Selling stolen laptops, iPods and cell phones is petty crime to many. But for some University of Memphis students who claim to sell these criminally acquired goods on a national scale, it’s a self-made scholarship — and a five-figure income.

Several U of M students said they’re involved in such an oper-ation, their clientele including students and professors at The U of M and across the country.

A junior mechanical engi-neering major using the pseud-onym John said he has been involved with the sales ring since 2006, selling a variety of items to willing customers for personal gain.

“I profit from the sale of

merchandise such as electron-ics, books, appliances, automo-biles and a u t o m o -tive acces-sories, as well as event ser-vices,” he said.

A m o n g the items John said he has sold are iPods, iPads, lap-tops, gam-ing sys-tems, cell phones, televisions, refrigera-tors, washing machines, dryers, textbooks and tickets to events around Memphis.

“Some items are acquired

through wholesale, while oth-ers are acquired through more

nefarious means,” he said.But “stealing” is not how

John chooses to describe how he acquires the items, he said.

“I use the word ‘plunder,’

John said. “It’s the spoils of our victory — I say ‘our’ because it

is a group effort. It is more orga-nized than you think. We have a system. W h e t h e r (the items) are being s h i p p e d from one city to a n o t h e r or simply s o m e o n e k n o c k -

ing the back door off a cell phone store and grabbing the merchandise, everybody has a job to do … We have people in high school that work with

us, but we don’t allow them to do too much because we don’t want them getting suspensions or not being able to graduate on time.”

John said minors involved in the operation are restricted to selling “light things,” including cell phones and snack foods.

His role in the operation is selling, not stealing, John said.

The items he does sell, he said, are preferably new and in their original containers. Newer items amount to higher profits, he said.

Though he said he would never sell items stolen from someone’s home, businesses are fair game.

The practice of companies’ writing off missing items at the

While some students struggle balancing college and a job, one University of Memphis student is pursuing an online master’s degree while serving in the mili-tary overseas.

Air Force Captain and U of M graduate student Sheila Johnston is pursuing a master of arts degree in journalism through The U of M Department of Journalism’s online program. Currently sta-tioned in the Panjshir province of Afghanistan, she is in her fifth semester of the program and plans to graduate this summer.

Now in her eighth year as an Air Force Public Affairs offi-cer, Johnston said in an e-mail interview that she initially joined the military because of an Air Force scholarship that allowed her to attend Texas Christian University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2003.

“Though I always knew I was going to college, I had no idea how I was going to make that happen, and I didn’t want to burden my mom with paying for my college education,” she said.

After graduation, she began her initial four-year commitment in the Air Force, as required by the scholarship. She said she enjoyed “the camaraderie and

rigor” and decided to continue her military career.

Her graduate studies began while stationed in Iraq and later in Qatar in 2008-’09. She contin-ued the program after moving to Haiti last year, soon after the January earthquake that devas-tated the small country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Johnston currently serves as the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team’s executive officer.

Her squadron, the 1st Combat Camera Squadron in Charleston, S.C., includes a team ready to respond within six hours to any major world

Sammie Burnett Johnson helped changed the face of the Memphis State campus in 1959.

Johnson was one of the first group of African-American stu-dents, known as the Memphis State Eight, to attend The University.

Johnson, 71, died of bone can-cer in her Grandville, Mo., home Saturday, Jan. 15th.

She is the first of the Memphis State Eight — Johnson, Rose Blakney, Eleanor Gandy, Marvis LaVerne Kneeland, Luther McClellan, Ralph Prater, Bertha Rogers and John Simpson — to pass.

During their time at Memphis State, the group’s members were able to attend classes but were not allowed to par-ticipate in physical education or ROTC courses. They had access to the library and two lounges but had to be off campus by noon.

Zelma Dillihunt, Johnson’s sister, said she was concerned for her sister when she decided to inte-grate Memphis State because there were only seven other blacks enrolling with her.

She said she was worried her sister would be “harmed some way” but that Johnson was not afraid.

“She was always

ready to fight for the cause,” Dillihunt said. “If she was (scared), she never discussed it with me.”

Johnson’s father, Irving Burnett, drove Zelma and Kneeland to the campus every day. He was wor-ried at that time, but fortunately “they didn’t have any incidents,” he said.

Dillihunt said her sister had a “spunky” spirit and would speak her mind when met with confrontation.

Lonnie Latham, associate dean of students for minority affairs, said though he never met Johnson, he knew of her as the vocal leader of the eight.

“She was the one who really spoke up. She was a little differ-ent than some of those during that era,” he said. “She was one of the ones who would speak up and wouldn’t accept no for an answer.”

Johnson, a Booker T. Washington High School gradu-ate, attended LeMoyne-Owen College before enrolling at Memphis State. After a year at The U of M, she got married, moved to Las Cruces, N. M., and graduated from New Mexico State University.

“Her husband was out there,” Burnett said. “It was not a hard decision to leave Memphis State.

She later attended the University

DailyHelmsman

Vol. 78 No. 067The

Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis www.dailyhelmsman.com

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tiger guard Will Barton earns C-USA Freshman of the Week

see page 8

Barton Garners Top Billing

UM students, professors linked to national black market, students sayBY TiMBerlY MooreNews Reporter

see Market, page 4

Memphis State Eight lose vocal memberBY Josh BoldenNews Reporter

see eight, page 8

Student Profileonline, on the job: U of M grad student’s double dutyBY AMBer CrAwfordNews Reporter

see air Force, page 3

cour

tesy

of

She

ila J

ohns

ton

by A

aron

Tur

ner

Lonnie Latham, U of M associate dean of students for minority affairs, has taken a special interest in the story of Memphis State Eight’s Sammie Burnett-Johnson.

Sheila Johnston, journalism graduate student, is also a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

photo illustration by Scott Carroll

www.dailyhelmsman.com2 • Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Across1 Utah Jazz’s gp.4 Slopeside structure10 Sodas14 DDE opponent15 Dugouts, e.g.16 Frizzy do17 *Worm change?19 Sci-fi saucers20 Shimmery sushi fish21 Lush22 Speck in the sea24 Lender’s product26 Hardly a tough decision29 Decelerate31 Dough dispenser, briefly32 Craps cube33 Words before “Here’s to,” perhaps36 Remain unsettled37 *Relocation company’s cocktail mixers?41 Without accomplices42 Didn’t run the ball43 Nice vacation time?44 Old word of annoyance46 Twitches50 Kentucky’s state flower54 Sacro- ending55 “How Do I Live” singer LeAnn56 One of a salty seven58 Architect Saarinen59 Start of a coconut cocktail name60 *Court mistake?63 Former Israeli president Weizman64 Shoelace holder65 Canapé topper, perhaps66 Corporate freebie67 Breaks down in English class?68 Word usually found in the answers to starred clues

Down1 Pooh-bahs2 “C’mon, sport, help me out”

3 Cheese from Italy’s Veneto region4 IV amounts5 Hesitating sounds6 Negatively charged atom7 Game with scratching8 Treaty of Rome org.9 Top at the beach10 St. __ Girl beer11 Lawbreaker12 Dietary needs found in beef13 Titanic signal18 Coordinated fan effort at a sta-dium23 One of the Warner Brothers25 Bard’s instrument27 Bubbly soothers28 Wine choice30 __ favor: señor’s “please”34 According to

35 Retirement org.36 One on a bike37 Add an engine to38 Quick joke39 Biblical mount40 Foreign Legion cap41 Hose filler?44 Giant’s first word45 Arched foot part47 __ Nevada mountain range48 Strand on a 22-Across49 Made a basket, say51 Old German money, for short52 Wickerwork willow53 Antes precede them57 On the sheltered side59 Vim61 Shaggy Scandinavian rug62 Sci-fi invaders, for short

DOMINO’S PIZZA 550 S. HIGHLAND 323-3030No Waiting!

Volume 78 Number 067

Managing EditorMike Mueller

Copy and Design ChiefAmy Barnette

News EditorsCole Epley

Amy Barnette

Sports EditorJohn Martin

Copy EditorsAmy Barnette

Christina Hessling

General ManagerCandy Justice

Advertising ManagerBob Willis

Admin. SalesSharon Whitaker

Adv. ProductionRachelle PavelkoRachel Rufenacht

Adv. SalesRobyn Nickell

Michael Parker

The University of Memphis The Daily Helmsman

113 Meeman Journalism Building Memphis, TN 38152

News: (901) 678-2193

Sports: (901) 678-2192

dailyhelmsman@gmail.com

The Daily Helmsman is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have authority to make

all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Daily Helmsman is pleased to make a maximum of 10 copies from each issue available to a reader for free, after which $1 will

be charged per copy.

Editor-in-ChiefScott Carroll

DailyHelmsmanThe

Ads: (901) 678-2191

Fax: (901) 678-4792

Contact Information

Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3—by—3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

Sudoku

Solutions on page 6

“Why don’t the HD TVs in the UC play HD chan-nels? Seems like a waste of my tuition to me.”

— @ccerrito

“One can only wonder weather our situation would be any different if our school president were Shirley Snows.”

— @PersoNick

“No texting while driving ... does that apply to bi-cycle drivers? If so, the one who just crashed into the library needs a ticket.”

— @ChelseaBoozer

“I just fi nished reading the 56-page iTunes terms and conditions. It checks out.”

— @John_Martin_DH

“Drink your Ovaltine.” — @Hamlin38103

“When I’m in class, I can’t sit by a window ... if I do, I’ll text people I know walking past and say, ‘Hey, you look nice!’”

— @truesoul2012

TIGER BABBLEthoughts that give you paws

Tell us what gives you paws. Send us your thoughts on Twitter @dailyhelmsman or #tigerbabble. Or post on our Facebook wall at facebook.com/dailyhelmsman.

send us a letter

Have opinions? Care to share?

dailyhelmsman@gmail.com

YoU reAllY liKe Us!Yesterday’s Top-Read Stories

on the Web1. Silence in the stands

by John Martin

2. Leisure time in an alternate realityby Kyle LaCroix

3. UM workers hold vigil to bolster wageby Scott Carroll

4. English instructor stirs in conspiracyby Chelsea Boozer

5. Pom squad wins 13th national titleby John Martin

The University of Memphis Tuesday, January 25, 2011 • 3

TONIGHTAlakazam! The Human Knot

7 p.m.Rose Theatre

Coming UpThursday, 1/27

CULTURED: A Night of Diverse Poetry

7 p.m.UC River Room

event and document military efforts during the initial crisis period. She said the earthquake in Haiti was her first deploy-ment for such purposes.

“I remember we’d be moving through tent cities with medi-cal personnel documenting their work, and the kids would just walk up and take my hand,” Johnston said. “The people appreciated us being there.”

Her commander, Colonel Aaron Burgstein, described the mission to Haiti as one of many examples where Johnston dem-onstrated her work ethic. The scope of her work during the crisis, he said, extended across the American media.

“Ultimately, she was responsi-ble for all of the video you prob-ably saw of Haiti on national television,” Burgstein said.

Johnston said sparse Internet connectivity in Haiti altered her study routine — she would read and complete class assignments at night and turn them in when she returned home to Pampa, Texas.

Her undergraduate advisor at TCU, Doug Newsom, suggested The U of M’s online program to her, saying he felt it would pro-vide the “academic and personal support” she would need as a student and soldier.

Although during her service she has been deployed to dan-gerous places, Johnston said she doesn’t have time to ever feel unsafe.

“As service members, we go where we’re told to do the job we’ve been hired to do,” she said.

According to her former col-league in the Air Force, Kathy White, Johnston often goes above and beyond what she’s been hired to do.

“She genuinely cares about the welfare of the men and women working for her,” White said. “She ensures they flourish but also holds them accountable.”

Despite her busy schedule, Johnston said she’s not complete-ly immune to homesickness.

“I am part of a dual-military household, so I tend to miss seeing my husband and having a simple meal with him when one or both of us is away for a while,” Johnston said. “That’s

true for deployments as well as everyday life, really.”

Johnston said that one of the greatest benefits of the Air Force is that she is continuously given professional development oppor-tunities commensurate with her rank and time in service. One of those opportunities is getting an advanced degree.

“It is more typical than atypi-cal for a captain to seek a grad-uate degree in the Air Force,” Johnston said. “It’s almost expected for those who intend to stick around for a career in the Air Force.”

As far as her future is con-cerned, she said, she never can be certain where she’ll be next, given the dynamic nature of her field and her job in general.

“Whether it’s military, non-profit or otherwise, I think hav-ing my M.A. only gives me more options and a wider understand-ing of what’s going on in the public relations and journalism industry,” Johnston said.

She said a routine career in the Air Force spans about 20 years, and then the majority of public affairs officers try to find a new form of public relations or management.

“So as I approach the mid-point (in my career), it’s hard to say what else might be in store,” she said.

Town Hall MeetingTODAY @ 2 p.m.UC 363 (Beale Room)

What events do you want to see on campus?

Come and tell us!

air Forcefrom page 1

www.dailyhelmsman.com4 • Tuesday, January 25, 2011

According to the College Sustainability Report Card, The University of Memphis is now above average in its green efforts.

The report is administered each year by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to researching and approving sus-tainability on college campuses.

In 2011’s report, which ana-lyzes 2010, The U of M received a B-minus, an increase from the C’s it received the previous two years.

The report is a compilation of four surveys that investigate sustainability in campus opera-tions, dining service, endow-ment investment practices and student activities.

The B-minus was an average of grades earned in nine sepa-rate categories. These catego-ries included the administra-tion, food and recycling, green buildings, student involvement, transportation and others.

“I am just delighted with our sustainability efforts,” said Rosie Bingham, vice president of student affairs. “I already see changes in the behavior of our staff, students and faculty. And that is in part because the administration is very commit-ted to this effort.”

For the past two report cards,

The U of M administration got an A for its efforts in each year’s project, a Green Campus Initiative in 2008 and a sustain-ability strategic plan in 2009.

The initiative offered online resources and information about sustainability to students, faculty and staff.

The strategic plan was formed by a committee of stu-dents, administrators, faculty, staff and community members and included the employment of a full-time sustainabil-ity coordinator at The U of M, Amelia Mayahi.

Mayahi said that it’s The University’s role to serve as a “leader” in green initiatives for the city of Memphis and surrounding communities. She also added that “there was not a doubt” in her mind that The University’s grade would improve on this year’s report card.

“Our University has made a united effort toward making sustainability a main priority,” she said. “That collaborated effort is why we have been so successful this past year.”

Some projects The University Sustainability Committee has accomplished are introducing vermicomposting, the use of worms to break down organic waste into soil, on campus and the completion of a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

Mayahi added that The

University has also addressed issues such as energy and water conservation and air and water pollution.

The Student Involvement category received a C in this year’s report, an improvement from last year’s D.

The grade increase was par-tially due to the $10 Sustainable Campus Fee, more commonly known as “The Green Fee,” which was initiated by The Environmental Action Club, a student organization that pro-motes environmental service.

According to The U of M’s website, this fee supplies $360,000 each year to sponsor campus efforts to go green.

Jennifer Hooper, junior anthropology major and presi-dent of the EAC, said The University’s improved grade is “something for our campus to be proud of.”

“We all worked together on this,” she said. “I do not think that we would have this B-minus right now if it not for the funding that the Green Fee provided for all of the new initiatives going on (around) campus.”

The lowest grade The University received in a cat-egory was a D in Endowment Transparency. According to the report, this is because The University provides a list of its shareholder’s voting records to key administrators but does not

make them public.Emily Cummings, soph-

omore political science major, said she noticed The University’s increased effort in going green, but there’s still room for improvement.

“I like all the recycling bins around campus for plastic and cans,” she said, “but I do think we should have more places for recycling paper. With all the paper we use, we could recycle so much, but there’s not really anywhere to do so.”

The report also said that The University is attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions 10 percent from 2008 lev-els by 2025.

U of M campus is growing greenerEnvironment

BY ChelseA BooZerNews Reporter

end of their fiscal year, he said, means they essentially lose no money from theft.

“I know it is childish, but I go by the principle of ‘finders, keepers,’” he said. “In a sense, I feel like I’m doing something for the economy by giving peo-ple jobs in loss prevention. I know it’s a warped mentality, but it helps me get to sleep at night.”

He also said that his crimi-nal endeavors support another profession — providing police officers with jobs.

Joy Quenga, assistant man-ager at Best Buy on Poplar near Interstate 240, said that John’s justification for pillaging busi-nesses isn’t entirely accurate.

While the stores do budget for theft, she said, the store’s bottom line goes into the nega-tive if its total losses exceed its annual expected amount. She added that even though the larceny may be written off, someone still has to pay for the items.

“Yes, we do write some things off, but the money has to come from somewhere,” she said. “It affects the store financially, but we have not had to fire employ-ees because of loss from theft.”

Quenga, a five-year employ-ee of Best Buy, said that losses affect bonuses for managers like her and show up negatively on the company’s profit and loss report.

Marketfrom page 1

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE2-piece Dark Chicken Dinner FREE

With Purchase of 1 Chicken Dinner & 2 Drinks

Get a Sack Full for $10 - Pick One10 Chicken n’Biscuits & Cup of Gravy

10 Steak n’Biscuits & Cup of Gravy5 Chicken n’Biscuits & 5 Steak n’Biscuits & Gravy

We have Steak Sandwiches, Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Hot Dogs & Much More!

Large Orders & Catering Always Welcome!

Open: M-Th 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. F-Sat. 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

jackpirtleschicken.comFacebook: jack pirtle’s chicken

15% Discount To U of M Students, Faculty & StaffWith Current U of M I.D. • Discount not valid with other offers

Dine-In / Drive-In Locations3571 Lamar • 2520 Mt. Moriah

1217 S. Bellevue 811 S. Highland 890 Thomas4349 Elvis Presley 2484 Jackson 1798 Winchester 1370 Poplar

Drive-In Locations

see Market, page 5

Bird is the word. Follow us!

@DailyHelmsman@HelmsmanSports

The University of Memphis Tuesday, January 25, 2011 • 5

Quenga’s branch of the elec-tronics store, which opened last May, has not dealt with an abundance of theft, she said. She said that the store was bur-glarized around June, but the culprits were caught the next week and sentenced to several years in prison.

Clientele for the stolen goods at The U of M include pro-fessors in Ball Hall, the life sciences department and the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, John said.

He also said he knows of several professors at Southwest Community College, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Fisk University and Florida A&M University who have purchased stolen items from his organization.

“We are national,” John said. A senior engineering major

at The U of M and customer of John’s, who used the pseud-onym Edd, said he appreciates what John is doing.

“Honestly, I don’t know where he gets the items from … ’don’t ask, don’t tell,’ right?” he said. “I never wondered because it might jinx it or something. I would rather not know.”

Edd said he shares John’s indifference toward the finan-cial concerns of the robbed businesses. He said the way some corporations, like Apple,

treat their customers, stifles his guilt about purchasing the sto-len items.

“Apple does not care about their customers,” he said. “They went out of their way to tell AT&T that they could not offer insurance plans on the iPhone, and now people have to walk around with cracked screens because it costs so much to fix or replace the phone that they have.”

Edd said he has purchased an iPod, an iPad and a Sony Playstation 3 from John’s organization.

“The first time I bought some-thing was in November,” he said. “I had broken my old iPod touch and went to The Apple Store to get it fixed. They were trying to charge me an outra-geous price to do so when it was a system malfunction and noth-ing I was at fault for … it just so happens that what they were charging to fix my iPod for was the same price John was charg-ing for the new generation iPod touch. Needless to say, I pur-chased the better version and continued with the purchase of my iPad.”

Edd said he felt “great” after his purchase because it saved him money, though he doesn’t “go around bragging about it.”

He said he only recommends the covert operation to close, personal friends because he can-not trust that people will “keep their mouths closed.”

A senior music major using the pseudonym Kessler said it

was hard to get his start in the organization because of its mem-bers’ lack of trust in outsiders.

Though he is now an active member, he said he tries to stay away from the illegal activities of the group.

“I would rather not be on the illegal side of things, but at the same time, I don’t have to be (strictly legal),” he said.

Kessler said he buys things wholesale and sells the items on Craigslist or to someone in need of a particular item.

He said he also helps sell other people’s unwanted items and acquires other prod-ucts from friends who receive employee discounts at their respective businesses.

“Maybe we are doing some-thing good — it just seems ille-gal …” he said. “A hustle is a hustle, so I don’t disagree with them. I just don’t do it like that.”

John, Edd and Kessler said they consider their participation in such activities as a means to survive in the world.

“As far as I’m concerned, it is legal,” Kessler said.

Bruce Harber, director of Police Services at The U of M, said that if the students were caught, they would be charged under Tennessee statue 39-14-103 — theft of property. He said that the students purchasing the items would also be charged, depending on the level of their knowledge or what they should have known.

“If someone is selling an

iPhone for $50, a red flag should go off in the purchaser’s mind that something is wrong,” he said.

Harber said that the charges brought against parties involved would increase based on the value of the items stolen and what it would cost to replace them.

For products under $500 in value, the person would receive a misdemeanor charge, be issued a citation and have to make an appearance to be fingerprinted and put into the system.

“Those are pretty serious alle-gations,” Harber said. “We ask that anyone who has informa-tion about (criminal activity on campus) let us know. We have silent witness on our Web page so that we can receive anony-mous e-mails, or (tipsters) could talk to a detective.”

According to Karen Rudolph, public information officer for the Memphis Police Department, U of M would han-dle all of the criminal activity that occurs on campus.

She said that MPD would handle anything outside of the jurisdiction of the U of M police department.

Rudolph said that any crim-inal charges brought against participants in such activities would depend on what was stolen and the nature of the crime.

“It could be a number of charges,” she said. “If they are selling items representing

themselves as the company or as a company, they would be charged with burglary, false pretense and swindling. They could also be charged with evading arrest if they run from the police.”

Rudolph also said that dif-ferent departments could be become involved, depending on the nature of the crime.

If John, Kessler or any other members of their operation were caught in the act of burglary, it would the decision of the attor-ney general’s office whether to prosecute them as a group or individually.

John said he has made thou-sands through his underground sales. Those in his personal cir-cle of the operation have collec-tively made more than $10,000, he said.

Harber said that as students, they could face academic conse-quences for their participation in criminal activity. That issue would be taken up with the Office of Judicial and Ethical Programs, he said.

For John, moral reservations and legal consequences are two things he finds little use in weighing.

“As an engineering major, I understand a few things about ethics, but I also know a few things about paying for (rising tuition),” John said. “At the end of the day, I am just another stu-dent trying to make it through college and eat at the same time. Same ends, just different means.”

Marketfrom page 4

www.dailyhelmsman.com6 • Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The University of Memphis men’s basketball team just won’t lose to the UAB Blazers.

The Tigers (15-4, 4-1 Conference USA) beat the Blazers, 76-73 in overtime, for the 10th straight time in front of 9,119 at Bartow Arena on Saturday.

Saturday’s win was the second straight hard-fought road victory for the Tigers, who trailed UAB for the majority of the first half until an Antonio Barton layup gave them a 32-30 lead with just over five minutes left.

UAB junior forward Cameron Moore torched the Tigers in the opening half for 11 points in the first eight minutes. Moore cooled off in the second half — mostly due to The U of M’s defensive adjustments at halftime — and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Saturday’s loss was the Blazers’ first at Bartow Arena this season.

“We were fortunate to get the win tonight, there’s no doubt about it,” U of M coach Josh Pastner said. “That’s a good basketball team that’s extremely well-coached. The second thing, all credit’s got to go to the play-ers. That’s the bottom line. They executed and they came away with the game plan.”

While Moore lit up the Tigers offensively, he was largely over-matched while defending senior forward Will Coleman and fresh-man forward Tarik Black.

The duo combined for 28 points on 10-of-11 shooting and nine rebounds.

In the previous two games, Pastner has played both big men at the same time with measur-ably successful results. Saturday night, they didn’t get on the court together until less than seven minutes remained in regulation.

“I wanted to wait for it because I felt like we were (play-ing) match-ups early on,” Pastner said. “The first half I based on personnel. I waited until the second half and it worked out. Look at their 3-point shooting. It was more of a match-up defen-sively.”

The Blazers, who came into Saturday’s game shooting 35 percent as a team from three, went 2-of-23 from deep.

Junior forward Jamarr Sanders shot 0-for-10 from long range, including 0-for-3 in overtime.

“We just settled for shooting

3-point shots. This is a bad loss,” said UAB coach Mike Davis, who moved to 0-9 against the Tigers after Saturday’s loss. “It’s disap-pointing. I’m very disappointed in our lack of focus at the end of the game.”

With less than a minute left to play in regulation and the Tigers down by one, 66-65, freshman guard Will Barton pulled up and drained a three-pointer that put The U of M up two.

“Coach (Pastner) told me in the timeout huddle that the ball was coming for me,” Barton said. “The whole time I was thinking if I even get an inch of space, I’m letting it go, because I know I was going to make the shot. I had to drain it and put our team up. I like the ball in my hands.”

Barton finished with a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds. His younger brother, Antonio, scored 16.

In overtime, The U of M clamped down defensively and limited UAB to 20 percent shoot-ing (2-of-10). While the Blazers had 17 offensive rebounds in regulation and ultimately owned the rebounding advantage, 42-36, the Tigers limited their second chance opportunities in the extra period.

UAB didn’t score a point in overtime until 37 seconds remained.

However, because of six total free throws missed by the Tigers in overtime, the Blazers had a chance to tie with 5.5 seconds left in overtime before a Sanders 3-point heave fell short.

“It’s a mental thing. Free throws are very mental,” Black said. “It’s a huge thing, especial-ly since Memphis has a history of not making free throws. We’ve got to be prepared for pressure situations.”

After Saturday’s victory, the Tigers moved into a tie with the University of Texas-El Paso for first place in C-USA. Besides Rice, every team in the league has an overall record of .500 or better.

“The league is the best it’s ever been. I think Coach (John) Calipari’s teams back in those years when he won 64 straight helped raise the level of the league,” Pastner said. “It forced everyone to be really good. It’s the best it’s ever been. There are no gimmes. It’s hard to win in this league. The league is totally underrated and the league doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”

A Weekly Devotional For YouEvidence that He is God

Last time we saw that Jesus Christ cannot be regarded as a good man, if He is not God. He plainly claimed to be God, as we shall soon see. If He were not God, He was either a blatant liar or a deluded lunatic. The Scriptures are plain that Jesus Christ is indeed God incarnate. In Matthew 1: 23 He is called “Emmanuel” which means “God with us.” In John 20: 28 the disciple Thomas called Him “my Lord and my God,” and was not rebuked by Him for doing so. Acts 20: 28 says that it was God who “purchased the church with His own blood.” This is an unmistakable reference to His death on the cross. In Hebrews 1: 8, God the Father called the Son “God.” On many occasions, Jesus Christ received worship, but only God is to be worshipped. The apostle Paul refused to receive worship in Acts 14: 8-18. An angel would not allow the apostle John to worship Him in Revelation 22: 9. However, speaking of Jesus Christ, God the Father said “And let all the angels of God worship him.” (Heb. 1: 6). In John 8: 58 Jesus Christ referred to Himself as the “I Am.” This plainly identifies Him with the Jehovah of Exodus 3: 14. From this and much other evidence, one who holds the New Testament to be a part of the inspired word of God has no other choice than to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is, indeed, God manifest in the flesh.

Grace Chapel Primitive Baptist Church – Zack Guess, Pastor828 Berclair Rd. • Memphis, TN, 38122 • 683-8014 • e-mail: zguess@juno.com

The University of Memphis men’s basketball team rejoices Saturday after a 76-73 overtime win against UAB. The Tigers moved into a tie with UTEP for first place in C-USA with the victory.

by D

avid

C.

Min

kin

Basketball

BY John MArTinSports Editor

UM makes it 10 straight over UAB, escapes with 76-73 overtime victory

Solutions(Cheating is against the honor

code, ya know.)

The University of Memphis Tuesday, January 25, 2011 • 7

Freshman forward Tarik Black and senior forward Will Coleman have developed a friendship throughout the 2010-’11 season. Since the two big men started logging minutes on the floor together, the Tigers are 3-0.

by D

avid

C.

Min

kin

Tarik Black and Will Coleman met during Black’s recruitment — before Black was officially a member of The University of Memphis men’s basketball team — when he was on an official visit to The U of M.

They hung out in Coleman’s dorm room. Black didn’t stray far from him the whole visit.In Coleman’s dorm, the two big men developed a bond that’s translated into a mutual respect — and a deep-running friendship — despite playing the same position. In fact, early in the season, the freshman forward supplanted the senior forward for the starting center job due to Coleman’s then-lack of steady production.

Now, in the middle of the 2010-’11 basketball season, the two forwards have been dubbed as team captains. They’re utilized in lineups at the same time. They work out together. They stay in the gym — sometimes until 1 or 2 a.m. — and shoot free throws.And they’re enjoying every minute of the college basket-ball experience together.

“Me and (Tarik) Black, we like playing together,” Coleman said. “We just feel like it causes so much trou-ble for the opposing team, because regardless of if we’re both in, people have to make decisions as far as if they’re going to stop (penetration) or keep me and (him) from get-ting the ball.”

U of M coach Josh Pastner didn’t insert the two big men into the same lineup for an extended period of time, how-ever, until Saturday, Jan. 15 in a 77-61 against Marshall. The two combined for 31 points and 20 rebounds in 48 minutes.

The Tigers (15-4, Conference USA) have been 3-0, a record that includes two tough road wins at top C-USA clubs Southern Miss and UAB, since Black and Coleman have begun logging considerable minutes at the same time. The Tigers are also tied for first-place in C-USA with the University of Texas El-Paso, a far cry from where they were just two weeks ago after their loss to Southern Methodist.

“I think we’re doing a fan-tastic job at finishing around the rim, just because we’ve spent so much time in the gym together,” Coleman said. “I feel like (we) cause so many more problems for the oppos-ing teams.”

Since Black fully recovered from the flu-like symptoms he had in late December, the 6-foot-9 forward is averag-ing 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.Coleman is averaging 8.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

After The U of M’s loss at SMU, Pastner replaced Coleman with Black in the Tigers’ starting lineup. The Tigers have been 3-0 since.

But the senior forward said he harbors no hard feel-ings toward Black. In fact, he might see a bit of himself in his younger counterpart.

“I’m happy for him. I’m glad to see (that) he’s working,” Coleman said. “He’s just as hungry as me. We both want to win so bad, and we both want a championship so bad.”

The duo also hasn’t lost sight of their relationship off the court. Black said he tried to make a bond with the older forward during his recruitment because he felt like Coleman was someone worth looking up to.

“(Will Coleman) is the guy I’m closest with on the team,” Black said. “So, even though I’m battling him for a spot, he’s never my enemy. I always tried to make him feel like my brother and now it’s just com-ing full circle.”

Their time together is limit-ed. Coleman, who transferred to Memphis from Miami-Dade junior college last year, is in his final season of NCAA eligibility.

But he’s making the most of it.

“I tell (Tarik) Black and other people all the time — I wish I could have another year with (him), because I’m enjoying playing with him and I care about him genu-inely,” Coleman said. “I like seeing him progressing and growing up and stuff like that, but I have to leave and it sucks. But I’m enjoying it while it lasts.”

Even while vying for court minutes, Tigers Black and Coleman meshing together well

Basketball

BY John MArTinSports Editor

www.dailyhelmsman.com8 • Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The University of Memphis women’s basketball team can’t seem to get it together on the big stage this season.

On Sunday night at Hofheinz Pavilion, the Tigers (14-6, 3-3 Conference USA) lost to the C-USA- leading University of Houston Cougars, 81-68. The game was tightly contested for much of the first half and midway through the second, but the Cougars used a 9-2 spurt to break away in the second half.

The Tigers’ all-time record is

an even .500 (20-20) when play-ing on television. The U of M is 1-5 when playing on CBS College Sports.

“The difference in the game was transition defense,” said U of M head coach Melissa McFerrin. “That and the fact that Houston’s Brittney Scott, who scored a team high with 20 points, got loose from the three point line. You combine the two, and we gave up a lot of points in those two ways.”

The Cougars shot 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from long range for the game. Conversely, the Tigers shot 41 percent from the field and 27

percent from three.The Tigers got off to a good

start and led 9-6 at the under-16 media timeout. After the tim-eout, though, the Tigers went cold and allowed five different Cougars to score during an 11-0 run. The Cougars led, 17-9, with less than 12 minutes left in the first half.

The Cougars led 32-27 at halftime.

“I wasn’t completely dis-couraged by this game,” said McFerrin. “We obviously got some lessons to learn, and the fact is that Houston gained a lot of possessions in this game on loose balls and they turned

them into points. That was the turning point of the game when it seemed like we had came up with the ball.”

Memphis got the lead down to as little as three points in the second half, but empty trips on offense and a lack of offen-sive rebounds allowed Houston to convert several fast break opportunities. The Cougars also knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to power an 8-0 run that stretched their lead to dou-ble-digits, 48-38.

The Tigers never got closer.Memphis was led by junior

guard Brittany Carter, who fin-ished with 23 points and four

rebounds. Jasmine Lee added 18 points and five rebounds off the bench.

“We couldn’t find that third scorer tonight,” said McFerrin. “I thought Brittany (Carter) and Jasmine (Lee) did all they could to help us. We needed Nicole Dickson tonight, but she didn’t have it. And when you’re play-ing Houston who has five really good players on the court at one time, we need at least three play-ers to step up and help win the game.”

The Tigers will play Marshall at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W.Va., on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Prices and PoliciesClassified Line Ads: (per issue) $10 for the first 50 words and 10¢ for each additional word. Prepayment is required at time of insertion. Payment can be

made by cash or check or money order made payable to The Daily Helmsman. Hyphenated words and telephone numbers count as one word.

No abbreviations are necessary.

Display Classified Ads: (per issue) $10 per column inch. Ads are limited to one column width of 1 and 1/2 inches. Minimum ad size accepted is

1 column x 2 inches. Maximum ad size accepted is 1 column x 6 inches.

Deadline to place an ad is noon two business days prior to publication.

To place your ad or for more information, please contact:The Daily Helmsman, 113 Meeman Journalism Bldg.

Memphis, TN 38152-3290

901-678-2191

ClassifiedsClassifiedsThe daily helmsman

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HOUSING HOUSING

BARTENDERS WANTED. Up to $250 a day. No experience necessary. Training provided. Call 1-800-965-6520, ext 302.

HELP WANTED. We are hiring for event assistants. There is no experience required. Must possess a positive attitude, work well within a team, be self-motivated, and work well with people of all age ranges. To apply please visit www.man-giantephoto.com/employment.html and follow instructions for applying.

PART-TIME WORK for motivat-ed and energized people inter-ested in education to work with children after school. Lausanne Collegiate School is a private school in the heart of East Mem-phis and needs help in the After-care Program. must be able to work from 2:30-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Please email resumes to ismith@lausanneschoolcom.

OFF-CAMPUS DORM. Never have to move again! Very cool place. 5 min. drive from Univer-sity. Large, furnished rooms with ceiling fan, mini-fridge, huge closet and cable. Common ar-eas shared by 5 girls include great den with cable and WIFI, large equipped kitchen, W/D. housekeeping. Safe environ-ment, private parking. Females only, no pets. $450/month in-cludes everything! Call Carol @ 326-0567.

2 BEDROOM/1 BATH APT. $780 includes utilities. Recently remodeled. 1261 Central, quiet neighborhood. Walk-in closet, washer/dryer, hardwood floors, large kitchen. 5 miles from U of M. Pets OK. $25 credit check. Call Gilbert 921-3438 or email for photos/questions an-dreakeane@hotmail.com.

DO YOU GO to all your classes every day? 81% of U of M stu-dents have never missed a class as a result of drinking or drug use! Be smart! Be safe! Be one! Make TRUE BLUE CHOICES!

SEEKING GYMNASTIC INSTRUCTOR

Currently seeking part-time class instructors.

Applicants must have high energy levels with good

communication skills and must have a background in

gymnastics and/or dance.

Must work well with both children and parents. Must be reliable, dependable, have a

flexible schedule and be able to work weekends.

Please apply atThe Little Gym

755-1323

Don’t miss... TIGERS vs.

UCF7 p.m. Tomorrow @ FedExForum

Follow us on Twitter.

@dailyhelmsman www.facebook.com/uofmemphisFind the Tigers on Facebook

Warehouse/General Office Position

Need a mature person who can multi-task & work independently in Mid-town sales office environment.

Must be able to drive fork lift, handle manufacturing, shipping

& receiving tasks, lift heavy loads, possess computer skills and execute general office, accounts payable &

receivable functions. Non- smoker. 25-30 hours/week. References required. Call 901-272-2431. www.sales@chemexusa.com

Permanent PT Days

Cultured: A Night of PoetryFeaturing spoken word artists

Bobby LeFebre & Kelly Tsai

Thursday, Jan. 277 p.m.

UC River Room

Brought to you by the SAC Cultural Arts Committee

Women’s Basketball

BY AdAM doUglAsSports Reporter

Tigers come up short against league-leading Cougars, fall 81-68

University of Memphis fresh-man guard Will Barton was Conference USA Freshman of the Week on Monday, the league announced. Barton averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during last week’s stretch that included two conference road wins at Southern Miss and at UAB.

He had 17 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s 76-73 overtime win against UAB.

“We need him to continue to get better. There’s still a lot of room for growth for him,” said U of M coach Josh Pastner. “He hasn’t peaked at all, not even near. So, we’re expecting big things from him, but it’s still a work in progress. It’s not going to happen overnight with him. But he’s getting better.”

Barton’s younger brother, Antonio, has been the C-USA Freshman of the Week twice — the week of Nov. 15 and the week of Jan. 3.

Freshman guards Chris Crawford and Joe Jackson also received the award consecutively during the weeks of Dec. 20 and Dec. 27.

Freshman forward Tarik Black remains the only Tiger freshman — besides freshman forward Hippolyte Tsafack, who is likely going to medically redshirt — that hasn’t received the award this season.

will Barton named C-UsA freshman of the weekBY AdAM doUglAsSports Reporter

of Kansas and received a master’s in business administration.

For University of Memphis students, Johnson will be remem-bered as a legend, said Cortney Richardson, senior organizational leadership major.

“This can serve as a reminder to all of us as students that our tenure here needs to be something that is worth remembering,” Richardson said. “It’s clear while she was here she did something that is legend-ary. Her life was not in vain. She lived such a great life.”

eightfrom page 1