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The Current NSU Digital Collections

9-8-2008

The CurrentNova Southeastern University

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NSUWorks CitationNova Southeastern University, "The Current" (2008). The Current. Paper 263.http://nsuworks.nova.edu/nsudigital_newspaper/263

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Alexis Irias

Staff Writer

College Presidents Seek toLower Drinking Age to 18

Last month, more than 100 collegepresidents signed a petition calling for theminimum legal drinking age to be loweredfrom 21 to 18. For such a controversialissue, many questions have been raised.

Each side has statistics to support itsposition. Many still argue that as long as18-year-olds are allowed to bear arms andfight a war in Iraq, they should be allowedto drink.

A 2003 study from the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention found that,though fewer high-school-age studentsdrink, compared with the late 1970s, therates of binge drinking among all adults 18and older has risen.

As controlled as students and minorscan be at home, once they step out fromunder their parents' wings and go to college,things change.

Not only are they miles away from theirparents' authority, but they are also amongstothers with the same state of mind. Thissense of liberty could cause binge drinkingto become a weekend practice and thus,create a dangerous culture.

Culture may be a main culprit due to thefact that some European countries do nothave the same problem. The same study fromthe Centers for Disease Control showed thatin other countries, some with drinking agesstarting at 15-years-old, teenagers were lesslikely to become intoxicated compared withteens in the U.S.

"In France the age restriction is 18 andpeople learn to drink responsibly at a youngage, so there are not as many accidents dueto drinking as there are here," said NicoleVelez, a junior, who grew up in France.

University officials felt as though

Drinking Age Page 2

Alexis Irias/fhe Current

Haden Polizzi, a worker at The Flight Deck.

Chick-N-Grill Newest Additionto UC Food Court

Kristine BelizaireCurrent Affairs Editor

Kristi Yamaguchi to Speak at"Life 101"

Kristine Belizaire

Current Affairs Editor

On Aug. 22, the University Center FoodCourt added Chick-N-Grill to their widearray of food selections.

Celebrating its first year since it openedits doors in the summer of 2007, SharkDining offered Subway, Mama Leone'sPizza, Jow Jing!!, Coyote Jack's Grill,Culinary Table, and Starbucks Coffee.

Chick-N-Grill took the place of Jow

Kristine Belizaire/fhe Current

Jing!!, which offered Asian cuisine suchas sushi and orange chicken. According toTerry Weech, DirectorofAuxiliary Services,Jow Jing!! was removed because studentswho attended the food service committeemeetings voiced their displeasure with thepricing and food options. Students explainedthat they wanted more variety and home­style cooking. "The question was how we

Chick-N-Grill Page 2

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, NSU will welcomeKristi Yamaguchi as the guest speaker forthe "Life 101 Personally Speaking Series"in the Miniaci Performing Arts Center.

"Life 101" is a speaker series thatbrings leaders from business, entertaimnent,politics, and athletics to our campus. Bymeeting these guest speakers,the NSU community iseducated and inspired by theirlife accomplishments and"life lessons" learned alongthe way. The interactive 60minute interview program ishosted by a faculty memberand allows the audience toask questions at the end of theprogram.

According to Rob Keever,Graduate Assistant for SpecialEvents, Yamaguchi was chosen to be aspeaker because she is a spokesperson formany corporate campaigns, including theAmerican Lung Association and AlwaysDream Foundation. Yamaguchi is alsoknown for winning gold medals in figureskating at the Olympics Games,

placing first in many world championshipsand contributing to charities.

Most recently, she was crowned thechampion of the sixth season of ABC's"Dancing with the Stars." -------

"Students should attend "Life 101"·because by meeting these guest speakers,

the NSU community can beeducated and inspired by theirlife accomplishments and lifelessons learned. Students willalso get the chance to interactwith Yamaguchi by askingher questions and meetingher for autographs in the postreception of the event," saidKeever.

Tickets are availablefor "Life 101" with KristiYamaguchi at the University

Center Information Desk. Potentialattendees can receive up to two tickets withan NSU J.D.

For more information about this event,please contact the Office of StudentEngagement at (954) 262-7193 or visithttp://www.nova.edu/life101/index.htmI.

Drinking Age Page 1having the legal age at 21 is not working.They think it is necessary to re-open thisdiscussion and try to find a solution onceand for all.

Although some health professionalsand college officials agree it is time todiscuss the proposal, some students arestill convinced that 18 is too young.

"It's a terrible idea," commentedHaden Polizzi a senIor businessadministration major who works at theFlight Deck. "Half the kids I know whoare 21 aren't mature enough to drink, letalone l8-year-olds." 3301 College Avenue

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MondaySept. 8

"Understanding Long-TermHealth Care and Long-Term ­

Life Insurance"

Members of the NSU community areinvited to listen to Ralph di Santo andLee Sacks as they help to clarify thecomponents of long-term health care andlife insurance. The lecture will begin at 10a.m. in the Lifelong Learning Institute. Formore information, contact Heike Dose at954-262-8471.

TuesdaySept. 9

"Faculty Lecture Series"

In collaboration of the NSU academictheme of "Life and Death" the FarquharCollege ofArts and Sciences invites you toattend the first faculty lecture of the 2008­2009 year. Barbara Brodman, Ph.D. andprofessor in the Division of Humanitieswill examine the controversy around theautobiography of Nobel Prize winner,Rigoberta Menchu, and its relation to"Life and Death." The lecture will begin at12:00 p.m., in room 241 of the ParkerBuilding. For more information, contactJames Doan, Ph.D. at doan@nova.edu.

"Lucky 13:Truth and Consequences"

NSU patrons are invited to attend a lecturedesigned to aid in the development ofethical codes of conduct by understandingthe value ofacademic integrity. The lecturewill take place at 12:00 p.m., in Room 3049of the Carl DeSantis Building. For mOI:einformation, contact Michael McFarland atmmcfarla@nova.edu.

Sept. 10"NSU Health and Wellness

Fair"

Come out and see what NSU's recreationalfacility has to offer! From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m., attendees will have the opportunityto enjoy massages and learn about healthynutrition. Free health screenings forcholesterol, diabetes and blood pressurewill be available. To sign up for a healthscreening, visit www.rec.nova.edu/healthfairlhtml. For more information,contact the Office of Human Resources atohr@nova.edu.

ThursdaySept. 11

"Spiritual Life Fair at SUBThursday"

Interested in learning about faith andreligion? Then attend the "SpiritualLife Fair," hosted by the faith-basedorganizations at NSU. The fair will begin at11 :30 a.m. For more information, contactMark De Mello at demello@nova.edu.

cct>e*istFridaySept. 12

"Rock 'n' Roll Night"

The H.. Wayne Huizenga School ofBusiness and Entrepreneurship will hostits 4th annual undergraduate scholarshipsbenefit. The event will take place at 6 p.m.at the Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84,Davie, FL. For more information contactLynn Schweitzer at Ischweit@nova.edu.

~ational SuicidePrevention Week

This week, Sept. 7-13, isNational Suicide PreventionWeek. This week is dedicated topromoting awareness on suicideprevention.

Accor~ing to the AmericanAssociation of Suicidology,this year's theme is "EmbracingDiversity in Research andPractice."

This focuses attention on thecritical issue of better preparingall those who are in a positionto respond to those at risk forsuicide.

The statewide Officeof Suicide Prevention willproudly hold the 2008 SuicidePrevention Symposium, Sept.30 to Oct. 1, at the CaribeRoyale Orlando All-SuitesHotel &. Convention Center inOrlando, Fla.

A featured speaker at theconvention will be our veryown associate professor ScottPoland, Ed.D. He will presenton school safety and self injury.

If you are interested inbecoming involved in NationalSuicide Prevention Week, pleasecontact Scott Poland, Ed.D.,coordinator of the Suicide andViolence Prevention Office, atspoland@nova.edu or extension25881. More information onthe American Association ofSuicidology is available at www.suicidology.org.

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NSU Celebrates the Beginning of aNew Academic Year

Kristine BelizaireCurrent Affairs Editor

On Sept. 2, members of the NSUcommunity gathered in the auditorium ofthe Rose and Alfred Miniaci Center forthe Performing Arts for Convocation, anevent that celebrates the beginning of a newacademic year.

Dean Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., of theFarquhar College of Arts and Sciences,welcomed faculty, staff and students to theevent.

Rosenblum was followed by Ray FerreroJr., President ofNSU who greeted everyoneon behalf ofNSU's Board of Trustees.

Ferrero spoke about the core values ofNSU, which include diversity and service.He went on to address the dedication of thefaculty.

"The faculty believes that it is importantfor us to be providing high quality educationand we strive for that," he stated during hisspeech.

Ferrero's next message was directed tothe new students. "This is an exciting timeat NSU because this is the next step on thejourney in lifelong learning," he said. "Makethe most of these four years. Get involvedanyway that you feel meets your needs."

Every year at Convocation, a professoris presented with a Full-Time FacultyExcellence in Teaching Award. This year'saward was given to Mark Jaffe D.P.M,

assistant professor in the Farquhar CollegeDivision of Math, Science and Technology.Jaffe has be~n a faculty member since 2004,and teaches biology. In addition to teaching,he guides his students in their research andcareer development.

In his acceptance speech, Jaffe said thathe was honored to address the audience onbehalf of the outstanding faculty. He alsoprovided students with tips that he hadgathered from faculty and staff to maketheir time at NSU more enjoyable andsuccessful.

Some of these tips included creatinggoals, time management, striving for balanceand becoming more involved on campus.

Keynote speaker Andre Dubus III,author of novels which include "Bluesman"and "House of Sand and Fog," spoke of theNSU 2008-2009 academic theme of "Lifeand Death," relating it to a story about hisfather. Two days before his book "House ofSand and Fog" was published, he was tilinghis sister's bathroom.

While he was working, he receiveda phone call from his father who invitedhim to come watch a De La Hoya fight. Hedeclined and continued with his tiling.

His father kept calling him: and hefinally gave in, went to his father's houseand watched the game. After the game was

over, the two of them talked until 3:30 a.m.when Dubus said that he had to leave.

That was the last day he saw his fatheralive. Two days later, while on a book tourin San Francisco, he received a phone callfrom his wife, who informed Dubus that hisfather died of a heart attack. Dubus wentback home to his family and helped hisbrother build their father's coffin.

His father slept on satin sheets, so heupholstered the coffin with the same sheets.He and his brother then dug the grave tobury their father.

While this was one of the darkest andmost painful days ofhis life, it was also oneof the most joyous ones. "When I was yourage I was scared ofdeath," he confessed. Heexplained that as he grew older, he was lessscared and more accepting of death.

The event came to a close with thespecial recognition of the 2008 orientationleaders and the jacketing ceremony of thenewest students to be participants in theClinical Exploration Program. This programallows students to shadow doctors, nursesand other professionals working in NSUclinics. Dean's List Scholars were also givenrecognition. These scholars are sophomoreswho made the Dean's List during both thefall and winter semesters of their first yearat NSU.

Kristine Belizaire/The Current

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Shark Service Fair 2008

This event, hosted by the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, SLCE, washeld on Sept. 4, in the University Center. Thanks to graduate assistant Jennifer Bowman­Wilson, various volunteer-based organizations were able to use the UC as their base-of­helping for an afternoon. For more information on future events hosted by this office, go towww.nova.edu/studentleadership.

Barbara Krantz sits by her organization which is "the only charity in Broward Countyproviding comprehensive rehabilitation, counseling and educational services to blind andvisually impaired children and adults," according to the LightHouse ofBroward pamphlet.For more information, go to www.LHORorg.

Helen Leitch, children's prevention services director, holds "Thumbody" which is themascot of the "Thumbody Too" program. This program teaches children the three R's of"respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for personal behavior." Leitch said,"Your thumbody special," to remind us that just like each of our thumb prints, we are allwonderfully unique. For more information e-mail Leitch at helen@mhabroward.or~

Lisa Zucker, program manager and volunteer and outreach coordinator for Gilda's Club,Kevin Newborg, a biology major and Mark Lentini, an accounting-finance major, getinformation on what it means to volunteer for Gilda's Club, an organization that offersa "network of emotional and social support" for men and women living with cancer. Tovolunteer for the cause, visit www.gildasclubsouthflorida.com.

Claudia Green, volunteer coordinator and Pamela Rubino, public relations coordinator,stand next to their "Angel Tree" where patrons ofthe area can pick up tags to purchase giftsfor children during the holidays. Visit their Web site www.salvationarmybroward.org tovolunteer on Oct. 11 for "The MOST Amazing Race!" a program that helps feed homelessand hungry families. You could possibly win $1,000, so check it out!

Danielle Jacobs, a volunteer for Spirituality For Kids. This organization "teaches kidstools for life to end the cycle of conflict for children at risk-emotionally, physically andspiritually," according to their Web site. For more information on their programs andvolunteer opportunities, go to www.stk.org.

Photos Courtesy of Laura Starr/The Current

---------Sharks Volleyball Hits the Road

Tranell Mesa

Sports Editor

Sharks volleyball (3-0-2) hit the roadon Sept. 5 for a long 13 day road tripwhich will see NSU compete in two multi­match tournaments, first in Romeoville, ­Ill. then off to Searcy, Ark.

Unfortunately the road trip didn'tget off to the greatest of starts as NSUwas defeated by two nationally rankedopponents on the opening day ofthe"Lewis Flyer Festival."

University of Indianapolis, ranked 18thnationally, handed the Sharks their firstloss of the day in a five game match up,3-2. This was followed by another loss toLewis University, ranked 25th nationally,in three straight games.

Despite the losses, the Sharks showedincredible character as they pulledtogether to defeat the University ofWisconsin-Parkside on day two of thetournament.

NSU expects to encounter more luckwith this talented squad as they continueon with the tournament as well as theremainder of the road trip.

"Fin-atics" can look forward to seeingNSU back in the "Shark Tank" on Sept.17 at 7 p.m. as the Sharks face off againstPalm Beach Atlantic.

Photos Courtesy of Chris BalabanjThe Current

A Week of Shark SoccerMen's Soccer

Tim CoenraadStaff Writer

Women's Soccer

Tim CoenraadStaff Writer

Ali Vyain, a former NSU women's soccer player and Jackie Salustro a current NSU women's soccerplayer, helped cheer the men's soccer team to a victory against Warner Southern on Sept. 5.

Sharks Go 3-0

NSU's men's soccer team (3-0) kickedoff their 2008 season in a blistering fashion,totaling nine goals in their first three gameswhile conceding one.

NSU vs. Clayton State University

The Shark's season opener was againstClayton State University Lakers who areranked 22nd in the nation. In the game,junior transfer David Wahlberg (11), madean immediate impact to his team scoring thefirst goal of the Sharks 2008 season in the55 th minute.

Wahlberg played a part in NSU's 2ndgoal, grabbing an assist on a goal scoredby sophomore Darryl Gordon (3), as NSUcruised past the Lakers, 2-0.

NSU vs. Georgia Southwestern

Energized from their previous win, theSharks destroyed Georgia Southwestern,5-0, on Aug. 30. Wahlberg showed hisprowess once again, scoring three moreShark goals two of which were assisted

by defending "Player of the Year" juniorRomain Onteniente (10). Rounding out theSharks scoring column were sophomoresChris Pruitt (5) and Juan Gonzalez (16),both registering their first goals of theseason.

NSU vs. Warner Southern

NSU faced Royals of Warner Southernon Sep. 5 for their home opener, a gamewhich proved to be a dramatic one.

The Sharks struck first due to a goal fromsophomore Aly Hassan (9), coming out ontop of a scramble inside the 18-yard-box,slotting the ball passed the Warner Southernkeeper for NSU's first goal.

The Sharks had anumber ofopportunitiesas the game continued on, however theRoyals defense held strong, giving theiroffense the chance to tie the match up latein the second half.

NSU increased intensity as they searchedfor a winning goal and it was just momentslater that Pruitt produced magic as hestruck the ball from 23 yards out, punchingthe back of the Royals net to give NSU thewinning goal, 2-1.

Chris BalabanjThe Current

Chris BalabanjThe Current

NSU's women's soccer team(1-1-0) opened the 2008 campaign whilein Greenville, Tenn. with an astonishing3-0 win over the 11th team in the nation,Tusculum College, on Aug. 29 followedby a tie game on Aug.31, 1-1, versus MarsHill.

In game one for the Sharks senior,Shurell Burton No. 18, tallied together twoassists which she fed to sophomore, AlexisHernandez (13) for the first goal and theother to fellow senior, Heather Swift (14),who registered the second.

Senior, Natalie Bellini (21), struck inthe 29th minute of the match to put theSharks up by a 3-0 lead. A combination ofgreat defending and quality goal keeping byjunior keeper, Sarah Glass (I), would seeNSU through with an opening win to startthe season.

NSU dominated game two of thetournament while taking on Mars Hill'sLions, outshooting the Lions 18-5, givingthe Sharks the edge on comers with 7-2.However, the Sharks would find themselveslocked in a 1-1 draw to end the game.

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SPORTS CORNER WORD FIND

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ACROSSI am a member ofthe men's soccer team. I was the SSC Male Soccer Player of theYear in 2007, You will see me on the field wearing the No. 10,I am a member of the volleyball team, You can find me on the court wearing No.7, I am a sports management major. My team is 24th in the nation and 2nd in theSunshine State Conference.I am the team captain of both the men's cross country and track teams. I was theSunshine State Conference Runner of the Year in 2007, I was named SSC Runnerof the week four times in 2007,I am the head coach of the volleyball teaill here at NSU. I was the Sunshine StateConference Coach of the Year in 200Y1 guided my team to a 15 win improvementfor the 2007 season, posting our best record in program history.

Submissions should be no more than250 words. Please include your name,phone number and address. TheCurrent reserves the right to edifCopyfor content, clarity and length.

DOWNI am a tri-athlete at NSU (women's basketball, track & cross country). I won the3-point shooting contest in 2007's Midnight Madness Competition. You will see meon the court wearing the No. 22.I am a member of the women's soccer team. I can be found on the field in the goalkeeper position wearing the No.1. I am an athletic training major.

"Traitor" Raises 9/11 TensionsStefani RubinoOpinions Editor

Not Feeling the Danger in"Bangkok Dangerous"

YOUTH VICES WORD FIND

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Racquel Fagan

Variety Editor

--begins so fast and keeps the momentumgoing throughout, that it is easy to missthe underlying point of the song, whichmocks both the idea of going to "that placein the sky" after you die and the Americanobsession with cars. The point is somewhatbleak, but Sollee wraps it in such a fancifulpackage that it is difficult to stop listeningto the song.

"It's Not Impossible" and "A Change isGonna Come" are probably the best songsalong with "A Few Honest Words" on thealbum. The lyrics to "It's Not Impossible"are quite sarcastic, as the song explores theidea that men should not cry, even whenfaced with terrible heartbreak.

As you can assume from the title,"A Change is Gonna Come" featuresoptimistic, intelligent and well thought outlyrics, while still showcasing Sollee as amaster craftsmen in the world of musicalcomposition. In the song, he presents uswith his most energetic use of instrumentsfrom the trumpet to the banjo.

Although Sollee's sound is not entirelyoriginal, it is unique to a songwriter juststarting out at such a young age. He playsas if he has been around for decades andadventurously composes his songs as if hehas nothing to lose.

It is rare to' come upon a debut albumthat has no mistakes, and even though thereare things Sollee could work on, "Learningto Bend" is virtually flawless. "Learning toBend" demands your attention from the getgo and certainly deserves it.

he had feelings. He took on an employee!protege .Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) tofollow his instructions explicitly of being apunctual errand boy.

The sensitivity that Yamnarm broughtto his character was the perfect reflector forCage's gloomy, assassin role. It transformedCage to the point that he abandoned hismission statement and eventually risked hislife to save Kong's.

Another feeling detector for Cage wasa deaf pharmacist (Charlie Young). Shedesensitized Cage's character by invitinghim to fall in love with her, in an almostnon-sexual way. But again, this does not liveup to its full potential through the script, aseach love scene with Joe and the pharmacistis shadowed or foreshadowed by a violentscene of blood, gore and lots of bullets.

So, the film did nothing to frame thepicture of the supporting cast, even thoughthey gave satisfactory performances.

Cage's recent "face off' with movieroles has not showed his good side at all.He seems to be going to the "blow-emup" roles without the credible - what's theword...acting to back it up. So his slipperyslope from "Ghost Rider," to "Next," tothis, is filling up his resume but not makingit look any better.

Courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment

Stefani Rubino

Opinions Editor

As a respected and well-known cellist,Ben Sollee knows about soul, the blues,jazz and folk. Implementing each ofthese roots as a starting point, his debutalbum "Learning to Bend" brings a freshnew perspective to the idea of the singer­songwriter.

Rarely incorporating a guitar intohis compositions, Sollee uses a myriadoftraditional southern instruments todemonstrate his skills as a songwriterand to show where he is coming from(Kentucky, to be exact).

With that simplicity in mind, Solleetakes what could have been overdonecompositions and strips them down tonothing but the "pickin'" of his cello, hissoulful and insightful vocals and anothercouple of instruments here and there.

Immediately, "Learning to Bend" blasts­off into Sollee's talent with "A Few HonestWords" a song about the importance ofhonesty and sincerity in a world wherethere is rarely any. Sollee's voice guidesus through the somber violin playing in thebackground along with the playful pluckingofhis cello.

With lyrics like "Love is a bitter fruit!we've learned to eat! but we still 'don'tknow where it grows," shows that at the ageof24, Sollee is wiser and more experiencedthan one would think.

Perhaps the most entertaining song onthe album, "Bury Me with My Car" takesa faster and more instrumentally diverseroute than "A Few Honest Words." The song

"Learning to Bend" is Nearly Perfect

The chameleon-acting style of NicholasCage was at its shadiest in his latest feature"Bangkok Dangerous," a remake of thePang brothers 1999 Thai hit.

The movie, which was filmed onlocation, showcased the cultural andeveryday happenings of the pulsating cityof Bangkok and how an assassin disguisedas a tourist could easily infiltrate withoutbeing noticed.

But in all fairness to the "corrupt, dirtyand dense" description given about the cityand its thugs in the beginning of the film,what the film actually highlighted were thebourgeois habits of a spoiled gang leader,who preferred to kill the competition ratherthan share. There was certainly not enough"dirt" being dished out in the film, to makeCage's character seem more honorable andeven heroic. Instead, he simply came off asa depressed hit man with intimacy issues.

Nicholas Cage played Joe London, (aname that sounds just as shady), a hired hitman, who went from city to city earning aliving killing the bad guys for anybody whopaid. His mission statement was: don't askquestions, don't take an interest to peopleoutside ofthe job, erase every trace of yourpresence, and get out when you can.

This had worked well for Cage, untilhe got to Thailand and finally discovered

Courtesy of Overture Films

incredible depth. Cheadle not only bringsthis profound character to life, he takesHom to another level.

Hom has two faces, that of an honest,ex-military representative and that of anIslamic terrorist planning the next deadlyattack. Cheadle plays both characters withthe same intensity.

Although there are no defined "roles" inthis film, Clayton appears to be the "goodguy" which sometimes seems overactedand cliched.

Pearce ("The Proposition," "FactoryGirl") transcends cliches and demonstratesa new side of government agents. Not onlyis his performance superb, but he also hasthe twinkle in his eye ofan investigator whois edging closer to solving a mystery.

Daniels'("Infamous"and"TheLookout")performance is equally surprising, as it isnot often we see him in such dramatic roles.After watching him play Carter, it is hard toimagine anyone else as that character.

Surprisingly, the best performancescame from the little-known, Middle Easternactors drafted to play Hom's accomplices.Said Taghmaoui ("The Kite Runner") playsOmar, Hom's best friend, with the sensitivityand honesty usually displayed by someoneplaying a more romantic character.

Aly Khan's ("A Mighty Heart") jihad­spewing, extremist Fareed, is played sowell he almost seems real or at least similarto 'the known version of "terrorists" we talkabout everyday.

Although the film has an interesting plotand some unbelievable performances, itfails to deliver, as a thriller should.

At its best, this film is more of a dramathan anything else and should be consideredas such. Otherthanthat, "Traitor" is a feature­length commentary on the internationalaffairs we are witnessing today.

Moving past the threats posed by globalwarming, director Jeffrey Nachmanoff("The Day After Tomorrow") taps intopost-9/l1 fears and anxieties aboutextremism, terrorism and everything inbetween with his new thriller "Traitor."

"Traitor" hones in on the story of RoyClayton (Guy Pearce), a Bible-totingFBI agent who begins an investigationinto an international conspiracy going onunbeknownst to everyone else. Samir Hom(Don Cheadle), a half-American, half­Sudanese, devout Muslim, and former U.S.special operations officer, becomes thecenter ofClayton's investigation.

Clayton first suspects Hom becauseof his mysterious behavior, his constantglobetrotting, and his cursory knowledge ofFBI actions and investigations.

As Clayton digs deeper and deeper, hedecides to bring in experts on the subject,a CIA operative, Carter (Jeff Daniels),and another FBI agent, Max Archer (NealMcDonough), who linked Hom to a jail­break in Yemen, a raid in London, and abombing in Nice. However, just when theythink they are onto him, a new slew ofevidence comes in which points elsewhere.

The plot seems complicated, multi­layered and chaotic, which is exactly thedirector's point. Just as the characters inthe story are asymmetrical, the story itselfshows how difficult it is to put a specificdefinition or accusation on an extremelycomplex situation.

Nachmanoff uses every "aspect of thisfilm to illustrate how the government seemsto oversimplify these types of intricatecircumstances and why "crying terrorist"just does not work anymore.

Cheadle ("Ocean's Thirteen," "ReignOver Me") plays Hom, perhaps the mostmulti-faceted of all the characters with

IITrial and Crosses"Racquel Fagan

Variety Editor

Working the cash register at Publixwasn't my life's dream but I realized thatdreams were a dime a dozen... at least minewere. So after I smashed my piggy-bank, Itook on the trial of living in the real world.

"That will be $11.50. Thank you, have agood weekend." Why do I even have to saythis? I don't care if this woman has a goodweekend or not. I don't care if she even livesto see the weekend.

"Stupid woman.""Excuse me?""Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. I was just talking

to myself. I do that sometimes," I mumbledquickly, without lifting my eyes to see whowas in front of me.

"Well, you can't do that when yourjob is about dealing with people. It's veryimpolite," she said curtly, and I guess,decided she had more to say.

"And furthennore ...I snapped my head up and hissed quietly,

"Look... ma'am, I'm sorry I spoke to myselfin front of you. Okay?" My eyes bore intohers, so she could see my true intent. ThenI smiled sweetly and said, "Your total is$60.02."

As she rummaged in her bag for herpurse, she quietly complained about thedisgraceful condition of customer servicein this country, the deplorable way youngpeople treat those set above them and theexorbitant price of cat and dog food today.

"Thank you, have a good day," I said, andshe peered at me like a lunatic just asked herout on a date. The most honest reaction I'vegotten all morning.

One hour was left till the end of shift, at4 p.m. I had to pick up my little sister fromdaycare at Silvershores by 5 p.m. as I dideveryday. My weekends had me cleaning,doing laundry and babysitting. Maybe bysome great design, a wayward date wouldwander my way or I would see a movie with

my friends. But generally, I kept to myself,and thought about what had become of mylife.

Seven years earlier, when I graduatedfrom, Miramar High School, I was chuck­full-of aspirations and dreams for my life.I got a decent score on my SATs and gotaccepted into the University of Miami.

"Go Hurricanes!"But that summer before college, my

mother had an accident that broke bothher legs. With a dozen surgeries andrehabilitation, I couldn't leave her alone.

So, I postponed going to college for ayear, until my mom was able to competentlytake care of herself. That postponementturned into two years.

The year I decided to go back to school,my mom got pregnant and was unable to doa lot of things, because her legs would actup sometimes. So I decided to put school offagain until everything was a little better forher.

My final attempt of rejoining the worldof the college student was two-years-ago,before my four-month-old sister Suzie felloff the bed and hit her head. She fracturedher frontal cortex and hadn't uttered asyllable since.

My mom was in the kitchen at the time.Suzie fell and she blamed herself for theaccident and seemed to be comfortably lostin that despair.

With my mother out of her element, Itook the responsibility of taking care ofSuzie while she found her way out of hermire.

Now here I am, 25-years-old, a cashierat Publix Supennarket and a surrogatecaregiver for two unexpected dependents. Iwas one lucky girl.

After a two-month long dating drought,I had a shower ofblessings when a friend ofmine set me up on a date with her mechanic.

I was happy about the hook-up but I'vebeen off the dating road so long, I felt likehitchhiking into my bed was the best idea.Having made up my mind to accelerateforward, I went through the ritual of gettingmyself together.

My body was hard and taut from runningtrack for five years and not eating meat for10. And at 5-foot-ll and 150 pounds, I couldpretty much wear anything well.

That night I chose a snug, flowingstrapless black dress that mapped out thecourses of my curves and dips superbly. Ididn't like wearing make-up, it made myface feel heavy and unnatural.

But for tonight I applied a little mascara,black eye-liner, pink lip gloss, and a littlesilver eye-shadow.

My dark brown face radiated withanticipation of dining elegantly with a manand the touch up to my face didn't make melook too bad either.

"Ok little pumpkin, it~ time to go tobed," I said, now fully dressed and ready formy night away from home.

"Why?" Suzie asked and her plump littleface scrunched up to show her discontent.

"Because I said so. You don't want tobother mommy when she's reading, right?"

"Right," Suzie said. ."Good. Off to bed my little one," I said

as I ushered her away from her dolls towardsthe bed.

"Not likkle Tina!" Suzie protests."You're not little huh? Is that why you're

shouting?" I asked and tucked her under herDora comforter.

"Mommy shout 'lot," said Suzie sadly."I know. But mommy is different.""Come back?""Of course pumpkin," and I kissed her

chubby cheek. "I'll be back by the time youwake up, my face will be the first one yousee," I continued quite truthfully.

"Lie?" Suzie asked quietly."No, I'm not lying. You know I'll never

lie to you. Come, gimme kiss and go tosleep." We shared a quick goodnight smoochand then I was ready to go.

My date wanted to pick me up but Ifelt more in control of the situation when Idrove myself. I told my mother goodnight,she graced me with a perfunctory smile andwent back to her book.

I was excitedly nervous as I drove to theChocolate Musse in downtown Hollywood.I wondered what he was like and how helooked and smelled.

"This is going to be a scary night," Ithought to myself, thinking more aboutSuzie than my impending date.

To be continued...

--TV Shows ./umble

Unscramble the letters to form the names often popular, controversial shows.

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Finally, The Flight Deck is right oncampus. How much more convenient canyou get than just a few steps from yourresidence hall? For graduate students, thelounge could be a nice place to relax aftera three-hour class that has driven you, thepotential psychologist, mad. Take a breakat The Deck.

Now, I am not trying to sound like anadvertisement. I just remember some Ofmy fondest memories were hanging withmy friends at the local watering hole.

So, look out for the results from thiscollegiate presidential proposition andin the mean time, enjoy making a fewmemories with your buddies for very littlecoinage.

Please drink responsibly and MattDebruhl, an employee at The FlightDeck, says please n.o head-butting thetelevisions.

Katrel Ortiz, a junior paralegal major.

Danielle Malicki, a senior pre-med major.

Tam To, a sophomore computer information systems major.

Vanessa Petit-Phar, a junior biology major.

Danielle Padgett, a senior biology major.

"No I don't think it should be."

"No. I think 21 is a good age. I feel that 18 is mentallyreally young."

"I don't think it should be. There are so many people that end updying of binge drinking and traffic accidents."

"It seems to be ok in other countries. I don't see what thebig deal is."

Shamal Williams, a junior legal studies major.

"I think it should. If someone really wants to drink at 18 they willfind a way."

"No. Because kids are still in high school and they shouldn't bedrinking. They should be concentrating on graduating, notgetting drunk,"

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?

On The SceneKristine Belizaire

Current Affairs Editor

Some college presidents are proposingto change the law to allow 18-year-olds toconsume alcohol. Inhonorofthis interestingproposition, I thought I would offer theideal place to consume said beveragesin case the reduced age restriction doesbecome a reality.

The Flight Deck is one of the mostunder-utilized resources we have here atNSU. So, I thought I would highlight afew of its amenities to entice you to use itsservices.

The drinks are dirt cheap. Wine andimported beers are only $2! And ifdomesticis your brew-of-choice, just pull out asingle George Washington and the bottle isyours. Tips not included of course.

Football is available for your viewingpleasure five days a week. You can watchall kinds of football games all at the sametime on five plasma screen televisions.What better place to gather your buddiesand watch your alma mater's team wipethe floor with your opponent? I would sayno where.

The billiard tables are free! Even theseediest dive bars still require a $1.50 toplay a little eight ball. With your studentID, it's free of charge.

At The Flight Deck, you will never'wait for a high-top table. Additionally, thenoise level is at a minimum so you won'tmistakenly say "No, I never wanted tobecome a nun," when a cute stranger asksyou "What do you like to do for fun?"

Laura StarrEditor-in-Chief

Eaitors Note

ConI am flabbergasted, appalled and just

plain shocked that a country that is alreadyburdened with teen violence from massshootings in schools, to beating the sensesout of each other on camera, is consideringgiving these teens more ammunition towreak more havoc.

Lowering the drinking age will withouta doubt, add another layer to the alreadysaturated indiscipline that is generatedfrom young people mixed with alcohol.It is imperative for parents and governingofficials to keep alcohol out of the hands ofreckless 18-year-olds.

After the drinking age was increased to21 in 1984, a survey done by the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administrationshowed traffic fatalities among driversages 18 to 20 had fallen by 13 percentbecause alcohol was taken out of thehands of curious, experimenting 18-year­olds.

Along with this survey, in 200 I, theNational Institute on Drug Abuse reportedthat college students who reported drinkingin the last month fell from 82 percent asreported in 1980 to 67 percent in 2000.Studies also showed that for every year aperson is under the age of 21 and drinks,it increases the odds that he or she willdevelop alcohol dependence.

And in 2002, University of Minnesotaresearcher Traci L. Toomey discoveredall except one study revealed the drinkingage at 21 resulted in lower rates of alcoholconsumption and traffic crashes.

The numbers and the surveys speakfor themselves in regards to the age of 21being, ifnot the ideal, the preferred age foryoung people to start officially indulgingin alcohol.

The advocates for 100yering the drinkingage state that because of the drinkingrestriction placed on young people under21, they are forced to hide and over-indulgein alcohol consumption. But to be logical,it's not as if there is a drinking fairy thatright before a person's 21 st birthday,leaves a hefty supply of responsibility andmaturity under the person's pillow, makinghim or her worthy of drinking.

But age 21 is a reasonable compromisebased on the expectation that a person at thatage will be experienced enough to controlhimself or herself to drink responsibly.

Racguel FaganVariety Editor

Should theDrinking Agebe Lowered

to-18?Pro

The government tells us that at theage of 18, we can enlist in the military, betrained for combat, fight in a war and diein that war without ever seeing our 19thbirthdays, let alone our 21 st.

The legal system tells us at age 16, weare allowed to drive a car, seek employmentand hold a part-time job.

The education system tells us that at age18 we are allowed to graduate high school,move out of our parents' house and live onour own.

Before we tum 21, we are allowed totake on all these difficult responsibilities,but we are not allowed to have a beer atsome dive-bar, a glass of wine at dinner, ora cocktail at some club with a few friendson the weekend.

Besides the fact that the law is obviouslylop-sided, this is unfair and just does notmake any sense.

The statistics proving why we shouldkeep the drinking age the same aresupported by a 2005 study done by theU.S. Department of Health and HumanServices, in that the rate of alcohol useamong 12 to 17 year-olds had declinedfrom 17.6 percent in 2004 to 16.5 percentin 2005.

The U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services also did a study amongcollege students ages 18 to 22 whichrevealed that the people in this age group,who were enrolled full-time in college,were more likely to abuse alcohol thantheir peers who were not enrolled at all.

The first study shows some kindof progress that is going on within theteenagers going to high school. It showsthat teens are becoming responsible enoughto say "no" to something that they knowcould impair their judgment. Not that thedrinking age should be as low as 12, butthis shows a certain amount ofmaturity thatis probably not expected from teenagers atthis age.

The second study is somewhatastonishing. You would think that thefreedom of getting out of high school ormoving out of your parents' house wouldmake any 18-year-old, in school or not,want to take advantage of that freedom.

But it's quite the opposite, the 18-year­olds with the most responsibilities, likegoing to class, keeping up their gradesand maybe even working, are the peopleabusing alcohol the most.

Should we make high school longer orstart college later? Should we require allwho want to enlist be over the age of 21 ?Should we make sure that nobody can holda part-time job until they are 21 as well?

The answer to all of these questions isobviously "no." So why is the question ofthe drinking age so hard to figure out?

This shouldn't be a question as towhether or not a person is responsibleenough to make the decision at a youngerage, it should be a question ofwhy teenagersare so interested in drinking the first place?When we're told not to do something, wedo it, do it again (maybe) and then get overit.

Stefani RubinoOpinion Editor

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