Feb. 15, 2007 issue 16 Loquitur

Page 1

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

C a b r i n i

C o l l e g e

The Loquitur Y o u S p e a k, W e L i s t e n

www.theLoquitur.com

Radnor, Pa.

Vol XLVIII, Issue 16

Debate over the cost of war intensifies Elections become webified NIKKI SABELLA A&E EDITOR

NS722@CABRINI.EDU

The hotly debated topic of the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was focused recently on how much it will cost to treat veterans wounded in service over their lifetimes. A Harvard research study calculated the future cost to be between $300 billion and $600 billion, depending on how long these wars last. Linda Bilmes, the researcher, calculated the cost based on the Pentagon number of 50,508 wounded to date. When the Pentagon saw her prediction, she had to deal with a furious heat from them. More than that, the Pentagon revised the number of wounded soldiers down to 18,586 on the Pentagon Web site. What happened to those 31,992 missing soldiers? It turns out the higher number includes injuries suffered in war zones that are not inflicted by the enemy such as mental illness resulting from combat and also injuries such as vehicle crashes. However, veterans will be treated at the government’s expense for all those injuries at Veterans Administration facilities for the rest of their lives. Bilmes calls attention to the costs spent on troops in Iraq as well as the cost spent on those returning. She said that with medical advances there are more troops who are injured

US NAVY NEWS/MCT

U.S. military personnel carry out a wounded soldier to be treated at the Naval Station Rota's Fleet Hospital Eight for treatment and further evacuation to hospitals in the United States. Veterans will be treated at a government expense for all those injuries at Veterans Administration facilities.

instead of more who are dying, unlike the situation for Vietnam. “But what’s equally alarming — and far less well known — is that for every fatality in Iraq, there are 16 injuries,” Bilmes said. She said that in Vietnam and the Korean wars there were fewer than three, and fewer than two in World War II, concluding that there are over 50,000 wounded

Iraq soldiers currently. Bilmes teaches public finance at the Kennedy School of Government. She and Joseph Stiglitz, her co-author and a Nobel-prize economist at Columbia University, released “The Economic Costs of the Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict,” a 36-page report that

analyzes details from the budgetary cost and future spending, to military fatalities and the global effects of war. Bilmes also did a piece called, “Soldiers Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: The Long–term Cost of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits,” a 21-page report dissecting the medical costs and medical care process for veterans. “If the new Congress really wants to support our troops, it should start by spending a few more pennies on the ones who have already fought and come home,” Bilmes said in her LA Times article. After Bilmes wrote about estimated 50,000 wounded Iraq soldiers, William Winkenwender Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, argued that the figure was really about half of that. He demanded to know where she got her information. Contrary to what he thought, Bilmes got her data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which gets its data from the Pentagon. A few days after hearing from Winkenwender, Bilmes found that the numbers were changed on the website from which she got them. The point that Bilmes brings up is the fact that the medical needs not only include combat injuries, but also non-combat related

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR NAO722@CABRINI.EDU

ANDREA MANCUSO/SUBMITTED PHOTO

Students participate in the wellness component of the Youth Empowerment Program sponsored by Cabrini. This program is funded by a grant from the Office of Minority Health.

Cabrini College received a grant this year from the Office of Minority Health to direct a holistic health program, the Youth Empowerment Program, for 30 adolescents from Norristown, Pa. Cabrini College was one of 25 colleges in the country to receive the grant. Cabrini College, in cooperation with the Big Brother Big Sister Association of Montgomery County, the PAL Center, Family Services of Montgomery County and the Norristown Area School District, have joined together to “empow-

JLH729@CABRINI.COM

Traditional media has been put on the back burner as politicians gear up to conquer the world of tech-savvy voters in the upcoming 2008 election. “The Web will be playing a bigger role than ever in the 2008 campaign, so much so that for the first time, it will actually change the outcome of the election,” Joe Trippi said in an article from Yahoo.com. Trippi was in charge of running Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign and utilized the internet in order to raise funds and rally voters. A recent survey that was conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that twice as many Americans turned to the Internet as their primary source of news during the November vote as compared to the 2002 elections. “I think the internet will help the election a lot because it is such a big part of this genera-

ELECTIONS, page 3

WHAT’S INSIDE

COST OF WAR, page 3

Youth program reaches out to students NICOLE OSUCH

JAMIE HUFNAGLE

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

er students by assisting them in setting and achieving individualized goals in the areas of academic achievement, personal development and wellness, cultural enrichment and career development.” “We are giving them the tools they need, to make good choices and have lives that are meaningful to them,” Andrea Mancuso, director of the YEP, said. “We are really looking to help them find their strengths and help them to go wherever they want to go.” The 30 youth were selected from Norristown High School, Eisenhower Middle School and

NORRISTOWN, page 3

Features Energy Drinks Page 9

Perspectives Pregnant and in college Page 6


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2 | NEWS

EDITORIAL

Local HIV scare hits too close to home Middle-America Pennsylvania isn’t immune to controversy. Just down the road, in the heart of suburbia, Cheyney University, in Cheyney, Pa., is dealing with a bombshell of its own. On Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007, university police arrested 36-year-old Sakinah Floyd, who is facing charges of prostitution, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, according to ABC 6 News. Floyd admitted to having unprotected sex with at least 10 male students and acknowledged that she is HIV positive, driving the entire Cheyney campus into a nervous frenzy. Our immediate thought is to think back to who we know at Cheyney, then West Chester University, a neighboring campus, and soon our own campus. We start to retrace our steps, steps of our friends, steps of our partners. Things begin to get a little real and we speculate about people we know and ourselves. But why does it take something like the events at Cheyney to make us stop and look at our own sexual health? As young adults with our whole lives ahead of us (or so we think), we are prone to think that something like HIV couldn’t happen to us. The events at Cheyney have shown us that it most certainly can. Only a few weeks ago, Cabrini offered free HIV testing on campus for the first time. Out of 2,300 students, plus faculty, a mere 18 took advantage of the free testing. As the editors of the Loquitur sat around for our weekly meeting and discussed the topic, we discovered that only 2 out of 13 of us chose to get tested, a surprising statistic in itself since the Loquitur advertised the opportunity. As a Catholic college, we understand that Cabrini is expected to uphold certain values and beliefs. Because of these circumstances, the college is limited in what it can provide with regards to sexual health, but health services is more than a place to go to when you have a cold. While they may not be able to dispense birth control, they are however, there to educate students and help them find the resources that they need in order to practice safe sexual health. After all, it isn’t Cabrini’s responsibility to ensure that we are practicing healthy lifestyle choices; instead, it is important for students to claim responsibilities for their lives and their actions. Since we were giggling middle school students in sex-ed, we have been told that if we are mature enough to have sex, then we should be mature enough to deal with the repercussions. And believe it or not, that is still true today. Still, many of us as college students seem to ignore every warning that we have ever heard in the past; the consequences of our actions are often the last of our concerns. We tend to make the assumption that if we aren’t pregnant or getting someone pregnant, we’re practicing healthy sexual behaviors. There is so much more to it though. Women are at least forced to think about it once a year as their annual rolls around, but men will rarely show their face at the doctor, unless they’re on their death bed. According to the American Social Health Association, one in every four Americans will contract a sexually transmitted disease in their lifetime. Yet 84 percent of Americans feel that they are practicing safe sex. Something doesn’t match up. We cannot set our own standards for sexual health. If you are sexually active, it is simply not enough to assume that you are being safe. You owe it to yourself and your subsequent partners to practice safe sex. Unfortunately, many of us seem to forget that safe sex doesn’t just mean using a condom or being on the pill; it also includes getting tested on a regular basis. Most of us are guilty of these behaviors but it is important for us to take the events at Cheyney and learn from them. Sex takes two. If you are not practicing safe sex for yourself, then at least do it for your partner.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

Communication supervisor receives Crystal Award ELIZABETH BRACHELLI MANAGING EDITOR

EAB722@CABRINI.EDU

After months of work, the communication department’s supervisor, Heather Shanley, was awarded the Crystal Award of Distinction for a radio documentary. Shanley, along with two others, produced an award-winning documentary that examined the causes of childhood obesity. Shanley and her friends were part of the 13th annual Communicator Awards audio competition. The Communicator Awards is a leading international awards program which recognizes creative excellence in audio, video and print media. In the student production category, Rowan’s WGLS-FM took the Award of Distinction for their documentary “America’s Future: Packing on the Pounds.” Shanley said, “I love doing documentaries. It was very rewarding.” Shanley created the documentary with the help of her best friends, Pat Moynahan and Kelly King during their senior year at Rowan University. Shanley and her friends are now alumni of Rowan University. Shanley said, “We didn’t kill each other. Our friendship still remains.” After four months of intense work, the documentary aired April 28, 2006. The documentary was produced for their radio class where they had to work closely with the general manager of the Rowan University radio station,

Frank Hogan. Hogan explained that the group made the topic interesting although it seemed to be a difficult task. The documentary included interviews with two children. Also, the interviews included a mother, a school administrator, a medical professional and two local advocates for children’s health. Shanley said, “We were all really proud of it. It’s grueling work.” The award-winning documentary, “America’s Future: Packing on the Pounds,” is an informational documentary that reveals the ups and downs children go through when dealing with weight problems and their peers. It also examines the heartbreak of parents who don’t know where else to turn for help for their children. Parts of the radio documentary

include an interview with Dr. Myles Faith from the University of Pennsylvania’s Weight Loss and Eating Disorder Clinic. Faith discusses the effects of childhood obesity as he breaks down the clinical terms. Also, Faith offered advice on how to increase daily physical activity. Another part of the documentary includes a family that battles with childhood obesity. Cindy and her two daughters, Jessie and Erin, show listeners how weight affects their daily lives as well as the social, emotional and physical effects of dealing with childhood obesity. After releasing 150 copies of the documentary nationwide, Rowan University requested more copies. Shanley has shown the documentary in some of her classes. Also, it is available for students upon request.

KATHERINE BRACHELLI/NEWS EDITOR

Heather Shanley, the communication departmentʼs supervisor, has been awarded the Crystal Award of Distinction for a radio documentary. Shanley and her friends produced an award-winning documentary that examined the causes of childhood obesity.

2006-2007 Loquitur Staff Editorial Staff

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor News Editor News Editor A & E Editor A & E Editor Features Editor Perspectives Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Photography Editor Web Editor Events Editor Writing Coach Graphic Designer Adviser

Amanda Finnegan Elizabeth Brachelli Stacey Turnbull Katherine Brachelli Brittany Liberatore Matt Donato Nicoletta Sabella Ashley Randazzo Daina Havens Jason Radka Patricia Sheehan Emily Buerger Meghan Hurley Yadira Toledo Meghan Hurley Charlie Grugan Dr. Jerome Zurek

Asst. Managing Editor Nicole Osuch Asst. News Editors Ashley Cook Jamie Hufnagle Elizabeth Lavin Vickie Papageorge Asst. A&E Editors Megan Pellegrino Jillian Smith Grayce Turnbach Asst. Features Editors Katherine Clark Brittany Lavin

Asst. Sports Editors Kaitlin Barr Jessica Hagerty Kasey Minnick Asst. Perspectives Editor John Fennell Jackie Turchi Diana Vilares Asst. Copy Editor Jessica Chesko Asst. Writing Coach Elizabeth Kerstetter

Staff Writers Monica Burke, Christina Cimmino, David Damiano, Jennifer Davis, Colin Mason, Pat McGowan, Karli Morello, Brittany Such

Our Mission Statement

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 effect change on campus and off. Founded in 1959, the Loquitur has thrived and greatly expanded its readership. The paper now has 4,000 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. The Loquitur: You Speak. We Listen Loquitur is a newspaper written, edited and produced by the students of COM 353, 352, 250 and 251. Subscription price is $25 per year and is included in the benefits secured by tuition and fees. Additional copies are $1 each. Loquitur welcomes letters to the editors. Letters to the editor are to be less than 500 words. These are usually in response to a current issue on campus or community area. Guest columns are longer pieces between 600 and 800 words and also are usually in response to a current issue on Cabrini College campus or community. Letters to the editor and guest columns are printed as space permits. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content. Name, phone number and address should be included for verification purposes. Personal attacks and anonymous submissions will not be printed. Letters to the editor and guest columns can be submitted to loquitur@googlegroups.com or to the newsroom mailboxes in Founders Hall 264.


Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

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Wounded veterans expect to bring high expenses for U.S.

ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS/MCT

Army surgeon Greg Beilman checks on the condition of a fellow wounded soldier, who has has been treated for 43 days at the 228th Combat Support Hospital near Tikrit. A Harvard research study calculated the future cost of wounded veterans to be between $300 billion and $600 billion, depending on how long these wars last.

COST OF WAR, page 1 ernment should be supporting the injuries and mental health conditions. These are not tallied in when the government speaks of the overall cost. Roy Thompson, a Vietnam veteran who served as a combat infantryman, was one of the troops in combat who had a non-combat related injury. “I did have an associated injury where I was given a 10 percent disability from an injury that I received in the military, not directly related to any combat or anything, but it was just something that happened,” Thompson said. He believes that the gov-

needs of those who have been in combat and are now at home, but he said he hasn’t used his own war benefits for over 35 years. “I’m sure there were a lot of soldiers sent home from Vietnam that had post-traumatic stress disorder, but not as great as we have what’s going on with Iraq because our diagnoses is much better today,” Thompson said. “So far, more than 200,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated at VA medical facilities — three times what the VA projected, according to a Government Accountability Office analysis,” Bilmes said.

A component that Bilmes argues is that most American’s forget about the fact that more veterans are being treated for mental health issues. More than one-third are being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance abuse. “But my ultimate feeling is the United States sent those boys over there, they did their job, they did it admirably, they did it heroically, but whatever their treatment needs are I think that the country is obligated to provide it. I don’t think we do enough for our veterans,” Thompson said.

Web plays major role in election

NEWS | 3

Students lend helping hand to Norristown teens NORRISTOWN, page 1 “The main idea is we want them Stewart Middle School. The youth were referred from the Big Brother Big Sister Association and the youth had the opportunity to refer friends to the program. The majority of the group is African-American and Latino. The YEP meets on Tuesday afternoons at Norristown High School and on Wednesdays, they alternate between the PAL Center and Cabrini College. Mancuso said that the students like having a safe place to come and experience different activities where their opinions are valued. Dr. MariaElena Hallion, professor of exercise science and health promotion, runs the wellness component of the program. Coordinating the project evaluation is Dr. April Perrymore, a psychology professor. Angela Knapp, a junior exercise science and health promotion major, said, “I think it is a really great opportunity to share my knowledge that I have learned with them and make a difference by helping them to make better lifestyle and health choices.” The program attempts to demonstrate to the participants healthy habits. One particular Wednesday, they were given pedometers and kept track of their steps in a log throughout the week. The program also aims to teach nutrition and has planned a trip to a fast-food restaurant to show the youth how to make healthy food choices. In addition, the youth have been exposed to stress management techniques including yoga, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. Mancuso said, “The students have taken really well to that.” “Their favorite part is eating in the cafeteria because I think they like getting the feel of what college is like and eating whatever they want. It’s funny because they are having like a health day and they’re eating like five hamburgers and fries,” Mancuso said. The program offers a cultural enrichment component as well.

to be proud of their culture and be exposed to other cultures,” Mancuso said. The program exposes them to dance, theater, world music, plays and the visual arts. Two cultural excursions that the program has gone on include a trip to see “My Children! My Africa!” at the Wilma Theatre and “Philadanco” at the Kimmel Center. “The style of dance was really new for them. Some of them did and other’s didn’t connect with the style of dance. That’s why we’re doing trips like seeing the “Drums of China” at the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania,” Mancuso said. The career component is woven in through all the components of the program. Mancuso said that they are always talking about careers with the youth in addition to tailoring individual work-site visits to help them explore different careers. “We really try to show them that there is a world of possibilities,” Mancuso said. Along with the wellness, cultural enrichment and career development components, there is also an academic achievement component that focuses on presentation, writing and reading skills. Knapp said that the students have given really good feedback and are really enjoying the program because they are getting to experience activities that they would otherwise not. Mancuso observed that the youth respect and support one another and have a sense of ownership about the group. They are invested in it. “They really have the world open to them. It’s a critical time in their lives and I see my role as helping them to go through the transition from adolescence to adulthood smoothly,” Mancuso said. The Wolfington Center encourages Cabrini students to get involved with the YEP and share their talents and time with the youth.

ELECTIONS, page 1 ness.” Beaser references the cov- the election will lead to increased tion,” Caitlin Hunter, a senior education major, said. New York Senator Hillary Clinton first announced her campaign in an online video and has since conducted a series of online chats. There was a video launched on Youtube.com the night before John Edwards made his formal announcement for candidacy. His official announcement was also streamed live through his website. Democratic senator Barack Obama also posted a video saying he had taken the first step on the road he hopes will lead to the White House. Rochelle Beaser, lecturer in history, worries that issues critical to the health and welfare of our country can become overwhelmed by “superficial silli-

erage of Senator Clinton’s offkey singing of the national anthem posted online. “If a webified election brings more people into the discussion, I think that’s great for our democracy. If more access to what the candidates say and do does not lead to more interest in issues of our national survival, I worry even more about the future,” Beaser said. The use of the Internet allows candidates to deliver their message without the immediate follow-up questions that usually proceed from a press conference. It also allows candidates to prepare the exact message that they want to get across as compared to the unpredictability of a live announcement. Dr. Darryl Mace, assistant professor of history and political science, thinks the use of internet in

voting. “Politicians are increasingly using web sites like MySpace to announce their candidacies and disseminate information to a younger audience who may or may not read newspapers or watch the news,” Mace said. “However, negative information about candidates, for instance Howard Dean’s angry speech during the 2004 primary, receives wide play on the internet. So, candidates need to be more careful about what they do and say, because they are being scrutinized all the time and by various people.” Loquitur welcomes your comments and questions on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your comments each week and make corrections if warranted.

ANDREA MANCUSO /SUBMITTED PHOTO

The YEP program offers a cultural enrichment component. The students above participated in cultural excursions that included a trip to see “My Children! My Africa!” at the Wilma Theatre and “Philadanco” at the Kimmel Center.


4 | NEWS

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Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

Cold medicine abuse on the rise among teens BRITTANY LIBERATORE NEWS EDITOR

BCL722@CABRINI.EDU

Teenagers throughout the country have found a different way to achieve a cheap high; taking over-the-counter cough and cold medicine. A growing population has found that various medicines, such as Robitussin DM and Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, contain dextromethorphan, which has the ability to cause hallucinations and out-ofbody experiences when abused. This problem, also known as “robotripping,” is rising 50 percent a year, according to the California Poison Control System cited in an article in the Los Angeles Times. New studies have found that approximately 75.4 percent of people who abuse dextromethorphan are between the ages of 9 and 17, according to a report from ABC News. Generally, teenagers purchase and consume an entire four or eight ounce bottle of Robitussin. This can result in slurred speech, drowsiness, hallucinations or a staggered walk. Todd Lambert, a junior business administration major, is very

aware of “robotripping” because he knew many people who did it in high school. Lambert said, “If I need cold medicine I will take it, but otherwise it is disgusting. I can’t imagine drinking a whole bottle.” There are new reports that two-thirds of abusers favor Coricidin to achieve their high. Taking these pills, also known as “skittles,” can cause similar effects as “robotripping” but can increase heart rate, blood pressure and cause seizures. Coricidin not only contains dextromethorphan but also an antihistamine called chlorpheniramine. Those who abuse dextromethorphan can use online calculators to learn how large of a dose to consume to achieve a high. They simply enter their weight and type of medicine they are using and the “correct” dosage appears. “I think that it is wrong to have those calculators because it is only helping the people who are abusing the cold medicine,” Lindsay Nave, a junior psychology major, said. Many believe that dextromethorphan has become popular among teenagers because it is legal and inexpensive.

Dextromethorphan is also easy to find because it is in over 100 cold medicines. To help lessen the accessibility of cough and cold medicines, many pharmacies place certain medicines behind the counter. The CVS in Wayne, for example, keeps any cough and cold medicine that contains pseudoephedrine behind the counter. Pseudoephedrine is found in medicines, such as ExtraStrength Robitussin. However, there are other types of cough and cold medicines that are sold over the counter at the CVS in Wayne. In some cases abusers don’t get off with just achieving a high, they receive a more permanent result, death. Although there are only five known cases of death from abusing cough and cold medicines, the threat is still realistic. Brittany Caprice, a junior elementary education major, thinks that people don’t realize how much danger they are in when they take too much medicine. Caprice said, “Medicines are made to help people, but when people abuse them all they are doing is harming themselves. I think it is ridiculous.”

EMILY BUERGER/ PHOTO EDITOR

Various medicines, such as Robitussin DM (shown above), contain dextromethorphan, which has the ability to cause hallucinations and out-of-body experiences when abused.


Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

NEWS | 5

www.theloquitur.com

Mission Corps takes action to help others

Republicans block debate on Bush’s ‘surge’ BRITTANY LAVIN

ASST. FEATURES EDITOR BLL722@CABRINI.EDU

Republican senators voted to block the debate on the resolution that opposes President Bush’s plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq. This decision delayed the first major challenge to Bush and how he is handling the war. Democrats accused Republicans of avoiding any discussion related to the war, which Republicans denied. The vote was mostly along party lines, with Democrats coming up 11 votes short of the 60 they needed to begin the debate on the resolution. The vote came down to 47 Democrats and two Republicans being for the debate and 45 Republicans and one independent opposed. Republican leaders say they will reach an agreement over the continuation of the debate soon. Iraqis blame U.S. for recent violence GINA PULTORAK/SUBMITTED PHOTO

Heather Anderson, a CMC lay missioner, spent time in Swaziland, South Africa reviewing the materials about the youth program, writing proposals for HIV/AIDS education funding and assisting in the children's hostels. ELIZABETH KERSTETTER ASST. WRITING COACH

ELK722@CABRINI.EDU

The Cabrini Mission Corps is ready and excited to start the new year. CMC was established at Cabrini College in 1990 and has been sending volunteers around the United States and abroad annually since. The CMC is a post-graduate volunteer organization that places people both within the U.S. and abroad. Missioners “respond to the Church’s universal call to holiness through service,” a CMC pamphlet stated. The CMC sends missioners to work alongside with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, founded by Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is the first saint of America and a Patroness of Immigrants. Her mission was to find people who could be

“bearers of the love of Christ in the World.” CMC has now adopted her mission. “It’s kind of like the Peace Corps, only faith-based,” Gina Pultorak, the director of Cabrini Mission Corps, said. Missioners can serve full-time for one or two years in locations such as Denver, Colo.; Chicago, Ill.; or Swaziland, South Africa. In exchange for their services, missioners receive healthcare coverage, room and board, community living, student loan deferment and a small living allowance. Most importantly, missioners receive spiritual growth and support out of the program. “It’s not about just volunteering to us,” Pultorak said. “We look for people who are interested in growing spiritually.” CMC is a small organization that boasts personal attention. “We send about four or five peo-

ple each year which allows us to get to know the missioners on a more personal and spiritual level” Pultorak said. With a smaller program, CMC can offer a “fuller, truer discernment process.” Over the last five years, the Mission Corps has sent about 107 volunteers through the program. Missioners have served in places abroad such as Argentina, Australia and Brazil and within the United States in cities such as New Orleans, New York and Seattle. Those who are interested in CMC should know that there are many different options for volunteers. Missioners can serve in education, health care or child care. Also, missioners may find it better suited for them to serve in youth ministry or elderly outreach. There is an array of options for most people within the CMC community. In order to apply for Cabrini Mission Corps, a preliminary application is required to begin the process. Following the initial application, a written application is required as well as personal references, transcripts and health examinations. After all of the applications are completed, applicants must conduct interviews with CMC directors in the area. After acceptance into the program, missioners begin a twoweek orientation process before being sent to their ministry site. Ultimately, CMC wants people who can be “bearers of the love of Christ in the world.” Those who are interested and want more information may visit www.cabrini-missioncorps.org. Loquitur welcomes your comments and questions on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your comments each week and make corrections if warranted.

A rapidly increasing number of Iraqis are blaming recent violence, such as the suicide bombing on Feb. 4, on the United States. These complaints may take President Bush’s “surge” to new dimensions, as its main objective is to help rid Baghdad of the Shiite militia groups such as the Mahdi Army. Iraqis say the bombing was able to take place because the militias have been keeping a low profile, creating an insecure environment. Now there is a persistent risk that those who initially supported the “surge” will conclude they were wrong to give it a chance. NASA astronaut facing charges On Feb 5., Navy Capt. Lisa Marie Nowak was arrested for the attack and attempted kidnapping of a woman that she saw as an enemy to her relationship with another astronaut, whom they were apparently both seeing at the time. Nowak drove close to 1,000 miles in order to confront the other woman at an airport. A NASA spokesman said this is the first time an active-duty astronaut has been charged with a felony. Israel wages campaign against nuclear Iran Israel has begun an open campaign to get the international community to stop the development of nuclear weapons in Iran. Politicians and military leaders in Israel have said that there could be a “second Holocaust” if the country that has declared war against the Jews is not stopped. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other leaders have publicly hinted that Israel is willing to use whatever force is necessary if the international community fails to prevent a nuclear Iran. Helicopter crashes in Baghdad increase On Feb. 7, a U.S. Marine transport helicopter crashed, killing all seven of its occupants. This marked the sixth crash in Baghdad in the past three weeks, including an unreported crash of a private security firm’s helicopter on Jan. 31. According to American officials, the crashes indicate a change of tactics by insurgents. It has been suggested that the insurgents have become adept at anticipating the flight plans of American transports and are using this advantage to bring them down. The four other fatal crashes killed at least 20 people. Witnesses said the attacks appeared to be from the ground. Putin puts down American foreign policy On Feb. 10, Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, criticized American foreign policy in a harsh speech at an international security conference in Munich, Germany. Putin said that the United States has been overstepping national borders in attempts to “create a world in which it was free to ignore international law and impose its economic, political and military will.” Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council in Washington, said that the reaction to President Putin’s speech was one of surprise and disappointment.


6 I PERSPECTIVES

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Perspectives

Thursday, Feb. 15 , 2007

Pregnancy brings new beginnings

KAITLIN BARR

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

KMB738@CABRINI.EDU

To most people, turning 21 is one of the biggest milestones of their lives. A lot of times, you’ll hear of their interesting and sometimes hilarious occurrences about that specific night. They may say how they drank the night away and how, without their camera and the pictures from the night, they may never have remembered some of the events that occurred throughout the evening. Like I said before, that’s most people’s accounts with their 21st birthdays. Mine was kind of the same as everyone else’s, in the aspect that I was throwing-up the next day. I was throwing-up though, not because I was hung-over, but because I was a month pregnant. Three weeks before my 21st birthday, I found out I was pregnant. One careless night with no protection with my boyfriend of two years, and even though I was on birth control, I somehow became pregnant.

Lots of girls I graduated with from my Catholic high-school have had babies already, and yes, I looked down on their situations when I found out. I always felt as though they were stupid for not using protection, even if it was one time. And yet, here I am; look at me now. I’d never been so scared in my entire life. I paced my newly moved into room, hysterically cried for hours, almost to the point of hyperventilating. I searched for answers as to how it happened; but why was I doing that? I knew how it happened and I knew the exact night it happened. One night without protection; but that’s beside the fact now. I had been on antibiotics earlier in the month but never thought twice about it; I guess I should have. How the heck did this happen to me? I just transferred to a brand new school, starting out my junior year of college, three weeks away from turning 21 and yet, in a single moment, my entire world was turned upside down. Not only was I scared for myself, but I didn’t know how I was going to tell my couple-of-days-away from being 22-years-old, seniorin-college boyfriend. Happy birthday I guess… Not only was I scared to tell him, but how in the world would I tell my parents? Especially how could

I tell my dad who has been my inspiration in life, as well as my best friend? And my mom, who has always encouraged me to reach for my dreams and never settle for anything but the best? Even though I had classes to think about, nothing seemed real at that moment when the stick showed a plus sign.

statistic, but having an abortion is what people do nowa-days. A lot of people say to me, well didn’t you think of having an abortion? Absolutely not even for a second. It was my decision to have sex in the first place, and it wouldn’t be fair to take the life of a child for my actions.

KAITLIN BARR/SUBMITTED PHOTO

Junior Kaitlin Barr will welcome a baby girl in May 2007.

According to a college study out west, out of three thousand college women, six hundred were given a pregnancy test, and out of those six hundred, three hundred were pregnant. At the end of their study, only six of those three hundred girls actually had their child. It’s such a disturbing

Today in the United States, one in every five abortions is practiced on a college student. Some people may read this and think that life begins when a child is born. Others may be under the impression that life begins when you’re halfway through a pregnancy, at 20

weeks. Well I have attended Catholic school since first grade, and I have always been taught that life begins at the moment of conception; and I fully believe that to this day. Maybe that’s why I didn’t think of getting rid of the baby, even though I was scared. In my junior year of high school, I had a religion teacher who was a little too Catholic. By that I mean, she did nothing more than kiss her husband before marriage, and she was just crazy about certain aspects of the Catholic Church. Well, abortion was one of those topics she was insane about; and looking back at it, I’m glad she was. I learned so much about abortion from her that year, including seeing movies of abortions being performed, as well as a few terrible pictures. My entire junior year of high school was spent sitting next to the board, which contained a poster filled with pictures of babies ripped apart limb by limb from after an abortion in little jars. They were very disturbing pictures that I will never forget. Some persons’ reactions when they find out they’re pregnant is, my life is over, what am I going to do? I admit I felt that way a little bit, but now as I look ahead, my life is just beginning, just in a different direction.

Right now, I can feel the baby moving around and if you put your hand on my stomach, you can feel the baby kicking and punching, and honestly, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. I have been with my boyfriend now for two and a half years and he is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. The entire situation has been easier to deal with having my best friend in the world by my side. I guess we thought we were invincible to getting pregnant, but we always used a protection and I was on the pill. But guess what, it happened. I really wish that when people read this, that they understand that “shit happens” and to never take anything for granted. If anything is taken from this article, my hope is that everyone, either single or in a relationship, will be safer in everything that they do. Right now, my life is full of unknowns. The only thing I’m really positive about is that I will be having a baby girl on May 27th, 2007. Am I scared? Absolutely. Am I hesitant to think about what my life will become this summer? Without a doubt. But, I will say that my family, friends and boyfriend have been extremely supportive and I am so lucky for that.

Blockbuster Total Access beats Netflix hands down

ELIZABETH KERSTETTER ASST. WRITING COACH

ELK722@CABRINI.EDU

I’ve had Blockbuster online for over a year and a half and I love it! Total Access has only been in effect for a couple months, but it has only made the service better. I was happy with Blockbuster before they introduced Total Access, so I have only gotten happier.

Originally, I paid $15.97 per month and got unlimited rentals sent to me, three at a time. Blockbuster also gave me two in-store rental coupons per month that could be used on movies or video games. The video game coupon was the reason I chose Blockbuster over Netflix in the first place. Since game rentals are up to $7.99 per month, I cover my costs every month. Recently, Blockbuster introduced the new feature that allows me to return the movies I have watched to the nearest store and receive a free in-store rental in return. I don’t really know how this service benefits the store, but I love it! I’d have to say that my favorite part about Block-

buster online is the game rentals they give me. I signed up a long time ago and they no longer offer coupons that can be used for game rentals, so I think it says a lot that Blockbuster still honors my original package. Since I’ve been a member, the price went from $15.89 to $19.07 a month, but it hasn’t changed in the last year. Anytime I have had a problem with any of the disks, Blockbuster has been more than cooperative to reimburse me or give me extra in-store coupons. I have no complaints about Blockbuster online and I would recommend it to anyone.


Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

www.theloquitur.com

Weight loss trends become lifestyle choices

BRITTANY LAVIN

help of Subway sandwiches. Whether it’s counting carbohydrates or increasing protein, in the end it’s all about decreasing pounds. I myself have fallen into these weight loss trends and I can tell you, falling into one is the easy part. It’s actually

ple, prepares and portions out your food for you and sends you weekly menus to follow. The goal of Jenny Craig is to transition you from their menus to planning your own. Weight Watchers is another popular weight loss trend. With this program, you are given a certain

ASST. FEATURES EDITOR BLL722@CABRINI.EDU

Losing weight has become a big issue in recent years. With 60 percent of adults overweight and with the increasing rates of diabetes and heart disease, the struggle to lose weight has become something more than an concern. Today, losing weight can be considered a trend. How many times have you turned on your television and learned how much weight Kirstie Alley has lost with the help of Jenny Craig? We’ve all heard the success stories: “I lost 30 pounds in 30 days and you can too!” A few years ago, the Atkins Diet was the craze. Then there was the South Beach Diet and somewhere in there, Jared slimmed down with the

sticking to it that’s hard. Out of all o f the

amount of points to eat

trends, I’ve found that

t h e weight loss programs that we hear advertised so much are the ones that really work. Jenny Craig, for exam-

during t h e DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT day that corresponds with your weight. The points vary depending on the type of food and portion size. The goal of Weight Watchers is

to make eating in moderation a way of life for their members. Other programs include LA Weight Loss, Slim-fast and Nutri-system. Whether or not a trend is successful depends on the person. You will only get what you put into it. With the right motivation these trends can work wonders for your body and your spirit. According to WebMD, experts say that choosing a weight loss program is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. “If they make an emotional connection it creates a possibility to fight their history of defeatism and failure,” Dr. Daniel Stettner, a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, said. “It allows a person to not only make a commitment to the plan, but it also creates the bond for optimism and hope.” But what about when you lose all of the weight? That’s when these trends become more than just a diet. They become a lifestyle. It’s about portion control, regular exercise and a solid support system.

Friends disagree on significant others

NIKKI SABELLA A&E EDITOR

NS722@CABRINI.EDU

I know that many of you dislike the person that your best friend is dating. And you find yourself faced with the dilemma of whether you should let them know or not.

Well, if you are thinking that it may change their mind you should think again. Should you really have to pretend that you enjoy their company when in reality you cannot stand the sight of that person? You only hang out with them because it’s the only way to see your friend. I’m not saying that I have any suggestions to fix this kind of problem, but I’d just like to address it. Well, in my case, it is hard to understand why some people don’t take their friend’s advice. My best friend has been on and off

dating this one guy for about four years now. My other friends and I think that her getting back together with him was probably her biggest mistake. But she refuses to ditch the dude. Every time that I witness my friend talking in person or even on the phone with her boyfriend, they are yelling at each other for hours. She finds that he is overly controlling and treats her like a child. She is not allowed to hang out with boys because they are a threat to him. Well buddy, I would assume so if you keep being a bad boyfriend! It’s not just me who thinks this way either. Anybody who has met this kid thinks he is a total tool. He’s never friendly, he’s always shady and he always starts fights. Another one of my friends insists that we have an intervention with her in order for her to get rid of him. For some reason though, I don’t think she’ll take our advice. Since the very first time of me having knowledge of her sewn-back-together relationship with him, I was trying to convince her to not to do it. She didn’t want to hear it. He is basically just making her life harder, and this transposes to our lives in the

process. There have been countless times when she has been so upset with him that she cancels her plans to go and “resolve” things with him. He’s pretty psycho too. Last year, when we were thankful enough that he wasn’t dating her, he would stalk her, but not purposely or anything. Everywhere she went, he would be there and try and ask her questions. I’m sorry, but that has restraining order written all over it. So I guess here’s my real question: when should friends stop listening to their best friends just to be with a guy or girl? Do some people just think that their friends are clueless? I’d hope that my best friend would value my opinion to some extent. People have problems with relationships all over the world and at all times throughout history. It’s on TV constantly. Just turn to the Montel Williams show and see marriages fall apart. I just hope that my friend’s situation doesn’t turn into one of those. Please listen to your friends some times! They know you better than you might know yourself. Love is blind, so get guidance from your bud.

PERSPECTIVES I 7

Letter to the Editor: In reply to Iraq war perspective: ‘America: don’t back down to terrorism’ ANGELA PESO GUEST WRITER

ASP@CABRINI.EDU

In last week’s article, a very surprising and irritating article caught my eye regarding the “War on Terrorism.” “America: don’t back down to terrorism” seemed as though it was written to fill a space in the paper, and that offends me, since the topic is quite a serious one. The writer, undeniably passionate on her stance on the war, claimed the Iraq War was not a war fought for oil, yet one to honorably battle terrorism. In addition, the writer expressed her feelings against troop removal, as that would be detrimental to both the United States and Iraq, and also supported the longevity of the war because it is one that we “cannot just walk out of.” Would that me us a winner? Arguably, no, it would not. However, while I agree with the denial of total troop removal (slower is better!), there are many things this writer, and America, are forgetting. Bush stated this war was not only a war on terrorism, but originally, we went into Iraq to get Saddam out of the way and impose a democratic government. We did this believing the theory that “democratic nations rarely, if ever, engage in war with one another.” Well, Saddam is dead. What now? Now, we’re fighting insurgents who we blindly believed would accept us with open arms - well guess what? They haven’t. And this “War on Terrorism”? Since this war began nearly five years ago, there has been more reported violence, more reports of terrorist activities and attempts in Iraq and abroad (targeted mainly to destroy Western ideologies) and much more hostility and tension between, not only the U.S.

and other countries, but amongst the citizens of this nation. More noteably, our newly polished Democratic controlled Congress we just voted into office to take over the scandal-diseased Republican Party (don’t be fooled, I’m a registered Republican). So what am I trying to say? Americans are tired and that’s why we want out. They are tired of fighting a war with no set strategy, proper leadership or exit plan. They are tired of fighting a war against something they can’t even understand. And above all, they are tired of fighting a war that is exhausting our finances, our families and, most importantly, our morale. How can one country try to fight against an ideology that is dispersed throughout the entire globe?! As long as there is one person with a radical idea, terrorism will thrive - we cannot patrol and wage war against everyone we deem fit. Most wars have an enemy that can be properly identified this war is fought by civilian men, women and even children. It’s a guerrilla war fought by unexpected militants. Not exactly a great combination. I do not support terrorism. I watched the Twin Towers go down on 9/11. I felt the pain of my friends and family as our friends never came home that day from the city. I see the rusted bicycles left behind by those who never made it back at the train station in Harrison, N.J. all the time. I’ve been through lock-downs, anthrax scares and I watched the World Trade Center burn in a pile of rubble for months after its demise. My small town overlooking the skyline of New York City is scarred because of the terrorists who tried to take our lives away; and so, it has thus scarred me. Do I still believe we should seek justice? Absolutely. But not like this.

Did we pin point your view point? If you have something to say, E-mail your opinion to:

loqperspectives@ googlegroups.com

Please include: your full name, year, major and Email address with your opinion in 150 words or less.


8 I FEATURES

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Thuraday, Feb. 15, 2006

Harvard teaches students how to be happy JEN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

JED724@CABRINI.EDU

In the spring of 2006, approximately 855 Harvard students gathered for one of the most popular Ivy League courses. Indeed, every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 a.m., Tal BenShahar relies on the basic elements of happiness to teach a course called Positive Psychology. It has become a growing interest among students. “Many of the things that I teach are common sense, but unfortunately, common sense is not all that common,” Shahar states. Positive Psychology is a course that focuses on the mind-body connection, goal setting, relationships, gratitude, self-esteem and love. Now 35, Shahar illustrates deep personal stories within his lectures. Originally from Israel, Shahar went on to Harvard to receive his degree is philosophy and psychology. Through reflection he believes and teaches his students on the basis of catchy phrases such as “fail to learn or learn to fail.” In the eyes of adjunct instructor in psychology Maria W. Hartke, a positive psychology course at Cabrini is worth a try.

“It is certainly worth doing because you easily are ruled by negative thoughts,” she said. Questions have arisen that the reason why Shahar’s course is so popular is because it is just too easy. According to Shahar’s statement to the Boston Globe in March 2006, he argues that we find interest in things we can relate to ourselves “Most things we find interesting, we also find easy,” he said. The threshold into college can be both shocking and welcoming. Soph-

o m o r e special education major Lauren Tice came to Cabrini from a larger high school in Marlton, N.J. She believes that the initial induction into college can bring about a lot of stress. “You are entering an entirely new environment with new people; it can be a huge shock. A course like this could be great for in-

coming students,” she said. In his 90-minute weekly lesson, Shahar addresses the transition through “6 Simple Tips for Happiness.” For a small sneak preview here are a few of his bullet points: 1.) Give yourself permission to be human. Come to the realization that rejecting natural emotions leads to frustration and unhappiness. 2.) Simp l i f y. We

are generally too busy to squeeze in excess amounts of activities. Quantity influences quality and sometimes we do too much. 3.) Express gratitude whenever possible. Be appreciative of the people and wonderful things in your life and never forget to smile. Freshman undecided major Gina Nicotera truly believes that a course like this at Cabrini could have very positive results. “This course would help students deal with everyday

issues and give them a better outlook on life,” she said. For most individuals, college is the intermediate state after high school and before the induction into the working world. By broadening educational knowledge, maturing students learn to adapt within their environment. In regards to course offerings such as Positive Psychology, freshman English and communication major Lauren Baukus believes that a college education should be based on more then just academic credentials. “This is a course in which you could value and take with you after your standard degree certification,” she said. Like song artist Bob Marley, Tal Ben-Shahar balances his curriculum on the basis of this whistling tune, “Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note, don’t worry, be happy. in every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double don’t worry, be happy...” Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Happiness 101: 1.) Give yourself permission to be human. Come to the realization that rejecting natural emotions leads to frustration and unhappiness. 2.) Simplify. We are generally too busy to squeeze in excess amounts of activities. Quantity influences quality and sometimes we do too much. 3.) Express gratitude whenever possible. Be appreciative of the people and wonderful things in your life and never forget to smile.

FEATURES

Thuraday, Feb. 15, 2006

Energy drinks give busy lives extra boost DAVE DAMIANO STAFF WRITER

DMD724@CABRINI.EDU

Energy drinks have become very popular recently. With taglines such as “Red Bull gives you wings” and “Party like a Rockstar,” how could one resist? But there is a new energy drink that is the most popular on the internet right now, and that product is called “Cocaine.” “Cocaine” has quickly become the most controversial drink on the market. The slogan reads: “Cocaine – Instant Rush. No Crash.” Like most energy drinks, “Cocaine” is filled with caffeine; however, an upside to the product is that it is low in calories and offers multiple vitamins including vitamin C. “Cocaine” is still considered a new product and has not been sold to many stores yet. The website, www.drinkcocaine.com, is the best way to get a hold of the product. An online message board user went as far as

saying the product is like heartburn in a can and that it tastes like “Red Hots” candy mixed with acid. Jazzman’s Café has recently started carrying a popular energy drink called Sobe Adrenaline Rush. This product as been on the market for a number of years and is high in price considering the size of the can. Average cost runs $1.99 for an 8.3 oz. can. A typical soda can is 12 oz. and is usually less than a dollar. “While I do enjoy Rockstar energy drink, I feel it is too expensive and you should get free ones when you buy booze or breakfast,” Matt Burge, a senior political science and philosophy major, said. When most people think of energy drinks, they think of Red Bull, Rockstar, Adrenaline Rush and, eventually, Cocaine. What most people don’t know is that Gatorade, PowerAde and Vitamin Water are considered energy drinks as well because of the amount of vitamins and nutrients they put back into the body after

a long workout. “Well, I don’t drink any of those crazy type energy drinks. I do drink Gatorade and Vitamin Water pretty much daily,” Jeremy Stevens, a senior English and communication major, said. “The other energy drinks are filled with too much sugar and I guess the only time I would drink them is if I really need energy to stay up super late, like driving late night or something.” “I don’t like energy drinks. I don’t think they really do anything for you,” Jeff Peters, a second year architecture student at Drexel University, said. “I am constantly staying up late finishing my architecture design projects, and they don’t help. I find soda the most efficient.” Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

SEATTLE TIMES/MCT

Energy drinks like these are known to help but they are pricey at just about $2 a can. Drinks like Sobe Adrenaline Rush or Red Bull donʼt give as much per can in comparison to Rockstar.

Ancient remedy found to burn fat KATIE CLARK

(According to Shahar’s lectures)

STAFF WRITER

KAC729@CABRINI.EDU

Guilty pleasures: Things we love, but hate to admit KATIE CLARK

STAFF WRITER

KAC729@CABRINI.EDU

MCT

TV shows, like “Laguna Beach,” are one of the many guilty pleasures that students indulge in.

Many different people have a few guilty pleasures that they would hate to actually admit to. Most of the people around Cabrini’s campus have some very interesting guilty pleasures. Many students confessed up to some of their fun, sometimes embarrassing guilty pleasures. Mostly everyone has some sort of guilty pleasure, one being different types of fast food meals. “I know that it is bad for you, but I love eating a hamburger once in a while,” Bridget McNulty, a sophomore secondary education major, said. Even the teachers can agree with this one. “I love to eat my french fries,” Dr. Maria Hallion, an associate professor of exercise science and health promotion, said. Some others go from reading to shopping sprees. Many of the women love to shop but in reality do not have the money that they are spending. Many students can agree on spending way too much money while being a poor college student. “My guilty pleasure is

spending my parents’ credit card. It’s so easy,” Nikki Tarshis, a sophomore graphic design major, said. Many other students love to read just for pleasure, not for school. “I just finished this great book; my guilty pleasure is definitely reading these historical fiction books. They’re so interesting,” Kelly Devlin, a sophomore history major, said. Other ones can consist of

MCT

many different types of television shows, the internet and other forms of entertainment. Many of the men admitted to liking television shows that they seemed ashamed of. They watch shows like “Laguna Beach,” “The OC,” “One Tree Hill” or “Grey’s Anatomy.” “I hate to admit it but I am addicted to all the girly soap opera shows, like ‘Laguna’ and ‘One Tree Hill,’” Bill Langlois, a sophomore

FEATURES I 9

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politics major at Marymount University, said. On the other side of entertainment, many students can agree on being addicted to the Internet. “Myspace is definitely my guilty pleasure. It can be so addicting,” Lisa Romano, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. Many of the faculty can agree with this point as well. “My guilty pleasure… EBAY,” Dr. Melissa Terlecki, an associate professor of psychology, said. After reviewing the responses around campus, it is clear that mostly everyone has at least one guilty pleasure that they like to hide. It seemed to be that more women’s guilt went towards eating different types of food, like fast food restaurants or some type of junk food, while many of the men’s guilt leaned more towards a type of television show or movie. Guilty pleasures are everywhere, waiting to grow on someone’s bad habit. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

FORT WORTH STAR/MCT

Green tea is rich with antioxidants and helps the immune system.

Many people have wondered what the big fuss is over the new popular drink, green tea. If you walk around Cabrini’s campus, you would most likely see at least one out of every five people drinking some brand of green tea. Many studies have been done to prove that green tea is very good for your body. Green tea has quite a few positive benefits that can benefit the body. According to about.com, Green tea has just started to become popular here in the United States; however, the Chinese have used green tea for medical purposes since the ancient times, about 4,000 years ago. Studies have recently started here in the United States, resulting in the finding of the many health benefits of drinking green tea. According to about.com, there have been many different studies performed in order to figure out everything that green tea can do for your body. In 1994, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “By drinking green tea, you are reducing the risk of esophageal cancer by nearly 60 percent.” Later, the University of Purdue concluded from more tests that green tea has a compound within it that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. According to cbsnews.com, green tea has more polyphenyls in it than that of black tea. Polyphenyls are anti-oxi-

dants. Anti-oxidants are found in most fruits and vegetables. We eat them or in this case drink them to reduce inflammation and to fight off infections. Probably one of the biggest tests done for green tea was the experiment that was performed in Japan. Researchers studied 40,000 people between the ages of 40-79 over a time period of 11 years. In the end, research showed that the people who consumed more than five cups of green tea each day had a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than of those who only consumed one cup daily. The only difference that came up was gender. Women had a 31 percent reduction compared to the men’s 22 percent. Also more men who performed the experiment smoked than the women, and smoking cancels out everything that green tea can do for your body, according to cbsnews.com. Green tea does the body good because it includes many good nutrients that in the long run can literally make your life longer. “I buy a green tea everyday at Jazzman’s. I love the taste of it and knowing that it actually benefits my health, makes it so much better,” Lisa Romano, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.


8 I FEATURES

www.theloquitur.com

Thuraday, Feb. 15, 2006

Harvard teaches students how to be happy JEN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

JED724@CABRINI.EDU

In the spring of 2006, approximately 855 Harvard students gathered for one of the most popular Ivy League courses. Indeed, every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 a.m., Tal BenShahar relies on the basic elements of happiness to teach a course called Positive Psychology. It has become a growing interest among students. “Many of the things that I teach are common sense, but unfortunately, common sense is not all that common,” Shahar states. Positive Psychology is a course that focuses on the mind-body connection, goal setting, relationships, gratitude, self-esteem and love. Now 35, Shahar illustrates deep personal stories within his lectures. Originally from Israel, Shahar went on to Harvard to receive his degree is philosophy and psychology. Through reflection he believes and teaches his students on the basis of catchy phrases such as “fail to learn or learn to fail.” In the eyes of adjunct instructor in psychology Maria W. Hartke, a positive psychology course at Cabrini is worth a try.

“It is certainly worth doing because you easily are ruled by negative thoughts,” she said. Questions have arisen that the reason why Shahar’s course is so popular is because it is just too easy. According to Shahar’s statement to the Boston Globe in March 2006, he argues that we find interest in things we can relate to ourselves “Most things we find interesting, we also find easy,” he said. The threshold into college can be both shocking and welcoming. Soph-

o m o r e special education major Lauren Tice came to Cabrini from a larger high school in Marlton, N.J. She believes that the initial induction into college can bring about a lot of stress. “You are entering an entirely new environment with new people; it can be a huge shock. A course like this could be great for in-

coming students,” she said. In his 90-minute weekly lesson, Shahar addresses the transition through “6 Simple Tips for Happiness.” For a small sneak preview here are a few of his bullet points: 1.) Give yourself permission to be human. Come to the realization that rejecting natural emotions leads to frustration and unhappiness. 2.) Simp l i f y. We

are generally too busy to squeeze in excess amounts of activities. Quantity influences quality and sometimes we do too much. 3.) Express gratitude whenever possible. Be appreciative of the people and wonderful things in your life and never forget to smile. Freshman undecided major Gina Nicotera truly believes that a course like this at Cabrini could have very positive results. “This course would help students deal with everyday

issues and give them a better outlook on life,” she said. For most individuals, college is the intermediate state after high school and before the induction into the working world. By broadening educational knowledge, maturing students learn to adapt within their environment. In regards to course offerings such as Positive Psychology, freshman English and communication major Lauren Baukus believes that a college education should be based on more then just academic credentials. “This is a course in which you could value and take with you after your standard degree certification,” she said. Like song artist Bob Marley, Tal Ben-Shahar balances his curriculum on the basis of this whistling tune, “Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note, don’t worry, be happy. in every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double don’t worry, be happy...” Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Happiness 101: 1.) Give yourself permission to be human. Come to the realization that rejecting natural emotions leads to frustration and unhappiness. 2.) Simplify. We are generally too busy to squeeze in excess amounts of activities. Quantity influences quality and sometimes we do too much. 3.) Express gratitude whenever possible. Be appreciative of the people and wonderful things in your life and never forget to smile.

FEATURES

Thuraday, Feb. 15, 2006

Energy drinks give busy lives extra boost DAVE DAMIANO STAFF WRITER

DMD724@CABRINI.EDU

Energy drinks have become very popular recently. With taglines such as “Red Bull gives you wings” and “Party like a Rockstar,” how could one resist? But there is a new energy drink that is the most popular on the internet right now, and that product is called “Cocaine.” “Cocaine” has quickly become the most controversial drink on the market. The slogan reads: “Cocaine – Instant Rush. No Crash.” Like most energy drinks, “Cocaine” is filled with caffeine; however, an upside to the product is that it is low in calories and offers multiple vitamins including vitamin C. “Cocaine” is still considered a new product and has not been sold to many stores yet. The website, www.drinkcocaine.com, is the best way to get a hold of the product. An online message board user went as far as

saying the product is like heartburn in a can and that it tastes like “Red Hots” candy mixed with acid. Jazzman’s Café has recently started carrying a popular energy drink called Sobe Adrenaline Rush. This product as been on the market for a number of years and is high in price considering the size of the can. Average cost runs $1.99 for an 8.3 oz. can. A typical soda can is 12 oz. and is usually less than a dollar. “While I do enjoy Rockstar energy drink, I feel it is too expensive and you should get free ones when you buy booze or breakfast,” Matt Burge, a senior political science and philosophy major, said. When most people think of energy drinks, they think of Red Bull, Rockstar, Adrenaline Rush and, eventually, Cocaine. What most people don’t know is that Gatorade, PowerAde and Vitamin Water are considered energy drinks as well because of the amount of vitamins and nutrients they put back into the body after

a long workout. “Well, I don’t drink any of those crazy type energy drinks. I do drink Gatorade and Vitamin Water pretty much daily,” Jeremy Stevens, a senior English and communication major, said. “The other energy drinks are filled with too much sugar and I guess the only time I would drink them is if I really need energy to stay up super late, like driving late night or something.” “I don’t like energy drinks. I don’t think they really do anything for you,” Jeff Peters, a second year architecture student at Drexel University, said. “I am constantly staying up late finishing my architecture design projects, and they don’t help. I find soda the most efficient.” Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

SEATTLE TIMES/MCT

Energy drinks like these are known to help but they are pricey at just about $2 a can. Drinks like Sobe Adrenaline Rush or Red Bull donʼt give as much per can in comparison to Rockstar.

Ancient remedy found to burn fat KATIE CLARK

(According to Shahar’s lectures)

STAFF WRITER

KAC729@CABRINI.EDU

Guilty pleasures: Things we love, but hate to admit KATIE CLARK

STAFF WRITER

KAC729@CABRINI.EDU

MCT

TV shows, like “Laguna Beach,” are one of the many guilty pleasures that students indulge in.

Many different people have a few guilty pleasures that they would hate to actually admit to. Most of the people around Cabrini’s campus have some very interesting guilty pleasures. Many students confessed up to some of their fun, sometimes embarrassing guilty pleasures. Mostly everyone has some sort of guilty pleasure, one being different types of fast food meals. “I know that it is bad for you, but I love eating a hamburger once in a while,” Bridget McNulty, a sophomore secondary education major, said. Even the teachers can agree with this one. “I love to eat my french fries,” Dr. Maria Hallion, an associate professor of exercise science and health promotion, said. Some others go from reading to shopping sprees. Many of the women love to shop but in reality do not have the money that they are spending. Many students can agree on spending way too much money while being a poor college student. “My guilty pleasure is

spending my parents’ credit card. It’s so easy,” Nikki Tarshis, a sophomore graphic design major, said. Many other students love to read just for pleasure, not for school. “I just finished this great book; my guilty pleasure is definitely reading these historical fiction books. They’re so interesting,” Kelly Devlin, a sophomore history major, said. Other ones can consist of

MCT

many different types of television shows, the internet and other forms of entertainment. Many of the men admitted to liking television shows that they seemed ashamed of. They watch shows like “Laguna Beach,” “The OC,” “One Tree Hill” or “Grey’s Anatomy.” “I hate to admit it but I am addicted to all the girly soap opera shows, like ‘Laguna’ and ‘One Tree Hill,’” Bill Langlois, a sophomore

FEATURES I 9

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politics major at Marymount University, said. On the other side of entertainment, many students can agree on being addicted to the Internet. “Myspace is definitely my guilty pleasure. It can be so addicting,” Lisa Romano, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. Many of the faculty can agree with this point as well. “My guilty pleasure… EBAY,” Dr. Melissa Terlecki, an associate professor of psychology, said. After reviewing the responses around campus, it is clear that mostly everyone has at least one guilty pleasure that they like to hide. It seemed to be that more women’s guilt went towards eating different types of food, like fast food restaurants or some type of junk food, while many of the men’s guilt leaned more towards a type of television show or movie. Guilty pleasures are everywhere, waiting to grow on someone’s bad habit. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

FORT WORTH STAR/MCT

Green tea is rich with antioxidants and helps the immune system.

Many people have wondered what the big fuss is over the new popular drink, green tea. If you walk around Cabrini’s campus, you would most likely see at least one out of every five people drinking some brand of green tea. Many studies have been done to prove that green tea is very good for your body. Green tea has quite a few positive benefits that can benefit the body. According to about.com, Green tea has just started to become popular here in the United States; however, the Chinese have used green tea for medical purposes since the ancient times, about 4,000 years ago. Studies have recently started here in the United States, resulting in the finding of the many health benefits of drinking green tea. According to about.com, there have been many different studies performed in order to figure out everything that green tea can do for your body. In 1994, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “By drinking green tea, you are reducing the risk of esophageal cancer by nearly 60 percent.” Later, the University of Purdue concluded from more tests that green tea has a compound within it that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. According to cbsnews.com, green tea has more polyphenyls in it than that of black tea. Polyphenyls are anti-oxi-

dants. Anti-oxidants are found in most fruits and vegetables. We eat them or in this case drink them to reduce inflammation and to fight off infections. Probably one of the biggest tests done for green tea was the experiment that was performed in Japan. Researchers studied 40,000 people between the ages of 40-79 over a time period of 11 years. In the end, research showed that the people who consumed more than five cups of green tea each day had a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than of those who only consumed one cup daily. The only difference that came up was gender. Women had a 31 percent reduction compared to the men’s 22 percent. Also more men who performed the experiment smoked than the women, and smoking cancels out everything that green tea can do for your body, according to cbsnews.com. Green tea does the body good because it includes many good nutrients that in the long run can literally make your life longer. “I buy a green tea everyday at Jazzman’s. I love the taste of it and knowing that it actually benefits my health, makes it so much better,” Lisa Romano, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.


10 I A&E

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ASHLEY CORRELL/PHOTO STAFF

ASHLEY CORRELL/PHOTO STAFF

Magician Brian Brushwood plays with fire while onstage for Cabrini students. Brushwood performed at Cabrini in Grace Hall on Feb. 9, 2007.

Magician leaves audience dazzled and delighted DIANA VILARES

ASST. PERSPECTIVES EDITOR DVV722@CABRINI.EDU

Magician Brian Brushwood gave a performance at Cabrini on Friday, Feb. 9, that left the audience dazzled and delighted. “I loved it! I say he’s the best magician I’ve seen at Cabrini. I really liked his fire routine - it was amazing,” Rizwan Ishmail, a sophomore Spanish major, said. Brushwood, who opened his show with a home video of himself as a young magician, had a fairly interesting act that drew laughs out of the crowd along with a few whoas and an “are you serious?” During the show, Brushwood made it

very clear to the audience that he specialized “in doing strange and unusual things.” Some of these “unusual” things include transferring fire from one torch to another using his tongue, breaking a concrete builder’s block on his head and hammering a nail into his face while showing no sign of discomfort what so ever. He even manages to work in some extrasensory perception. Two gentlemen were picked at random from the audience. One was blindfolded and the other was asked to draw a picture associated with a word he had picked from a pile of cards. After the picture was drawn, the blindfolded gentleman was asked to draw the image that came to his mind. He

drew a star, a triangle and a box. When the other picture was revealed, the image was of a Christmas tree, which left the audience to decipher whether it was just a coincidence or actual ESP between the two individuals. “I think it was not entirely expected of a magician, but the audience definitely reacted to each trick. It was a good time,” Kathryn M. Roper, a junior graphic design major, said. Brushwood said after the show that when he was in college, magic was “just a hobby.” When asked how Cabrini’s audience compared to other colleges, bigger colleges, he said, “I would much rather have a

small group of people that I know are totally digging the show than a bunch of people and not be able to tell.” Brushwood said, “This was easily the best show I’ve had while touring this whole week.” To learn more about Brian Brushwood visit www.shwood.com. Also, www.bbotr.com is a website with weekly video pod casts of his life on the road and other cool features like lessons on how to do magic tricks. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Campus acts as new home to the local music scene JILLIAN SMITH

ASST. A&E EDITOR

JKS724@CABRINI.EDU

ASHLEY CORRELL/PHOTO STAFF

Reed Kendall helps Cabrini unwind with his calming vocals and use of different instruments.

In the dimly lit coffeeshop setting of Jazzman’s Café, Reed Kendall, wearing jeans and a blue zip up hoodie over a yellow t-shirt, took the stage. Campus activities and programming board presented this 21year-old local singer on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. The curly-haired singer and songwriter, who hails from Ardmore, Pa., performed acoustically his own songs, including “With the Crowd,” “The Door’s Open” and “Then I Started Questioning.” He also covered two Coldplay songs, including “Amsterdam,” where he played the electric piano. He told the audience that he had just learned how to play

a few months ago. He had another musician, Alfred James, on stage with him for most of his songs. James played the electric cello, while switching it up with an electric bass guitar for some songs. During Kendall’s cover of Dave Matthew’s Band’s “The Stone,” James played the introduction on the electric cello and on the didgeridoo simultaneously, which gave off a different sound to the previous music that Kendall had performed before. “This next song is about waking up really early and going out on a boat in Long Island,” Kendall said as he introduced his own song, entitled “Hemlocks.” He also mentioned that he was selling his own CDs for $10 a piece. His hour-long perform-

ance was calming and mellow, which really tuned into the coffee-shop vibe that was present. The small setting allowed students to unwind and just enjoy the music after a long day of classes. With his nice range of vocals and use of different instruments, Kendall truly has an original sound. This down-to-earth 21-year-old is recommended if you dig Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay and John Mayer. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.


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A&E I 11

Become a friend with a criminal on MySpace JESSICA CHESKO

ASST. COPY EDITOR

JNC722@CABRINI.EDU

When you first look at the MySpace profile of Randy Halprin, 29, it looks just like any other profile. It displays his quotes and photographs, favorites and friends. It isn’t until you read Halprin’s blog that you realize he is no ordinary MySpace user. Halprin is a convicted murderer currently on death row in Texas. Crime victim advocates are in an uproar over the revelation that 30 inmates in Texas alone have profiles on the popular web site MySpace. According to USA Today, internet access is not permitted to the inmates, so they get family and friends to do it for them. Andy Kahan, director of the crime and victims office for Houston Mayor Bill White, recently sent a letter to MySpace asking that they remove any profile belonging to a convicted criminal. He also alerted the media, which sparked another debate on free speech. “I think MySpace should remove Randy Halprin’s MySpace page. I think that if they are allowing this type of person to have a MySpace page then only God knows who

else they are allowing to have a page [con- Space profile, he still continues to get his victed rapists, convicted child predators, thoughts out via his own web site. Accordetc],” a member of the Criming to Halprin, his lawyer quesinal Justice Online tioned him about his forum said. MySpace account. Another mem“He was quite ber replied, pissed about the “At least we negative attenknow who tion my Myhe is. He’s Space page o p e n , received honest more so out about of concern who he about my is and w o r d s where being taken he is. I out of conam sure text,” wrote there are Halprin. “I people on understand MySpace that comwho are not pletely- my own who they say words were used they are. Surely against me during they are a bigger danmy first trial. So many CHARLIE GRUGAN/GRAPHIC DESIGNER ger... they are in the free things twisted and misconworld and lying to us about strued. I told him I was only trying who or what they are. Somebody like that to put a human face to death row and I feel scares me a lot more.” obligated to use whatever writing skills I Despite the removal of Halprin’s My- have to do so.”

Halprin later continued by writing, “There are people trying to say that if our family or friends want to access the internet on our behalf they have that right. And I’m going to fight for that, too.” “They are in prison to be punished for th eir crimes, not to have someone post a MySpace page for them, telling the world of their crimes or how sorry they are; it’s not fair to the victim,” sophomore studio arts major Jessica Storm said. “Not to be paranoid, but what if a convicted killer was encoding messages in his MySpace page, instructing a fellow accomplice? It’s just not a good idea to let prisoners have a MySpace page, even if someone else is in control of the content.” Halprin’s MySpace profile is currently inactive but it is unknown whether MySpace intends to remove the profiles of other criminals. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Cabrini Film Society Next Screening: -Where: Widener Lecture Hall -When: February 15th, 7:00 pm -Film: Fernando Meirelles 2002’s “City of God”


12 I A&E

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BOOK REVIEW

‘Walden’ Freshman struggles through his first year of college KAITLIN BARR

BREAK-UPS AND MAKE-UPS KAITLIN BARR

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

KMB738@CABRINI.EDU

Breakups The Distillers The well known band, The Distillers, recently decided to break up. Having been together since 1998, they were known for hard punk rock on their three released albums. Starter of the band, Brody Dalle, has now started his own band with other former The Distillers member Tony Bradley and have named their new band Spinnerette. Other former The Distillers members, Andy Granelli and Ryan Sinn have moved onto other bands as well. Granelli has gone to Darker My Love and Sinn has moved to Angels and Airwaves. Park Park has also decided to break up. They have been together since 1997, and after spending 10 years together, lead singer Ladd Mitchell has opted to end the band. In a released statement, Mitchell wrote that he had personal affairs in his life that he needed to attend to. The band is currently planning to perform a send-off show in Springfield, Ill. which is also their hometown. None More Black After only being together for six years, the band None More Black has chosen to break up. Although the band is considering themselves inactive, the New Jersey/Philadelphia band may decide to occasionally play some shows. The band has released two records during their six years together; the last one being “This is Satire.” Although there is no specific reason as to why the group split, the band was unable to secure stable lineups during their time together. There had been talk of the split circulating for months. During the last few months, the band has been posting quotes from the final episode of Seinfeld on their website. Pretty Girls Make Graves Pretty Girls Make Graves has also decided to end their six year band due to a member quitting. In a released statement, the band said it wouldn’t be fair for them to continue on as a band without their former member, Nick Dewitt. The scheduled tour to be starting in May will still go on, but no official dates have been announced. Versus the Mirror Having only been together for four years, Versus the Mirror has partially broken up. The band will not tour or create new music under their previous name. There are new members included into the band, and they have decided to make music together. This yet-to-be-named project will be announced soon after they are finished writing some new material.

Makeups Van Halen Crowded House Rage Against the Machine Queen A few groups have decided to go back on tour this year. Van Halen has decided to come back to do a summer tour. Dates will soon be announced. One of Australia’s most popular bands of the ’80s and ’90s, Crowded House, is also returning to record and tour. Rage Against the Machine has decided to go on tour starting in April as well as Queen. Most dates have not been announced.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

KMB738@CABRINI.EDU

Most college students go through the same hassles day in and day out. Some situations are better then others, especially with roommates, dorm rooms, classes or the cafeteria, but nothing seemed to go right in the life of Michael T. Dolan’s character “Walden.” This book goes in depth and explores the life of a college freshmen forced to attend the university his entire family has been a part of. Although a very easy book to read, a short 135 pages, it bobbles around from topic to topic, from the early years of his life, right back to his current days at the university. He talks about things such as his terribly annoying roommate, the awful food he had to eat, the classes he did not want to attend as well as the work he refused to do. A definite page turner, the reader wants to continue

on to read of the ridiculous measures Walden takes to take himself out of his current situation, especially at the university. Most people would probably not want to read all of the terrible language associated with the book; however that’s what makes the storyline what it is. A very shocking ending leaves much room for speculation, and doesn’t quite give the answers you may have expected to receive. Some college students, especially incoming freshmen to any university, may enjoy reading “Walden.” This was definitely not a favorite book nor would I recommend it to other women, however boys entering college would mostly find this book humorous and enjoyable. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com . The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL T. DOLAN

Author Michael Dolan resides in West Chester, Pa. In “Walden,” he recalls college days at Villanova.

Oscar frenzy takes Smith’s death still over Hollywood remains a mystery berg’s war drama “Letters for Iwo Jima” is also nominated. The film takes the MCB727@CABRINI.EDU perspective of Japanese solIn Hollywood, the sea- diers, examining letters deson of awards shows is tailing their feelings on an upon us. Recently, the almost certain death. “Little Miss Sunshine” is nominees for the crowning glory of award shows were a brighter film nominated in announced. The Academy this category, telling the Awards will take place on story of a little girl longing to win the title Little Miss Sunday, Feb. 25. Nominated for leading Sunshine in a children’s actor are stars such as beauty pageant despite a Leonardo DiCaprio for his dysfunctional family. Finally in the category role in “Blood Diamond,” of Best Picture is “The Will Smith for “The PurQueen.” This picture resuit of Happyness” and flects the feelings of Forest Whitaker for Queen Elizabeth II in his role in “The Last the days following the King of Scotland.” death of Princess In the category of Diana in 1997. It also Best Actress, high profocuses on the declining file names are abound. monarchy. The actresses nominated Ellen Degeneres is set range in ages. Nomito host awards this year. nated are Dame Judi This will her first time Dench for “Notes on a hosting and her first time Scandal,” Helen Mirren ever appearing in the for “The Queen,” ABC/MCT telecast. According to Meryl Streep for “The Devil Wears Prada,” Kate the program’s producer, Winslet for “Little Chil- Laura Ziskin, “Ellen Dedren,” and Penelope Cruz Generes was born to host the Academy Awards. There for “Volver.” The category of Best is no more challenging Picture includes movies hosting job in show busifrom every genre. “The De- ness. It requires someone parted,” starring DiCaprio, who can keep the show is the violent tale of corrup- alive and fresh and moving, tion in the Massachusetts as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer. state police force. “Babel” is a collabora- Ellen completely fits the tion of interwoven story- bill. I can already tell she is lines that takes place across going to set the bar very the globe. Lives are inter- high for herself and thereconnected with several fore for all of us involved in characters who face bound- putting on the show. Now all we need is a lot of great aries in communication. Producers Clint East- movies.” wood and Steven SpielMONICA BURKE STAFF WRITER

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Anna Nicole Smith at the GPhoria Awards in 2004. NIKKI SABELLA A&E EDITOR

NS722@CABRINI.EDU

The former Playmate, Guess model and reality star known as Anna Nicole Smith, 39, mysteriously died on Feb. 8. Smith was notorious for being famous for well, being famous. Many didn’t know Smith by her real name Vickie Lynn Hogan, but instead knew her as the outrageous personality with the goofy child-like voice. Her face was shown all over television screens even more in a not so bright light only moments after the authorities declared her deceased. It was unclear as to what happened to her. The reports said that she was seen outside of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. when she collapsed. Smith first got recognized when she married 89

year-old oil tycoon, J. Howard Marshall, which many thought was for money. Later in her life, Anna Nicole Smith became a household name from her many different encounters with publicity. From modeling, her selftitled reality TV show and finally being the TrimSpa spokeswoman, Smith had gone through much longer than 15 minutes of fame. “I feel bad for her, but she kind of led a pretty bad life and it wasn’t too surprising,” Chip Tassoni, a sophomore information science major, said. The tabloids were quick to judge the reasons for death. Some of those reasons were murder, drug overdose and depression. However, the investigation has yet to unveil any causes. The autopsy that was done on Friday, Feb. 9 found no signs of drug abuse or drugs in her stomach. The overall consensus was shock. But whether or not the public mourned her death or mocked it was uncertain. Cristina D’Amelio, a senior psychology major, said, “Anna Nicole Smith is the ideal American because she did absolutely nothing to become famous and got a massive amount of money for it. It’s a shame she lived such a shallow life, because she was a person just like everyone else. She deserved to have meaning in her life too.”


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SPORTS I 13


14 I SPORTS

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Thursday Feb. 15, 2007

Women’s basketball defeats Eastern JACKIE TURCHI

ASST. PERSPECTIVES EDITOR JTT723@CABRINI.EDU

The women’s basketball team owned the court Thursday night, Feb. 8, winning 62-37 against backyard revivals, Eastern University. In attendance were students, faculty and the Lady Cavaliers’ devoted family members, who all showed up with their school spirit. Some students showed their school spirit by painting their faces blue and white, others wore homemade tshirts representing certain player’s names and numbers on them, while most people expressed their school spirit verbally. President Antoinette Iadarola enthusiastically expressed her school spirit while cheering with other faculty members. Iadarola, with arms extended to the ceiling, said, “They are spectacular. I am proud of all of our athletic teams. I respect the woman’s basketball team’s hard work and discipline.” Dr. Darryl Mace, assistant professor of history and political science and a relatively new member of the faculty, watched the game with long time vet-

ASHLEY CORRELL/PHOTO STAFF

From left to right: freshman Kasey Agostinacchio, sophomore Brittany McLeod, sophomore Kayleen Smith, sophomore Casey Kyler, sophomore Kate Fetterman, sophomore Nina Williams, freshman Deana DiAmico and sophomore Kate Ryan.

eran of the Cabrini faculty, Dr. James Hedtke, a professor of history and political science. Hedtke said, “Glad to see woman’s team winning traditions back at Cabrini,” as Mace nodded in agreement.

The leading ladies who stole the show were freshman Kate Finfrock and Deana DiAmico and sophomores Kate Ryan, Britt McLeod and Kayleen Smith. Finfrock, who also plays for the women’s volleyball

team during the fall semester, came away with the team high of 20 points against the Eastern Eagles. Finfrock aggressively took initiative by connecting four three-point baskets gaining a 21-point lead within four minutes to ad-

vance the Lady Cavaliers 51-30. Also contributing to the success of the night was DiAmico. The 5 foot, 4 inch point guard was all over the court with six steals, four assists and four points.

Taking what is rightfully theirs, Ryan scored 10 points and four rebounds, McLeod scored six points and 12 rebounds and Smith scored six points and 13 rebounds. With the clock winding down, the score boards final score 62-37 was lit in red numbers for the crowd to see. Eastern University women’s head basketball coach David Storms said, “If we played better it would have been a better game.” Hard work, discipline and talent are how the Lady Cavaliers were able to beat the Eastern Eagles. This win has now left the Lady Cavaliers 15-7 overall and 11-3 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. Women’s basketball ran the string of PAC playoff berths to 14, one of only two schools to make league playoffs all 14 years since PAC began in 1992. Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

This week in sports VICKIE PAPAGEORGE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

VP724@CABRINI.EDU

Chargers’ Coach Fired The coach of the San Diego Chargers, Marty Schottenheimer, was fired from his position on Monday, Feb. 12. It is believed that the relationship between Schottenheimer and the general manager, A.J. Smith, was very rocky which led to Schottenheimer’s release. The deterioration of their relationship began in 2003 when Schottenheimer made recommendations on personal matters that Smith did not agree with. By 2006, the two did not speak at all. As of now, Smith and the Chargers are looking for a new head coach and staff. MLB: Red Sox have best rotation For almost 10 years, the Atlanta Braves have had the best rotation in baseball but this year could be a little different. The Boston Red Sox seem to have the better rotation. With Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Jonathon Papelbon, Jon Lester and Tim Wakefield, the team seems to be showing a more promising rotation than any other in baseball. Blue Jays’ general manager J.P. Ricciardi said, “The Red Sox’s rotation has everything you want to see.” Forsberg: staying in Philly? Former MVP Peter Forsberg has been quiet about his decision whether or not to stay with the Philadelphia Flyers. Forsberg will be a free agent at the end of the season but continually declines to comment about his decision. In an article by the Associated Press, Forsberg said, “It’s not like I wanted to leave. It’s not like I wanted out of here. I like it here.” Currently he is concentrating on the lingering issues with his right foot which has kept him out of 16 games this season. He has visited numerous doctors to find out why his foot has not felt right in his skates and recently commented that it has improved. Georgetown comes out on top The Georgetown Hoyas finished their stretch of games on Monday, Feb. 12. with a 71-53 win over West Virginia. They have extended their winning streak to eight games in a row. The Hoyas have beaten Louisville, Marquette and West Virginia in a six-day span. In Monday’s game, they shot 58 percent and out-rebounded West Virginia 35-19. Georgetown player Jeff Green said in an article by the Associated Press, “We’re just coming together as a team. Our team chemistry has been pretty good the past few games. We’ve just got to keep going throughout the Big East, and hopefully it gets better.”

UPCOMING GAMES Thursday, Feb. 15 Women’s Basketball at Goucher (5:30 p.m.) Men’s Basketball at Gwynedd-Mercy (8p.m.) Saturday, Feb. 17 Women’s Track and Field at Kent State Tune Up Men’s Track and Field at Kent State Tune Up Friday, Feb. 23 Women’s Track and Field at NYU Fastrack (4 p.m.) Men’s Track and Field at NYU Fastrack (4 p.m.) Saturday, Feb. 24 Men’s Lacrosse at Washington and Lee (1 p.m.) Saturday, March 3 Men’s Lacrosse at Guilford (1 p.m.) Wednesday, March 7 Men’s Lacrosse vs. Widener (4 p.m.) Friday, March 9 Men’s Lacrosse vs FDU-Florham (6 p.m.)


SPORTS I 15

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Thursday Feb. 15, 2007

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Robinson’s legacy lives on PATRICK MCGOWAN STAFF WRITER

PVM722@CABRINI.EDU

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” Jackie Robinson had said once. As the first African-American Major League Baseball player, Robinson has had a huge impact on sports, especially baseball. Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he showed his great potential. While at UCLA, Robinson played a variety of sports such as baseball, football, basketball and track. Once out of college, however, Robinson enlisted in the Army before he had a chance to play professionally. Robinson enlisted in the Army in 1942. While in the Army, he would be courtmartialed for not moving to the back of the bus, much earlier than Rosa Parks made her stand by not moving. Robinson would be acquitted of charges. In 1944, Robinson went to play for the Negro Baseball League since African-

Americans were not accepted in the major leagues. In 1945, a man by the name of Branch Ricky wanted to change this. After watching Robinson play for a little bit, Ricky had Robinson sign a contract with the minor league team, the Montreal Royals, and in 1947 Robinson would receive a uniform for the Brooklyn Dodgers. “They knew he could take it and he wouldn’t flip out,” Delta Benoit, a sophomore English and communication major, said in regards to the reaction of fans at the time. Since baseball had been segregated up until that point, the fans were not happy about an AfricanAmerican playing in the major leagues. Despite the initial welcome, fans would eventually come to accept Robinson, with even “The Sporting News,” who were at first were opposed to the integration, awarding Robinson his first Rookie of the Year. Benoit points to Robinson’s never-quit attitude as

one of the major reasons why people began to like him. As Robinson once said, “Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants

Jackie Robinson’s career

Although Jackie Robinson is remembered most as the man who broke baseball’s color line, he also made an impact as a player. He appeared in six World Series and was named an All-Star six times.

Background Born: Jan. 31, 1919 Birthplace: Cairo, Ga. Died: Oct. 24, 1972 Height: 5'-11" Weight: 204 lbs. Batted: Right Threw: Right Minor league: Kansas City Monarchs, 1945 (Negro leagues); Montreal Royals, 1946 (International League) Major league: Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947–56 Highest salary: $42,500 in 1956

Careerhighlights Games played: 1,382 Career batting avg.: .311 Runs scored: 947 Hits: 1,518 Extra-base hits: 464 Home runs: 137 RBI: 734 Stolen bases: 197 (led NL in his rookie year with 29 stolen bases) World Series: 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956 All-Star games: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 Awards: National League rookie of the year, 1947; NL MVP, 1949; Hall of Fame, 1962

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CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player in 1947. The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962.

Middlebrook leads Lady Cavs into post-season

SPORTS PERSPECTIVE

Disney recently made Papaleʼs story into amovie called “Invincible.”

to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you are ahead.”

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT

Rocky Balboaʼs fictional life story proves very inspiring.

Philadelphia legends inspire JASON RADKA SPORTS EDITOR

JNR722@CABRINI.EDU

The Liberty Bell. “Wiz with or wiz without?” Independence Hall. The Vet and the Italian market. These are some of the sights and sounds of Philadelphia. Sure, these are all important cultural parts of Philadelphia, but these sights don’t make people post death threats, or like one critic of Philadelphia sports said, “If there was a rain out for a Phillies game, the fans would go to the airport and boo planes landing.” Fightin’ Phillies, the Broad Street Bullies, Blitz inc., and the Sixers are all names that Philadelphia sports fans have adopted for their beloved team. Philadelphia is a city that weighs much of its own pride in their beloved sports teams. The city of brotherly love’s sports are also captured on the big screen, in “Rocky” and “Invincible.” Sure, these teams and nicknames represent Philadelphia as a sports city, but what sports spectacle figure stands by the go hard or go home no holds barred Philadelphia blue collar mentality? A true Philadelphia sports icon is an athlete that has sweat and bled on the

Philadelphia streets. He’s scraped his knees and broken bones on the asphalt. That icon is the underdog. The names that comes to mind are South Philadelphia’s own Rocky Balboa, and Glenolden native, Vince Papale. We all know Rocky would beat Papale in a fight, but who better represents the city? Your answer is Vince Papale. Not to put Rocky down, but he doesn’t exist. Although a strong reminder of the existence of Rocky is a statue that overlooks the city from the art museum, the Vince Papale story is true. Although Papale only caught ten balls for one touchdown in his offensive career, Papale was noted for his heart and special teams intensity. The story of Papale and his importance in Philadelphia sports history, is that a low-income bartender and substitute teacher made it through a rigorous Eagles training camp and onto the field at Veteran’s stadium. Papale is still the oldest rookie in football history. Papale was named special teams captain and “Man of the Year” by his teammates in 1978. Papale helped lead his team to soon to be crowned football coach, Dick Vermeil.

JASON RADKA/SPORTS EDITOR

PATRICK MCGOWAN STAFF WRITER

PVM722@CABRINI.EDU

Sharae Middlebrook, no. 22, leads the women’s basketball team this season. The Lady Cavalier’s basketball team is made of younger players who seek to learn from the veteran. Middlebrook, a junior English and communication major, comes from Philadelphia, Pa., where she attended Central High School. Middlebrook began playing basketball for the Cavaliers as a guard. This is now the third season for Middlebrook. Middlebrook is the only junior on a team full of sophomores and freshmen. Being the oldest member of the team, Middlebrook feels a little responsibility for the younger players, although she does realize they are about the same age as she. Middlebrook feels confident about the team, which she says is extremely talented. Currently, the team record is 13 wins and six losses. “I expect that we will do well and we won’t lose without a fight,” Middlebrook said.


Thursday Feb. 15, 200

SPORTS I 16

www.theloquitur.com

Campus Announcements YADIRA TOLEDO EVENTS EDITOR

YRT722@CABRINI.EDU

Valentine’s Day dance On Thursday, Feb. 15, CAP board calls students to the Grace Hall Atrium to celebrate Valentine’s Day with music and dancing. The celebration is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. and continue until 1 a.m. For more information please contact Ashley Shoenfelt at (610) 9028461 or via e-mail at als732@cabrini.edu. St. Jude’s benefit dinner Up ‘til Dawn and Cabrini College’s executive chef Rodney S. Stockett will be hosting a benefit dinner for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. Accomplished chefs will prepare culinary dinners; guests will have the chance to choose from appetizer and main dishes such as, shrimp, filet mignon, lobster, chicken, lamb, duck and more. There will also be a dessert display and a wine bar. Tickets are limited and will cost $40; ticket sales will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. For more information please contact Anne Filippone at (610) 902-8407 or via email at af727@cabrini.edu. CAP board give-away/ movie Cabrini students are urged by the CAP board to join them on Saturday, Feb. 17 in the Widener Lecture Hall for a movie. Several people in attendance will leave with a give-away worth up to $100. For more information please contact Ashley Shoenfelt at (610) 902-8461 or via e-mail at als732@cabrini.edu.

KASEY MINNICK/ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

NCAA champion Tony Gregory was honored on Feb. 8 for his accomplishments in track and field. Gregory is no long a student at Cabrini.

Athletics honors Gregory’s first NCAA Division III title KASEY MINNICK

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

KM735@CABRINI.EDU

On Feb. 8, during the halftime of the Cabrini men’s basketball game, a banner and a plaque were awarded to Tony Gregory, Cabrini’s first National Collegiate Athletic Association Champion in Division III for indoor triple jump. Cabrini chose to honor Gregory, desepite the fact that he is no longer enrolled as a student at the college. Tony Gregory, a native of Levittown, Pa., showed champion-like promise in 2003 at Pennsbury High School where he helped his team capture the Pennsylvania State Track Coaches Association indoor title, taking away a gold medal along with his relay team. Later, as a senior, he earned Suburban One League outdoor titles in the 100 meters and the triple jump. After graduation, Gregory decided to

follow in his athletic brothers’ footsteps to Lincoln University. But one day at practice, Gregory hurt his knee and was only able to compete in one meet. After his injury at Lincoln, Gregory decided to enroll at Cabrini for several reasons. His decision to transfer came partly from wanting to be closer to home and to experience the hands-on coaching that he would receive from being a part of a smaller college team. With a strained hamstring all season, Gregory had not yet qualified for the NCAA championships as the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships were taking place. Gregory needed to reach the NCAA qualifying standard of 45 feet and 11 inches and did so on his last jump. With the rest of the season coming down to this last jump, Gregory launched himself down the runaway ending 14 inches beyond his previous best. It was now Gregory’s time to compete for a national championship.

With the rest of the season coming down to this last jump, Gregory launched himself down the runaway ending 14 inches beyond his previous best. It was now Gregory’s time to compete for a national championship. On March 11, 2006 Gregory’s determination paid off. He upset the favorites to win the men’s triple jump at the NCAA Division III indoor championships. Not only did Gregory win the Eastern College Athletic Conference with a final leap of 47 feet, but now he is able to wear his gold medal around his neck whenever he wants. Gregory said, “I thought I would be a student here at Cabrini to accept this, but we are trying to work out the money issue to get me back here. It’s just great and I hope I can come back.” President Antoinette Iadarola, who helped present the award, said, “This is an awesome honor for Tony, for his family and for Cabrini College.”

OSA fast cash bingo The Office of Student Activities invites students to play a few games of bingo on Monday, Feb. 19 in Jazzman’s. Winners are guaranteed to walk-away with cash prizes. This particular event is scheduled to begin promptly at 9 p.m. For more information please contact Ashley Shoenfelt at (610) 902-8461 or via e-mail at als732@cabrini.edu. DUI: a powerful lesson with Mark Sterner Cabrini will host guest speaker Mark Sterner on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the Grace Hall Atrium at 7 p.m. Sterner will share his story of a spring break trip that quickly turned into a nightmare for Sterner and three of his fraternity brothers. In this story, he will tell what happens when drinking and driving claims the lives of your friends. To learn more about Sterner please check out www.campuspeak.com/speakers/sterner . For more information please contact Ashley Shoenfelt at (610) 902-8461 or via e-mail at als732@cabrini.edu.


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