2007-2e-2

THE DAILY REVEILLE SEC FOOTBALL 2006 INSIDE...

Team Previews Predictions ALL-SEC Team Full Schedule

If You Don’t Read This Football Guide, We Will Kill This Dog.

Housing guide The State News | Tuesday, October 17, 2006 | www.statenews.com | Page 1C

MAKE IT HOME

by Carrie Illustrations

CREATE IT

FIX IT

SAVE IT

LOVE IT

Get out your tools to build your own loft.

Whip up some tasty pita quesadillas or pizza bagels to take with you when you rush out the door.

A clogged toilet. Your relationship with your roommates or landlord.

Learn some steps to fix things yourself or work toward maintaining a good living environment.

Saving not only means in terms of money for your bills, but space, as well.

We’ve got budgeting tips to help you save money and ways to declutter your room to get the most out of it.

… or hate it.

This is everything else you need to know to survive. But we know it’s not all work around here.

There’s some play, too, such as throwing a party. Here’s how to do it.

WITH OUR GUIDES

You’ve got a place to stay, so now what? There’s more to living in a house, apartment or dorms than sleeping during the nights — there’s bills to manage, roommates to get along with and things to fix around the house. No matter what, much like the building of a house, there’s ...

[some assembly required]

THERE’S WORK TO BE DONE.

Hoover

CMYK

Playmakers - Page 4 :: Turnaround Tommy - Page 9

VOLUME 38

April 1,

2006

ISSUE 1181

Spice up your night life

$ $$ $

DRAG QUEENS EVERYWHERE

THECURRENTONLINE.COM

DUMSL

STAGNANT READERS: win $10,000!

As a token of our sincere appreciation for our readers, The Stagnant is offering a $10,000 cash award for the lucky reader who counts all instances of the word ‘the’ in the issue you hold in your hands. For complete details and the required entry form, see page 22B.

News Thongs Obscure law gives sweet revenge to curatoress Student Curator Mariah Curtsey has turned the tables on Gov. Blunt after his recent attempt to cut her term short with the Board of Curators. Curtsey found an old piece of legislation dated 69 B.C. that states the term of the governor of Misery shall be no more than five seconds. The explicit term limits are stated in Misery statute 1.096.321.578.903.633 and onehalf.

“The Guv has served well over five seconds. This issue clearly needs to be addressed,” Curtsey said.

“Off the record, I don’t know about the rest of Missouri, but I’d like my 7,875,603, no four, wait, five seconds back. But don’t quote me on that. Wait, why does that recorder still have a red light on?

Oh, the red light means it’s off?

Okay.”

New club finds new, unwanted fanbase

Curator Wastinger was right: The transvestites are infiltrating – and corrupting – UMSL BY

FRANK LEE MISGUIDED

Staph Infection

First, PRIZM brought drag queens for a onenight-only performance at the Pilot House.

Then, they show up on the front page of The Current each week.

Drag queens, it seems, have no intentions of stopping there.

It appears that UM Curator David Wastinger’s worst fears have been realized, with drag queens running rampant throughout the campus.

In gaudy makeup, fishnet stockings and pink feather boas, normal students are becoming desensitized to the drag queen menace that seems to have no intention of stopping soon.

“At first I found them morally reprehensible,” said Pat Buchanan, senior, morality and ethics.

“But now they’re starting to grow on me…I see them in On the web the quad playing Frisbee and drinking latttés in the MSC. For more photoNow I think it’s pretgraphic evidence ty cool. I mean, who wouldn’t want to run that drag queens around in women’s are taking over clothing all day?”

In the cafeteria, the campus, visit classrooms and study circles all over cam- www.thecurrentonline.com pus, drag queens have been rapidly assimilated into the general student population, which has led to some confusion for professors.

“I’ve been getting all of these tests that have names like ‘Divine Afrodesiac’ and ‘Femme Fatale,” said Mark Mywords, professor of dry cleaning. “It’s kind of messing up my record keeping to have all of these drag queen names.”

An official with the office of Admissions said that in response to complaints from professors and the booming drag queen population, it was considering adding a new item on the admissions form.

“Basically we’re looking at whether we should add an official line for ‘Drag Queen Aliases’ on the admissions form. That way there wouldn’t be any confusion.”

Meanwhile, UM Curator Wastinger has been bristling at the increased androgyny at the UMSL campus.

“I told them. They wouldn’t listen, but I told

A group of brain devouring zombies recently assaulted the newly establishedstudent organization Ad Corps last Thursday at its regularly scheduled meeting in the Pilot House. After suffering minor flesh wounds, the group escaped and returned safely to their homes.

However, suspicions of their health status arose after the debut of their most recent ad campaign recruitment effort: “Ad Corpse: We feast for creative minds. We’ll eat the competition alive. Auugghh…”

Eyewitness accounts said they have seen Ad Corps members nibbling affectionately at the scalps of their classmates. After careful medical inspection, campus doctors decided to give club members jobs at La Cerebro Loca, now serving the best in brain burritos and questionable cuisine.

INDEX Bulletin Bored

2

Opinions and Facts: There’s a difference? Crap.

Feature Crap Jock Crap

Artsy Crap

4&5

6 & 7 8&9

10 & 11

Who cares about this Crap? 12 Crap for sale

Funny drawerings & Crap

See page 8

11

12

Photos by Kate Drools/ The Stagnant

Three hideously unattractive, unshaven and unfashionable drag queens strut their stuff around the Millennium Student Center on Friday afternoon. UMSL officials have requested that for the sake of campus decency, all students should report any drag queen sightings immediately to the office of UM Curator David Wastinger.

them that those queens wouldn’t stop,” said Wastinger. “I’m no holy roller, but the good book doesn’t mention anything letting men dress up like hot little ladies with tight little curves and soft supple legs…and….oh….dammit! Impure thoughts, again!”

A UMSL spokesman, Bob Rambles, said the drag queen controversy is taking up a major part of the chancellor’s working week.

“Well, first he’s got to make daily apologies to the Board of Curators, which is humiliating enough, but then he’s also got drag queens climbing up on the piano every time he plays and laying all sultry-like.”

Rambles added, “Personally, I think they’re pretty hot, but there’s a lot of holy rollers out there who just don’t get the appeal.”

A new student group, Queens for Campus Equality, has been flyering on the bridge, trying to recruit new drag queens and also to invite people to their weekly parties, which have grown to rival those of the Pikes and the Sig Taus.

“You haven’t seen a sexy legs party, until you’ve seen me in fishnets,” said the group’s recruitment coordinator.

The Problem: Branta canadensis

• A.K.A. “Canada Geese” • Advocates describe as “beautiful,” “graceful,” “natural splendor” and “a purty birdy.”

• Opponents describe as “territorial,” “ill-tempered,” “mean as hell,” “vile creatures who crap all over the place,” or “pesky critters.”

The Solution: Dick Cheney • A.K.A. “Vice president” • Advocates describe as “slightly creepy,” “a bit scary,” and “a really bad shot.”

• Opponents describe as “really creepy,” “scary,” “a bad, bad, evil man,” and “a really, really terrible shot.”

Drag queens RuPaul Hackeysack and Trixie Wiseass conduct a flyering campaign to recruit more campus converts to the drag queen lifestyle.

“We be some sexy sassy beeotches,” said Wiseass. “Wanna come out and play, sugar?”

Forget plastic coyotes, dogs and oiled eggs

UMSL has new weapon in fight against campus geese BY

RUPAUL HACKY-SACK

Boy in a Dress

After failed attempts of using a plastic coyote, a three-legged dog and a scarecrow (which came to life, started walking down a yellow brick road, promptly got hit by a car and died) to scare away the geese on campus, UMSL officials have decided to take a different course of action.

University administrators hired Vice President Dick Cheney (also known as Dick Ball’n’Chainey) as the new weapon of choice for scaring the geese off University property.

“We heard about his spectacular and renowned hunting skills and thought what better way to get rid of those pesky critters on campus than to use his expertise,” said Dan D. Lyons, groundskeeper at UMSL. Cheney comes to UMSL with a strong background including having

c m y k

heart problems, shooting attorneys, having low approval ratings and being very picky when choosing a hotel room.

The new weapon of mass destruction spoke at a press conference to concerned faculty, students and administrators last Wednesday near the lakes.

Ambulances and SWAT teams were on hand in case of any accidents.

In his speech, Cheney explained that hunting quail has become extremely difficult since many hunters started using quail feathers as camouflage instead of the usual shades of green and brown.

Compared to quails, he said exterminating geese should be as easy as persuading Congress to go to war.

“To be honest, quail hunting is a lot harder, especially in Texas, where the fine-feathered fowl walk around masquerading as attorneys and lawyers,” he said.

“I look forward to hunting professors, I mean, geese. Sorry. I just hope the

students, wait, I mean, Canada geese, oh man, I did it again, don’t learn the same tricks as the quails did, or we may be in for some big trouble,” he said, laughing nervously.

In addition to annihilating unwanted birds from UMSL property, Cheney also announced he had appointed himself instructor of a new hunting class that would take place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

After listening to five seconds of babbling nonsense, students, professors, reporters and Dame Johansson (oh no) fielded questions to the newly appointed goose tamer.

Stargate SG-1 President Pet Dander Braddix bravely approached the podium and asked about a previous incident involving Cheney shooting a fellow hunter, to which the vice president replied, “Go #@!*&% yourself!” see CHENEY’S GOODS, page 9

The most exciting Laundromat in Columbia • page 2 How far they'll go to get you to sign • page 4 The truth about campus parking • page 5 New on-campus housing tries to lure students back• page 6

The Career Guide

How to dress Page 10

Interviewing Page 12

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper www.washingtonsquarenews.com

WAsHINGTON sQUARe NeWs MONDAY, February 27, 2006

Volume 33 : Issue 90

special special

housing guide guide

VHOLIDAY anguar d ISSUE 2006 A student-run newspaper established 1946

SPRING BREAK GUIDE 2007

2

SPRING BREAK

2007

What’s inside

Home alone

Strapped for cash

Law of the land

Mixed signals

Breaking the mold

Around the world

If you’re stuck in town for break, don’t fret; there are plenty of things to do every day in Syracuse. PAGE 3

When traveling to different countries, students must understand the rules … and what to do if they break them. PAGE 6

Many students like to stay away from the traditional MTV spring break. PAGE 7

You can still go on that dream trip if you are on a tight budget. You just have to know the tricks. PAGE 8

Be careful when waving goodbye in foreign countries. Hand gestures may not mean what you think they do. PAGE 8

The possibilities are endless for student travelers on spring break. Eight destinations top the list. CENTERSPREAD

Getting started

Spring break trips can be difficult to book.

Here’s how to know when to do it yourself or when to get help. PAGE 7

T H E I N DE PE N DE N T S T U DE N T N E W SPA PE R OF SY R ACUSE, NEW YORK

Editor in Chief Feature Editor Presentation Director Design Editor Design Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Feature Copy Editor

A.J. Chavar Katie Walsh Meredith Bowen Lesley Conroy Casey Bellew Kelsey Boyer Seamus O’Connor Taylor Engler Brian Tahmosh Jackie Friedman

Exec. Business Director Advertising Manager IT Manager Circulation Manager Circulation Assistant Advertising Design Classifieds Manager Account Manager Account Manager Account Manager

Peter Waack Kathy Mott Kaylen Thorpe Harold Heron William Flanagan Laney Bentz Kate Ague-Kneeland Jessica Hegger Alissa Sheely Stephanie Berda

SPRING BREAK

2007

Spring break in the ‘Cuse S

By Agatha Lutoborski | Staff Writer

pring break typically conjures images of relaxation—beaches, cruise ships and people drinking cocktails while lying on deck chairs. If you decide to stay in Syracuse for spring break, your vacation can be just as relaxing as all of that, as long as you can let go of the dreams of warmth. March in Syracuse is typically still wintry, so grab some gloves and check out the local haunts and activities you can enjoy during the week of freedom.

Friday, March 9

Monday, March 12

Thursday, March 15

Now that classes are done, it’s time to go out and celebrate.

Treat yourself to a dinner at Phoebe’s Restaurant and Coffee Lounge and a show at Syracuse Stage. Phoebe’s is across the street from the theater, so a dinner of Butternut Risotto and homemade brownie dessert is quick and convenient. August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” will be staging its second to last performance that night. The play follows a young man, Citizen, in his quest for atonement in early twentieth century Pittsburgh. Stop at the box office a half hour before the show starts to get discounted tickets for Syracuse University students ($12 instead of $45).

Retail therapy is the staple of most vacations, so put your purchasing powers into practice with a day at the Waterloo Premium Outlets. About 45 minutes west of Syracuse on the Thruway, this outlet mall has a good selection of stores and deals. Some of the more popular and fun stores are Puma, Banana Republic Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Timberland, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and Borders Book Outlet.

Grab a book, your iPod or even your laptop and spend some quality time with yourself at a locally owned coffee shop, such as La Tazza. Hidden in the alley behind Marshall Street, La Tazza can be difficult to spot, but it is worth finding. The shop has good coffee, a cozy atmosphere with couches, a fireplace and the added bonus of free wireless Internet service.

Saturday, March 10 Vacation is a great time to catch up on free reading, movie watching and iPod updating. Buying books and CDs and renting movies, however, can really add up. The solution is to head over to the Onondaga County Public Libraries for some free entertainment. New release books, CDs and DVDs are always available.

Use your campus address to obtain a library card that can be used at all the OCPL branches. Visit onlib.org for specifics.

Sunday, March 11 Stella’s Diner on Wolf Street is a great place to enjoy a lazy weekend breakfast. The 1950s-style diner is decorated with Betty Boop paraphernalia and has great whole-wheat pancakes.

Tuesday, March 13 Try a local favorite for dinner tonight at Erawan Thai Restaurant on Erie Boulevard. The food is delicious and reasonably priced, and the service is friendly and prompt. You can either eat in or take out. Later on, catch a movie at one of the independent theaters in the area, either the Westcott Cinema or the Manlius Art Cinema. They show films that are critically acclaimed, but don’t appear in the blockbuster theaters at the mall. Plus, admission is slightly cheaper.

Wednesday, March 14 If there is still snow, go hit the slopes for a day. The local ski joint Toggenburg Winter Sports Center in Fabius is just a 40minute drive from campus. It has 24 slopes and trails, day and night hours and most importantly, student discount rates are available on day lift passes and equipment rentals.

Friday, March 16 The Syracuse Crunch, the city’s representative in the American Hockey League, holds lively games in the War Memorial at the Oncenter downtown. This day’s game is at 7:30 p.m. against Hamilton, an Ontario team. Tickets prices start at $12 and are available on the Ticketmaster Web site.

Saturday, March 17 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Celebrate your Irish heritage, even if it’s by association, at Syracuse’s 25th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the downtown district. Past parades have featured green ice in the Clinton Square outdoor ice skating rink as well as performances by the Johnston School of Irish. The turnout is in the thousands each year, so be prepared to have a festive time.

3

Pub rat

Art aficionado Florence, Italy

Club rat

Dublin, Ireland

F

lorence was the capital of the Renaissance in Italy and its art and architecture take you back in time to the birth of artistic freedom. Gaze at the intricate carving in Michelangelo’s statue of David, located in the museum Galleria dell’Accademia and flanked by other of the famed artist’s works. More attractions for the creative eye include the Uffizi Gallery, the first museum ever opened to the public in 1591. But make sure you leave some time for gelato. Italy’s favorite frozen treat is inexpensive and delicious, and Florence is home to one of the finest gelaterias around, Perche’No.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

N

S

ot everyone enjoys sipping margaritas on the beach or going crazy in a nightclub. Those looking for a different spring break atmosphere this year should try hitting the pub scene in Ireland. No one has drinking history like Ireland, so grab a pint at Grace Neill’s, the oldest pub in the country, and have a drink on St. Patrick’s Day. After recovering from that morning hangover, hop on the Dublin Bus Tour, which takes tourists to 20 different stops in the city. Plus, it’s not just another boring tour; guests can jump on and off whenever they please throughout the day for just $15.

pring breakers wanting the ultimate mix of tropical weather and crazy clubs should head to the rum capital of the world, Puerto Rico. Tourists can fill up their liquor cabinets with a trip to the Bacardi factory at the start of the week, then use the stockpile to prepare for some crazy nights at Señor Frog’s. Everything goes at this club, from booty-shaking contests to competitions testing who knows the most sexual positions. If those wild nights take their toll by the end of the week, take a cab to San Sebastian Street and enjoy the laidback local bar atmosphere.

By Taylor Engler and Brian Tahmosh THE DAILY ORANGE

Photos by Kelsey Boyer PHOTO EDITOR

Snow bunny

21-year-old Las Vegas

Tremblant, Québec

T

his winter wonderland is within driving distance of Syracuse and offers a variety of lodging for any budget, from bed and breakfasts to motels. Hit the slopes on Mt. Tremblant where you can ski, snowboard, hike, bike and snowmobile, with its quaint village in the background. The European-style village is a great place to sightsee, shop and dine. And who can beat the 18-and-up drinking age? Visit the Bar le Moulin Rouge, where the tequila specials will have you dancing the can-can all night long.

Adventurer

P

eople lose fortunes in Vegas, but it’s not because of the hotels. Travelers can spend less than $60 per night to stay at the Stratosphere Tower, a hotel with a casino, three showrooms and a ride that shoots guests 160 feet in the air.

There’s also much more than gambling to do in Vegas. Spring breakers can see a variety of shows, from Chippendales to Barry Manilow to the Blue Man Group. If the casinos don’t take every last dime, head down to The Beach, a nightclub where surfboards decorate the walls and the waitresses wear bikinis.

“S

teer” yourself and your friends the 1,700 miles from Syracuse to Austin, the music capital of Texas. Along the way, stretch your legs with some laser tag in Dayton, Ohio at Laser Quest, a multi-level facility with fog and special effects. You can also spend a day in Bowling Green, Ky. at Beech Bend Raceway Park, an amusement park with rides, a swimming pool and stock car racing. Other big cities to hit along the way include Louisville, Memphis and Dallas, or use the Internet to search for quirky pit stops along the way such as the Word’s Largest Spinach Can in Alma, Arkansas.

While in Austin, make your way to East 6th Street.

The shopping district by day is closed off on Friday and Saturday nights for a party in the street.

S

Southern Adirondacks

A

dventurers don’t have to go far to enjoy the wilderness for spring break. Go back to the good old days by renting a cabin or just camping out under a tent. Nature lovers can hike on Broomstick Lake, the same trail where “Last of the Mohicans” was filmed. Those trying to escape the stress from midterm exams should canoe in the serene Pine Lake. Others looking for peace can head down to the Caroga lakes to fish for the big one. Want more excitement? Mountain bikers should try out the muddy climbs of the Pleasant Lake loop.

pring break means something dif-

weather by hitting the slopes. Whether

ferent to almost every student. For

it’s on another continent or right down the

some, the time off from classes is

street, many students just need to get away.

an excuse to party all night and lounge

But no matter where the break takes you,

on the beach all day. Others prefer to take

just remember: what happens on spring

advantage of the final months of winter

break stays on spring break.

Road tripper

Austin, TX

Beach bum

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

W

ith crystal blue waters and rolling green mountains, the cold weather and bleak skies of Syracuse will be the farthest thing from your mind. St. Thomas is home to Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands with duty-free shopping (great for your wallet) and a booming nightlife (not so great for your hangover). You’ll fall in love with heart-shaped Magen’s Bay, named one of the world’s most beautiful beaches by National Geographic Magazine. Snorkel, kayak or just soak in the breathtaking beauty of this natural paradise. A true spring break destination, St. Thomas is a sun-seeker’s fantasy.

6

SPRING BREAK

2007

Students should show caution for a safe return from spring break

S

By Lauren Finn STAFF WRITER

pring break can instill fear in any parent. It’s a time when waking up at three in the afternoon is totally acceptable, if not expected of students.

Schedules consist of eating, napping and partying in places that make the snowy campus of Syracuse seem like utter hell. Students enter this vacation with the intention of having the time of their lives, but unless a spring breaker’s definition of fun is spending quality time in a cell with foreign criminals, there are

QUICK GUIDE FOR TRAVELING ABROAD

n Ignorance is not bliss—you can still be punished for crimes you do not realize you are committing.

n Be respectful of the country you are visiting. Understand that the country’s culture could be very different from America’s. n Drug laws vary across the globe. In order to be safe, just avoid them altogether. n If arrested, plead not guilty and consult a local attorney.

a few things to keep in mind.

American citizens are still required to follow the laws of the country they visit, no matter how different the rules are from those at home.

Ignorance of the law is not a legitimate excuse for breaking it, and could create some serious trouble. Gary Sommer, an attorney from Student Legal Services, said some of the trickiest laws have to do with drugs.

“Number one concern I have whether it’s going to another country or another state is the drug laws,” Sommer said. “I would not be bringing any drugs into any foreign country, and I would definitely be very reluctant to buy any drugs in other countries.”

In New York the maximum penalty for carrying less than 7/8ths of a gram marijuana is a $100 fine, while in Mexico this same offense could land you in jail for up to a year. This strict penalty is far from normal in Colombia, where the possession of small quantities or a “personal dose” of all drugs is legal. Twenty grams of marijuana is considered a personal dose and is permitted.

Even activities considered harmless in Syracuse may be looked upon with a vastly different opinion while vacationing. Local customs deem what is acceptable in a particular country, and although some popular destinations aren’t too far from home, the cultural differences may be drastic.

“It’s one thing to get loud at two in the morning on Euclid,” Sommer said. “It’s another to be disrespectful in someone else’s country” Specifically, making obscene or lewd comments, drinking while using public transportation, littering and drinking on the street are all considered criminal actions in Mexico. Any of these offenses lead to the creation of a criminal record, rather than a simple ticket.

Michelle Alperin, a senior television, radio and film major, said she was concerned when she traveled to Acapulco, Mexico.

“The biggest issue I was worried about was that I was in another country,” she said. “I didn’t know the rules, but we didn’t do anything differently down there that I wouldn’t do up here.”

Alperin said she heard horror stories from people who went away for spring break, but luckily she did not encounter any of her own.

“Is it easy to get in trouble?” Alperin wondered. “Yeah, I guess so, because people are drunk—but no more so than anywhere else.”

Even if students know the laws entering a country, there is no guarantee they are going to stay out of legal trouble. Finding oneself in a foreign jail can be a scary thought, so it is important to know what to do if this situation occurs.

“The first thing they should do is plead not guilty and consult a local attorney,” Sommer said. “What I mean by that is if you’re in Mexico, get a Mexican lawyer who speaks English. If you’re in Texas, get a Texan lawyer.”

Local lawyers should be experts when it comes to the nature of these charges and can thoroughly explain the consequences that might be faced.

Students shouldn’t be afraid to party with friends and release some mid-semester tension, but they just need to remember to use common sense. For example, smoking illegal substances on the beach at noon isn’t exactly a good idea (Yes, Student Legal Services has actually received such phone calls).

To steer clear of trouble, Sommer has one simple bit of advice to remember: “Recognize that you are a guest in someone else’s country and act accordingly.”

SPRING BREAK

2007

7

Students dedicate time off to charity, sports

S

By Heather Mayer STAFF WRITER

pring break is traditionally synonymous with Cancun, wet T-shirt contests and an endless stream of alcohol. However, there are numerous alternative vacations Syracuse University students may prefer over spending money on airfare and alcohol for a week they won’t remember.

Warm weather is coveted by SU students in March, especially for sports teams that have to train and compete outside. Every year several sports teams, including the men and women’s crew teams and the men and women’s ultimate Frisbee club teams, head south for spring vacation.

The men’s crew team will train in Miami in January and spend its spring break training in South Carolina, a tradition for many years. “(The trip) is all business,” said Chad Taylor, a senior psychology and music industry major.

Each trip has a similar schedule: 10 days of practicing twice a day. Early morning hours are nothing new to the crew team members, who are in the water at 7 a.m. The days are broken up by lunch breaks and several free hours in the afternoon, but the practice schedule is rigorous.

While the trip is not mandatory, it’s frowned upon if a team member decides not to attend without a good reason, Taylor said.

“It’s fun, but you sacrifice your break,” Taylor said. “We’re all pretty good friends so we make it fun.”

Unlike the varsity teams at SU, club teams are not funded nearly as much for trips. The members of Scooby DooM and Fox Force 7, the men and women’s ultimate Frisbee teams, respectively, spend about $250 of their own money on gas, lodging and food during their break in Savannah, Ga. The teams have been driving to Georgia since 1999 for a week-long tournament called High Tide.

Both teams rent a house on the beach in Tybee Island and play four games each day throughout the week. Last spring break, the 35 players combined to form a seven-car caravan

courtesy of heather mayer JEFF IRVINE looks to huck downfield during last year’s spring break trip for the Ultimate Frisbee Team. on the 16-hour drive to and from Georgia.

“This is a great opportunity for the kids who don’t know each other that well to spend a week together,” said Jason Chow, a junior psychology major and captain of the men’s team. “It’s so much easier to communicate on the field during a game when you know each other off the field.”

Spring break can also be a time to learn thousands of miles outside the classroom. Since professor Gary Radke started a short-term abroad program in 2002, SU has offered several spring semester courses on campus that travel abroad for a hands-on experience of the class curricu-

lum. This year’s abroad destinations include Italy, Brazil, Paris, England and Ireland. The program was designed to allow students who may not be able to study abroad for a semester to still enjoy the same experience.

Radke designed the courses in a way that would allow students to learn the curriculum at both the Syracuse campus and overseas so they can “fully prepare (for the abroad experience) and to fully appreciate it,” he said.

The abroad segments of the course are required because the final assignments incorporate the class material in Syracuse and the experiences abroad. The trips over spring

break include sight-seeing, lectures and discussions. The prices range from $2,335 to $3,095 and include airfare, lodging, food and entrance fees.

Service projects are another popular spring break alternative, and SU has many campus groups that take part in helping others, especially in New Orleans. The Catholic Center, Baptist Campus Ministry and Campus Crusade for Christ sent students to areas in and around Louisiana to help repair homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The service locations for these groups change year to year, but currently their overall focus is relief for victims of Katrina.

Finances for the trips came largely through donations from local churches and relatives of participating members. The cost per student ranges from $150 to $250 for transportation.

Food and accommodations are provided by volunteers at the locations, including an old grammar school, an old grocery store and churches.

Along with roofing and gutting houses, there are nightly Bible studies to pray and reflect on the day’s work.

The Hillel organization on campus will travel to Louisiana this March for the first time to help restore the Gulf coast. The cost is $125, but students will be reimbursed after the trip; airfare is the only thing students have to cover themselves. The trip is funded by the Everett Tzedek Initiative. Preceding the trip, volunteers will take part in three discussions to learn about the social and political aspects behind Katrina, diversity and tzedakah (charity) in the Jewish religion. During the week the students will study Jewish texts, and back in Syracuse they will put together a social justice project to incorporate all aspects of the trip.

Tina Dechton, a sophomore television, radio and film major never wants to have a “normal” spring break again after her experience in Mississippi last spring with the Baptist Campus Ministry.

“College is like a vacation, and I want to give back (to the community) during break,” Dechton said.

Different vacations call for a variety of booking methods

A

By Heath D. Williams STAFF WRITER

s students begin to plan their mid-March getaways from the frozen tundra of Syracuse to warmer, sunnier, more welcome destinations, they are faced with two options: either plan vacations on their own or book a vacation through a travel agency.

Both options have their strengths and weaknesses, but the real difference between the two is in the packaging. If going through a travel agency, everything (airfare, hotel, rental car) is included in the package for one price. If self-planning, students have the option of shopping around different companies and Web sites to find the cheapest prices for their vacation.

There are countless sites for spring break travel agencies, dedicated to providing vacation packages to the most popular student destinations. Studentcity.com, ststravel.com (Student Travel Services) and springbreaktravel.com are some of the most popular spring break travel agencies.

Of those sites, springbreaktravel.com offers

the most options for vacations, with meal plans, side trips and excursions. For example, students traveling to Cancun can go on a jungle snorkeling cruise, a jungle tour, horseback riding and bullfighting.

“It’s worth it to plan through an organization like us because of the services we offer,” said Mark Dvorak of studentcity.com.

Dvorak said his agency offers pre-planned events, an on-site staff at every location to help students get acquainted with the city and discounts at shops and bars in the area.

Services like that are not available when planning a vacation on your own, but the ability to shop around and book flights and hotels from different places opens the possibility for a cheaper vacation.

If planning a vacation on their own, students can search sites like expedia.com, travelocity.com and hotels.com to find the best deals on their airfare and accommodations.

A pre-planned vacation from studentcity. com at the Imperial Laguna hotel in Cancun costs $719 per person. However, with a flight from travelocity.com and a hotel booked on

hotels.com, the same vacation would cost $673. The almost $46 difference may not seem like a lot, but to college students counting pennies, extra spending money could mean a great deal.

The same vacation booked through priceline.com would cost $754, demonstrating the necessity of browsing different sites to find the best deal.

According to Dvorak, the slightly higher price for the vacation from his site is worth the extra money simply for the services they offer. Studentcity.com offers services and events while sites like travelocity.com offer nothing more than flights, hotels and rental cars.

“Aside from the helpful services like on-site staff that we offer, overall it’s actually cheaper to go through us because of the events we provide access to,” Dvorak said. “In Cancun, we offer access to parties and events thrown by MTV and Maxim, something you’d be paying an arm and a leg to get into if you didn’t book with us.”

It all comes down to how different people plan on spending their vacations. Those who

kelsey boyer | photo editor A STUDENT TRAVELER can attempt to plan his or her own trip, but may not always get the best deal. want to bask in the sun on the beach all day and go out at night might be better off planning it themselves and just finding a cheap hotel. On the other hand, people wanting to be true tourists, see lots of different sights and experience the culture would find the services provided by a travel agency to be useful.

SPRING BREAK

2007

7

Students dedicate time off to charity, sports

S

By Heather Mayer STAFF WRITER

pring break is traditionally synonymous with Cancun, wet T-shirt contests and an endless stream of alcohol. However, there are numerous alternative vacations Syracuse University students may prefer over spending money on airfare and alcohol for a week they won’t remember.

Warm weather is coveted by SU students in March, especially for sports teams that have to train and compete outside. Every year several sports teams, including the men and women’s crew teams and the men and women’s ultimate Frisbee club teams, head south for spring vacation.

The men’s crew team will train in Miami in January and spend its spring break training in South Carolina, a tradition for many years. “(The trip) is all business,” said Chad Taylor, a senior psychology and music industry major.

Each trip has a similar schedule: 10 days of practicing twice a day. Early morning hours are nothing new to the crew team members, who are in the water at 7 a.m. The days are broken up by lunch breaks and several free hours in the afternoon, but the practice schedule is rigorous.

While the trip is not mandatory, it’s frowned upon if a team member decides not to attend without a good reason, Taylor said.

“It’s fun, but you sacrifice your break,” Taylor said. “We’re all pretty good friends so we make it fun.”

Unlike the varsity teams at SU, club teams are not funded nearly as much for trips. The members of Scooby DooM and Fox Force 7, the men and women’s ultimate Frisbee teams, respectively, spend about $250 of their own money on gas, lodging and food during their break in Savannah, Ga. The teams have been driving to Georgia since 1999 for a week-long tournament called High Tide.

Both teams rent a house on the beach in Tybee Island and play four games each day throughout the week. Last spring break, the 35 players combined to form a seven-car caravan

courtesy of heather mayer JEFF IRVINE looks to huck downfield during last year’s spring break trip for the Ultimate Frisbee Team. on the 16-hour drive to and from Georgia.

“This is a great opportunity for the kids who don’t know each other that well to spend a week together,” said Jason Chow, a junior psychology major and captain of the men’s team. “It’s so much easier to communicate on the field during a game when you know each other off the field.”

Spring break can also be a time to learn thousands of miles outside the classroom. Since professor Gary Radke started a short-term abroad program in 2002, SU has offered several spring semester courses on campus that travel abroad for a hands-on experience of the class curricu-

lum. This year’s abroad destinations include Italy, Brazil, Paris, England and Ireland. The program was designed to allow students who may not be able to study abroad for a semester to still enjoy the same experience.

Radke designed the courses in a way that would allow students to learn the curriculum at both the Syracuse campus and overseas so they can “fully prepare (for the abroad experience) and to fully appreciate it,” he said.

The abroad segments of the course are required because the final assignments incorporate the class material in Syracuse and the experiences abroad. The trips over spring

break include sight-seeing, lectures and discussions. The prices range from $2,335 to $3,095 and include airfare, lodging, food and entrance fees.

Service projects are another popular spring break alternative, and SU has many campus groups that take part in helping others, especially in New Orleans. The Catholic Center, Baptist Campus Ministry and Campus Crusade for Christ sent students to areas in and around Louisiana to help repair homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The service locations for these groups change year to year, but currently their overall focus is relief for victims of Katrina.

Finances for the trips came largely through donations from local churches and relatives of participating members. The cost per student ranges from $150 to $250 for transportation.

Food and accommodations are provided by volunteers at the locations, including an old grammar school, an old grocery store and churches.

Along with roofing and gutting houses, there are nightly Bible studies to pray and reflect on the day’s work.

The Hillel organization on campus will travel to Louisiana this March for the first time to help restore the Gulf coast. The cost is $125, but students will be reimbursed after the trip; airfare is the only thing students have to cover themselves. The trip is funded by the Everett Tzedek Initiative. Preceding the trip, volunteers will take part in three discussions to learn about the social and political aspects behind Katrina, diversity and tzedakah (charity) in the Jewish religion. During the week the students will study Jewish texts, and back in Syracuse they will put together a social justice project to incorporate all aspects of the trip.

Tina Dechton, a sophomore television, radio and film major never wants to have a “normal” spring break again after her experience in Mississippi last spring with the Baptist Campus Ministry.

“College is like a vacation, and I want to give back (to the community) during break,” Dechton said.

Different vacations call for a variety of booking methods

A

By Heath D. Williams STAFF WRITER

s students begin to plan their mid-March getaways from the frozen tundra of Syracuse to warmer, sunnier, more welcome destinations, they are faced with two options: either plan vacations on their own or book a vacation through a travel agency.

Both options have their strengths and weaknesses, but the real difference between the two is in the packaging. If going through a travel agency, everything (airfare, hotel, rental car) is included in the package for one price. If self-planning, students have the option of shopping around different companies and Web sites to find the cheapest prices for their vacation.

There are countless sites for spring break travel agencies, dedicated to providing vacation packages to the most popular student destinations. Studentcity.com, ststravel.com (Student Travel Services) and springbreaktravel.com are some of the most popular spring break travel agencies.

Of those sites, springbreaktravel.com offers

the most options for vacations, with meal plans, side trips and excursions. For example, students traveling to Cancun can go on a jungle snorkeling cruise, a jungle tour, horseback riding and bullfighting.

“It’s worth it to plan through an organization like us because of the services we offer,” said Mark Dvorak of studentcity.com.

Dvorak said his agency offers pre-planned events, an on-site staff at every location to help students get acquainted with the city and discounts at shops and bars in the area.

Services like that are not available when planning a vacation on your own, but the ability to shop around and book flights and hotels from different places opens the possibility for a cheaper vacation.

If planning a vacation on their own, students can search sites like expedia.com, travelocity.com and hotels.com to find the best deals on their airfare and accommodations.

A pre-planned vacation from studentcity. com at the Imperial Laguna hotel in Cancun costs $719 per person. However, with a flight from travelocity.com and a hotel booked on

hotels.com, the same vacation would cost $673. The almost $46 difference may not seem like a lot, but to college students counting pennies, extra spending money could mean a great deal.

The same vacation booked through priceline.com would cost $754, demonstrating the necessity of browsing different sites to find the best deal.

According to Dvorak, the slightly higher price for the vacation from his site is worth the extra money simply for the services they offer. Studentcity.com offers services and events while sites like travelocity.com offer nothing more than flights, hotels and rental cars.

“Aside from the helpful services like on-site staff that we offer, overall it’s actually cheaper to go through us because of the events we provide access to,” Dvorak said. “In Cancun, we offer access to parties and events thrown by MTV and Maxim, something you’d be paying an arm and a leg to get into if you didn’t book with us.”

It all comes down to how different people plan on spending their vacations. Those who

kelsey boyer | photo editor A STUDENT TRAVELER can attempt to plan his or her own trip, but may not always get the best deal. want to bask in the sun on the beach all day and go out at night might be better off planning it themselves and just finding a cheap hotel. On the other hand, people wanting to be true tourists, see lots of different sights and experience the culture would find the services provided by a travel agency to be useful.

8

SPRING BREAK

2007

Budgeting your break Many spring breakers want to have a great time but don’t have a lot of money to spend on a trip. Believe it or not, it is possible to have a memorable week without breaking the bank. Christi Day, the public relations coordinator for STA Travel, has a few tips for students who are traveling on a budget.

1. Get help: Visiting a travel agent can save money because they can find discounts and packages for students. Research before going in to meet with the advisor, then see if he or she can help bring down costs by putting everything together.

2. Go in groups: Cab fares, hotel rooms, tips and everything else will be much cheaper when they are split four ways.

Planning together with your friends is more cost effective than going alone.

3. Book early: Booking before Dec. 14 will help you find major discounts at many beach destinations, and you will have a better choice of rooms. Don’t take a chance that your hotel will be sold out or that only the most expensive rooms are left.

UNDERRATED SPRING BREAK DESTINATIONS

5. Be flexible: You may have to make some sacrifices to go on a trip. If you are booking last minute, the best deal might not be available, so you might have to change your plans. If you plan to go to a place like Mexico but locate a great deal somewhere else, you may have found a blessing in disguise.

Spring Break Edition!

John Frenaye of MSNBC.com conducted a survey of more than 2,000 people to see what the most popular spring break destinations are this year. His findings showed some standard locations for spring breakers looking to escape their cold-weather campuses.

Frenaye’s goal was to find the most popular destinations, but The Daily Orange decided to counter his list with our own picks of the most underrated spring break spots.

By Brian Tahmosh ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

1. Palm-back ‘V’ sign

4. Look for student discounts: Try to get an International Student ID Card. This card verifies you are a student around the world and offers students great deals at stores and hotels.

— Brian Tahmosh, asst. feature editor

top 5

Gestures: lost in translation

Most Popular

✪

1. Riviera Maya, Mexico 2. Cancun, Mexico 3. Jamaica 4. Fort Lauderdale, Florida 5. South Padre Island, Texas

Most Underrated

1. Costa del Sol, Spain 2. Montreal, Canada 3. Galveston, Texas 4. Wherever the Orange is playing in the NCAA tournament 5. Home

3. Open palm

Sure, it looks like a peace sign with your palm facing you, but try this sign across the pond and there’s a good chance a brawl could break out, soccer style. In England, people who flash this sign at you are really saying, “Up your bum!”

Named the moutza after the ancient Byzantine practice of pushing excrement in the faces of criminals, thrusting an open palm at someone is extremely offensive in Greece.

5. Closed fist

2. Thumbs up

Ebert and Roper use this signal to show their approval for a quality film, but in many places it is an obscene gesture. In Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria and parts of Italy and Greece, the thumbs up offers the same message as the middle finger in the United States.

4. Four fingers

Football players hold up four fingers to signal the start of the fourth quarter.

In Japan, this is used to call someone an animal and is most commonly used as a discriminatory insult against Koreans.

Holding up a closed fist in Pakistan is considered an obscene phallic symbol.

SOURCE: ooze.com/finger/html/foriegn.html

Fall Graduation 2006 TCU DAILY SKIFF

Friday, December 1, 2006

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN SPILLMAN

CONGRADUATIONS! “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

— RALPH WALDO EMERSON

The Daily Beacon’s

asketball B Squaring up on the Summitt

Preview 2006-2007

All Eyes on

Tennessee GLENN SHINABERRY Sports Editor

Thompson-Boling Arena has long sat in the shadow of Neyland Stadium. This season, however, fans seem as eager for basketball as they were for football.

The disparity between men’s and women’s basketball at The University of Tennessee used to be wider than the state is long, but that gap is closing. Not in national championships or wins, but in expectations and atmosphere. The men’s basketball team appears on the verge of establishing a real program.

The women’s team is retooled and refocused as it looks to return to the Final Four for the fifth time in six years.

Fans are eager, if not anxious, to see if the men can build on last year’s success and if the women can win another title. Preseason All-Americans Candace Parker and Chris Lofton have enormous followings.

Excitement has returned to the hardwood, and Tennessee fans may have the rare opportunity to witness both teams sit atop the summit of college basketball in March. For the first time this century, both begin the season ranked in the top 25.

But for many, Tennessee’s fate has more to do with coaches than with players.

Coaching is the engine of change, as proven by coach Bruce Pearl’s first season and demonstrated over coach Pat Summitt’s career.

Summitt’s legacy continues to grow: she begins the season as the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history. She has diligently turned Knoxville into the focal point for women’s college basketball. Her program has won six national titles, 16 Final Four appearances and 913 wins in 32 years.

On the men’s side, 2006 marked a change for Tennessee as they broke onto the national scene. Pearl reversed the four previous mediocre seasons, transforming the Vols into a contender in the Southeastern Conference. The Vols won 20 games for the first time in five years and climbed from six SEC wins in 2005 to 12 wins and the SEC East crown in 2006, scoring more than 20 points more a game between 2005 and 2006.

Pearl’s charisma, hunger for success and his up-tempo offense infected the university. He also built a relationship with fans who had given up on their basketball team. Growing enthusiasm is evident in the fact the preseason ticket sales have increased by 3,600. Last season, attendance was up by more than 5,000 fans per men’s game. The women also saw significantly larger crowds: a jump of almost 2,000 fans per game.

“You look last year you had guys who had to buy into a new system, a new coach, a new program, and it ended up being very successful,” said forward Ryan Childress.

Adding to this season’s excitement are the potential rising stars on Tennessee’s men’s and women’s teams.

The men signed five of the country’s premier players, in large part because of what Pearl was able to accomplish last year.

Forwards Wayne Chism and Duke Crews were two of the top 40 high school players in the country, according to rivals.com. Expectations for Chism and Crews are high because they have the ability to develop into a marquee combination in the Southeastern Conference.

For the women All-American forward Candace Parker returns after a summer of playing against the best in the world. Summitt say she has already noticed a change in Parker’s physical play and leadership.

Pearl said earlier this fall that the challenge for him will be pushing these young players to play at a caliber they have never played before. “Getting these freshmen to faster than they’ve ever gone, and yet not being out of control and not turning it over,” said Pearl.

What’s Inside

See Cover Story on page 5

Lofty expectations

Globetrotter

Pre-season All-SEC guard Chris Lofton changed his diet to improve on last season

Forward Candace Parker traveled to Brazil to play with Team USA during the summer

special advertising section

Unique personalties ...

FRAT TASTIC SK8R BOY CASUAL ANYDAY

TREND SETTER LATE FOR CLASS

deserve unique clothing MONDAY, OCT. 2, 2006