WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2012

VOLUME 98ISSUE 22

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WEDNESDAYHigh 79, Low 66ThURSDAY

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INSIDE

Student designer gives advice PAGE 2

Task force will miss task at hand PAGE 4

Brown Bag is a hitPAGE 6

Courtesy of SMU

President R. Gerald Turner announced plans to launch a task force on sexual misconduct policies after two sexual assaults arrests within the last month.

SPORTS

Associated Press

Marlen Esparza won a bronze medal in the London 2012 Olympics.

Olympic boxer Marlen Esparza hits the Hilltop

ABRIL MURILLOContributing Writer

amurillovill@smu.edu

College Hispanic American Students (CHAS), Multicultural Student affairs, and the Women’s Center brought Olympic boxer Marlen Esparza to the SMU campus Monday evening. Esparza used her boxing experience to teach audience members how to knockout stereotypes and insecurities.

As she walked to the podium, it was hard to believe that this 5-foot-3-inch woman sponsored by Coca-Cola, CoverGirl and Nike holds the highest winning record of all male and female boxers. Esparza began her lecture recounting her biography and plans for the future.

Esparza began boxing when she was only 11 years old. She and her father used to watch boxing all the time and were big fans of Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

“I used to think that watching boxing was what everyone else did, that it was

normal and that Chavez was boxing,” Esparza said.

Esparza’s father wanted her two brothers to become professional boxers. The two brothers tried the sport, but did not want to make a career out of it. Esparza saw this as the perfect opportunity to enter the ring.

Esparza asked her father to let her watch her brothers practice. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, she approached a coach and asked him if he could train her. The coach, underestimating her potential because of her gender, redirected Esparza to his assistant.

Esparza went to the gym every day. Her determination managed to get the coach’s attention and he later agreed to train her. The sport turned into Esparza’s passion and life. She sacrificed unhealthy food, partying, school and other activities to become the No. 1 boxer in the United States.

Even though she made the audience laugh for most of the evening with her “brutally honest” personality, she also put the audience in an emotional mood

See hURDLES page 3

TIM WELChSenate Beat Writertwelch@smu.edu

The Student Senate agenda this week consisted of several news-related issues and announcements. Of particular import was the status of the Scholarship Committee.

President Alex Mace addressed an area of concern: “A member of our chamber has been accused of some serious allegations, and is no longer a member of the chamber.”

He was referring to the former chair of the Scholarship Committee, John David Mahaffey, who was arrested for sexual assault last Tuesday.

Mace further said that “this is a really hard time for us all [because] we were all connected to him with friendships, groups, fraternities,” and that “there are resources on campus to us help cope with this.”

He then advised the senators to refer all media statements to him.

The chair’s absence came at an important time for the Scholarship

Committee. Currently, graduate and undergraduate Student Senate scholarships are open for applications to non-first-year students with SMU GPAs and applications are due Friday. Thus, the vacancy needs to be filled quickly.Shay McDonald, the vice-chair of the Scholarship Committee, was elected by the Senate as the new chairperson, thus filling the empty slot.

In her address to the chamber, she gave a casual update and asked the senators to inform their constituents about the scholarship Facebook event. She also reiterated that the scholarship awards are based on financial need and academic merit, and that they benefit everyone.

In other news, President Mace introduced the Senate’s new page, Winston, to the chamber. It’s his job to pass notes between the senators – since they can’t have laptops, cellphones or other electronic media in session.

Sen. Preston Hutcherson announced that he is assisting. David Doyle, the head of the University Honors Program, and William Tsutsui, the dean of Dedman College, in establishing a Student Advisory Board to Dedman College. The nascent board will require the presence of two more senators, and will be responsible for meeting occasionally with the dean and discussing upcoming events.

Senate Sponsor Jennifer Jones congratulated Sen. Christian Genco on his success at the talent show this

past weekend, presenting him with a banana, an apple and a peach. Genco’s talent was “musical eating,” in which he made musical notes by eating different pieces of fruit and stringing it into a song.

Student Concerns Chair Christos Patelis informed the chamber about a town hall meeting at the end of this month: “It’s a forum to address pertinent issues through Q&A,” Patelis said. President Mace, SMU Vice President of Student Affairs Lori White, SMU Chief of Police Richard Shafer and others will comprise a panel at this town hall.

Organizations Committee Chair Jacob Watts announced that Texas Freedom Network (TFN) has been granted Probationary Status and INFORMS has been granted Temporary Status; both organizations are thus legitimized at SMU. TFN is a non-partisan organization that seeks to educate young people about political issues in Texas and register voters. INFORMS is a professional engineering organization for management science majors.

A dropbox on the Senate webpage will be created within the next week for students to offer suggestions to amending the Student Code of Conduct. Recommendations will be presented to the chamber by Student Body Secretary Katherine Ladner, and Senate will then vote on the suggestions. The deadline for suggestion entries is in November.

JULIE FANChERhALEY ThAYER

Staff Writersjfancher@smu.eduhthayer@smu.edu

Associated Press

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney will debate against President Barack Obama Wednesday evening.

KATELYN GOUGhNews Editor

kgough@smu.edu

Mahaffey arrest changes Senate landscape

The nation will enter the final stretch of this year’s presidential race with the first of four debates tonight.

President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney will address domestic and foreign policies during the hour-and-a-half debates which will be aired live on television as well as on live online streams.

The debates will offer Romney, who has recently fallen in polls, to gain

ground against Obama in key battleground states.

The next four weeks will be imperative for both candidates as they come out of a period during which many Americans had no first-choice candidate.

“There’s nobody right now lighting it up…but neither of them are so bad that there’s this swell of dissatisfaction,” Dennis Simon, a political science professor at SMU, said.

Calvin Jillson, also a professor in the department, said this kind of indifference toward candidates may not be reason for concern, but the candidates’ performances

during the debates will be essential nonetheless.

“Compelling candidates like Kennedy in 1960, Reagan in 1980, and Obama in 2008 are uncommon.” Jillson said.

Both professors said that Romney in particular will need to use the debates to redeem his campaign after numerous set backs throughout the past months.

Junior Daniel Brock seconded that belief.

“Romney has one last chance to prove his credentials to the country and that will be during the

Romney needs good debate showing

See ISSUES page 3

POLITICSREPRESENTATION

President R. Gerald Turner announced Friday night that a task force on sexual misconduct policies and procedures would be created in response to the recent arrests of two SMU students. His announcement has many wondering if the current judicial panel system will continue to handle felony-level cases.

Under the current policy outlined in the SMU Student Handbook, students accused of any conduct-related violations — ranging from alcohol infractions to academic

dishonesty to sexual assaults — are brought to the University Conduct Review board.

According to the handbook, the Conduct Review Board is a panel made up of three students, a member of the faculty and a staff member. A panel is convened to determine whether accused students broke conduct codes.

The Handbook also states all members of the panel apply for their positions and are then selected from a pool when the Conduct Board is hearing a case. The handbook continues to state, “Every attempt will be made to ensure that board members reflect the full diversity of the university.”

“Title IX requires universities to

have an internal grievance process for incidents of sexual misconduct. The student conduct code and process, similar to those at other universities across the country, serves as SMU’s internal grievance process,” Lori White, vice president of Student Affairs, said.

The Conduct Review Board allows both the complainant and defendant to make statements, bring forth evidence, and witnesses. However, neither side is allowed legal counsel during the hearings. The student handbook states that complainants and respondents “may have two people serve as support persons during the conduct hearingfor moral support.”

The panels are not open to the

public and any documents presented are meant to be kept confidential. However, the district attorney and a defense lawyer are allowed to access any information revealed during the panels if the case moves to trial, according to the student handbook.

While this is all happening, the victim can make the decision on whether to go forward with a criminal or civil investigation through the legal system. External legal proceedings are entirely separate from the investigations conducted by the SMU Conduct Board.

“The university recognizes that some violations may be handled concurrently by the university and

Men’s soccer puts streak on line PAGE 5

Turner launches task force on sexual misconduct policies

See REFORM page 3

Police ReportsSEPTEMBER 3012:39 a.m. Criminal Mischief. Binkley Parking Garage. A gate arm was damaged at this location. Closed.

1:03 a.m. Criminal Mischief. Owens Art Center Parking Lot. A gate arm was damaged at this loca-tion. Closed.

OcTOBER 1

Campus Events

4:21 a.m. Criminal Mischief. McFarlin Auditorium. A broken win-dow was reported at this location. Open.

1:13 p.m. Theft. Main Quad. Chi Omega Sorority reported the theft of its Greek letters from the lawn in front of Dallas Hall on Sept. 15 between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Open.

WEDNESDAYOctober 3

THURSDAYOctober 4

FRIDAYOctober 5

Brown Bag Dance Series in the Bob Hope Theatre Lobby in the Owen Arts Center from noon to 1 p.m.

Presidential Debate Series in O’Donnell Auditorium in the Owen Arts Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Brown Bag Dance Series in the Bob Hope Theatre Lobby from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Engineering Connections Technol-ogy Career Fair in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Brown Bag Dance Series in the Bob Hope Theatre lobby from noon to 1 p.m.

The MWE Plays the Classics: Meadows Wind Ensemble in Caruth Auditorium from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

8:31 a.m. Theft. Technology Tent at SMU vs. TCU Football Game near McFarlin Auditorium. A 55-inch TV monitor was stolen from this location. Open.

11:11 p.m. Criminal Mischief. Heroy Lot. A gate arm was damaged at this location. Open.

courtesy of Kira Plastinina

STYLE The Daily Campus WEDNESDAY n OcTOBER 3, 20122INTERVIEW

SMU’s very own celebrity: Kira PlastininaHILLARY SCHMIDT

Style Editor hjschmidt@smu.edu

Kira Plastinina, a junior at SMU studying communications, French and fashion media, has certainly proven herself as a young international designer.

Where are you from?Moscow. I lived there all my life

and went to an American school in Moscow. I moved to the U.S. a few years ago.

When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?

I was always interested in fashion design and clothing, ever since I was young. I started with dressing up my dolls. When I got a dog, I started dressing it up too. I then started creating clothes for myself and my friends.

How long have you worked as a designer?

Since I was 14 — that was when my first collection came out.

What do you like best about designing clothes?

Every time I design, I design for myself. Every garment I create, I try on. I make sure the fabric feels good, the fit is comfortable and the overall effect is flattering. I want my clothes

to be practical.

Describe your brand.My brand’s name is LUBLU

Kira Plastinina. It is a premium contemporary brand that is targeted toward trendy women who are involved in fashion.

I would best describe my lines as feminine, daring and savvy.

What is the meaning of your company name, LUBLU?

It means, “I love” in Russian.

How would you define the style your fall line exemplifies?

When designing the fall collection, I was interested in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and how two consecutive epochs can have completely different styles. So I aMy line has a lot of pieces made from guipure, which is a thick lace fabric. A big part of the fall collection is Art Deco print featuring flamingos, and color blocking.

How would you define your personal style?

My style reflects my every day life. It is pretty relaxed and feminine. You will mostly see me wearing oversized T-shirts and tight jeans. I like to look put together, but not like I tried too hard.

What is your favorite trend this season?

Graphics and prints — I love how people mix and match different prints, or when they wear an outfit with a single print.

Color is another big one. I am really tired of black and white. I also love bulky necklaces.

Who are some of your favorite designers?

Right now I really like the collections from Carven, Pucci, Kenzo, Altuzarra and Proenza Schouler.

What stores do you like to shop at in Dallas?

My favorite is Forty Five Ten. I get a lot of inspiration there and its atmosphere is great.

Where else do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration comes a lot from my life and things that I am doing. The 70s have been inspirational to me for a long time and my first collection revolved around this decade.

What are your favorite fabrics and patterns to work with?

I consider myself more of a dress designer, so silk is one of my favorites. Neoprene is a fabric that is unique to LUBLU and I have been working with it before it became fashionable. I also love experimenting with knit-wear.

Where can readers find your clothes?

There is a store in Los Angeles,

but they can also be found in multi-brand boutiques in New York and Miami.

What are some of your biggest accomplishments?

My brand will be opening our own manufacturer in Russia beginning in time for the spring and summer 2013 collection. Everything for LUBLU will be made in Russia.We’ll have our own in-house production, higher control over quality and more flexibility.

What are some of your fashion-related goals?

Keep on doing what I’m doing, expand, introduce my line to the market in the U.S. and have a bigger presence globally, especially focusing on the Middle East and Asia.

What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?

Be very involved and on top of what’s going on in the fashion world. Read fashion publications so you know what is happening in the industry.

Develop your personal style look at different pictures to see how trends are evolving. Learn how to predict for future years what will be trending.

Have a vision — don’t worry if you can’t draw. Focus on developing your personal style and insight into predicting future trends.Art Deco dresses from her fall line.

Plastinina was recognized as the youngest designer to present a line at Milan Fashion Week.

courtesy of Kira Plastinina

3NEWSThe Daily Campus WEDNESDAY n OCTOBER 3, 2012

when she talked about her hard moments in life. As a Hispanic woman, she had to overcome both racism and discrimination in a largely male dominated sport.

“When I was 18 years old I had a lot of problems; my boxing wasn’t going well,” Esparza said. “I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing and I got really depressed to the point where I was contemplating suicide.”

Esparza urged the audience to pursue their dreams even if “it doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world.”

“Even though people can’t see your vision,” she said, “if you keep doing it, they will eventually get it.”

Esparza said that success can only be achieved after failure, and when family and God are used as main motivations. She overcame her insecurities and fought against

stereotypes that were holding her down to make female boxing a respectable sport.

The bronze medalist redirected her attention to the audience by telling them to raise their hands if they were the first students in their families to attend college. At least half of the room raised their hands.

“That right there is beautiful, it just says so much and is worth everything,” Esparza said.

conTinued from page 1

HurdLeS: Esparza pushes students to think bigdebates,” he said.

Brock also said that “the Romney campaign has practiced and prepared more for these debates than any other campaign” and predicted that “if Romney out-performs President Obama in the debates, America will see a real quick chance to the right.”

Up unto this point in the election season, both candidates have focused on the economy and little else beyond that. Many are hoping the debates will push both

Obama and Romney to address issues surrounding foreign policy, healthcare, education and other relevant topics that may have been avoided thus far for fear of losing a certain voting group.

Brock said that Romney’s campaign team is well-aware of the debates particular importance to the Republican party this year.

“The Romney campaign seems to be preparing all their resources for the final stretch of the battle,” he said.

Simon echoed the sentiment

that Romney will be entering the debates with ground to make up.

“Sooner or later [Romney’s] got to shake [it off] and try to go forward,” he said, adding that the debates over the next month will serve this exact purpose.

There will be a free debate watch party Oct. 3 in O’Donnell Auditorium in the Owen Arts Center at 7 p.m. followed by a faculty-led discussion session. These live screenings will continue every Wednesday of October during the debates.

conTinued from page 1

iSSueS: Debates will extend beyond economy, unemployment

LECTURE

On Monday afternoon the

American Constitutionalist Society, in conjunction with the Muslim Law Association and the Human Rights Association, hosted a panel in the Hillcrest Classroom of the Dedman Law School on hate crimes. The panel was comprised of Sahar Aziz, Dave Sidhu, and Rais Bhuiyan.

Aziz, an associate professor at Texas Wesleyan School of Law, discussed the distinction between hate speech and hate crimes in America.

First, she clarified that what constitutes a hate crime is its impetus: when a difference in the victim from the perpetrator – such as race, religion or sexual orientation – is the motivating factor of a crime, a hate crime has occurred.

Hate crimes are a disturbingly common phenomenon. In 2008, the FBI released that 7,783 hate crimes occurred that year, of which 20 percent are estimated to be motivated by religious bias. Indeed, the Southern Poverty Law Center reports that there are 1,018 known hate groups in the United States.

Hate speech is also prevalent in this country – and when directed at Muslims, hate speech is socially accepted.

“Muslims have lost their right to dissent,” Aziz said.

Hate speech is also constitutionally protected under the First Amendment, a uniquely American invention.

But when does hate speech facilitate hate crimes? According to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in the case Virginia v. Black, “Hate propaganda incorporates symbolism, like swastikas, that

demagogues display to rally supporters to action.”

Hate speech must directly instigate a call to pernicious action in order to cross the tenuous line between constitutionally protected assembly and unlawful praxis.

Dave Sidhu, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, stated that American hate crimes laws founded on the basis of the 13th Amendment are under attack. Three white supremacists, who branded a Native American man with swastikas in New Mexico, have challenged Congress’ authority in crafting the hate crimes laws under which they are being prosecuted.

However, Sidhu argued that the extant definitions on hate crimes must broaden. Currently, what makes a hate crime is the ideological drive that precipitated the act in question. Thus, the shooting rampage at the Sikh temple in Oak Lawn, Wis. is not considered a hate crime.

Moreover, Sidhu believes that hate crimes are consonant with terrorism and must be legally defined as such. He said that these

acts of violence, the psychological impetuses of which can’t possibly be known, warrant the “social pejorative” inherent in the title terrorism.

The third and final speaker, Rais Bhuiyan, is a survivor of a hate crime. In 2001, he was shot in the face with a shotgun at a Texas convenience store. The gunman, Mark Stroman, said he wanted “to kill every Muslim [he] could find.”

Bhuiyan survived his attack, and, because of his Islamic religious convictions, forgave his attacker, saying that “God created us all in his image to be compassionate and merciful.” He even went so far as to petition the state of Texas to commute his sentence from death to life in prison. He also traveled to Denmark and successfully exhorted the manufacturer of lethal injection materials to cease supplying American prisons.

His capacity for forgiveness inspired Stroman to apologize for his actions.

Bhuiyan concluded his speech by saying “hate may not affect you today, but it may tomorrow. Stand up against injustice today.”

SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH/The Daily Campus

Law professor Sahar Aziz spoke about hate crimes on Monday.

TIM WELChSenate Beat Writertwelch@smu.edu

Advocates alarmed by rise of hate crimescivil and/or criminal authorities. The criminal court process is separate and distinct from the student conduct review process.”

According to the student handbook, “The conduct review process, determines only violations of the Student Conduct and imposes sanctions within the University community.”

Sanctions can include expulsion, suspension, deferred suspension, probation and restitution as listed in the student handbook.

If a student reports a sexual assault to Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) or the Women’s Center, the victim is presented with his or her options, which include the ability to humanize the situation, Karen Click, director of the Women’s Center, said.

However, panels, which are non-adversarial, do not always lead to conflict resolution. A current case involving student Samuel Donald Cuba was taken to the Dallas County district attorney’s office. He was indicted in mid-September.

Cuba, was first found guilty by a conduct review panel and was held shortly after the alleged assault last February. After requesting an appeal last spring, a second panel found him not guilty.

SMU Student Body President Alex Mace said, “The reason why we have two systems — criminal system and the university review board — is because students have a responsibility to their school.”

SMU is not the only school that has a university conduct review process. In fact, White describes, almost every university — including the five she worked for before coming to SMU — has something

like a Conduct Review Board. A crucial element of the

university review board is the privacy granted to the parties involved, The handbook describes that all panels are not open to the public and are solely held between the complainant, respondent and review board.

“It’s important that we have a private and effective process to deal with these issues,” Mace said.

Turner’s sexual assault task force will determine if the current review system is effective. The task force’s “focus will include not only how sexual misconduct allegations are addressed at SMU, but also how the university can strengthen prevention and education on this important topic.”

White and Kelly Compton, SMU alumna, will chair the task force. Students, faculty, administrators and victims rights advocates will also serve on the task force. President Turner released a statement Monday night saying that the Task Force will also welcome a member of District Attorney Craig Watkins’ office.

“The district attorney and I had a very productive meeting that reaffirmed our good working relationship in dealing with very difficult issues. We are pleased that the SMU Task Force on Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures will benefit from participation by a member of the district attorney’s office, as well as others with specific expertise,” Turner said in a statement on Monday.

“This collaboration will be essential as we reexamine policies and procedures to address what is a challenge among colleges and universities nationwide. We

will continue to work together to ensure that we are closely aligned in our efforts, sharing our common commitment to the welfare and safety of our students.”

Debbie Denmon, director of communications for the Dallas County district attorney’s Office, said that Watkins takes sexual assault very seriously.

“He doesn’t care if people are from a private or public university, if they are rich or poor - he will prosecute to the fullest extent if the defendant is guilty,” Denmon said.

The Cleary Act requires SMU to report yearly statistics of all crime on campus. Every institution has an obligation under the Cleary Act to report sexual assaults when they occur.

According to 2011 Cleary Act statistics, released by President Turner Monday, there have been 10 reported sexual assaults at SMU since 2009.

As student body president, Mace encourages all students to take this time to express how they feel about the alleged recent sexual assaults.

“If people have particular suggestions don’t even hesitate to come to our Senate meetings because we want to make sure that we are addressing these situations effectively,” Mace said.

Student Senate has the power to propose conduct code changes through a conduct revision process. The revision process allows students, faculty and staff to submit revisions to the code of conduct. Students can submit revisions from now until early November.

“I think the events on campus of the last couple of weeks have made people think differently about what is safe and what isn’t,” Mace said.

reform: Panels will be put under scrutinyconTinued from page 1

OPINION The Daily Campus 4

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POLICIES

EdITOrIaL BOard

EdITOrIaL BOard

Potential for success in task force is limited

Opinions expressed in each unsigned editorial represent a consensus decision of the editorial board. All other columns on this page reflect the views of individual authors and not necessarily those of the editorial staff.

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In light of the recent sexual assault cases at SMU, we at The Daily Campus are glad to see that President R. Gerald Turner is appointing a task force to deal with this pressing issue.

We hope that the task force helps reform policy in a significant enough way to affect change, but fear that there are some federal laws that will hinder any true attempts at reform. We notably refer the requirement in Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 that sexual assaults go through the process of a campus judicial system.

Title IX was written with noble intentions, but the current interpretation of its language on sexual assault does not allow for the justice system to work as it should. This understanding of the law allows the schools to prosecute based only on a preponderance of evidence, and without serious penalties beyond expulsion.

The entire process promotes injustice on all sides. The preponderance of evidence requirement, that the likelihood of guilt only has to outweigh the likelihood of innocence, is a much lower burden of proof than would have to be found in a true judicial system, the standard of beyond reasonable doubt. This allows for the accused to be found guilty and punished for a crime that he or she otherwise wouldn’t be in the judicial system. Lawyers are not allowed to be present either.

However, the much more pressing injustice is of course on the victim’s side. When the worst punishment that can be laid down is expulsion, for a crime that could come with significant jail time were it prosecuted in the justice system, this takes away much of the deterrent element of the judicial process.

We fully realize that the mandate for these systems is beyond the control of the university and President Turner’s task force. But they remain central to the current problem. Campus judicial systems do have their place, but certainly shouldn’t have jurisdiction over felonies. They are much better suited to dealing with plagiarism and alcohol code violations.

The goal of the task force is honorable, and we truly hope that they can make some changes that alter the current state of affairs at SMU. But with so much of the process mandated by federal law, the task force would do much better to lobby Congress for structural changes to the Title IX requirement instead of tinkering around the edges like they going to have to now.

One recommendation that we would make to the task force would be for them to be very transparent. There is apparently some question as to how the task force will actually work, but if they’ll be having regular meetings, the minutes from those meetings should be made available to students so they have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proceedings.

One final concern we have is that one of the stated objectives of the task force is to increase education on the issue of sexual assault. We at The Daily Campus are unsure of how this would truly help reduce instances of crime. By the time students reach college age, lack of education on what constitutes sexual assault is no longer a good excuse. No reasonable student would lack knowledge on this particular issue. Spending an extra week or two on sexual assault in Wellness I wouldn’t be helpful.

We do have high hopes for the task force, as we do believe the status quo on sexual assault needs to change drastically. But the status quo has to change at the federal level before it changes at the campus level, and the task force has to recognize the limitations that federal law places on them.

W. Tucker KeeneTashika VarmaRahfin FarukLeila Mustafa

Sidney Hollingsworth Ashley StaintonShelby Foster

Prithvi Rudrappa

WEDNESDAY n OCTOBER 3, 2012

I’ve been looking forward to this year’s presidential debates the same way one might look forward to a root canal. You know it’s going to happen at some point, so you might as well just suck it up, hold your breath and wait for it to be over.

In my younger (and, dare I say, more vulnerable years) I anticipated this event with bated breath. I remember sacrificing schoolwork the nights of the debates in high school so I could not only watch the performance of the candidates but also see what pundits and commentators had to say afterwards. Who doesn’t like being talked at like a toddler while paid commentators and party strategists make clear who “won” based upon the number of times a particular candidate stuttered or used too many colloquialisms? Isn’t democracy just grand?

Maybe I still have debate fatigue from the Republican Primary debates. Maybe I just have election fatigue in general after spending a few weeks in Colorado at the end of summer: where I was unable to turn on the TV without being inundated with ads from Democratic and Republican super PACs during every commercial break. (My favorite is the “Romney Girl” ad based on a parody of the Aqua song “Barbie Girl.” I respected it for at least making me laugh.)

However, my indifference to these debates is not unwarranted. A 2008 Gallup study found that since the beginning of the televised presidential debates in 1960 there have only been two instances where they seemed to have any effect on the actual outcome of the election: Kennedy vs. Nixon in 1960 and Bush vs. Gore in 2000. Incidentally, both of those races were so close that it’s almost impossible to attribute the winners’ successes to their performance during the debates

any more than you could the tidiness of their hair or suits.

The theme for this week’s debate is domestic policy: 45 minutes for the economy, 15 minutes for health care, 15 minutes on the role of government and 15 minutes on governing in general. I don’t even need to watch this debate to know exactly what each candidate is going to say. Mitt Romney will probably start by attacking Barack Obama’s economic policies over the past four years, then he’ll suggest that Obamacare is an awful policy plan and lastly I bet he’ll make it clear that under Obama we haven’t had a real economic recovery (which is not true, but this isn’t a time for facts). Maybe he’ll even invoke the name of the LORD our Reagan and ask the audience if they’re better off now than they were four years ago.

Then, I bet Obama will concede that the recovery isn’t complete but also make it clear that Romney’s party got us into this mess in the first place. After all, if the Republicans had been left in charge things would have been worse. Hmm. “Obama 2012: Things could be worse.” Why hasn’t anyone made that a bumper sticker yet?

I’m not really sure what a candidate would have to do to “win” one of these debates. After all, winning a presidential debate is like winning the American Civil War: even if you come out on top, the other side will simply deny it for an unspecified number of years and keep doing what they did before.

Perhaps the American public would be better served if the moderators prefaced every debate with the Whose Line Is It Anyway catch phrase: “Everything is made up and the points don’t matter.” Such a disclaimer would at least be more honest.

Bub is a junior majoring in English, political science and history.

A great deal of pressure is being put onto the shoulders of both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for tonight’s debate.

For one thing, Romney is by all accounts trailing President Obama at this juncture and a successful debate could give him the bounce he needs to pull out a win on Nov. 6. For another, the president has a great deal of explaining to do in regards to his large absence in the face of the Middle East crises as he focuses a majority of his attention on reelection and press tours.

I am however concerned for Romney’s success as he comes in to this debate still not having fully weathered the storm of his 47 percent remark. While Romney is a man of results, Obama is a man of many pretty words, able to transfix a nation and bring wayward voters under his wing with a clever turn of phrase.

Romney would be best served to look to the Oct. 28, 1980 Reagan vs. Carter debate in which Reagan asked voters if they were better off now than they were four years ago. While it seems common sense for voters to ask themselves whether or not Obama’s policies have positively or negatively impacted them, reiterating the need for them to do that is imperative.

The economy is arguably the biggest issue going into this election and the issue Romney needs to be prepared to speak about in depth. President Obama made promises about his ability to turn this economy around and said that if he could not he would be a one term president. Now is the time for Romney to point out that he did not keep his promises, he is not trying to be a one-term president and Americans cannot afford four more years under an administration that makes the Carter administration look capable.

Secondly, the president’s relative absence in the matters of the Middle East and blatant cover-up of the coordinated terrorist attack

in Benghazi, Libya should of course be addressed as it showcases the commander in chief ’s lack of initiative in regards to foreign policy. Why was a meeting with our strongest ally in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, not made the highest priority? Why is this administration only now admitting that this was a terrorist attack was to chalk it up to a protest gone awry? Why in recent weeks has he been on The View and David Letterman instead of dealing with matters of state?

These are valid concerns in which the American electorate deserves answers. Romney must make it clear then that if elected, the United States will take a more assertive role in matters of foreign policy and national security.

Finally, if I were Romney, I would address the fact that communist Venezuelan “President” (read: dictator) Hugo Chavez has recently come out as saying if he were an American he would vote for Obama. That should be a huge red flag for voters as this man is in no way an ally of the Untied States and his essentially endorsing President Obama should be a great detractor to the character of his campaign.

Of course there are a great many topics that should and will be covered in the debate, but currently the economy and foreign policy are the most news worthy and I anticipate will take up the most time. While most voters have already aligned themselves with a candidate, there are still a few who will be watching to see who comes out ahead when these two face off. However, I think the true bloodbath will be when Paul Ryan takes on the bumbling Joe Biden and if that is not able to sway voters away from the left, nothing will. Romney’s chief job will be to show that he is not a man of pretty words like Obama, but a man of character and authority much more capable of leading the country than a one term senator.

Dunn is a junior majoring in political science.

Students debate meaning of a win in presidential debate

BraNdON BUBContributor

bbub@smu.edu

HaILEy dUNNContributor

hdunn@smu.edu

dEMOCraT rEPUBLICaN

CARTOON

Courtesy of MCT Campus

Associated Press

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaking in Westerville, Ohio on Sept. 26.

5SPORTSThe Daily Campus WEDNESDAY n OCTOBER 3, 2012

SMU looks to continue winning record against Golden Hurricane

Sophomore midfielder Andrew Morales will be key in the match against Tulsa on Wednesday. SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH/The Daily Campus

SOCCER

The SMU men’s soccer team will face off against a tough Tulsa team Wednesday night at Westcott field.

Tulsa is ranked No. 20 in the nation and the team has proven to be a tough team to beat.

According to smumustangs.com, the No. 25 Mustangs are ranked just behind Tulsa in the Midwest region, which makes the upcoming game a battle for the top spot in the region.

The Mustangs are looking to build off an impressive 1-0 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham that bumped the team up into the rankings.

The Mustangs will need another big performance Wednesday night from junior goalkeeper Jaime Ibarra and sophomore midfielder Tyler Engel who are both fresh of weekly awards.

Ibarra was selected as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week after saving an impressive 17 shots.

Also, Engel was named to the TopDrawerSoccer team of the week after scoring two goals in 75 seconds in the game against South Carolina.

The match will feature a battle between two of C-USA’s top goalkeepers in Ibarra and Mark Pais, who was named National Player of the Week to combat Ibarra’s C-USA Defensive award.

The Mustangs will have its hands full as the Golden Hurricane has a talented squad — Tulsa’s Kyle Cumings was just named C-USA’s Player of the Week.

However, SMU has its own weapons in players other than Ibarra and Engel. The Mustangs will also lean on sophomore midfielder Andrew Morales and freshman Leabardo Vazquez.

Morales and Vasquez are second and third on the team behind Engel in points scored, combined assists and goals.

One of the Mustangs’ strengths the team will look to capitalize on in this game is fast pace and quick game starts.

The Mustangs have scored six first half goals, only allowing one

in that same span. Despite the team’s speed

and previous success, finishing will be key for the Mustangs as they have previously been out-scored in the second half.

SMU holds a 26-6-3 all-time record against Tulsa beating the Golden Hurricane 2-1 in their last matchup Oct. 5, 2011.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

ANDREW HATTERSLEYStaff Writer

ahattersley@smu.edu

KATY RODENSports Editor

kroden@smu.edu

White breaks tournament recordgOlf

Senior Melanie White broke the Johnie Imes Invitational tournament record Tuesday.

With a 3-under finish on Tuesday and 8-under, 208, for the tournament, White lead the Mustangs to the team’s second tournament victory of the season.

White described her play in the tournament as “fun” to SMU Athletics. Her 11 birdies in the last two rounds and solo bogey are proof of White’s description of the successful weekend.

Along with breaking the tournament 54-hole record, White also tied the event record for low single round with her second round score of 65.

“We’re headed in the right direction,” White told SMU Athletics.

SMU finished the first round Monday one stroke behind first place Kansas State.

However, Tuesday in the second round the team finished 4-under — a tournament low.

The strong finish put the Mustangs in first place with nine strokes under tournament host Missouri.

Sophomore Jennifer Park scored her second consecutive top-10 finish.

Park finished tied for sixth at 2-over par.

Junior Maria Elena Villamil

finished tied for No. 27 with 10-over par, and freshman Alexandra Rossi finished tied for No. 30.

The team, with the momentum of two wins out of its last three events

under its belt, heads to Norman, Okla. for more competition in the Susie Maxwell Berning Invitational hosted by the University of Oklahoma Oct. 15.

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ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE TUTOR. Statistic tutor. Voted “The Best” for 16 years. “College is more fun when you have a tutor.” Lee Lowrie, CPA, MBA cell 214-208-1112. SMU Dallas, Texas. Stats/Statistic 2301-Accounting 2301, 2302,3311, 3312, 6301- Finance 3320 - Real Estate 3811

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Sudoku 10/03/12

© 2012 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

By Michael Mepham

ACROSS1 Hunger hint5 Shorn shes9 Indonesian

island13 Pinza of “South

Pacific”14 Pulsate16 Yaks, e.g.17 Endures an

onslaught ofcriticism

20 Prognosticator21 RR terminus22 Center opening?23 Aus. setting24 Puts the kibosh

on26 Kind of contact

banned by theNFL

32 Golden Bears’school,familiarly

33 “Joanie LovesChachi” co-star

34 Like James Bond35 Carpeting

computation37 Cyclist

Armstrong, orwhat completesthe ensemblefound in the fourlong acrossanswers

40 It may be impish41 24-hr. news

source43 “If __ a nickel ...”45 Category46 Use a sun visor,

say50 Currently

occupied with51 She, in Lisbon52 Justice Dept.

bureau55 Greeting card

figure, maybe56 Pacific Surfliner

and Acela60 Vulnerable spot63 Muslim pilgrim64 Passover month65 Melville South

Seas novel66 Candy bar with a

cookie center67 More than just

hard to find68 Stir-fry

cookware

DOWN1 Cop’s quarry

2 Côte d’__: Frenchresort area

3 Padre’s boy4 Mass reading5 Unworldly6 Spark, as an

appetite7 Unit of energy8 Such that one

may9 Put (down) on

paper10 Car bar11 Prez’s backup12 Opponent15 “__! that deep

romantic chasm...”: Coleridge

18 Hitchhiker’s aid19 Neck parts24 Lining with

decorative rock25 Slimy garden

pest26 Severe27 Nicholas Gage

memoir28 Mexican aunt29 Antarctica’s __

Byrd Land30 Pandora’s boxful31 Six-mile-plus

run, briefly32 Rotating

machine parts36 In the sack

38 Activist Guevara39 Nonowner’s

property right42 Commonly long

garment44 __ blues:

Mississippi genre47 “Eat up!”48 Frequent final

soccer score49 Peter who co-

wrote “Puff, theMagic Dragon”

52 Berliner’s eight53 Leave out of the

freezer54 Pacific

archipelago56 Triumphant

cries57 Magazine filler58 Eccentric sort59 B’way hit signs61 Veto62 General linked

with chicken

Monday’s Puzzle SolvedBy Michael Dewey 10/3/12

(c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

ARTS The Daily Campus 6 WEDNESDAY n OCTOBER 3, 2012

Older audience members sat on the few couches left in the lobby directly in front of the stage. Younger attendees sat on the black and brown patterned floor eagerly awaiting the show to start. A student dressed in all black crossed the stage with a placard reading “Meadows Dance: Brown Bag Series.”

The show was about to begin.Search the SMU Archives and you

will find a program, bulletin or notice for the Meadows Dance: Brown Bag Series dating back to 1983. The week-long lunchtime dance series showcases student choreography and dance set to the styles of ballet, modern and jazz.

“Dance as a whole, along with music, can portray so many diverse emotions and feelings that when put together properly can be very powerful,” sophomore Justin Morales said. “Brown Bag encompasses all of that.

Sophomore Aubry Neal’s opening piece, “Ponchiellei’s Fantasia No. 3,” set the bar high as six dancers dressed in bright pink leotards and skirts romantically completed pirouette after pirouette. The sharp hip-hop moves of sophomore Shauna Davis’ “You,” set to music by rapper Biz Markie, offered a great contrast to the show. This season’s Brown Bag utilizes a variety of music to engage its audience.

The series ends on a high note

with “How to Make Dubstep” by sophomore Hattie Haggard. The dance takes audience members through a range of emotion. “Inevitability” by Caitlin Heflin literally goes through the ups and downs of a relationship on the verge of breaking up and “Genesis” follows an internal battle for a new beginning.

“Every brown bag is different, not only because of the different performances, but because of the emotions and feelings they evoke in the audience,” Morales said. “I enjoyed it because I could follow the “story” of the choreography and also…. felt the energy and excitement from each dancer as they performed.”

Dancers performing strong kick plies and glides to a special rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” impressed Perkins graduate student Jermaine Mulley. After hearing about the Meadows performance from peers, he decided to “not to miss another year of supporting Meadows.”

“I have always been enamored by the art of dance,” Mulley said. “This experience really validated how essential it is for me to perpetually be open to [new events.] Unless you take the time to experience it, you will not witness something fresh.”

Students, faculty and community guests are invited to pack their lunch and head over to the Bob Hope Theatre lobby for performances Thursday at 12:30 p.m. and Friday at noon. For more information visit the Meadows event calendar online.

DANCE

Brown Bag Dance Series: a lunchtime winner

FILM

British director takes on American suburbs

KIAN HERVEYCopy Editor

khervey@smu.edu

READ A REVIEW OF THE ORANGES AMONG OTHER WEEKEND RELEASES IN FRIDAY’S DAILY CAMPUS

In a global sense, Thanksgiving is one of the world’s most American holidays. With stuffed turkeys and endless sides, the holiday acts a centerpiece for the new family drama The Oranges.

Directing the film is Julian Farion, a British man known for his work on television series like Entourage and How to Make it in America. Being British, Farion isn’t the most ideal candidate for a drama set in the New Jersey suburbs during Thanksgiving. But

CHASE WADEA&E Editor

cdwade@smu.edu

with three Emmy nominations, Farion isn’t exactly shooting in the dark.

“Even though I’m an outsider, I’ve lived in LA. for two years and I feel like I know how imporant Thanksgiving is to the culture here,” Farion said during a phone interview. “I also think being an outsider sort of gave me an advantage as it gave me a different angle to look at it all.”

If Farion beleves that being an outsider was an adavantage, the director must not have seen his cast list. With stars like Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody on the cast list, the director had a major safety net

thanks to the ensemble cast. “I always hung my hat on

Hugh Laurie,” Farion said. “His role as David essentially decided how the entire movie would go. If he was too creepy, then the audience would check out by act one. Hugh really balanced the role perfectly.”

The Oranges’ backbone comes from the quirky culture of American suburban life. As a product of the suburbs himself, Farion wanted to approach the idea of suburbia with his nose held straight.

“I always stood up for the suburbs when I had the chance,” Farion said. “I feel like there is this

sense of unity among people who live in the suburbs. I really didn’t want this film to poke fun at Suburbs, like Edward Scissorhands, ultimately this movie about non-judgement so who am I to judge?”

Even though Farion claims that the movie in non-judgemental, the director still admits to the film’s dark side.

“In a way, this film has a dark side but itsn’t edging and broody in a urban sense,” Farion said. “I sort of like to look at it with a sense freshness....like an unspoiled spirit.”

The Oranges opens Friday.

CAN’T MISS EVENTThere aren’t many SMU alums who have

a more interesting life story than former Meadows student Stephen Tobolowsky. The famous actor (Glee, Groundhog Day, Momento) will sign copies of his new book The Dangerous Animals Club at 11:30 a.m. inside the Mack Ballroom at Umphree Lee.

(L-R) Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody in The Oranges.

Courtsy of Olympus Pictures