1. MYPORTFOLIOJulianaGonzalez J.gonzalez83@umiami.edu (954)682-0517

2. TABLEOFCONTENTS
FEATURES
2 Profiles
NEWS STORIES
7 Campus Stories
15 News
Bathing-suit designer Martha Rey
Artist Elaine Unzicker
Communication’s Professor McDowell
P.h.D. student, Rita Men
UM student, David Mejia
Farmer’s Market on Campus
Is a Law DegreeWorth the Cost?
Water Conservation at UM
12 Magazine Features
Social Media: Is it disconnecting us?
South Miami Commission Meeting
The Primary Elections
ENGLISH LITERATURE
18 Analytical Essays
The Odyssey By Homer
Romeo and Juliet By Shakespeare
The Bible: Sacrifice in Hebrews

3. FEATURESProfiles MagazineStories CampusEvents

4. Wearing a tie-dye scarf wrapped around her waist as a belt, a faded denim mini skirt with a mint green tank top and beach flip-flops, the Colombian native swimwear designer Martha Rey
embraced her Bohemian style.
“The free spirits, artistic nomads and music lovers are the bohemians of the new era and I consider myself one of them,”Rey said.“They have a life consumed by the pursuit of passion through the
art of uniqueness.”
Her signature swimwear includes colorful tie-dye prints mixed with stamped patterns of flowers, piece signs, Chinese letters, and other decorations often stamped in the bottom piece of the
bikinis. Rey, 33, makes evening and casual dresses, resort sportswear, cover-ups and kaftans. She is planning to diversify her collection this summer with the addition of her new line of soft goods,
which includes pillows, bedding, sofa’s and other decorative accessories for the home. Rey calls herself a creative director due to her constant stream of creativity while designing.
“A creative director does not limit their vision to one product,”Rey said.“They diversify to create a brand and eventually a lifestyle.”
While Rey designs her collection, her sister Luz Rey, 23, is her right hand. Luz operates the financial side and has been working with Martha since she was 16 years old. She moved to Miami in
April to continue working with her older sister.
“A day in my sister’s life is hectic,”Luz said.“Not only does she plan more than she has the time for but she’s constantly creating something new like bracelets, headbands, cushions, purses, and
whatever she wraps her mind around.”
Rey started her business seven years ago in Barranquilla after graduating from La Universidad del Norte where she studied business. Her plans were to create an exportation company to sell her
swimwear internationally. Due to her love of the Bohemian style, she took monthly trips to Brazil, where she attended classes on textile manufacturing. Rey received hands-on training for all
aspects of textile processing, covering topics from fibers to finished fabrics.TheTexLabs, which are laboratories where she converts her blank fabrics to color, enabled her training in fiber science,
knitting, weaving, fabric finishing and physical testing. After she became familiar with the process, Rey would order white cloth and Lycra from NewYork, Miami and Sao Paulo and then use
coloring formula techniques to make the fabrics her own.
“My main inspiration was the textile process itself,”Rey said. “I am now able to create my own prints in a lab, something that most other bathing suit companies do not do.”
After three years of developing her brand name, she launched the Martha Rey brand in the U.S. in 2007. Her brand has been featured on many magazine covers including Be, Biba, Cosmopolitan,
Femme Actuelle, Avantages, Self, and in the swim edition of Sports Illustrated for four consecutive years.
“I think these magazine covers did some great advertising for Martha Rey,”she said. “They really helped the brand gain some global attention in the retail world.”
The brand is now sold in luxury department stores and boutiques in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle East. It is also featured prominently in stores likeVictoria
Secret, shopbop.com, Aishti, Planet Blue, Intermix, Sax, Free people, Molly Brown and Scoop. Martha Rey also operates two company retail stores in Miami and in Barranquilla along with its
online store at www.marthareyusa.com.
An employee at the Martha Rey store in Mary BrickellVillage,Valeria Gomez, said the store had many returning customers, especially in its summer months when Martha’s cruise collection comes
out. She said most customers love the neon tie-dye bathing suits as she held a white bikini with tie-dye swirls of neon pink, orange and lime green.Two Chinese letters that stood for peace were
imprinted in the backside of the bikini’s bottom.
“Customers almost never leave with just one bathing suit,“ Gomez said.“They usually end up leaving with a dress, scarf, hat, headband, beach bag, or any other accessory in addition to their
bathing suits.”
Although her family and friends view Martha as an accomplished woman, her sister said she knows of the designer’s talents and capabilities.
“We haven’t even accomplished half of what my sister envisions,”Said Luz Rey.
ProfilesBathing-suit designer Martha Rey
Profiles 2

5. Artist, Elaine Unzicker
When Elaine Unzicker was in graduate school designing jewelry 13 years ago, she came up with a new creation. She turned a headpiece she had designed on paper to metal.Thinking no one
would be interested, she hid it in her closet but after much hesitation she decided to show the metal head garment to her professor.
He loved it but told her it would never work because of its complexity and since she had too many bills to pay, Unzicker disappointedly put her art aside.
Four years later, her passion took her back to the metal headpiece and she continued designing. Unzicker moved to Ojai, California, a small artist community, where her new metal t-shirts, purses,
brooches and jewelry fascinated people.
“I think the metal work I do now is much more expressive than the jewelry I used to make when I first started,”Unzicker said.“People are amazed when they see a shirt made of chain mill.”
Unzicker was one of the 380 artists and craftsmen who displayed their work at the 49th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival on February 17, 18 and 19, according to the festival guide. Festival.org
expected 135,000 people to attend.
Aside from the art on display, there was a culinary pavilion, and a performance stage that featured the University of Miami’s jazz band. Other artists such as NestorTorres, Joe Donato,Yvonne
Brown and Suenalo also took center stage.
“There is art for everyone here, whether you like water color paintings, jewelry, scarves, or cakes that are shaped like purses,”said 17-year-old Melissa Daes who likes to draw and make pottery in
her spare time.
In addition to Unzicker’s metalwork, the festival exhibited a variety of jewelry artists. Margaret Aden, 35, from New Orleans, who has been making jewelry for 14 years, said she got her inspiration
from her extensive travels as a Navy officer. She has been currently exploring textures by weaving, the application of traditional silversmith techniques, and the creation of unique patinas.
While holding a pair of handmade earrings with golden Byzantine cup coins attached to green and turquoise rocks and freshwater pearls, Aden said, “I Love rocks and fossils and I try to express
my passion in my funky and contemporary designs.”
Another artist, Harry Roa, 52, from Sarasota, makes all of his jewelry by hand, using a combination of lost wax process and fabrication. Every piece is embellished with precious gemstones and di-
amonds and is one of a kind, since he doesn’t make a mold. According to Roa, each piece of jewelry is meaningful to him but one of his favorites is a 14K white gold ring with a round cut evergreen
topaz.
“My art represents my perception of life,”Roa said.“I feel privileged to use earth’s most precious material in my work.”
The metal jewelry designer Unzicker said that while every artist has great passion and talent for their work, the ability to continue is not always easy or possible. She gave a word of advice to
every artist out there.
“You just have to keep peddling,”said Unzicker.“The piece that my visiting professor said would never work now stands proudly in my living room.”
Profiles 3

6. He is leaving UM with a smile, aware that his time here is complete but with a big sigh, knowing this is goodbye. But he has little regrets and is happy to know he will take some positive memories
with him into what he calls a new chapter of his life.
Walter McDowell, media management and economics professor, who joined the UM faculty in 2001 is retiring at the end of the 2013 spring term with mixed emotions.
“It feels bittersweet,”he said.“I will miss it but I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
The 67-year-old professor, who describes himself as a“late bloomer”because he changed careers midlife, will leave Florida missing the Canes but excited to go back to his family in New Jersey.
After a variety of experiences in the field of broadcasting and academia, the professor leaves the campus feeling accomplished. Becoming a role model has never been part of his plan, so he feels
satisfied whether he’s caused a major influence on a student’s life or not.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,”he said.“I have no intentions of being an idol.”
McDowell was involved in commercial broadcasting for over twenty years. He worked at several television and radio stations and then switched over to academia. His classes focus mainly on
audience research and media branding.
McDowell’s lastTV assignment was atWFTV Channel 9, an ABC affiliate in Orlando where the station revamped their staff and their rating went up from third to first in the market.
“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,”he said.“The station took off like a rocket in the late 70’s and 80’s.”
McDowell headed the promotion department, later called the creative services department, he said.They started a promotion campaign called“Eyewitness News is Everywhere”with a music
track, which McDowell said was“breaking new ground”at the time.
Professor of advanced broadcasting and journalism, and faculty advisor of the student-produced newscast“News-Vision,”Andrew Barton worked at Channel 9 with McDowell as a reporter. Barton,
who also joined the UM faculty in 2001 a few months before McDowell surprised his fellow co-worker at his UM job interview. Barton was able to sit in and watch McDowell, who coincidentally
followed him to the same university.
According to Barton, he and McDowell have become close colleagues and they often sit and recall memories of their careers in Channel 9.
“We relate because many professors are people who have spent their whole lives as professors while we worked in the industry for some time,”said Barton.“We were part of an amazing success
story in Central Florida.”
McDowell has worked in otherTV and radio stations in upstate NewYork and Orlando such as theTV stationsWTEN andWRGB, and the radio stationWGY in NewYork andWFTV in Orlando.
“It was great fun at times but also a tough ruthless business”, he said.“I was 40 and wanted a change.”
He went on to become an adjunct instructor at UCF School of Communication, and a few years later realized he wanted to work full time in academia, so he needed an advanced degree, preferably
a PhD. His wife, who he said has been the most pivotal person in his life, encouraged him to make the four-year commitment, so he received his doctorate at the University of Florida.
“She had one demand:‘If you quit half-way through this, I will kill you,’”said McDowell in reference to his wife.“That's motivation.”
Many will miss McDowell, said Associate Professor andVice Dean for Academic Affairs, Paul Driscoll. McDowell, Michel Dupagne, another media management professor, and Driscoll occasionally
met up to discuss issues in the media industry and related articles. Driscoll said he is sad to watch him leave, especially after the fruitful relationship they shared.
“We try to come up with ways to make him stay,”said Driscoll jokingly.““He’s a nice fellow with a good sense of humor, and a natural curiosity.”
Senior Daniela Reyes Bahamon, public relations major, said she's going to miss McDowell’s jokes and his style of teaching, which she said prepares students for real world experiences.
“Those of us who were lucky enough to have him will always remember him,”said Reyes.“He’s one of those professors who look like they want to be there every morning because they enjoy what
they do.”
McDowell will miss his students and faculty as well, he said, but he is off to Bordentown, New Jersey, where he has family waiting for him, especially his grand daughter. Aside from spending time
with his family, he does want to make room to continue his writing and publishing in primarily media management and audience research to add to his published works in books and academic
journals, which serve academia and the mass media industry. He is also considering a job as an adjunct instructor in a college or university close to his new home.
McDowell said he will miss the world of Academia and the campus environment, but in his opinion, that’s something positive.
“I will miss being surrounded by young people the most,”he said.“But missing it is a good thing because it means I enjoyed my time here and I will have some good memories to look back on.”
Communication’s Professor McDowell
Profiles 4

7. Rita Men waved goodbye to her home and family as she left Hong Kong and made her way to Miami three years ago. She arrived in the city, alone and feeling lost. But her destination was certain,
she said: She had come to contribute to the development of public relations and make a mark on the industry.
She had been accepted to the Ph.D. program in strategic communication, an area she became interested in when she began to believe that the ultimate goal of the business is to promote public
understandings, build trusting relationships and create social harmony.
“‘When I first heard this term,‘public relations,’I became interested in it. It’s like a crush,’”she said with a smile.
Men, who received her Ph.D. in May, is planning to travel in pursuit of her goals once again. In September, she will begin working as an assistant PR professor at Southern Methodist University, a
top research university in Dallas. She said she is excited about her new job.
“I’d like to try a different environment,”Men said.“I always love to explore new things.”
Her dissertation, which she wrote under the supervision of Prof. Don Stacks, is about organizational leadership and covers the effects of internal communication on the relationship between the
organization and its employee, as well as on the perceived organizational reputation and employee engagement. Men says it was Stacks who encouraged her to come to UM in the first place
when they met at an International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC).
Men gives credit to Stacks for influencing her understanding of PR and teaching her how to solve research problems in the field. Stacks, who has been a dissertation thesis advisor at UM for 22
years, and is an editor for the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, praised Men’s work and commitment.
“She is extremely dedicated and her work is excellent,”Stacks said. “She’s already published extensively and her work is of great significance to public relations and corporate communication.”
Men’s six journal publications cover two main topics: how an organization’s leadership behavior and style can influence employee communications and engagement, and how companies can
utilize social media effectively to build their online image, and build relationships with the net savvy, Men said. She has been published in the InternationalJournalofStrategicCommunication,
JournalofInteractiveMarketing,PublicRelationsReview and the PublicRelationsJournal. Men has also published book chapters in NewMediaandPublicRelation, HandbookofCommunicationand
CorporateReputation,The IABCHandbookofOrganizationalCommunication:AGuidetoInternalCommunication,PublicRelations,MarketingandLeadership and Instructors’ManualforPrimerof
PublicRelationsResearch.
Men, 27, said her collaboration with other professors has enabled her to progress her research and thesis.
Before coming to Miami, in May 2007, Men received her Bachelor of Art in Communication from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, which is one of the top three universities in the country.
She received a Master of Philosophy in Communication Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University in July 2009. Her awards include the top student paper award for the public relations division of
the International Communication Association two years in a row. She was also recognized with the Best of PRSA's Public Relations Journal of 2011-2012 award. Additionally, she won a Red Raider
Public Relations Research Award at the 15th International Public Relations Research Conference in March.
Despite her accomplishments, Men continues to set goals and high standards for herself.
“I want to play each role of my life successfully, as a student, a researcher, a teacher, a wife, a child,”Men said.“I could not say I am accomplished since I still have so much to learn and to improve.”
Her five-year goal, she said, is to have some noticeable influence on both public relations academia and industry, while maintaining a good balance between her work and her life. She is glad to
have the support of her parents, who have respected every decision she’s ever made and of her husband, who was her classmate back in college at Zhejiang University.They reunited here and got
married in San Francisco in January.
Eventually, Men plans to go into industry to accumulate experience in the job place.
“I’ve done and will always do my best, to live, to learn, to achieve, and to influence others, of course in a positive way,”said Men.
Ph.D. Student Rita Men
Profiles 5

8. The 13-year-old boy was separated from his family by chance. He was riding in the car one day along with his father, brother and grandmother in Medellin, Antioquia when a group of armed men
stopped them in the middle of the road. His father was forced to hand over one of the boys and David Mejia, being the oldest, was the chosen one.
The National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian guerilla group, held Mejia, 21, hostage.When asked for how long Mejia said,“four years, one month and ten days.”The ELN taught him life-long
lessons, from fishing for his food to following concise instructions for the benefits of his own survival.The young boy went back home a changed man.
At first, he was unable to accustom to the rough life of the ELN. He had come from an upper class family where food was always served for him, and his maids did all the cleaning.The sudden
shift in lifestyle was difficult for him; he was given duties, such as building his own tent, fishing for his food and cutting wood. According to Mejia, however, no physical labor hurt him more than
knowing he was in the hands of the enemy who was demanding large sums of money from his parents in return for his freedom.
The only hope he received came from a radio program geared for hostages of the guerilla, where he would sometimes listen his mother’s soothing voice telling him that everything was going to
be alright. It gave Mejia hope of some day being reunited with his family. More comfort came from a realization that derived from his being held hostage: he noticed he had so much more to live
and learn, so many places left to travel, and a loving family waiting for his arrival back home.
Mejia’s wishes came true; he was released after his father paid a heavy ransom. He had the opportunity to travel to several countries in Europe including Spain, France, Germany and Italy. He was
able to catch up on his high school education and he is now a University of Miami (UM) student majoring in Business Administration. Mejia has also had the chance to spend quality time with his
family since they all moved to Caracas,Venezuela upon his release, something he was not too excited about.
Even though he was captured in Colombia, he is fond of his country; he says he would have willingly gone back to his hometown upon his release without any fears.
When asked if he was scared of his safety in Colombia Mejia said,“No. I’m not scared of the guerilla; I grew up with them and know each of them by name.They treated me well as long as I
followed their orders.”
To this day, Mejia has a loving relationship with all his family members. He maintains close contact with them by phone and through Skye.The family member he is closest to, however, is his
brother, Mateo Mejia, 21.The brothers are like best friends; they live together, go out together, and have the same circle of friends.
David Mejia’s experience has molded him into a new person: he’s a simple man with an ambition to progress academically. One of his closest friends Javier Guerra, 22, thinks the best part of
Mejia’s personality is his easygoing:“David’s always up for any plans, especially spontaneous road trips,”Guerra said. Mateo Mejia also greatly admires his brother but for his positive energy and
ability to focus academically after his release.
UM Student, David Mejia
Profiles 6

9. Farmer’s Market on Campus
CampusStories
Standing in front of a booth of pastries at theWell Canes Farmer’s Market with a bag of ceviche and chips in one hand and a sample of a Nutella, rum, and banana nut empanada in another,
Daniela Reyes’eyes lit up.
“I love to try new foods and it’s really nice to get a day off from the university’s food court,”said Reyes, a University of Miami student who’s majoring in public relations.
Whether it was the smell of Colombian pastries or of fresh homemade guacamole, theWell Canes Farmers Market attracted University of Miami students, faculty, and local residents on February
23. Over 15 white tents were lined up on the Foote University Green between Ritchter Library and the post office, where shoppers walked around, perusing the different locally grown and organic
produce, baked goods, honey, marinades, ceviche, teas and more.
“I love the variety of food, I mean I can come here to drink guarapo juice.That’s crazy,”said UM freshman and Colombian native Carolina Puyana, holding a cup of the raw sugar cane juice popular
in many tropical regions.
The food market has proven to be a success for both vendors and customers.
DennisTejeda, the Argentinean vendor atThe Empanada Lady, said he gets about 200 customers on a good day and loves to chat with the students.
“There are several students that always come to eat my empanadas everyWednesday,”Tejeda said.“My pastries are organic, so they are a healthy choice.”
Many students also come to the market to enjoy Benny’s Fruits andVegetables stand.The Mexican owner Benita Lara said that about 120 customers come everyWednesday and most purchase
vegetables. Her produce includes bananas, apples, plums, strawberries, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers. Most of her fruits and vegetables are grown in Homestead and sold there on the spot.
Lara also has stands in Pinecrest and downtown.
Maria Fernanda Perez, an advertising major who lives on campus, said she loves the healthy options the food market offers and stocks up her fridge with fruits and veggies.
“It’s one of the few ways of staying healthy as a college student,”Perez said.
Another healthy stand that shoppers enjoy is the Healing Blends tent, which sells a variety of pro-active teas, soaps and remedy oils.
Behind the booth, Patricia Phang Sang Chase, a traditional Reiki master and health practitioner said her company supports the actions of the Dalai Lama. Chase, who is on her 5th year of learning
theTibetan language, uses 1,000-year-old recipes containing blends ofTibetan herbs.
“ Everyone should drink tea to maintain a state of good health,”said Chase.“Once the body, mind, and soul are balanced, one has reached a state of ultimate health and well-being.”
TheWell Canes Farmer’s Market, an initiative of the Office of Human Resources and UM Student Government, is held everyWednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is expected to run until the end of
the semester.
Campus Stories 7

10. Is a Law degree worth the cost?
He wanted to study law, not because he wanted wealth or because he wanted to wear a fancy suit. He wanted to make a change in the political climate. He wanted to right some wrongs.
“I wanted the quickest way to justice,”said UM’s law professor Irwin Stotzky.
Stotzky was an advisor in the Alfonsin regime in Argentina where he decided on how to handle issues such as the human rights trials, where some 30,000 people were killed by the military
because the government didn’t like their ideas. Stotzky was also present in Haiti during the illegal military regime’s reign. He directed the investigations of the massive human rights violations,
which led to the first conviction for human rights crimes in Haiti.
Like Stotzky, some students attend law school because they’re passionate about creating justice in the world. Others are mainly interested in a large paycheck.While some lawyers are wealthy
people, said Stotzky, law is not the ideal profession for those that want to become rich.
“Law is a service profession, not a business,”he said.
Law student Justin Matarrese, who wants to study trial advocacy and hopes to eventually get a job at the U.S. attorney’s office, said law school is not worth the cost for everyone.
“Some students end up dropping out and those who do graduate have a hard time finding a job,”said Matarrese.“Even when they find a job it might not even be the well-paying job they’re
expecting.”
Whether a law degree provides for a wealthy and luxurious lifestyle may all depend on what a lawyer specializes in.
According to the Career Development Office employment statistics for UM’s graduating law class of 2009, 68 percent of students are now attorneys in private practice and their salaries range from
$50,000 to $190,000, with an average salary of $111,696. Seven percent have jobs with the government, such as judicial clerkships and the military, and their salaries range from $35,000 to
$90,000, with an average salary of $50,438. Seven percent are in public interest jobs such as legal services and public defenders, and their salaries range from $40,000 to $52,000. Law graduates
who are working in business or industry make up 11% of the group and their salaries range from $80,000 to $150,000, with an average salary of $108,333.The other three percent of graduates
are working in academia and have a salary of $42,000.
Jamie Baltra, a second year UM law student interested in Intellectual Property law, decided to attend law school, in hopes of becoming independent from her family and being able to help them
out financially.
“My parents didn't have the opportunity to go to college, so it was really important to me that I went,”Baltra said.“Knowing the law is the best way to protect yourself and your family since it's
harder for people to take advantage of you or your family.”
With the difficult job market there are a shrinking number of jobs, including in the field of law, although it depends on the type of law, said Stotzky.
According to the Career Development Office employment statistics for the graduating class of 2009, 82.4 percent of graduates are employed, while six percent are completing a joint degree or
pursuing further specialized graduate studies in law. 2.4 percent are unemployed and seeking work, and four percent are unemployed and not seeking work.
With the $45,000 tuition and scattered salaries, some students, like Matarrese think coming to law school should be a well-thought-out decision in order to ensure future lawyers a successful
outcome.
The Director of Domestic Public Interest and Pro Bono Programs, Myles Cochran believes success depends on each individual student and what they plan to accomplish, despite the numerous cuts
in the competitive job market.
“Law students need to commit themselves,”said Cochran.“There are opportunities out there but students have to work for them.”
According to Stotzky, the reason why students come to law school is not tied to their success. Although some may be passionate about law, others might start off with only a slight interest, he
said, but both can escalate to the top and become successful lawyers.
For some students, law school is more than just a love of the legal system.
“Law school is empowering,”Baltra said.“I’m surrounded by the best of the best.”
The U.S. News &World Report Ranking placed UM law as the 69th best law school in the country. Its alumni are cited inThe Best Lawyers in America. Many of Miami Law’s graduates have been
recognized not only for their expertise but also for their commitment to the communities where they live and practice in, according to Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Catharine
Skipp.
Campus Stories 8

11. Much of the faculty is well known across the country, such as Miami Law professor Jan Paulsson, who is ranked as one of the world’s top two arbitrators inThe InternationalWho’sWho of Com-
mercial Arbitration, said Skipp.
UM law school offers over 250 courses annually, preparing students for careers in various areas of law including corporate, tax, estate planning, entertainment, sports, criminal, human rights and
international law, she said.
According to Skipp, the variety of career opportunities that can be obtained with a law degree give law students much freedom as to where they want to go after they graduate.
“The versatility and value of the law degree in many settings is certainly one of its beauties,”she said.
Within this freedom, students have to explore different areas of law before they find their field of interest, said Cochran, but they don’t have to choose on what they want to specialize in until
their second year of law school.
Stotzky quickly found his interest in constitutional and human rights law. He has published many articles and books on democracy and human rights, criminal law and procedure, and the role
of the judiciary in the transition to democracy. One of his books, Silencing the guns in Haiti:The Promise of Deliberative Democracy, has received national and international acclaim. He is also
an editor for the law and philosophy of the Journal of DemocraticTheory. Stotzky continues to help out the Haitian community today. He is currently working with the Institute of Justice and
Democracy in Haiti, where he is an active member.
Is a Law degree worth the cost? (continued)
Campus Stories 9

12. Water Conservation at UM
By 2014, students will be using recycled wastewater to shower and do laundry at the University of Miami’s Eaton Residential College as part of the Net-Zero dorm water project, which will begin
operating in the fall.Wastewater will be treated and purified through a low-energy direct portable reuse system, the first to destroy organic pollutants, according to an environmental engineering
professor and the main investigator of the project, Dr. James Englehardt.
“If we could convert wastewater back to drinking water, then we wouldn’t have to take a half billion gallons of water out of the Everglades everyday just in Miami-Dade County,”Englehardt said.
“Of the small percentage of water that is freshwater, most is either not clean or unavailable, so we have to conserve the supply that we have.”
Englehardt is not the only one who supports water conservation at UM. From recycling coke machines and solar powered trash bins to Earth Day events and zip cars, Green U, the university’s
environmental organization, has come up with eco-friendly initiatives in hopes of promoting sustainability methods and spreading awareness, according to the Environmental Health and Safety’s
(EHS) executive director, Kenneth Capezzuto. Green U has provided students with water and energy conservation initiatives, transportation solutions, recycling programs and public-awareness
campaigns, he said.
“It’s like a small city,”said Capezzuto.“There is much interaction between students, hospitals and clinics, facilities and the physical plants.”
Green U identifies initiatives on a day-to-day basis in hopes of a“greener”university, said Capezzuto.The organization recently purchased two solar powered trash bins as a project. Unlike the old
trash bins, he continued, these compact and recycle trash on their own and will only have to be cleaned out daily rather than several times a day.They want to purchase more trash bins in the
future, Capezzuto said, but have to make sure their initiatives provide good business results.
“We hope to have an even higher recycling rate,”said Capezzuto.“We have to make sure that our investments will be economically beneficial in the long run, which is why we go slow and
methodically.”
Green U has made efforts to increase recycling through the purchasing of UM’s new coke recycling machines placed in the first and second floors of the Memorial building in September, according
to the university’s Green U webpageThey also gave out free reusable water bottles to new students in August, said Capezzuto.
“You have no option but to recycle when you see the recycling signs everywhere in all the different trash bins and even in the vending machines,”said Andrew Pugliese, a pubic relations major.
Green U has made sure that the university’s infrastructure is eco-friendly. According to the sustainability coordinator Ian McKeown, 27, the newest buildings, he said, are LEED certified, which is a
rating system created by the U.S. green building council that proves how energy efficient or eco-friendly a building is.The clinical research center and the biomedical research building in the Miller
medical school are LEED certified as well as the new field house and alumni house across from the baseball center in the Coral Gables campus, according to McKeown.The new university center
will also be built LEED certified, he said.
“It’s great that many of our buildings at UM are LEED certified because they make such a difference in terms of water and energy conservation,”said Englehardt. “I think buildings in the future will
all have treated and purified wastewater coming out of their water taps and energy-efficient lighting, air-conditioning and heating.”
Capezzuto said LEED certified buildings are harder to build and more expensive but beneficial in the long run. Unlike many construction companies, Green U makes sure their building material
is purchased near the construction site to try to reduce construction debris that goes straight to the landfills, since most pollution in the landfills is construction debris, he said. If the building is
being renovated, the lighting, air-conditioning, and heating can be modified to be more energy-efficient, Capezzuto continued.There are also reflective roofs, which can cut energy usage and help
reduce cooling costs, he said.
The Biomedical Research Building’s windows are each made of two windowpanes containing Aragon gas inside, used as a form of insulation, according to Capezzuto.
“It’s amazing because students look at it and think it’s entirely made of glass but the windows create natural light without absorbing heat,”Capezzuto said.“This can enable the building to cut
down on air-conditioning costs.”
Green U reaches directly towards students.They have held events such as Earth Day in April and plan to do a dorm contest in the fall to encourage students to save energy, according to McKeown.
“The main purpose of our events is to bring awareness,”he said.“We want to spread the word and encourage students to reduce their impact on the planet.”
According to Capezutto, the only problem with reaching others on environmental issues is the culture change for the older generations.
“Younger generations are growing up with energy efficient ideas but older generations, which I guess would include myself, are harder to change,”Capezzuto said.
“ It’s the little things, like not leaving the faucet running while you brush your teeth.”
Green U was established in 2005 under the direction of Alan Fish, whom is no longer at the university, according to Capezzuto. Fish was appointed chairman of the organization, he continued, and
in that same year Capezzuto, who had been in UM since 1990, became the executive director of EHS, which coordinate-s Green U’s main goals with the help of the Business Services department
too.
Campus Stories 10

13. “EHS has played an important role in Green U’s developments since it was first launched,”according to Capezzuto.“EHS works with Green U to make initiatives happen.”
According to the Green U’s webpage, in 2007 Shalala signed theTalloires Declaration of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future, which is a ten-point action plan that
commits institutions to sustainable practices and environmental teaching and the Presidents Climate Commitment, which is a project developed by the Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) that the university belong to.
McKeown joined Green U in 2008 after he graduated from UM with a B.A Degree in Ecosystem Science and Policy, a second major in Economics, a Minor in Meteorology and an MS degree within
the Industrial Engineering School.
“Right away I knew I wanted to be a part of Green U,”McKeown said.“I love kitebording and a whole bunch of other outdoor activities, so I want to preserve these areas.”
Over the years Green U has won some awards such as the Dream Green Reality Award, honoring UM’s Residential Community. It has received a grant for the college of Engineering for its self-sus-
taining water system as well as the recent National Science Foundation grant, which will go towards the Net-zero water program.They have also been featured on Planet Green Channel.
“I think we are lucky to have Green U at the university,”Englehardt said.“It has a lot of potential and they have done a lot for a relatively recent assessment.
Green U hopes to fulfill new initiatives in the future, especially with the new student fund, which will go towards green initiatives, McKeown said.The new $5 fee will be added to each student’s
tuition as part of their student activity fee in the fall.The green fee resulted from a referendum passed by Green U two years ago, which led to the establishment of the Student Governments’ECO
Agency, the green initiative programming board, according to McKeown.
“The green fee will allow students a chance to be more involved,”McKeown said.“They will get to choose where they want their money to go and which initiatives they want to support.”
While bathing and doing laundry with treated and purified wastewater that is above drinking standards may not be something everyone is willing to commit to primarily due to psychological
reasons, Englehardt said, everyone can help the environment in some way.
“No matter how little or how much someone contributes to the environment it’s all important and just as valuable as being more involved, like in an organization,”said Englehardt.“We are all a
part of the environment and we all need to contribute to it.”
Water Conservation at UM (Continued)
Campus Stories 11

14. Is Social Media Disconnecting us?
MagazineFeatures
Everything goes smooth as a runway until she drops it.The question that ruins me.The most insignificant and irrelevant question of all.The question that slaps, crumbles and violently stabs my
chances of getting hired. I hear it echo in my mind like a persistent and severe headache that won’t stop beating in my head as my interviewer says,“What are yourTwitter and Facebook address-
es?”
My stomach feels like it has plummeted to the ground along with my hopes of employment. My twitter is filled with useless complaining, lazy thoughts and pure crap. Does she really want to
know what I had for breakfast this morning or how I could win an award for my ability to procrastinate? My Facebook profile catches me at my worst. My tagged photos are equivalent to paparazzi
shots and my comments are sometimes filled with slang, incorrect grammar, curse words and "spanglish".The girl on my Facebook page looks like a beer pong champion and the social butterfly
of the frat parties. She looks like the type of girl who would drunkenly screamYOLO while at a club the night before an exam. But the truth is I stress about my future way too much, I sweat for my
grades and I pull all-nighters to study, not to party. But occasionally I do go out and I love taking pictures while I’m at it. Is that a crime? Or should I start photographing myself when I’m reading
Shakespeare?
Earlier that day I had practiced my lines in front of my Maltese. He tilted his head to the side, shaking his tall ponytail of long hair, just like the fashion icon look-alike that was now interviewing
me. But the 5-foot slim brunette does not have big and round heart-warming puppy eyes. Honestly, she could use a treat or two. Her stern face examines me as if she were trying to decipher
whether my physical appearance matches her standards. At least my puppy gave me comforting kisses. But this lady seems like the type of woman that always knows what she wants at first
glance and discards what she doesn’t instantaneously. I can imagine her calling me into her office to tell me“You’re fired”with her heart-less eyes and careless tone of voice. But I’m far from even
getting hired. How could a Facebook Page determine my career?
HOW OFTEN DO PEOPLE USE SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media is now dominating our generation. Social networks like Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest have been evolving among other less popular ones likeWeeworld,
Xanga, Habbo and the list goes on. Millenials, primarily, seem to be hooked and consumed by these social networks. According to statistics in a leading Social Media website, Mashable.com,
Americans spend 6.9 hours on social media per month, a rate which has tripled since 2006. In 2012, 56% of Americans were accounted for having a social networking profile and 22% use social
media several times a day.
HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA DOMINATING MY LIFE?
I gather with a group of friends to“chill”yet they are all staring down at their mobile devices, texting fiercely and at full pace.We aren’t chilling, we’re chatting, texting, tweeting, facebooking and
so on. My friends are either connecting to other friends, tweeting about the breaking news that isn’t happening here, and smiling at their cell screens as if they were flirting with their phones, or
probably some distant stranger they met online.They are all socializing, just not with me. MikaylaVielot, a Journalism and Sports Administration major at UM said,“I like wasting time on social
media.You can scroll so effortlessly, so you want more.” For Mikayla, like for many other users, Facebook time is like snack time.You taste tiny bites of the whole menu but never get a full meal.
Mikayla reads from numerous sources and posts them on her twitter, feeling like she knows the entire story. And this is how most people get their news- through their twitter feeds. One crumb at
a time.
WHATWOULD A JOURNALISM PROFFESSOR SAY?
Concerned and quite frankly frustrated at the absorbing qualities of social networking, I went to see a journalism professor, SamTerilli, whom I thought would give me the Facebook andTwitter
outsider’s perspective.When the old man told me he was on Facebook too I had to contain my shock face. But then he told me he always forgets his password because he logs in once every couple
of months, which reminds me of my father who once asked me how to respond to his birthday comments. I told him it was easier to write one comment thanking everyone until he told me he
had five birthday comments. Such random Facebook users tend to be more old-fashioned in the way they get their news. ProfessorTerrili told me in his paternal voice,“Very little in life can be
said in 140 characters,”as if it were some sort of secret. He spoke about howTwitter gives us the condensed version, which is different than learning from larger documentary.“The problem with
this MTV approach to life where people are reading short choppy messages is the complexity of stories can often be lost,”saidTerilli. No analysis, I began to ponder, just fun-sized gossip.
IS SOCIAL MEDIA MAKING US LESS SOCIAL ?
Social media is supposed to help us build connections but is it really making us more social? Or are we simply avoiding face-to-face confrontations and telephone calls? Lets face it, almost no
one talks anymore; they chat or text instead.The rate that Americans Socialize in person has decreased from 22.8 hours to 21 hours per month. Dr. Rod Gillis, a UM professor who did his graduate
training in social psychology and has been teaching at the University for the past 36 years says students seem less willing to speak in class than they have been in previous years. He says under-
graduates seem“terrified of seeming dumb if they speak, but equally worried about seeming too smart if they answer a question correctly.”Dr. Gillis doesn’t understand whether this decline in
participation is due to any factor in particular, but he says he believes that“too much passive communication and passive media consumption has indeed hindered the average student’s abilities
in face to face interactions.”
IS SOCIAL MEDIA DISCONNECTING US?
I am sitting at a restaurant with my boyfriend, waiting for our food to arrive. He’s staring at his phone intently, the way he stares at a Ferrari gliding through the highway or at Roger Federer
dominating the tennis court. “Who are you texting?”I ask, angered by his ability to forget I am there. But he doesn’t listen to my question. I elevate my voice as if I am a mother and he’s the mis-
behaved child. “Who is she?”I yell as I yank the phone out of his hands. My face turns red and hot when I notice his cell screen.Then I begin to giggle pathetically. It’s not another girl. It’s Marca.
com, a sports news website, which updates their page faster than I can throw a fit. And of course, my boyfriend views it in his spare time. All the time.Ten times a day, maybe. But he’s not the only
one. As I look around the room, I notice many other people are chatting on their phones in between conversations. Most young people have their phone on the table or on their lap, and some are
entirely zoned out on their smart phones. Even children are in their own virtual world watching videos or playing games on their Ipads. It’s like everyone is being mesmerized by beautiful nymphs
who keep them in a daze.They can’t look up because the temptation is irresistible. No one wants to miss out on what’s happening halfway across the country, yet they are missing out on what’s
right in front of them.
Magazine Features 12

15. WHATWOULD A SOCIAL MEDIA PROFESSOR SAY?
I arrived at the office of a Social Media professor,Yves Colon, to find out why social media seems to be consuming us. Knowing that he would be very supportive of social media, after he had asked
me if I preferred the interview through Skype earlier that day, I walked in ready to play the devil’s advocate. I wanted to get Professor Colon’s true opinion of social media and not just his professor
voice. But the more I attempted to trash social media, the more he defended its significance. He leaned close to me across the wooden desk with his circular glasses sitting on the tip of his nose,
and said,“Take a look at these Apps”as he pulled out his Iphone. He gave me a step by step guide of all the Apps he has, from the more popular Instagram andTwitter to others I had never heard
of, such as Cutecut, to make videos straight from your phone, and Hootsuite, to help you keep your social networks neatly organized together. I was appalled. Not only because an older man was
teaching me about phone applications I had never heard of but because of the seriousness of his discussion.“You’ve never heard of it?”he’d say. And I felt old, lost, and outdated. He was the seller
and I the gullible customer. But what was he selling me?The apps on his phone? No, those were free. He was selling me social media.The price: the valuable time I would have to devote on social
networks.
WHAT CAN HAPPENWHENWE USE IT EXCESSIVELY?
Social Media can be many things. It can be a profession, a marketing tool, the connection to a success story or an addiction. It can be used for good or for bad. It all depends on who’s using it,
for what reasons, and how.With the click of a button you can tweet to others what’s going on in your life and with that same click you can block your ex from your Facebook profile and it’s as if
they never existed. Such a powerful tool though has it’s secret set of pre-cautions and instructions-that’s right, the ones they don’t tell you when you open your account.There are social media
addictions, anxiety issues and well if you’re only following Blackout Barbie and Rudeboys on twitter, then mental breakdowns as well.
Social network addiction has begun to be recognized as a psychological disorder throughout the world.While it is not included in the 4th Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), many
researchers believe it should be included in DSMV, which is currently under way. Dr. Rod Gillis says that social media addictions like any other kind of addiction, along with video game addiction,
and Internet pornography addiction need to be addressed.“They seem very real to me,”he said.With the rise of social media, more people are beginning to study the psychological effects it has
on individuals. Age group, and sex are distinctive factors to consider when observing the influence of social media on individuals. For instance, a University of Haifa study found that the more time
teen girls spend on Facebook, the greater chances they have of developing an eating disorder, both due to the self-comparisons against their peers and exposure to pop culture.The American
Academy of Pediatrics says both male and female teens may experience“Facebook depression”due to cyber bullying or feeling rejected from social interactive groups. Many psychological studies
view a correlation between a low self-esteem and the use of social media.They suggest that people who want to improve their image should not turn to social media, which can actually harm
them. According to a study in Psychological Science, individuals with low self-esteem and negative views of the world may alienate others with their negative posts or comments, which will scare
away or exhaust their social media contacts.
ARETHERE SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELNES?
Now that the gatekeepers are gone, we need to guard ourselves of the unspecified rules.We need to keep that annoying parental voice in our head, which says,“Just because it’s online doesn’t
mean it’s true,”and always remember the journalistic cliché,“If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”Just because Facebook is supposed to be a fun way to connect with people doesn’t
mean it’s all fun and games. In the path of my social media investigation I’ve learned that Facebook and other social networks are our new nametags.They allow us to create our personal avatars,
which we can use for our own personal advertising. Colon encourages students to use social networking as a professional tool. He says they need to understand that social media is serious because
a better qualityTwitter,Wordpress, or LinkedIn can land you a better job. According toTerilli, all the new social media networks are a new technology and we need to“get with the program.”
Our profiles are like our brands and we need to make conscious decisions about what we want to put in and what is better left out.The more appealing we are on social media, the better we are
selling ourselves. And the one who sells the most wins the most commission.
IS SOCIAL MEDIA REALLY NEW?
Social media is one of the hippest technological communication’s tools in the market. But just because it’s“in”doesn’t mean it hasn’t been around. If you think about it, social media has always
been creeping behind us. It’s human nature that people like to tell stories and inform others of occurrences in their lives. My grandparents did not have to log in to Facebook when they were young
because they shared each other’s photos in person.They didn’t have to tweet each other when they could personally express their thoughts without having to compress them into 140 characters.
Even the cavemen had their own form of social media as their cave paintings where an attempt to communicate with others. Social media is not new but it has been rediscovered or reinvented
through these new technological platforms that we are so familiar with.
SHOULDWE JOINTHE SOCIAL GAME?
Although social media can be an enemy for old-fashioned journalists and rebellious critics, it has become a necessary evil in this day and age. It is a ubiquitous and inevitable part of life. New
YorkTimes editor said in the newspaper’s“Page One”documentary that though he has been waiting forTwitter to turn his brain to mush, it hasn’t happened yet because he believes social media
“will facilitate better journalism”in the future. After all, you can get a quick news update while you wait in the line at Starbucks or while you’re grocery shopping. Social media sites, primarily
Twitter, are a“wire collective news service,”said media and culture columnist David Carr.These networks allow us to hear multiple voices in one platform. Carr modernized Marshall McLuhan by
paraphrasing,“The media is not the message; the messages are the media.” I hate to say it but Mr. Carr is right. Social media has begun to steal the media’s power. Everyone’s messages are the
media’s voice compressed into one, and filtered to become what is this new social media.
No matter how many times I’ve considered going on a Facebook andTwitter strike, I now realize that you can’t swim against the current and pretend that you will get somewhere other than right
where you started.The more I swam against the rip tide, the more it pushed me back. I’m out breadth. I’m tired. I think Frankenstein has come back to life. And guess what? It looks a lot like social
media.We’ve created it, and now it’s turning against us. It has a mind of its own and the more it grows and evolves, the more control it has over us. It is dragging us in different directions, like a
herd of cows.When Facebook calls we run towards it, whenTwitter calls then we run in it’s direction, but what about Myspace? It used to call us but it no longer does. Is social media shaping us?
Or are we shaping it?The fight against social media has left me worn out and unemployed.There’s no escape. I surrender.
Is Social Media Discconecting us? (continued)
Magazine Features 13

16. NEWSSTORIESPrimaryElections CommisionMeeting

17. Political rivalry took over the South Miami commission meeting on March 20th as council members tried to decide on the design and construction of a pool at theYMCA
of Murray Park.The pool project, which had been a promise to residents for more than 30 years, was delayed once more.
“This is racist, it’s bigoted, and it has to stop.”CommissionerValerie Newman said as she angrily brought to the table rumors, which had been said about her and the
other Cubans in the staff who voted in opposition of the pool project.
“I’ve heard we’ve been called the Cuban Mafia by the mayor’s wife,”Newman said.“All these rumors behind closed doors and through emails are not productive and will
bring down the morale of the staff.”
The supreme rumor, however, was the mayor’s attempt to fire the city manager and police chief in relation to their opposition of the pool project.
“I heard they’re being fired because these two answered no to the pool. Should they have lied?”Newman questioned the mayor.
Mayor Philip K. Stoddard answered,“It was a private discussion and it should remain that way.”
Newman did not want to close the case. She further went on and directed the City Manager, Hector Mirabile, asking him if he was aware of the rumors and if he had met
with the mayor to discuss the pool. Mirabile, whom was placed on the spot, answered yes to both.They had met because Mirabile wanted to know why the mayor was
mad at him why he had given negotiations to the city attorney, said the city manager. He admitted that he had met up with the pool contractor and the city attorney to
guide him in making the decision of the pool.
“Retaliation against those who have not supported you is unacceptable”, said Newman.“We are a board of five, not two.”
The City Manager Hector Mirabile asked the commissioners for their guidance, proposing six basic options on how to proceed with the project. CommissionerValerie
Newman sided with Mirabile on the opposition of the pool. Newman suggested the project be stopped and the $198,000 be returned to Miami-Dade County from their
general funds.
“The city should not burden the tax payers”, Newman said.
Mirabile warned the commissioners of the April 30th cut date, by when the selected individuals are to be given instructions on the pool design. He said he believed the
negotiation would take longer and therefore the project should be stopped.
“Any deviations from our intended plan and we run the risk of declaring a failed project,”said Mirabile.
BobWelsh, supportive of the pool project, said he was willing to take the risk. He said he believed their efforts were for the city.
“It is our moral obligation to honor the city,”Welsh said.“City’s should honor their promises.”
Commenting on the finances of the project,Welsh said the total operation and maintenance of the pool should be left up to the Miami City Redevelopment Agency. He
said they could also rely on hospitals, police training, charter and private schools to rent it out, according toWelsh.
Vice Mayor Josh Liebman disagreed and said he did not find the pool project’s operations reasonable.
“We aren’t going to sit around and wait for a school to rent it out,”said Liebman.“This isn’t the pool of dreams.”
Citizens, whom attended the commission, were disappointed by the political conflicts between the staff.
“We finally have a staff of non-political people whose main goal should be to fulfill the people’s wishes.”Commissioner Newman’s spouse said,“ My wife has a lot of
integrity and anyone listening here tonight should stop it.”
A special meeting will be heldTuesday March 27th at 6:00 pm for the commission to vote and give their final decision of the pool project.
NewsSouth Miami Commission Meeting
News 15

18. The Republican primary elections onTuesday yielded a smaller number of GOP voters than in previous years with a turnout of about 40 percent, according to Christine
Armario and Gary Fineout from the Associated Press.The nearly empty voting polls in the Coral Gable’s BankUnited Center yielded a turnout of about 50 as of 2 p.m.,
according to a poll worker.
SandraVargas, 52, who is a stay at home mother with four children, said she was appalled at how empty the voting poll was.
“There aren’t many voters but these people here are the voice of our country,”Vargas said.
Out of the few voters in the BankUnited Center, many of them were in favor of Romney. Supporters of the former Massachusetts Gov. believe he can spark a change,
with an approach that differs from the Obama Campaign. Michelle Cardenas, 47, who owns a Bakery in Miami, said she voted for Romney because she wanted to see
some progress in the economy.
“He is a perfect representation of American Industry and this is what has made this country so powerful,”Cardenas Said.“This is the type of leadership we need in this
recession.”
Romney critics accuse him of being anti-immigrants, even though he tried to prove that this was not the case during the second Presidential debate in Florida when he
said his father was born in Mexico.
Michael Gomez, a 73-year-old retiree from Colombia criticized the Republican candidates for bringing up the subject of immigration so late in the race.
“Most republicans do not really care about immigrants,”Gomez said.“They just want to sound interested to attract all the Hispanics in Florida.”
Romney has received much criticism for his earlier positions on immigration. His“self-deportation plan”would give undocumented aliens a time to settle their affairs
before they can pack up their belongings and head home. His opposition to the DREAM Act, a bill that would enable undocumented students and soldiers to gain legal
status, also angers immigration supporters.
Jordan Lewis, a University of Miami student majoring in Political Science said he does not support any of the Republican nominees but finds Romney to be the least
reliable.
“Romney is an empty suit with a load of cash,”Lewis said.
During the debate inTampa, Romney modified his previous opposition of the DREAM Act. He said that if it focused on military service, then he would agree to sign it.
“He is known for flip-flopping on every issue,”Lewis said.
Lewis also touched on the importance of student loans, which affects him and many of his classmates who have to rely on financial aid and grants.
“Not a single nominee is as supportive of student loans as Obama.” Said Lewis“I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade but Obama is sure to win the presidential elec-
tion.”
Voters can mark down February 4th on their calendars for the upcoming Nevada Caucus.
NewsThe Primary Elections
News 16

19. ENGLISHLITERATUREHomer Shakesperare TheBible

20. AnalyticalEssaysThe Odyssey by Homer
Homer’s“The Odyssey”is an epic poem of the hero, Odysseus as he returns to his homeland after theTrojanWar. Odysseus was the only man aboard his group of ships to return to Ithaca safely. He
rivaled his antagonist, Poseidon who tortured him on his journey home, and he resisted harsh conditions, and seductive mythological creatures. But it was not his courage and bravery that en-
abled him to survive the decade-long journey after ten years fighting in theTrojan war, but his cunning and persistent nature. His wise and sly personality enabled him to survive through difficult
situations such as his escape from Polyphemous the Cyclops, Circe the enchantress, the land of the Lotus, the Bay of Aeolus and other foreign lands he set foot on.
The Odyssey, unlike the Iliad, highlights a different kind of epic hero.The king of Ithaca is not depicted as a fearless warrior but rather introduced helplessly laying on a beach and later suffering
through an endless chain of torturous events in order to reach his family.Though readers may feel sympathy for Odysseus and his un-hero behavior at first, it is this hero’s astute personality that
sets him apart from his crew.Throughout the epic poem, Odysseus is determined and brave, but not very risky. He is cautious, sharp and does not doubt himself. For instance, when he ignores
the goddess Ino’s advice to abandon the ship, he trusts his own instinct and abilities as he says,“[I]t’s what seems best to me”(5.397). Additionally, he demonstrates his wit once again upon his
arrival at Ithaca where he disguises himself as an old beggar to avoid the risk of being harmed by his wife’s suitors.The bow can also be a symbol of Odysseus’cunning personality since it takes
wit and not strength to string a bow and shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. None of the suitors can win the challenge, only Odysseus. In the end, he not only wins his wife back while in
disguise, but also manages to kill the suitors before they hurt him, and then regains his kingdom.
Odysseus also possesses other traits valued by the Greeks: He is loyal, hospitable, and maintains a good reputation. Odysseus is loyal to his crew, whom he never leaves behind despite the trouble
they cause for him. For instance, when his men disobey him and eat the sacred cattle of Helios or when they decide to open Aolus' bag of winds. His crew ends up extending and complicating
their journey home yet Odysseus continues to watch out for them as much as he can. He is also loyal to the Gods, especially to Athena who guides him on several occasions, and he always follows
her advice. Moreover, Odysseus is loyal to his family. Even though he sleeps with some of the goddesses, he does it out of duty; he never forgets his wife and son. In the same way that Odysseus is
loyal to Penelope andTelemachus by always keeping them in his heart and memory, they too, are not willing to forget or replace him.
Odysseus shows the greatest affinity to his family and he shares many similarities to his son even though he did not watch him grow up. Like Odysseus, his son,Telemachus is undergoing a
difficult journey, a metaphorical one. He is transitioning into manhood so he can have the courage to honor his father by getting rid of his mother’s suitors, and regain his estate. He quickly begins
to display his father’s bravery and manliness, which is exemplified as he says,“I hold the reins of power in this house”(1.414).Through the help of Athena,Telemachus develops as a man. For
instance, he gets the courage to speak to Pylus’king Nestor regarding any news of Odysseus.While he’s there, Nestor then urges him to defend his father’s honor in the same way Orestes, son of
Agamemnon, won in defense of his father. Like Odysseus,Telemachus, wants to maintain a good reputation, and with the push of Athena, create a name for himself.Telemachus also possesses
his father’s hospitality. He greets strangers, such as Athena, when she disguised herself as his father’s friend, with food and kindness. Penelope andTelemachus are both hospitable to the suitors
and to Odysseus when he is disguised as a beggar.
While Odysseus embodies characteristics applauded by the Greeks, the suitors who are staying in his home act in just the opposite manner.They are boisterous and insulting to Odysseus home.
They consume his food and alcohol and only want to marry Penelope out of self-interest. Unlike Odysseus, the suitors are greedy, disloyal and disrespectful.The men want to take over Odysseus’
kingdom, and even plot to murderTelemachus.Throughout the play, they are viewed as“The suitors”, and none in particular seems to stand out as if they are all the same. But later on, there
seems to be a separation between those like the arrogant Antinous, who are not in the queen’s best interest and those like Amphinomus, who have no bad intentions in marrying Penelope.This
opposes Odysseus significant character as a hero throughout, although it also raises questions of whether it is moral for him to have killed the good suitors.
Odysseus never loses sight of his destination. Although he is treated well by several mythological creatures, he never settles for anything other than Ithaca and his family. Odysseus is seduced
by food, shelter, and beautiful nymphs. He is attracted by the delicious lotus, where a bite of the fruit could have caused him to stay and never return home again but he resists. Additionally, he
rejects the gift of immortality and chooses to stay with his aging wife over the beautiful Goddess Calypso and her paradise of an Island. He does not give in to her comforts and seduction despite
the seven years with her and his dying hope of ever returning home. In other occasions, he shows less self-control as he encounters Circe, the beautiful nymph and femme fatale, who offers
him the simple pleasures of life that he used to take for granted, such as a place to rest. He then travels to the land of the sirens, whose music is enticing.While he covers the ears of his men, he
leaves his own uncovered and ties himself to a pole, so he can be forced to listen to the music and test his own will power. Odysseus knows that the Gods are testing his limits, and the more he
resists temptations, the better reputation he will have. Resisting the sirens and other temptations make him a more honorable man. It is like a triumph for him, and once he has conquered all his
temptations, he can reach home and understand that his true love is in Ithaca with his family.
Odysseus is a unique hero and very few cinematic action heroes’today can actually be compared to him. James Bond, however, shares many similar characteristics to the Greek hero. Bond, like
Odysseys is often traveling and often spends long periods of time away from England. Homer describes Odysseus as a Polumetis, which carries many meanings but can mean ingenious, cunning,
sly, and witty. James Bond possesses all of these qualities. Bond uses his charm and cunning personality as a form of deceit, which comes in handy when encountering enemies. Additionally, both
heroes’have powerful rivals. Odysseus has Poseidon and Bond has many, among them Ernst Starvo Bloefold.Their enemies add obstacles against them. Bond also disguises himself sometimes,
in the same way Odysseus did after arriving to Ithaca. Another more political similarity lies in their roles.While Odysseus is a King, Bond is tied to the British monarchy since he serves in the secret
service. His motivation is to maintain or restore the status quo in his society. In a similar manner, Odysseus has very conservative views and he too is concerned with restoring the social order
when he returns to his home.While Bond has to deal with England’s enemies who want to have an upper hand in politics, Odysseus has to get rid of the suitors who want to steal his throne and
his wife.
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21. The order of love is aTriad between God, our neighbors and ourselves. It states that individuals should love God, their neighbors and themselves in the same amount.When lovers are consumed
by their feelings, however, they lose much of their ability to reason and therefore, weaken or endanger the order of love.While following the order of love can result in love and peace, the disrup-
tion of this order can lead to the destruction of love.
The order of love is weakened through characters that confuse true love for erotic love in Romeo and Juliet and A midsummer Night’s Dream. Romeo’s sexual attraction to Juliet makes him lose
his reason, therefore weakening the order of love. By loving Juliet more than himself, he produces an imbalance in the order of love, which eventually costs him his life. Likewise, Helena is forced
to face the consequences of disrupting the order of love by idolizing Demetrius.The fairies make the four characters suffer with a spell that makes them miserable since there is no mutual love
between any of them.
Romeo’s death could be foreshadowed early in the play since he constantly crossed dangerous limits. For instance, in the balcony scene, Romeo speaks poetically to Juliet, displaying his devotion
to her.Through his impulsive words to Juliet, Romeo demonstrates that he’s overcome by erotic love. He lacks reason, and is overwhelmed with passion as he chooses risk his life for Juliet by
standing on her grounds. She advises him of the danger he is facing but he forgets about his well being at the moment because his love for Juliet is superior to his love for himself. He says,“My
life were better ended by their hate/ than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.”(II, ii, 82-83)While his statements weakens the order of love, his cloudy judgment results in her death and his
impulsive passion in his own. In essence, Romeo contributes to Juliet’s own death by not loving her in the right way: he idolizes her, but forgets to think about her safety, and makes impulsive
decisions, therefore weakening the order of love.
Just like Romeo allows his emotions to control him, Helena does the same in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. She belittles and degrades herself by loving Demetrius more than she loves herself,
therefore weakening the order of love. She idolizes him and comments on the power of erotic love as she says,“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid
painted blind.”(I.i.234–235). Distressed because Demetrius loves Hermia, she speaks of love’s inexplicable nature as a biased individual perception and not an objective one. Before the happy
ending, the characters suffer with an unexpected twist of love. Helena thinks she’s lost her best friend, Hermia, and that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her by devoting their love to her,
therefore hurting her self-esteem even more. Similarly, Hermia is suffering since she believes Helena has betrayed her by taking Lysander away from her. Because both women suffer for love,
Shakespeare may be suggesting that if one person destabilizes the order of love, other people may be affected as well. Even though Hermia did nothing wrong, the order of love is a triad and one
individual’s mistake can lead to negative results for anyone else within the triad. Unlike in Romeo and Juliet, however, the ending here is happy and the order of love is restored. It is important to
note, however, that Demetrius’sudden love for Helena in the end is due to the fairies’intervention.Therefore, the reawakening of Demetrius’s feelings is a result of magic, and not reality.
The father figures of both plays weaken the order of love. In Romeo and Juliet, Capulet threatens to disown his daughter if she doesn’t marry Juliet, which demonstrates her father’s destructive
pride. He loves Juliet, but not as much as he loves himself and maintaining his pride. Capulet cares more about how he will be portrayed to others, than of his own daughter’s happiness. He
doesn’t want to be viewed as a weak and sensible father, but as the head of the household, a man with power and authority.
In A MidSummer Night’s Dream, Egeus is representative of possessive love, since he treats his daughter, Hermia, as an object that belongs to him. Because he is so concerned about how society
views him, he tries to act like an authoritative figure, commanding his daughter to marry Paris. Consequently, he forgets about Hermia’s happiness and well being, therefore allowing their
father-daughter relationship to weaken and destabilizing the order of love by loving himself more than his own daughter. Egeus faces his consequences as his daughter disobeys him and elopes
with Lysander, eventually marrying him with the permission ofTheseus, the Duke of Athens.
While Romeo and Juliet may suggest that disrupting the order of love can lead to death, both of love and of individuals, A Midsummer Night’s Dream depicts the possibility of the restoration of
love even after the order of love has been weakened. A Midsummer Night’s Dream ends with a resolution as Robin addresses the readers:“Give me your hands, if we be friends/ And Robin shall
restore amends.”(IV, I, 454-455). Robin is not only asking the audience for an applause but he’s suggesting that we are all brothers and sisters and we should all accept each other’s parts because
even if we all play different roles, we are joined by love.The reader can assume that the end of the play reflects the order of love since the couples end up paired up and satisfied. In Romeo and
Juliet, the order of love is disrupted and therefore Romeo, Juliet,Tybalt and Paris all die, which demonstrates the power of love’s ability to entangle other people aside from the lovers. Moreover,
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet resulted in the peace of the rival families and therefore, a possibility for the restoration of love for the rest of the characters.
Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Analytical Essays 19

22. The Bible: Sacrifice in Hebrews
The NewTestament redefines sacrifice and this is evident primarily in the Letter to the Hebrews.The death of Jesus was better understood through the notion of sacrifice, which has been present
since the OldTestament. Sacrifice takes on a new meaning in the NewTestament as Jesus’death proved to be the most superior form of sacrifice leading to human salvation and cleansing of sin.
Although little is known about the letter, many believe it is addressed to Jewish Christians. Every aspect of the letter, including any mention of Jesus’sacrifice, suggests that Christianity is superior
to all other religions, especially over Judaism. Just as Jesus’sacrifice was superior to any other, the speaker implies that the religion itself is superior.The speaker of the letter had a clear purpose
in mind: to encourage Christians who were losing faith. He says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
(Hebrews 1:3) The statement not only inflates the power of Jesus and makes him seem like the reincarnation of God, but it also suggests that people can reach God through Jesus. Meanwhile,
the author also tries to make Jesus seem human, not only by calling him“son”but by mentioning that he "suffered when he was tempted,”(Hebrews 2:18) and that he was made "perfect through
suffering." (Hebrews 2:10)This shows that Jesus was capable of feeling. He was mortal yet his work was both physical and spiritual. He had to offer both his body and spirit to enter heaven
and intercede for humans. Additionally, the author’s intention of carefully depicting Jesus in these two distinct views attempts to encourage people to have faith because of what Jesus did for
humanity.
Although some scholars of the bible believe that the sacrificial metaphor of Jesus’death is coincidental since it occurred during Passover, it does not seem like it was a matter of chance. Biblical
scholar, George Heyman states in his book,The Power of Sacrifice: Roman and Christian Discourses in Conflict. that sacrifice was viewed as a way to obtain divine favor and imperial control in the
empire for the Greco-Roman world. As Jews, the earliest Christians would sacrifice on a daily basis as a form of worship in the Jerusalem temple. Moreover, the second covenant happened because
the first one was not perfect.The author emphasizes on the superiority of Jesus’sacrifice by comparing Moses and Jesus Christ, hand-made temple and temple made without hands, the sacrifice
in the old and NewTestament and priesthood in the OldTestament with the priesthood of Jesus.The comparisons serve to once again emphasize the superiority of Christianity as well.
Jesus’sacrifice was superior to any sacrifice in the OldTestament. For instance, in Hebrews Jesus is depicted as a High Priest since the author says he enters“a more perfect tabernacle, not man-
mad”(9:11 and 24). In essence, some scholars, such as Heyman, say Jesus’death is a sacrifice to himself as he offers himself at the cross. Furthermore, as the Jewish High Priest had to constantly
make himself holy yearly, Jesus’sacrifice was more effective and better because he brought his own blood and not animal blood.The animals that were usually used for blood sacrifices in the old
covenant had to be perfect, with no physical defects, which, proves that Jesus was perfect, making him a superior sacrifice. Jesus atoned for the sins of humanity once and for all as opposed to the
high priest’s repetitive sacrificial practice, reminding the people of their constant sinfulness. Sacrifice also cleansed the conscience according to Heyman by“assuaging interior human guilt as well,”
which was something the Jewish cult failed to accomplish through their sacrifices. While the OldTestament was a shadow of salvation, Hebrews suggests that Jesus’death demonstrated the
reality. It allowed believers to be cleansed inside, in the heart, and not just on the outside.
Hebrews attempts to make sense of the death of Jesus. Although it states that the sacrifice of Jesus’death has served to“sanctify”humanity (10:10), it also presents a paradox to the early Chris-
tians, who viewed crucifixion as“demeaning and humiliating in the Graeco-Roman world”and as“a curse under Jewish Law,”according to Heyman.Therefore, interpreters of Hebrews turn to the
notion of sacrifice to persuade believers that Jesus’death was part of the divine plan. According to Henri Hubert and Marel Mauss, two biblical scholars,“sacrificial rituals are often used to invert
the norms of human behavior, thus creating a positive control of disorder.”(The Power of Sacrifice: Roman and Christian Discourses in Conflict.) Jesus’sacrifice is described as a positive occurrence.
The disorder caused by his death led to creation, since it saved humans by forgiving them of their sins. Hebrews includes these paradoxes in order to reflect the tension that came about as people
tried to interpret Jesus’death as a sacrifice.
Humans were made“holy”by Jesus’offering, which included“a sacrifice of blood.”(Hebrews 9:12) Although there is no explanation as to why the offering of blood wipes away sins, it is simply
understood as a fact for the people of Israel and the author of Hebrews.The connection between blood and atonement is established in Leviticus as Moses says,“For the life of the creature is in the
blood and, I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves.”(17:19)The Letter to the Hebrews links Jesus’death to the offering of blood by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.The
only way to obtain blood is to kill a victim. Jesus was therefore portrayed not only as the man who sacrificed himself and atoned for our sins, but as a victim as well. Consequently, Hebrews focuses
on Jesus’offering of blood, more than on his death, which seems like a more literal and visual way to emphasize that his death was a sacrifice. Moreover, in Hebrews, the author says,“under the
law almost everything is purified with blood.”(9:22)This can explain the correlation between blood and atonement since the shedding of blood flows from God to his followers in order to cleanse
them from their sins.
Jesus’death allowed for the will of God to be carried out for the first time on earth.The author of Hebrews says,“Here I am, I have come O God to do thy will”, citing psalms 40.The psalmist was
missing Jesus to feel fulfilled. Jesus died in obeying God. He came to earth to carry out God’s will: to sacrifice himself for the people and wipe away their sins. Jesus says,“My food is to do the will
of him who sent me, and accomplish his work,”and“Not my will but thine.”which clarifies that Jesus obediently accepted death.
It can be said that humans were made righteous through Jesus’obedience and therefore, it is now their duty to follow Christ in their lives and honor him with praise.The author of Hebrews urges
believers to continually offer God a sacrifice in return for Jesus’sacrifice. He calls it a “sacrifice of praise”(Hebrews 13:10) and further on suggests believers should“have an altar from which those
who serve in the tent have no authority to eat”(Hebrews 13:10).While some biblical scholars believe the author may be referring to the Eucharist, other Protestant scholars say it cannot be since
the victim on the Day of Atonement is burnt but not eaten.Therefore, Jesus’death cannot be linked to any meal, like the Eucharist. Ironically, the Christians were of the few religions that did not
have altars, according to Heyman, therefore the author of Hebrews might be implying that Christians go to this metaphorical sacrificial place to make an offering through Jesus. Consequently,
when humans offer their service to God through baptism, they are taking part of a metaphorical sacrifice.While some scholars think that“the sacrifice of praise”that’s expected of believers is a
spiritual form of worship, Hebrews says that people should serve their Christian brothers and sisters along with strangers and criminals (Hebrews 13:1-5) through acts of charity as well.
Jesus’sacrifice led to the replacement of the temple cult by a new way to reach God, through Jesus. Since his death was a superior sacrifice than the animal sacrifices in the OldTestament, Jesus
has created the final perfect sacrifice to sanctify human sin. Jesus Christ obeyed God and fulfilled the will of the lord. Hebrews encourages followers to obey Christ by offering daily sacrifices to him
through prayer.
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