Charity Week Serves it Up Smells Like Teen Spirit

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Charity Week Serves it Up Smells Like Teen Spirit
BY FRANK JEMISON
“Service: An MUS student contributes his time and abilities to the welfare
of his school and of the greater community.” I apologize for imposing another quote from the Community Creed
upon the MUS student body, but come
on, it’s Charity Week. Although it had
to be moved from last week to this
week (Thanks, Steiner), Charity Week
has gone off pretty much without a hitch.
Last Tuesday’s blood drive provided a
helpful reminder that Charity Week was
nearing and gave many students the
opportunity to give a little blood (unless they had been intimate with a gay
man in the past thirty years) and get out
of a little class.
Last Friday, Robert Montague of
the Binghamton Development Corporation officially kicked off the week with
a powerful address, reminding us of the
danger and irresponsibility of compartmentalizing the grave problems that face
our city, labeling them as “those people’s
problems,” and sitting behind our everrising walls with apathy and even conMEMPHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL
6191 PARK AVENUE
MEMPHIS, TN 38119-5399
ADDRESS
descension. In response, many students
spent Saturday night at a charitable
event that raised money for St. Jude.
Returning to school Monday, we found
out, through a series of chapel announcements (click, click, click) just
how Charity Week would take shape.
BY GREG JONES
There are many things that I look
forward to in the month of February—
my birthday, the Super Bowl,
Groundhog’s Day. This year, however,
I was part of a select group of students
who attended the MTV-sponsored Super Sweet Sixteenth Birthday Party of
two Lausanne sophomores: Kelsey
Alabaster and Derek Steiner’s little sister, Rachel, who graciously donated the
proceeds from the party to St. Jude’s.
Although I don’t actually know either
of them, I had never been as excited
about a sixteenth birthday party as I
was for this one.
I arrived at the party at around 7:30
wearing my black shirt and jeans. As I
exited the limo, I was greeted by the
Photo Courtesy of Katie Cian
sight of multiple MTV cameras staring
Miles Bryant takes one for the team me down, and I did not disappoint.
3, 2, 1. Three cans, two hours of Standing tall (I’m about 6’5’’), I strode
community service, and one $10 quar- proudly down the red carpet and joined
ter of basketball. The best thing about a long line of expectant teenagers, and,
any Charity Week is that the success after waiting outside in the cold winter
or failure of the week is solely the re- night, finally walked straight into the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 party, with only a moment’s holdup for
security… the bouncers needed to conNON-PROFIT
firm that, indeed, I was on “The List.”
ORGANIZATION
Inside, I was overwhelmed by food,
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
loud music, and bright lights. As I waited
MEMPHIS, TN
with the other guest, a DJ played some
PERMIT #631
contemporary rap while I munched on
spring rolls, sushi, hot wings, hot dogs,
muffins, ice cream, and more (I was very
hungry). There was also a huge screen
on the wall, when not showing the live
feed from the cameras, flashed largerCORRECTION REQUESTED
than-life photos of Rachel and Kelsey
“modeling.”
Of course, I expected Three 6 to
rock the house, but I was surprised that
D4L put on the show that they did. I
loved every minute of both performances, as D4L introduced me to some
of their other songs, such as “Laffy
Taffy” and “Betcha Can’t Do It Like
Me,” and they even threw $100 out into
the crowd for some lucky person (Doug
Boyer) to grab (e.g., I hate him).
Next, Three 6 pulled up in a
Maybach and a Rolls Royce and got
the place krunk, playing songs like “Pop
My Collar” and “Stay Fly.” I came very
close to grabbing Juicy J’s shirt, before
another kid got the security guard to
give it to him. Not that I’m bitter or
anything, it’s just that Juicy J wiped his
sweat and blew his nose on it. However, I still managed to get a tee shirt
from one of the cross-dressers.
Unfortunately, Three 6 left all too
soon. The DJ kept playing music until
8:30, and then the party ended at 11:30.
Needless to say, the night was memorable; hopefully, I was memorable
enough to secure a few seconds on
national TV. Maybe this show will be
the springboard my acting career needs
to get off the ground. As anyone will
attest, the party was awesome, if, at
times, a little strange, hot, and cramped.
When we left, I could only express my
sorrow that such parties didn’t happen
more often and my love for Steiner for
the gift that he had given us all. Hava
Nagilah!
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Editors-in-Chief
Frank Jemison
Walter Klyce
Dear Uncle Fancy...?
Associate Editor
Peter Zanca
Technical/Layout
Editor
Roger Chu
Cartoonists
Clement Oigbokie
Zach Glover
Parker Joyner
News Editors
Jesse Mahautmr
Asst. Jonathan Yeung
Viewpoints Editors
Paul Yacoubian
Asst. Peter Travis
Sports Editors
Zach Kisber
Asst. David Shochat
Amusements Editors
Chris McDonald
Asst. Byron Tyler
Columnists
Preston Battle
Wilson Castleman
Blake Cowan
Zane Haykal
Farrell Varner
Jeffery Webb
Photographers
Jim Carter
William Harris
Andy Kim
Business Manager
Donald McClure
Faculty Advisor
Mr. N. Thompson
After seeing Queen Latifah’s newest movie, Last Holiday, Aunt Fancy
packed up her bags and jumped the
pond, leaving her husband, Norman
Roosevelt Fancy, to microwave his dinners and answer her mail . . . *
Dear Uncle Fancy,
My New Years resolution was to
conserve water. I haven’t used the
restroom, showered, or brushed my
teeth in over a month. People don’t
seem to see the importance of my
resolution. What should I tell them
(when they are not running the other
way) so that they will realize the dire
necessity of the situation?
--Dehydrated in 2006
Dear Resolutely Rank,
The only dire necessity that I see
in your situation is the stench or the
possibility of developing a kidney
stone the size of a grapefruit. May I
suggest you spend some time in the
press box absorbing asbestos fumes
to take away the edge? You may
have to run off some squatters in the
process (I think Mr. Polk hides in
there between classes for a smoke),
but the isolation could serve us all well
until the inevitable chemical imbalance
due to your urea build-up reaches a
welcomed carcinogenic homeostasis.
Dear Uncle Fancy,
Upon learning that Keanu Reeves
would be paying our school a visit, I
was overwhelmed with excitement
and bliss. I ran home from school that
day and told everyone I know: my
mother, my father, my grandparents,
my siblings, the neighbors, my dog,
the mailman, my rabbi, the guy at
Starbucks, everyone on the online
Lost forums – you get the picture. Of
course, much to my dismay, I soon
realized that it was all just a hoax to
get people excited about homecoming. After learning this fact, I have
locked myself in my room, and I refuse
to come out. Aunt Fancy, how can I
ever trust my school again?
--Trapped in a glass case of
emotions
Dear Moron,
O, how the gullible have fallen!
Anyone dense enough to miss the signals of comedic subtlety in juxtaposition to a suspiciously well-organized
and timely Keanu-themed week surrounding a major motion picture
actor’s inhumanly tight schedule deserves confinement. Where is the
imagination? Why the blind trust of
your leaders? You actually think these
guys in ties are going to shoot straight
with a bunch of desperately anxious
adolescent males seeking high standardized test scores? See, you boys
just don’t get it. You actually think
people at that school care about you.
Wake up! You all are just playful fodder for the continuing conspiracy
housed in the Faculty Lounge. “And
then the kid actually believed me when
I noted in his paper, ‘You’re turning
into a good writer, (name withheld)!’”
scoffed the famed English instructor.
Ha! Keep the checks comin’ boys.
Those folks need a few more years
off you to accumulate enough for retirement.
Dear Uncle Fancy,
This is somewhat embarrassing
for me to admit, but I think I have
some problems in the art of communicating with the ladies. This came to
my attention just last Thursday, when
I picked up a paper dropped off by
nearby girl’s school. I began reading
the first pages, expecting to gain insight and perspective into the hearts
and minds of female students. However, what I found in myself while
reading these manuscripts was a
bramble of confusion and fear. Do
these girls live in a world where dangling participles, fragments, and awkward syntax are not only encouraged
but also glorified? If so, is there any
way that you could help me to understand their strange texts?
--Allan Farber
Dear Fat Guy in a Little Coat,
Like, I can’t help you with their,
umm … prose or whatever, but I can
introduce you to a foundational presupposition. I realize that your Western philosophical background has
taught you to look for rational explanations in all circumstances, but unfortunately that approach does not
always work, particularly when you
are dealing with two X chromosomes.
While I realize that this revelation may
only highlight your confusion, I can
pass on a piece of advice from As
Good as it Gets, which may help you
in your desperate, hormone-driven
desire to understand the gentler sex:
“Think of a man and take away reason and accountability.”
*Editors’ Note: . . . actually, Mr.
Smythe, having spent last semester
guiding Lower Schoolers through
their first years at MUS, George
Washington’s rules of civility, and puberty, answered this month’s desperate pleas for help. Thanks, Mr.
Smythe.
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CHARITY WEEK
sponsibility of the student body. The
3,2,1 theme provides a simple, easy
way for students to get involved, at least
in a minimal way. Three cans per person is an easily attainable goal since cans
cost about 45¢ each; hopefully we can
reach our goal of 10,000 cans, which
comes out to about 15.11 cans per
person. To achieve the two-hour community service goal, the Civic service
organization encouraged other organizations and sports teams to serve as a
group; for example, the swim team
swam with children from the Madonna
learning center, the wrestling team did
yard work at 4 the Kingdom, and Beg
to Differ sang at the Ronald McDonald
House for children from St. Jude. Even
if you are not involved with another
organization’s service project, you can
serve in other ways, like tutoring kids
from the Emmanuel Episcopal Center
from 4-5 every Thursday at Second
Presbyterian or volunteering at the
Lester Community Center. Besides the
weeklong activities, the Civic Service
guys planned several speakers and activities to further enhance the week. I
think it is fair to say that building towers of cans during yesterday’s OP was
almost as fun as watching the press box
come down the OP before that.
Today is full of charity-oriented
events. In chapel, Mrs. Farmer’s
daughter and Matt’s sister, Ms. Kristen
Farmer, will be speaking about her two
years of service in the Peace Corp in
Africa. Throughout the day today, there
will be a round-robin style tournament
Murph’d
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with an entry fee of $10, with all proceeds going to the Lester Community
Center (hopefully, you paid before today or in homeroom today so you could
wear “basketball attire” during school).
If you are reading this during your free
period, stop and go play basketball; if
you are reading this during class, stop,
and ask your teacher if you can go play
basketball; if he says yes, go play basketball; if he says no, I bet you can’t
finish the crossword on the back page
by the end of the period; and if basketball isn’t your thing, you can still go
down and watch or just give some
money (either at the gym or during
lunch).
Charity Week will culminate tomorrow night with the annual talent show.
The proceeds of the talent show will
come from the admission charge and
good to various organizations around
the city. Of course, the Most Talented
senior, Whit Cox, will be performing,
as well as Wooh Dog and some other
bands. There will also be many other
acts, including Ben Goldstein on the
piano and Yacoubian on bass; I might
even do a poetry reading a la So I
Married an Axe Murder.
This year, the talent show will feature something new, a house skit competition where the bad skits will get
“gonged” (as a teaser, I can tell you one
is a parody of Sweet 16, while another
is a hip-hop version of The Wizard of
Oz). Mr. Smythe, Danny, and Hunter
will be emceeing, so make sure you
make it out 7:00 Saturday night.
Promising Stadium Plans
BY JONATHAN YEUNG
As all of you have heard in Chapel ,
the stadium home-side stands are being torn down to make way for a new
exciting plan to remodel the field, the
stadium, and the press box. This 4.5
million dollar project will bring a new
experience to MUS athletics in the future.
The new stands, designed by the
Crump Firm and built by MCDR, the
same two companies that collaborated
to create the Dunavant Upper School,
are the latest edition in the chain of new
buildings that started with the Campus
Center, then the Upper School, and finally the “aesthetically pleasing” guard
house. The stands will sport a similar
architectural style and brick color as
the rest of these buildings and will feature concrete stands with a greater
angle of elevation (to enhance spectator viewing), larger bathrooms, and a
superior concessions stand. The leaders of the project felt that such improvements were necessary because, while
the MUS athletic program has grown
tremendously since the 1960s, the football field has not reflected that growth.
These new facilities will more adequately accommodate the crowds that
MUS football generates, as well as quell
safety concerns of the past (you know,
that gaping hole in the south end of the
bleachers). In addition to these features,
a new and improved press box will
handle all the needs of the coaching
staff, media, and game statisticians.
But what players are probably most
concerned about is the new Astroturf
that will be installed. This new lowmaintenance pitch simulates real grass
and soil with a rubber base, but it won’t
turn brown when it rains or gray when
it’s winter. The pitch will also be enlarged so that the soccer and lacrosse
teams can also compete there, in addition to football and track; finally, Coach
Beck has the large field he’s been missing since the road to the lower school
was made.
Photo Courtesy of the Crump Firm
The new stands would not be possible without the Steering Committee
(Ben Adams, Coach Bobby Alston,
Perry Dement, Trow Gillespie, Ellis
Haguewood, Bob Loeb, Steve Morrow, Jim Varner, Anne and John Stokes,
and Carol and Jack Stokes), and the
MUS community is thankful for their
contributions. The stands are scheduled
to be completed in around eight months,
just in time for the start of the fall football season, but will unfortunately not
be ready for the spring track season.
Once complete, however, the stands
will be an excellent addition to our campus and be cherished for years to come.
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Seattle Seahawks Suffer in the Super Bowl
BY PETER ZANCA
Don’t ask me why, but I have been
a Seattle Seahawks fan for twelve
years. The Seahawks have been my
team since grade school, so you can
imagine my anticipation for Super Bowl
XL. (You can also imagine how biased
this article is going to be.) I went digging through my closet Sunday afternoon and found my five-year-old Shaun
Alexander jersey. Proudly sporting the
threads of the NFL’s offensive MVP, I
settled down in my living room to enjoy the Super Bowl I had awaited for
over a decade.
Seattle began the game by displaying their offensive flexibility. Rather than
force Shaun Alexander to run through
Pittsburgh’s astounding run defense,
head coach Mike Holmgren let Pro
Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck air
it out to Darrell Jackson. After proving
they could move the ball against the
Steelers’ defense, Seattle was forced
to punt and give Pittsburgh its first shot
with the ball. The Steelers’ first possession summed up their first quarter
as running back Willie Parker and quar-
terback Ben Roethlisberger both
struggled to find their rhythm. As a result, the Steelers went three and out on
their first three possessions.
Meanwhile, Seattle continued to
move the ball steadily against the
Steelers defense. With two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the controversy of Super Bowl XL began. Operating from the Steelers’ 16-yard line,
Hasselbeck found Jackson in the end
zone for a touchdown. However, the
score was negated by an offensive pass
interference penalty. As replays
showed, Jackson did initiate contact
with the Pittsburgh defender but did not
gain an advantage through the contact.
Seattle settled for a Josh Brown field
goal and took the early 3-0 lead.
On the Steelers’ first possession of
the second quarter, Roethlisberger continued to struggle as he was picked off
by Michael Boulware on a deep pass.
The Pittsburgh defense, however,
forced the Seattle offense to go three
and out twice in a row. This allowed
Roethlisberger to get comfortable on
offense. On a 59-yard, six-minute drive,
the second-year quarterback com-
pleted three of four passes, including a
37-yard bomb to Hines Ward on the
goal line. After Seattle stopped Jerome
Bettis from reaching the end zone on
two tries; however, controversy struck
again. Roethlisberger rolled out on third
down and dove for the touchdown. The
line judge signaled for the touchdown,
but replays showed highly inconclusive
evidence that the ball did or did not
cross the goal line. As a result, the call
on the field stood. With that, the
Steelers took the 7-3 lead and sucked
the wind out of Seattle.
The first possession of the second
half showed just how much the momentum had shifted. On the second play of
the half, Willie Parker broke loose for
a 75-yard touchdown run that increased
the Steelers’ lead to eleven. The
Seahawks’ first possession ended in a
missed 50-yard field goal, giving the
Steelers’ great field position. As the
Steelers marched down the field, it
seemed as if they would score again
and put the game away. However,
back-up cornerback Kelly Herndon
pulled in an interception and ran it 76
yards back to the Pittsburgh 20-yard
Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com
Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward marches in for a touchdown
line. The Seahawks took advantage of
the big play and cashed in on a Jerramy
Stevens touchdown reception. After the
score, Seattle’s whole team seemed reenergized.
With two minutes remaining in the
third quarter, the Seattle offense took
over on its own 2-yard line. Hasselbeck
and Alexander orchestrated a terrific
drive that brought the Seahawks to the
Pittsburgh 19-yard line. With an excellent pass over the middle, Hasselbeck
hit Stevens on the 1-yard line. Seattle
seemed a mere play or two away from
retaking the lead. However, the controversy continued as the play was negated by a holding call. Three plays later,
Matt Hasselbeck made his first mistake
of the game as he was picked off by
Ike Taylor. Another controversial penalty gave the Steelers the ball near
midfield. On a trick play, Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle-El, a quarterback in college, hit Hines Ward on the
reverse pass for another touchdown,
making the score 21-10. Over the last
nine minutes of the game, Seattle failed
to put together another scoring drive.
To run the clock down, Pittsburgh put
the ball in the sure hands of Jerome
Bettis.
As the clock expired, the Pittsburgh
Steelers were crowned NFL champions for the fifth time in franchise history. Super Bowl XL also served as a
sweet goodbye for Bettis as he announced his retirement after the game.
Hines Ward was named Super Bowl
MVP after hauling in five receptions for
123 yards and a touchdown. On the
other side of the field, Mike Holmgren’s
squad can blame themselves just as
much as they can “the guys in the striped
shirts” for their loss. While Super Bowl
XL wasn’t a nail-biter in the closing seconds like the last two Super Bowls, this
year’s big event had great drama and
the ever-changing momentum that
makes football such a great sport.
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Basketball Owls Scrapping in Wide-Open District
BY JOHN STOKES
Friday, February 3 ,was a prime example of the competitiveness of 2006
Division II basketball. Briarcrest
couldn’t hold on to its three-point halftime lead, as St. Benedict squeaked out
a back-and-forth victory over the
Saints, and Harding came storming
back from a fourteen-point deficit to
hand the ECS Eagles their first district
loss of the season. Meanwhile, MUS
suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat to Christian Brothers, 58 to 59, in
front of a packed house of screaming
fans. It was a spectacular night for high
school basketball, and the CBHS game
will go down in history as one of the
great episodes in the heated rivalry bePhoto Courtesy of Nelie Zanca
tween the Brothers and the Owls.
Senior Peter Zanca makes a layThe Owls have had some incredup, giving the team a victory
against Herrin in Carbondale ible moments this season, including set-
ting the single-game scoring record of
120 points in the season opener against
Memphis Catholic, and the thrilling
overtime victory against Germantown
in the Turkey Shoot-Out. However, our
team has also faced its share of adversity. Recently, MUS lost Peter Zanca
to mononucleosis and Jay Martin to a
shoulder injury. As the only two seniors
on the team, Peter and Jay are an integral part of each game; their talent, experience, and leadership will be greatly
missed. We can only hope they will both
return before the end of the season to
play a little more basketball as MUS
Owls. Nevertheless, the basketball
team is poised and determined to succeed, even without two of its irreplaceable star players.
Although the team’s record is 15-9
this season, the MUS fans are undefeated. Without question, our outstand-
ing student section gives the best support for any basketball team in the city,
and for that I cannot thank the student
body enough. You have showed both
enthusiasm and class, and your support
gets the team excited about representing our school on the court. Though we
may struggle at times, stick with us. In
our wide-open league, anything can
happen. We will not play in a game the
rest of the season that we can’t win.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite pull it
out against Christian Brothers last Friday, but that game was definitely a step
in the right direction, and the most important part of the season still lies
ahead; with the end of district play and
the regional tournament on the horizon,
the best is still yet to come.
Roger Federer, the Swiss Tennis Phenomenon: Man or Machine?
BY PATRICK KIMBERLIN
Every so often, an athlete will rise
so far above the rest of the competition
in his sport that we are forced to take
note, and either recognize his greatness,
or, more preferably, accuse him of
cheating. Whether you have realized it
or not, Roger Federer has achieved
such greatness, and shockingly, has yet
to be accused of foul play. The softspoken Swiss tennis virtuoso has turned
the men’s tour into a scramble for the
second place ranking. Other players literally crumple to the ground weeping
when they are informed that they have
drawn Federer and will be forced to
suffer his wrath. A surgeon is actually
kept on hand for every Federer match
so that his opponents can have the tennis balls removed from their orifices in
a prompt fashion following the match.
In fact, commentators no longer call the
guy who is playing Roger his “opponent” but use terms like “sacrificial
lamb” and “snack.”
Now, why should the Barry
Bondses and Lance Armstrongs be
placed under such harsh scrutiny, while
Federer continues to pulverize and
plunder unabated? In a sport like tennis, it would be hard to point to steroids, so I have adopted another hypothesis that is actually being investigated further as we speak: Roger
Federer is not an actual human being.
This may sound a bit outlandish, but as
a second semester senior, I have a good
amount of time on my hands, thanks to
all the homework that I’m not doing,
so I’ve decided to investigate further.
With the help of Mr. Mutzi, I hacked
into the Cyberdine Systems mainframe
and did a little perusing.
Now, if you remember, Cyberdine
is the defunct technology company that
built the Terminator and later built other
models with aspirations of taking over
the world. In my search, I came across
an experimental model of terminator
built in 1981 (Federer’s birth year)
called the Terminator RF1. I learned
that a crazed scientist with a peculiar
affinity for tennis was working on it un-
til Cyberdine learned of his lunacy, and
discontinued his work. Only one was
ever completed, and it is mysteriously
unaccounted for.
Now, if you question Federer about
being a cyborg, I have a hunch he will
deny it, as he was cleverly programmed
to do. However, I trust that the public
will no longer be disillusioned with
Federer’s unrivaled shot-making abil-
ity and sheer dominance, now that I have
exposed him for the tennisbot that he
is. Lleyton Hewitt is already on board
and has given a firsthand account of how
when you get up really close to Federer,
you can sit a concentrated red light
emanating from his pupil. So, nice try,
Roger, but they don’t allow robots at
the country club.
Photo Courtesy of News.BBC.co.uk
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Ferrell’s Film Feature
BY FERRELL VARNER
The love story of Brokeback
Mountain is like that of any other. Two
everyday characters take a summer
job herding sheep in a secluded mountain range, simply for a little cash. The
two fall in love, have a summer fling,
and then must make the decision to
either stick with their intriguing summer sweetheart, or return to the life as
they’ve always known. Yet, as everyone knows, one thing makes
Brokeback Mountain’s story different.
The two lovers in this story are men.
Its not as if there has never been a
movie about homosexuals or starring
homosexual characters; however, this
is the first one of such magnitude, featuring big name actors—Jake
Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Jarhead)
and Heath Ledger (The Patriot, A
Knight’s Tale)—and a big name director—Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon, Hulk). This is the first
mainstream, serious portrayal of homosexuals in Hollywood.
Some view this as a breakthrough
for the film industry, while others believe that the movie should not even
be allowed in theaters. In fact, the only
place it is playing in Memphis is at the
always-independent Studio on the
Square. The weekend that I went,
every showing was sold out. I was glad
to know that people were coming to
see this movie when I first got my
ticket. Yet, upon viewing the movie,
my opinion changed. It seemed like
some people came to see the film only
because it was a story about homosexuals. It was as if people were going for entertainment; not the type of
entertainment that movies provide, but
entertainment at the cost of others’
feelings. Most viewers in the theater
laughed their way through the movie,
as if homosexuals were in a separate
sphere from humans… separate, but
equal. However, people laugh most
often when they are uncomfortable.
The movie itself is wonderfully shot
in the breathtaking backdrops of the
Colorado Mountains. Ang Lee is very
talented with landscapes, and this undoubtedly shows throughout the
movie. As for the acting, I never
thought I would see such a compelling performance from Heath Ledger.
The tension between Ledger and
Gyllenhaal is perfect, with both actors
at the top of their game. These two
truly capture the believable feelings of
their characters, especially the frustration found in their situation.
An admirable trait of this movie is
its realism. Nothing was over-romanticized, a very difficult task in a love
story. The chemistry between Ennis
and Jack never feels forced or weak,
and their decisions are always merited. The physical love between the
two is not only unromanticized, but
rugged, and appropriate for the characters’ personalities. There is no fantasy in this love story, which makes it
all the better. As a serious portrayal of
homosexuals, the last thing the movie
would need would be phony reactions
and feelings. Real love is not fantasy;
Brokeback Mountain recognizes that,
and instead tells a true love story.
This movie is an important political and cultural piece, and I encourage you to see it, whatever your stance
on homosexuality may be. Even if you
question the morality of this film, its
importance and historical value are
undeniable.
A Letter to the President
BY HAYDEN PENDERGRASS
Dear Mr. President,
It has recently become clear that neither you nor the high-ranking members
of the GOP read my last article. How
do I know this? Two words: Jack
Abramoff. For those of you who are
unaware Abramoff was a high-powered lobbyist in Washington who was
indicted in August of 2005 for fraud and
for falsifying documents to buy a boat
company. It has also been alleged that
he swindled his American Indian clients
out of millions of dollars in casino profits that were in turn contributed to GOP
campaigns. And then of course there is
the ensuing cover-up story to which
you, Mr. President, have stubbornly
decided to stick. Press Secretary Scott
McClellan’s denial of any connection
between you and Mr. Abramoff was
about as convincing as Hayden
Christiansen’s acting in Episode Three.
Please just come out and admit that you
had dealings with Abramoff in the past.
The American people would greatly
appreciate your honesty. If you just
come out and admit to things like this,
the country as a whole would like you
a lot more. Better yet, you could heed
my advice from my previous article and
not appoint people based on family or
business connections. Then you
wouldn’t be in this quagmire of indictments and scandals.
Mr. President, it is time to restore
the ethical fiber of the Republican Party.
I used to be a hardcore Republican,
trusting every move that the party made,
but it is people like Jack Abramoff and
Tom Delay that make me hate what the
GOP has become. Now, I have nowhere to turn to politically. The Democrats are way too liberal, even for their
own good these days, and they can’t
get themselves organized behind a common goal. There is nowhere else to turn.
How is it that the Democrats and the
Republicans have gained such a
stranglehold on American politics?
There hasn’t been a threat from a credible third party in years, and it doesn’t
seem as if there will be one anytime
soon. So for the sake of people who,
like me, have become alienated by the
ongoing actions of the current GOP,
please reform yourself. Have a major
airing out of all your dirty laundry. It’s
time to just bite the bullet and get it over
with. You’ll be much better off for it,
and you may regain much of the respect
that the American people used to have
for you. I want to believe that Washington isn’t completely corrupt, but the
people you have surrounded yourself
with are making it very hard for me to
do that. Please Mr. President, change
the party for the better while you still
have time.
A Hopeful Conservative,
Hayden Pendergrass
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Justification of the Unjustifiable
BY PAUL YACOUBIAN
A president has the ability to wiretap phone conversations as long as reasonable evidence can be submitted to
a judge of the judicial branch that such
taps are warranted. More recently, the
president has been getting approval for
wiretaps from a special court called the
FISA court. The FISA court has never
in its history denied approval of a any
wiretap. Our United States laws go
even one step further than this giveaway
court, by lending another helping hand
to national security: the president has a
24-hour window in which he can tap a
phone without a court’s warrant. As a
result of both, the president should
never have to illegally tap a phone con-
versation as he long as he has reasonable cause. By not adhering to these
already lax guidelines, President Bush
has violated the laws that are meant to
protect him. My question is why?
The effects of his actions culminate
in an egregious violation of America’s
most fundamental contract, our Constitution. The Constitution lays forth a
set of checks and balances that protects our nation from the
authoritarianism that our Nation stands
against. Our United States government
is made up of three branches, as you
know. When one branch is suspected
of wielding too much power, as some
believe is the case with the president
and his secret spying campaign, the
other two branches are to ensure that
those decisions can be seconded and a restoring force for ethics, and that is
either approved or denied. In recent the people. But when the people beyears, the executive branch has seized come inattentive to public affairs, as
tremendous power over the other two Thomas Jefferson said, “the governin various ways. We must protect our- ment will become like wolves.”
selves from impending catastrophe by ensuring that we do not
follow down the path of dictatorship, which we so despise. It is
easy to recognize abuses of
power by leaders of another nations to the detriment of the
people, but it is much more difficult for the majority party in that
same nation to recognize the fact
so obvious to an outsider. I do not
believe that politicians are inherPhoto Courtesy of CNN.com
ently corrupt, and I believe that in
President Bush defends federal wiretapping
American politics there has been
If Bush Wants to Eavesdrop, It’s Fine by Me
BY MATT PRESTON
As many of you have seen in the
news, President Bush approved monitoring U.S. citizens electronically. This
action raises many questions. Is it legal? Is it just? Has it made us safer?
Politicians like Howard Dean say no.
According to Al Gore, President Bush
“repeatedly and persistently” broke the
law by eavesdropping on Americans
without a court warrant. Now ask yourself, “Is this true?” Well, to find out, I
took a closer look.
The first question is whether the
wiretapping was legal or not. To my
surprise, I found that it was. According
to a law passed shortly after 9/11, the
President was authorized to wage war
against al-Qaida and its supporters, allowing President Bush to bypass the
monitoring secret court system “FISA.”
So if it’s legal, why is it being portrayed as illegal in the news? Why did
The New York Times call the incident
“a major shift in American intelligencegathering practices”? My only theory
is that the mainstream media is biased
against the President. I make this ac-
cusation because the mainstream media was not nearly as alarmed when Bill
Clinton carried out project Echelon
during the 90s. Project Echelon consisted of email and domestic telephone
conversation monitoring on a much
larger scale by the NSA without court
warrants. I find it odd that Al Gore criticizes President Bush’s wiretapping under the Patriot Act when he himself approved of it when he was Vice President. Though I would support the principles of Project Echelon while promoting national security, I would not support it when promoting a political
agenda. According to NSA operator
Margaret Newsham (in a 2000 interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes”) the
agency’s listening post in Great Britain
was involved in monitoring the phone
calls of at least one of the top Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Top Democratic leaders such as
Ted Kennedy are demanding a public
investigation of the Patriot Act, revealing its methods and technology. While
this knowledge might be beneficial to
the public, it may also be harmful. Releasing the inner-workings of our Na-
tional Security Department’s acts and
projects would make us infinitely more
vulnerable to successful terrorist attacks
as well as erasing our edge in advanced
technology, (giving it to those who
would use it for evil purposes). It’s a
decision between non-beneficial, consequential knowledge, and safety for
the American (and international) population.
So what has the Patriot Act done
for me so far? Well, while the specifics
of the Patriot Act’s triumphs remain
confidential for national security reasons, it has bested several 9/11 caliber
attacks. According to CNN, the Patriot Act foiled the West Coast Hijack
Plot (In mid-2002 the U.S. disrupted a
plot to use hijacked airplanes to attack
targets on the U.S. West Coast. The
plotters included at least one major
operational planner behind the 9/11 attacks), the East Coast Hijack Plot (In
mid-2003 the U.S. and a partner disrupted a plot to use hijacked commercial airplanes to attack targets on the
East Coast of the United States) and
the Jose Padilla Plot (In May 2002, the
U.S. disrupted a plot that involved
blowing up apartment buildings in the
U.S. One of the alleged plotters, Jose
Padilla, allegedly discussed the possibility of using a “dirty bomb” inside the
U.S.)
The triumphs of the Patriot Act do
not only pertain to the United States,
but to other countries as well. During
2003 and 2004, the Patriot Act disrupted the British Urban Bombing Plot,
the Heathrow Airport Hijack Plot, and
another British Bombing Terror Plot.
I believe there is really only one
choice to make. It’s convenience and
privacy, or safety, national security, and
preserving America for generations. The
America had no problem with option
two during the Clinton Era, and polls
show that the American public chooses
option two now. The Patriot Act is not
a “Big Brother” policy, but is used only
on those who have connections with
terrorists. Thus, I am for the Patriot Act,
and I have no problem if President Bush
is tapping wires (as long as it’s for national security).
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A Pyramid in Peril
BY WALTER KLYCE
We used to wonder how they built
them; now we’re wondering what to
do with it.
In 1991, Shelby County and the city
of Memphis got together to build a basketball stadium; the outcome of that
union was the Memphis pyramid. At
over thirty stories high, this 20,000-seat
mega structure, formally known as the
“Pyramid Arena,” dominates the
riverfront and the Memphis skyline,
towering over even the Statue of Liberty. It is also the third-largest pyramid
in the world, making it by far the city’s
most recognizable monument. For
many years, our beloved geometric giant facilitated the University of
Memphis’s basketball program; later,
it became the home of the Memphis
Grizzlies.
Today, however, only fifteen years
after its construction, the Pyramid is
widely considered obsolete. When our
local ballers moved on to bigger and
better venues (e.g., the FedEx Forum),
the Pyramid found itself unemployed,
with no clear end in sight. Even though
the Pyramid has a higher seating capacity and, arguably, better location
than the Forum, it is too technologically
backwards to compete for sports or
other events. Though it is still occasionally used for concerts and exhibitions
(I recall going to see *N Sync perform
there as a child), the Pyramid otherwise serves no purpose whatsoever and
is generally deemed worthless.
Photo Courtesy of Google.com
A committee is already researching
new uses for the arena, such as converting it into a casino, an aquarium, a
shopping center, an indoor theme park,
or even, most recently (and perhaps
most feasibly), a Bass Pro shop. While
any of these functions would certainly
be preferable to the Pyramid’s current
dormancy, I think we need something
a little more outrageous; a little more
innovative; a little more… Memphis.
My first proposal: a five-star hotel.
With fine dining, nightly entertainment,
and fancy-schmancy accommodations,
the Pyramid Plaza would attract hundreds of rich tourists and celebrities and
give our economy a much-needed
boost; meanwhile the more traditional
travelers could still stay at the Peabody.
If it were ritzy enough, people might
come to Memphis just to stay at the
Plaza.
My second proposal: an enormous
daycare. Just think about it; our city’s
two biggest problems are its economy
and its racism. If we had a reliable,
high-quality place to leave our children
while we went to work, the youth of
Memphis would enter elementary
school much more prepared, and (potentially) fix the problems in the Memphis City Schools’ system. Furthermore, the Pyramid Childcare Center
would provide dozens of jobs for unemployed Memphians, prevent stay-athome moms from leaving their unattended babies in overheated vans, and
mend the racial divide in our city, as
families from all around would come by
to drop off their kids.
My final proposal: a state-of-theart opera house. Sure, the Cannon
Center is perfect for the Memphis Symphony, and the Orpheum is nice for
traveling shows, but what this town really needs is a stage (and orchestra pit)
designed specifically for opera, with the
acoustics and seating to let those virtuosos wail for hours; who knows, the
Pyramid Theater might even be able to
rejuvenate the art form in our community. In fact, I bet I know a certain science teacher who would be willing to
jump in and bellow out some high Cs
anytime.
Not So Super Commercials
BY PETER ZANCA
The Super Bowl is probably,
minute-for-minute, the best entertainment on television all year. While watching the NFL championship game, you
also get to see America’s top corporations pull out all the stops to sell you
stuff. This year, the going rate for a 30second spot was $2.5 million. While
there were several winners on Sunday,
let’s first take a look at who wasted
their money and, more importantly, 30
seconds of my life.
Right off the bat, Burger King ef-
fectively grossed me out with its
Whopperettes. I don’t want to see hot
chicks dressed up as hamburger condiments. I must admit, the part where
they made the Whopper was kind of
cool but disgusting nonetheless.
Diet Pepsi’s two commercials with
Jay Mohr were pretty awful. The inanimate object thing is pretty well traveled territory. Of course, the Jackie
Chan spot was much better than the
one with P. Diddy.
I also thought the early beer commercials were somewhat lacking. They
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Photo Courtesy of Video.Goggle.com
Senior College Decisions
James Aiken
Shea Conaway
Whit Cox
Philip Debardelaben
Andrew Gordon
John Hensley
Bobby Hudson
Frank Jemison
Zach Kisber
Walter Klyce
Jay Martin
Garrott McClintock
Russell Nenon
Max Prokell
Eric Reid
Cameron Ridgway
Zach Rutland
Daniel Travis
St. John’s College
Princeton University
University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
Princeton University
University of Mississippi, Croft School
University of Texas
Duke University
University of Pennsylvania
Harvard College
University of Tennessee
Washington and Lee University
Wake Forest University
University of Richmond
George Washington University
U.S. Military Academy at West Point
University of Mississippi
Rollins College
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NOT SO SUPER
were funny (“The magic fridge is
back!”), but they didn’t seem like Super Bowl quality commercials. Fortunately, they got better as the game went
on.
The car commercials were pretty
lame, especially the Escalade ads. The
one exception is the Ford commercial
with Kermit the Frog. (I mean, who
doesn’t love Kermit the Frog?) Even
the Hummer commercial was a little off.
The thing with the monster and the robot was just plain weird.
GoDaddy.com had the right idea,
but it relied too much on people’s
memory of last year’s GoDaddy.com
commercial. Still, I’m sure there are two
big reasons why plenty of people will
be heading to their website to check it
out.
Now let’s take a look at corporate
America’s winners.
FedEx probably had the best commercial of the day. Although Geico
paved the way with the caveman idea,
FedEx took it in another direction, and
it worked out really well. It was also
one of the few commercials on Sunday
that seemed to be Super Bowl quality.
Ameriquest had two hilarious ads
using their slogan, “Don’t judge too
quickly. We won’t.” The one on the
plane was pretty funny, but the hospital
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commercial was really clever and well
timed.
The best beer commercial had to be
the Michelob Ultra commercial with the
“touch” football game. (“You were open
and now you are closed!”) This is the
type of hard-hitting commercial (literally and figuratively) that is expected
from beer companies on Super Bowl
Sunday.
Some other nice efforts came from
Nationwide with their “Life comes at
you fast” campaign. The Emerald Nuts
spot didn’t pan out like they had
planned, but it was still funny nonetheless. The Desperate Housewives spot
with Shaq caught me completely off
guard. Also, the Sprint commercial with
“crime deterrent” was pretty good.
Overall, this year had only a couple
of massive failures in the advertising
department. Other than those few
bombs, everyone else made a decent
showing. I think FedEx and Ameriquest
were the winners of the day while the
beer companies did well as usual. However, most commercials seemed like
less than Super Bowl quality.
Photo Courtesy of Video.Google.com
Summary of the Grammies
Album of the Year:
Record of the Year:
Song of the Year:
New Artist:
Pop Vocal Album:
Rap/Sung Collaboration:
Female Pop Vocal Performance:
Country Album:
Rap Album:
Rock Album:
Rap Solo Performance:
Rap Song:
Rock Song:
Alternative Music Album:
R&B Album:
Male Pop Vocal Performance:
Country Song:
“How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” U2.
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Green Day.
“Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” U2.
John Legend
“Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson.
“Numb/Encore,” Jay-Z featuring Linkin Park.
“Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson.
“Lonely Runs Both Ways,” Alison Krauss and Union Station.
“Late Registration,” Kanye West.
“How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” U2.
“Gold Digger,” Kanye West.
“Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” D. Harris and Kanye West.
“City of Blinding Lights, U2, (U2).
“Get Behind Me Satan,” The White Stripes..
“Get Lifted,” John Legend.
“From the Bottom of My Heart,” Stevie Wonder.
“Bless the Broken Road,” Rascal Flatts
Buen Comida
BY PRESTON BATTLE
Some time ago, I thought to myself, “There has to be more than one
good Mexican restaurant in Memphis,” so I asked my friend Ricardo,
a Mexican food buff, where I could
find some decent Mexican chow,
other than at El Mezcal. Ricardo recommended that I try Los Compadres,
a little joint located on Poplar and
Union Ext. I didn’t know that the
place was already frequented by
many MUS students, but, after sampling their food and getting the bill, I
soon understood why.
Los Compadres’s menu is comprised of many specialty and combination dinners, but, unfortunately, it’s
a bit lacking in the seafood department. The restaurant is very small, but
I think it saves the place from getting
too massive **cough El Mezcal
cough**. While waiting the two minutes it takes for your food to arrive,
you can watch Futbol Mexicano or
a cheesy Mexican soap opera.
Though I would ordinarily prescribe
Chile Pablano when eating Mexican,
I highly recommend the combination
dinners at Los Compadres.
But wait, there’s more; Los
Compadres is almost as cheap as fast
food! I was stunned to discover that
my meal (minus tip) cost less than a
Taco Bell value meal (Ok, that’s a
bit of an exaggeration… the only meal
it actually costs less than is the big
ten-taco monster meal). But still, Los
Compadres is reasonably cheap;
heck, your friend might actually be
cool with covering for you, because
you only have a check. So, to the
Midtown residents who ”don’t got
no cheddar,” I think you should
try Los Compadres. They’ve got
what you’re looking for. As for the
East Memphians, it’s just not worth
it, with the Mezcal so close.
Nevertheless, I concur with
Ricardo’s review of Los Compadres:
“Muy bueno, señor!”
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Wilson’s Top Ten Albums of 2005
BY WILSON CASTLEMAN
Honorable Mentions:
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
HIM - Dark Light
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
LCD Soundsystem - LCD
Soundsystem
1. The Mars Volta - Frances the
Mute
Easily one of the best releases in
years, this millennium’s most promising band followed up their excellent
debut with a true masterpiece. Album
of the year.
Highlight: “Cassandra Gemini”
2. Oasis - Don’t Believe the Truth
The self-proclaimed “greatest band
in the world” returns with a back-tobasics solid album of great rock
songs. It’s sure to please any music
fan.
Highlight: “Let There Be Love”
3. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
One of the darkest and most powerful albums from metal’s most brilliant
and continually impressive band. If
you’ve never heard them before, this
album is a great place to start.
Highlight: “Beneath the Mire”
4. Mindless Self Indulgence You’ll Rebel to Anything
It may only be 26 minutes long, but
this album is easily one of the most
fun and enjoyable you can own. Its
truly unique industrial-rock madness
and ridiculous lyrics make for one of
the year’s best.
Highlight: “What Do They Know?”
5. Sigur Rós - Takk
They aren’t the easiest band to get
into, but Sigur Rós’ latest album is
their most upbeat release to date,
which is appropriate for an album
which shows that the band is going in
the right direction.
Highlight: “Glósóli”
6. Nile - Annihilation of the
Wicked
They can make some ears bleed, but
Nile are by far modern death metal’s
finest offering, combining their completely brutal and relentless sound
with Egyptian melodies and historical lyrics.
Highlight: “Annihilation of the
Wicked”
7. Kanye West - Late Registration
There’s more to it than “Gold Digger”. As one of modern hip-hop’s
most respected producers and MCs,
West’s second album is nothing less
than stellar, with over seventy minutes of great, diverse songs.
Highlight: “Diamonds From Sierra
Leone (Remix)”
8. Coheed and Cambria - Good
Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Vol.
1: From Fear Through the Eyes
of Madness
Call them pretentious if you must, but
Coheed are offering some of modern
rock’s most refreshing and brilliant
music to date. It’s huge and powerful, and in my opinion, their best album yet.
Highlight: “Welcome Home”
9. Between the Buried and Me Alaska
Sure it’s chaotic, sure it’s almost unbearably heavy, but BTBAM is easily
the most exciting and original band
in today’s “metalcore” scene. This
album leads in some completely unexpected directions, and there are a
lot of nice surprises.
Highlight: “All Bodies”
10. Depeche Mode - Playing the
Angel
These guys might have debuted
twenty-five years ago, but this album
proves that they’re certainly as strong
as they’ve ever been. Definitely their
best album since Violator, and it really brings back the memorable hooks
and beats that recent albums have
lacked.
Highlight: “Precious”
*Editors’ Note: All pictures are
courtesy of Amazon.com
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Holiday Nose Job
BY CHRIS MCDONALD
Ah, winter break: Finals had just
ended, and it was finally time to cut
loose and have some fun. But oh no,
not I. I opted to spend my break experiencing a thrill of another sort. Can
anyone say nose job?
Well, all right… so it wasn’t technically a nose job; but the effect, the
experience, and, yes, the pain were the
same. Sinus surgery into every cavity
in my skull and a complicated deviated
septum repair were gifts I wouldn’t want
under my tree every year.
For those who couldn’t share the
fun, let me recap it for your enjoyment:
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
0530 Hours – Awake with a start;
Recall horrifying tales of mistaken amputations and mismatched surgeries; I
consider using Sharpie to write on my
chest: Just the nose; no implants today. Stomach growls but not allowed
to eat or drink
0630 – Consider drafting Last Will
and Testament; become depressed at
how few assets I have to dispose of.
0800 – Waltz into the hospital waiting room; request “fast pass” surgery;
receptionist just stares (despite the
Santa hat, she seems more suited to
Scrooge). The fun’s just beginning.
0900 – Pre-Op nurse and I become
intimate friends: from her first words,
“Here’s your gown; everything else
goes,” I realize that I’ll soon have no
secrets. I hang on to the boxers until
she somehow notices them. I guess I’ll
be going commando today. Dang it’s
drafty in here…
1000 – Turns out, no one has secrets in pre-op: From the bed in the
curtained bay beside me I learn the full
life story of another patient. A loud voice
confirms his “cheek cyst.” As he continues to lightly chat during the examination, it dawns on me which cheek
they mean. Ouch… I vow to stop
whining.
1200 – Having gone without food
or drink since midnight, the growling in
my stomach begins to harmonize with
itself. I beg for a candy cane; request
denied, but I am offered an issue of
Home & Garden from three years ago.
Learn many creative ways to sew window hangings… Am I in hell?
1230 – My surgeon is running late,
and my patience grows short. I feel as
if I’ve been stranded in an airport terminal, except no one is wearing pants…
1300 – Anesthesiologist arrives with
final paperwork and an attractive blue
shower-cap that complements my eyes.
1330 – Now three hours over-due
for the scalpel and considering going
home to perform surgery on myself; at
last they begin my IV’s… in lieu of
candy cane, am given tranquilizer;
shortly begin to hear singing, and realize its me… Parents shush me; I giggle.
Post-Op patient rolls by propped on
his stomach: I jovially call out to my
“cheeky” friend…
1400 – It’s go time; O.R. Nurse
adds another “Happy Juice” bag to my
IV line. As my parents tell me goodbye,
I respond in dazed French. My blue
shower-cap feels like a beret.
1700 – Roll into Recovery; awaken
feeling as though a bowling ball rests
on my face.
1800 – Move to Post Op; Reunited
with parents, who later report amusement at the uncensored thoughts I share
with all in earshot.
2000 – Finally am discharged and
reclaim my boxers and my dignity; It’s
been one looong day.
1 Week Later – Hope returns, and
I think I’ll come out of this one alive.
Wooh Dog Barks Up a Storm
BY BYRON TYLER
Along with the recent renovation
and redefining of the Fine Arts department, MUS now has a rapidly growing
musical community. Before Wooh
Dog’s performance in the dining hall last
semester, I hadn’t known much about
the student-led music movement happening within our halls, but after seeing
them play and experiencing their distinct, fresh sound, I discovered that, in
Wooh Dog, our school has a band with
the talent and organization of a burgeoning, successful rock group.
Parker Long (vocals and guitar),
Duncan Adrian (bass guitar), and Bryce
Hendry (drums) are the power trio who
comprise Wooh Dog. They first started
playing together over three years ago,
in the summer of 2002, and have each
grown and improved during high school;
however, their inspiration has remained
the same. Greatly influenced by both
early 90s West-coast grunge and Eastcoast punk, the band successfully inte-
grates the unique styles of punk and
metal into one cohesive sound.
Lately, the band has been making
good use of the equipment available in
MUS’s own 24-track production studio. In fact, Bryce is currently a member of the Studio Production Program,
in which he’s learning about music
theory and the entire process of tracking and mastering the recordings of
songs in the recording studio. By utilizing this studio and practicing over three
times a week, Wooh Dog is maximizing its musical talent and has already
made quite a name for itself. So far,
they have performed in five shows, including one at St. Agnes Academy and
their most recent one, at Neil’s, where
they raised $120 for the Memphis Literacy Council.
Wooh Dog offers an extraordinary
musical style which benefits both other
MUS music groups and the school as
a whole. Furthermore, the band sets an
example for future bands that seek an
identity in the MUS student body.
Photo Courtesy of Ellen Klyce
You can’t tell from this photograph, but in the scene above, Frank
and Walter are wearing red and blue shirts, respectively
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The Crossword Puzzle
Sudoku
Yet again, we received reports that the Sudoku in the previous paper was too
tough; probably, Yacoubian’s making them all impossible, and we just haven’t
noticed until now. This one is Yacoubianless and should be easy. Enjoy!