Dorm issues piling up

GAILKATHERINEZIEGLER STAFFWRITER GKZ722@CABRINI EDU

In these days of the three-dollar-gallon of gas, I find myself wondering, “What do you carry around in that truck, your ego?” I cannot imagine why anyone would want to put upwards of $50 in their gas tank, especially when you could be spending it on all of this season’s cute shoes?

Soccer moms tend to say that their big two-parking-space SUVs make them feel safe. Well, the five stars in frontal crash tests are in-class.

The University of Michigan found that “SUVs are no safer for their drivers than cars. Popular midsize cars, minivans and import luxury cars have the

When you compare the safety to their SUVs to a minivan, the SUVs come up short. I don’t blame you though; the advertising is aimed right at you to make you believe that they are the safest. But they’re not, so, do you really have that many ballerina shoes and soccer balls to carry around?

I see pick-up trucks in the commuter parking lot all the time. I wonder, how many hay bails and two-by-fours need transportation in Radnor by a student or professor? Maybe because of all the books we need to buy for school, you need all of that towing capacity, but my Elantra seems to handle it well.

Even the on-campus security has trucks and SUVs. I wonder what they keep in there: bodies of intoxicated students?

There is the age-old joke of men compensating for their inse-

If the environment could talk, it would have something to say about our lane-hogging obsessions too. The Hummer gets about nine miles to the gallon, information which is guarded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, no doubt. I found that statistic at www.codepinkalert.org, because it was no where to be found on Hummer’s website.

When I hear my grandmother complain about her $54 tank, I can’t help but not care because she just bought an SUV, totally by choice. Her excuse is the snow, but she doesn’t have anywhere to go. Is she going to work on the days that it snows? No, so sit at home and enjoy the peace of being retired.

The other reason I have a thing against big cars is that they tend to be annoying to us little people on the road. Their lights reflect the same amount of light

I also find that most people who drive large vehicles cannot keep them on one side of the road. Their vehicles are always coming onto the opposite side because they don’t want to scratch their right-side mirror on a tree branch. My father, an avid truck man, always told me that he pays his taxes and is taking his half out of the middle. Comical, until you are the car he’s passing.

By the way, I don’t claim to be a green-peace saint. I don’t have a hybrid, and I drive almost a hundred miles a day. So, please don’t run me down in the commuter parking lot, I’m confident that your big, manly truck could do it.

When you graduate, get a good job and decide to buy a new car, drive smaller and live larger, with money left over for shoes.

Cabrini students living at Valley Forge want out

STAFFWRITER SKG722@CABRINI EDU

Abroken window screen, clogged drains and a hardly-heated building is not what I am paying for with tuition. Trying to contact facilities numerous times with no sign of a response is a trying task, and with the vast array of problems that my room has accumulated, our patience is running thin and the aggravation is ever building.

I live in house 3, which happens to be well kept and very clean in comparison to other housing facilities on campus, yet little things are slowly starting to break and become much larger issues for us as the residents of our room.

BRITTANYLIBERATORE STAFFWRITER BCL722@CABRINI EDU

One of the best parts of going away to college is living on campus. Unfortunately, at Cabrini, this year’s transfer students did not get this opportunity Due to limited housing on Cabrini’s campus, transfer students are forced to live in Valley Forge dorms for this entire semester, and most likely spring semester too.

I would be extremely upset if I had to live, basically off cam- pus, when I am a resident student. The conditions in the Valley Forge dorms are not the best. Granted, the Cabrini students living at Valley Forge do pay a lesser room and board fee. But I would rather pay for full room and board and live on campus, than save money and live in the dorms the transfer students are living in.

The Cabrini students living at Valley Forge lived for over a month without cable. I know there could be bigger problems, but you have to remember there is not much for them to do in their rooms; considering they are far away from their fellow Cabrini students.

Also, they had to go days with no hot water This may not see to be a huge problem either But think about it, I don’t remember the last time I had to go days without hot water living on Cabrini’s campus.

I have learned that the majority of the Cabrini students residing on Valley Forge do not like living there. They constantly complain to their area coordinator, but it doesn’t seem like much is done. I’ve heard some say they feel like they were put up there and forgotten.

I am so happy that I am one of the lucky students that get to live on my own campus. I understand that the students living at Valley Forge are transfer students, but they are still a part of Cabrini and should be treated like they are.

The walk alone from Cabrini campus to Valley Forge is enough to make me feel thankful for my room on campus. There is a shuttle that takes the students to their rooms at Valley Forge but the shuttle runs on a schedule that doesn’t match up with some of the students’schedules. If students are left to walk, they have to walk a long distance, sometimes in the dark.

I do not think this is fair, considering that one of the benefits of going to Cabrini is the small campus and short distances between buildings. The students residing at Valley Forge obviously don’t reap this benefit.

I feel that Cabrini needs to put a better limit on the amount of students they are accepting. It is wonderful that more and more people want to come here, but every student should be able to benefit equally on Cabrini campus. Until this is made possible, I believe Cabrini should accept the amount of students that this campus can accommodate.

Concerts;a source ofenjoyment and a good time

because I only got to go to about three concerts. This past month, though, I did get to see the Foo Fighters perform with Weezer.

MELISSA STEVEN PERSPECTIVESEDITOR MS727@CABRINI EDU

Everyone has a particular passion in life, something that makes them so happy and gives them something to look forward to. For me, it’s seeing my favorite bands in concert.

Most people see me as a nice, quiet and polite girl, but get me into a concert and I am the complete opposite. I do not go to them like every week, but I save my money and wait for those six or seven shows a year that I live for. This past year was a sad one

This was the first time I got to see the Foo Fighters live. I had already seen Weezer, and so I was looking forward to this concert very much. The great thing about concerts is how everyone there is in such a great mood.

You get down to the stadiums a couple of hours early and start tailgating, and you meet up with your friends and even make some new ones with the people partying in the car next to you. Everyone just wants to have a good time, and you feed off one another’s energy.

When we got to the parking lot, it was cold and rainy, but no one cared; we were there to have a good time and so that’s what we did. This was my first concert also being 21, so I took full advantage of the fact that I could finally buy beer inside the Wachovia Center

First, Weezer went on and they were incredible. They got the crowd so pumped up that I was almost exhausted from jumping up and down and singing by the time the Foo Fighters took the stage.

After that 30-minute wait for the Foo Fighters to go on, it was finally time. The curtain rose on the stage and the first strum of the guitar was heard. Everyone went insane, including me.

I don’t know about you, but I am obsessed with the lead singer, Dave Grohl. Talk about talent, because he has so much. No one was in their chair as soon as they started playing. They were electrifying; you couldn’t stand still because you were almost forced into getting into the music.

The best part of the whole show was when Grohl put one spotlight on himself and the other on his wife in the crowd and sang “Everlong” to her If you’re a fan of the Foo Fighters, you know that this is one of their greatest songs as well as their most romantic. He started out singing it with just him playing the guitar, and then the band sounded in at the end to make it sound very epic and just awesome. You couldn’t help but feel touched by such an amazing performance.

It is acceptable at concerts to let yourself go and get a little crazy. You have no excuse not to. Scream as loud as you want, dance however you care to and make friends with people who you will never see again.

The Foo Fighters did just that. Singing every lyric to every song left me with no voice the next day, but it was well worth it.

The idea that I am paying large amounts of money to live on campus makes me feel that I should be given at least some sort of contact back regarding when they are planning on fixing our room problems. Even if things such as a drain or screen are my nut in comparison to other’s issues they probably face on a day to day basis, it is still annoying and very frustrating. Such problems aren’t even issues our RA can address. She has been very helpful, yet the other people who can lead us in the right direction to fix these problems are the people who have yet to even e-mail us back.

Waking up every morning with cold seeping through our windows because of a missing screen that fell out of our window by itself is not a pleasure and will drastically get worse with the winter season that is quickly coming. I just hope to get these issues fixed soon, so I will continue to contact the facilities department in order to resolve these problems.

I think that if you’re paying this much money not only for an education, but for housing, you should at least have decent heat and a working shower

Domenique Pinho Staff Writer

DDP722@CABRINI EDU

Cabrini’s campus, though eerie and full of ghost stories, surprisingly doesn’t faze students who reside on this 112-acre wooded campus. Could it be the eerie atmosphere the campus provides during the fall season or the haunting ghost stories many students begin to hear their freshman year at Cabrini? One thing most students can agree with is that Cabrini’s historical Mansion is one of the spookiest sights on campus.

“I think every old house lends itself to the idea of ghosts, especially a magnificent estate like this one,” Martha Dale, the coordinator of historical exhibits for the 50th anniversary on the Mansion at Cabrini, said. Many students have heard stories in the past about the Paul family and the Dorrance family who have resided here in the past. There were many different types of ghost stories such as a very familiar one of a young girl ghost appearing in front of Woodcrest dressed in white or blue when the first snowfall approaches Cabrini’s campus. The reason this ghosts is said to appear on our campus is because she apparently committed suicide from the balcony of the mansion.

A lthough this ghost story seems haunting, it is very doubtful that this ghosts exists. Dale said, “However, I don’t know of anything in particular that hap-

Midnight M Madness s s sttrikes a again

Edu

Midnight Madness is fast approaching and the anticipation can be felt throughout Cabrini College. As one of the most exciting and entertaining nights on the college’s calendar, Midnight Madness is the kick-off to the basketball season countrywide. With a host of events and activities that changes with each passing year, this year’s rendition on the 29th of this month is sure to delight all of the Cavalier faithful.

Since basketball is one of the most popular sports at Cabrini, it is obvious that the Dixon Center will have its hands full with the influx of students for the event.

Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Falardeau is the man in charge of the festivities this year, and he thinks this year will be a great time for everyone,

“We are extremely excited for this year ’s Midnight Madness.

We have implemented plenty of activities for our student community, and it will be interesting to see what type of attendance we will receive on Saturday night.

There has been a big push for more late night & weekend pro- pened at Woodcrest that might have given rise to our ghost stories. It’s important to emphasis that they have no basis in fact as far as we know.” Dale added, “We are in touch with both the Paul family and the Dorrance family, and all their daughters are accounted for!”

Being that the mansion is an old historical home, it can seem “creepy” to many people, Dale says she has never had an “encounter.” “In my 27 years in the Mansion I have spent many evening hours here, sometimes alone in the house (except for the nuns who used to live in the Convent area,) but have never felt any kind of presence.”

Bill Cassidy, a sophomore English and communication major, said, “One night I heard that a ghost was typing on a girl’s computer in Xavier, but that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Many students also feel the same as Cassidy. Francine Clement, a sophomore sociology major, said, “I don’t believe in ghosts at Cabrini. I think people overexaggerate their stories. I lived in Woodcrest last year on the third floor, and I’ve never had anything happen to me.”

Even if someone is a believer in ghosts or not, this campus can definitely lead one to believe that spirits are present.

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M i d n i g h t M a d n n e s s A c t i v i t i e s gramming, so we are optimistic the campus community will come out and support our teams.” unlike any other and its origins are just as strange and diverse as the actual dressing up in a costume and knocking on someone’s door, hoping they have Three Musketeers bars, as part of Oct. 31. because she gets to “dress up as anything I want and also because I get as much candy as I can possibly eat,” Nave said, which is always a good thing.

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Loquitur@yahoogroups.com.

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9:00-10:15 p.m. - Midnight Munchies (Dixon Center Lobby)

We all did it. We came home from school on that fall day, rushed through dinner, and ran upstairs to get ready. We applied face paint, zipped up costumes and made sure we didn’t lose that orange basket for all the candy we would receive and eat for the next two weeks. After a couple of pictures in the living room, we were out, rain or shine. It was Halloween, and we were going trick or treating. No one ever really asks the question, “Where did Halloween come from?” It is an odd holiday

H alloween gets its origin from Europe, dating back many centuries ago, before the Romans adopted Christianity. The Roman where pagans and worshiped many gods and on Oct. 31, they had a special feast to honor the goddess of fruit trees, Pomona. Years later the Druids, who where an order of Celtic priests native to Britain, added the honoring of Samhain, the lord of the dead, to the feast. The Druids taught that on the night of Oct. 31 the lord of the dead summoned the dead and wicked spirits and souls that were believed to live in the bodies of animals. They truly believed that ghosts, witches, fairies and elves would come out to harm them. The Druids feared these spirits and on the 31st, they sacrificed their gods, hoping they would protect them. The Druids also considered cats to be the reincarnated souls of people who had been evil in their past life and that is why it is believed that ghosts, witches and black cats are symbols of our modern day Halloween celebration. But the story isn’t over yet. The middle ages approached and the Roman Catholic Church changed from pagan to Christianity and by doing so they kept all of the pagan holidays and considered them to now be Christian feasts. Christians tried to keep Oct. 31 holy. Now instead of praying to many gods, Christians honored the death of saints on Nov. 1 and called the new holiday “Day of All Saints,” making the prior night “All Hallow’s Evening,” which was abbreviated to Halloween.

We now know where the witches, ghosts and cats come from, but what about pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns and trick or treating? Well, Google tells us that these traditions come from Ireland. Irish farmers would wander around the village begging for food telling people, “You treat me, or else I will trick you!”

And a poor man named Jack started the pumpkin carving trend. Jack was not allowed to enter heaven, due to the sins he had committed and unable to enter hell, due to the tricks he had played on the devil; therefore, he was condemned to wandering the earth with his lantern for eternity. The Irish feared Jack’s punishment causing them to hollow out pumpkins and place lights inside to scare evil spirits away.

Regardless of its historical context, Halloween is celebrated by millions across the world.

Sophomore psychology major Lindsay Nave likes Halloween

“We are extremely excited forthis years Midnight Madness. We have implemented plenty of activities forourstudent community...”

- Jeff Falardeau, assistant athletic director

The night boasts a chockerblocked lineup full of activities from its beginning at 10 p.m., with the student/faculty basketball game to the finale by the dance team leading up until midnight. There is even an hour of “Midnight Munchies” preceding the event for those puckish Cav heads out there.

Allison Sachs, a junior business administration major, considers Midnight Madness one of the best nights during the school year.

“I love Midnight Madness! I really like watching the basketball team play, and it’s basically the first chance we all get. It’s also cool because I get to spend time with all my friends and it’s really funny to see the faculty play some of the team and other students,” Sachs said.

Allison’s excitement is shared by the majority of the upperclassman here at Cabrini, but for the freshman here on campus, it’s a totally new experience.

“It’s going to be something new for me because we didn’t have them in high school. I love basketball, and it’s going to be fun to have everyone there to cheer on the team as they start their season. Also, everyone will be there, instead of going home which is what I’m really looking forward to,”Jennifer Campbell, an English and communication major, said. She seems to have the opinion of the freshman nailed down. Being it is their first one, obviously, their anticipation is very high.

Many of Cabrini College’s faithful have their calendars circled for Oct. 29, and for good reason. This year’s Midnight Madness is shaping up to be an excellent time for everyone involved, and with the excitement level this high, it should be lots of fun.

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10:00-10:15 p.m. - Faculty/Staff basketball game

10:20-10:40 p.m. - 3 pt. Shootout (5 girls & 5 boys) (Capboard & SGA)

10:20-10:50 p.m. - Dueling DJ contest

10:40-11:00 p.m. - Hot Shot Contest (5 girls & 5 boys) (Capboard & SGA)

11:00-11:10 p.m. - Cheerleaders

11:10-11:30 p.m. - Men & Women’s Varsity Team Game

11:30-11:45 p.m. - Half Court Shot Contest

11:45-12:00 a.m. - Dance Team