22 - College Magazine

Transcription

BALTIMORE EDITION
ISSUE 4 WINTER 2008
BIG MAN
100% FREE
What Happens
When You Get
Caught
cOLLEGEMAGAZINe.COM
NAKED
STUDENTS!
Yea, We
Said Naked
IN
SI
D
E:
GOING UP
IN SMOKE
SL
FI AM
LM
P
FO PR OE
TH R O T,
E SU DU PA
AR C C IN
T CE ER TE
W SS FI R
O I G AN
RL N HT D
D
Mike Gvozden
Talking Business with Under
Armour’s founder, Kevin Plank
A
LITTLE CAMPUS
FROM STUDENT
ATHLETE TO CEO
Exclusive
interview with
Kevin Plank
17
25
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COLLEGE LIFE
8 CALENDAR
9IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
These universities are five steps
ahead of the game when it comes to
environmental initiatives. Biomasspowered heating plant anyone?
9
Easy Green Tips
You can go green while living on campus with just a few simple changes.
10Going up in Smoke
College students break the rules all
the time. Read what happened to one
when he got caught.
14STUDENTS BEHIND THE
POLITICAL SCENES
22Something
Greater: Student
Artists Move into
the World of
Professional Art
Three undergrads break boundaries
and fight to find creativity. A spokenword artist, a painter and a film
producer share stories of the struggle.
24MAJOR INSPIRATIONS
Is it a long and winding road or love
at first sight? These students use their
majors to succeed in unusual ways.
4
cOLLEGEMAGAZINE.com WINTER 2008
ENTERTAINMENT
15RUSH WEEK RAIDERS
Fall rush is over. Spring rush is just
around the corner. Eat, drink and be
merry, ye lads.
15Do-It-Youself
Dormroom Gifts
SPORTS
17COVER STORY: BIG MAN
ON A DIFFERENT KIND
OF CAMPUS
Mike Gvozden, the #1 lacrosse
goalie in the NCAA, tells us how he
dominates the opposition but lives in
anonymity on his own campus.
Short on cash and time this holiday
season? College Mag has some
D-I-Y gifts for you.
20PARKOUR: NO LIMITS
29 THE LOCAL SCRATCH
25From the Field to
Fashion Fame
Check out the best local bands.
29Heavy D Trades Hip
Hop for Hemp
Heavy Who? Meet Hev, who is leaving
behind his 90’s rap past to start his
career as a reggae solo artist.
SEX
12 College Nudists
Naked students! Or, um, interviews
with naked students. Sorry to get you
excited there.
Warning: attempt at your own risk.
Under Armour’s founder and CEO
Kevin Plank describes his path from
special teams captain of the Maryland
Terrapins football team to sports apparel mogul.
27The Sports Careers
Playbook
You don’t have to be an all-star athlete to launch a career in sports.
30 STUDENT COLUMN
When trading ballet slippers for
skates, and getting aggressive on the
ice is a dream come true.
Want more College Mag? Want to contribute? Go to collegemagazine.com to learn more...
Amanda Nachman
This issue required hours upon hours of sports research. The College
Magazine team went out, helmets on, and attacked. Okay, maybe more
like stood by the sidelines asking questions while shooting video. But this
issue ventures beyond the latest sports scores. It shares the great stories
of student athletes: lacrosse NCAA champ Mike Gvozden, former athlete
and now sports apparel mogul Kevin Plank, and Alyssa Walker, who at age
eight was plowing down her opponent on the ice. Even for those with the
passion but not the talent, we delve into sports careers that don’t require
protective gear.
So maybe the College Magazine team didn’t necessarily risk their lives
writing this issue, but I think their ability to capture these great stories
will impress you. Behind the scenes of College Magazine, we have three
new students on the team this year. Each has carefully crafted the words
and images of our fabulous fourth issue.
Publisher
Amanda NachmaN
Creative Director
Les Kollegian
Editors
Matthew Castner
Brian Cognato
Art Director
PAM BROWN
Graphic Designers
Cole Miller
Jessica Recht
Adam Roop
Photography Editor
Ryder Haske
MEET THE New Kids
Amanda Nachman
Publisher
Brian, our articles editor, thoroughly enjoys every aspect of
school, including, on certain rare occasions, class. He can
normally be found voraciously reading any magazine he can
get his hands on, especially while articles that require editing
pile up. He is polite, well mannered and articulate on any
subject other than Philadelphia sports, where he is...well, a
Philadelphia sports fan.
Our photo editor, Ryder, grew up on the lower west side of
Manhattan in Greenwich village. He was born into a family of
starving artists with good values and better taste. “The universe
provides” is the phrase he grew up believing, and he still does
today. Midway through Ryder’s first political science class at George
Washington University, he realized that politics wasn’t his style,
so he dropped the books, picked up a camera and never looked
back. His fascination with interesting people and stories lead him
to photojournalism and documentary video. “There are too many
compelling true stories to be told in this world for me to worry about
making up my own.”
As one of our newest editorial interns, Ashley adds wit, sarcasm, and
vegetarianism to the team. You can check out her article “Veggify Your
Favorite Meals” to learn more about her favorite vegetarian dishes. When
she’s not writing furiously for the magazine, Ashley is busy with her other
obligations, such as being a professional nap-taker and defender of her
home state, New Jersey. Her long-term goals include studying abroad in
Holland and meeting the cast of The Office.
Copy Editor
ALISON SMITH
Advertising Sales Intern
KEVIN MARRIN
Editorial Intern
ASHLEY TROOST
Web Designer
Chad Collins
Technical Coordinator
Chris Testa
Writers
Evan Garcia, Scott Kaptur,
Janeane Lage, Jaren Love,
Nick Mercurio, Dan Morrison,
Ashley Nolan, Genevive Poist,
Gabe Seder, Brock Snyder,
Benjamin Valine, Alyssa Walker,
Alyssa Wood
Photographers
Amy Breesman, Lindsay Chester,
REBECCA DEPREY, Alex Ellis,
Chris Gregory,
Zain Shariff, David Webster,
Anne Wernikoff
Special Thank You To
My Family, Asher Epstein
Angie Grandizio, Steven Hawtof
Sherry Moeller, Diane Pelkey
Kevin Plank, Zoey Rawlins
TOP TO BOTTOM: Brian Cognato,
Ryder Haske, Ashley Troost
Want to contribute to College
Magazine? Submit a writing sample
or photography to atroost@
collegemagazine.com.
6
Cover Photo by Ryder Haske > JUNIOR >
FINE ARTS > GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
College Magazine, LLC.
By Ashley Troost > Junior > English > University of Maryland, College Park
and Alyssa Wood > Junior > English > George Washington University
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NOVEMBER
Iron & Wine @ Ram’s Head Live
This Simon and Garfunkel-type folk rock band has been featured on
The Garden State Soundtrack and performed at Bonnaroo in 2005.
Blitzen Trapper opens.
Cobra Starship @ Sonar
This alternative rock band is best known for singing “Snakes on a
Plane,” a tribute to that ridiculous film. Maybe Samuel L. will show up.
Slave to Metal Festival @ Sonar
For only $10 general admission, rock out at this music festival and
networking conference. Yes, you read that right: a heavy metal
networking conference. Visit www.sonarbaltimore.com for more
information.
Baltimore Thanksgiving Parade
Kick off the holiday season at Baltimore’s annual parade, featuring
floats, a marching band, and the official arrival of Santa. You can even
sit on his lap and ask for presents!
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NOV 19
Thanksgiving Eve Party @ Power Plant Live
Prizes, drink specials, free stuff...who wouldn’t want to go?
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17
Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the
Rockettes @ 1st Mariner Arena
On this national tour, the Christmas Spectacular and world famous
Rockettes debut an all new show. The Daily News says if you’ve never
seen it, go, and if you have, go again!
Washington Capitols vs. New York Islanders
Student rush tickets! Present your student ID at the Verizon Box office.
Upper level seats are $15, lower level seats are $35. Oh, and you also
get a free Chipotle Burrito.
A Christmas Carol @ Lyric Opera House
The Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s production of the Charles Dickens
classic is packed with comedy and spectacular costuming.
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Great Russian Nutcracker @ Lyric Opera House
The Moscow Ballet presents Anatoli Emelianov’s Great Russian
Nutcracker – the Nutcracker like you’ve never seen it before.
31
New Year’s Eve Celebration @ Power Plant Live
Count down to 2009 at Baltimore’s official New Year’s Eve celebration.
It’s Easy
Being Green
On-Campus Environmental Initiatives
Easy Green Tips
By Alyssa Wood > JUNIOR > English > George Washington University
TOP photo ANNE WERNIKOFF > SOPHMORE > George Washington University / BOTTOM PHOTO ZAIN SHARIFF >
Go green or go home. This seems
SENIOR > CELL BIOLOGY & MOLECULAR GENETICES> UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
C
ollege campuses are looking a lot
greener these days, and that doesn’t
mean grassy landscapes or welltrimmed quads for Frisbee. Instead, many
colleges have taken the environmental reins,
instituting university-wide initiatives and
fueling student groups that bring attention to
environmental responsibility.
Middlebury College recently earned
the #2 spot on Grist Magazine’s “15 Green
Campuses and Universities” list after its board
of trustees adopted a carbon-neutrality plan
developed solely by students. Middlebury
junior Jenny Erwin, one of the students who
supported the plan, says a new biomass heating plant will “save millions of gallons of fuel each year.”
The school also has an organic garden to promote sustainable, local foods on campus, and its dining
halls have stopped using trays, saving the water needed to wash them and encouraging students to
grab less unnecessary food.
Yale University also dominates the green scene. The Yale Office of Sustainability includes professional sustainability coordinators who manage energy conservation efforts, green renovations and other
projects to support facility efficiency and staff/student awareness. Activist Chris Termyn, a Yale junior, is
organizing a student campaign to encourage the investment of Yale’s $28 million endowment in more
environmentally responsible funds and corporations. He says, “What we need is an endowment that
stands by the activism of Yale’s undergraduate population.”
Even the George Washington University, often criticized for its environmental record, has
gotten into the act. Its Eco-Challenge program pits residence halls against each other to see which
can conserve the most energy and water. In a pilot project last year, residence halls collectively saved
80,400 kilowatt hours of electricity and 1.5 million
gallons of water compared to the same time period
a year earlier. According to George Stephens, a
GW professor of geography and geosciences, the
school is also investing in more street receptacles
for recyclables, seeking to increase its energy efficiency and has formed a “Presidential Task Force
on Sustainability.”
Countless other schools across the country
are moving toward greener pastures. For the
first time this year, the Princeton Review factored
schools’ “Green Ratings” into its annual list of the
“Best 368 Colleges,” after a survey conducted
by the test-prep agency found that 63% of
respondents said they’d like to know
about environmentalism on campus.
With private, university- and studentled initiatives, green may just be the
new fashion of 2008.
to be the motto shared by everyone
from
politicians
to
movie
stars.
Everybody is going green these days,
and in a world with depleting resources and slow-to-act
political agendas, even we lowly college students must
do our part. Here’s what you can do:
Recycle, duh. College students
probably generate the highest rates of
cans and bottles of any demographic.
So toss those empties in the green
bins! Putting a container in your room specifically set
aside for recyclables will help you remember to separate them before visiting the trash chute.
Conserve energy. You know the
drill: turn off the lights, unplug appliances and shut down laptops when
not in use. Skimp on the AC and open
windows instead. Take the stairs instead of elevators,
and purchase compact fluorescent light bulbs that minimize electricity output. Clothes dryers are another big
energy eater; try air-drying on a clothing rack, which
also makes clothes last longer.
Save the whales. Or just the water.
Only use dishwashers and washing
machines when you have full loads (not
that anyone does laundry more than
they have to). Wash clothes on the cold cycle. Avoid
hour-long showers and, like mom always said, shut off
the faucet when brushing.
Reuse, reuse, reuse. Carry reusable
water bottles. Print on scrap paper if
possible and print double-sided. Bring
reusable bags for grocery shopping,
available cheap at most supermarkets, or ask for paper
instead of plastic. Bring your own mug to your favorite
coffee shop—some even offer discounts for cup-saving
customers.
Join the green machine. Most
universities have environmental activism
organizations. Get involved in go-green
groups and encourage the clubs you’re
already in to implement green policies. Bug your roommates about shutting off lights, share your tips on
Tell us what your campus is
doing to protect our world at
collegemagazine.com.
environmental responsibility, and of course, share your
College Magazine!
WINTER 2008 cOLLEGEMAGAZINE.com
9
GOING UP IN SMOKE
What Happens When You Get Caught
By Benjamin Valine > Senior > linguistics
BOTTOM PHOTO CHRIS GREGORY > SOPHMORE > GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
TOP PHOTO AMY BREESMAN
The glove compartment, center console, and the space below the passenger’s seat were decorated with incriminating paraphernalia. The cloud of
smoke had not distilled. A blue and red merry-go-round of lights bounced
off the rearview mirror into my eyes. My heart fled my chest and hid in my
throat. Rigor mortis.
The only senses I had connected
to the real world thought,
‘Oh my God. I’m in handcuffs?’
The officer tapped on my window with his nightstick and asked me to
step out and face the car. I complied. My kneecaps felt disconnected, like
they had begun bouncing from my thighs to my ankles and back. “Clink!”
Handcuffs? Handcuffs! The only senses I had connected to the real
world thought, “Oh my God. I’m in handcuffs? Handcuffs!” My wrists
were sore. Handcuffs hurt. Seconds later I was looking at my friend’s
panic-stricken face as he too was in handcuffs. My knees bounced with
hyperferocity, but the
officer’s words came
out in real time, with
an authoritative tone
and slightly southern
tinge: “We don’t want
you runnin’ away.
Some kids er dumb
enough to run.”
The
officer
re-acquainted me
with the hood of
my car. My body
was a perfect ninetydegree angle. The hood chilled my cheek. My legs were spread
for me. I was frisked. Poking and groping weren’t spared. The contents of
my pockets lay on the hood, within eyesight.
Now there were four officers surrounding us. They sneered, and
barked probing questions. They knew there was marijuana in the car, they
just didn’t know where.
Do we answer them? Should we remain silent? God, I hope they don’t
know we’re high. Wait. Do they know we’re high? Maybe if I keep my head
down they’ll just go away, right?
I could hear the car being ransacked: the sounds of seats being carelessly reclined, compartments opened and slammed shut, doors opened
and rammed shut. As their search continued to be fruitless, their questions
became more fierce and threatening.
“Do you boys realize that if you don’t tell us where the marijuana is,
you’ll be thrown off campus—could be expelled—we could even arrest
you. WHERE is the marijuana?”
Should marijuana be legalized?
Read about what students have to
say on collegemagazine.com
10 cOLLEGEMAGAZINE.com
WINTER 2008
“Glove
compartment!
Glove compartment!” I stammered. My friend remained silent.
A “baggy of marijuana,” they called it. Luckily, there wasn’t enough
to charge us with possession. As a compromise, we were issued citations
and a verbal notice of a pending court summons in the mail. The officers
collected our information, released us from the handcuffs, and told us we
were free to go.
So, What Happened Next?
1. One meeting with my parents and a campus student conduct officer.
2. Two years of probation. If I violate any school codes during this
period, I am subject to immediate expulsion.
3. Forty hours of community service.
4. One year of drug testing. Upon completion, I can petition to have
the second year waived by submitting several essays addressing
my integrity, character and lessons learned from the experience.
5. Documentation of the incident on my permanent record for
three years.
6. Enrollment in a campus-sponsored intervention program,
which includes:
• Meeting with a drug counselor.
• Attending Marijuana Anonymous chat room sessions and
responding to my experience in multiple essays.
How can marijuana possession affect you
at your campus?
By Jaren Love > Junior > Government and Politics >
University of Maryland, College Park
• Amounts less than 25 to 50 grams can earn prison sentences up to one year and
fines ranging from $100-$1000.
• Possession of smaller amounts often only results in fines between $500-$1000.
• In the most lenient states, possession of very small amounts (less than one
ounce) earns only probation.
• First time offenders sentenced to prison terms are often eligible for
immediate parole.
• A law passed in 1998 authorizes the federal government to revoke financial aid
given to any student convicted because for a drug-related offence until they have
taken a rehabilitation program for one year.
• Penalties for the cultivation and sale of marijuana range from small fines to ten
years in prison, based on the amount cultivated or sold.
• In general, five plants or five kilograms constitutes the threshold between
misdemeanor and felony cultivation charges, though many states have
legislated mandatory minimum jail time for those who cultivate or sell any
amount of marijuana.
• Those convicted of the possession or sale of “paraphernalia” face fines starting
at $2,500.
* Please note that drug and marijuana laws vary widely state-to-state.
campus nudists in...
By Brock
Snyder
> Senior
George
> Biology
Washingt
>
on University
PHOTO C
HRIS GRE
GORY >
George
Washingt
on University
Imagine, if you will, a utopia: an easy-going place in the tropics,
where the sun is always shining, the ocean is always waiting, and
crime is virtually nonexistent. Now, imagine you’re naked.
S: The thing about a nudist resort that shocks
most is the blatant sense of community that the
close-knit atmosphere welcomes you into. People
around here don’t even have to lock the doors to
their house or car because there’s just no crime.
Brock: B: That is both quite interesting and frightening—because personally I don’t know if I’d be
up for playing badminton with naked grandma.
OK, let’s get down to the nitty gritty…you’re
a nudist. Why the unique lifestyle? What is it
about being in the nude that rocks?
STEVE VICKERS
Steve: Hey, let’s go
back to the nudist
resort later and
hook up
But before you imagine covering up the physiologically perfect body parts we came into this world
with, imagine looking at the sign to this Edenic
paradise. This isn’t a dream, it’s a NUDIST RESORT!
Come take a walk on the naked side with College
Mag correspondent Brock Snyder for a “revealing”
interview with Steve Vickers, a senior communications and public relations major at the University of
Central Florida—a devout nudist.
WINTER 2008
Well, it’s all I’ve ever really known and wanted. The
thing about being a nudist that I enjoy most is that
it’s just so relaxing. Most people don’t even carry
around their wallet or cell phone at the resorts—
can you imagine how stress-free you would be
when all your time is yours?
B: What makes a nudist resort more relaxing
than a regular resort? Is it just the clothes…or
the lack thereof?
B: Were your parents nudists?
S: Yes they were. I’m actually a third generation
nudist.
S: You get over it.
B: So, tell me about your job working for
the AANR (American Association for Nude
Recreation)?
S: Well, I did a few interviews in high school for
the local news about my nude recreation and one
thing led to the other and now I work for AANR
Public Relations.
B: Can you be nude at work?
S: No.
Adam & Eve
B: Do you have a special little naked lady waiting
for you back at your resort?
The Nudist College Couple
S: Well I do have a special lady, but no, she’s not
a nudist.
Ah, young love. Young, naked love.
Go to CollegeMagazine.com to read
Brock’s interview with Robbe White,
23, and Kim Hamley, 19, a devoted
college nudist couple.
B: How did you meet and what did she do when she
found out the naked truth?
S: She was actually not all that phased by it. We met at
martial arts class when we were given nicknames. My
nickname meant “to peal” or “naked” in slang and she
asked why, so I told her. She was interested like most
people are when you tell them.
B: Have you ever used your nudist lifestyle as a
pick-up line?
Here’s a sneak peak:
Brock: Have you guys ever roll-played and pretended to be not
nudists—so you put on clothes though you end up taking them off
again anyway?
S: You mean like, “Hey, let’s go back to the nudist
resort later and hook up?” No, but it’s not the
worst idea.
Robbe: No. Never done that but I guess it would be kind of kinky
and funny. Kim, write that down.
B: Which activities are best avoided when nude, like
riding a bike or frying bacon?
B: H
ow do you deal with the fabled inadvertent male arousal in
the nudist culture? I ask only because I can identify—I had an
awkwardly unfortunate physical exam once that I still have
nightmares about.
S: If activities are not enjoyable or appropriate to do
without clothing then I just opt not to be nude…I probably wouldn’t fry bacon. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend
frying anything at all in the nude—or playing paintball,
sky diving, riding a bike, or doing martial arts.
R: S
orry to hear about that. That is actually the golden question
that everyone asks us first. The usual nudist etiquette is to cover
up with a towel…
B: Are there any people out there that should never
be a nudist?
S: People at nudist resorts are generally a very open
and accepting bunch. It doesn’t matter how you
look or smell, as long as you can relax and get along with those in your
surroundings.
B: If you could convert anyone to the nudist culture, who would it be
and why?
S: Definitely Meghan Fox. You know—the girl from Transformers. Why?
Just look at her. She’s a fox.
B: What do you usually pack for a vacation? Do you have clothes for
every day?
S: I’ll usually just pack a few towels, sunscreen, one formal outfit, and two
sets of street clothes. What’s really great about vacationing for a nudist
is that twice a year whole cruise ships are bought and booked up all by
nudists on vacation. And since I work for AANR, there are usually conferences in the Caribbean that I get to go to for free. In fact, in February I’ll
be in Jamaica for a conference.
B: How do you express yourself with the same variety that those with
clothes are able to do?
S: I’ve got a funny story actually—not too long ago I was out at a popular
resort and had made some friends with these two other guys there on
vacation. We all decided to go into town and
hit up some bars, so we parted to go change
into some clothes. When we met at the gate
shortly after, it was so interesting to see what
the other two guys were wearing. I was in a
vintage t-shirt and khaki shorts, another was in
torn up jeans and a “Get ‘er Done” shirt, and
the third guy was in slacks and a collared shirt
with a pen in his front pocket, I kid you not.
What I found so funny was that judging by the
clothes we were all wearing, we all realized
that in any other place we would have never
met up and become friends.
13
students behind
THE Political Scenes
By Evan Garcia > senior > english > george
washington university / PHOTOS RYDER HASKE
Joe Biden & Brendan Ullman,
Courtesy of Brendan Ullman
O
ver the last year, Barack Obama
and John McCain have had every
medium on lockdown, from newspapers to Big Gulps. This makes it easy to forget
the thousands of supporters who did much of
the work of behind the scenes, including those
on campus. Student volunteers have played a
major role in this election. For these students,
this election was more than just wearing a button, watching SNL, and
tracking politics blogs. It was their life. And it wasn’t easy.
Brendan Ullman, a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University, ran the
Johns Hopkins University’s chapter of Students for Barack Obama. He was
responsible for setting up “phonebanks,” where a pack of students would
gather in a single location to make mass campaign calls, one state at a time.
Initially focused on swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, the phonebanks did everything from trying to persuade voters to support Obama, to
recruiting volunteers, to just reminding people to vote. Ullman estimates
his group called more than 20,000 this campaign season. Meanwhile, he
organized massive voter registration drives on campus.
He first gravitated to Obama after hearing the candidate’s keynote
speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, when the man who would
become the first black presidential candidate from a major party was only
a state senator. After watching the speech, Ullman researched Obama’s
conservative campus, so disagreements
definitely occur.” Regardless of the
outcome of this election, Ullman stresses
the abdication of partisan-based politics.
“This is not a game,” he says. “We are in too much
trouble to allow partisan squabbling after the election to derail this country’s future.”
Georgetown junior Ellen Dargie sees an intimate connection between
politics and her everyday life. She has watched her grandparents and her
parents build small businesses and become very successful
pursuing the American dream. She credits much of that success
to policies of the U.S. government that call for less taxes—policies she most identified with the McCain-Palin ticket.
As Chair of Georgetown’s College Republicans, Dargie
encouraged other students to get involved in the McCain
campaign, whether through a semester long internship or just
weekly phone banking. For her, going to school in the district
provides a unique opportunity to get involved in political life:
“At Georgetown and in D.C., we have so many opportunities
to get out membership volunteer jobs or internships with the
campaign.” And of course, Dargie faced added pressure from
the seemingly much greater support for the Obama-Biden
ticket on college campuses. Dargie comments,
“Obama has the rhetorical genius that few
Ellen Dargie
candidates do, and I believe that young
people are attracted to that,” but she
worries that students didn’t know his stance on the
issues, particularly economic issues, well enough.
Dargie’s post in the College Republicans kept life hectic, but also fused
together several parts of her life.
“Georgetown is a political campus, and
volunteering, campaigning, or attending
political events is almost a norm,” says
Dargie. “It’s something groups of
people do together.” While fighting for
her beliefs, she met students with similar
political stances and formed lasting
friendships. She also met students with
different beliefs; those interactions gave
way to civilized, intellectual conversations
on the issues.
For
Dargie,
however, the
most rewarding
part was changing
someone’s mind. “We’ve had students who
have been undecided and decided to support
McCain after attending our events or talking
to our members,” she proclaims. For her,
knowing she made such a difference to
push her candidate’s campaign forward
was worth all the effort.
The American public has an obligation to come
together and unite behind the winning ticket.
—Brendan Ullman
positions on the issues and found many parallels to his own ideas. When
Obama began campaigning for president, the Illinois senator’s pledge
to refrain from excessively negative campaign tactics especially
interested Ullman.
That same civility and moderation are lessons that he’s been careful
to implement in his own campaigning. Ullman explains that although arguments are bound to arise when you’re campaigning for a candidate, he
takes this stance seriously. He adds, “Hopkins is a relatively moderate to
WINTER 2008
rush week Raiders
By Nick Mercurio > Junior > English > University of Maryland, College Park
PHOTO ALEX ELLIS > SENIOR > GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
L
ife at school means no parents, no
rules…and no food. Mom’s home
cooking is gone, replaced by
the impending indigestion known as the
campus diner. But fear not, you can postpone the inevitable. Play your cards right,
and fraternities will pick up your food tab
for the five glorious days known as “Rush
Week.” It’s hard to wrap your mind—and
your stomach—around, a whole week
of people throwing you all the beer and
buffalo wings you can handle. But these
the best eats and plan your attack, but if
you’re looking to avoid a bid (an invitation
to join the fraternity), remember: DON’T
GO TO THE SAME FRAT TWICE. The
better you know the guys, the more likely
you are to get a bid, and the messier the
ensuing break up.
Unfortunately, you can’t just eat
and run. That’s a dead giveaway you’re a
mooch, so be sociable. Go in, talk, play
some Super Smash Brothers and above
all, EAT, EAT, EAT! Another rule for Rush
Week: don’t waste it. Come starving, leave
ready to puke.
Lastly, have an exit strategy. If you’ve
done your job, these guys will think you’re
an eager rush, not a hungry mooch. They
might invite you back for the rest of the
week’s events, or even offer you a bid. But
these guys are going to throw some of the
best parties on campus, so don’t just blow
them off. Give them a real phone number
and a convincing excuse.
They’ve heard it all and they’re
prepared. Crappy grades last semester?
They have notes from every class. Not
into the whole “fraternity thing?” Don’t
worry, they’re not like other fraternities.
Don’t forget the valuable skills you’ve
learned from years of dodging tests and
turning in late papers: “family issues” still
sound important and are still too private
to talk about.
And that’s it. Eat, drink, be merry…
and be gone. Go home, sober up, work up
an appetite again. Who knows? You might
even end up pledging.
Bite-Sized Mooching
frat guys are looking for pledges to abuse,
not hungry kids to feed, and they’ve got
their eyes out for moochers.
First, get a handle on the scene. Flyers
in the dorms will have all the info you’ll
need—the meal schedules. See who’s got
You live on the 3rd floor, but you’re
building has eight. No reason not to hit
‘em all. And isn’t your friend’s building
doing something tomorrow night? After
all, it’s about building a sense of community, right?
For more bite-sized mooching, visit
us online at collegemagazine.com
The College Magazine Mom Says…
Unfortunately for the hungry ladies, sorority rush is
considerably more sophisticated, as in mocktails
and dainty finger food…not worth faking to fill up.
Do-It-Yourself
Dorm Room Gifts
By Janeane Lage > Junior > English > William Jewell College
TOP PHOTO ANNE WERNIKOFF > SOPHMORE > GEORGE WASHINGTON
UNIVERSITY / GLASSWARE PHOTO LINDSAY CHESTER > JUNIOR >
FINE ART MAJOR > GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
D-I-Y for the Ambitious Gifter:
Drinking in Style
This gift is great for your #1 party animal friend. Include
a favorite drink to add some personal flair.
Materials:
Glass barware/stemware (e.g., beer mug, martini glass),
acrylic enamel paints, small paintbrushes, travel-sized
liquor, gift bag and tissue paper
Steps:
1. Paint designs on your glassware
customized for your friend. Sports fan?
Add football images or team logos.
2. Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours.
3. Then put it in the oven and bake at
325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Once it cools, place the glass in a bag
with travel-sized liquor, appropriate
accessories (olives, salt or cherries) and tissue paper to
protect your glass.
D-I-Y if You’re REALLY S-O-L:
Shoddy Sled
What’s that you say? Paint and brushes still beyond your
budget? Well, College Magazine has you covered too.
Here’s a gift for the friend you never really liked.
Materials:
Cafeteria tray, black permanent marker
Steps:
1. Come up with an overly elaborate plan to distract
the cafeteria workers while you nick a tray.
2. Write or draw whatever sort of special message
you would like to send to your gift recipient on the
stolen tray.
3. Attach the following warning notice: When sledding
down very steep and dangerous hill, be aware of jealous
glances from onlookers.
For more D-I-Y and S-O-L gifts, visit collegemagazine.com,
Photo: Andrew Churchill
Get more MOM advice at
collegemagazine.com
where you can share your own gift ideas.
15
Mike Gvozden: Big Man on the
Field, the Campus
Not So Much
By Amanda Nachman
PHOTOS RYDER HASKE
Hometown:
Baltimore, Maryland
NATIONALITY:
Brazilian
School:
Johns Hopkins University
Year: Junior
Major: Psychology
Favorite
Themed Party:
The 80’s Party
Fun Fact:
One of his roommates
walks around shirtless
and checks himself out
all the time
College athletes are campus
celebrities. Seeing your favorite
7-foot-1-inch basketball player in the
dining hall can leave you starstruck,
like you’ve just spotted Ashton
Kutcher from across the quad. He
stands out. People stare. He’s the
highlight of every party he visits.
He’s your Big Man on
Campus (BMOC).
17
When I was a fan ten years ago, if I was able to get in touch with my
Hopkins goalie and he blew me off, I would think, ‘What a jerk!’
Michael Gvozden, the starting goalie for
one of our nation’s top Division I lacrosse teams
and No. 1 goalie in the 2008 NCAA tournament, isn’t your ordinary BMOC. Not only has
his university won nine lacrosse championships,
most recently in 2007, but it has also been
recognized as one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions: Johns Hopkins
University. The upshot? While Saturdays may
mean a big game for Gvozden and his team,
the students at Johns Hopkins are packing it in
at the library.
Off-Campus Fame
“I have certainly heard stories or dropped
down to the library Friday or Saturday night and
there are people all over there,” says Gvozden.
On game day, that leaves the lacrosse bleachers
to the local fans and the university’s supportive
alumni. “I don’t think the average student is
overly concerned; they’re more concerned
about their GPA,” he says. But that’s to be
expected if these students are going to be the
next generation of doctors. So don’t look out
for students streaking across the field covered in
body paint that reads Gvozden’s name. In fact,
don’t assume the general on-campus population even knows his name.
More people outside of the school probably recognize the goalie and his teammates
WINTER 2008
than on his own campus. Being a Baltimore
native, Gvozden already has a local fan base
from his high school lacrosse years, which is not
surprising since he was a top 10 recruit going
into college. “After the Final Four it was nice
to go out and see everyone who knew me. I’ve
certainly had a rep as a lax-rat my whole life,”
Gvozden says.
Now some of his biggest fans are lax-rats;
that is, kids who grow up playing and following
the sport. Gvozden gets Facebook messages
from them. “Right after we beat Duke, it was
55 text messages from my friends at home, and
all these messages from these kids.” They ask
about everything from his routine before a game
to what color socks he wears. Gvozden replies
to all of them. “When I was a fan ten years ago,
if I was able to get in touch with my Hopkins
goalie and he blew me off, I would think, ‘What
a jerk!’” Gvozden knows that he’s looked up to,
which of course means “no [Facebook] pictures
of me being a fool.”
Competing at the #1
Dream School
Similar to many lax-rats, Hopkins was
Gvozden’s number one choice. “[I] wanted to
come here since I was 8 years old…Hopkins is
like the premiere lax school. It’s a dream come
true to play here,” he says. And with Hopkins
lacrosse, Gvozden’s life is, well, lacrosse. Spring
break plans? “We play lax.” Fall break? Lacrosse
scrimmage vs. Navy.
He and his teammates are at their athletic
center and field about five hours each day. “We
do about three-hour practices and then work on
our stick skills. You get there at 2:30, and you
probably leave there at 7:30.” He stays after
practice too. “Our coach likes to stick around
and talk to us. I’ve been called in there just
talking to our coach ‘til 10 p.m.,” he says.
But practice can easily get cut short when
Gvozden’s not playing his best. “I’ve gotten
kicked out of practice countless times. Throwing
a bad pass. Making a bad call. Our coach loves
to hit the eject button on me.” And that’s not
the only penalty Gvozden risks out there. When
two players fought, they had to run laps—with
their arms locked together. “It was hysterical,”
says Gvozden. Of course, it’s on film.
Lacrosse is only one part of the competition at Hopkins. As a psychology major,
Gvozden takes his classes among students who
have all graduated at the top of their high school
classes, many of whom are fighting for a spot in
med school. It’s an academic race that Gvozden
isn’t looking to join. “Not right now,” Gvozden
says, “Don’t have time for med school right
now. Barely have time to go grocery shopping.”
And after he graduates, he plans to stick with
the sport he loves. “[I want to] keep playing,
and make it a career somehow. Whether it’s
coaching or marketing, I don’t exactly know.
But I do know that I want to stay involved with
the sport.”
He chose psychology his freshman year
after testing the waters with a variety of classes.
“I loved psychology class. I really enjoy learning
about people and the way the mind works.”
His favorite class so far is Anthology of Mental
Illness. “It’s hard but it’s cool. It’s a lot of memoirs
of people losing their minds.”
No matter how passionate Gvozden is
about his studies, being an athlete ultimately
puts him at a disadvantage. “In the classroom,
it’s very tough. They have six more hours a
day to do more than we can
do. When we’re practicing or
watching film, they have time
to relax,” Gvozden says. But he
quickly adds, “I wouldn’t sacrifice lax practice to have extra
hours to hang out.”
Goalie on Game Day
But being a BMOC at an academically focused campus all seems worth it when
Saturdays in the spring roll around. “Saturdays
are pretty special here…It’s really pretty
thrilling,” Gvozden says. “Everyone gets jacked
up and ready to go.” The team prepares two
hours before the game, listening to music while
getting dressed and then warming up together.
“We go into the locker room 15 minutes before
the game, we put our actual jerseys on, then our
coach gives a speech, probably throws something at the wall, gets everyone fired up. It’s
great walking out; everyone goes nuts. It’s really
a cool, cool experience.”
own fraternity in itself. We’re 50 guys, we do
everything together.” He lives with three other
lacrosse players, who all study, cook, and like in
any good fraternity, watch Entourage together.
But unlike your average
BMOC, there’s no special
attention from the girls. “I
WISH!” he says, “It’s kinda
hard to have time for [girls].
It’s hard to have time to watch
my favorite TV show.” Which,
if you were wondering, is in fact The OC. He
watches “religiously,” he says, and again like in
any good fraternity, his roommates mock him
for it nearly as often.
For unrelated reasons, Gvozden wants
to move out west after graduation. “I love
California. I love the beaches. That’s pretty much
my attitude, laid back. I think I’d fit in well there.”
He admits that being so laid back is unusual for
a lacrosse player at such a competitive university. “But it helps me with school and lax and
being really stressed, having a nonchalant attitude. It’s a game, relax, have fun with it. I have to
sit back and take in the big picture. It keeps me
sane day in and day out,” he explains.
Maybe he’s not a BMOC at his campus,
but he doesn’t mind. “I like being a campus
apart because I think it allows us to get extraordinarily close,” he says. “We’re making friends
that are going to be the friends for the rest of
our lives. Getting to hang out with my buddies
all day—I’m definitely going to miss that.”
In the fall when [I’m] watching a college football
game, I think it would be so much fun—
all the tailgates, wild parties...
And the Parties?
“You just decide to put your social life on
hold until the weekend. All day you’re going to
class, doing homework, trying to get ahead—
but that’s why we all came here,” explains
Gvozden. When he does go out, you won’t find
him at dorm parties at Hopkins. “Loyola and
Towson are very close so we hang out there. I
have a very good friend at Towson. There’s not
much of a social life here, we kind of have to
make one.”
Getting together with teammates is
another release from the stresses of school. He
and the team regularly meet up at one of the
lacrosse houses for college and pro football
games. Gvozden sees how different it would
be at a school with a fanatic student body. “In
the fall when [I’m] watching a college football
game, I think it would be so much fun—all the
tailgates, wild parties …”
Gvozden takes the field in his uniform
with pride—and a personal twist, sweatpants.
They’re navy, baggy and worn out. “That’s like
my trademark,” he says, “keeps me warm all
game, so I don’t loose a beat.” Gvozden stands
in the goal with a helmet and pads that only go
from the chest up, trying to stop balls pelted at
him as fast as 90 mph. “Last year we had a kid
who could bring the ball 105,” Gvozden says,
and he would know—he got in the way once.
“It literally looked like someone shot me in the
leg. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever
seen.”
His hands take a beating too—he can think
of at least four lax-related hand injuries—but
Gvozden’s at home in the crease. “I don’t like
running at all. I had really bad asthma my whole
life. The goal kinda solved all those problems.”
A Campus Apart
When he’s not on the field, Gvozden’s
hanging out with the team. “I think we’re our
19
parkour: No Limits
By Brian Cognato > Senior > English and Government and
Politics > University of Maryland, College Park
PHOTOS RYDER HASKE
Take a good long look at the pictures
surrounding this article.
No Photoshop was used in their production,
no special effects, wire or green screens. The
only “special effect” is parkour.
“Stretching your body to its absolute limit
and just being the best you can be, that’s
parkour,” says Binny Seth, the founder of
the George Washington University’s parkour
Binny Seth leaps through
an architectural detail in a
small park during a GWPK
Jam session.
Mark Toorock, the unofficial leader of the American parkour community, prefers “a training methodology using overcoming physical obstacles
to improve both physically and mentally.” The essence is the same. Move.
As quickly as possible. And don’t let anything get in your way.
Practitioners of parkour, who refer to themselves as traceurs (like most
parkour jargon, it’s French), run through cities, through parks, even just
through the woods, with the goal of overcoming every obstacle in their
path with as much speed and power as possible. If that means jumping
from one rooftop to another, so be it. If it means leaping over a mid-sized
sedan, so be it. If it means climbing the face of an apartment complex,
well, so be it.
Every feature of everything around you becomes another aspect of
your own personal jungle gym. Most traceurs especially enjoy densely
populated, urban areas because they’re thick with potential obstacles,
each one a potential achievement. Seth’s favorite place to run is New York
City. “It’s no limits,” he says. He especially recommends the scaffolding.
But what looks like random thrill-seeking actually carries with it a welldeveloped philosophy that emphasizes discipline and self-control as much
as freedom. Traceurs practice the same drills over and over again, hundreds
of times, so that they master all their moves before risking them in real life.
Safety first: there’s nothing “efficient” about cracking your skull.
“You don’t try something until you know you can do it,” says Seth.
“So you want to jump over a six-foot fence? You start with maybe a threefoot fence, and practice that a few hundred times. Then you move to a
four-foot fence, and do that a few hundred times. Then a five-foot fence.
Then you go for the six-foot fence.”
This semester, Seth, a senior international relations and criminal
justice double major aiming for a career in law, is taking his LSATS. He’s
prepared like a true traceur, examining the results of each practice test
as thoroughly and repetitiously as he would one of his breathtaking
jumps. The diligence breeds not only skill, but confidence, as essential
WINTER 2008
club. Purists define it as “moving from Point
A to Point B as efficiently as possible.”
to confronting a test that will determine your life’s future as it is a gap
between buildings high over New York City.
Ilan Bouchard, a junior international relations major and vice president
of GW’s club*, says that as much as discipline, parkour has encouraged
his creativity. “In parkour, you go out and interact with everything you go
through in your daily life without thinking about how you’re going through
it,” he says. “Now, I try to see the boundaries I can break to get to where
I want to go.”
Case in point: Bouchard thinks the key to GW Parkour’s continued
success is actually strengthening its presence outside the university. “[The
club] is a nice way to get the name out and be certified,” he explains, “but
we’ve found that there’s just not much structure to accommodate parkour
at GW.” College traceurs nationwide sympathize; schools are understandably hesitant to open facilities to teams of amateur stuntmen. Campus
police wrote up the GW club at its first session. A lengthy safety audit
followed, and now the club can only have official events at Primal Fitness,
a private gym operated by Toorock.
Still, Seth thinks that establishing more “official” campus groups is
key to “bringing [parkour] in from the underground” in the United States.
Toorock adds that the expansion of campus parkour groups can add a
“structure without structure,” infusing the movement with talented, openminded young leaders who can develop parkour’s infrastructure while still
preserving its ethos of freedom and creativity.
Seth and Bouchard have both previously jumped off a highway
overpass, 20-feet high. They landed it. Obstacles–athletic, academic
or bureaucratic–turned into achievements. That’s parkour. Maybe it’s as
simple as that.
“When you hit that jump, do that flip, climb that wall, the feeling is
amazing,” Seth says. “Why wouldn’t I want that in every aspect of my life?”
*College Magazine’s photo-editor, Ryder Haske frequently collaborates with GW’s Parkour club.
If that means jumping from one rooftop
to another, leaping over a mid-sized sedan,
climbing the face of an apartment
complex, well, so be it.
To learn more about parkour or start your own campus
club, email Binny Seth at [email protected]
21
Student artists
move into
the world of
professional art
{
J OEY M ANGO
}
By Gabe Seder > Junior > George Washington University > history & international affairs
PHOTOS FOR MANGO & JACKSON RYDER HASKE / PHOTO FOR ACEVEDO DAVID WEBSTER > JUNIOR > UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
Theses three juniors balance schoolwork with professional projects as they try to get noticed in the
competitive Art World. Because none are pursuing Fine Art majors, they bring elements of their
studies into their work as they begin creating careers as artists.
The Painter
“People think of artists as like Zen, and all this crap,” Joey Mango says.
“It’s a painful process for me. When I think of the word painting,
the word ‘pain’ is in there, you know?” He says he often
feels like throwing all his work away, but admits he
would never give up painting.
Despite his passion, Mango is content with a
peripheral role he plays among student artists. A
Communication Design junior at the New School
in New York City, Mango devotes his
free time to painting.
“It’s what I do,” he says
simply. His workspace is in
his family’s loft behind his
father’s TriBeCa paint-ing
gallery. Although Mango
only started painting a
few years ago, canvasses
are stacked against walls
and
piled on the floor.
22
Mango admits that he has little contact with other student artists. He’s
never taken an art class, instead learning the basics from his father.
Mango is struggling to get noticed in New York. He explains, “People
who own galleries…I walk in there and they say, ‘We’re booked until
2010’… It’s all about how many shows you’ve had.” He doesn’t see himself
staying in the city much longer. If it were up to him, he’d be “in the woods,
with a trailer and a big barn on some land.”
“It’s not about the money for me,” he says. “I just want to be out
there painting.”
The Slam Poet
Elizabeth Acevedo, a junior at the George Washington University, was
dissatisfied with her school’s art department. She created a new major—
Performance Art—to combine poetry, theater and dance with sociology,
anthropology and other social sciences. Her purpose: “[To] incorporate
every element of creativity, but also make me think analytically,” she says.
Combining traditional poetry, rap, dance, and a distinctly Latino influence, Acevedo’s performances confront anger, frustration, self-respect and
identity–the difficulties faced by the daughter of Dominican immigrants in
New York City. Her poem “She” tells the story of a girl defining womanhood.
At some point in our lives we find ourselves stuck between what is
known, what is comfortable, and what is unknown, something greater.
In a bilingual piece, Acevedo pounds
her chest, concluding: “To know where
you’re going, you must know where
you come from/I am Dominican.”
Acevedo has been writing poetry,
she explains, since her “ABC days,”
and she even performed in New York
before she began college. For the past
two years, she has appeared at local
venues and supported herself with
paid performances at area universities. She has also organized workshops
to teach community women to write
poetry and worked with university
multi-cultural organizations to promote
the arts. She recently co-founded GW
Grios, a student spoken-word group,
which she hopes will bring her into the
artistic mainstream.
Elizabeth Acevedo says that her
experience performing in the area is
preparing her for the future. “When
I perform, I like to ask for payment
just because I try to be professional.
I want to be a poet professionally and
be my own business manager.” For now, “an album would be the desired
thing, to go in the studio and bang out nine, ten tracks.”
{
The Filmmaker
“At some point in our lives we find ourselves stuck between what is known,
what is comfortable, and what is unknown, something greater.” So starts
Hollow, University of Maryland junior Laurence Jackson’s first featurelength film. The movie depicts how the poor choices made by a group of
college students come back to haunt them in the form of substance abuse,
eating disorders, depression, and so on.
Jackson had already made several
short films and even launched his own
production company in high school,
but he was disappointed to find that
Maryland offered no filmmaking program.
Rather than give up the hobby, he immediately began production on Hollow and
jumpstarted UMD Films, a student
organization dedicated to making
different forms of film including documentaries, mini-series, and shorts.
Two years later, UMD Films boasts
almost 60 members, two finished
films, and four more in progress.
“I’m pretty spiritual, and
so a lot of my films reflect that,”
Jackson says, a promotional
poster from his latest work, the
miniseries
“Etiology,”
tacked
behind his desk. “I try real hard not
E LI Z A BE TH ACE V E DO
}
to impose meaning, but I want people to see it and to think about choices
they make.” Jackson says that his participation with student ministries and
missions has influenced his art.
Jackson studies business. He hopes the major will help him expand
his production company when he graduates. In the meantime, he
continues to write, direct, and produce through UMD Films. He is considering studying film in graduate school in New York City, but admits that he
prefers developing independently. “I’m not much of a follower—I mean, I
don’t always follow the rules,” he told me. “I’m much more like, ‘Let’s just
go do it. Let’s go play.’”
{
L AURENCE JAC K S ON
}
23
major Inspirations
By Janeane Lage > Junior > English > William Jewell College
John Sloan Dickey, a former president of Dartmouth College, once said, “The college undergraduate is a lot of things—many of them as familiar,
predictable and responsible as the bounce of a basketball, and others as startling (and occasionally disastrous) as the bounce of a football.”
College is our time to explore, learn from those around us, and redefine ourselves over and over again. The freedom and range of options can be
intimidating, but as these five students show, you can take any number of paths to the end.
Kevin Kirk, University of Maryland
Sophomore Kevin Kirk is an inspiration to undecided majors everywhere, actively pursuing a
career despite having yet to declare a major. Instead, he’s pursuing life outside the classroom by
participating in four business-related clubs including Hinman CEOS and the Maryland Undergraduate
Society of Entrepreneurs. He even runs his own retail company, A Slice of Paradise, which sells fashionable accessories at women’s sporting events. He started the company in high school selling hemp
bracelets at his sister’s lacrosse tournaments; it has now grown to a 20×10 booth setup with four
product lines.
After Kirk won the most popular business vote at a contest for young entrepreneurs sponsored
by Under Armor CEO Kevin Plank, Plank personally offered Kirk an internship—one of 50 positions
among a field of 2,500 applicants—because he was so impressed with Kirk’s passion and business
model. “I was going to inquire about interning anyway,” Kirk explains, “because I had looked into
the summer internship online, but it said that only rising juniors, seniors and graduates would be
accepted—no exceptions. So he simply asked me to intern for UA before I could ask him.”
Kirk’s initiative earned him more than just an internship. It earned him a mentor. “I definitely look
up to Kevin because, beyond having a lot in common, he simply has created an incredible business,
and I hope to aspire to do the same in my future.”
Allison Fox, Indiana University
If you met Allison Fox today, you would be surprised to find this senior was once a shy and
unpopular teen from the small town of Sarasota, FL. It wasn’t until she entered college that Fox found
her niche and broke out of her shell by taking on a major leadership position. She began her college
career wanting to explore her options, but after taking some business courses that she wasn’t fond
of, she rediscovered her roots: retail—her family’s business for generations. It looks like the tradition
won’t stop with her.
Now majoring in apparel merchandising and minoring in business, Fox has channeled her
passion for retail to help her grow in ways that she never would have expected. The shy outsider is
now a community leader, the vice president of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a service learning
club where students form teams on their campuses and develop community outreach projects.
Says Fox, “Being in SIFE has made me a very good leader, and a lot stronger person than I used
to be… passion is the key to all I do. Passion for what I study, for what I do, and the community I give
back to.”
Eleanor Seavey, George Washington University
While many of us spend our first years in college floundering from department to department,
Eleanor Seavey knew her calling as early as high school. After spending her junior year studying in
Reggio Emilia, Italy, immersed in the local high school, rich Italian culture, and fabulous food, she
emerged with a thirst for the exotic.
“I met people in my program from all over the world,” Seavey says, “and the political, historical, and cultural knowledge that I gained upon those meetings compelled me to search for a major
that included those disciplines.”
She settled on combining an international affairs major with a concentration on Europe and
Eurasia with a minor in Italian literature for good measure. Outside the classroom, she’s worked as
a research and administrative assistant for Pulitzer Prize-nominee and human rights advocate Kevin
Bales, one of the world’s leading experts on modern slavery and the president of Free the Slaves,
an American nonprofit.
Seavey states that her major encompasses a variety of subjects, including anthropology, geography, political science, statistics, history and economics. “That flexibility allows my ideas to change
as I grow more as a student and a citizen of the world.”
WINTER 2008
from the field
to fashion
fame
Let’s Go Back
to College with
Under Armour’s
CEO, Kevin Plank
By Scott Kaptur > Senior > Journalism >
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN PLANK
I was just a football player who never liked the weight of my cotton t-shirt that I was issued by the
equipment manager. So the idea was, “What if someone made a t-shirt that was a synthetic-like material,
that wouldn’t hold the moisture, but more importantly wouldn’t hold the moisture’s weight?
25
Back to College with Kevin Plank
An entrepreneur long before he had even heard the word, Kevin Plank
was shoveling snow while other kids his age had snowball fights, and selling
bracelets at concerts while others got wasted and played air guitar.
This year, his sports apparel company, Under Armour, which he founded
his senior year at the University of Maryland, is expected to make $800
million. The idea stemmed from playing football for the Terrapins. The
t-shirt he wore under his pads would get soaked with sweat and the water
he poured over his head during the game. Plank knew there had to be a
better way. College Magazine spoke with this student-to-CEO success story
about college, crab cakes, and football.
Q&A
College Magazine:
What do you remember most about
college? What did you enjoy?
Kevin Plank:
Oddly enough I enjoyed going to class.
I guess something I enjoyed about
Maryland is that it’s such a diverse group
of people. There’s nothing better than
having class on one side of the quad
then walking across to the student union;
people are out smiling, playing Frisbee.
CM: That’s what you miss the most
about college?
KP: There’s lots of things—it’s college for
crying out loud! You have no responsibilities, no work. Figuring out what you’re
doing Saturday night is probably the most
important topic you have outside of your
studies and economics and grades…
CM: How did you settle on your major?
KP: I always loved business, and it was
important for me to get into business
school. From the time I was seven or eight
years old I was shoveling snow whenever there was snow outside and they
cancelled school, or mowing lawns in the
summer. And starting my own company
was something I had always envisioned I
was going to do.
There were actually three things I was
thinking about doing: I was thinking about
the rose business, and I was also thinking
about doing this crab cake business that
would travel with the PGA tour, or doing
this t-shirt thing.
CM: The rose business?
KP: They said [a student-athlete] couldn’t
have a job, but they didn’t say anything
about not having your own business. So
I grabbed the yellow pages and found a
wholesaler up in Baltimore, [and] I found
out that I could get flowers at 25 cents a
26
stem. And I could basically build a dozen
flowers for five or six bucks. I set out
to sell 100 dozen flowers my freshman
year. So I got the Visa machine running
through the dorm room, myself and my
girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife.
She helped me with customer service and
answering phones and taking orders.
My freshman year we delivered 100 dozen
flowers…my senior year we had four
phone lines, 12 people selling the flowers,
15 drivers, and we delivered nearly 1,200
dozen flowers. And the problem with that
is that we set out to deliver 1,500 flowers.
And I lost a ton of money that year
too. But I learned some pretty valuable
lessons.
CM: How did you balance the rose
business, being an athlete and your
schoolwork?
KP: I used to not sleep much. In fact,
when I would do the roses I would stay up
anywhere from two to three days straight.
It wasn’t healthy, don’t get me wrong.
CM: So how did you come up with the
idea for Under Armour?
KP: I was just a football player who never
liked the weight of my cotton t-shirt that
I was issued by the equipment manager.
A cotton t-shirt dry weighs about six
ounces, when it’s wet it can weigh up to
three pounds. So the idea was, “What
if someone made a t-shirt that was a
synthetic-like material, that wouldn’t
hold the moisture, but more importantly
wouldn’t hold the moisture’s weight?”
CM: How did you go about finding a
fabric that would do what you wanted
it to do?
KP: I didn’t. I just started out with the
concept of a fabric, which was similar to
what I wore in my compression shorts…I
went to Jo-Ann’s fabrics and I bought as
much fabric as they had. I took that fabric
to a local tailor, and brought him a tight
little white t-shirt and said, “can you make
me as many t-shirts that look like this, but
made out of this material.”
CM: What advice would you offer to
students who want to start their own
business?
KP: Probably the best advice that I ever
heard was from friend of mine’s father who
owned the patent on the twenty-five-year
light bulb…[He] said, “Kid, do yourself a
favor, and find out if your product can sell.
And if it can sell, do it faster, do it better
than anyone else and the rest will always
take care of itself.”
CM: Did you intern anywhere while you
were in college?
KP: My internships were things like the
rose business. And I used to sell t-shirts at
concerts when they came through town.
CM: So you sold shirts at Greadful Dead
and Rolling Stones concerts—were you
a big fan?
KP: I think I sold at 15 or 20 Grateful
Dead shows, I went inside one concert.
I like them, it was good, but that was
probably enough. But the Rolling Stones,
sure, of course.
CM: Who do you listen to now?
KP: I’m a little old school. I love U2, probably my favorite band to see live. I like
the new guys too; I like Green Day and
Matchbox 20. And I like O.A.R; O.A.R is
a good group of guys from Maryland. I
played golf with the lead singer; he’s a
really good guy. He’s a hell of a golfer too.
CM: Marc Roberge? What’s he shoot?
KP: He’s probably a 12 handicap.
Probably a little better, maybe a 10.
CM: Aside from golf, what else does a
young CEO do in his downtime?
KP: I like thoroughbred horses a lot so I’ve
got a horse farm. We’ve got some horses
and we’re gonna win the Triple Crown
here some day.
CM: Does the horse wear Under Armour?
KP: We haven’t made a shirt for a horse
yet, but it’s definitely on my list of things to
do. We have to make one for a dog first.
CM: What are your personal goals?
KP: Being a good man, being a good
father, being a good husband. All those
things play into just being a good guy.
I think the ability to leave a legacy in a
brand that has the potential to live for
generations, that’s exciting to me.
CM: What do you attribute your
success to?
KP: One question I always get is, “Did you
ever think this could happen?”… I always
answer the same way. I never believed
that it couldn’t happen. I was always smart
enough to be naïve enough to not know
what we could not accomplish.
the sports
Careers
Playbook
By Scott Kaptur > Senior > Journalism >
University of Maryland, College Park / PHOTO RYDER HASKE
N
ot everyone can make a living as a professional athlete or self-made mogul
like Kevin Plank from Under Armour, but fields like sports representation
and management, sports medicine, and sports journalism all put you right
in the middle of the action. Competition for the jobs off the field, however, is as
fierce as the battles on it.
“The sports world is growing, and every day more people are applying,” says
Matt Ritchie, a senior sports management major at Oklahoma State University. The
key to standing out in a job market saturated with applicants, he says, is getting an
early start. Ritchie is a veteran intern of four very different sports settings; his resume
includes internships with D.C. United, Washington D.C.’s professional soccer team,
as well as the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
While he’s now actually turning down internships with pro teams he would
have killed for previously, Ritchie says it wasn’t long ago that he was spending hours
each day applying. He sent out 60 applications and was rejected 59 times before
getting a call from D.C. United.
Sue Frentz, a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland, spent the
summer interning with ESPN. Like Ritchie, she had solid experience before moving
up to the big show, but, while an encyclopedic knowledge of sports stats might
impress your friends, Frentz says that if you want to stand out in Bristol, you need a
strong work ethic. “I’ve never seen so much ‘I’m-so-happy-to-come-in-even-thoughI’m-going-to-work-until-4a.m.’ They really love what they do,” Frentz says of her
coworkers.
And it’s ultimately that passion, combined with a competitive attitude, that
you need to make it in the sports world. “I’m a go-getter,” Frentz says, “I want to
reach as high as possible.” Ritchie, who hopes to be general manager of a pro
team someday, believes himself to
be the most motivated person he’s
ever encountered.
Just like on the field, you’ve got
to give it your all and never give up.
“Even after the fifty-ninth rejection
letter,” Ritchie says, “that sixtieth
one could be an acceptance.”
I’ve never seen so much ‘I’m-so-happy-tocome-in-even-though-I’m-going-to-workuntil-4a.m.’ They really love what they do.
Sports After Graduation
Interested in a career in sports? Check out these options to see what’s right for you.
Sports Marketing
Connecting sports fans’
wallets with the advertisers
who love them.
Daily Tasks: Talk on the
phone. A lot. Brainstorm and
coordinate promotions and
events. Negotiate. Close.
Requires: Charisma.
Determination.
The Catch: Ten no’s for
every yes.
Sports Management and
Representation
Sports Medicine/
Physical Therapy
Helping athletes and teams
navigate the legal world.
Maximizing the abilities of the
human body.
Daily Tasks: Negotiate.
Also, read and understand
contracts—hideously
complicated contracts. Make
other people lots
of money.
Daily Tasks: Help others
exercise—from pros to
children and the elderly.
Convince people to do
painful and uncomfortable
things.
Requires: A J.D. or an M.B.A.
Preferably both.
Requires: Experience.
Patience. Eventually, a
license.
The Catch: You probably are
not evil, and you probably
never will be. Good luck
convincing someone else of
that once you’re an “agent.”
The Catch: Smelly people
need exercise too.
Sports Outreach
Sports Journalism
Using sports to make the
world a better place.
Telling people what’s
happening and why they
should care.
Daily Tasks: Remain upbeat,
at all times. Play with kids.
Convince people, even
people with millions and
millions of dollars, to care.
Ask for money.
Requires: Energy.
Determination. Charisma.
The Catch: Kids can be
fun. They can also be
irresponsible, temperamental
and immature—just like
professional athletes.
Daily Tasks: Write. Speak.
Ask questions. Never sleep.
Requires: An eye for detail.
An ear for a good quote.
The ability to at least look
trustworthy.
The Catch: Steroids. Point
shaving. “Spygate.” Actually,
Bill Belicheck in general. Labor
disputes. Guns, stripclubs
and other things that should
never mix.
27
By Dan Morrison > Senior > Journalism > University of Maryland, College Park
don’t freak out
They’re Just
Finals
PHOTO REBECCA DEPREY > SENIOR > BUSINESS, MARKETING > UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
F
inals can creep up on you. Sure it feels
like the semester has just begun, but
before you know it, you’re halfway through your classes and not nearly halfway through
your studying. Feeling stressed out and overmatched is normal, but the key is to relax, take a deep
breath and focus. It’s time to learn over two months’ worth of material in two weeks.
Dr. Michael Dougherty, an Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of
Maryland, lays down the law on how to crack your finals by advocating the method of “distributive
practice,” which calls for spreading out your studying material over time. So, if you have a ton of
reading to catch up on, make a list of chapters you want to cover and assign one each day.
“Cramming just gives you a momentary boost and you’re unlikely to retain that information for very long. Learning the material over a long period of time results in better retrieval of
information,” Dougherty says.
And don’t be afraid to take note of your surroundings while studying, too. According
to Dougherty, “contextual information,” like the location and time of day you study, can help
your recall.
If it’s a subject you can discuss, like a theory or historical topic, try explaining the concept
to a friend from class. Teaching the material will reinforce your own understanding of it. But be
sure to study by yourself first and only then join in study groups so you’re not the weak link.
You want to be the one that can answer others’ questions.
Dougherty also suggests finding a quiet place to study. “Most students think that
listening to music while studying helps them focus,” he explains, “while it’s actually distracting
their mind away from the material.”
If you utilize these tips and stay focused for the next couple weeks, you might just be
able to save a lost semester or even polish off that 4.0.
By Jaren Love > Junior > Government and Politics > University of Maryland, College Park
the local SCRATCH
Are you tired of listening to that same mediocre, scratched-up mix CD that your ex-girlfriend’s
sister accidentally left in your car? Then consider a few of these up and coming regional
musical selections to make your life a little more interesting.
DELETED SCENES
JOEL SEPHY
Originally from Washington, D.C., Deleted
Scenes is an indie rock quartet that now has
members located in both Brooklyn and the
district. The group has a Modest Mouse and
Built to Spill feel, with that certain, inevitable
D.C. punk quality too. The recordings can be
mellow and dreamy, but expect an intense and
electrifying live show, complete with guitar
pedal hopping and nearly spontaneous instrument switching (even mid-song).
myspace.com/deletedscenes
Joel Sephy is a piano player and singer/songwriter based out of both Williamsburg, Virginia,
and College Park, Maryland. With a style reminiscent of Ben Folds, Joel has just put out a new
record entitled Everyday Asshole. Lyrics touch
on subjects as diverse as Henry Kissinger and
Mary Jane from Spiderman. He’s built a fine
collection of songs with great pop hooks and
harmonies.
myspace.com/joelsephy
TRUE WOMANHOOD
According to this one-year-old band’s website,
True Womanhood has already received what
may be indie-rock’s highest honor: Sonic Youth
frontman Thurston Moore owns one of their
stickers. Not to mention, they’re armed with a
live show that includes a straight up challenge to
conventional rock-and-roll percussion—no standard drum kit here, friend. True Womanhood
maintains broad credibility in its songs, with an
electric guitar bowed with an acoustic guitar,
and some strange metal object that resembles a
funnel. If you like the poppier moments of Sonic
Youth and Deerhunter, this band is for you.
myspace.com/truewomanhood
THE DEMON BEAT
Straight out of the West Virginia panhandle, The
Demon Beat is a three-piece rock band from
the quaint college town of Shepherdstown. The
band members mix the White Stripes, AC/DC,
and The Pixies to put on a live show as powerful
as any you’ll ever see, highlighted by the group’s
intense stage presence, guitar chops and vocal
delivery of frontman Adam Meisterhans and
the sophisticated rhythms of bassist Tucker
Riggleman and drummer Jordan Hudkins. The
Demon Beat has a new EP coming out this fall
and plays in the Baltimore area.
myspace.com/thedemonbeat
{
DELE TED SCENES
}
Photo courtesy of Deletec Scenes
PLAYGROUND ETIQUETTE
By Jenny Poist > Senior > Architecture >
This four-member ensemble formed out of a
common goal, “to come together and have
people enjoy the music and themselves.”
Playground Etiquette’s powerful female
vocals leave them reminiscent of bands like
Evanescence, adding a different flavor to the
more grungy sound the group otherwise seeks
to embody. This past spring, the group earned
a live appearance on 98 Rock’s Local Licks, a
weekly radio spot for up-and-coming artists. If
the big shots know what they’re doing, these
guys might be refining your jungle-gym manners
for a while.
myspace.com/playgroundetiquette
Heavy D Trades Hip-Hop for Hemp
Why a giant (literally) of the rap game in the early 90’s turned to reggae. And
the interview where he convinces us that students will dig his new stuff.
By Brian Cognato > Senior > English and Government >
University of Maryland, College Park / PHOTO COURTESY OF HEAVY D
When Heavy D first approached us about his new album Vibes, we were a little skeptical. After all, when Heavy first cracked the Billboard Top 100, the oldest member
of our staff was two years old. But then he sent us his new album—for free. “Hm,”
we thought. “Maybe this guy really does understand the college music fan.” We
listened, and we liked. Not only had “Hev” crafted a thoroughly chillable reggae
album, but it was unlike anything of his we had heard before. Twenty years after the
“The Overweight Lover” entered the pop culture world, he had thrown caution to
the wind and reinvented himself. “I wanted to challenge myself and do things that
people won’t expect,” says Heavy. The campus community, we trust, can relate.
Check out the interview, tracks and videos online at collegemagazine.com.
29
STUDENT Column
By Alyssa Walker >Junior > Journalism > Towson University
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALYSSA WALKER
I traded in the lace socks and
frilly dresses early in life. My
sports experiences started with
ballet around age three, but I was
bored with tutu’s and drag-queen
makeup by five. Figure skating came next,
but honestly, I was more interested in the hockey
lessons going on down the rink. From there, all
was lost and a little girl never turned back.
Around eight or nine, I put on my first pair of hockey skates—CCM
Supertacks, which to this day are still the best skates I ever had. It was love;
I felt like Cinderella putting on the glass slipper, only a little more kickass. I
spent the next seven years being the only girl on my hockey team, followed
by a three year stint in girls
AAA, leading the league
in penalty minutes my last
three years. I was actually
cut in my freshman year of
college solely for being too
physical. Bollocks. It’s not
my fault that when I come
charging at you, you stand
there and let me knock you
on your ass and off the puck,
and it’s not my fault that
while playing lacrosse in high
school, I was forced to play
in goal because I got carded
twice in my first game for
illegal body checking.
When my time in the
girl’s AAA league ended, I
signed a lifetime contract
with the local “beer league.”
Negotiations are still up
in the air for this coming
season—I’m holding out
for four beers per game,
unlimited use of everyone
else’s clear sock tape and help skate-tying whenever I ask. I was recently
informed by my captain that my contract is voided once I hit 100 penalty
minutes for the season; then it is back to buying my own tape and playing
hockey sober. Again, it’s not my fault I can make grown men cry.
Since being drafted to the beer leagues for the rest of my life,
watching, reading, writing and following sports in general has helped me
keep my competitive edge (read: I may or may not be wearing eye black
right now). I spent my sophomore year at the University of Maine, and the
best part of that was Division I hockey. Maine is to Black Bear hockey as
Ohio State is to Buckeye football. I spent most of my Friday and Saturday
nights standing in line with 6,000 fellow “Maine-iacs” in below-freezing
weather, often paired with snow and winds sweeping down from Canada,
just to see if we could get in to watch the Black Bears do battle.
It was strange being at a school where football and basketball were
second rate sports, after growing up in an area where those were the only
sports. Maine’s teams weren’t bad, they just weren’t National Champions
and frequenters of the Frozen
Four (hockey’s equivalent to
the Final Four), but so far, no
sport-watching
experience
has been better than a Maine
hockey game. The intensity
watching and waiting for the
pep band to come in playing
our fight song, the techno
music during warm-ups,
cheering “Big Ben Bishop”
when the announcer introduced our fearless goalie, that first drop of the puck on the clean
smooth ice: it gave me chills every time. And it was not just because it was
-3 outside.
After earning more penalty minutes than anyone you’ll ever meet,
hitting the ice until my knees completely deteriorate away, and just being
a fan, I don’t think anything can sum up my college sports career up better
than a quote I read a long time ago but can’t quite place anymore: “Behind
the athlete you’ve become, the hours of practice, the coaches who pushed
you, the teammates who believed in you, and the fans who cheered for
you, is the little girl who picked up a stick, who fell in love with the game,
and never looked back.”
HOW TO PLAY:
Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through
9 without repetition. Check your answers at collegemagazine.com.
©JFS/KF – Dist. by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
WINTER 2008
with the Sexy
Professor…
We Mean Sex
Professor
By Matthew Castner
Adventures in
Dorm Room Dating
By Ashley Nolan > Journalism > Senior > University of Maryland, College Park
PHOTO RYDER HASKE
S
neaking out the second floor of your
parents’ house on a Saturday night to
meet up with a potential fling “is like,
so high school.” This is college: the place for
convenient, high-rise romances.
From the moment your teary-eyed parents
pull away from the parking lot, you’re basically
at the helm of your own ship, and in a place like
College Park, this ship happens to be inhabited
by 30,000 or so undergraduate students who
are potential mates in the dating pool.
Take Brittany, a 19-year-old freshman
journalism major who has been hooking up
with someone from her floor since week one.
Snuggled in a pink University of Maryland throw
blanket with a stylish white headband to pull
back her hair, she recounted the past month as
if she had been dating her beau for years.
“We met at the end of the first week of
classes after a loud, Thursday night of drinking
in the dorm and going to the ERC for late night
indoor swimming,” she said. “We had our first
kiss a little after that,” she added with a grin,
“It’s convenient… I’m not gonna lie.”
Since their
first meeting in
the dorm, the
pair has traveled
to his Delaware
beach
house
and even met
one
another’s
families. They’ve
agreed to a
non-exclusive
relationship for
the time being,
but she admits
he is afraid of
commitment.
Apparently, he’s scared of “establishing titles”
in their relationship, “but so am I,” Brittany
quickly adds. “We figured we can live near each
other in the dorm and know that the person will
always be there regardless if we stop hooking
up or not. For now, it’s just really fun and very
convenient.”
Most dorm dwellers were hesitant to
disclose their identities, but they unanimously
agreed that convenience was their main motivation, and, not surprisingly, that can sometimes
lead to misunderstandings…A freshman from
Manhattan explains, “A friend of mine was
hooking up with a guy on our floor and initially
thought it was more serious and exclusive.
It turns out, he was super flirty at the bar and
never wanted a relationship at all.”
Sarah, a senior biology major, began
dating a fellow on-campus apartment resident
in January 2007 after living in the same building
as friends for two previous semesters. “The guy
I dated was fun to be around, and dating was
safe and convenient. Instead of walking around
College Park to meet up, I’d just get some exercise using the stairs,” she said. The pair was
inseparable for a year and a half before they
broke up in January 2008 after she caught him
with another girl.
“Living so close had its drawbacks, we’d
bump into each other when bringing other
people back from the bars. Of course, it became
awkward to visit his apartment and hang out as
a group like we used to. After we broke up, it
felt like I had lost my whole network of friends
in the building,” she said. The pair eventually
mended their differences.
No male students were willing to contribute
to this article. I have no idea why.
Dr. Robin Sawyer is a professor of health and
human sexuality at the University of Maryland,
the author of Sexpertise: Real Answers to
Real Questions About Sex, and the writer
and producer of four films on human sexuality. Bow-chicka-wow-wow. He’s also College
Magazine’s go-to answer man for all those
questions we like to pretend we know the
answers to. Girls were on top last issue, but
now Dr. Sawyer takes a look at some, um,
harder questions.
Q: How many times can a guy climax in
one go?
A: I think the most I’ve heard of is 30 times in
one day, but that would kill a man. It’s really
an equation of age, how much you’ve been
drinking, the attractiveness of your partner
[and] physical fitness.
Q: Can men masturbate too much?
A: [Laughs] Men can never masturbate too
much. I think it might be too much if it gets
in the way of your job or your studies.
Q: What’s the most unique sex-related
injury you’ve heard of?
A: Wayne Bobbit. The removal of a man’s
penis is pretty hard to top.
Q: How can drugs affect men’s sex drive?
A: Many of the illicit drugs seem to have a
placebo effect with regard to sex; i.e., if
you think or believe the sex will be better,
it could be. It’s less about the pharmacological content of the drug and more about
the self-fulfilling prophecy. Some folks think
sex on marijuana is great, while others fall
asleep! More Sex Questions?
Do you have a question for College Mag’s
sex professor? Send it to us at tellus@
collegemagazine.com and we’ll do our best to
expose the answer. Unless it’s about our own
sex lives…in which case the answer is yes.
31

22 - College Magazine

Transcription

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