within the SGA. The ballots from the election were shredded.When the simplest of records, such as ballots cast in the September election, are not available, there is no chance for a re-count. Without records to account for every action, every vote, every appointment, and every student signature on the required paperwork to grant a Senator his or her position, there is no opportunity to examine the election to ensure students, and only students, participated in the election.

Likewise, the 97 percent constitution approval rate with three percent abstaining would, in even the most lax of elec-toral fi elds of Zimbabwe or Afghanistan, require a recount.

To further mention that between 700 and 900 students voted, less than fi ve percent of the total population of ODU, would bring additional scrutiny. Toss in the aforementioned, potentially shredded ballots and lack of digital record keeping and warning fl ags go up across the board, according to Pucci.

At the crux of it all, several people, student leaders all, not acting like student leaders, but acting like individuals with per-sonal stakes in the matter. I would call some of them stubborn and bratty, but on further examination, they seem to feel that they are battling an enemy who they believe has no right to be attacking them.

I was met with a faint hint of paranoia, and it was made clear that each side believes the other has agents and spies amongst them. d There are concerned students, some of us old heads. Student Government and participants long-term writers who want nothing more than for things to be settled. It is no longer a matter of governance. That time has long since passed.

We are now into the image and future of the SGA. With our elected representatives failing to address student concerns, a student interested in joining the SGA is single-handedly encouraged to and told there is a political battle going on and nothing can be done. When the elected representatives interests are brainstorming ways to discredit the opposition and steam on relentlessly about the unfairness of the situation, there is a tremendous failure of the system.

Our representatives are currently engaged in email battles, fi ring off electronic responses that lack the elegance of intel-lectual fencing and lean toward the brutal metal-on-metal clashing of two barbarians hammering each other. The fun-damental question that should be on every student’s mind is short, and should be lent serious thought. Is this what we really voted for?

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009

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04 | the mace&crown news | 10.28.09

Bryoney HayesMace & Crown

The Office of Student Affairs spent nearly $4,000 to bring a consultant from the American Student Government Association to ODU to determine which of the two SGA con-stitutions will be used during the 79th Session following Saturday, Oct. 17.

Both constitutions are controversial. The constitution ratified in April, during the 2009 student body elections, contained an article that the Senate had not voted on. That consti-tution was rewritten during a convention held over the summer, and the new constitution was ratified Sept. 7.

However, there are members of the Senate who do not consider the Sept. 7 constitution valid. Since the beginning of the academic year, the SGA has split into two factions: One faction following the April constitution and the other following the September consti-tution.

The ASGA consultant, Christopher Jachi-mowicz, spent Saturday in meetings with members of each constitution’s representative body. Starting with last year’s administration, Jachimowicz met with 78th Session Pres-ident Michelle Davis, External Vice President Adam Sampson, Internal Vice President Dan Sanford and SGA External Services Chair Tiffany Gibson. He asked about that admin-istration’s accomplishments and its views on the constitution.

“He asked us a very interesting question on who the constitution belongs to,” Sanford said. “We actually came to the conclusion that it belongs to the student body. He’s a very intense guy, but very good at what he does.”

Two key players in the situation are Carl Pucci, the student body president and Dan Sanford, SGA vice president. Since last summer, the two have been in opposition over which constitution the SGA should follow, along with other members of the SGA.

In the Sept. 7 con-stitution, the SGA was re-named the Student Government and restructured to elim-inate Senate seats that were guaranteed for certain student orga-nizations. The seats would be allocated through each of ODU’s colleges.

This would allow for a more fair represen-tation of students, Pucci said.

However, Senators who align themselves with the April constitution say they were not informed of the specifics of the rewrite. They also say because the student body did not vote on this new constitution, it is invalid.

Each party considers their side equally strong, so the SGA has been crippled over the constitutional debate, causing Student Affairs to step in. First, the university froze

the actions of the SGA for a week. Next, it removed finances from the SGA’s responsi-bilities. Now, student organizations wishing to access their budgets or file for contingency, or more money must go through the Office of Student Activities and Leadership, rather than the SGA.

The university even sought legal council to resolve the dispute, Don Stansberry, the SGA Advisor and the associate dean of student life, said.

“So it’s been ongoing,” Stansberry said. “We recently decided to bring in an expert who was a third party.”

Geneva Walker-Johnson, the dean of Student Affairs, explained the admin-istration’s decisions to temporarily remove

the SGA’s financial responsibilities and bring in the consultant.

“We don’t want student organizations caught up in that,” said Walker-Johnson. “They need to have their money. Until the matter is settled, that should move smoothly.”

As far as the consultant goes, Walker-Johnson said a third party expert would be better able to determine the validity of each group.

“Well, it was more of a commitment to get

the perspective of the organizations,” Walker-Johnson said. “This is an outside entity, so it doesn’t necessarily have ‘this is what Geneva thinks.’”

After spending the day meeting with rep-resentatives of the Student Government and SGA from the Legislative and Executive branches, the consultant was given seven days to decide which is the valid constitution and whether the Student Government’s actions over the summer were correct.

Jachimowicz’s decision will involve reviewing both sides through interviews and documents, determining which side followed or broke Robert’s Rules of Order (a govern-mental procedure manual the group uses for student government).

At the end of the week, he will deliver a report to Walker-Johnson, who will use it to determine which of the constitutions will be the one the SGA follows.

As of press time, a decision had not been made public.

“I hope we can get these issues resolved and move ahead as a team,” Walker-Johnson said.

University brings consultant to settle SGA constitution dispute

M. TinsleyMace & Crown

Students from Student Government and Young Democrats worked together to bring the Democratic candidate for gov-ernor, Sen. Creigh Deeds, to ODU.

Dixie House, Micheal Hnatouski and Young Democrats’ president Tiffany Gibson, helped organize the event.

“The event was coordinated between the Young Democrats and the Student Government [Association], and in the true nature of campaigns, happened very last minute,” said Gibson. “However, between our organizations, we were able to put on a nice event with great student and community turnout.”

Gibson, a senior, gave her perspective on Sen. Deeds.“I think Sen. Deeds is Virginia’s best choice in this election,

especially in order to keep the commonwealth moving forward. He has served this state for many years, and has a proven record of success in working across party lines to do what’s best for Virginians. Creigh Deeds understands how incredible our state is and will work hard to make it reach its potential as a national leader in jobs, clean energy and education.

“At the beginning of the primary, when I first met Sen. Deeds, my initial reaction was that he was much different than most politicians.

“He’s not flashy. He’s funny, gracious and extremely approachable. What you see is what you get. There’s no fake hairpiece on this guy, Deeds is 110 percent genuine. Since then, I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet and talk with him many times, and every time I see him I am more confident in

my decision to back him as our next governor.”Carl Pucci, the president of the Student Government, was

among those who worked toward putting the event together. Pucci once worked with Sen. Deeds to get a nonpartisan redis-

tricting reform passed through the Virginia State Senate. He gave a backstory on his first encounter with the politician.

“He [Deeds] helped sponsor a group legislation, a huge con-sortium of people,” said Pucci.

“Two years ago, when I was a sophomore at ODU, I was vol-unteering with Virginia 21 and we were pushing through leg-islation and got Creigh Deeds, [who] was a sponsor of the leg-islation. I met Creigh Deeds a few years back to work out our legislation, which is the reason why our bill passed the state Senate,” said Pucci.

According to the Virginia 21 Web site, it is a political edu-cation group where young people across the state engage in a “political process by providing information, spotlighting policy, promoting active citizenship, and voter registration with a non-partisan agenda.”

Deeds spoke to attendees about his education and trans-portation plans for Virginia in the North Cafeteria of Webb Center.

Deeds also discussed his transportation strategies. The gubernatorial candidate, who is a proponent of high-speed rail, said that the Commonwealth is devoid of a reliable infra-structure. According to deedsforvirginia.com, he seeks to lessen congestion, supports road and rail project expansion in Southern Virginia, and is behind diminishing rush-hour traffic through flextime tax credits.

Young Democrats president endorses Deeds for governor

fakevirginia.wordpress.comTiffany Gibson, president of the ODU Young Democrats, named Sen. Creigh Deeds as her pick for the next Virginia governor.

“I hope we can get these issues resolved and move ahead as a team,” --Geneva Walker-

Johnson said.

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 News&Analysis54

the mace&crown | 03 the mace&crown | 0510.28.09 | news

Commentary

Mace & Crown

ODU’s Model United Nations hosted its annual U.N. Day, Friday, Oct. 23. The topic was “Iran and North Korea’s Nuclear Proliferation,” giving participants the chance to show off their knowledge by acting as ambassadors of various countries throughout the world.

Model U.N. is a global initiative in which high school and college students take part in simulations of actual United Nation’s debates. The goal is to create resolutions to world con-fl icts. In this case, the delegates had to promote the pros and cons of nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea.

U.N. day participants got a chance to offer their opinions on behalf of the countries they represented.

U.N. Day offers a way for students to understand how global interactions occur and how countries make decisions and reach compromises. “It allows people to actively participate in the political world they live in,” said Christie Pegram, the U.N. Day director and rapporteur.

Pegram was one of many offi cers of the M.U.N. who hoped for a deeper understanding from delegates. Many look to the M.U.N. as a way to become more involved in the political pro-

cesses of society as a way to break into their chosen career fi elds.

“This was a very good learning experience,” said Brittaney Armstrong, a M.U.N. delegate. “I got to see how the U.N. works, and it made me want to participate more in M.U.N.”

By the end of U.N. Day, M.U.N. delegates were able to reach a resolution focusing mainly on the compromise of preventing nuclear proliferation in Iran.

Perhaps demonstrating the relevance of the M.U.N.’s activ-ities, in last Friday’s news, Iran discussed its plan to analyze the proposed U.N. resolution about sending its Uranium (major component of nuclear power) to Russia for further enrichment. The similarities between both initiatives showed the level of research and preparation the students did to discuss options. Aside from all of their differences, the student delegates were able to reach agreements they perceived as benefi cial to their individual countries. U.N. Day at ODU is not only important because it teaches students the politics of the global organi-zation, but because it teaches them to work together.

The U.N.’s development was based on the idea of global cooperation and M.U.N. seeks to engrain that concept into upcoming generations.

“It gives an opportunity to the broader ODU community

to actually see how the U.N. works, and gives insight to the events that are currently important on the international scene,” said assistant Lydie Sop-Moguem.

Like the slogan says, “Solving the World’s Problems in 96 hours or less,” the students of ODU worked together to solve nuclear proliferation within a class period.

U.N. Day covers Iran, North Korea nuclear proliferation

Vanesa VennardMace & Crown

Commentary

Halloween Express was the place where I was able to fi nd a costume I liked. One that didn’t make me look like I was “asking for it.” Then again, it showed enough to say maybe I was “asking for it.”

Every year I try to slut it up a bit more, and I think many girls do the same. It’s as if we want to look back and say, “Wow, I really out-slutted myself this time.” But how far is too far? Honestly, I don’t think it matters anymore.

I personally am a little too shy to show off too much, so I use the security of panty hose and choose costumes that cover the midriff.

Cleavage is a different story. It’s mandatory to show that.The best costumes are always the ones girls make them-

selves. Two Halloweens ago, I went to East Carolina Uni-versity to visit a guy friend. His friend, Lindsey, another student there, wanted to be a bumble bee. I was thinking she’d wear the typical costume I’ve seen in stores: The black and yellow striped dress, and throw in some antennas and wings. It’s adorable.

No. She was wearing black lace panties, and a black lace bra. She had on yellow lines and black pumps. She defi nitely didn’t have to worry about seeing another girl wearing the same costume.

She topped that the following year by being a cat. Black corset, black panties and thigh high fi shnets. Oh, and cat ears.

She looked amazing.You can’t hate on Halloween, it’s unacceptable. Lindsey just

so happens to be built like a model. About 6 feet tall with a slender, athletic build. Even if she did sport the love handle or pooch belly, she’d still looked awesome. It’s Halloween.

Body image doesn’t exist on Halloween, just slutty cos-tumes. If you got it, then fl aunt it. And if you don’t, fl aunt it

anyway. Countless times I’ve seen the “too short” costume on the girl with massive cellulite. But she thinks she’s sexy and you have to love that. I always respect the brave ones who aren’t afraid to put it out there, who aren’t insecure, and who have fun with it.

I guess the worst costumes are the ones that aren’t slutty. It’s funny looking back on Halloween when being a kid, when trying to look scary was cool. Trick or treating was cool, too. Now, with some of the costumes girls wear, they become the trick and treat. And it’s socially acceptable.

I love Halloween shopping. The only thing that frustrates me is fi nding a costume that I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wear yet, at least on Facebook. Length, tightness and lowness could pose a challenge. As long as I can breathe and sit down without pulling a Paris Hilton, it’s buyable.

Slutty accessories sell me, too. This year, I was stuck between slutty Red Riding Hood and the Party Police. Both were decent length, as in short. Cleavage wasn’t too excessive, but it was there. In the end, I had to go with the one with hand-cuffs, in the spirit of Halloween.

That’s what V said:Halloween costumes, the sluttier the better

D. Taylor

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H1N1 (Swine) Infl uenza Vaccine Tentative Distribution

Student Health Services has set a tentative date and place for the fi rst batch of student H1N1 infl uenza vac-cines. As of press time, students will be able to receive vaccinations at the new Student Recreation Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29. Depending on availability, other tentative dates are set for Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Tuesday, Nov. 10. Students will need to present their valid ODU IDs to receive the shot.

Before going to any of these vaccine distributions, students should check http://studentaffairs.odu.edu/healthservices to make sure nothing has changed about the clinic dates and times.

The Mace & Crown September 30, 200906 | the mace&crown commentary | 10.28.09

M. Tinsley Mace & Crown

About 60 people filed outside of North Cafeteria in Old Dominion University’s Webb Center Oct. 23. Students waited to be admitted through the entrance 10 minutes before Actress Robin Givens, who walked in a little after 7 p.m., would talk to students about violence awareness.

Young ladies wearing black shirts with the word T.R.U.S.T. spread across their chests in red, handed out stickers on behalf of the Red Flag Campaign, as students stood in line.

Joann Bautti-Roche, assistant director of ODU’s Women’s Center, welcomed Givens, the ex-wife of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson and author of “Grace Will Lead Me Home.”

“As an advocate, Ms. Givens has [used her experiences to inspire others],” said Roche. “[She has] touched the hearts and minds of the people who read [‘Grace Will Lead Me Home’].”

After a false alarm, a smiling Givens reappeared a second time and the crowd cheered wildly.

“I am an author, an advocate and a mother,” said Givens to the audience, which was comprised of mostly young people.

The Women’s Center, the Office of Intercultural Relations, YWCA Response, Women in Crisis Programs and the Men’s Issues Committee helped sponsor Relationship Violence Awareness Month at ODU, the event Givens was speaking for.

“So I am so happy to be here. I can’t even begin to tell you, and I see the future.”

“I was 19 years old when I graduated and you couldn’t tell me anything,” she said, grinning.

Givens, who wore a black dress with a V-neck, black pumps and long, curly tresses gave the back story of her life and how she came to meet Mike Tyson.

The mother of two, who played the violin at age 10, was accepted to Harvard and was supposed to go to Medical School, but eventually decided to become an actress. She said she grew up without her father and has been searching for a father figure.

“Bill Cosby was definitely a role model,” said Givens. “He was like a father in my life.”

Givens recalled her first break as an actress. She chose the sitcom “Head of the Class” over “Amen.” During that time, Givens’ mother told her a man had wanted to speak with her for two weeks. The New York-born celebrity, who has made a guest appearance on CW’s television series “The Game,” told the audience that she initially ignored him at first, but gave in at last. The caller was boxer Mike Tyson.

“There’s a sense that you feel invincible and feel that every-thing will work out, in regards to relationships,” said Givens.

“It was blissful and [I was] excited. I never experienced what I felt for him.”

“ When I decided to write my book and do some research in my life, I discovered that my grandma, who’s from Lexington, Kentucky, [also suffered from an abusive relationship].”

“I wasn’t raised with my father, but I ended up marrying a man just like my father,” said Givens. “In the darkness and in the secrecy, women who are in domestic violence feel the guilt, the shame, the isolation.”

“The first time I was hit by my husband, I wasn’t even married. The things that felt good to me were really red flags. I didn’t feel in danger. The first time I was hit, Michael wanted me to go to his apartment. I wanted to go home. The next thing I know, I felt a fist coming to my head. I hit a wall and then another wall.”

Givens, whose mother was domestically abused as well, said blood had splattered everywhere during Tyson’s first attack against her.

Givens said her ex-husband, in a past interview, was once asked what the best punch he had ever thrown was. She said Tyson responded with “it was against Robin Givens.”

In reference to receiving physical maltreatment from Tyson, “I never told my mother or my sister. I changed the ‘punch’

to a ‘push.’ Givens said the former boxer, who “won his first 19 fights by knockout,” according to imdb.com, cried in the actress’s lap and said he would never hit her again.

On the second beating incident, “We were in the Bahamas, and I pretty much knew that I was going to die that night,” she remembered. “I was dragged down the hallway and he ended up hitting me with the phone.”

“That was my life,” said Givens after a lengthy pause. “My husband said he was going to kill me and that he was going to get away with it, and I believed him. Then he changed his mind and said that he was going to make my life so miserable that it would cause me to slit my throat.”

“My faith is very important to me,” said Givens after a while. “God is very important to me, she said, crying and sniffing. I wouldn’t want to know the pain that I’ve known. The certain betrayal and injustice.”

“But here I am, and I try my best.” The 44-year-old star said she’s on a healing journey and that

is the reason why she gets emotional.“I always say that I’m a recovering perfectionist,” she smiled

through tears. “People always ask me what I feel about him, and the love

doesn’t go away. The love that I felt and feel for him, won’t go away. But I wish him the best of success.”

“You can be a good boxer, but not necessarily a good man. Or like Chris Brown, you can be a good dancer, but not neces-sarily a good man. I don’t know if he is now. Maybe Michael is now. I think character takes time to build.”

“I really don’t like commenting on people’s lives,” said Givens about the February incident involving singers Chris Brown and Rihanna. “But I remember I was the same age, going through the same thing.”

“As women, we’re nurturers by nature. We think we can fix something, make a difference, change things,” she said. Tyson cried, according to Givens. He had fluid coming out of his nose, as she consoled him and rubbed his head. He cried and she believed him.

“He had big tears,” she elaborated. Givens said it has taken her time to rebuild her self-esteem.

In addition, she advised the audience not to get themselves in a domestic violence situation. Especially “when they don’t let you call your friends anymore. I sort of took it as a compliment, because I never knew my father and I never knew what a [rela-tionship] like that was.”

“I guess I’m [looking] at your beautiful faces, and women you are so beautiful. I want you to know healthy, right love. Try not to go there, where Givens has been.”

“I’ve given 16 years of my life to two healthy sons, trying to raise them to be good husbands and fathers. I really believe that with men involved, [it] makes the solution happen.”

“A man does not hit a woman,” said Givens. “Walk away. You bad. Walk away. Keep your hands to yourself.”

She encouraged the young men in the audience to join the women to fight against domestic violence.

“I am the third generation in my family to be hit in mar-riage.”

“When I go spend times in shelters, talking about women, it is so amazing that so many of us have the same story. My story should not be your story. You deserve more. You deserve better. You’ve got time, she told the students. So take your time. When you think you’re in love, and when you’re not thinking clearly, have a friend you can talk to. Take your time.”

“I feel happier now than when I started talking to you. Anytime I talk to someone, I feel a bit stronger.”

Givens opened the floor for a few questions and reached over the stage to hand someone a couple of mics to the audience.

The first person asked, “How did you get out of your situ-ation with Michael?”

Givens responded, “It was one afternoon, and he was throwing things. My sister, my mom and another lady that worked with us. I looked at my sister and she was crying hys-terically. She said, ‘how long are you gonna continue putting us through this? I would’ve done it longer,” she admitted, “but I have put my family through it. So, I feel that guilt because of it.”

“I left my house, I left everything in it and I never went back. We continued to see each other,” but not romantically, said Givens.

As Givens wiped away tears, so did students. Givens admitted she didn’t let the police arrest Tyson, in

response to the second question. “Did I blame myself? All the time,” she said. “My mother

used to say to me, ‘Why don’t you just play dead? That’s what I used to do.’”

Givens, who grew up Catholic, said, “I didn’t really develop my own personal relationship with God, until I was in com-plete darkness.”

“How is your love life now?” asked another student. “How I want it to be,” said Givens. The room filled with laughter. “You got any professors here?,” asked Givens, joking. “Come

on Old Dominion. I can’t cook. I can clean, but I don’t like to. But hopefully, I’ll find a good guy,” she said.

One male asked if Givens hardened her heart toward men in general after enduring her relationship with Tyson.

“Do you feel there are any good men out there?” “Yes,” exclaimed Givens. “I love men.” Then, she teased, “I

like your shirt.” Givens shared that she once dated Brad Pitt. She said a

man’s ethnicity is of no importance to her, “Just as long as they’re good.” Implying that she believed in the golden rule.

The final question for Givens was has she forgiven Tyson. “I can say that I love him,” she replied. “Maybe forgiveness

lies in the love I still feel for him.” “Michael behaved badly,” she continued. “I wish that he

would own up to his bad behavior.” “I have forgiven him. I so deeply wish he would tell me he

is sorry.” On that note Givens thanked everyone for coming out and

jogged off stage to prepare for the signing of her book, “Grace Will Lead Me Home.”

Following the event, junior Lasmine Lampkins said, “Hon-estly, I thought Robin Givens was a lot better than I anticipated her tot be. I feel as though she was very concise in her speech, choosing her words very carefully.

While the room was packed with young people, quite a few students were on the outside looking in, like ODU student Will Moore.

Moore, a junior and biology major, said he was only able to see the last ten minutes of Givens’ speech. But, what he saw “was a beautiful person inside and out. I feel like Michael was so lucky.”

Actress Robin Givens talks to students about domestic violence

Derek Simon / mace & crownActress Robin Givens advises ODU students not to get caught up in a domestic violence situation.

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 76

54

the mace&crown | 0710.21.09 | entertainment the mace&crown | 0710.28.09 | entertainment

Chelsea DeAngioMace & Crown

Commentary

The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder and candy corn abounds. It’s that time of year again. The time to pick out a fun, creative costume to rival all your friends.

The trouble is, many partiers celebrate by picking the same costume year after year, creating parties full of cloned Playboy bunnies and Jokers. Halloween is all about becoming someone else for the night, not being like everyone else. Here are a few costumes to avoid this season, and a few alternative options to the costumes that are so 2008.

Last year, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie clones could be found at nearly every party, complete with plumped lips and baby dolls. Yes, they are still hot in Hollywood and have tons of kids, but without any recent rumors of pregnancy or divorce, a Brangelina costume is played out. The 2009 Alter-native is Jon and Kate Gosselin. They have become nightly news staples, fighting publicly over money and custody issues. Grab some Ed Hardy gear, diamond earrings and a beer gut to dress like Jon. Wear a reverse mullet and mom jeans to dress like Kate. Don’t forget to carry at least a baby or two each.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor, was a hit costume for the election year, but what has she done since then? Palin is still a fun person to dress up as, but the whole costume is simply worn out. The 2009 alternative is Barack

and Michelle Obama. They are cute, eloquent and well-dressed. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be president for an evening?

“Scream” costumes, talk about outdated. The original “Scream” came out in 1996. Yet, year after year, the infamous mask shows up at parties. The 2009 Alternative is “Thriller” Michael Jackson. Some people could think it is too soon, but what’s more memorializing than going as the King of Pop. The costume is easy, too. Grab a read leather jacket, a glove, and some fake blood, and you’re instantly the scariest guy at the party.

Johnny Depp made pirates cool again with 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” The 2009

alternative is anyone from the “Twilight” series. Put on some pale makeup, glitter and fangs and you’re instantly America’s newest heartthrob.

Next is naughty nurse/cop/maid. If they’re all inter-changeable, it’s probably not a good idea. There’s nothing creative, fresh, scary or remotely redeeming about these cos-tumes, except for the fact that they’re supposedly sexy. But what’s sexy about dressing like everyone else? The 2009 alter-natives are bugs and insects. They are all the rage in costume stores this fall. Complete with wings, become a beautiful but-terfly, cute ladybug, or stinging bee. Polka dots and stripes are perennially in fashion, so why not incorporate them into your costume.

“The Dark Knight” broke all kinds of box office records. So what’s not to love? How about the fact that it’s so 2008. The Joker is an admittedly awesome bad guy, and a great costume…for last year. The 2009 alternatives are Spock or Kirk from “Star Trek.” The movie was a summer blockbuster and is more relevant than the Joker.

Halloween could allow a chance for creativity when indi-viduals plan what costume to wear. Don’t repeat the same costumes, do something alternative.

Halloween costumes to avoid: The overdone, outdated and obsolete

fullhalloween.comInstead of a sexy cop, try a sexy bee.

Monarch Dining Employee Spotlight Find out more about a few of our STAR employees!

Name: Derrick Vaughn Location: Rogers Cafe Birthplace: Manhattan, New York Favorite Food: Fried Chicken Favorite Hobby: Meeting new people What is something about you that no one would know unless you told

them? I am a good personIf you won $1 million today, what is the first thing you would buy or do? I would pay off all of my bills If you could pick any job to do, what would it be? I would be a cook

Name: Shinikia Ashley Location: P.O.D. Market Birthplace: Norfolk, VA Favorite Food: Steak and potatoes Favorite Hobby: Shopping What is something about you that no one would know unless you

told them? My age If you won $1 million today, what is the first thing you would buy or do? Give to charity and support my familyIf you could pick any job to do, what would it be? I would run my own business

Name: Dustin Day Location: Starbucks Village Birthplace: Woodbridge, VAFavorite Food: Ice CreamFavorite Song: New Slang by The ShinsIf you won $1 million today, what

is the first thing you would buy or do? I would go on a trip to Australia Favorite Philosophy: Never look backIf you could pick any job to do, what would it be? GeneralManager of the Redskins

Name: Sheryl BooneLocation: Einstein Bros. BagelsBirthplace: Portsmouth, VA Favorite Food: Chicken Favorite Color: RedFavorite Song: Amazing GraceIf you won $1 million today, what

is the first thing you would buy or do? I would get out of debtWhat is something about you that no one would know unless you told them? I am the best person to be around and have fun with

For menus, dining news and promotions, nutritional information and more visit

www.odu.edu/monarchdining

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 98

54

YOU are the firstline of defense when

it comes to your safety!

Monday, Nov. 2 - Hip-Hop Across Cultures - 8pm-until, North Cafeteria

Featuring DJ Babey Drew, free food, graffiti w/ free white T. FMI: 757.683.4406

Saturday, Oct. 31 - SAC 80’s HORROR WEEK: Return of the Living Dead

- 8pm, MGB 102

Friday, Oct. 30 - SAC 80’s HORROR WEEK: Videodrone - 8pm, MGB 102

Thursday, Oct. 29 - Oktoberfest ODU - 12:30-1:30pm, North Mall

Free food, music, and design your own stein! FMI contact OIR: 757.683.4406

Thursday, Oct. 29 - OctSOBERfest Mix-Off - 12:30-1:30pm, North Cafeteria

contact: Student Health Services, 757.683.5927

Wednesday, Oct. 28 - SAC 80’s HORROR WEEK: The Hitcher - 8pm, MGB 102

Wednesday, Oct. 28 - Erica Shaw: “Keeping Friendships Alive” - 7:30pm,

North Cafeteria contact: Student Health Services, 757.683.5927

Wednesday, Oct. 28 - Tough Guise - 6-7:30pm, VA Beach Room

contact: Women's Center, 757.683.4109, [email protected]

Wednesday, Oct. 28 - Stitch A Bit - 5-7pm, North Mall

contact: Women's Center, 757.683.4109

Upcoming Events

All events free until otherwise noted.


Arts&Entertainment98 News&Analysis54

the mace&crown | 03


The Monarch Techstore The Monarch Techstore

Want to discover tips and tricks about your MacBook and the excit-

ing new Apple operating system Snow Leopard?

Then this is for you!

There will be a free Apple

Workshop on 10/29 @ 12:30pm in the Richmond

Room in Webb Center.

If you are a beginner or a pro, there will be something here for you. You can have a great time

The Mobile Monarch Program includes several Apple MacBook models which can be purchased from the Monarch Techstore.

Remember, if anything should happen to your MacBook, the Technical Support Center in Webb Center is a certified Apple Warranty Repair Center for MacBooks purchased from the Mo-bile Monarch Program.

1543 Webb Center (beside Starbucks) | 757-683-5611 | www.odu.edu/techstore Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm

Buying a Mac has never been easier!

We have the best pricing anywhere. Prices are lower than the Apple retail stores or online.

Students get exclusive discounts on Apple products with the Apple Educational Discount.

We are located right on campus so you can take your product home immediately after purchase.

You can try out the latest Apple hardware and software in the store before you purchase.

We have a trained staff on hand to guide you in your purchase.

We offer occasional promotions and discounts on products that are not found elsewhere.

What you get from the Monarch Techstore

2nd Generation iPods

iPod Touch 8GB - $189.00 (was $229.00) iPod Touch 16GB - $249.00 (was $299.00) iPod Nano 8GB - $129.00 (was $149.00)

iPod Nano 16GB - $149.00 (was $199.00)

**While supplies last**

Apple MacBook Pro Aluminum Unibody 15.4”

$2,200.00 (was $3000.00) - 2.66GHz -

- 320GB Hard Drive - - 4GB RAM (2x2GB) -

- SD Card Slot - **While supplies last**


Sports&RecreationArts&EntertainmentNews&Analysisthe mace&crown | 03 the mace&crown | 1110.28.09 | entertainment

(Mise en place: A French culinary term that

means every thing in its place; cut, dice, measure

and prep everything before you start mixing or

cooking.)

Q&A with campus Executive Chef, Timothy

Brown, CEC

Timothy Brown has been a National Certifi ed

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:

Puff Pastry - Puff pastry is laminated dough that

rises with the use of steam.

Question:

Dear Chef Tim,

How is puff pastry made?

Answer:

There are three types of laminated dough. Puff

pastry, Danish dough and croissant dough. They

are all made the exact same way, but puff pastry

dough has no yeast and we create steam to make

the dough rise.

The dough is simple to make, just a little time

consuming. First, you weigh out your entire mise

en place. Flour, salt, water and butter. Next, you

mix the fl our, salt and water together just enough

to form dough, then you let it rest for 15 minutes.

After the resting period, you roll the dough out into

a square. Then mix the butter with just a little bit of

fl our. Pad the butter evenly onto the dough, leaving

a two inch border all the way around. Then you

fold the dough three fold. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Then pull the dough out and three fold it again,

repeating this process 4 more times. Every time

you three fold, you are tripling the layers to end up

with 729, which will create enough steam to make

the puff pastry rise, making it fl aky and light.

Recipe: Puff pastry

Yields 1 ½ pounds of dough

Ingredients:

2 cups of unbleached fl our

20 tbsp of cold unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp cold water

Timothy A. Brown, CEC

Executive Chef

Dining Services

Mise En PlaceJoe Turek

Mace & Crown

Over my time here at the Mace & Crown, I took on the yearly assignment of looking at the “Saw” series. Initially, I took the review of “Saw III” because no one else wanted to look at horror fi lms. I could only imagine why, being the horror afi cionado that I am. Since then, I have faithfully, or sadistically, depending on perception, reviewed each new offering. When we last left Jigsaw and his merry band of morality killers, the plot was convoluted, and turning into a complete mess. This time “Saw” returns to basics

in a marked improvement over the lastcouple in the series.

“Saw VI” picks up where the last one left off, with Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Agent Strahm’s battle con-cluding. Paralleling is a quick trap between new potential victims to start the carnage anew. This time, Tanedra Howard, the winner of the VH1 reality show “Scream Queens,” gets her reward. In true “Saw” fashion, Howard gets the opportunity to

show why she won the contest. After the initial introductions and recap

of where things were, the movie starts rolling forward. With each fi lm, there usually is a hot button topic they try to use to humanize why the rats in the maze will have to face Jigsaw’s wrath. This time it’s a morality stance on the health insurance industry and the dilemma facing Amer-

icans today. Painting a group of health insurance decision-makers as villains is simple enough in the “Saw” world to warrant the traps they get stuck in.

Interweaving that within Jigsaw’s master plan and how his wife, Jill, along with Hoffman and Amanda, all fi t together is done in a more straightforward manner than in the recent fi lms. This makes it much better than the previous two.

A lot of the credit should go to fi rst time director Kevin Greutert, who edited the previous fi ve. By presenting things with a more direct approach, it made the payoff better than the “whatever” feeling of parts four and fi ve.

Tobin Bell returns as Jigsaw, who con-tinues to do more work posthumously than he did in life. Detective Hoffman is in a weak spot in the series. His character isn’t menacing next to Jigsaw, Amanda, or even Jill for that matter. Shawnee Smith returns as Amanda, and Betsy Russell get an even meatier role as Jigsaw’s wife and we start to see where things may go in the future.

Is this the end? Of course that’s a rhetorical question.

We all know the answer to that. Actually, “Saw VII” has been green lit and will be out next Halloween. That puts this series alongside the “Friday the 13th” movies, which had eight fi lms over ten years. Horror fans have grown accustomed to the genre’s franchises being run into the ground with innumerable sequels. At least

this time, “Saw VI” doesn’t produce the same stink that was eroding at the core of the series.

So know going in that this is not the last in the series, but it is worth watching if only being better than parts four and fi ve.

After seeing the abdominal wreck that were fi lms like “The Final Destination,” or some of the other garbage out there, “Saw VI” isn’t so bad. Just be warned. There are better fi lms. But if you’re even thinking about seeing “Saw VI,” you already know what to expect.

Another Halloween, another ‘Saw’

horror-movies.ca“Saw VI” is the latest installment in the horror series, but not the last.

Sarra Euto Mace & Crown

Commentary

We’ve all seen them before. We’ve all wanted that quick scare and nervous chuckle right after we’ve jumped. But what are the movies that really make us scared? What are the movies that make us check under the bed to see what’s under there? Here are the top fi ve best and worst horror fi lms that may or may not tickle your fancy.

Best Horror Films: 5. Night of the Living Dead- George

Romero’s most prominent movie about zombies. Made back in the sixties, the movie shows not only the fi rst woman as a lead role, but also the fi rst African American lead role. This movie had leeway for future zombie movies to come.

4. Halloween- There’s just something about the mask that creeps everyone out. Well, maybe that’s because the mask that they used was supposed to be for William Shatner. That’s right. That horrible Michael Myers is supporting a William Shatner mask that the producers found at a costume store. I guess maybe the next time you’re watching this, laugh at Michael Myers because he’s doing a poor

imitation of William Shatner. This is also Jamie Lee Curtis’ fi rst acting role.

3. Jaws- Okay, it’s not really horror, but you have to admit that this piece of fi lm made people afraid of their bathtubs after they watched this movie. Throughout the majority of the fi lm, the audience doesn’t see the large shark that attacks: rather, they hear ominous music and pray the characters get to safety. With the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw as the trio who got roles, “Jaws” is horror worthy in my book.

2. The Thing- John Carpenter had a lot of great movies back in the 80’s, but this one is most notable. Stranded in the Arctic with alien like monsters attacking all of the researchers, it’s bound to become a part of horror mayhem when the monster attacks the dogs. Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley star in most horror roles.

1. Psycho- It’s no surprise that Psycho has made part of the best horror fi lms. This is Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous movie. With the Norman Bates Motel and the talks about his mother and her murders, it’s no surprise that this would be a part of horror.

Worst Horror Films: 5. Jeepers Creepers- I watched this

movie at least four times and I still don’t know what it is about. The movie isn’t

scary and it makes no sense.

4. Jason X- How in the world does this movie pertain to the entire series? The movie is in space. However, with the atro-cious acting and terrible dialogue, this makes the list of horrible acting and hor-rible plot devices for the dying franchise.

3. FearDotCom- This is the movie that started the franchise of having people die by viewing a page that can kill them. What a waste of time. The movie has ter-rible acting and special effects, and is one of those movies that should be avoided like the plague.

2. Leprechaun- Now, this is the fi rst of bad movies produced after “Gremlins.” Another sure fi re way that makes it a sleeper is that it’s set in a quaint, non-existent town in South Dakota.

1. Troll 2- Without a doubt, one of the worst horror fi lms I have ever seen. If there was anyway to get these minutes back from whoever made this, I would love to take them. If you want a good laugh, this movie is for you. That is, if you want to sacrifi ce 90 minutes of your life to then by all means do it. Take my word for it, don’t ever see this movie.

Best, worst horror fi lms of all time

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 9812 | the mace&crown entertainment | 10.28.09

Bryoney HayesMace & Crown

Hip-Hop music blared from speakers set up in the Richmond Room in Webb on Thursday, Oct. 22. Hipster students sporting bright, funky clothes and haircuts either danced or sat in chairs set up along the wall as ODU student D.J. Jay May spun songs like “Jerk” and “5-Star Chick Remix.”

There’s not a party every Thursday night inside a room that’s usually reserved for lun-cheons or meetings, but this night was dif-ferent. Bola, the first female emcee signed to T.I.’s label, was coming to meet and greet stu-dents as part of a mini-college tour to promote her new single “Every day,” featuring Yung L.A.

As students talked, laughed and danced, WODU radio personality D.J. Brandon “BBass” Basset came in and grabbed the microphone. Wearing a leopard-print, church lady hat and shades, BBass addressed the crowd.

“Y’all wanna see Bola?” he asked.“First you got Barack Obama, now it’s Bola

as the First Lady of Grand Hustle,” he said, laughing.

As the students cheered and danced, Bola slipped in. Wearing a fuchsia, double-breasted

blazer over silver skinny jeans and matching closed-toe heels, Bola stood in the center of the crowd and took over the microphone.

Students cheered as she introduced herself.Bola, aka the Black Betty Boop, got signed

to Grand Hustle when she was 15, after she and her friend and former group mate Sun-shine approached T.I. backstage, according to hoodgrown.com.

“T.I. chose to have faith in us,” she said.Bola called Grand Hustle family. She’s

been on the label since its early days.“It’s been kinda weird because it hasn’t

always been the celebrity thing,” she said. “I was able to go along with the process.”

Bola said T.I. being in jail hasn’t slowed anything down for her.

“I’m here, grown, grindin,’ holdin’ it down till he get back,” she said.

At the meet and greet, Bola took audience questions and passed out posters and her mix tape.

Bola named her phone as something she uses every day.

“I’m a twitter head,” she said. “You can twitter me at BolaBettyBoop.”

Bola said there is no special man in her life.

“My music is my boyfriend,” she said.Bola, who is from Atlanta, said she’s more

about doing her own music than being influ-enced by the musical scene in her hometown.

“I just always felt like I was in my own lane,” she said.

BBass pulled one student out of the audience who was too shy to ask her a question. The student giggled, and asked what it was like working with T.I. Then, smiling to show a

mouth full of braces, she asked when Bola was getting her braces removed.

After taking questions, Bola made sure to go around the room to sign autographs and take pictures with every student who attended.

Students Chanel Wiggins and Ashleigh Devord were especially excited to see Bola and other female emcees breaking into the music industry because of their own dreams.

“I think it’s positive because there weren’t any females standing out with guys along on top,” Wiggins said. “Now, you can ask someone who their favorite rapper is and it’s a girl. It’s evolution.”

“Female rappers, for a while, were like not existing,” Devord said. “Now they’re actually doing well.”

Wiggins and Devord co-host Femcee Fridays on WODU.

After the meet and greet, Bola’s camp invited students to party with them at Blake-ley’s, in Chesapeake.

BBass was excited about the turnout.“More than 30 people came out,” he said.

“Now my credibility and WODU’s credibility is so high with Grand Hustle, it’s like ‘dang, I can really count on y’all.’ I feel so good because you never know with these events. You can promote the hell outta them and still, but we actually had people there early.”

Vanesa VennardMace & Crown

Danny Shain, Student Activities Council (SAC) Concert Chair, wanted to make sure the artist booked for the homecoming concert would make for a big show. Especially since this is ODU’s first football homecoming.

Shain and his committee worked together to book the best. He took it upon himself to survey students over the summer to get an idea of who the performer should be. The popular choice was Lupe Fiasco.

“Lupe Fiasco was definitely really high up on the list. Basically, he’s a pretty talented guy,” Shain said. “I think it’s going to make a really big concert, it’s going to be great.”

On Nov. 5, Lupe will be co-headlining with Mario, who has been getting a lot of attention because of his latest single “Break Up,” fea-turing Gucci Mane.

“[Mario] kind of gives the show a different perspective. It gives it R&B and rap, so if you don’t like one, you have the other,” Shain said. “Hopefully, when people go to this show, they might just be going to see Lupe, but Mario could expose them to a different style of music.”

Some openers Shain tried to book included The All American Rejects, Gucci Mane and Matisyahu. None could accept the offer. Other options for an opening band included an up and coming underground hip hop artist.

There currently isn’t an opener set in stone.

“Students will not be disappointed,” he said.

SGA’s frozen budget didn’t cause too many setbacks when booking an artist, according to Shain.

“It really wasn’t that bad. We were won-dering about it and wondering about it. We missed out on a few artists but I think we ended up with a great show,” he said.

The prices did go up on the artists because they waited to book. However, waiting worked by giving him the opportunity to survey more students and allowing time to converse with his committee.

“That was, in the end, really valuable,” Shain said. “That’s basically how we picked the artist. [It] was just going with what stu-dents wanted.”

Tickets have been on sale for a few weeks, and they are $17 for students and $27 for the general public. They are being sold at the Box Office at Ted Constant Center and at the Campus Information Center in Webb. Radio station Z104 is also scheduled to broadcast at the concert.

Shain said ticket sales have been great.

Lupe Fiasco is having a homecoming to ODU himself, since he was scheduled to perform at ODU before, a year or two ago. Because of weather conditions and flooding, Lupe’s previous concert at ODU was can-celled.

This time, Lupe should finally get his chance to perform. Shain said he could build up the excitement for students because they weren’t able to see him previously.

“I felt like I picked somebody that I defi-nitely respected as a musician. I like his music, and I felt more than anything he would make the best choice for it,” Shain said.

Shain said that he is excited that ODU is doing a football homecoming for the first time. He is expecting a huge turnout.

“It’s definitely fresh and exciting. As long as ODU keeps growing and changing, I think it’s a great thing,” Shain said. “I hope more people are excited about ODU and the events they are offering.”

Homecoming week events also include rapper KRS One’s lecture on Oct. 29 and concert on Oct. 30. Shain said that the first 100 people at the lecture will get in the concert for free. “He’s the most influential rapper of all time.”

Homecoming week officially starts Nov. 2, ending with Lupe and Mario co-headlining the homecoming concert on Nov. 5.

“This is probably going to be the biggest homecoming we’ve ever had. We had to match that with a show just as big,” Shain said.

First lady of T.I.’s label Grand Hustle visits ODU

Superstar: Homecoming headlines with Lupe Fiasco, Mario

wikipedia.org“I’m a Twitter head,” said Bola. Follow her on Twitter at BolaBettyBoop.

realhiphopsince79.comLupe Fiasco tickets are $17 for students and $27 for the general public.

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009 98 the mace&crown | 1310.28.09 | sports

NFL PICKS:DUDES vs. ChicksChicks

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Members of the Mace & Crown editorial board analyze the week’s

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Stuart MillerMace & Crown

There are a lot of interesting people and organizations at ODU, but there are few people that spend their time running up a wall outside of Kaufman Hall and doing a back fl ip off of it.

Jay Stever an ODU graduate and his team of adrenaline junkies do just that but they are not just limited to Kaufman as they can be seen all over campus practicing Parkour. Parkour is the practice of getting from point A to point B in the most fl uid and effi cient way, making sure the muscles in the body concentrate on the specifi c movements needed to be swift with the sport.

Spiderman be damned as these wall crawlers and railing walkers get together every Saturday to hang out and practice what they love. Unfortunately, a group of guys hanging outside of a building and jumping around the railings and walls can appear deviant, so they are repeatedly heckled by police, security guards, and any stick in the mud who dislikes “young whippersnappers”.

“People mistake it for deviance and think we’re there to cause trouble and mimic the cast of the show ‘Jackass,’” said Jon Small. “In fact, the reason we’re out there is to practice the safety of the sport so we don’t get hurt or destroy any property.”

Parkour is not a competitive sport, but instead it’s more of a way to hang out and meet people and get new ideas for using the environment around them. It’s original use was for the mil-itary to help soldiers develop their agility and balance, and

started to become popular in 1997 after David Belle formed a Parkour group called Yamakasi and a documentary was made

about the practice.The concept of the practice may be confusing to some but

after witnessing Parkour in action, it really seems to be a unique form of meditation and personal-motivation. “Like any new thing, people just don’t understand it and think it’s odd or bad,” said Jay Stever. “What do you think people thought when some young punk rolled down the street on a skateboard for the fi rst time?”

On top of the guys getting together on the weekends to practice, they have also found a training home in Newport News at Atlantic Coast tumbling, where they are allowed to practice more advanced moves without having fear of breaking their face on a railing or sidewalk. The Parkour gang has eight consistent guys who come out and practice. The goal is to master your body’s movements and keep the best possible balance. With the help of other enthusiasts, it becomes easier to master these techniques.

The guys have branched out with the practice as well by participating in large Parkour gatherings both in the Hampton Roads area and other campuses like Virginia Tech. They go there to hang out, learn some new techniques, and see some Parkour participants who have mastered the practice and move with a ninja-like swiftness.

“It’s fun to come out because the purpose is mainly self-moti-vation,” said Chris Edwards. “I feel so good after I come out and master a move that I have been practicing for a while.”

To learn more about it check out Americanparkour.com

Adrenaline junkies practice Parkour at Webb

StUart miller / mace & crownThe discipline associated with Parkour rivals that of any martial arts practice in terms of concentration.


Garrison ColeMace & Crown

The Monarch basketball team held their annual Blue/White scrimmage last Friday night at the Ted. The score was not an issue as the players were taking the floor for the first time in front of the crowd.

There were plenty of good signs from a team that was recently dubbed as the pre-season favorite to capture the CAA Championship.

In the first half, the White was led by Gerald Lee who had 7 points. Lee was sporting some protection on his shoulders and displayed the famous footwork the Monarch faithful have expected. The White Team was also led by guard Marquel DeLancey. DeLancey had 7 points on 2-2 shooting from the court.

He seemed to be more aggressive than in the past, which could be huge for the Monarchs this season. Another standout in the first half for the White squad was red shirt freshman Nick Wright. Wright had 4 points and 2 steals in the first half while bringing loads of energy to the court.

“When we are out there it is always play hard and have fun,” said Wright. “We got all the pieces to the puzzle and we just have to put them together.”

For the Blue side in the first half, they were led by junior forward Keyon Carter, who tallied 8 points on 3-5 shooting.

Carter was aggressive down on the block as he was able to get a position inside and score using his jump hook. The Blue team was also led by the energy of junior Ben Finney. Although Finney did not score much in the half he seemed to be all over the floor.

In the second half, the players switched up teams and there were new mixes on the floor. The Blue squad was lead in the second half by freshmen sensation Josh Hicks, who had 7 points on 3-4 shooting including 1-1 from the land of three. Hicks showed the flashes that made him such a highly touted recruit.

The rest of the Blue squad struggled to score in the second half as the play got a little sloppy.

“We need to learn from our mistakes,” said sophomore Chris Cooper. “Our defense needs to get better so I’m sure in practice we will work a lot on our defense.”

For the White squad, the second half belonged to soph-omore guard Kent Bazemore. In a half where scoring was hard to come by, Bazemore excelled scoring 9 points in the half. He was a human highlight reel in the second half. It started with a block of a layup attempt by Ben Finney. Then Bazemore con-tinued to show off his athleticism, throwing down an alley-oop from guard Darius James.

Bazemore proceeded to save his best for last. Late in the half, the White squad was able to break the press put on by the Blue squad. Bazemore then found himself one on one with big

man Frank Hassell. Bazemore went for the glory on the play as he threw down a fierce one handed dunk over Hassell that got the Ted crowd going.

The Monarchs play against someone else for a change when they host Barton College on Monday Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m.

Bazemore electrifies crowd in Blue/White scrimmage

Still on top: Coach Taylor confident for upcoming season14 | the mace&crown sports | 10.28.09

chriStian ernSt / mace & crownWith the loss of one player from last season, the Monarchs look to be atop the CAA.


There is a sense of excitement in the air as the Men’s Basketball team held their first official practice last week, signifying that the start of the season is almost upon us. ODU returns a young core and virtually everyone from a team that won 25 games a year ago.

The captain of the Monarch ship is Coach Blaine Taylor, who is entering his 9th season as head coach. Taylor won 303 games in his first eight seasons. Taylor has also won 119 games over the past five seasons, which is the top mark in school history. In addition, those 119 wins are the most of any program in the state of Virginia. Much like the fans and his players, Taylor is anxious to get the 2009-10 season underway.

“There is a tremendous amount of antici-pation that leads into a season, and one of the things that we have enjoyed is the Con-stant Center and the student following that we have,” Coach Taylor said. “It gets you won-dering when it’s going to happen. All of a sudden the [season] starts getting closer and you get goose bumps on your arms.”

Taylor brings a passion to both the games and practices. Doing so has paid dividends in the win column. Taylor has led the Monarchs to five straight postseason appearances, which is the longest streak at ODU since 1992-95. One of the postseason appearances was last year’s Collegeinsider.com Post Season Tour-nament which the Monarchs won. Taylor is hoping with wins and experiences from post-season play, his young guys can build on that heading into this year.

“Every team has a different makeup, and when you have a young group that has its ups and downs and then you get the chance to

practice more and play more, and then maybe as much as anything, succeed. We beat four really good teams,” Taylor said. “So now can

the price of poker go up? I think we can do that and maybe more.”

Across the country prognosticators have

dubbed ODU the team to beat in the CAA. Coach Taylor, like any other great competitor, would not have it any other way.

“I plan to be a contender year after year. We are the only team in our state to be in the postseason the last five years. Do we all of a sudden not feel comfortable in our skin when somebody says ‘hey you guys might be good’. We plan on trying to be good, we plan on being a contender.”

Getting to where Taylor wants his team to be is not an easy task this season. The Mon-archs schedule is jam packed with tough games both in conference and out of con-ference. The Monarchs will play tough road games at Liberty, Georgetown and Dayton. They will also host tough games against Char-lotte and Duquesne, and others in the South Padre Island Invitational against Missouri. However, Taylor feels confident about his group as the season quickly approaches.

“I have tremendous ambitions as do the kids. We have a kind of unspoken kind of thing. We expect to cling more to core values in terms of how we compete, how tough we are and how together we are. We know that will mean a climb, now just where that climb ends I wouldn’t want to limit it, I wouldn’t want to completely define it, because I’d like to think that climb could be a long ladder.”

megan morrow / mace & crown File PhotoTaylor has won 20+ games in four out of his eight seasons coaching at ODU.

The Mace & Crown September 30, 2009sports | 10.28.09

Andrew McCarthy Mace & Crown

Besides being one of the most party friendly holidays of the year, Halloween can also be one of the unhealthiest.

When we were children, our metabolism made it possible for a candy-based diet throughout the year.

Now a single Snickers bar calls for a trip to the gym. Seeing which of your favorite candies packs the biggest punch to the gut can be a surprise.

The most popular American candies offer almost no significant nutritional value. In fact, what they consist of is what healthy diets normally tend to stray away from. The three biggest problems with popular candies are saturated fat, trans fat and calories derived from sugar.

Saturated fats can lead to weight gain, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, and can increase risk of prostate and breast cancers. While these kinds of fats are found in many well known chocolates, the amount in each varies. Some choc-olates contain up to 10 more grams than other similar brands. Others vary from one to four grams in difference. Spotting the differences can determine how much of each chocolate you eat.

Trans fats are even worse than saturated fats. While many foods and candies alike may note they do not contain trans fats, the truth may be they actually do. The FDA requires foods containing .5 grams or more of trans fat to list the amount on

the container. Foods containing less than .499 grams of trans fat are not required to be listed.

Guess what foods contain trans fat after all? Candy. Trans fats are mainly responsible for contributing to coronary heart disease. This type of fat may also increase risks of infertility, liver dysfunction, cancer, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. Western nations throughout the world have put regulations and restrictions on how much trans fat is allowed in each serving.

Halloween candy breaks down into three different cat-egories: basic chocolate, candy and chocolate candy. A choc-olate would be something like a Hershey’s or a Nestle Crunch bar. An example of a candy would be Skittles. Lastly, a choc-olate candy would be M&Ms or Junior Mints.

Chocolates contain the most amount of saturated fat and trans fat by far. A package of Twix bars contain 14 grams of fat, 11 of which are saturated. Twix also contains trans fat. A healthier suggestion is Nestlé’s 100 Grand. 100 Grand contains no trans fat and only 8 grams of fat in comparison.

Chocolate candies like Milk Duds only have 6 grams per serving and contain no trans fat. Hershey’s Kisses have 14 grams of fat with half of that consisting of saturated fat. Junior Mints only contain 3 grams of fat, but hold a whopping 32 grams of sugar.

Candies like Nerds, Runts and Sweet Tarts all have one thing in common. None contain fats whatsoever. However, all three candies are full of sugar and high in calories. They contain 13 to 15 grams of sugar per serving. This makes your

calorie count soar threw the roof. Hopefully, these nutritional facts won’t spook you out

too much. Just keep in mind the options you have as a candy consumer. The key is staying away from too many saturated fats, keeping calories in check and throwing out trans fats all together.

Halloween candy is no treat for health


The NBA is enjoying one of the best periods in its history. There are young stars on every team around the league, and after a great season last year, this one has the potential to be even better.

The defending world champion, the Los Angeles Lakers, are one of the favorites to win the Western Conference. The Lakers return a young nucleus anchored by the best player in the game, Kobe Bryant. Couple that with the addition of Ron Artest and the Lakers look poised to hoist the NBA title again.

The Lakers are not without competition because the West is remarkable, as usual. The San Antonio Spurs were coming up a disappointing first found exit in the playoffs last year. However, this year the Spurs look like they can bring the NBA title back to the lone star state.

A healthy Manu Ginobli, along with “The Big Funda-mental” Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, a title is not out of the question. The always smart front office of the Spurs helped their big three with the additions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess, and the drafting of DeJuan Blair.

Perhaps the most intriguing team in the West is the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are one of the league’s youngest teams, but have what might be the biggest upside. Brandon Roy is a star and keeps getting better every year.

Now he will have Andre Miller in the backcourt to help take some of the pressure off of him. In the frontcourt, the Blazers are young, long and explosive, with big men like Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge. Last year, the Blazers were con-sidered too young to make a run. This year, they may be ready to breakthrough.

The Denver Nuggets were two correct inbound passes away from getting to the NBA Finals. This year, they return Chauncey Billups for a full season. The Nuggets also re-signed Chris “The Birdman” Andersen to help boost their bench. Carmelo Anthony proved he is one of the game’s elite with his performance last year in the playoffs. Now he will look

to take his game up one more notch to get the Nuggets to the NBA Finals.

The Nuggets wildcard may be J.R. Smith. The 24-year-old has all the talent in the world, but his head has been in question throughout his brief career. If he has his mind right, the Nuggets are a dangerous bunch.

The Eastern Conference doesn’t have the depth that the West does, but it has plenty of storylines heading into the season. The defending conference champion the Orlando Magic have bolstered a team that took off a year ago.

Although they lost Hedo Turkoglu, they still have superman Dwight Howard. Now with the addition of Vince Carter, the Magic look to return back to the NBA Finals. They also were able to pick up Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes and Ryan Anderson. However, the biggest impact might be the fact they will have All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson back healthy.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are also back and have “The Big Witness Protection” as their new help. Shaquille O’Neal is now in Cleveland with hopes of winning his fifth NBA title.

It will not hurt that he has the reigning league MVP LeBron

James on his side. Besides O’Neal, the Cavs main off-season acquisitions were Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker, to help boast their bench. However, it falls on the shoulders of James as he is in the last year of his contract and is desperately trying to win Cleveland a championship.

The franchise with the most NBA Championship banners, the Boston Celtics, are looking to add another this season. The Celtics return their own big three, and this year Kevin Garnett is healthy. They also added Rasheed Wallace to a veteran group, who has eyes on winning a championship.

Wallace should provide toughness and another veteran presence to a team who already has Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. If the Celtics can stay healthy, they should be in the mix come June.

There is a clear drop off after the top three teams in the East. However, there are some teams looking to make their case among the other top teams in the conference.

Teams like the Atlanta Hawks, with the addition of Jamal Crawford. The Chicago Bulls, with young star Derek Rose, and the Toronto Raptors thanks to their addition of the afore-mentioned Hedo Turkoglu.

Another team in the East that has the talent to burst into the top 3 or 4. The Washington Wizards are coming off a 19 win season. However, hopes are high as they return a healthy Gilbert Arenas.

The Wizards also have Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison to form their own “Big 3.” If the Wizards can stay healthy under new coach Flip Saunders, they will be dangerous in the East.

It will be hard to predict an NBA Champion. However, there are five teams that can win a NBA Championship this season. The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, the Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, the Celtics, led by Kevin Garnett, the Magic led, by Dwight Howard, and the Cavs, led by LeBron James.

It would not be at all surprising to see any one of these teams win it all. This makes for an entertaining must watch NBA season.

NBA season for the ages, off season moves won’t disappoint fans

tonybruno.wordpress.comChris “The Birdman” Anderson provided a crucial spark off the bench last season for the Denver Nuggets, which led them far into the playoffs.

food.thefuntimesguide.comDon’t be afraid to eat candy on Halloween, but be aware of the amount consumed.

the mace&crown | 1510.28.09 | sports

The Mace & Crown September 30, 200916 | the mace&crown sports | 10.28.09

Homecoming/Halloween

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