Sept. 09, 2005 issue 01 Loquitur

Perspectives

Biggest freshman class page 7

Hurricane Katrina devastation sets in; Student accounts of coping with hometown obliteration

KRISTEN CATALANOTTO GUEST WRITER KMC723@CABRINI EDU

I was home just three weeks ago, enjoying the unique city that is New Orleans, the city that I call home. You always see disaster stricken areas on CNN and on the cover of USAToday, but I am finding it hard to believe that the streets of my city are now being shown on every channel and on the cover of every newspaper. I was born and raised in the city and it is the place I want to return to after college.

Many seem to be shocked by the events that have occurred in the past week and a half, but for those who have grown up in and around the city of New Orleans, it is exactly what we have feared. In New Orleans, you grow up looking up at the boats passing by on the Mississippi River, always knowing that the river could one day be in your backyard.

Every year at the beginning of hurricane season every local news station broadcasts a hurricane special, so it’s no secret to New Orleanians that it was not matter of “if” a devastating storm would hit, but only a matter of when.

One of my first memories is sitting in front of the TVwaiting for the electricity to go out during a hurricane. I remember the whistle of the winds from Hurricane Andrew and Georges, but nothing could compare to the devastation that Katrina brought ashore.

The streets that I learned to walk on are now covered with as much as 20 feet of water, and my house is patiently waiting to be drained from the floodwaters. The coffeehouse that I have worked at for four years is also submerged.

I have asked myself several times, “How do you go home, when there is nothing to go home to?” I haven’t figured out that

Two

answer yet.

it

come with time. My entire family lost everything. The photos are what hurt the most to lose. We can replace the material things, but it’s hard to imagine not being able to pull out the old photo albums and to laugh at the VHS tapes of me and my cousins running around in diapers.

I have been able to get in contact with many of my friends, one a Cabrini graduate. Ashlee Lensymyer, who graduated this May with a degree in English and communication, evacuated to McComb, Miss., before the storm hit. “I feel lost and confused. I left my home thinking I would be gone for two days and now I have no idea when I will even see it again. I want to cry, but at the same time I want to yell and scream,” Ashlee told me. The Lensymyer family was forced to leave McComb after the storm tore some of the roof off of the house they were in and rained poured into the home.

I think home is the key word. These are not just “houses” being affected, it’s “homes”! It’s their

lives. It seems that as children we are always trying to get away from the place we grew up: the places, the walls and the people that we memorized. Once out, we realize that it’s the little things that matter. Sitting at the long red light, the sight of a southern sunset, the humid days that seem to burn right through your skin, and the smell of the place you call home. “Everything I know of home is gone,” Ashlee said. It’s a painful yet true reality for those from the Gulf Coast.

I think my biggest fear is that home will never be the same. I use to love the reaction I would get when I told people I was from

New Orleans. I still take pride in saying where I am from, but I now hate the look of sorrow that appears on people’s faces.

I know that I will never know the true fate of some of my elderly customers at the coffeehouse. I know deep down inside that many did not get out, and that they were perhaps some of the over one hundred bodies that were found three blocks from my home. Mr. Billy Joe, who was the kindest older man you could ever hope to meet and who gave me money every time I went back to school, is missing. What keeps me going is the possibility that he got out, or at least he died in

peace with dignity.

It seems that we get bad news every time the phone rings, but what is really sad is that I find comfort in knowing that almost everyone from the city of New Orleans is in the same situation. That fact shouldn’t give me comfort, but it tells me that we all need to stick together,

Some say that New Orleans isn’t worth rebuilding, but how can they say that when millions call it home. At times, it might be a dysfunctional home, but dysfunctional is better than nothing at all. New Orleans is one of the most unique places in the world to visit. The smell of pralines, boiled crawfish, and the sound of jazz bands can be heard on every street in the French Quarter.

We will move on, and we will rebuild. The people of the Gulf Coast need your support. It’s important that the help does not fade with the headlines, but that it is continuous until we are finished re-building. Disasters destroy many dreams, but I have also learned that they teach you to dream bigger.

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KRT

New Orleans’ residents move their belongings through murky water-filled streets.

I’m guessing

may

Flooded streets will take several years to berepaired according to President Bush.

More students, more construction expand Cabrini

The expansion continues at Cabrini for the 2005-2006 school year. The SETbuilding’s grand opening, the West Residence Hall in construction and a 33 percent increase in this year’s incoming class population are obvious evidences of the substantial growth.

Roughly 600 freshman and transfer students have chosen Cabrini College, nearly double the enrollment of just four years ago. Our small campus now reaches out to 16 different states and even 3 other countries.

There have been more applications sent into the Cabrini campus than ever before. Arriving with the record-breaking class of 2009 also is intelligence. According to statistics, the average SATscore was 30 points higher than the previous class, even with such a large population.

For the most part, an upbeat and optimistic freshman class has been witnessed. Typically wearing the Cavalier blue and steadily taking in the Cabrini environment are some of the daily habits of the class of 2009.

It is a breath of fresh air on the campus in response to the school disapproval rate among upper classmen. Unaware of how Cabrini was in the past, the freshman class has accepted the crowded conditions thus far with patience.

We cannot, however, forget the number of students in the past and present who were forced to move-off campus for their third or fourth year of school after paying tens of thousands of dollars towards Cabrini.

All the production and progress will hopefully create a school that will no longer be labeled as a “suitcase school,” where students religiously return home for the weekends. Alively campus with a plethora of activities on the weekend is the aspiration of many school leaders and students alike.

Growing numbers of students surely generates large sums of revenue. If the growing number of students enrolling at the school is to be accommodated, then the money must be allocated to create an exciting and positive environment.

There are still troubling issues at Cabrini such as the price for parking and cramped quarters. The parking issue is a completely different topic, but the school definitely has the chance right now to change the suitcase-school-past to one of pride and anticipation for the small Radnor campus. As of now, there seems to be quite a bit of activity bubbling on campus, but only time will tell how the school handles such a large mass of people.

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New orientation weekend welcomed freshmen

BY CHRISTINE ERNEST ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR CME722@CABRINI EDU

Orientation for new students at Cabrini College occurred during the week prior to classes starting.

Orientation is for Cabrini College freshman residents, freshman commuters and all transfer students. There were roughly 600 students that went through this year’s orientation program.

This was the first time Cabrini College tried a different way of conducting orientation for new students. In the past, orientation would take place in the middle of the summer. This year the orientation for new students took place from Aug. 24 through Aug. 29.

Cristina D’Amelio, a junior psychology major, was the Orientation Coordinator for this year’s orientation program. She worked on planning the orientation for the new students for three months over the summer. Moreover, D’Amelio planned and conducted the training of the student orientation leaders.

Achallenge is keeping the new students captivated while having to inform them of all the new information needed for their college experience.

“Although every freshman class shows resistance to the orientation program, I feel it was a success,” said D’Amelio.

During the day, there were rotations of presentations to welcome the new students to the college. The presentation also facilitated the new students with learning all of the offices and administration they would need

to know for the duration of their college experience here at Cabrini.

“There is no way to please every incoming student, but we tried to make it as exciting as possible,” D’Amelio said.

There were activities planned in order for the freshman to bond with their fellow classmates. There was a casino night held in Grace Hall and Jazzman’s Café. The Grace Hall portion had casino games like blackjack and a roulette table. The Jazzman’s portion of casino night had karaoke set up for the students to participate in.

Also there was a comedy sports night which consisted of a Philadelphia-based improvisational group that had sports-relat-

ed improv material. The closing event of the new student orientation was the Involvement Fair that highlighted all of the clubs and organizations students could join here at Cabrini College.

“Almost every college and university has an orientation program and I think everyone runs into the same problem of trying to captivate the incoming class. All in all, Cabrini’s orientation program is the best overall,” said D’Amelio.

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2005-2006 Loquitur Staff

Staff Writers

Diana

Jillian

Melissa

Jessica

Shane

Dr.

Lauren Aiken

Tunomukwathi Asino

Elizabeth Brachelli

Katherine Brachelli

Annmarie Chacko

Brad Diamond

Matt Donato

Shane Evans

Amanda Finnegan

Samantha Glackin

Daina Havens

Shatoya Howard

Meghan Hurley

Brittney Liveratore

Alyssa Moore

Our Mission Statement

Michelle Moran

Kelly Murphy

Michelle Phan

Dominique Pinho

Amanda Popovitch

Jason Radka

Ashley Randazzo

Nicolletta Sabella

Lauren Sharkey

Patricia Sheehan

Alyssa Siderio

Brian Smith

Yadira Toledo

Stacey Turnbull

Dennis Valerio

Gail Ziegler

The Loquitur is Cabrini’s College weekly, student-run, campus newspaper. It is widely respected as the voice of students, staff, faculty, alumni and many others outside the Cabrini community. The Loquitur has earned its position by advocating for self expression through freedom of speech, and by serving as an outlet for readers to affect change on campus and off.

Founded in 1959, the Loquitur has thrived and greatly expanded its readership. The paper now has 1,674 online readers and 1,500 print readers on a weekly basis.

Our mission is to provide readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions freely, in an environment where their voices are effectively heard and respected.

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boxes in Founders Hall 264.

COURTESY OFTHE STUDENT ACTIVITIES OFFICE

The newly revamped Freshman Oientation,who’s motto was “Ride of your life,”occured the week before classes started.

Packed to the max with freshmen Cabrini has enrolled over 600 new students this fall

LAURA VAN DE PETTE NEWS EDITOR LCV722@CABRINI EDU

Cabrini is at maximum capacity and is busting at the seams with new students this semester. The office of Residence Life has housed freshman in every nook and cranny of the campus from the basement of Woodcrest to the lounges of Xavier to Rooyman’s Center and even on Valley Forge’s campus. With 537 new freshman students, this year’s incoming class is the largest in Cabrini history and if the past two weeks are any sign of what is to come then this year may be extremely difficult for all resident students.

Many students have growing concerns as Cabrini continues to move toward a crowded, concrete campus. Megan O’Brien, a junior early childhood education major, said, “Cabrini is not built for this many resident students at this time. The cafeteria is a mess, Iwaited in line for nearly 20 minutes and it is impossible to find an empty seat. Maybe Cabrini should have considered more than just the dorm rooms when they accepted such a large freshmen class. It is simply too crowded everywhere.”

Although Cabrini is currently building the West Hall next to the Cabrini Apartment Complex, the suite-style residence hall will only have 129 beds. With so few

beds in the West Hall students feel the housing issue will rear its ugly head again next year.

Carolyn Steck, a junior accounting major, said, “I understand the college is a business and they want to accept more students to make more money so that new dorms and other things can be financed but I think the college needs to accept fewer students until they have built more housing and created more parking facilities. It is simply not fair to accept so many new students that itinconveniences the rest of the student body.”

The general manager of dining services, Michael Antolini, said, “The cafeteria is built with enough chairs to seat 324 students at one time.” With only enough seats to hold about one fifth of the undergraduate student body, it is no wonder that students are annoyed at the cafeteria situation. “I understand that Cabrini cannot simply build a cafeteria to accommodate the students right now but they could at least extend the hours of lunch to compensate for the large freshmen class and the extra class time that runs from 11:05 a.m.-12:20 p.m. Right now it is impossible to eat in the cafeteria during lunch time. Something needs to be done or situations like this will push students to transfer to a less crowded college,” said O’Brien.

Looking ahead into the near future provides some disconcert-

ing feelings for many resident and commuter students. The looming parking problems that students face now will only get worse as 537 freshmen attempt to cram their cars on to the already inadequate parking lots. Director of Public Safety, Charlie Schaffner, said, “Parking has always been tight on the campus and there are parking problems at all colleges across the country. The college will just have to wait and see and accommodate accordingly.”

Freshmen students had not given much thought to this problem as they are not able to have cars on campus until sophomore year but when asked how they felt about fighting for parking spots or not being able to have a car on campus until junior year, their feelings about their large class changed. “I originally thought it was great that so many students were accepted and housed on campus. But recently after seeing the campus after everyone has moved in, I have some serious concerns. I never gave parking a thought but I will beextremely disappointed if I cannot have a car on campus next year simply because there are not enough spaces and it does not seem the college has a plan in mind to solve this problem, said freshman English and communications major, Kelly Moorehead.

Assistant Director of Residence Life, Laura Shapella, said, “There are 15 freshmen men living on Valley Forge’s campus, 18 men living in the old Rooyman’s Center, 16 women living in the basement of Woodcrest and eight men living in the lounges in Xavier Hall. In addition, six freshmen honor students who did not fit on the fourth floor of New Residence Hall are living on the second floor.” Although every student who was placed on the waiting list by the admission’s counselors has been housed, many of them are more cramped than ever before.

“Every room is a triple in Woodcrest and the basement has girls in it too. Sometimes it feels like there’sno room to breathe in there. For paying so much money to live here, I am living in very uncomfortable conditions. I think Cabrini may have made a poor decision when they accepted such a large number of freshmen. Iwonder what will happen next year. Will the freshmen class be even bigger than this year’s class? Every year the living situation will only get worse and worse. Cabrini’s campus was not made for this many students.” said Sarah Codd, a freshman early childhood education major.

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Freshmen get physical on their Day of Service

MARIA D’ALESSANDRO MANAGING EDITOR MAD724@CABRINI EDU

Freshmen teamed up right from the beginning of their college careers to join in the Day of Service. Mandatory for all incoming students, the 12th annual Day of Service, Aug. 26, forced students to get comfortable.

The Day of Service was integrated into the orientation program for first-year students.

David Chiles, coordinator of service learning, said that the goal behind the move of the Day of Service was simple logistics. “It was just easier to put together that way,” he said. Chiles said that scheduling the service day on the first day of classes would have “worn students out.” He said that the students were given “more of a chance to reflect” with this new schedule.

First-year students filled busses to local shelters, food banks and schools. MaryLaver, AngieCorbo,AnneFerry,and Amy Hecht worked to put together the transfer student experience as well.

GwendolynAtkinson-Miller, director of Act 101, general studies, Academic-Intellectual Resource Exchange (A.I.R.E.) Student Services and instructor for section E of a college success seminar,took her students to the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank. Her students learned about issues of hunger and worked in the food warehouse to sort and box donations.

Similarly, Dr. Kathleen Acker,assistant mathematics professor, escorted her class to SHARE, where the students worked in a warehouse creating food boxes.

Dr. Seth Frechie took both of his college success seminar class-

es to Eisenhower Middle School, where the students doubled as landscapers for the day.

Some groups boxing the food orlandscaping complained of the lack of personal communication with those they were to be “helping” on the service day.

David Chiles, coordinator of service learning, said that because of the time of year, before schools are back in session and after-school programs are running, the groups of Cabrini students were too large for anything other than “physical labor,” Chiles said.

However, Chiles said that professors reported to him that the seminar classes were able to bond with one another. The time after the day of service was dedicated to more discussion and reflection on the work.

“The students were able to know instruction out of the classroom. It was very positive,” Chiles said.

“I feltverygoodaboutmy experienceattheEisenhower School.Itmademefeellike I washelpingoutthecommunitybymakingtheirschool lookmoreacceptable.Ijust hopethestudentsthatgo therewilllikethelooksof it,” Kasey Minnick, an English/communications major and student of Dr.Frechie, said.

Chiles believes that the Day of Service, while mandatory,served only as an “initial bonding.” He said, “There are many opportunities to become involved in more in-depth projects.”

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Students volunteer on their day of service.

Students swipe to sweat at Dixon Center

MELISSA STEVEN PERSPECTIVES EDITOR MS727@CABRINI EDU

As Cabrini grows larger so does the Dixon Center’s gym membership, which is why they have placed a new swipe card system has been placed at the front entrance of the Dixon Center. Students and members now must swipe their ID card when they first walk in to the building to ensure that they are allowed to be there.

The system started in May, and community members now have to get photo ID cards when their membership is up for

renewal.

“We want to control access and get a better feel of who is using the gym and when,” Dr. Tony Verde, associate professor of exercise science and health promotion, said. He said that with the school population growing they needed to take steps to make sure that the community members who only have access to the pool do not use the fitness center.

The fitness center is the only other place in the building where members must swipe their cards to gain access.

Now members do not have to leave their ID cards at the front desk. “With the old way some-

one could take your card. Now you don’t have to worry about that,” Verde said.

Dan Leigh, a sophomore, said, “This way is a lot easier because you don’t have to leave your ID at the front desk and it’s safer that way.”

When the ID is scanned, the picture of the member shows up on the computer screen and lets the person at the front desk know what type of membership they have. “Alot of the community members only have a pool membership,” Verde said, “so for liability reasons they should not be using the fitness center.”

Verde explained that the new

system will not only be used for safety reasons but also to collect statistical data. “We want to find out who is using the gym and when,” he said. Most of the members all have trends of when they use the gym and the Dixon Center wants to find out what they are, so in the future they can better accommodate the members, he said.

“We are going to wait one year before really collecting data, and to make any further modifications,” Verde said.

Other adjustment that the Dixon Center has made and is going to make is the new card reader on the back door so that

only staff can get in. Also, Verde hopes to put card readers on the fire exits to help reduce people sneaking in and propping doors open.

Verde said, “We are just trying to make the Dixon Center a secure building.”

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Gas prices expected to drop soon

BY KEVIN G. HALL KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

Aweek of uncertain energy prices awaits motorists after record high prices for gasoline throughout the long Labor Day weekend.

The AAAmotor club reported Monday that the nationwide average for a gallon of gasoline was $3.05, although prices were much higher in most major metropolitan areas.

But prices could start dropping as soon as this week.

“I think there will more or less be a return to normal. We are finding more (oil) rigs coming back, refineries are coming back, pipelines are coming back. It would appear the worst is behind us,” said Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover in New Canaan, Conn.

Power was restored to threequarters of the storm-tattered Gulf Coast region over the weekend, allowing pipelines to increase the flow of oil and gasoline, especially to the East Coast, which has seen spot shortages and runs on gasoline stations.

The Bush administration has opened emergency oil stockpiles, and European allies late last week pledged to send 30 million barrels of oil and gasoline from their emergency supplies to the United States to help bridge short-term supply disruptions.

Offsetting that good news, the federal Minerals Management Service said Monday that offshore oil production in the Gulf of Mexico had returned to only 32 percent of its normal capacity.

The Energy Department confirmed over the holiday weekend that a ConocoPhillips refinery in Belle Chase, La., and a ChevronTexaco refinery in Pascagoula, Miss., suffered major hurricane damage. Combined, they have a capacity of refining 572,000 barrels of crude oil a day into gasoline and other products. And the biggest refinery in the Hurricane Katrina-affected area, ExxonMobil’s plant in Baton Rouge, La., is running below capacity.

Still, crude oil prices fell

almost $2 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) on Friday, ahead of the three-day weekend. In London, where contracts for future delivery of oil are also traded, crude oil prices returned to pre-Katrina levels Monday, falling by $1.26. That’s a good omen for the resumption of oil trading Tuesday on the Nymex.

Several important refineries in the areas hit hardest by Katrina returned to operation over the holiday weekend or planned to restart during the week.

Valero Energy Corp., based in San Antonio, Texas, and the biggest refinery operator, said Monday that its St. Charles, La., refinery would be operational by midweek. It can process up to 185,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Spokeswoman Mary Rose Brown said three other Valero refineries “returned to normal operations this weekend.”

The reduced levels of refining are a major reason gasoline prices are so high.

For months, U.S. refineries have been running at full throttle to keep up with U.S. demand for gasoline.

After Katrina’s landfall, gasoline wholesalers began rationing supplies to service stations. Some stations ran out of fuel as customers in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia and elsewhere rushed to fill up.

In Lothian, Md., once the nation’s tobacco heartland, the Dash-In convenience store that sells Shell gasoline ran out of regular unleaded on Friday By Monday, the station had gasoline, but customers were staying away, apparently put off by the earlier shortage.

“We’ve lost a tremendous amount of business,” said Jane Bauer-Schalski, the store manager. “We’re very slow. It’s been dead.”

Just up the road, a Chevron station was told Friday by its supplier to expect about 65 percent of its normal shipment, said clerk Ann Call. Customers crammed the station at the start of the threeday weekend, fearing supplies would run out.

Gas prices have rapidly been on the rise,constantly frustrating drivers all over the U.S.

“They just kept coming. It never stopped,” she said, complaining that gas prices are hitting her hard. “People like me who don’t make a lot of money, it takes half my pay to fill up the car.”

Several service station managers, owners and employees said they didn’t know how wholesalers decided how much gasoline to allocate to individual stations.

Shell Oil Products spokesman Shawn Frederick in Houston said allocation decisions weren’t arbitrary.

“The allocation limits are a function of available supply at any given time and are tied to historical demand from individual wholesale and retail customers,” he said. “These allocations are carefully reviewed and adjusted on a daily basis. We are adjusting our allocations upward at individual terminal locations as quickly as the supply situation permits, while attempting to avoid complete runouts” at stations.

Even if gasoline supplies recover, high global demand and tight supply mean world oil and gasoline prices are likely to

remain vulnerable for many months. The most immediate threat is the potential for more hurricanes until the storm season ends in November.

“I think that’s going to keep (gasoline and oil) prices from dropping dramatically,” said Beutel, the oil analyst.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

9/11 Four years later Construction in the face of destruction

MARIA D’ALESSANDRO MANAGING EDITOR MAD724@CABRINI EDU

Thenation scrambles to aid Hurricane Katrina victims and support troops overseas, but four years later, victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are still in the minds of Americans.

This unprecedented terrorist attack left Americans struggling for answers. The acts of violence woke up the nation, raised awareness of terrorism and sparked immediate patriotism.

ACNN reader said, “We call it the 10/11 syndrome. What was normal on the 10th was gone forever on the 11th.”

The two tragedies strike home and play off one another because of their disastrous and heartbreaking effects. Yet, despite the recent catastrophe in Louisiana caused by Hurricane Katrina, the United States is working towards rebuilding New York as well.

Much debate surrounded whether the new sculptures

should reach the same heights as the once-standing World Trade Center buildings.

Seven teams of architects proposed nine World Trade Center designs by Dec. 18, 2002, to fill the spaces where the towers once stood.

The Studio Daniel Libeskind design was selected as the winner on Feb. 26, 2003, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

However, the physical rebuild has had Donald Trump in the middle of the construction, proposing the idea of creating Twin Tower replicas, similar to the original buildings attacked four years ago. According to CNN, officials in charge of rebuilding quickly trumped his idea.

Families of 9/11 victims protested the cultural structures ofthe rebuilding project. According to CNN, the families feared a loss of the “memorial feel” to ground zero with the addition of cultural monuments.

Amuseum dedicated to the terrorism almost four years ago

was opened Sept. 7, according to the Washington Post.

Aproposition was made to engrave names of 9/11 victims from New Jersey “randomly” on stainless steel slabs along the Hudson River, according to CNN.

Locally, Cabrini students continued their learning and adapted to studying abroad in a post-9/11 world.

Students of all ages wondered if traveling abroad would be aborted or if vacations would no longer stand.

Four years later, Cabrini students are traveling more than ever. The terrorism against the United States has left Americans working to unite and rebuild.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

New Orleans will force evacuators

ASHLEY WEYLER NEWS EDITOR ARW723@CABRINI EDU

Mayor Ray Nagin instructed all public safety officers “to compel the evacuation of all persons ... regardless of whether such persons are on private property or do not desire to leave,” according to a written statement from his office. The order did not apply to people in Algiers on the West Bank side of Orleans Parish. Many residents have refused to leave New Orleans despite a mandatory evacuation and warnings from government officials that staying in the flooded city represents a health risk. In Washington, White House and congressional sources said Tuesday that the Bush administration plans to ask Congress for $30 billion to $50 billion to aid in the next phase of the recovery effort. The request — which would add to the $10.5 billion already approved — will be made as early as Wednesday, they said. The standing water in New Orleans, left behind after Hurricane Katrina blasted through the region more than a week ago, is contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a highly placed official in the New Orleans mayor’s office told CNN on Tuesday. “It’s absolutely unhealthy to be anywhere near the water,” said the official, who declined to be identified CNN.com said.

Rehnquist’s death throws court into uncertainty

According to foxnews.com, the death of William H. Rehnquist presents President Bush with both opportunities and burdens. The chance to make two appointments to the bench and name a chief justice is extraordinary, but Bush must make his choices carefully in order to avoid strong political resistance and fill out the court expeditiously. “The whole dynamic on the court is going to be different as new justices come on board,” said Joseph Hoffman, a former Rehnquist clerk and Indiana University law school professor. “We have been having a very stable period on the court for quite a few years now.” Hearings for Judge John G. Roberts, Bush’spick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, were scheduled to begin on Tuesday.But with state mourning to begin for Rehnquist on Tuesday, followed by his funeral on Wednesday,the Senate Judiciary Committee was likely to delay the hearings. Bush on Sunday promised to name a successor to Rehnquist shortly.

“Gillagan’s Island” stardies at 70

Bob Denver, whose portrayal of goofy first mate Gilligan on the 1960s television show “Gilligan’s Island,” made him an iconic figure to generations of TV viewers, has died, his agent confirmed Tuesday. He was 70. According to msn.com, Denver died Friday at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina of complications from treatment he was receiving for cancer.

Wolfington Center

Education of the heart: Creating a more just and compassionate world Spirituality, Social Justice, Service Learning & Diversity

Welcome, new & returning students!

Sampling of this year's programs: Sunday Mass (7:00 p.m. in the chapel)

Freshman Bscape in the Poconos (~ ov. 11-12)

Caring Citizens Volunt~er Fair (Sept. 8, 12 to 2 p.m. in Jazzman's)

Big Brothers' Sisters, Special Olympks & more!

WOLF Pack freshman furi/service organization (watch for flyers!)

Best in Ptitilly Leadership Panel (Sept. 20)

Hunger & Homeles ness Awareness Campaign (Oct. 30-Nov.4)

Leadership with Heart/ SOJ 199 & 299 (1-credit courses)

For more info, stop by our office (behind Jazzman's cafe) Or email: leg722@cabrini.edu or mlaver@cabrini.edu

Denver had also undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery earlier this year.TVcritics hooted at “Gilligan’s Island” as gag-ridden corn. Audiences adored its far-out comedy. Writer-creator Sherwood Schwartz insisted that the show had social meaning along with the laughs: “I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications.”

Al-Qaeda possibly linked to London bombings

American and British investigators say a new video featuring a July 7 London subway bomber and Qaeda chief deputy Ayman alZawahiri is authentic. These counterterror officials, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive subject matter, say the tape, aired last Thursday by Al-Jazeera, appears to affirm a link between Al Qaeda and the July 7 attacks—but it doesn’tprove Zawahiri or Qaeda head Osama bin Laden ordered them. In the video, which the officials think was assembled from two separately shot tapes, suicide bomber Mohammed Sidique Khan says he is a“soldier” intent on “protecting and avenging my Muslim brothers and sisters.” He asks Allah to “raise me amongst those I love,” agroup that includes bin Laden, Zawahiri and Abu Mussab alZarqawi, the Jordanian-born leader of the Iraqi insurgency. Khan does not say that the Iraq war was a motivation for the attacks. But Zawahiri does praise them as a “slap in the face” to Tony Blair’s British government for its alleged collaboration with Washington in oppressing Muslims in countries including Iraq, according to msnbc.com.

Amourner remembers the tragedy of the September 11th attacks on the U.S.

Freshmen sound off; Likes and dislikes of Cabrini so far

"I like how close the classrooms are to my dorm. I dislike the food; it's disgusting. Also the curfew for guests."

"I like that the campus is small. It's also close to my home and has small class sizes. I dislike not having any air conditioning in our dorm."

"I like the people, the teache rs, and Jazzman's has good food. I dislike not having air in Woodcrest."

Freshmen chaos

“I don’t like the food, but I do like that there are more girls than guys.”

“I don’t enjoy the food as much as some might, but there is such a variety of it. I enjoy the small class sizes and the many support services available on campus.”

IT'SNOTTOOLATETOADDAFALLCO-OP

Faceit.

A degreealoneis no guarantee you'll get thejob youwantaftercollege.

If you have tried to find a seat in the cafeteria and failed, then you might agree that there are entirely too many new students at Cabrini this semester.The college has accepted 601 new students, including transfer students. If you think it is tough finding a place to park now, what will happen next September when the largest freshman class in Cabrini history attempts to cram over 500 cars on Cabrini’s crowded campus? It seems to me there will be many sticky situations and controversial issues for the resident students to hurdle.

On one end of the spectrum a large incoming class is a positive for the College, as it means that Cabrini’s popularity is rapidly growing and more high school seniors want to be a part of Cabrini’s small campus.

The other end of the spectrum presents the negative factors of accepting such a large number of

students. For many freshmen, their large class means living in extremely tight quarters. Every single freshmen dorm-room is a triple, but that still was not enough room to fit everyone. So the College transformed the creepy Woodcrest basement into afew rooms. Then they turned nearly all the freshmen lounges into rooms to house a few more students. With students still needing to be housed, Cabrini made the Rooyman’sCenter into an all-male residence hall, which houses 18 boys. If that wasn’t bad enough, they turned to Valley Forge for housing help, and now a dozen boys live on their campus.

Although Cabrini clearly went to great lengths to have all the incoming students housed, I cannot help but wonder if such crowded living conditions will eventually push the freshmen away and subsequently compel them to transfer. Although losing a few of them would not exactly be a positive outcome, it might help the looming parking nightmare that awaits all resident students. Where does Cabrini intend on putting all these cars next year? With fewer parking spaces than ever, 533 additional cars next year will make parking spaces truly a hot commodity.

Now there are no extra beds to spare and absolutely no park-

ing spots to salvage. On top of these concerns there is the exasperating feat of trying to find a seat in the cafeteria at lunch which has become worse than attempting to park on Residential Boulevard on a Thursday night.

This class has proven that Cabrini is simply trying to grow too much too fast. Cabrini is hastily replacing the trees and serene atmosphere for concrete and too many students. It appears that Cabrini is stuck in a never-ending-cycle; they want to accept more students but they don’thave enough beds for them, so they accept too many students as a means to finance new residence halls like the West Hall, and in the meantime, the campus is overcrowded. By the time the new hall opens, the incoming class is even bigger and once again, the cycle begins as Cabrini tries to find more holes in the dorm walls to stuff students.

Ithink it is great that Cabrini’s popularity is spreading and more students want to be a part of the campus, but I feel they have caused more harm than good and many more problems will rise from such a large class. Cabrini clearly did not think this decision through completely before they enrolled over 500 freshmen to an already overcrowded campus.

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LCV722@CABRINI EDU

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Escaping to North Carolina

JILLIANMILAM FEATURESEDITOR JGM726@CABRINI EDU

Waking up to the sound of waves crashing outside your window instead of the piercing beep of the alarm clock, sand between your toes, and a cold drink in your hand. Al Jolson said it best in his song, “Nothing could be finer than to be in Caroliner.”

Whether it’s sitting behind a desk at your job or feeling overloaded with schoolwork, most of us can’t help but daydream of that one special week out of the entire year, vacation. What better way to spend it than to relax in the Outer Banks of North Carolina? From the clean beachesto the tranquil atmosphere, a week in North Carolina remains one of my favorite vacation spots for the fourth year in a row. There’s just something about

having an empty agenda and nothing on my “to-do” list that makes the eight-hour trip worth it. Every day consists of waking up whenever it’s felt necessary, spending hours on the beach, and going out to dinner to tropical and beach-themed restaurants every evening. The Sunset Grille and Bar, located right on the water in Duck, decorated with palm trees and umbrellas makes for a fine, vacation-festive dinner. Out of the seven nights my family and I stayed in the Outer Banks, three of them were spent here, eating their crab cake dinner and enjoying the view.

Although nightlife isn’t the most exciting there, being with nearly 30 family members makes it anything but dull. The most obvious options for things to do atnight are mini golf, watching movies or getting ice cream. However, the most popular activity for my family seemed to be setting off fireworks on the beach at night, attracting many other bored vacation-goers to watch the sky light up and enjoy the colorful reflections on the ocean water.

Walking on the beach as the sun is going down is the one of

Room fines adding up

the best parts, with the wind in your hair and the cooled-off-sand inyour toes, but one thing you must watch out for are the crabs. One major difference that I have noticed between the beaches of New Jersey and North Carolina is the critters. Herds of the white, big-eyed crabs come out especially at night and are not afraid to walk straight across your feet. I don’t mind eating

them at the Sunset Grille and Bar, but having crabs crawl anywhere near me is another story. Lizards and large bugs you thought you’d see only on the Discovery Channel thrive down there, along with a number of very sizeable, clear, squishy jelly fish I have not seen before.

Be prepared for a random, yet short, thunderstorm every once in a while; however, the view of

the rainbow afterwards make it well worth the few minutes of a torrential down-pour. Whether it’s the food, the sunsets, the waves, or the sand that you favor the most, North Carolina is a peaceful and pleasant place to go when fulfilling the need for a vacation. Like Al Jolson said, “Nothing could be finer than to be in Caroliner.”

CHRISTINE BLOM SPORTSEDITOR CBB722@CABRINI EDU

Every year Cabrini College issues room fines to resident students. These fines are due based on the damage they have done to the campus, in particular,their place of residence.

Over the winter break, my roommates and I were issued afine to be paid by the time we returned in January.On the bill, it was not stated what it was for or why it was being issued during winter break instead of at the end of the year,like it had been in the past.

We later found out that the damage fine was for a stain on our carpet. The money we would be forced to pay would go towards replacing that part of the carpet at the end of the year. This stain, approximately one foot in diameter, was the result of one clumsy roommate knocking over another’s art project. She never tended to the damage and therefore all four roommates were deemed equally responsible for this $140 mess.

At the end of the 20042005school year, the week before finals, there were

posters hung all throughout House 2 explaining what the damage fines would be per person, assuming that no more damages appeared. It was posted that the cost per person would be $34 and some odd change due to all the false fire alarms, excessive trash and holes in the wall.

When the bill finally arrived home at the end of May, it was stated that along with the damages for our room, the fine that each individual person would have to pay had increased to a whopping $46.39.

This “common area damage fee” had increased around 30 percent over the course of about two weeks when students were actually living on campus.

Approximately an additional $850 in damage was done within what is supposed to be the quietest week of the semester when only the most intense studying is done. So why did it end up costing us so much more in the end?

Holes in the walls, writing on doors, bug and rodent problems were all issues that occurred within the last two weeks of school. Is this stuff you want to pay for, especially over your summer vacation? Me either. But, between the common area damage fee and my individual room fee, my roommates and I all ended up paying $130 per person. Talk about putting a damper on my beach time.

ANDREW MATYSIK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AJM722@CABRINI EDU

I thought summer time was supposed to be a relaxing period of stress-free activity. This typical assumption, however, did not turn-out to be the true in my case.

For a brief period, I worked for a moving company based out of Philadelphia. We performed multiple jobs moving people’s furniture from old home to new home on a daily basis. Some people moved within 10 minutes of their old house while others moved 10 hours to their new residences.

One morning, I received a call from my boss asking me if I wanted to go on a trip. Right away, I knew this type of phone call meant it was a serious move. I agreed to it before he even told me the location of the assignment because I really needed the money.

From South Carolina back up to Pennsylvania was the task at hand. I was fine with the whole deal at first, but then I was told there was a funny twist to the mission. Once we loaded the customer’s furniture into the truck, I was to follow the truck back to Pennsylvania driving one of the customer’s cars. There was no one else to do so and the

customer was paying big bucks for the unique request to be handled.

Although it wasn’t that big of a deal, I still had a hint of anxiety due to the fact that I was driving a stranger’s car. I honestly was just hoping that it was a nice car for me to drive.

When we arrived in South Carolina, my co-workers and I were exhausted from the long journey. It was necessary, however, that we started the backbreaking work.

The two days we were moving the furniture felt like absolute torture. I was accustomed to working long hours for this company, but the hot South Carolina weather was really starting to wear me down. Every piece of furniture felt heavier than the next. So much for my relaxing summer! We finally managed to load all the furniture and were ready to head back to Pennsylvania.

Right before our departure, the customer opened up his garage and handed me the keys to a beautiful new Nissan Maxima. All of the sudden, the trip I despised took a turn for the better. I tried to hold back from smiling at the new car, but I could not resist. The customer told me to be careful, so I gave a reassuring nod in response.

Once everything was packed up, we hit the open road. At first, I drove conservatively behind the truck all the way through North Carolina. Once we approached Virginia, I got somewhat anxious. I wanted to see what the car could do! Going against my boss’s wishes, I went ahead of the moving truck. The driver of the truck and I both knew how to get back to Pennsylvania, so I did not hesitate.

Headed North on I-95 and going just as fast, I was really enjoying the ride. I made multiple phone calls to friends telling them about how hooked-up the car was. Things were going smoothly until all the sudden; my cell phone call was rudely interrupted by the Virginia State Police.

I was pulled over for going 87 miles per hour in a 65 zone. I didn’t think that 87 was too bad, do you? I tried talking my way out of it but the officer wouldn’t budge. The whole “college student paying their way through school” excuse didn’t gain me any ground either. I really thought the ride was going to be a nice ending to a terrible two days. I didn’t get in trouble for being pulled over, but I am still waiting to see how much my fine will be.

J o o y y r i d e g o n n e w w r o n g

F r e s h m e n n a d v i c e

JILLIAN MILAM FEATURES EDITOR JGM726@CABRINI EDU

Without a doubt, starting college is a turning point in our lives. It is an overwhelming experience to say the least and marks the beginning of some of the best years we will treasure forever.

New faces, new classes, new schedules. It’s a lot to get used to for freshmen, and sometimes the “newness” of it all can hit you like a brick. But remember, you’re not in this alone. All 500-and something of you are in this together.

Don’t be afraid to be outgoing and make friends. After all, these are the faces you will be seeing for the next few years of your life.

It’s not uncommon to hear graduates say, “I wish I were more involved when I was in college.”

This holds a lot of truth because the more you put into the college experience, the more you will get out of it. Whether it’s getting a job on

campus, joining clubs or teams, being involved helps you meet people and gives you valuable experience you can’t get anywhere else. Out of the whole transition from high school to college, sometimes the most traumatic part can be Move-in Day. The chaos, the unpacking, the hanging, the plugging in…it can get messy. One item that you will hear many upper classmen claim as a college-necessity is the fan. Not only will it help you and your family cool down while moving in on that warm, hectic day, but it will come in handy when you and your roommates are sweltering in your stuffy room weeks later.

And what about the daunting thought of living with somebody you barely know in a room barely big enough for all your stuff? Although there might be some bumps in the road with the whole new “roommate” ordeal, take a deep breath and a sigh of relief

because it all works out. Living in quarters like this with peers and parties, and lots of study nights of course, will end up being the most fun and interesting chapter in your book.

As the largest incoming class, you guys will make unforgettable friends, memories, and will leave with a better sense of who you are, degrees that will potentially get you careers and onto the path that will get you where you want to be. These four years will fly by, no matter how slow the semesters seem to go. Work hard, have fun, and like Ferris Bueller once said, “If you don’t stop to take a look around once in a while, you might miss it.”

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Summer trends of ‘05

JILLIAN MILAM FEATURES EDITOR JMG726@CABRINI EDU

From uggs, to chunky jewelry, to large and colorful purses, this year’s fashion has seen it all. As the cold weather of last winter turned into warm, sunny days, the summer trends of 2005 kicked in with a bang.

We’ve always been familiar with the Old Navy commercials with their attractive actors and catchy tunes. But one of their fashion trends of the summer of 2005 seemed to make more waves than others this season.

The Bermuda shorts commercial made its memorable impression with not only its recognizable jingle, but the brand new look of the long, tight-fitting shorts could be called unique to say the least.

Throw on some high-heeled shoes and a fancy shirt and you got yourself a fun yet different outfit.

Glittery and flowing tunics also made their way in this summer with the idea that sometimes girls don’t feel like wearing next-to-nothing bikinis on the beach. The loose material proved to be a useful bathing suit cover up and looking fashionable while doing so gave girls a chance to kill two birds with one trend.

Another flowing material emerged this season in the form of loose long skirts seen in almost every clothing store window. The

Meet the editors d i t

I’m Melissa Steven and am the 20052006 perspectives editor. I am a junior this year and am from Ardmore, Pa. I’m very easy going and love to go to eat.

Hi, my name is Laura Van DePette, and I’m from New Jersey. This year I’m a junior and the news editor of the Loquitur.

different colors and patterns matched with simple, plain-Jane shirts and chunky jewelry made this fashion trend a favorite among many girls this summer.

Although there was a wave of huge handbags for a few months, the small purses made their way into the fashion world towards the end of the summer. More and more, the colorfully beaded, justbig-enough-for-my-cell-phoneand-lipgloss purses have made fun accessories for parties and special occasions. You might not be able to fit the normal necessities on the inside, but it sure looks good on the outside as an under-the-arm handbag.

So now that the summer is winding down and fall is just around the corner,stores are beginning to put their autumn garments out for show.Colors with potential popularity seem to be greens, browns and dark yellows. The layered look appears to be maintaining its trendy status as well. Whatever colors and styles the clothing industry throws at us this season, time will only tell what the people assume as the trends of fall 2005.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

J.WEBB

Hello, my name is Andrew James Matysik. am a senior at Cabrini College. am 21-years-old and from Northeast Philadelphia. I enjoy cake and dancing. Please contact me if you have the same interests.

My name is Jillian Milam, a junior Eng/communications major. I’m from Lansdale, Pa. and graduated from Lansdale Catholic. I’m the features editor this year

My name is Diana Ashjian. I am a senior English/communications major. I’m the co-editor for arts and entertainment this year.

o r s o f 2 0 0 5 a n d 2 0 0 6

My name is Christine Ernest, a junior English/ communications major.I'm one of the arts and entertainment editors this year.I've seen over 70 bands live in concert.Some say that is awesome, while think it's a warning sign of a horrible addiction.

My name is Christine Blom. I'm the sports editor. am a junior English/communications major. am on SGAand a Student Ambassador.I love hanging out with my family and friends, especially my roommate.

I'mMariaD'Alessandro,ajunior, English/communicationsandSpanish major.Iamthemanagingeditorof TheLoquitur.Iam20-years-oldand amfromPlymouthMeeting,Pa.

My name is Ashley Weyler, and I am a senior. I am from Briercliffe, PAand graduated from Prendie. I’m on the dance team and am the news editor this year.

My name is Jessica Webb. went to Downingtown High School, but now you can find me in Raleigh, N.C. I like to go surfing and play rugby. I am the photo editor of the Loquitur this year.

A rts & E ntertainm ent

CBGB’s won’t go down without a fight

CHRISTINE ERNEST A&E EDITOR CME722@CABRINI EDU

The legendary punk club, CBGB’s has been in existence for roughly three decades. Now if the Bowery Residents’Committee (BRC), has it their way, the club will close with nothing left except its memories.

CBGB’s has been well known for its underground music since opening in the winter of 1973. According to cbgb’s.com, owner Hilly Kristal explained what

CBGB’s stands for. Kristal said, “It stands for the kind of music I intended to have, but not the kind that we became famous for: country bluegrass blues.”

CBGB’s is known to have rock legends The Ramones and Blondie play back when no one really knew who they were yet.

On Aug. 31, the lease on CBGB’s ran out without a renewal from the BRC, but according to MTV.com, owner Hilly Kristal is not giving up without resistance.

“We’re going to stick it out and stay here as long as we can,”

said Kristal.

“I have to fight. We should be right here. New York is wonderful city in a lot of ways, and we’re part of it. Not because of me. It’s only because of what these musicians who’d played here say,” said Kristal. “I didn’t make this reputation, they did. I can not let this thing down. I can’t give up if I think we’re right in being here.”

Even if Kristal decided to fight the fact that his lease on the club has expired, it would still take m onths in the court systems before a conclusion would be reached and the club would really close for good.

“I had a feeling this was coming three years ago,” Kristal said. “This is the most ridiculous situation. He says one thing, then he says another. First it’s about the money, then it’s not about the money. Then it’s the relationship. We’ve had a very good relationship for all these years. He hasn’t felt that there was a good relationship between he and me, but I have never expressed an ill feeling. It’s his feeling. I don’t get it, Ijust don’t get it. He’s ruthless.”

Facebook connects students at Cabrini

CHRISTINE BLOM SPORTS EDITOR

CBB722@CABRINI EDU

“Hmmmm, do I want do study for my calculus final or set up my Facebook profile?”

When Cabrini was invited to join the Facebook community, it was the first week of May,which is also know as “final exam week.”

Just mentioning this word in Jazzman’s, you will see everyone’sheads whip around with complete and utter fascination.

Angela Vitale, a sophomore business major,was one of the first members. “I found out about Facebook from my friends at other, much bigger schools,” Vitale said. “Now that everyone knows we have it, I have so many more ‘friends.’”

This cult-obsession among students and alumni all started back in Feb. 2004, thanks to the bright idea of Harvard student, Mark Zuckenberg. Not being for aclass project or a homework assignment, Zuckenberg and several friends just created this site all in good humor.

Facebook, is an online community where students of over 300 different colleges and universities can create profiles, post messages on their “walls” for everyone to see, add “friends,”

and “poke” each other.

When Cabrini students got word that they would now be able to participate in the newest fad on campus, everyone was thrilled.

“Facebook is sweet because it helps you to get to know a lot more people on campus,” Vitale said.

With the help of Facebook, students can track down people in all their classes, get their contact information, see what they are involved in, and even drop them an instant message if they have a homework question.

Like many other larger universities, Cabrini has Facebook sites for many of the different clubs on campus, like the Student Governement Association, which helps officers and leaders keep in touch with their members, keep them informed and have an open “wall” so that students can leave suggestions and comments.

“I like Facebook because you can send messages to your friends on their walls without having to worry about remembering their e-mail addresses or screen names,” Denis Beovich, a junior computer science major, said, “I can talk to all my boys, my girlfriend, and even my roommates just by going on Facebook. It’s pretty cool.”

Now, with the expansion of Facebook, they are adding a new

branch to it for high school students. Now college kids will be able to communicate with friends who are still in high school and vice versa.

Facebook is also considered one of the newer ways to score a first date. Some people, with the help of this new internet trend, will leave a message on a person’swall saying, “Hey, I’ve seen you around campus. I think you’re cute so hit me up sometime.”

According to the Washington Post, this happens at other school such as George Washington University.Students use their Facebook as means to “stalk” crushes and long lost loves.

Poking people is one of the features that is completely pointless, but fun at the same time. When you poke someone, the only way they can respond is by poking you back or writing you a message, but it means nothing, according to the official Facebook website.

So for the time being, the best advice is to just keep writing on the walls and keep on poking.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

There has also been a rally in Washington Square Park featuring artists such as Public Enemy, Blondie and Institute, reports fmqb.com. There were also guest appearances from Everlast and Chris Franz. Gavin Rossdale, from Bush and now from the band Institute, told the public atthe rally, “It’s such a legacy, it’s insane…even outside of America, CBGB is synonymous with New York, with music.”

“It’s not over,” said Kristal. “We’re going to fight for it. I

think we may be here into December, with a little luck. It can go that long.”

Kristal has many shows booked for the fall that he doesn’t plan to cancel, including the artists Helmet and The Dandy Warhols.

For more information check out cbgb’s website at www.cbgb.com

Hilly Kristal sits determined to keep his legendary club up and running for himself,his fans,and his legendary performers.

`Attitude' clothing making the grade with teens, retailers

C o n c e r t B e e a t s

Friday, Sept. 9: Idlewild / Inara George at 9:00 p.m. at The Theater of the Living Arts

Sigur Ros at 8:00 p.m. at The Tower Theater

Smut / Anger and Addiction / Red Tops / Clobbersaurus at 9:00 p.m. at The Khyber

Elton John at 8:00 p.m. at The Wachovia Center

Hi, Loser.

No, not you. That’s the slogan on a popular T-shirt sold to teenagers as part of a booming trend in “attitude” clothing that is doing exactly what it was designed to do: amuse the kids wearing them while appalling their parents and teachers.

With the back-to-school shopping season in full swing, teens are snatching up the smarmy Tshirts from companies such as Happy Bunny, which features a cute cartoon rabbit offering commentary such as “You’re ugly and that’s sad.”

Across the country, T-shirts with acerbic, flirty and downright raunchy messages are reproducing like rabbits. It’s one bright spot in an otherwise lackluster back-to-school season in which National Retail Federation forecasts that sales will drop 8 percent this year

At Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for instance, “attitude” tees are up 50 percent over last year, when the world’s biggest retailer sold 20 million such units. And online, searches for the rude rabbit whose T-shirts spout such barbs as “I know how you feel. I just don’t care” are up 558 percent in the past two months on Yahoo Shoppin.

The trend is alarming some educators, who are fixing for the usual fights over low-rise jeans and bare midriffs, and now must address questionable tees as well.

Parents are uncomfortable as well: 44 percent of parents in a July survey said they’re unhappy with the slogans on their children’s T-shirts, said Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group.

Some blunt-spoken Happy Bunny messages, including “You’re ugly and that’s sad” and “It’s cute how stupid you are,” wouldn’t make the cut at Chicago’s Highland Park High School.

“We consider that harassment and we just don’t allow it,” Principal Jack Lorenz said.

Some adults need to lighten up and be more like her parents, said Nicole Johnson. The 18-year-old was sporting a T-shirt with the phrase “There’s enough of me to go around” last week while shop-

ping at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Ill.

She wouldn’t wear the shirt to school but said her parents don’t object to her wearing it while she’s out and about.

“They just think it’s a T-shirt. It’s not like I’m a stripper,” said the 18-year-old Wheeling, Ill., resident, who also has a “Two boyfriends are better than one” tee in her closet.

In a larger sense, the T-shirt trend symbolizes both the enduring desire of every generation of teens to express itself and the modern idea that you can say just about anything. In this environment, it’s not surprising that innocent notions don’t cut it on Tshirts.

“Every teen retailer has cynical shirts because it’s a generation whose values are almost completely cynical,” said Eric Beder, retail analyst for Brean Murray & Co. in New York. “They’re so clued into marketing and the wired world that they look at things with a more jaundiced eye than their parents.”

At Woodfield, both Claire’s and Sears, Roebuck and Co. are Happy Bunny central.

Claire’s has a display featuring the ruthless rabbit’s accessories, including notebooks, folders and lip balm that comes with the instructions, “Apply, kiss my butt, repeat.”

At the Woodfield Sears, Happy Bunny tees came with nearly 20 messages, including “Boys lie and kind of stink” and “Teachers are great. Whatever Can I have an A?”

The Hoffman Estates-based retailer began carrying Happy Bunny two years ago as a test and found that they were a hit, particularly with teens 13 to 18. “It was a `Wow,’” Sears spokeswoman Lee Antonio said Tuesday, noting that Sears has since expanded its commitment to the line.

Even Disney characters have evolved with the times to display a sassier side, including a Tinkerbell tee pleading “Spoil me.”

“Sears has always carried Disney, but Disney has adapted them in recent years to carry attitude,” Antonio said.

The increased floor space for smarmy T-shirts hasn’t come without its setbacks for Sears.

The retailer pulled a Happy Bunny T-shirt from shelves in

Florida for said: “Seriously. The old people have got to go.”

The creator of Happy Bunny, Jim Benton, sees the positive in such flaps. “The upshot of the Sears incident was that Sears has increased its orders for spring,” he said.

Happy Bunny’s first big break came about five years ago, when teen retailer Hot Topic took a chance on the merchandise.

The sales “were staggering,” recalls Carole Postal, president for New York-based CopCorp Licensing, which represents Happy Bunny.

For two years, Happy Bunny and Hot Topic had an exclusive relationship, but then the brand branched out into other specialty retailers, including Claire’s, Spencer Gifts and music retailers.

“Lo and behold the demand was created to go a little more mainstream so we’re probably one of the top-selling properties today in Kohl’s, Penney’s, Sears and Mervyn’s,” Postal said.

Happy Bunny has more than 200 taglines and creates new ones constantly, Benton said.

“I don’t really determine the stuff that’s on the shelves and neither does the retailer,” he said. “The consumers do. If the consumer doesn’t like something, it disappears.”

It is hardly the first time Tshirts bearing personal expressions created such a buzz.

“Happy Bunny is the latest craze, on par with the likes of Team Aniston, Paul Frank and the Smiley Face of the `60s that came back in the 90s,” said Shannon Clouston, chief shopper for Shopping.com. Searches on the site for Happy Bunny in July 2005 rose by 110 percent over the same month last year.

Benton himself recalls when the Simpsons, the TVcartoon characters, caught on in the public’s consciousness about 15 years ago. “`Eat my shorts’was one of the first T-shirts that came out of the Simpsons and that was a huge scandal for about a week,” he said.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at 8:00 p.m. at The Kyhber

Tuesday, Sept. 13: The Dandy Warhols at 8:00 p.m. at Beyond Nightclub

Polymer / One Way Letter / Therapy / Capitol Risk at 6:00 p.m. at The Trocadero Theatre

Emery / He is the Island / Gatsby’s American Dream / As Cities Burn at 7:00 p.m. at The Theater of the Living Arts

Saturday, Sept. 10 Bloc Party / The Kills / The Noisettes at 8:00 p.m. at The Electric Factory

Jack Johnson at 7:00 p.m. at Penn’s Landing

The National / Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / National Eye at 9:00 p.m. at The Khyber

Every Time I Die at 8:00 p.m. at The Theater of the Living Arts

Z-Trip / Blacksheep / DJ Goldenchyld at 8:00 p.m. at The Trocadero Theater

Spin Doctors / Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. at World Café Live

Sunday, Sept. 11 The Juliana Theory / Lovedrug / Days Away / The Goodwill at 8:00 p.m. at The Theater of the Living Arts

Fatal Flying Guilloteens / The Octopus Project / Be Careful Little Hands / Grandchildren at 8:00 p.m. at The Khyber

Wednesday, Sept. 14 Apocalyptica / Eyes of Fire at 8:00 p.m. at The Theater of the Living Arts

Saco de Vindima / The Jane Anchor /The Reputation / Meta at 8:00 p.m. at The Khyber

Thursday, Sept. 15: Sunburned Hand of Man / Magik Markers / Violent Students at 8:00 p.m. at The South Philly Anaethum

Therion / Beyond the Embrace / Carfax Abbey / Fountain of Tears at 7:00 p.m. at The Trocadero Theatre

Channels / The Life and Times / Metroplex / Vanish Like a Dream at 9:00 p.m. at The Khyber

Top 20 college bands nationwide

1. Sufjan Stevens “Illinois”

2. Idlewild “Warnings/ Promises”

3. New Pornographers “Twin Cinema”

4. Fruit Bats “Spelled in Bones”

5. Dungen “Ta Det Lugnt”

6. Xiu Xiu “La Foret”

7. Bob Mould “Body of Song”

8. Sons and Daughters “The Repulsion Box”

9. Minus the Bear “Menos El Oso”

10. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Howl”

11. Beck “Guero”

12. White Stripes “Get Behind Me Satan”

13. Gogol Bordello “Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike”

14. Free Design “The Now Sound Redesigned”

15. Kinski “Alpine Static”

16. John Vanderslice “Pixel Revolt”

17. Richard Hell “Spurts: The Richard Hell Story”

18. Wolf Parade “Wolf Parade EP”

19. Gorillaz “Demon Days”

20. Cursive “The Difference Between Houses and Homes”

BECKY YERAK CHICAGO TRIBUNE KRT

Shirts are now becoming not only fashion statements,but a way to describe how one feels or what one believes.

I n n t e e r r n n a t i o o n n a l

F e s t i v a l d r r a w s d a n c e r s t o P o o l a n d

DIANA ASHJIAN A&E EDITOR DA725@CABRINI EDU

Communication, expression, determination, emotion, passion and skill came together in the purest and most uninhibited of ways when the small town of Ladek Droj in Poland hosted its seventh annual International Dance Festival from July 8-17, 2005.

Not deterred by the barriers of verbal language, dancers from around the world relied mainly on body language to teach one another dance techniques that ranged from soulful hip-hop to proud flamenco. Participants in t he different choreographies c ollectively leaped high past cultural differences and spun fiercely past the scrutiny of words of many different dialects and into one rhythm, if only for the length of one song at a time.

Co-director of the festival, ballet master Jerzy Golek, said, “It is a beautiful thing to watch people develop artistically in my native country. I hope more people will open themselves to this opportunity in future years to come.”

In the name of dance, a different culture was honored nightly The Dominican Republic was one of the countries celebrated when dancers of all genres traded in their tutus and tights for salsa dresses and flamenco skirts to tango the night away

Salsa teacher Jose Ramiro, who lives in Argentina, said, “This is what I love. The combination of art and dancing can take you so many places in so many different ways. Here all you have to understand is the movement of another person, which is most important to a dancer.”

Along with the chance to poeticize their dreams of dance, participants also sought to rejuvenate their minds and bodies with spa treatments, massages and visits to caves with limestone formations.

Magdelena Twasky of Belgium, who sought to become more skilled at Latin modern jazz, said, “I come here every year for the dance festival to meet many different people, attend dance workshops and receive the

world-class massages because people tell me this town is mystical and it is the oldest spa in Europe. I just like to try new things and this gets better every year.”

This foreign town is also no stranger to South Philadelphia native Dominique Leuzzi, who brought her thirteen-year-old son to the ancient spas twice hoping to help relieve his Multiple Sclerosis.

“One of my son’s doctors suggested that I bring my son, Joey, here to sit in the mineral springs because the thermal, radium, sulphide and fluoride waters might be able to do him wonders. Miracles happen and I’ll do anything it takes to help him,” Leuzzi said.

Finally, heads were held high at the closing ceremonies, which showcased a concert that was free to Ladek Droj natives for all of their hospitality as fine hosts. Seemingly, no other county could have appreciated the value of such a freeing art than one that hasn’t long been free of communism. The aesthetic wisdom that it takes to see into the soul in a way that transcends structure is not only innately held in the artistic nature of the Polish, but also in the air of their breathtaking country side. People from all over the world seemed more than delighted to express their gratitude for having been able to share in such beauty throughout the closing gala.

Michelle Wurtz, an American jazz teacher at the festival, said, “I came back to teach a class for the second year because I fell in love with everything about the festival last year. Anyone would.”

To register for the festival or learn more visit www.culturalinterchanges.com

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Name: Jessica Storm

Grade: Freshman

Major: Undecided

DIANA ASHJIAN/A&E EDITOR

Polish architecture,shown above and located in Ladek Droj’s town square,is quant colorful and inviting.Dancers met between classes there while town people sold vegetables and fruit.

A Polish hip-hopper shows off his skills in the middle of the town’s square.

COURTESYOF CULTURAL INTERCHANGES

New coach anticipates first season with Cavaliers

TENNIS TEAM : REIGNING CHAMPS

MELISSA STEVEN PERSPECTIVES EDITOR MS727@CABRINI EDU

Almost one year later the women’s tennis team is starting its season again and is hoping to be able to regain the title of Pennsylvania Athletic Conference champions.

“It’s our goal to win again,” John Magee, head coach of the women’stennis team, said, “but we did lose half of our team.” Since last year the team has lost five of its 10 members, but they have now gained five new freshman players and one junior.

Caitlin Scott, co-captain, said, “Last year was the first year we won the PAC championship, and our major goal is to do that again.”

Rachel Shore is the other cocaption of the team and describes the team as “one big family.”

Lisa Rodgers, a freshman, won the Delaware county player-of-the-year award for tennis when she was a junior in high

school. This will be her first year playing on Cabrini’s team.

“I’m happy to be here and I’m having fun so far,” Rodgers said.

“It’s a lot better than I expected.”

Two-time, all-county player, Dina DiTanto, is another freshman player this year. “We do have some really good players,” Magee said, “and we always

Marywood University is the team’s biggest rival and last year Cabrini beat them 8-1. “We’re expecting to beat them,” Magee said. “As a coach you have your own expectations, but yeah, we want to beat everybody.”

Magee said that he is hoping to help the players improve their mental approach to the game. “Anyone can hit a ball,” he said. “Knowing what to do and when to doit will help them mentally understand the game.”

ANDREW MATYSIK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AJM722@CABRINI EDU

Just a few months after being pronounced the Head Coach of the Cabrini Men’sSoccer team, Glen Jaskelewicz is in the midst of sculpting a talented young team to represent the school. The 1993 Cabrini graduate is striving to return the program back to the successful institution it was before.

player has been focused and determined,” Jaskelewicz said. The transition as the new head coach has went quite smooth both players and the new coach agreed.

have a good time.”

“It’s a little nerve racking being thrown into college tennis,” Rodgers said. “I came from apathetic team, so it’sabreath of fresh air to have the ball come back over the net,” she said.

Scott said, “We’re a small team, so we’re all close, are always together,and we don’t have any issues.”

“It’s nice to be playing tennis with friends,” Rodgers said.

Scott and the rest of the team are also hoping that more spectators will come out and support the tennis team. “People don’t give tennis enough credit. The atmosphere is so much better when people are out here and the games are fun.”

The tennis team’snext match will be held away on Friday, Sept. 9, against Neumann College at 3:30 p.m., followed by a home match on Saturday, Sept. 10, against Immaculata University at 1 p.m.

Math Tutoring

Founders Hall - Room 86

Monday -11 :00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday -8:30 a.m. to 1 :00 a~m. ' Thursday

The young coach was thrown into the mix of the Cabrini soccer world in May of 2005 after the resignation of former Head Coach Doug Meder. Jaskelewicz was left basically with not one minute to recruit for the following season because of this late decision for a new coach.

“The recruiting season was already over when I was named coach. I had to rely of the former coach’s recruits,” Jaskelewicz said. This obstacle, however, has not slowed his strides with the men’s team.

Jaskelewicz himself has had quite a successful past with the school. He holds the record for the all-time leading point scorer in Cabrini Men’s Soccer history.

In response to opinions of the season being one of transition and rebuilding due to the primarily young team, Jaskelewicz has opted to take his season one step at a time.

“First, I would like to make sure the team is a quality bunch of guys both on and off the field,” Jaskelewicz said. So far, it appears that the team has accomplished that first goal according to the new coach.

“Camp has gone better than expected in ALLareas. Every

From the player side, team c aptain Ian McDonald has stepped into the leadership position with the full support of his teammates. “Ian has been the difference in terms of attitude for this team. He’s very positive and all his teammates respect him,” Jaskelewicz said.

The men’s team is in agreement that Jaskelewicz is a definite improvement from the past years and he provides much needed leadership for this young team. With a more physical instructional approach, the team is said to have learned a great deal from the former Cabrini star.

The rivalries of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) were very present while Jaskelewicz was a Cabrini soccer player as well. Playing teams like Eastern University were huge events in the early 90s and have only intensified since then, according to Jaskelewicz.

As for the upcoming season, McDonald and the Cavaliers are aware of the task-at-hand and claims that the team is ready to fight for a respectable position in the PAC.

“With five seniors on the squad this year,we hope to be competitive. As my senior year, Iwouldn’twant it to be labeled as a rebuilding season, but I hope the team will be successful for the years to come,” McDonald said.

“It’sour goal to win again,but we did lose half of our team.”

~John Magee, women’s tennis coach

Agassi and others head to U.S. Open

Lady Cavaliers anxiously await upcoming season

ASHLEY WEYLER NEWS EDITOR ARW723@CABRINI EDU

The Cabrini Women’sSoccer team is looking to score big this upcoming season in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC).

The soccer team is said to have a better chemistry this year and “our ability to put the ball in the net has vastly approved,” Prothero said, “they are all getting along and play well together.”

This preseason, Prothero said it has been strong; however, nagging injuries are slowing the team down. “With our small roster,we can’t afford to lose players.”

Although there are only five girls returning to the roster from last season, 11 freshmen are rounding out the roster “Our current roster is 16 and the players have spoken about our squad as ‘The Sweet 16,’” Ken Prothero, the head coach of the women’s soccer team, said. Prothero said that the coaching staffwas disappointed in the decision not to return

made by a few key players, but that they are excited about the players who are back and their large freshman class. Prothero expects that every player will get a lot of playing time and will gain valuable experience playing in “one of the most competitive schedules we have ever had,” Prothero said.

The team already suffered a 5-1 loss to Muhelberg, a team that finished atop of its conference four out of the last five years. Brittany Shields scored offassists by Collette Walsh and Christine Regan. Lea Conti started in goal for the injured Melissa Williams. Prothero said their biggest rivals are the defending champions Misericordia and Eastern, who is always a rival for Cabrini teams. He said, “Women’sSoccer in the PAC has gotten more competitive every year and all conference matches will be very important.” The Lady Cavs will have to finish in the top of six out of 11teams to make the playoffs. “Once you make postseason, anything can happen,” he said.

The Women’sSoccer team came into existence in 1993.

They one the PAC in 1994 and 1995 and earned bids to the Campionship game in 1998 and 1999. In 2003, the team won the PAC in a nail-biting round of penalty kicks. They received their firstever NCAATournament bid in the process. “This season reminds me of my first one with the program,” Prothero said, “Most of our team was freshman with a few strong upperclassmen leaders. The following year we filled in thegaps with another strong freshman class, won the PACs and went on to the NCAAs.”

When compared to other PAC teams, Prothero said that all the Cabrini teams he has seen over the years have more heart. “Even when any Cabrini team is having an off year, they are never looked at as an ‘easy’opponent for anyone,” he said.

Prothero encourages that students come out and support the Women’sSoccer team. “Wehave astrong nucleus of players and excellent leadership in senior captains Nicole Niedermeier and Christine Kedra.” Students will have their first opportunity to catch the girls in action tomorrow, against Marywood at home.

BY CHARLES BRICKER (KRT)

James Blake listened intently to the news that he had just become the first African-American man since Rodney Harmon in1982 to make the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, and then confessed, a bit sheepishly, ``Really? I didn’t know that.’’

He smiled. Not as broadly as hehad after coming from behind to defeat Tommy Robredo 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 on Monday afternoon. But there was no mistaking the ethnic pride.

On Wednesday, and undoubtedly in a made-for-television night match against his childhood idol, Andre Agassi, Blake can not only become the first black man to reach the Open semis but bring himself very close to transcending tennis and becoming something of an American sports icon as well. His personality is that scintillating, his history that compelling.

Born in Yonkers, educated for two years at Harvard, a black man succeeding in what has been for too long a white sport in the United States. And then the travails of 2004, when he cracked a vertebrae in a collision with a net pole, the virus that damaged his vision for months and the death of his father.

Andre Agassi, who earlier defeated Xavier Malisse 6-3, 64, 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-2 to also reach the quarters, seem to sum up Blake, who now lives permanently in Tampa, Fla., just around the corner in a gated community from flamboyant former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo. ``Listen, James is an easy guy to like and he’s an easy guy to root for. If he’s getting the better of me, if we happen to play,you know I couldn’t wish it for a better person.’’

Blake, No. 7 Agassi and No. 8 Guillermo Coria were the first three men to reach the quarters. Robby Ginepri of Marietta, Ga., was playing the last night match against young Frenchman Richard Gasquet to become the fourth and four more quarterfinalists will come out of the top half of the draw Tuesday.

The women, meanwhile, got down to the final eight with Mary Pierce scoring an impor-

tant 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 7 Justine Henin-Hardenne, who had beaten her one and one in the French Open final.

Also, No. 2 Lindsay Davenport roared through her fourth straight opponent, Nathalie Dechy 6-0, 6-3; No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over No. 19 Elena Likhovtseva; and last year’s runner-up Elena Dementieva, the No. 6 seed, beat No. 11 Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-3.

For most of the first two sets, Blake produced none of the ground-stroking consistency that lifted him through the first week. Then, with Robredo two points from a two-set lead, everything clicked in for Blake and his quick-footed opponent graciously threw in a couple of double faults.

``Until that point, I really felt flat-footed. I don’t know what it was,’’said Blake. ``I guess it could have been a letdown after having such a big win two days earlier. I was getting almost to the ball and then just kind of blocking it, not making the extra adjustments that you have to make.

``I started moving my feet once he felt the nerves. I started going after my shots. I said, `I have to do this. I’m not going to win otherwise. He’s not going to keep getting tight.’’’

Agassi also looked to be in deep trouble after Malisse stormed through the fourth set.

``The standard he set in the third and fourth was really high,’’said Agassi.

``I needed to answer that. I did in the fifth.’’

Agassi took more risks with his serve and converted 16 of 19 into points.

For Davenport, it was another step toward her fourth Grand Slam title and her first since the 2000 Australian Open. She’ll next play Dementieva, over whom she holds a 9-1 record on hardcourts.

She played her toughest and best match of this tournament, but she wasn’t getting high on her game yet.

``What happens on Wednesday,Ihave no idea,’’she said.

FANTASYFOOTBALL: THE PHENOMENON

Fantasy foootball is sweeping the nation by storm, one computer at a time

SARAH TALALAY (KRT)

Nick Saban is working hard to get the Miami Dolphins back into contention this season.

But that’s nothing compared tothe time and intense preparation the owners/general managers of teams such as the Damsel Fish, Sweathogs and Legion of Doom are putting in.

Football fans may love their NFLteams on Sundays, but they obsess about their fantasy teams every day of the week.

They create depth charts. They study fantasy guides, whose numbers multiply annually.And this year for the first time, they watched as many as four network television fantasy specials.

``One thing I’ve learned about the football fan, he has an insatiable and never fulfilled appetite for football,’’said Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports, which recently aired a fantasy special and whose affiliated Fort Lauderdale-based CBS SportsLine.com is among the oldest and most popular fantasy game sites.

According to the NFL, even greater than a football fan’s appetite is that of a fantasy football fan, making him highly sought-after by the league, TV networks, sports Internet sites and advertisers. Fantasy football is big business, some estimates placing it at $1 billion or more a year.

The industry has been driven in part by the participation of the NFL, which arrived late in the game, unsure at first whether to participate. CBS SportsLine.com and ESPN.com had been offering games for a few years when the league surveyed 1,400 fans in 1999 and discovered that fantasy led to a more avid football fan who watched two to three more hours

of football than the non-fantasy player, said Chris Russo, the league’s outgoing senior vice president of new media.

In 2000, the league launched its first fantasy game. By 2001, tickers with fantasy stats began appearing on game broadcasts, and in 2003 the league advertised its fantasy games on television. This year, NFL.com is offering free games. The league published its own fantasy guide and the NFLNetwork aired a fantasy special.

Fantasy football players draft real-life athletes onto fictional teams _ typically with clever or silly names _ and then use the players’ on-field statistics to generate points for touchdowns, rushing yards and other categories. Players gather at bars or in living rooms to hold their drafts, many in the two weeks leading up to the season, which this year kicks offThursday.

``It’sthe old armchair quarterback theory,that a fan can be abetter coach, better owner than the guy in the owner’sbox,’’ said Greg Ambrosius, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. ``This gives you an opportunity to prove you know football better than the pros.’’

According to the FSTA, 15.2 million Americans play fantasy sports including football, baseball, basketball, auto racing and golf. Of those, 93 percent play fantasy football, averaging participation in 2.5 leagues each.

They spend an average of $154 on the games, with about $100 of that going to game subscription fees and into a pot for prize money, Ambrosius said. NFL.com, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and AOLare all offering free games this year, but subscription fees for games on sites including CBS SportsLine.com and SportingNews.com can range

from $9.95 a team to $149.95 for a whole league or more depending on the type of game.

Last year, all of SportsLine’s fantasy games generated $18.7 million, up from $11.9 million in 2002. Last year, 100,000 people registered as commissioners of SportsLine football leagues, overseeing 1 million teams.

While they can win hundreds to thousands of dollars, many insist they play for the camaraderie, not the cash.

`It’s a friendly competition,’’ said Noelle Frederickson, who last year joined her husband’s 10-team Walkers Cay League, named for the island in the Bahamas (team names must reflect marine life). As the only woman in the league, Frederickson took her assignment seriously, boning up on statistics (the Fredericksons have NFLSunday Ticket and TIVO so they never miss a game), and choosing the most feminine sounding fish name she could find: Damsel Fish.

ToFrederickson, 33, of Delray Beach, Fla., the inducement is feeling a sense of ownership of games, even when they don’t involve her favorite teams.

``We’re huge Dolphins fans and we’re originally from Michigan and we’re Lions fans as well. They don’t always win, but when you play fantasy football, you’re able to follow every game,’’Frederickson said. ``It makes it more interesting.’’

The Internet transformed the industry, making it more accessible to traditional fans. Until the mid-1990s, fantasy players had to track statistics by hand. With the Internet, stats could be crunched and drafts held online. Now players can access realtime scoring, video highlights and fantasy-specific content.

Asaresult, fantasy players now come from all walks of life, from executives to teachers to Major League Baseball players.

``It’ssomething to give us a reason on Sunday to watch two bad teams play,’’said Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell, who is in a league with catcher Paul Lo Duca and pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Lo Duca said it also keeps teammates in touch during the offseason. ``We’re on the computer e-mailing each other about trades and stuff,’’he said. ``There’salot of trash talking.’’

Trash talking is part of what has the Pack O’Idiots League embarking on its 11th season.

``In addition to the fact that we’re really big football fans . . . it’s one of the things that keeps us in touch all year long,’’said Todd Lott, 36, who manages the Sweathogs in the Idiots league, known as P.O’.I. for short. Lott, who moved from South Florida to Cincinnati in 1997 a year after joining the league, flies to Fort Lauderdale every September for ajam-packed weekend of activities surrounding the draft held at aFort Lauderdale restaurant.

Lott, a graphic designer, designs an elaborate draft board on which picks are recorded and later transferred to SportsLine’s online game.

P.O’.I. has traditions: owners are required to wear Hawaiian shirts to the draft, and they hire a woman who does something of a Vanna White impression, recording draft picks on Lott’s board. Lott writes regular e-mail newsletters to members representing Legion of Doom, Flounders, Big Poppas and the rest of the gang. One member chooses his team name from the restaurant’slist of specials: he was ``Pineapple Upside Down Cake’’one year; ``Half Pound Snow Crab Legs $12.95’’another.

With such attention to detail, it’s no wonder fantasy has become such a big business.

SteveSnyder , SportsLine.com’s senior vice president and general manager, said the company,which hosts NFL.com’s games, debated

offering games for free as it had onand off between 1996 and 2002, but was comfortable that its stable of committed fans would continue paying for SportsLine’s continually enhanced features, including draft analyzers and record-keeping.

The potential for the industry has grown so much, however, that several sites have launched free games _ relying on advertising revenue _ as a way to grow the audience.

Unlike AOL and FoxSports.com, which are offering all their games for free, ESPN.com is offering some for free for the first time in 11 seasons but is still charging for premium games.``What we’ve realized is there are various types of fantasy fans out there. We wanted to have a game that matched each,’’ said Chris Nicholas, ESPN senior director of fantasy sports and insider.``If you’re a new player in fantasy,if you have less time to manage your teams, maybe the free option is more what you need.’’

As those new fantasy players sign on, game hosts hope they’ll someday take advantage of the extras. And they think there will be plenty to attract the techsavvy younger generation with the ability to access games and customized team highlights on their wireless phones.

After all, players are already watching games on television and real time scoring on the Internet, all while they call their league-mates on their cell phones to brag about their teams’ successes.

Sports Spo rts

GOOD LUCK TO ALL SPORTS TEAMS

Friday, Sept. 9

• Women’s Tennis at Neumann College, 3 :30 p.m.

S aturday, Sept. 10

• M en’s Soccer tournamnet at Haverford Coll ege, TBA

• Women’s Soccer vs. Marywood University, 1 p.m.

• Cross Country, Dukes Invitational, 11 a.m.

• Women’s Tennis vs. Immaculata University, 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept.11

• M ass 7 p.m., Bruckman Chapel of St. Joseph

• Men’s Soccer tournamnet at Haverford Coll ege, TBA

Monday, Sept. 12

•Women’s Field Hockey at Marywood University, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 13

Wednesday, Sept. 14

•Men’s Soccer at Alvernia College, 4 p.m.

• Women’s Soccer at Rutgerss University (Camden), 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 15

• Women’s Tennis at Stockton College, 4 p.m.

• Women’s Field Hockey at Immaculata University, 4 p.m. Forothercampus information call