December 8, 2010 - Vol. 52, Issue 13

VOL. 51, ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 8 , 2010

Mace & Crown Student newspaper of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, since 1930

OLD DISPUTES COME TO A BOIL IN KOREA

Korean students worry about situation across the Pacific by

Christian Ernst News Editor

Tensions have been increasing of late in the Far East, as North and South Korea are at odds, having both taken military actions in disputed areas of the ocean off the coast of the peninsula. Not only could this cause major concerns for the entire world, but some students are already concerned with the actions.

Alan Patrick is a student at Old Dominion and is of Korean decent.

“My mother is Korean from Seoul, where I was born. My mom still has 8 sisters one brother in Korea the Seoul area,” Patrick said.

Seung Kim is also a student at ODU, but he had remained in Korea until he was 14.

“I’m Korean,” said Kim. “This may sound just simplistic justification of my race, but it is more than what it is hidden behind these words. Growing up, we (as students in Korea) have been taught to be nationalistic that even one will able to fine in pledge of allegiance. Also, Korea has this system where all the men are mandatory to serve the country around age of 21. So, this means that all my friends who have joined military are ready to go to war. So, most of my friends’ life is on the steak who have been in base camp.”

Kim could also be drawn into the war, he said. He would be included in the draft process if war were to break out, and could need to fly back to Korea if he were called.

Both students expressed concern as to what could happen if North Korea and President Kim Jong Il decide to take further militaristic action.

The tensions between the nations have been heated because of military action near Yeonpteong Island, which is in disputed waters. Although North Korea claims the island, South Korea has legal claim to it according to the United Nations, who made the decision after the Korean War in the 1950’s.

“What scares me is the situation as a whole,” Patrick said. “The fact I have multiple family members there t h a t are in danger while they did absolutely nothing. Also that South Korea has been bullied all of its existence from Japan to North Korea they just established a new rebuilt foundation South Korea is finally stable and healthy if it were to be taken over again I don’t know how long or if it would be revived depending the outcome.”

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“The biggest part that scares me is that now what North Korea would do?” said Kim. “And how China would react to this issues? Plus, what about the nuclear weapons that they have created? Because Korea is like a big city, that once nuclear bomb hits, not only million people will die, but due to so many buildings the radioactivity will be within Korea’s atmosphere that causes series of trouble.”

China plays an important role in the situation, as it is so close to the problem and is currently North Korea’s closest ally. Although talks between the North and South have currently halted, China has been working on bringing the two to the table to work out something.

The United States plays a similar role, as South Korea’s closest ally. Japan also supports South Korea, and both are working toward denuclearizing the Northern state.

The students both said they hope that the United States would police the situation if it became any more heated.

Neither student seemed to have a clear view of the situations future.

“Looking at right now, this is the rising of a threat,” said Kim. “First, North Korea wants to be in power, and throughout communication she has been saying varieties of statements that she would destroy U.S.” Kim also said that he believed North Korea desires to be a superpower, and that this is just showing the things it can do to establish that.

“What scares me is the situation as a whole,” Patrick said. “The fact I have multiple family members there that are in danger while they did absolutely nothing.”

Patrick also said that South Korea is finally starting to establish itself after being bullied throughout its early existence, and that this could seriously damper that process.

The future of the situation is murky, and both students seem worried.

“I feel actions will be taken purely because this was unnecessary and South Korea does not want to be bullied and run over again so I feel they will do anything to prevent that,” Patrick said. “Hopefully a war does not happen but again both sides are not afraid to start one that’s the scariest part.”

“Well, I’m a college student who came from Korea at age of 14, and news like this scares me in a sense of relationship between North Korea and South Korea,” Kim said. “I often joked around saying ‘we are all brothers and sisters, but just have tiny different belief’ and ‘North Korea is just bored with their bombs or not enough land to test bombs that they are doing such an action’, but now it is no time to joke around or stating those statement. I hope situation gets better soon.”

A Hampton Roads tradition: The Jingle Bell Walk see B8

Holiday play at University Theater brings Christmas cheer, tears see B1

“Bomb scare” no dud for ODU students Recent details from incident shift concerns back to campus safety Stuart Miller Editor in Chief

by

As Old Dominion University students prepare for finals, the last thing on their minds should be safety concerns. After the campus was shaken by a string of robberies the necessary measures were taken to prevent such events from happening in the future.

The recent “bomb scare” that occurred on the 1500 block of 42nd street on November 29th has brought these safety issues full circle once again as students have been showcasing their displeasure towards the situation.

“It was definitely an important issue that the university needed to address and they failed to,” said ODU student Sarah Vance. “I can’t believe we didn’t get ODU safety alerts for this!”

The emotions have been mixed throughout ODU’s campus as more details from the original incident have emerged, showing exactly what the students’ intentions were. Again the safety on and around campus was called into question, but the difference this time around didn’t have everything to do with the lack of response.

“Even though anyone can see that the students shouldn’t have been mixing chemicals,” said ODU student Zachary Mallette. “The response to see SAFETY A5

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Mace & Crown staff Stuart Miller Editor in Chief smill073@odu.edu

Megan Morrow Assistant to the Editor in Chief mmorr032@odu.edu

Chynna Steve Copy Editor cstev016@odu.edu

Christian Ernst News Editor cerns002@odu.edu

Chelsea DeAngio Arts & Entertainment Editor cdean006@odu.edu

Garrison Cole Sports Editor gcole015@odu.edu

Nick Liedel Advertising Director nlied001@odu.edu

Sarah Nadeau Design Director sarah.nadeau7@gmail.com

Danielle Buxton Photography Editor dbuxton08@gmail.com

Jessica Starr News Assistant Jillian Baylor News Assistant Alyssa Odango Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Rachel Chasin Photography Assistant Staff Writers: Matthew McCracken Ben Decowski Donnell Coley Leslea Kuhrt Kevin Hollister Diane Dougherty Donnell Williams Jessica Piland Robbie Ciara Travis Kennedy Amanda David Janah Stokes Dustin Jensen Katie Davis Jillian Baylor William Channel Siaga Johnson Ka’Lyn Banks Martin Tucker Staff Photographers: Jake Zimmerman Loni Earley Anna Nguyen General Information: The Mace & Crown is a newspaper published by and written for the students of Old Dominion once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer.

Originally founded in 1930 as the The High Hat, the paper became the Mace & Crown in 1961.

The Mace & Crown is a primarily self-supporting newspaper,maintaining journalistic independance from the university.

All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the University, Mace & Crown, or the editors.

Contact Information: Phone: 757-683-3452 Fax: 757-683-3459 Advertising: 757-683-4773

AIDS Week by

William Channel Staff Writer

A Celebration of Life This past week ODU celebrated AIDS Week. It was a week of AIDS awareness, support and testing. The hope was to get as many people as possible tested for HIV and to explain the truths from the rumors about HIV. To do this, they offered sex workshops, panel discussions, and testing throughout the week.

AIDS Week is centered on World AIDS day, which is December 1. This is something that ODU has been doing for at least three years now. To celebrate this occasion, TRUST, iCare, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., CSCE, SAC, Gamma Sigma Sigma, TACT (Tidewater AIDS Community Taskforce) credit Mace & Crown and Access AIDS came together to create the schedule events and support the event. This Quilts hung throughout Webb center during the week to commemorate the lives of people includes the free AIDS testing each year. who have died from aids. AIDS week was presented as a way to raise AIDS awareness.

TACT and Access AIDS are helping with research to find a cure for AIDS and there have There are 6,000 quilts currently being spread ing out of condoms in high traffic areas like across the world for AIDS Day, but they only the parking garages instead of just around the been four new strains of the AIDS virus disrepresent s about 17 percent of all that have Webb. covered recently. died from the disease. When looking at these But of all the quilts that hung in the Webb, “We hope to be able to offer free AIDS there is one AIDS memorial quote that stood testing every day of AIDS Week next year panels it is hard to think of it in a way other than as the memoirs of the people who have out and explained what AIDS week was instead of just the last two,” Tiffany Palmer, died, but Todd Fogel, a HIV/AIDS educaabout. events coordinator in T.R.U.S.T., said. This “A patchwork of lives sewn in thousands year they expect to have 180 tests done and tional speaker, said that it is not so much of a memoir of their death but instead a “celebraof names; there must be someone that you hope to increase the number by next year. tion of their life.” know. Woven together in a quilted frame: However, AIDS week isn’t just about the However, the strange thing is that very few Names! The loved ones won’t let go: And I free testing and informative lectures. It is people have even heard about World AIDS know that my name could be there, and I feel also a time of remembering those that have had AIDS and died of it. This is shown in Day, even though it has been going on for the pain and the fear. And as human love and the quilts. A quilt contains eight 3x6 panels 23 years for AIDS week. Symone Mercado, passion do not make us all the same, we are special events chair of SAC, explained that counted not as numbers but as names.” (this size being picked because it is the size of a typical human grave), and each panel they are hoping to increase publicity next year with more guest speakers and the handrepresent one person that has died of AIDS.

Meetings every Tuesday at 12:30 in the U-Center No experience needed Write for news, sports, arts & entertainment or take photos! pick up a copy every wednesday

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ODU Propeller Club Volunteers at International Seamen’s House

by Kelly Rider Contributing Writer

The International Seamen’s House is not a place even many local Norfolk citizens have heard about. Tucked away on a small side street near downtown Norfolk, the Seamen’s House is just one of 900 centers located near ports all around the world. The Seamen’s Friend Society, a non-profit interdenominational agency, provides a home away from home for seafarers from all across the globe. Cable TV, games, books (available in a variety of languages), and refreshments are provided by the Seamen’s Friend Society at no cost to the seamen. Also inside the house an oldfashioned telephone booth can be found conveniently placed in a downstairs corner where the seamen are welcome to use it to call their home country. Another service this non-profit provides is transportation to and from local shipping centers for all of the seamen’s shopping needs. The home is run by the religious organization Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea and relies on volunteers, such as Polly Glassburner, to keep the home in working condition.

Thanks to Polly and all the other volunteers who keep this place running, this quaint little home is an ideal place for international seamen to spend the day relaxing.

In addition to the International Seamen’s House’s regular volunteers, once a month members from the ODU Propeller Club pitch in and volunteer their time cleaning the House. Mops, brooms, and vacuums are pushed around while tables are dusted and sinks are scrubbed. This may not sound like an exciting volunteer opportunity, but for the Propeller Club it is not just about the cleaning, but about the socializing and getting the chance to give back to the maritime community.

“Helping out with The Seaman’s House has been a wonderful experience. They are selflessly facilitating an environment where Merchant Mariners can go in order to relax after long voyages at sea, visit local shops in the community and just see what the

credit Mace & Crown

The ODU PC was established in 1992 and currently has 80 members.

Hampton Roads has to offer! Also, the experience of working with student peers has also been a social character building experience that has been fun and intrinsically rewarding.”- Alfred Hull, ODU PC President In addition to volunteering once a month, the ODU PC in conjunction with the Propeller Club, Port of Norfolk (ODU PC’s parent organization) annually present the Seamen’s House a check that goes towards cleaning supplies and general operational needs.

The Seamen’s Friend Society is thankful for both the Propeller Club’s monetary and time contributions. Without the help and support of people like the members of the Propeller Club, the Seamen’s House would not be possible.

On Saturday November 20th, eight ODU students could be seen laughing and joshing each other in front of the Seamen’s House.

Members present included: Alfred Hull (President), Bucky Snell, Chris Cooper (Treasurer), John Lindsay, Laura Ancian, Mike Ayivorh, Kelly Rider (Senior Vice President), and Whitney Ford (Secretary). An outsider might look upon this scene and think there was a party going on with all the laughter in the air. Donuts and juice were brought by the Club’s president for all the volunteers to enjoy. Laura Ancian, a new member of the Propeller Club, reflects on her experience at the Seamen’s House: “It was the first time I ever volunteered at the Seamen’s House, and I have to admit that it was a tremendous and rewarding experience. The interaction with the other members of the Propeller Club was really nice; we worked together, as a team, in order to help out for a good cause: how great is that?! I will definitely do it again!”

The ODU PC was established in 1992 and currently has 80 members. The club offers monthly meetings with maritime-related guest speakers, monthly luncheons with the Norfolk Propeller Club, as well as scheduled tours of various transportation, logistics, and military facilities. On Friday, November 19th, the club was offered an interesting tour of the Lockheed Martin Center for Innovation facility located across the Elizabeth River in Suffolk.

During the tour the students were allowed to try the various simulators the company has created, including a helicopter, naval ship, and Hummer. The club is hopeful that more ODU students will become interested and take advantage of the great opportunities it has to offer. One idea the club is currently proposing for the spring, is an introductory golf course. The entire School of Business and Public Administration will be invited to this event and are encouraged to take advantage of the great networking opportunities it will provide.

If you have any questions regarding opportunities within the Propeller Club or are interested in becoming a member, please contact Alfred Hull at ahull002@odu.edu.

The low-down on ODU Out Homo101 teaches the community about a different lifestyle by

Elizabeth Mazorra Staff Writer

In the Newport News Room at Webb Center, three giant screens on one side of the room, all with an image of a rainbow flag proudly, were hanging from the ceiling. A table and five seats were neatly placed below one of the screens, patiently waiting for the speakers who would soon occupy those chairs. Groups of people huddled around the refreshments table, talking to one another, the majority of them wearing shirts that had rainbow-colored sound bars, with the bottom of the shirts reading “Out Loud!” In a room where stereotypes and gender roles don’t exist, the members of ODU Out, the campus lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersexual and allies/asexual (LGBTQIA), held a program called “Homo 101;” the program’s intent was to help people understand the struggles that the LGBTQIA students and community face on a day to day basis.

Around 7 p.m. in the Newport News, Ryan “Red” West, the president of ODU Out, asked everyone to sit down and announced that the program would be beginning. Along with him on the panel were students Kim G., Dylan W., Alex D., and graduate student Katie McDaniel. As everyone sat down, McDaniel began a video that started out optimistic about the lives of LGBTQIA students, but soon began to show the darker side to what these students have to go through. Hate signs, murders and, a topic that has become recently noticed, anti-gay bullying. Her video showed various students who were killed for being gay, as well as students who committed suicide, such as Tyler Clementi. When the video ended, West asked the students who sat in the audience how they felt.

Some replied that they felt it was effective and that they felt a myriad of emotions. McDaniel decided to narrow the responses and asked, “Was anybody not pissed off during the video?”

No one raised their hand.

McDaniel then proceeded to introduce herself and her husband, who is active in the military. She told the audience there what they could expect from the program and what they hoped to achieve; a better understanding of the gay community. She hoped not to sound mean, but she did not want the topic of sexuality “to matter.

I don’t want people to care. I want to show that we’re all just people first.” She talked about her graduate classes at ODU, explained how “Homo 101” was a project she was doing for her teacher, and made it a stark point—without saying so—that she was not going to tell us her sexuality as part of her introduction.

After McDaniel spoke, West asked everyone to participate in the next exercise, which was first done by Robin Oats. Everyone was handed a sheet of paper asking what people’s general sexuality was overall, their sexual attractions and their fantasies. Students were to answer with a number in reference to the Kinsey scale. The Kinsey scale is a set of numbers from zero to six—zero means completely heterosexual and six means completely homosexual, while the number three meant bisexual with an equal affinity towards both genders. The students were moved to another room where the numbers zero through six were taped on a floor, and were asked to move to this numbers each time a question corresponded to that number. The exercise proved that, truthfully, everyone is a little gay. Interestingly enough, Kinsey’s research has stated that if a person lies on zero or six—completely heterosexual or completely homosexual, respectively—then there is something wrong with that person.

After the students were all returned to the Newport News Room, they all had a small speed-dating activity to get to know each other better. The students enjoyed their time together, but were soon returned to their seats where the topic of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was discussed. Some of the ODU Out members were interviewed

by WAVY News 10 about the repealing of DADT, and how that would better the military and the closeted individuals who are serving. Speaking as a person who is active duty military, McDaniel’s husband said, “It’s stupid. Why are we still having this con-

versation in 2010?” He explained to the students that he’d rather have someone extremely qualified for their job; if they happen to be gay it doesn’t matter. He also explained to the students that even those who retire from the military cannot be “out,” since they can technically be called back into service.

The panel at the table told the students their coming out stories and the troubles they faced when they were finally out. Kim G. said, “It’s a lot easier now. You never wanna feel like you’re hiding something from somebody you love.” Dylan W., though not completely accepted by his father, said “I don’t think I should have to say that I’m gay…I define myself as me.” He did not want have “I’m gay” be his tagline for his introductions. Alex P., who recently discovered he was bisexual, realized his sexuality when he felt strong feelings for a male and female. He strongly believes that just because he is bisexual, or just because anyone is bisexual, it does not mean that they are promiscuous. Finally, West told the students his own complicated coming out story; he told the audience his confusion with boys, his struggle with religion and his fears at high school. However, the students in his old high school, who once made fun of others for seeming gay, accepted West. West became popular in his school and started the first Gay-Straight Alliance in his high school. Although he is currently dating a male, he has recently considered himself “awesome-sexual,” because he is “only going to be with people I see as awesome.” After the program, the students hung around to talk with each other and continue sharing their experiences. Everyone in that room really seemed to love the rainbow.

ODU Out will be having another program in the spring called Trans-Talk, where transsexual students discuss their lives and the struggles they face. ODU Out meets every other Tuesday during activity hour. The days they do not have meetings, they have a “Gaymes Night” at 7 p.m. Students do not have to be LGBTQIA students to join.

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Tour at the TFC Tidewater Fibre Corp is doing a “Dirty Job” to clean up the Earth

by Nick Liedel Advertising Director

“If you have ever seen Mike Rowes Dirty Jobs, this is it.” Kathy Russell– Pull out quote or something I think we should make this quote really big and the start of the article.

Members of the SGA and G Green committee went on a “dirty” adventure Thursday morning, Nov 18. A group of students and faculty were guided by TRC’s Education Representative, Kathy Russell, on a tour of the Tidewater Fibre Corporation (TFC) facilities. The tour was held at one of TFC’s four recycling locations. The Chesapeake location is where this group got an inside look at how residential and commercial waste gets sorted, recycled, bundled and then sold or reused.

Some interesting aspects of the Chesapeake facility were presented during the tour. The sheer volume of material that is processed each day is impressive enough. “We process 40 tons of material per hour, on a good day,” said Russell. Also striking, yet astonishing, are the different kinds of materials that go through the facility, ranging from electronics to diapers. The most harmful materials that are received at TFC are plastic bags and aerosol cans. Both are big no-nos at TFC! Perhaps the most important part of the facility are the workers. TFC employs around 150 people. These include truck drivers, administration and the people doing most of the “dirty” work, the pickers. Another significant aspect of TFC is their community outreach and plans for future expansion of services and recycling education.

What goes through the TFC recycling center and where does it come from? The Chesapeake location serves the recycling needs of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk. On a larger scale, the TFC provides waste solutions to over 700,000 homes across Virginia and North Carolina. The services that TFC provides include the curbside pickup of small containers and also curbside collection of single stream recycling. The advantage of the single stream system is that residents put all of their recyclables into one large bin.

So which materials are allowed into those bins? TFC accepts mixed-recyclable paper,

Courtesy of Drew Marmo The laser imagery system at TFC scans all recyclable materials.

plastic labeled “1” or “2”, aluminum cans and glass. Once these materials arrive at TFC, they are taken to their separate destination. The final location is determined by the state of the art, and quite expensive, sorting system.

Paper materials are sorted in respective “bunkers” and are bailed into cube-like blocks that can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Plastic

materials are processed in a similar way and are bailed just like paper materials. Both paper and plastic are sold and reused by customers for other purposes. Aluminum cans are bailed into 1500 plus pound cubes and then sent to Anheuser Busch in Williamsburg. The cans are reused in their facilities as non-virgin materials. Some plastic has been used in carpet making. Approximately three plastic bottles make one square foot of carpet.

TFC has a special place for the glass. As most of the glass is already broken, and the colors are so different, glass is not recycled at TFC. Glass is reused in a number of different ways. Glass can be used as a landfill cover and can be used in certain road mixes for low-traffic roadways. The glass at TFC has two other options in development. If the glass can get cleaned enough, it can be used in counter tops and in concrete mixes.

The stuff that is not considered recyclable, the “residue,” is burned in a separate facility which provides electricity for TFC. All materials arrive at TFC on trucks contain-

Courtesy of Drew Marmo Materials are lifted onto the converyer system from the “Tipping Floor.”

ing residential and commercial recyclables. The materials are then taken to what is called the “Tipping Floor.” This is the first stop for the materials at TFC. They do not stay long, because with the help of some heavy machinery, the materials are lifted onto the conveyor system. If you do not feel dirty yet, he comes some more dirty work. The materials go up the conveyor system and next pass by the pickers.

The pickers do some of the dirtiest work at TFC. However dirty this work is, it is vital to the process at TFC. The pickers are responsible for sorting the materials for things that are not supposed to be entering the facility. The different materials that are removed from the conveyor system are incredible. On the day of the tour, the group saw a few interesting items that were being removed, including a car seat. In the past, a particular item that caused the machines to shutdown was a wooden shoe that stopped production for a short time.

Other than car seats and wooden shoes, TFC has seen a lot of farfetched items reach their facility. TFC receives all sorts of items that must be removed from the conveyor line. If these foreign materials make it past the pickers, they are screened by the laser imagery system that catches these materials and removes them. The imagery system is crucial to the safety of the machines. These machines allow TFC to scan and sort acceptable materials into proper locations to be bailed and then sent to market.

One of the biggest problems that TFC must deal with is the fact that some of the households or business do not know what items to recycle.

TFC receives tons of unacceptable materials.

The problem is that the people recycling these items do not know the effects the materials have on the machinery at TFC. The two biggest culprits are plastic bags and aerosol cans. Both of these items are harmful to the environment as well as the machinery at TFC. In the past, TFC has experienced several accidents. An aerosol can was put into the wrong

Courtesy of Drew Marmo Pickers are removing unacceptable materials from the conveyer system.

receptacle on a truck headed to TFC. The aerosol can was punctured during removal and caught the entire truck on fire. This fire caused over $200,000 in damages and burned the driver.

As for plastic bags, these are an instant headache for TFC. If a plastic bag makes it past the pickers and is caught in the machinery the entire plant must “lock-out and tag-out.” This means that the machines have to be turned off and the plastic bags must be physically unwrapped and cut from the inner workings of the machine.

Just think if these problematic items were not received by TFC how much more they could be recycling each day.

The tour concluded with a discussion of Kathy Russell’s real job at TFC, besides giving tours of the facility. Being the Education Rep, she teaches schools in Hampton Roads about how to develop responsible waste solution systems.

During that week in November, Mrs. Russell had visited around 1,200 young students around Hampton Roads. The pilot recycling program started in 2006 in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. TFC provides schools with single stream recycling systems just as in residential areas. This program has diverted more than

2,000,000 pounds of recyclables from landfills.

Before the group returned the hardhats and safety goggles, Mrs. Russell talked about why she loves her job. Her job is important not only for Hampton Roads and its residents, but also for the environment. TFC helps keep garbage out of the reach of animals, on land and at sea. The pollution of the animal’s habitat has a direct effect on the food chain. Animals are eating more plastic than following a normal diet. “Call me a tree-hugger, but I do not care. You have to think about those things,” said Russell.

The idea of recycling should not stop at TFC. Here at Old Dominion, there have been efforts from our very own recycling department to increase the recycling efforts on campus. Committees and student organizations have hosted events to get students and faculty involved.

Many more events will be coming next semester including Recycle Mania starting Jan 23. Also be on the look out for the Sustainability Forum on Jan 19. If students wish to participate in these events or have other “green” ideas, bring them to the attention of student organizations and committees who can put the plan into action.

Courtesy of Drew Marmo Bails of aluminum are waiting to be transported to Williamsburg for Anheuser-Busch.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | A5 Safety from A1 the situation seemed a bit over-reacted compared it to the reaction of law officials on recent robberies, muggings, and even stabbings that are occurring all over campus.”

While law officials were merely following protocol by responding to the call of a concerned citizen, the ODU students under scrutiny have since been exposed for what they truly are. Students.

As more seemed to unfold from the “bomb scare” word got out that all of the efforts towards the bomb-making stemmed from an assignment from one of the arrested students’ classes. As members of ODU professor Natalie Bray’s “Fundamentals of Digital Arts” course, students were

asked to create a 30 iMovie clip of a cause or an effect based on which option they drew out of a hat. The chosen idea was then to be swapped with a classmate who was to film the opposite of the first classmate.

“At first I can understand the severity,” said ODU student Kyle Bundick. “But after finding out what exactly they were making, I don’t think they should get in trouble for a damn school project.”

Bundick’s take on the situation is one of many heard from ODU students as the event has continued to unfold since the flurry of police, the fire department, and news reporters surrounded the 42nd street duplex.

“I’m just saying that I would love to see the same enthusiasm they give for outstanding accusations and alcohol charges that they due for more serious and fatal reoccurring issues around Old Dominion University.” said Mallette.

Even though the incident has since lost some of its severity amongst the ODU community Battalion Chief Harry Worley of the Norfolk Department of Fir and Rescue stressed the importance of the situation.

“I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous these things are,” said Worley. “They are made with possible fluids that if they do spray on an individual they can cause severe damage.”

After evaluating the scene on 42nd the area was eventually rendered “clear” by Fire departMegan Morrow Mace & Crown ment local news stations broadcasted the event Norfolk police searched the inside the duplex that took place while no outreach was provided for more evidence

by ODU to concerned members of the univer-

Megan Morrow Mace & Crown The 1500 block of 42nd street was blocked off from 5pm-8pm

sity. The lack of response by the university has invoked a feeling by the students that the university, while claiming it has taken the necessary measures to protect student s, did not do enough to inform students about the situation.

“The fact that I had to hear about it on Facebook and from friends days after it happened is not good,” said Vance. “Finding a house filled

with material to make bombs is much more significant than many of the other incidents that have happened on campus.”

With ODU students up in arms about the treatment of the arrested students and the university’s response to such an incident, safety on and around campus has vaulted once again to the top of the concerns list in the ODU community.

Megan Morrow Mace & Crown Evidence of the “bottle bombs” was strewn across the backyard of the 42nd street duplex.

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2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge takes over ODU Big Blue hopes to shock the nation

by Danielle Buxton Photography Director

Before the semester began, it would be safe to say, majority of the students attending Old Dominion University have never even heard of the 2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge. Now with the semester almost coming to an end, the competition is being mentioned in majority of the conversations held on campus. The 2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge originated in 2002 and ever since 16 selected college mascots compete to earn the coveted award of, “Capital One Mascot of the Year.”

According to www.capitalonebowl.com, in order to compete in the competition, the mascot must be come from an eligible NCAA FBS or FCS school. A panel of judges comprised of representatives from Capital One and the mascot community then got together and judged the mascots based on: interaction with fans and demonstration of the mascot’s originality, signature-move originality and creativity, ability to create enthusiasm among the fans, and contribution to an exhilarating atmosphere, originality, creativity and professionalism of mascot appearance or costume, and pedigree, awards earned by the mascot during the past five years and national prominence.”

The competition went as follows, every week you have a new opponent and the mascot with the most votes for that week will take the win. Sixteen mascots with twelve weeks of competition became something slowly talked about among the ODU campus.

The only way that anyone could vote for their favorite mascot was to either vote at www.capitalonebowl.com or text the name of the mascot with their cell phone to 69866. Voting was reset every Monday at 9 a.m. Also in the playoffs, you were no longer aloud to text your vote in, online votes only.

Our mascot here at Old Dominion, Big Blue, was one of the final 16 and was officially announced to compete in this year’s

competition. Going up against mascots from schools such as UCLA, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and others, it was thought that Big Blue would go down early. But little to be known, Big Blue began to shock the nation by defeating his first opponent, Mike the Tiger from Louisiana State University by a wide margin.

That win was just the beginning for the mascot hailing from the small school in Norfolk, Virginia. Big Blue then went on to defeat the next few mascots he faced, including those from big named schools such as Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Oregon.

Big Blue shocked the nation and went undefeated in the regular season of the 2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge. The mascot from the school the most of the nation hasn’t even heard of went through the regular season with ease by the ODU voting continuously. The Monarch fans made sure that they had the lead in votes the entire time and the least that Big Blue even won by was about 8,000 votes which was against Monte from the University of Montana.

There was however, one week in competition that gave Big Blue a run for his money. Big Blue made it to the semi-finals of the competition and was going against the Duck from the University of Oregon. He defeated the Duck during the regular season by about 25,000 but Oregon fans were not going to let the happen again easily. Voting was neck and neck all during the week.

Since Oregon was in the west coast and Old Dominion was in the east, students from both schools took advantage of the three hour time difference and voted while the other was asleep. Now during the regular season, Big Blue tallied up over 1,000,000 total votes during the 12 week regular season. On Saturday of that week that ODU was up against Oregon, both schools had 500,000 votes to their name by fifth day of competition. This was intense. It became the talk of Norfolk. Big Blue went to great heights to get his name out their and have the ODU community and the community from Hampton Roads vote for him. He appeared on ODU’s student announcements (a daily e-mail sent to all ODU students), television commercials, and at every ODU athletic event it was mentioned to vote for him in the competition. The one thing that

shocked everyone is the public relations department of ODU sent out an alert via the school’s safety alert system (used to alert students when crime has happened on or near campus as well as severe weather) to tell students to vote. There were voting mobs planned in order for ODU to surge in votes. The University and Big Blue took to their Facebook pages to constantly inform the students about this competition.

ODU’s Monarch Nation took advantage of one key event however to make sure their mascot had the lead and kept it. Although ODU’s football season was over, Oregon’s wasn’t and they played their rival Oregon State that Saturday in a game known as the, “Civil War.” Before the game started, ODU was down in votes by about 14,000 and by halftime of that football game they had just regained the lead for the umpteenth time. From then on, the Monarchs never relinquished the lead again even though Oregon had a planned vote mob Sunday night. ODU planned one too but the Capital One servers were down therefore voting couldn’t happen.

This matchup was so intense that the other semi-final matchup between Paydirt Pete from the University of Texas - El Paso and Bearcat from the University of Cincinnati went ignored. By early Monday morning both schools had reached over 200,000 votes compared to the ODU-Oregon matchup in which both schools reached 700,000 votes. Each week’s voting match up ends at 8:59 a.m. EST which placed Big Blue in an advantage since the competition would end against the Oregon Duck on his time and the Duck would be sleeping.

After seven long days, the winners of the semi-finals match up between Big Blue from ODU and the Duck from Oregon…by 59,000. Talk about school spirit! Big Blue will now go against Paydirt Pete from the University of Texas – El Paso. Votes are now hidden so no one will know the winner the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2011. Will Big Blue completely shock the nation and win the 2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge? Well I guess we have to wait until the New Year but if ODU fans have it their way, then Big Blue will be ringing in 2011 championship style.

CAPITALONEBOWL.COM

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What’s inside POTTER REVIEW: BACK AND MORE MAGICAL THAN EVER? see b4

&

FALL DANCE CONCERT SHOWCASES TALENT see b2

B1 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

arts enter tainment Together Again for the First Time ODU Theater Dept.

Gets in the Holiday Spirit by

Awareness Event Worked in Some Ways

By R Jay Molina Staff Writer

Diane Dougherty Staff Writer

Without knowing anything about this production or the fact that there is a movie based off of this play, I went into this theater with an open mind. I had briefly heard the basis of what to expect; a fast paced family fun sitcom style play but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story had seriously deep emotional elements that nicely balanced the comedic relief and serious dysfunctions that this family had to offer.

Together Again for the First Time, written by Reed McColm, is a story about two families who through remarriage after a series of divorces get together for the first time since the wedding of the parents to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Normally this wouldn’t be that enticing of a plot but adding in the fact that the siblings didn’t get along with not only the other parents children but with their very own siblings as well definitely helped feed my interests fire. To say this family is dysfunctional wouldn’t even begin to describe the dynamics going on in the Frobisher household. From the surprise visit of one sibling’s old flame as another sibling’s new fiancé to the hidden drug habits and an awkward breakup, the audience was being guided through a huge web of family abnormality. The cast of this production did a fantastic job of displaying the different emotions of each individual family member and really gave the audience a sense of who these people were and what roles they played in this family.

When interviewing Old Dominion student Alexx Hall, who played the role of Chinelle Frobisher, the second

Homeless for a night

Jake Zimmerman Mace & Crown The ODU theater department’s holiday play showcases talented students and faculty members.

oldest daughter of Max the father, described this cast as “having a lot of chemistry which made it easier to play a family because it felt like you were a part of one, dysfunctional or not.” The audience was definitely able to get a sense of closeness between the cast members while still allowing us to feel the very same discomfort the characters felt in their different relationships. Students, Josh Knepper who played Jason Wolders and Joshua Gray who played the role of his older brother Roger Wolders, gave two very memorable performances.

Their relationship as brothers as complex as their story was, was extremely charismatic and completely relatable.

Another relationship that was completely loveable was the role of Chinelle Frobisher, played by Alexx Hall who so desperately wanted her family to like her fiancé Carey Krzyznyk, played by Sam Cooper. They were completely different but in a way they fit quite well together, even with the corniness of pet names.

As it was opening night, there were a few glitches here and there between

character dialogues but overall the production flowed very well. One aspect of this play that was very enjoyable was the amount of use the characters got out of the set. The set, property, and sound designers did a miraculous job of making this home believable. From the working microwave, sink, and refrigerator to the snowfall and makeshift television, this fully functional set told a story in itself and really set this production apart from other plays I’ve seen.

Overall the cast and crew of this performance did an outstanding job given the fact that they’ve had just shy of a month to put this production together.

As difficult as it must have been for director Stephen Pullen to not only direct this production but play a leading role in it as well, this performance was very entertaining and highly recommended for everyone in the area to come watch.

This production will continue throughout the following week on the 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, and 11th at promptly 8 PM so make sure to come out and support your fellow Monarchs!

When I volunteered for this story, I gave little thought to the actual night that I would be spending to help raise awareness for the homeless. Looking back on it I probably thought the event would be reckless yet fun. I was right, but also surprised.

“Sleep Out for the Homeless” was an event to raise awareness for the homeless. It was sponsored by The Center for Service & Civic Engagement (CSE), Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and The Dwelling Place, a local homeless shelter. It took place on Kaufman Mall, in front of the Webb Center. I was anxious to see just how real this event would be. When the event started I was surprised to find an RV, equipped with all the latest video games, ready in front of the Webb for students participating in the event. The event started with an introduction from various people with stories to share about homelessness including Jeffrey Banks, a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. After everything was said and done, participants were set free on Kaufman Mall to battle the cold weather, create a small space to sleep in and interact with one another.

I had the honor of meeting two spirited women, both Old Dominion seniors and both Sociology majors. They were probably the most dedicated out of all the participants, as they had set up their own little spot well before the event actually started. One of them, Dianne Miller, expressed her support in the event and was curious to see what it would be like to sleep in a box. She and her friend, Ronni Salisbury, decorated their boxes to stick out from all the other boxes that students would eventually sleep in. Salisbury said about her experiences with the homeless, “When I leave school at night I cut through Portsmouth and see a lot of homeless people, and they’re there every night at the same spot.” Miller said of their early preparation, “We started painting our boxes at two and registered at three.”

The event officially started registering at 6 p.m. and did not start until 7:30 p.m. Miller continued and said “We didn’t take advantage of the games. But we took part in the soup kitchen.” Both women were dedicated to staying for the entire night; I had my reservations. Nevertheless, Ronni and Dianne convinced me to stay, and I realized that it would selfish of me to not get some sort of experience that most people have to live with everyday.

So I stayed and got to know Ronni and Dianne and a few other people who came around. I got set up with a box and a sleeping bag, thanks to Ronni, and we just talked through the night. However, the event was interrupted by a DJ who blasted music for a few hours. But after that everything quieted down, and there were a few students left still participating. Some had set up tents, others had set up boxes and everything grew silent around 2 a.m. The next day I woke up to find a local news crew filming the story of the event and I slid out of my box, got out of the sleeping bag and instantly found myself shivering. I was amazed that my box had kept me so warm. I was ready to fall back into my bed, but I couldn’t sleep because I thought of those who have to go through the same routine every day, without having a place to go unlike myself. Of course we all know that reality. But it never really hits you until you try it for yourself. With the exception of the provided entertainment, I personally found the experience to be a subtle eye-opener. That’s all it needed to be.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | B2

ON CAMPUS

They reminisce over you Three Kings Open a New Chapter of the Student Hip Hop Organization at ODU by

Martin Tucker Staff Writer

In 1973 on 1520 Sedgewick Ave. Kool Herc first birthed hip hop from the contractions felt between the break of needle and a record. Thirty-Seven years later in an upstairs Smithfield Room in Webb, hip hop finally established itself at ODU through three driven students with the desire to spread the artform that dominates 4/5 of the 2011 Grammy’s nominations for Record of the Year.

The meeting started at 6:00 as stragglers continued to enter the room and gather quietly around the four aquamarine tables stripped of everything but a half full Starbucks cup. One student drifted in wondering exactly how did this new organization start. SHHO President Charles Duong answered modestly with,” It started with me,” as he grinned at the implication that a Chinese American couldn’t run a hip hop group.

Indeed like Biz Markie on “Nobody Beats the Biz” the room learned to “respect the architect” or “architects” as local hip hop Renaissance man Javier “X” Yabrough and Higher Education Grad Student, Bobak “Bob” Kasper acted as the respective DMC and Jam Master Jay bringing the culture into the mainstream consciousness of ODU’s student body.

Like finding a lost recording of Rakim prophesying his second coming as Nas, Duong foretold of an originator of the William & Mary Chapter of the Student Hip Hop Organization, Kasper who was running late. Kasper entered the classroom tapping a red pixy stick down his throat as Vice President Javier Yabrough stood satisfied, later stating,” I was like yes, they know!” because students were rapping along to A Tribe Called Quest playing in the background.

Kasper and his childhood friend had originally set out to build Student Hip Hop Organizations at their universities W&M and VCU in 2006. Amazed by the attendance of 30+ students all Kasper could do was courteously divert attention from students who were standing by making a joke about needing a room with a projector.

Once enough students were settled, to break the ice, ev-

eryone decided to go around the room giving their name, major, how they got into hip hop, and the most played song on their iPod. The first two questions were a breeze but as time went on students let down their guard about their origins in hip hop. Most reminisced over middle school, especially eighth grade or how hip hop became an outlet. Some answered with the blunt Lupe inspired bond of “hip hop” and “life” whether it be “hip hop saved my life”, “hip hop is my life”, or “lifeless without hip hop.”

The “illest” part was when people started going from listing their most played songs to albums to influences. Every name, song, or album spoken was a figurative battle scar that these soldiers used to share their common experience, the most common being a significant scratch by the name of J. Cole. Sophomore artist Adam Matthews argued for Camp Lo’s “Luchini” as exalted battle rapper Matt Shumway nostalgically rhymed lyrics to his personal anthem, Tupac’s “Last Mother------ Breathing”. One student was intrepid enough to name Lupe Fiasco the “GOAT” as if Nas and Rakim didn’t exist. There were Jay-Z fanatics and Big K.R.I.T. junkies circled around the same four foundations, each appreciating each ones musical tastes.

The simple recognition that they were embraced by their own kind was just enough to invigorate students into creative action, but the well directed videos of a J. Cole concert done by VCU definitely didn’t hurt. Future events included the December 3rd “Cypher” at SOBO’s Pizza, a Jam, which is a gorgeous mosaic of hip hop elements fused into a living, breathing event, and a concert that could include names like Joell Ortiz, Blu, Aloe Blacc, or the WuTang Clan.

Afterwards the Three Kings formed an incomplete cypher while graciously answering questions for the Mace and Crown. Kasper noticed that while the interest meeting was happening, if you were to “look around this room, everyone looks different,” noting the diversity of the student aficionados of hip hop. Yabrough, who originally hailed from Messina, Sicily, said, “That was crazy, it was a lot of people,” when recounting about the popularity of such a newborn club. Duong who got into hip hop with a Will Smith mixtape in middle school, seemed both appeased and hopeful of what the future will bring for the Student Hip Hop Organization. I only wish I could take classes for three more years to see this group grow into revolutionary force it’s destined to be.

Rachel Chasin Mace & Crown At a recent interest meeting, the newly formed Student Hip Hop Organization recruited new members.

ODU Dance Theatre Fall Concert 2010 Review

Kyle White Mace & Crown ODU’s Dance Department show that they are as graceful as they are talented. by

Jonathan Moran Staff Writer

The fall dance concert was a dazzling show featuring incredible talent from ODU. It was choreographed by ODU professors and Li Chiao-Ping, a guest choreographer. The performance was done by ODU students and a teacher, Megan Thompson. Director and producer Amanda Kinzer said the concert took two and a half months of preparation and after the performance, you could see with that short amount of time the Dance Department produced a great show.

Right before the show the crowd buzzed in anticipation for the upcoming performance. People that enjoy dance or those that felt like having a night out were excited for the evenings coming attractions. The night began with Kinzer addressing the crowd by saying, “We are really glad you’re here. We hope you enjoy the show. Lights dimmed, and it began.

The opening number was Push/Pull, a quirky, upbeat dance that put the crowd at ease. It had a charming silliness that made it fun. Following that was Thompson’s moving performance La Boite. At one point Thompson did a headstand on a jewelry box that made the crowd gasp in awe and fit perfectly with the ballet she performed.

What made the show fun was the variety in music and performances. The dance numbers did not run together.

The show would switch from jazz to ballet to an upbeat tempo so that every segment was a new joy to the crowd.

The performance A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far… was three different styles of dance. First the backdrop was green and the music was peaceful. It reminded the crowd o0f the

tranquility in nature. Then it switched to ballet, then techno. It ended with an eerie piece of music that was ghostly and beautiful at the same time.

The final number inCline was a definite crowd pleaser. The music featured was from Patsy Cline, rock and roll.

The dance had the men dressed as soldiers in the 1950s. They were saying goodbye to their girlfriends as they headed off to war. Following that was the number that made the crowd laugh.

The girls, dressed in 1950s attire came out on either side of the stage and stayed near the curtains. Each held the hand of their dance partner, who the crowd could not see. On cue the girls made their way to the center holding their partner’s hand. They were cardboard cutouts of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Paul Newman, and other 50s celebrities. The crowd laughed as the girls danced with the cutouts as if they were the loves of their lives. It was a great idea that ended the show with a happy feeling.

Kinzer was thrilled with the performance. “It’s great to see the dancers succeed and see what they can do.”

She’s been dancing since she was a little girl and says, “There’s something magical about the theatre. You can be someone else in a different setting and share that with someone that appreciates it.” “It’s a surreal and wonderful experience.”

The Spring Dance Concert will be held on April 13-16. If you have time and wish to see an incredible performance from some very talented students check it out. The way Kinzer describes the theatre applies to the performance, “It’s a surreal and wonderful experience.”

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B3 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

MOVIE REVIEWS

James Franco’s Tour de Force

women, Ralston continues his journey, but unfortunately finds himself slipping on a rock and having a boulBy R Jay Molina der crush his right hand. From there Staff Writer the real story begins. Ralston has a limited supply of water and food, and When Danny Boyle won the Best no way of moving the boulder. Time is Directing Oscar for “Slumdog Milprecious as the days go by and Ralston lionaire,” hopes were high for his feels it. He uses whatever time he has next film, which was still untitled and left leaving video messages for anybelieved to be the third in his one who finds his camera if he “28 Days Later” franchise. dies. The intensity of every secNext the name “127 Hours” ond is felt. One cringes when was given and the only thing Ralston screams in pain, one known about it was that James laughs when he laughs, and one Franco was cast as a hiker who cries when he cries. That is the gets trapped in an accident. power that Danny Boyle and Finally the full plot was reJames Franco have brought to vealed. Franco plays a mounthe silver screen. The second one tain climber, Aron Ralston, walks into the theater, one bewho is famous for severing comes Ralston and feels the pain his lower right arm in order to every step of the way. survive from the frightening As for the amputation scene, experience of being caught it is effectively shot and preunder a boulder. Many were sented so that the audience does skeptical with Boyle’s choice not have to look away from the to reveal the ending. But a experience. A wave of empowcurious film buff would have erment takes over actually. The inevitably dug deeper into need to shout out “Go! You can the true story of “127 Hours” COLLIDER.COM do it! Break free!” is felt upon anyway. Plus the truth does James Franco stars as a hiker stuck between a viewing the scene and a wave of nothing to prepare the viewer rock and a hard place. relief hits after the experience is for the emotionally intense over. It is a remarkable journey of journey that Boyle and Franco have sages on his answering machine that courage and self-reflection that needs put together. he blatantly ignores, and he just conto be seen by audiences NOW! The The film opens with the frenetic tinues toward his adventure. tagline states that: EVERY SECOND energy that Boyle is becoming faAlong the way Ralston meets two COUNTS. So see “127 Hours” and mous for. Multiple panels to observe, female mountain climbers played by feel the sense of empowerment from followed by a silhouetted Franco, as Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn. They James Franco’s true tour de force. If Ralston, preparing for a climbing adare lost and Ralston offers his help, he is not even nominated for an Osventure. Composer A. R. Rahman’s while showing them some of the fun car, then those Hollywood suits have score pounds through the stereos of sights that Utah’s canyons have to ofno soul. the theater. It is going to be a fun ride. fer. After the brief encounter with the

127 Hours Succeeds

How many brushes does it take to untangle Rapunzel’s hair?

Tangled Movie Review

by Alyssa Odango Assistant Art & Entertainment Editor

Disney delivers its 50th animated motion picture this month with their retelling of the classic tale “Rapunzel,” but ditching the moniker movie title and going for a gender-neutral “Tangled.” Though the film’s premise centers around the story of a lost princess with an immeasurable length of hair locked up by an evil witch, the motley cast of characters and the fun action sequences makes the movie one the entire family can enjoy.

“Tangled” begins with narration of Flynn Rider, the young, confident thief, giving a brief exposition of the storyline before starring in the opening scenes with plenty of action to get the movie rolling. Like most Disney movies, “Tangled” has its proportions of good versus bad, action, romance, which all equate into an all around, feel good movie.

“Chuck” star Zachary Levi lends his voice for the role of the thief and fills the character, and his wily thief paired with Mandy Moore’s innocent, yet inquisitive Rapunzel make them quite the pair. Not only are the human characters laughable and lovable; Rapunzel’s constant-color-changing chameleon and an ill-tempered white steed hold down their own with big personality traits for non-talking characters. Donna Murphy’s Mother Gothel is scary, yet sassy.

Of course, what kind of Disney animated film would “Tangled” be without its musical numbers? The songs aren’t the immediate sing-along songs, but they have their certain charm. Levi can surprisingly duet with Moore, and their song accompanies a sweet moment in the movie.

Disney successfully rounds up all great parts to a classic animated film and displays it with “Tangled.” The film is not just another princess film— it’s full of adventure, laughs, and heartwarming moments that leaves you smiling.

That is the mood Boyle is setting us up for, and it works. Franco has fun in his role as a mountain climber. His acting comes off so naturally that the real Ralston probably felt like he was looking in a mirror when he watched the film. Franco is energetic and full of spirit. But there is also a hint of negligence when it comes to Ralston’s family. His family leaves him mes-

Review: ‘Love and Other Drugs’ Leaves Audiences Wanting More by

Elizabeth Bowry Staff Writer

The year was 1996 and one very lucky electronic store had a dancing sales associate that could sell almost anything to anyone. His name you ask? Jake Gyllenhaal or Jamie Randall as his character is known as in the movie ‘Love and Other Drugs.’

In an empty theater on a Wednesday night, Jamie’s story began with him being fired from his job. From there his brother Josh is able to get the womanizing, not living up to his potential, prodigal child of the Randall family with a job at Pfizer the pharmaceutical company. Jaime goes off to a crash course in how to become a sales rep and is assigned the antidepressant drug Zoloft to sell in the Ohio River Valley under the supervision of senior drug rep Bruce.

Bruce takes him on his first job where they

have to push the drug to doctors who are already prescribing other brands antidepressants to their patients. After many failed attempts at getting doctors to look at his drug, Jamie convinces Dr. Knight to allow him shadow the doctor to see where he could slip in and get a drug sale. This is where he meets the leading lady of the movie is introduced.

Maggie Murdock – played by Anne Hathaway - is a curly haired, quick witted twenty-six year old with early onset Parkinson’s disease, which is rare in younger people. Jaime and Maggie first met inside of an examination room where she was getting more Parkinson’s medicine and he introduced himself as an intern. Intrigued by how quick Maggie was, Jake grew more interested in the girl and that only increased when she showed Dr. Knight a dark mark on her breast.

They met again after the appointment, but in not good terms. Seeing the samples of Zoloft in Jamie’s car, Maggie’s bag met his head in outrage for letting him trick her in the appointment before leaving with a Polaroid picture being taken of him. After a few days had passed and

a phone call was exchanged between Maggie and Jaime, their first “date” began. It was quick and to the point, ending with them both in Maggie’s loft having sex against the counter and on the floor of her kitchen before she asked him to leave.

This is where the story began. Throughout the movie, Jaime and Maggie become closer. Their sexual attraction and escapades start to grow into something more when Jaime gets moved from Zoloft to the new drug Viagra and quickly becomes one of the best sellers of men’s favorite prescription drug. As their relationship grows, however, Maggie’s condition worsens and Jaime sees what it is really like for her one day when he returns home after she didn’t take her medication. Quickly, he realizes that Maggie needs more than just a normal relationship and needs someone to take care of her no matter how much she fought. Maggie was someone who never wanted someone to be more of a caretaker than a husband, but Jaime wanted to show that he could be both.

The movie took you in all different direc-

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tions from enjoying the playfulness and subtle sexiness of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jaime to counting how many times Anne Hathaway’s breasts show up on screen to almost crying to wanting to go home and immediately tell your boyfriend or girlfriend how much you love them and then the movie takes you right back to the beginning. The chemistry between Jake and Anne was amazing.

They played off each other well and were able to make you get really into the movie and be able to experience something that is extremely hard to go through for someone actually going through Parkinson’s disease.

The jokes fell short with only leaving me laughing in the theater, but there were only two people besides myself so maybe there just were not enough people in the movie to really get a feel for the movie.

‘Love and Other Drugs’ gave audiences a feel for how hard it can be to be someone who loves a person with a terminal disease. It shows how love can conquer all and make you go home with a warm feeling on the inside.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | B4

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Hallows, Horcruxes and Hormores, Oh My! by

Tim Fulgham Staff Writer

On Nov. 16, 2001, a young boy, who may or may not have been named Tim, went to see “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Already having read the first four novels, he immediately welcomed the film adaptation. Flash forward nine years and three days, four different directors and two crappy adaptations “Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince” and the young boy, now turned adult, was pleased to witness the first part to the conclusion of one of the most popular franchises of today.

Directed by David Yates, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1,” follows Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint reprising their roles as beloved characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, respectively, as they journey towards defeating Lord Voldemort. However, they must first destroy all seven Horcruxes, severing his ties to mortality.

David Yates has finally proven himself as a director; after two butchered adaptations, he actually pleases with the first part to the finale of Harry Potter. Despite a vast majority of the novel itself entailing the trio camping out in the woods while Voldemort and his minions take over the Ministry of Magic, as well as wreaking havoc upon the world, the film is action-packed. Rather than spending chapters in the woods, Yates incorporated the camp scenes in such a way that it wasn’t boring, nor was time moving slowly; leaving the audience with nothing to do but reach for their cellular devices.

Like many

adaptations, scenes were cut or added, and Yates did a particularly excellent job incorporating Dumbledore’s backstory, as well as the actual legend of the titular Deathly Hallows themselves. J.K. Rowling is a terrific novelist, but her sense of timing wasn’t on par when she picked up her magnifying glass and seemingly said, “Oh, wait. Here my lovely readers, Dumbledore has HISTORY.” It was a little too much, a little too late. However, Yates squeezed it in nicely, especially for those who have yet to read the novels.

Another nice touch added to the film was in the opening scene where Hermione obliviates the memories of her parents, causing them to forget about her entirely. This aspect wasn’t given too much focus in the novel, but the scene is just so heart-wrenching and really draws attention to the severity of the final battle approaching.

For those looking for action, look no further; it’s incredibly action packed, with plenty of good wizarding battles.

One thing that the “Harry Potter” films have had going for them all of these years is the realistic effects that they boast.

Even the almost cheesy CGI fairy tale scene looked cool!

The film is engrossing, even for those who swear by the book and call the films utter blasphemy.

With all films, “Part 1” had its cons, the largest of them being that it just kept going. The movie ends around chapters 24-27; there are only 36 chapters in the novel. It would have been better to just shoot the movie as a whole and run for four hours (a la “Lord of the Rings”) or just shown “Part 1” and “Part 2” back-to-back. Despite this, the choice to forgo screening it in 3D was wonderful. The best way to see “Harry Potter” is in IMAX, without babies in the crowd.

Despite the fact that the wait between “Part 1” and “Part 2” seems like an extremely long bathroom break and some aspects were left out, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” is amazing. It’s one amazing prelude to the finale that arrives in July!

The trio battles Voldemort in the read world in this seventh film.

Holy Rollers You Put it On your Tongue Smart Guy… by

Martin Tucker Staff Writer

“Ecstasy is a cruel mistress”, said the guy who can only prance around chuckling while getting robbed in the alley next to a rave. “Holy Rollers”, the 2010 coming-of-age crime drama directed by Kevin Asch, certainly reiterates that point. The film cast consists of up-and-coming actor Jesse Eisenberg from “ The Social Network” and “Zombieland’, and Justin Bartha from “ The Hangover” and “National Treasure”.

In the tradition of “Scarface”, “The Wire”, “Breaking Bad” and “Half Baked”, this film takes a certain drug and tells the story of a man who underestimates the power of said drug, which goes on the cause that many problems that can’t be fixed with the swiftness of popping a pink pill down your mouth.

Eisenberg plays Sam Gold, an unfulfilled Hasid and loyal son who decides to become an ecstasy courier in order to get some extra money. Bartha plays Yosef Zimmerman, a rogue Ha-

COLLIDER.COM Jesse Eisenberg stars in this drama based on a true story.

sid barely clinging to tradition in favor of being immersed in the drug trade and every enticing detail that accompanies it.

The film also stars Q-Tip as an ecstasy supplier, Jason Fuchs as Yosef’s younger brother and Sam’s friend and Ari Graynor as a seductress who develops an affinity for Sam. Eisenberg’s performance doesn’t quite rival “The Social Network”, but it is the high point of the film. His struggles with trying to become a man the wrong way and slowly losing his faith are some of the most memorable parts of the film.

The 89-minute film, based on ac-

ZATH.CO.UK

tual events surrounding Hasidic drug mules in the 90s, is without a doubt independent; it doesn’t quite seem to live up to such an amazing premise.

It’s a character driven drama, but it omits certain important themes, such as the toll on the Hasidic Brooklyn community, the police, drug abuse and international aspect of being a drug mule. Rather, it focuses on Eisenberg’s character, which evokes a variety of feelings in the audience.

“Holy Rollers” doesn’t really take a stance on ecstasy, the drug trade or the characters. Even Yosef Zimmerman, the antagonist, can be viewed as a sympathetic figure that lies halfway between Sam Gold, the rookie and Jackie, the boss.

“Holy Rollers” is a must see for any Jesse Eisenberg fan hoping to document the cult following he will eventually garner. It didn’t play in Norfolk, but was recently released on DVD. The film leaves you with an inexplicable feeling somewhere between sympathy, regret and relief. It also makes you wonder if T.I. wouldn’t be back in jail if he hadn’t left the house without his trusty bekishe, rekel, gartel and fedora.

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Show a little more, show a little less

NETKUSHI.COM Stanley Tucci and Cher show their versatility in this new movie.

Nothing’s What It Seems, Welcome to Burlesque by

Timothy Fulghum Staff Writer

Ignore the critics and think about this: Christina Aguilera AND Cher AND music IN a musical?! Why, that seems to have the ingredients for a pot full of awesome! In “Burlesque”, Christina Aguilera, in her acting debut, stars as a young woman, Ali, trying to follow her dreams of dancing and singing. Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, the City of Dreams, she discovers The Burlesque Lounge, run by none other than Tess (Cher), the wise owner/performer trying to keep her club from closing.

“Burlesque” probably would not exist without Cher and Christina; it’s almost impossible to imagine another actress filling either role. The role of Ali, an ingénue with big dreams, seems perfect for Aguilera because of her own success at a young age; and, Cher is just awesome. If any doubt of her awesomeness is held on her account, then this movie is a must-see!

She may only sing two songs, but boy does she SING them! And, the fact that she is all too familiar with the older’n’wiser role in life, makes the part of Tess perfect for her.

And, of course you can’t have your Famous Amos’ without the chocolate chips! In this case, the chocolate chips of this movie are its supporting ensemble, Cam Gigandet (Ali’s love interest who is engaged, but then isn’t … when really he is), Stanley Tucci (Tess’s best friend), Kristin Bell (Ali’s enemy-eventually-turned-friend, AND Veronica Mars!), and Alan Cumming (the host of the Burlesque Lounge). Each cast member adds an extra layer of delicious to the already

delicious cookie.

If that isn’t enough, then the soundtrack alone should warrant one’s attention! Unlike many musicals, “Burlesque” isn’t a musical-musical; it’s a movie that’s about people who sing and dance. This side note doesn’t really affect the film; though, these Burlesque dancers sure give one hell of a performance. However, the first few performances leave the audience feeling slightly cheated because of the heavy usage of auto tune, but just as one is throwing their fist in the air in anger as their dream of hearing “Veronica Mars” star Kristin Bell belt out some numbers is shattered by disgusting auto-tuned lip syncing, it is explained that they’re just about the dancing, no singing. Aguilera, however, has none of that. Bell’s character plays a little nasty and turns off the music, leaving Aguilera to really show off her vocal skills. If she wasn’t already on millions of iPods before, she is now. The same goes for Cher!

Although she only sings two songs, they definitely command the attention of the audience.

The plot itself is good despite the unrealistic properties it contains: Ali literally waltzes into L.A. and within twenty minutes has a job, gets robbed, and finds a new place to stay with her future-love-interest-Sean (Gigandet).

Some of these actions feel slightly forced, if not completely fictional when compared to today’s standards.

The film, however, is shiny like ‘diamonds’ and dancey like Ms. Gypsy Rose Lee herself.

All in all, “Burlesque” is a definite must see. It’d be a sin to NOT see it: the star-studded cast, the sparkle, the glam, the Famous Amos cookies (or almost lack thereof), the Aguilera, and CHER! Despite its dazzle and occasional forced moments, at its core the film is truly amazing; there will be chills, thrills, and most definitely thrills.

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B5 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

Music Reviews

“I am cannibal – I’ll eat you up.”

Ke$ha’s Cannibal Is One Catchy Hit After Another!!

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

by

Can we get much higher? by

Ka’Lyn T. Banks Staff Writer

Holding the number one spot on Billboard’s top 200 albums, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, by Kanye West has taken the music scene by storm. This isn’t the first time Kanye has dropped an album that went straight to number 1 on the Billboard charts! This album is also number one on the R&B and Hip Hop Albums Chart, Digital Album chart and many more.

An earlier article I wrote about the album talked about the intense anticipation of West’s fan for the album that was released on Novemer 22nd, 2010.

When the clock struck midnight the night of the release date all of the social networks were filled with talks of going to buy the album and downloading it on iTunes. Many people woke up first thing in the morning to make sure they received one of the first copies of the album in their city. There was also a pre-order on the albums for those who wanted to insure a copy of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

As I paced the isles of the entertainment section of the Target on Military Highway I noticed that West’s albums were going fast. I was one of the last people to receive the deluxe edition of the album from that Target which contained the bonus 30-minute film “Runaway”. Many buyers were distraught when they realized that were not enough deluxe editions or regular cd’s to go around.

The album was extravagant in some aspects but of course there were some songs that fans questioned. Many of the fans via twitter said that “[the album] was a good album, [but] it was a

USERSERVE-AK.LAST.FM The often eccentric but always talented Kanye West proves his worth on the new album.

little over the top”. Others believe that the album was one of the best albums they have heard in a long time and then there were those who said they “missed the old Kanye from College Dropout.” Overall the reviews from those on campus and social networks all felt like the album was great. I noticed plenty of facebook status changes to quotes from the album, tweets containing quotes from the album and even heard a few ringtones on my way to class that had snippets of songs from the album.

I posted on twitter today “ What is your favorite song off of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” just out of curiosity and I got a dozen of replies saying that “Blame Game” and “All of the Lights” were the best songs on the album. Of course there were those who just couldn’t choose between all

of the great songs on the album. The album begins with Dark Fantasy, which opens with rapper/singer Nicki Minaj telling a story. It is a little creepy but it really sets up the entire album. Each song goes hand in hand and all link in some way. The album ends with Who Will Survive in America, which talks about many of the wishes, dreams and problems that go on in America and are often over-looked.

Hands-down Mr.west has grabbed the music world with both hands and given it a little shake. After all of the music Mr.West has made and produced he continues to bring something new to everyone’s ipod that is truly one of a kind. He has set the bar extremely high and it makes all his fan’s wonder “ Can we get much higher” ?

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Timothy Fulghum Staff Writer

After her skyrocket success with Animal, Ke$ha has pulled a GaGa and delivered fans with a nine-song EP entitled, Cannibal. The EP features songs new and old, and ensures the singer’s spot in the pop industry.

Ke$ha should stick to releasing EPs every few months; they work better for her. Cannibal, although a ‘Part Deux’ to her debut Animal, outshines it. The songs are catchier, ‘dancier’, and way more infectious than her previous efforts. Not only does the EP offer instant club hit, but it continues her well-known rap-speak-singing, and also introduces a seemingly personal side (“The Harold Song”). Cannibal illustrates Ke$ha’s lyricisms and her blunt demeanor towards life, boys, and everything in between. This EP is a step forward for the singer and although this doesn’t rid her of her “Walmart-GaGa” nickname, it certainly earns her merit as an artist.

The EP is amazing; it surpasses its parent album in quality. However, it does have its weaknesses: “Animal (Billboard Remix)” and “C U Next Tuesday”. As catchy as her debut album was, only six or seven songs really stuck, and “Animal” was certainly not one of them; the inclusion of the remix is pointless and doesn’t follow the flow of the ‘new’ music: up front and personal, and too drunk to care. “C U Next Tuesday”, an obvious anagram fails to please due to its slower-paced beat and lack of severity. The lyrics are mellow and, like “Animal”, the song doesn’t flow with the rest of the EP. Despite the two ‘disappointments’ of the track list, Ke$ha offers seven songs of glorious dancing magnificence: “Cannibal”, the titular track, and second best song on the EP, that features the freak within Ke$ha. Despite its outer-crazy, the song actually has great composition and fun wordplay.

If Ke$ha ever wanted to cross over into Rap/R&B instead of sticking to Pop, she probably could. She’d probably give Nicki Minaj a run for her

money.

“We R Who We R”, the leading single for the EP, and third best song. Not only does this song have a killer beat daring one NOT to ‘dance like they’re dumb’, but it also features a heavyhitting message geared gays, lesbians, and everyone in between: “You know we’re superstars, we are who we are.”

“We R Who We R” is, by far, her best yet.

“Sleazy”, the song-child of Gwen Stefani and Lady GaGa. Ke$ha abandons her sing-speak and gives rapping a try. Although the song may come off as abrasive to some, it eventually becomes left on repeat. Her lyrics are dirty, her beats are seductive; the song is sleazy.

“Blow”, an infectious, soon-to-be, club hit. Ke$ha takes a page from Britney Spears and just features the title of the song over-and-over-andover again, but, like “Womanizer”, it works. If glitter wasn’t already going up in sales because of Ke$ha, it is now.

“The Harold Song”, a power ballad featuring a ‘softer’ side to the singer.

By far, this is the standout track from the EP. It still retains her notable catchy hooks and infectious beats, but it goes two steps farther, and two steps backward in regards to the usage of auto tune, by showcasing her lyricism. In some opinions, Ke$ha is a crazy drunk obsessed with glitter and debauchery, but “The Harold Song” shows a stark contrast by illustrating Ke$ha as a girl who, at her core, is still just a girl who is looking for love and experiencing nostalgia.

“Crazy Beautiful Lie”, another catchy hit, and probably the fourth best song on the album. In a nutshell, the song is just a catchy anthem about life, love, and fun.

“Grow A Pear”, a fun song for ladies, and guys, who want their guys to ‘grow a pear’. The song continues with her tongue-and-cheek wordplay, and provides catchy beats, as well as hysterical lyrics. Ke$ha is downright dirty, but knows how to dance around the labels and allude to the nasties of her songs while staying glittery-clean.

All in all, Cannibal is amazing. It should definitely be listened to, if not purchased (it’s actually worth paying for). It’s available at all retailers, both local and digital, and comes as a single EP or a Deluxe Edition CD including Animal.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | B6

Good things

THIS IS WAR! (Deluxe Edition) 30 Seconds to Mars Returns Strong

Aloe’s Bacc! by

Martin Tucker Staff Writer

California’s underground/alternative hip hop scene started to put a squeeze on veteran artists around the time Blu and Exile dropped rap’s last undeniable classic, “Below the Heavens”. A few new artists surfaced here and there, like Fashawn and Kendrick Lamar. Vets like Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Murs and Madlib kept pushing on through solo projects and collaborations.

But what about Aloe Blacc, a Renaissance man of contemporary black music, who started out rapping at the University of Southern California with critically acUSERSERVE-AK.LAST.FM claimed producer Exile to form Emanon? Alternative underground hip hop artist Aloe Blacc’s Since 1995,Aloe Blacc has been trying to music has been featured on TV’s “Entourage.” break through underground, but has currently found a home at Stones Throw, the home that Peanut Butter Wolf built. He released “Shine Through” in 2006; an experimental album blending soul and hip hop with offerings by Madlib and Oh No. Aloe Blacc’s new album, “Good Things”, is a time machine back to the days Ron Isley was known for soaking panties on stage not in an Indiana prison, when Bill Withers wasn’t getting jerked by Columbia Records and before Marvin Gaye had that final fight with his pops. Here is where “Good Things” dwells, scavenging forgotten aspects of soul and placing them into one gorgeously modest present.

“I Need a Dollar” is the album’s main single and the theme song of HBO’s ‘Entourage’s” baby bro, “How to Make it in America”. Aloe Blacc weaves in social woes of the disenfranchised with horns, piano keys, call and response vocals and drums that act as a sort of soapbox as Blacc gives a street sermon on poverty and dependence in this recession. Aloe Blacc keeps socially and politically conscious songs spaced between relationship songs including “Life So Hard” and “Take Me Back.”

“Green Lights” is the perfect song to wake up to as the pauses and repeated melodies seem to push you to accomplish something. “ Hey Brother” and “Miss Fortune” are two of the album’s best concept tracks, showing that Aloe Blacc hasn’t lost any lyricism switching from rap to soul music.

The title track, “Good Things”, is a soothing post-break up anthem that revitalizes the flow of the album by invoking an inspiration that pours itself into “You Make Me Smile.”

“Mama Hold My Hand” is by far the most powerful song on the album, easily rivaling “I Need A Dollar” as Aloe Blacc blows out his best Bill Withers.

This album is a must have for any 70s soul, Stones Throw, contemporary soul or Aloe Blacc fan. It dropped Sept 30 and has slowly built a buzz. After this album, there should be no question of whether or not Blacc can hang with soul peers like Grammy-nominated Foreign Exchange or Grammy-cheated Rafael Saadiq.

After the time machine has ended there is a moment of silence for just how amazing this album is, followed by a moment of gratitude that people like Aloe Blacc and Phonte Coleman are still giving us grown-man music. Let’s face it rap is on its last leg. Our favorite artist won’t be around forever; we might as well appreciate “Good Things” while they’re still here.

By R Jay Molina Staff Writer 30 Seconds to Mars returns with a deluxe edition of their third album titled “This Is War.” The original album was released last December after what felt like a long hiatus from the band. But as it turns out, the four years spent making their third album explained everything as they explored new territory with their music. Their self-titled first album remains a cult classic among the old fans of the band, while their second album titled “A Beautiful Lie,” sky-rocketed their popularity among the international crowd, and gave the band a mainstream reputation as a sort of “emo” band.

But with “This Is War,” the band journeys to dark places with occasional moments of hope.

A lot went into the making of the album. There was a lawsuit that the band’s record company was persistent on pursuing, pressure from the huge fan base that wanted something new and there were personal struggles that the band had gone through. But when the band released their first single from the album, “Kings and Queens,” last October, everything started to feel right again. Fans were ready, the band was ready and War was coming.

To an old fan of the band, “This Is War” feels like a really strong combination of their first and second album. To a newer fan it feels like real music that matters, as opposed to something mainstream that only attracts a female audience. Whatever the case may be, “This Is War” opens strong with its first track “Escape.” It is a slow build up of hymns and ominous music that leads into a thunderous roar from the Echelon, hardcore fans of the band, screaming “THIS…IS…WAR!” What follows after is a seductive yet disturbing song, “Night of the Hunter” which ends with the repetition of the following, “Honest to God I will break your heart, tear you to pieces, and rip you apart.” Next is the hopeful “Kings and Queens,” which proved that the band can still

“So raise your glass if you’re wrong in all the right ways!”

P!nk’s Greatest Hits!!! So Far…Has Something Old, And A Lil’ Something New Too!

What’s that sound in the air? Why, it’s the delicious vocals of one Alicia Moore, better known as P!nk. After five highly successful albums, 26 commercially released singles, and many top ten hits, the singer has released her first ‘Greatest Hits’ album!

However, unlike many compilations from other artists in the past, P!nk’s Greatest Hits!!! So Far… not only collects some of her most popular songs, but it also includes three new songs (four for international listeners).

P!nk, is without a doubt, one of the best performers of today, however she doesn’t receive half of the attention that other contenders, such as Lady GaGa and Britney Spears, do. Since 2000, P!nk has been breaking the status quo with her, sometimes, brazen lyrics, fierce attitude, and famous pink hair, and her album only holds but so much of her awesomeness!

The track list is as follows: From Can’t Take Me Home: “There You Go”, one of her first singles. The song itself is catchy and shows a Rap/R&B side to her; however, she was granted more creative control after this album and abandoned this style.

From Missundaztood: “Get the Party Started”, one of her most

well-known songs and an insta-favorite; “Don’t Let Me Get Me”, an amazing song that had an amazing music video, but little commercial success; “Just Like A Pill”, another terrific song detailing the darker sides of the world, as well as relationships; “Family Portrait”, another well-known song that became the overnight theme for broken families and divorce, as well as her own autobiographical tale.

From Try This: “Trouble”, a song that is too damn catchy not to like. However, despite this catch-factor, it didn’t fare too well commercially.

From I’m Not Dead: “Stupid Girls”, an excellent song doubling as an anthem satirizing the devolution of the Women’s Rights Movement; “Who Knew”, a delicious song about a lost relationship that will not only tear at the heart, but bring on a case of the smiles; “U + Ur Hand”, a kiss-off song telling the players where to stick it, one of her most popular songs, AND an awesome beat to jam out to; “Dear Mr. President”, a controversial song directed at the president that features beautiful vocals and focuses on many issues faced in America.

From Funhouse: “So What”, the song that bested her previous top hit “Get the Party Started”; “Sober”, a beautiful song accompanied by terrific strings highlighting her own vocal prowess; “Please Don’t Leave Me”, a cute song that spurred a macabre music video illustrating that one shouldn’t dare leave her; “Fun-

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be mainstream, yet appeal to someone looking for real meaning. The next song shares the title of the album and proves to pump anyone up with excitement, while the song that follows right after settles things down. The sixth track, “Hurricane,” has received controversy in terms of its music video, which had to be censored due to sexual content and violence. Lyrically it is also intense as the front man, Jared Leto, asks the listener “Do you really want me dead, or alive to torture for my sins?”

“Hurricane” is also one of the main subjects of the deluxe edition, as the band finally included an alternate version that has a surprising cameo from Kanye West. Fans may hate the new version at first, but it does get better with time. The next two tracks after “Hurricane” are “Closer to the Edge” and “Vox Populi,” which are uplifting and guaranteed to unite a crowd at a concert. The furious “Search and Destroy” and the emotionally wrenching “Alibi” follows after, with the latter starting off slow but building up to one of the most satisfying endings to a song. The next track, “Stranger In a Strange Land,” flips the listeners emotions a bit, as the song goes into an experimental atmosphere with sexually disturbing lyrics. Finally the original album ends with drummer Shannon Leto’s first full instrumental song that includes Tibetan monks chanting for peace or perhaps doom.

The rest of the deluxe edition, after “Hurricane” with Kanye West, includes covers of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” and Kanye’s “Stronger.” Both covers are slow versions of the real song, which help bring them down to a more personal level and allow someone who may not be a fan of Gaga’s or West’s to connect to the music. Other features included are music videos for “Closer to the Edge” and “Kings and Queens,” with the latter having a behind-the-scenes documentary. There are also snippets of the band’s latest tour, a summit with the Echelon and scenes from their upcoming music video of “This Is War.” 30 Seconds to Mars’ “This Is War: Deluxe Edition” is definitely worth the price. Pick it up and go to war.

house”, not only her best song, but her one song that has received less commercial attention -when something goes to hell, start anew; “I Don’t Believe You”, a lovely balled; “Glitter In the Air”, a beautiful song that gained attention at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

New songs include: “Raise Your Glass”, an anthem for all of the underdogs in the world that also highlights the importance of individuality and being yourself; “F**kin’ Perfect” a mid-tempo song that follows along the same lines of “Raise Your Glass”, however it’s not something that should edited because it detracts from the meaning as well as leaves a ton of lyrical pauses; “Heartbreak Down”, a catchy up-tempo song that is hard not to love; and “Whataya Want From Me”, a song originally sung by Adam Lambert, but written by P!nk.

The compilation is terrific! However, there should be a few other songs, such as “Runaway”, “Bad Influence”, and “Vietnam”.

Despite this, it’s definitely something that should be listened to.

However, should one only want to listen to the four new songs, iTunes is the perfect place (however, don’t purchase “F**kin’ Perfect from iTunes; they only offer a clean version). P!nk does nothing but churn out delicious music that makes ears all across the lands gleeful! Her new released songs only further her musical abilities, and the title Greatest Hits!!! So Far… only suggests that she’s not done just yet.

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B7 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

A change of pace for ODU Students Activity AFTER Hour-Open Mic Night by

Ka’Lyn T. Banks Staff Writer

On Thursday night trust’s blast program, Floetic Movement and the Black Students Events Board (BSEB) hosted an open mic night in the House of Blue. This was the second Activity After Hour, which was first held by BSEB. The event had an amazing turnout of 100+ students from ODU and various schools’. The acts consisted of poets, singers and rappers. Many of the attendee’s gave the performers standing ovations and said that the event was wonderful.

One young poet from the Hampton roads youth poets slam team blew the audience away with her two pieces!

B.L.A.S.T. is mentoring programs that T.R.U.S.T. sponsors. They mentor the high school students at Booker T. Washington High School In Norfolk. Sharne’ Cherry is the mentor who put on this event and was also a very fabulous host at the event. She is a senior at Old Dominion and was really adamant about making an event that would bond the love of music and poetry and the students together. Many of her mentee’s came and also the mentee’s of the other mentors, It was really nice to see the different age groups interact.

The environment had a poetry lounge feel with a live band playing mainly R&B songs live. The band brought a lot to the event and many of the attendees said that it was very soothing. April Goode , a sophomore at ODU, said that the event was “ marvelous and [that] there needs to be more events like this on campus because it brings the students together.” Many other people that were there felt the same as Goode. They believed that having a laid-back event such as an Open Mic would the campus a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Unlike many events that we have on campus the students were very respectable to the performers while they were expressing their talents on the stage.

Jason Anderson stated, “It was a phenomenal event! The format was well organized and the respect for the perform-

ers was amazing. There was a lot of positive energy in the room and I’m looking for events like this to grow with time at ODU.” The positivity that came from those at the event added a great energy to the entire area. Many times poetry is over-looked and found boring to most but the audience loved the many poets that graced the stage. Compared to the first Activity After Hour hosted by BSEB many attendees’ said it seemed more organized and that the acts were much better. They were extremely pleased with the line-up of acts and felt like this was a great bar to be setting for the next Activity After Hour.

Hopefully, in the near future there will be many more Open Mic Night’s that will bring out large audiences like Activity After Hour: Open Mic Night. B.L.A.S.T. , Floetic Movement and the Black Student Events board did a great job bringing something new to ODU’s campus!

Rachel Chasin Mace & Crown ODU student Tyler Wright performed among many of his peers for this Open Mic.

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Meet Final Exam, your new best friend 5 tips on surviving finals week

by Alyssa Odango Assistant Art & Entertainment Editor

Exam week is just around the corner, and many students are fearing for their lives. Don’t be afraid! Sure, it’s a nerve-wrecking week of academic torture, but taking a deep breath and planning study time out will get you through the week. These five tips will help make finals a walk in the park.

1. Don’t make too little or too much of the exam Exams either count towards a high or low percentage of your total grade for a course. If a final exam counts as 10% it probably won’t have a significant change towards your final grade.

That being said, it isn’t wise to completely forgo studying for a test if it counts so little. Exams are exams, and if your grade is teetering between a B minus and a C, that low exam grade can bring you down a letter grade. If the exam counts as a high portion of the final grade, make sure this is the test to completely ace. Study a lot, but make sure to not freak out; it’s best to be comfortable and confident that you’re going in to take the test the best you can.

2. Eat Healthy Good nutrition is important all semester long, but when it comes to finals week, many students will rely on energy drinks, power bars, and fast food to make it through the week. If an exam is in the morning, make sure you get up early enough to prepare a good, hearty breakfast. It’s difficult taking exams on an empty stomach, it’s hard to concentrate on the test with hunger pushing against your brain and stomach. Stay well hydrated; if coffee is your friend for the entire week, make sure you introduce coffee to water. Big meals tend to slow the body down; try to eat five to six smaller portioned meals to fulfill the daily nutritional intake without weighing down the body and mind. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, they’re good power foods to boost brain activity.

3. Sleep All-nighters are a staple during exam week. With term papers to finish, textbooks to pore over, sleep is often wished for but not achieved during finals week. Studies have shown that students retain more information if they get a good night’s rest the day before an exam. Power naps are helpful during study sessions. A 20 minute nap helps boost alertness and stamina.

Don’t drink too much caffeine; too much will lead to insomnia, anxiety, and ultimately a bad test score. Get at least six hours of sleep the night before an exam.

4. Good study habits Study. Study. Study. The most important facet of exam week. Time management in key when preparing for a week of studying; make sure there’s plenty of time in your schedule for all the tests ahead. Spread studying out during the week, don’t cram everything in one night. Dedicate thirty minutes day for each subject.

Make a study schedule; it’ll be easier to follow a schedule when it’s written down. Make sure to take breaks during studying. Take a ten minute facebook break each hour. Prioritize the exams.

The hardest exams should have more time spent for studying, as well as the exams that are early in the week. Note cards, review sheets, and study guides are excellent ways of reviewing material. Grab some classmates and form effective study groups.

5. Relax!

Finals week is just a few short days away from winter break, so remind yourself that beyond the mountain is the field of freedom! Keep things in perspective. Don’t get too anxious over exams; it is not the end of the world if you don’t get the grade you expected. Finals can be daunting, but they can also be passed with the right attitude and methods. Don’t get too crazy and lock yourself in your dorm room for hours or days. Hang out with friends during the off-time of studying. Plan a celebration for the end of the week. Once the last exam is finished, let it go! The semester is done, and now it’s time to prepare for the upcoming spring semester.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | B8

May all your miles be merry

by Alyssa

Narvell Staff Writer

Christmas is the season of giving and helping others. What better way to celebrate the season than helping out a non- profit disability organization, spending time with your family, as well as getting some exercise?

On Saturday, December 4th, Old Dominion University held the annual Jingle Bell Run/ Walk for Arthritis on Kaufman Mall from 12pm to 2pm. This event was founded by the Arthritis Foundation to help raise money to cure and support people with arthritis. Participants were able to dress up in festive green and red attire to show their Christmas spirit, and their support of arthritis.

The Jingle Bell Run/Walk had four events for an array of ages. The Reindeer Fun Run and the Mistletoe Mile was for children 12 years and under. The 5K Run and 3K walk were for adults ages 13 and above. There were awards handed out for the three people who finished the races first. The participant fee for children under 12 was $15, and the fee for adults was $30. All of the entry fees will go to people suffering from arthritis. This family-oriented event covered Kaufman Mall with tents, a moon bounce, live Christmas music, and an aura of food.

The Arthritis Foundation’s purpose is to help raise money to provide for public health education, pursuing public policy and legislation, as well as conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. “Arthritis can affect anyone. No matter the shape, size, or age of a person,” says Katey Price, who was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis when she was very young.

“There are over 100 forms of arthritis. 46 million Americans are affected by this disability.

It’s great that this many people showed up to this event this year to support this cause,” says Head Volunteer Chair Linda Morrell. This year, there were approximately 75 volunteers, and hundreds

Alyssa Narvell Mace & Crown The annual Jingle Bell walk brought families and friends out for a fun run.

of participants. There were also about seven sponsors that teamed up with the Arthritis Foundation to help fund and feed the runners and volunteers. Old Dominion students and organizations participated, as well as other VA residents.

Last year’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk raised $7,500. When Morrell was asked if there was

a new goal for this year’s Jingle Bell Walk/Run was, she laughed and responded, “just more donations than last year!” This year, they were able to raise roughly $60,000. Morrell stated that the number of volunteers and total sum donated has consistently increased every year.

A pre-event was also held a day before the

Jingle Bell Run/Walk. The pre-event gave prizes in jovial stockings to the 15 runners who signed up early. The pre-event alone raised $100.

The Jingle Bell Walk/Run will continue to occur annually to help raise awareness and donations of one of the Nation’s leading cause of disability.

Even Santa wants an iPad Must Have Tech Gifts 2010 by

Jonathan Moran Staff Writer

2010 has been all about technology. A sweater for a Christmas won’t cut it this year so here are some of the must have tech gifts for 2010, whether you’re buying them for someone or fell like spoiling yourself this Christmas.

Smart phones: Smart phones were big this year. The trend started with the iPhone and since then it has completely revolutionized the phone industry. Now there are all sorts of options to choose from. Google produced the Android Platform which is now used on 83 percent of all new phones. Some phones that use Android are HTC, Samsung, and LG models.

The marketing behind the smart phones has been astronomical.

“Phone Shame” commercials were a hit and the recognizable “Droid does” slogan made them best sellers

and it’s no wonder since they do EVERYTHING. With the amount of apps available, you’ll ask yourself how you ever lived without them.

E-Readers: Who said reading was dead? The great thing about technology is that it takes old mediums like books and reshapes them for the modern times. The Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and Sony Reader have put a modern techy spin on the age old hobby of reading. Download books right to your E-Reader and now you have an entire library of reading material in a lightweight, sleek tablet. Why is this beneficial? Books cost more because of the binding and book cover. This is why hardcover books cost more than paperbacks. With E-Readers you download the text so you don’t have to worry about expensive paper costs and it helps the environment by saving trees.

Video Games: Video games and gaming accessories are always big this time of year. A new trend in the gaming industry was inspired by the Nintendo Wii. A video game that gets you off the couch and makes you move. Since then PlayStation3 introduced the Move and Xbox pre-

miered the Kinect. Gamers can now fight, box, or swordfight their opponents and have fun while they do it.

Hot games this year are Call of Duty: Black Ops and GoldenEye007 for the Wii, a nice throwback to the early Nintendo games. iPad: Apple is ahead of the curve again. Looks like an E-Reader but does so much more; the iPad is a tablet pc that runs on apps. Download the apps and do whatever you want.

You can connect to the internet, read, books, type documents, and anything else you want on its touchscreen design while at the same time keeping up with one of Apple’s newest products.

Cameras: Cameras are always a great gift. A few cameras that were highly marketed this year were Ashton Kutcher’s Nikon COOLPIX, Flip cameras, and the Kodak EasyShare.

All three are easy to use and can upload pictures and videos to your computer in a flash.

Whatever tech gift you choose to buy, make sure it fits you and have fun with it. It’s a new toy, treat it as such.

Show it off, make people jealous, and get the newest version for yourself.

PCWORLD.COM

sports C1 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

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Bazemore unstoppable against Tennessee rolls past Lady Monarchs 74-44 Richmond

Crystal Spick Mace & Crown Bazemore had 13 of his career high 22 points in the second half of the Monarchs victory.

Old Dominion Beats Richmond 77-70 by

Greg Arnold Staff Writer

The Old Dominion Monarchs, led by junior guard Kent Bazemore, beat the Richmond Spiders Dec. 1 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Bazemore led the Monarchs the Monarchs in scoring with a career high 22 points. The Spiders led by as many as eight points with 9:16 left in the game, but the Monarchs, with tough defense and a 15-3 scoring run, came back to win the game late.

Richmond (6-2) held the lead for most of the first half, but ODU (5-1) did not let them get to far ahead. Despite their 35.3 FG percent ODU was able to keep it close going into the half just one point behind. ODU’s first half was all about senior Frank Hassell as he had 10 points and eight rebounds going to halftime. “I think our biggest plays came early in the game with Frank on the glass, he carried us for a long time,” Bazemore said after the game.

Early in the second half both teams battled to take control of the game. The teams went back and forth during the first part of the second half. Like a race horse ready to make its move from behind to win the game, ODU came out of a timeout with 7:57 left in the game with a different look. They were down 56-50 and knew it was time to make their run.

ODU senior Ben Finney started it off with a quick three pointer. After a Bazemore steal, senior Keyon Carter made a spectacular hook shot to pull ODU to only one point behind. Richmond senior Kevin Anderson tried his best to stop the run with a three, but ODU would not stop. Senior Darius James answered Anderson’s three with one of his own. After another layup by Anderson ODU was down 61-58 with 4:49 left. That’s when Bazemore took control of the game.

Bazemore started his run with making one of two foul shots, when the dust settled he scored ten points in a row.

After his second foul shot he was able to get down court and pulled a defensive rebound. He was fouled in his struggle to get the board and made both free throws. After

a Hassell foul, the Spiders inbound pass from underneath their own basket was intercepted by Bazemore. His monstrous two handed dunk sent the crowd into hysteria. Bazemore gave the sellout crowd at the Ted what they wanted as he flashed a bright smile to them as if to say, “Did you see that?” Bazemore would finish his run with an awesome pull up jumper and a three pointer. At the end of the run

by Bazemore ODU was up 61-68 and would not look back.

When asked about Bazemore’s game Hassell said, “I love it! I’d rather watch him than watch anyone when he plays like that.” Bazemore’s first half was less than perfect, with four turnovers and only one assist. But he was able to do what his coach Blaine Taylor told him many times before, “Forget it and move on.” That is exactly what he did as he led ODU to a win against interstate rival Richmond.

Richmond senior Justin Harper helped his team hold their first half lead with 14 points in the first alone. Coach Taylor made the proper adjustments and held Harper to zero points in the second. Another big scorer for Richmond was Anderson who ended the game with an astounding 23 points.

When asked how ODU would compete against the teams that are currently playing in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge coach Taylor said, “When those guys get done with their JV games they can come play us.”

ODU-Richmond By The Numbers: 0: Points scored by Richmond’s Justin Harper in the second half. He had 14 first half points.

3: Number of players that scored in double figures for the Monarchs led by Bazemore who had 22.

10: Number of consecutive points scored by Kent Bazemore in the second half that keyed the Monarchs victory.

15: Number of free throws the Monarchs made, as a team that normally struggles went 15-20.

15: Number of offensive rebounds the Monarchs had in the game as they out-rebounded the Spiders 15-8 on the offensive glass.

Christian Ernst Mace & Crown Parker’s game high 16 points led the way for the Lady Monarchs.

Senior Jasmine Parker becomes 28th Lady Monarch to score 1,000 career points by

Kathryne Mason Staff Writer

A record crowd of 7,774 people came out Sunday afternoon to see the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs take on the Tennessee Lady Vols at the Ted Constant Center. Senior Jasmine Parker would lead the Lady Monarchs with 16 points total, but in the end it wasn’t enough to stop Tennessee’s star freshman Meighan Simmons who had 14 points and four assists.

The Lady Monarchs were shooting from about 20 different angles on the court, but couldn’t find the basket at any of them. Although they picked it up in the second half, the Lady Vols defense made them work for every layup they got in the first. With a little over eight minutes left in the first half, Parker hit a beautiful three pointer that not only energized the team, but the crowd too.

The larger the lead the Lady Vols had on the Lady Monarchs, the more physical the game became between the two. You could see the frustration on Green and Cook’s face. The crowd wasn’t to pleased either, and let the referees know exactly what they thought of their play calling. Unfortunately, most of it wasn’t the referees fault. The Lady Vols pretty much kept the upper hand on the rebounds, both

offensive and defensive throughout the game, although junior center Tia Lewis would go on to have the game high of 10 rebounds. With two minutes to go in the first half Parker hit another three to cut the Lady Vols lead to a dozen.

Walking off the court Lady Monarch coach Wendy Larry showed her frustration. When asked about the first half play, Coach Larry said, “execution was definitely less than adequate in the first half, but I thought the girls came more collected and put together in the second half.”

The Lady Monarchs did indeed come out storming in the second half.

Senior point guard Angie Bjorklund from Tennessee went 2-2 at the free throw line, when Green collected the rebound and caused a Tennessee foul. Green started the ball inbound to Parker, who handed it off to Lewis.

Lewis took the shot from the paint and missed, but Cook found the rebound and put it in the back of the net for two. While the Vols started to push on the offensive attack, Lewis made a beautiful steal from the Lady Vols junior Alicia Manning. Not even a minute later, Byrd made another steal from Bjorklund.

Parker and Lewis provided the sparks to keep the Lady Monarchs in the game. At one point in the second half, Parker was surrounded by three Tennessee players, but somehow managed to find Lewis, who put it in for a nice jumper. With another offensive foul by the Lady Vols, Lewis would see LADY MONARCHS C2

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | C2

Men’s soccer with much So far, so good Through the First to build on Two Seasons the Football Monarchs sit at a Record 17-5 by

Danielle Buxton Mace & Crown LeBlanc was second on the team finishing the season with five goals

After a terrific season, the future is bright by

Jake Ullrich Staff Writer

Jordan LeBlanc wasn’t too nervous about the selection.

Even without making the CAA Tournament, the Monarchs soccer team put up a strong out- of- conference schedule and possessed a very high RPI. With big wins again UNC and Florida Gulf Coast, the team knew they had a good chance to make it to the NCAA tournament.

“Before the show even came on I was talking to my buddies at the house,” LeBlanc said. “I was like ‘I think we’re going to be in’. But the brackets kept showing up and we weren’t in any of them. We were in the last four teams to show up and everybody just went nuts. It was such a huge sigh of relief to be in the tournament cause that’s what we were playing for.”

The Monarchs certainly stayed on the edge of their seats while watching, not knowing if they were in or out until the last four teams showed up. Their opponent? Defending national champions University of Virginia.

“Whether we were home or away or who we played, it didn’t really matter,” Coach Alan Dawson said. “The bottom line for this team is we’re young. A lot of freshman, a lot of sophomores and I just wanted to get them in the tournament. Get that experience.”

The overall youth of the team seemed to be hurting them throughout the season. The Monarchs struggled to ever find their best form. Losing close games became a far too normal ordeal. After defeating the number two ranked team in the nation in North Carolina, they lost on the road to Delaware. A 2-0 loss to James Madison on Oct. 27 was the final game of a three match losing streak for the Monarchs.

It seemed a surprise each game on whether the team would show up to play their best.

“The only thing to do in situations like that is to not panic,” Coach Dawson said. “You just keep playing and believe in what you’re doing. You try to instill confidence and sometimes you just need a little break along the way to get out of the funk.

“It’s something we experienced this year, we find a way to get out of it and what you don’t do next year is get in it in the first place. You learn from that experience.”

Coach Dawson was lucky to possess a strong captain and again hit another two-pointer with a beautiful form while doing it. The Lady Monarchs came out charging in the second half, but mistakes from the first half proved costly as the they fell to the Vols with a final score of 74-44. The Lady Monarchs had 21 turnovers, seven steals and were 6-8 from the free throw line while

leader in senior Evan Newton who motivated the team to stay upbeat throughout the season, even in the losing streaks.

“I can be pretty hard on the guys,” Newton said. “I do a lot of yelling and I got to kind of watch myself sometimes.

One thing I worked on this year was when to get on everybody, and when to just let the storm pass through and let it sort itself out.

“For me, it was just keeping it positive. Reminding us we had a good team and we had a lot of talent and we just needed to perform. At times, I felt like I was getting gray hairs like the coaches were though.”

The highlight of the season certainly came down to the first round NCAA match against UVA. The game, being played in Charlottesville, gave the Monarchs an opportunity to impress their Virginian rivals, as well as shine on the national stage. Freshman Alex Vaughan’s second half goal was enough to see the Monarchs through for a 1-0 victory.

A victory that showed the nation the Monarchs a force in the coming years.

“We had nothing to lose going out there,” LeBlanc said.

“We had a ton of fan support and just winning that game and walking to the crowd was one of the best feelings ever.”

In the final match of the season, the Monarchs bowed out of the tournament with a 4-1 loss to Penn State, a loss LeBlanc feels can help the program in the long run.

“It’s knowing how to play against a team we’re up against,” LeBlanc said. “We didn’t possess the ball enough in the midfield, we didn’t create much. It’s a mental thing, people’s body language on the field looked like the game was over. As we grow up we’ll take more passion in games like that and won’t let it happen again.”

The Monarchs lose three seniors this year, including Newton, the Monarch’s all-time leader in saves and shutouts, but are expecting big things next season. With returning the core of the squad, Coach Dawson knows the Monarchs should be even better.

“It’s not like we need a ton of quantity, but we do need some quality players,” Dawson said. “Making or breaking next season will be on the shoulder’s of the guys we have now, not on players coming in. We’re going to need to roll our sleeves up, work hard in spring and set some goals.”

The Monarchs host spring scrimmages with North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as a few professional teams.

The team looks to start next season off on what could be a banner year for the squad.

the Lady Vols had 18 turnovers, 12 steals and were 19-25 for free throws.

The one bright spot in the game was Parker who reached the 1000 point mark. “Jasmine has worked hard for every point. We don’t play in a pansy league, so it’s not like any of those points have come easy for her. This is just a testament of how hard a worker

she is. We’re all extremely proud of her,” said coach Larry. With the loss the Lady Monarchs now fall to 3-3 on the season while the Vols go up to 8-1.

The Lady Monarchs will be back in action tonight as they take on George Washington at the Ted. Tip off will be at 7p.m.

Ben Decowski Staff Writer

The Old Dominion Football Monarchs wrapped up their season with a 33-21 victory over North Carolina Central (3-8) to bring their second year record to 8-3. The Monarchs record is now 17-5, the best startup program ever through two seasons. “It’s really an amazing accomplishment, it exceeded any expectations that I had,” said ODU head coach Bobby Wilder.

The Monarchs were undefeated on the road this season picking up wins against Campbell, Monmouth, Hampton and North Carolina Central. “We’ve learned how to travel,” said coach Wilder. He did make it a point to talk about the teams 4-3 home record and said “…it’s disappointing.” Those home losses came against tough teams in Jacksonville, William and Mary and Cal Poly.

The team ended the season on a five game win streak after losing 50-37 to Cal Poly in the sixth game of the season. “It was very important. We were sitting in the bye week at 3-3, the players made the decision at that point that they didn’t want to lose again.

Nothing teaches you how to win like winning,” said coach Wilder.

Coach Wilder had much to be proud of this season in all three aspects of the team. On offense he had a quarterback that threw for 2,756 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 501 yards and eight touchdowns in redshirted junior Thomas DeMarco.

Coach Wilder said about DeMarco “He’s a winner and he does things the right way.” Coach Wilder also said of DeMarco’s toughness “He’s the toughest football player I’ve coached in 23 years of coaching.”

Junior wide receiver Prentice Gill led the team in receiving with 686 yards and five touchdowns in his first year as a Monarch after transferring from Los Angeles Harbor College. Redshirted sophomore wide receiver Reid Evans led the team in receptions with 55 for 616 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore running back Mario Crawford led the team in rushing with 540 yards and six touchdowns.

The Monarchs also had a lot of great performers on defense. Redshirted junior defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron had a school record of 14 tackles against North Carolina Central. “He was unblockable Saturday [against North Carolina Central],” coach Wilder said. “His performance was outstanding.”

Redshirted senior defensive end Deron Mayo led the defense with 6 ½ sacks, three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. Mayo has a good chance to make it at the pro level next year but will most likely have to do it on the Special Teams side of the ball.

“That’s something that I’m hopeful that he’ll become the first player in this program to go and play in the NFL,” said coach Wilder.

It was the special teams though that made coach Wilder the proudest. “The areas I felt that we excelled at this year were first and foremost was field position. In nine of the 11 games we dominated in that area,” said coach Wilder.

“If you’re starting a drive on your 40 and their starting a drive on their 30, well that’s one first down that you’re taking away from your opponent.”

Some of the field position advantage has to be credited to redshirted sophomore Jonathan Plisco who was second in the country in punting. Plisco led the country a year ago, but coach Wilder said, “It’s still remarkable that he had a 44.3 yard average.” Plisco had 17 punts of 50 yards or longer and his season long was a 75 yard punt against William and Mary.

The return teams were spectacular with the kickoff return unit ranking fifth in the country. “We were below a hundred in the nation last year so the jump to number five in the country is something I’m very proud of,” said coach Wilder. The punt return unit was also great ranking 13th.

“We were outstanding this year in special teams in all phases,” said coach Wilder. He also made it very clear that he intended to keep it that way saying, “…special teams are in fact our all star team. You may be recruited to play offense or defense but you’re going to need to excel on special teams to make the travel roster,” he said.

The Monarchs will be joining the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) next season which will bring much tougher competition but that is not the teams focus as of now. “The academics right now are first and foremost.

We’re having our best semester ever right now academically but we need to finish strong over the next few weeks,” said coach Wilder. “When they return from their break, we’ll start our strength and conditioning program after this semester. For coaches it’s hit the road, time to recruit.”

With the closing of ODU’s second season fans, students and alumni have a lot to be proud of. Their team has the best ever start at 17-5 and the future looks bright. “This certainly was not just the football team or the program, the fact that we had record attendance, we had 14 sellouts in two seasons at home, that truly shows the interest in this program,” said coach Wilder.

Christian Ernst Mace & Crown

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FREE COOKBOOK! Cooking for Heroes Red Cross Cookbook

For all presenting blood donors this December!

RBEOOEK! F COOK

The American Red Cross is giving away Cooking for Heroes, which is lled with tasty recipes from a mix of celebrities and American Red Cross supporters.

If you want a personal family recipe from First Lady Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton’s dessert (which shares the name of one of her songs), or even Alex Trebek’s soup or legend Yogi Berra’s recipe, you’ll have to donate blood. Get yours while supplies last!

UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVES: Wednesday, December 8th Old Dominion University

Wednesday, December 15th Blocker YMCA Sponsored By: BSEB & T.R.U.S.T (Bloodmobile) Webb Center 10:00am - 4:00pm

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The #1 reason for donation deferrals is low iron levels. Iron levels vary on a daily basis. To ensure you have enough iron, a few days before you donate stock up on some iron-rich foods like spinach, red meat, sh, poultry, beans, berries, iron-fortied cereals and raisins.

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C3 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

Good things come to those who wait

ODU Wrestling team ready for another successful season Seniors James Nicholson and Kyle Hutter Will Lead Team by

Crystal Spick Mace & Crown Cooper’s 4.5 ppg average does not highlight how important his role is off the Monarch bench.

Chris Cooper Making the Most of His Opportunity by

Matthew McCracken Staff Writer

Patience is a virtue. Especially to a 6-foot-9 inch, 230 pound Chris Cooper of Old Dominion University. As a junior who didn’t redshirt his freshman year, Cooper is a forward for the Monarchs basketball team.

Coming from Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Va., Cooper averaged 9.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocked shots during his four years as a Bruin. Those are solid numbers for a high school basketball player, but sub-par compared to other Division I athletes. Cooper was hurt his entire senior year of high school and sat out the entire season.

Due to Cooper’s unusual size and natural strengths on the hardwood, his absent senior year of high school basketball wasn’t the end of his career.

“When I got injured, I already had schools offer me scholarships including ODU so it didn’t worry me that much,” Cooper said. Instead, Cooper had to focus on getting his knee back into shape, and picking a school.

Unlike others, Cooper’s collegiate success is not accredited to his success as a Forest Park Bruin, but in AAU basketball as a member of Hoop Boothe, a well-respected travel basketball program in the Northern Virginia area. Before his knee injury, Cooper averaged 16.2 points and 12.3 rebounds during his tenure at Hoop Boothe. He was also named a 2007 Sporting News Magazine honorable mention pre-season All-American.

Averaging a solid double-double against stiff competition, Cooper became a Monarch only to ride the bench most of his first two years as a Division I athlete. With Gerald Lee, a memorable Monarch center who still had two years left in eligibility, Cooper was forced to watch from the sidelines and learn the game he thought he already mastered. “The first two years were hard because in high school, I could do a lot of things on the basketball court playing basically the whole game,” Cooper said.

Showing maturity at a young age, Cooper said, “I knew this was a process and that I had to do this and learn the system in order for me to play.”

Cooper’s maturity must be hereditary since his mother raised him as a single mother. “My mother is my biggest role model because she is always there for me and shows me the right thing,” Cooper said. “She has been through everything, and only wants to help me in whatever I am doing.”

With his natural talent and his mother’s support, Cooper’s success as an athlete is unpredictable. Cooper knows what it takes to be successful at his position learning from the best in Gerald Lee and Frank Hassell. When asked what he needs to improve on, Cooper simply said, “Everything.”

With an attitude that practice makes perfect, but perfect is unattainable, Cooper will always make the right moves to improve his game.

Going deeper into his thoughts about his personal skills, Cooper said, “I would really like to improve my offensive game.” Coming off the bench serving as the sixth man for the Monarchs, Cooper may not put up big numbers in the points per game category, but his hustle isn’t teachable.

If there’s a loose ball, Cooper will be the first one on the ground for it. With

his length and sneaky speed, Cooper can guard the perimeter through the Monarch zone and alter shots for their opponents.

With Cooper on the court, the Monarchs hustle seems to accelerate. Although the Monarchs have only lost one game this season to nationally ranked Georgetown University, Cooper knows what he has to do for his team to be successful. “I try to give the team whatever I can and help out wherever I can. If coach tells me to do something, I am going to try my hardest to do what he has told me,” Cooper said.

Cooper would say he’d play a different position for his team to win.

With his confidence, Cooper said he’d play “point guard.”

In all seriousness, Cooper knows winning the CAA and making it to the NCAA tournament was his biggest accomplishment as a college athlete thus far. Cooper may be thankful, but said that he wants “one of his greatest achievements this year that tops what happened last year.” Already beating teams like Clemson, Xavier and Richmond, the Monarchs are well on their way to another CAA championship and NCAA Tournament.

Cooper’s patience to play has been replaced with his humbleness. Despite their early success this year as a team, Cooper refuses to jinx his own team. “I don’t want to jinx us or anything so we will just see,” Cooper said about Old Dominion this year. Cooper may be humble, but to succeed, one must have high expectations.

Cooper goes on and said, “I see great and big things for us this year.”

With Cooper on the Monarchs’ roster, fans can always expect their players to hustle until the whistle and be more aggressive than the opposition.

Greg Arnold Staff Writer

The Old Dominion Monarchs wrestling team has already started their run for yet another successful season. Early in the season ODU is on the outside looking in at the Top 25 according to the NWCA/USA Today Division I Wrestling Rankings. They did receive votes in the poll, but did not get a top 25 nod. This is soon to change according to coach Steve Martin, “In a month or two we will be able to creep into the Top 20, and by the end of the season we will be in the 10 – 15 range,” he said.

Leading the charge to the Top 20 will be senior James Nicholson.

Nicholson is currently ranked seventh in his 125 pound weight class nationally. He won the CAA Championship in his weight class in each of the three seasons he has wrestled for Old Dominion and each year was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s (NWCA) Division I AllAcademic Team. Nicholson was one of the first two Monarchs to become a three-time CAA Champion. He has a career record of 103-17, with a record last season of 32-3.

Another important element for the wrestling team’s run at the rankings will be senior Kyle Hutter. He is currently ranked 13th in the 133 pound weight class. Earlier this season he finished second at the Hokie Open.

Hutter was redshirted last season, but the previous season he qualified for the NCAA Tournament and won two matches. He finished second at the CAA Tournament and won a total of

24 matches. He was also picked for the NWCA Division I All-Academic Team.

A couple of weekends ago, ODU competed in the Hoosier Duals in Bloomington, Ind. They won one of three matches but competed hard in all three. ODU beat UNC Greensboro, but lost to Northern Illinois and Indiana.

Nicholson went won both matches he was in, while Hutter went 3-0. Also with a good showing was sophomore Brennan Brumley, who also went 3-0.

Brumley had an impressive win over Northern Illinois’s Tristen DeShazer who not only qualified for the NCAA National Tournament, but went 2-2 there with two pins.

The coach’s goals for the year are precise in their nature. “Our goal is to be a Top 10 team, and get three AllAmericans to the National Tournament,” said coach Martin. The team, however, set a few other tasks they wish to accomplish. They also want to be a top ten team, but they want win the conference tournament and beat University of Virginia and Virginia Tech as well.

Old Dominion’s wrestling team wants the support of its fellow students as it goes against top rated teams in the area. Jan. 7, ODU will compete in the Virginia Duals, in which eight Top 20 teams will be competing also. This tournament takes place at the Hampton Coliseum. ODU will also have important home matches this season, their first being against George Mason Jan. 23. Between Feb. 10 and Feb. 20 ODU will have four matches on campus. They will be playing against rivals 12th ranked Virginia Tech and the 23rd ranked University of Virginia. Coach Martin said of Virginia Tech, “On paper they’re supposed to beat us, but we will see what happens when the match comes around.”

Courtesy of Jason Hirschfeld, The Virginian Pilot James Nicholson gets his hand raised after a victory.

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | C4

GAMES IND @ TEN CLE @ BUF GB @ DET NYG @ MIN CIN @ PIT TB @WAS ATL @ CAR OAK @ JAX SEA @ SF STL @NO MIA @NYJ DEN @ ARI NE @ CHI KC @ SD PHI @DAL BAL @ HOU

Chelsea Christian Chynna Danielle Garrison John Nick Sarah Stu IND IND IND IND IND IND IND IND IND BUF CLE CLE CLE CLE CLE CLE CLE CLE GB GB DET GB GB GB GB GB GB MIN NYG MIN NYG NYG NYG NYG NYG NYG PIT PIT CIN PIT CIN PIT PIT PIT PIT TB TB WAS TB WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS ATL ATL ATL ATL CAR ATL ATL ATL ATL JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX OAK SEA SEA SEA SF SEA SEA SEA SEA SEA NO NO NO NO STL NO NO NO NO NYJ BOARD NYJ NYJ MIA NYJ MIA NYJ E NYJ NYJ ARI DEN DEN ARI DEN ARI ARI DEN DEN NE NE CHI NE NE NE NE NE NE KC KC KC KC SD KC SD KC SD PHI PHI DAL PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL

WEEKLY NFL PICKS

s ’ n o s i r r a G

SCRUB-

The NFL and the powers that be proved once again last week that they are gutless.

The fight between Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan was a terrible act by both parties involved and WORLDFORTODAY.COM both deserved punishment. The NFL decided that a 25K fine for both doesn’t cut it. The biggest reason for not suspending Andre Johnson was that the Houston Texans played on Thursday night on the NFL Network owned by the NFL. Instead of admitting that the NFL said that suspending Johnson would be a “competitive disadvantage” to the Texans. A gutless act by the NFL, and they are on the Scrub-o-meter.

O-METER

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wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | D1

opinions Not adult enough at 20? by

Sophie Clark Staff Writer

One thing that I am continually trying to get used to here in the U.S. is being treated like a minor and a child at the age of 20. In the U.K. you are an adult at the age of 18, and therefore have the privileges of drinking alcohol etc but also being seen as and respected as an adult.

For those of us at ODU, by the time we are 18/19 we had left home, started a new life for ourselves away from our parents and home comforts, are studying through a want and realisation that we need this further education to progress towards the lifestyle we want and are mature enough to make these decisions by ourselves.

So are these decisions and life choices not big enough to grant us some responsibility over other areas of our lives like drinking alcohol? To me this is a HUGE contradiction within American society.

For me, coming from England where I am allowed to drink, to here where I am not, it has changed my views on alcohol. At home, although drinking is a much bigger part of our culture than it is here in the U.S., I drink responsibly, mainly with my family, and drink because I enjoy the taste (nothing like a cold pint of Stowford Press believe me!)

However, now I am here in the U.S., where I can’t drink, I find myself more excited at the idea of it. It’s now become more of a game – how am I going to get alcohol tonight?

Who’s going to pick me up some? Is the bouncer at this club going to ask for some I.D. or am I going to manage to get in without a huge cross on both of my hands? This inevitably leads me to be less responsible with the quantity I drink because if I can get it, I better take the opportunity while it’s there!

I haven’t felt this way about alcohol since I was 17 and find

Miller Time!

Teetering on the brink of insanity

Stuart Miller Editor in Chief

by

Oh finals, how you have come so swiftly and “caught us by surprise”.

Just ignore the fact that our professors have included the date, time, and place for the final on the syllabus given on the first day of class.

Regardless of how prepared you may be, this time of the year always helps students notice exactly how much hair is falling out/being pulled out of their head on a daily basis.

Stress levels are at their highest, flex points are running low for Starbucks, and every professor seems to be ganging up on you by coincidently assigning things that are due on the same day as six other assignments. But in light of all of these “holiday joys” we have so reluctantly had the fortune of being assigned, I also see a shift in the sanity of my peers.

I’m in my fifth year at ODU and have seen finals weeks come and go. With each passing semester I have evaluated

it really strange that these feelings were not just the feelings of a teenager, but more the feelings of rebelling against restriction. From what I’ve seen at parties and from talking to people at ODU, I believe this is a big problem that people really need to start questioning – how much help is restriction actually doing when it comes to alcohol? Should we not decide to treat 18/19/20 year olds like they are adults, as we are asking them to be in every other area of their lives?

I genuinely believe that restriction only makes people want to do things more. At least if it was legal to drink alcohol earlier we wouldn’t see so much peer pressure around the issue, leading people to make decisions about whether they want to drink or not, rather than being pressured to because at college that’s how you’re ‘supposed’ to act and rebelling is seen as ‘cool’.

I’m not saying that England has it sorted by allowing people to legally drink at 18; we have a high binge drinking culture which has been causing a lot of problems within society regarding our health care system. However, at least there is an openness to talk about drinking. I have spoken to so many people about alcohol at ODU, and so many have quietened their voices whilst talking to me, as if just speaking of the subject under 21 is illegal! This attitude isn’t right. If someone is having problems deciding whether they want to drink alcohol, wants to know their limit, wants to know what to do if a friend has drunk too much and needs medical attention, surely we should be promoting an open environment where these kind of topics can be addressed and talked about rather than hiding them under the carpet or fighting against them?

Cheers, Sophie

the ways people change during the course of them. The new semester begins, everyone is eager to see their friends and get back into the swing of things after a break that usually includes work, travel, and boredom. As the semester continues the course load increases, you lose a job or a significant other, and your favorite sweatshirt got shrunk the last time you did laundry. By the end of the semester you have gone from someone who wakes up motivated with a smile on their face to someone who has created a hardened emotional shell to keep everyone out.

Is this a common and unfixable attribute of the typical college semester or can the spell be broken?

While some may say that it is an impending doom that will overtake you regardless of your optimism, I say that it’s a small scrape on the bigger scale of things that can be mended.

Think back to the beginning of the semester. What made you happy? What filled your day?

Now look at present day. What has changed that you can control? What things during your day now bring you down?

While I know that your professors aren’t still asking you to fill out an index card with your name and e-mail on it, it doesn’t mean that your course load needs to turn you in the ODU Grinch. Whether you’re an optimist or pessimist the end of the semester can make you this way and it can be avoided. Every student has their niche they wouldn’t be here at ODU if they didn’t. You come to college to discover your true passion for something and you should love it and if you don’t love it you have the wrong career aspirations.

Find your niche, embrace it and the rest will fall into place the way you want.

That’s G

BCS National Title Game: Not Worth The Wait

by

Garrison Cole Sports Editor

It’s that time of the year again; time, once again, for the BCS to come under the microscope. This time the BCS really hasn’t done anything wrong. There are three undefeated teams, Auburn, Oregon and TCU. Auburn and Oregon both being from bigger conferences are both going to play for the national title, while TCU will head more than likely to the Rose Bowl, which is still a great accomplishment for the Horn Frogs.

My problem is not with this season.

The big boys deserve to play in the national title game with all due respect to TCU; they don’t really deserve to play in the title game. My problem with the BCS, besides the fact that it doesn’t have a playoff system is that there is such a long layoff between when the last game was played for both teams and the national title game which this year will be Jan. 10, 2011 It will be 36 day break between the last time the two teams played and the national title game in Glendale, Arizona. By Jan. 10, most sports fans have already forgotten about college football. January is right during the heart of playoff football. There is nothing like the NFL playoffs and in a year where there is so much parity, this postseason is shaping up to be a very special one. Not to mention

there’s a chance of a lockout in the 2011 season, fans will want to cherish this postseason.

The start of the New Year is also the start of conference play in college basketball. This is college basketball’s four month stretch where that sport captures a nation and then culminates with the greatness that is March Madness.

In the NBA, although the playoffs are still months away in January, there are still compelling games, especially this year when every game the Miami Heat play seems to be scrutinized like the world is coming to an end.

So as much as I love college football, there are other sporting events that are happening in January, that I will argue are more compelling. If college football and the powers at be decided to have a playoff, those 36 days in between the final regular season game and the national title game would then be filled with actual football games. The BCS supporters talk about how the money is too great to move to a playoff system, but just imagine how much more popular college football would be.

Those 36 days in between games act like a mini off-season for college football. For one it’s a new calendar year.

In addition, I know that this game will be talked about to death over the next four plus weeks. There will be debates about whether Oregon’s offense is more dynamic, or whether Cam Newton could actually be stopped, but by Day 10 it becomes a little stale and a little old. It also doesn’t help that leading up to the national title game there are bowl games like the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl or the Meineke Car Bowl.

So enjoy the national title game coverage over the next couple of weeks. And if you happen to miss something this week, I’m sure you’ll have ample time to catch it again.

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D2 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

Forking ODU It’s pie season!

by Alyssa Odango Assistant Art & Entertainment Editor

This winter my oven will familiarize itself with pies. I’ve never been keen on making pie before for several reasons.

One being my laziness on making pie crusts (yes, I know that’s what pre-made pie crusts are for, but I love rolling out pie dough), and another being that most pies I see are fruit pies and I’m not a baked fruit eater.

Then, this past Thanksgiving came along and when one of my family members asked what I would be baking, my mind started glossing over recipes in my mind until I realized that I have never made a pie from scratch. Apple pie, to be exact. I used to hate apple pies. I didn’t like the syrupy stickiness of the sauce, or the texture of cooked apples. But I swallowed my pride and figured that I’d rather bake and have 50 people happy. So I did, and it smelled so wonderful baking I was ready to give into my dislike of apple pie and succumb to selfishness and eat the pie straight from the dish. I waited until Thanksgiving night, and with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream I tasted my first home made apple pie. I’m not going to brag about the yumminess of the pie, but it did taste good enough to make me bake it again the next day for my best friend.

I try to have a new category each season when I bake.

This season is conveniently pie season, and not just sweet pies. I’m going to test out plenty of pie recipes ranging from strawberry rhubarb to decadent chocolate mousse to chicken pot pie. I think I’ll go ahead and bake a pie a week.

This week I baked a savory mushroom pie, a recipe great for vegetarians and hearty enough for this winter season.

It’s really simple to make, and I did use pre-made pie crusts for a quicker preparation time. Think of cream of mushroom soup inside a flaky pie crust with cheese baked inside.

Yum.

Savory Mushroom Pie Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic – minced 16 ounces mushrooms – sliced ½ tablespoon of dried parsley salt/pepper to taste 4-6 slices of provolone cheese 1 package of pie crusts in the pan (usually pie crusts at the grocery store come in packs of two)

THE SCOOP! Music News and Reviews Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday just short of Hot Pink

1 egg – beaten béchamel (white cream sauce): 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 1/4 cups milk – heated pinch of salt Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take out pie crusts from freezer and allow to thaw completely.

2. Into a large pan add olive oil and butter and heat over medium heat. When melted add: garlic, mushrooms, parsley. Reduce heat to low. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.

3. WHILE mushrooms are sautéing, prepare the béchamel sauce. Into a small sauce pan add butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon.

Cook for approximately two minutes, stirring constantly.

Add heated milk and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until mixture has thickened. Once thickened pour mixture over sautéed mushrooms. Stir to combine. Set aside.

4. Lay 2-3 slices of provolone cheese onto one pie pan.

Gently pour the mushroom mixture into pie pan. Cover with remaining 2-3 slices of provolone cheese. Carefully peel the other pie crust from its pan and cover the filled pie crust. Gently crimp the edges to seal.

5. Place pie onto a cooking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg. Cook pie for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden.

6. Allow pie to cool before slicing.

by

Robbie Ciara Staff Writer

Here’s The Scoop! – Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday album was one of the most anticipated releases of 2010.

If you have lived under a rock we understand that you may not know who Nicki Minaj is and what she has been doing for the last few months. She has been the first artist in Billboard history to have been a part of 14 singles that have been in the top 100. The Young Money front woman has been working with just about every artist who has been in the top 25. She’s collaborated with Eminem, Kanye West, wil.i.am, Drake, and some would argue that she’s even collaborated with Lil’ Kim. Nicki doesn’t quite have a distinctive style. Hardcore hip-hop? Pop? Techno-fusion-rap-funk-dirty money?

Maybe. Either way it’s Nicki’s way of blending her own gifts that has made her successful. It’s this success that has made it difficult to review Pink Friday. It’s just like waiting for the big summer blockbuster movie to drop and expecting to be blown away when you feel just mildly entertained.

Is it your hype or is it really a good movie? Pink Friday feels like a great DVD release instead of a hot summer blockbuster.

The Scoop! will tell you that Pink Friday is a project where if Nicki is being herself, which could be her and up to 3 alter-egos, the album shines.

It’s when she brings up old Nicki, as she asks in the track Dear Old Nicki, she falls short, although that particular track is solid. There’s a reason her first single, Massive Attack, was dropped from the album. It just wasn’t good.

The production, the style, the flow just were absent. Nicki wasn’t being herself. The over use of profanity and gangsta rap rifts just didn’t feel like a good fit. You could almost hear the producer forcing Nicki into a place instead of letting Nicki be Nicki. Tracks Did it to ‘em, I’m the Best, and the Kanye West collaboration Blazin’ really brings the property value of this album way down. The recent releases of Your Love, Right Thru Me, and Check it Out of course are four-star releases but the album does offer more than just those tracks.

Fly is a great track which features Rihanna, is a great track which reveals Nicki’s personal struggles and triumphs. Lyrically blended and musically astute, it’s actually inspirational and could be an at-home favorite. Roman’s Revenge with Eminem is a track where Slim Shady meets Roman Zolanski, the alter egos of the artists. The tracks pay homage to Busta Rhymes by repeating the famous dungeon dragon line from the classic Scenario track. It’s one of the albums solid classic hip-hop tracks. The album closes with the track Last Chance (featuring Natasha Bedingfield) and this is where we can really enjoy Nicki instead of Old Nicki.

Pink Friday is a solid 3 scoop album that Nicki fans will definitely enjoy but those not quite sold on Nicki should download the tracks they like and leave the rest to billboard history.

One thing The Scoop! can tell you: The future signature Nicki album will make us look back at Pink Friday as the album in which she really found herself. Spider Man 2 was way better than the first Spider Man right?

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Dear Diane

ordeal. When searching for the new roommate, look for a roommate who has qualities that will mesh well with those of your current roommates. Show them that you tried to find someone who was easy to live with and also likeable.

This will let your friends know that you do care about them and don’t want this situation to ruin your relationships.

Don’t forget to make sure this proposal that your other friends have given you about moving in with them is final.

You definitely don’t want to come to find you don’t have a place in either home.

Final Words of Advice

by

Diane Dougherty Staff Writer

Dear Diane, My landlord called today and reminded us that we have to resign our lease by February. I’ve been talking to other friends about possibly moving out and living with them next year instead of resigning my lease. What’s the best way to break news about moving out to your roommates who you’re still friends with but don’t want to live with anymore?

-Delicate Ditcher Dear Delicate, First, make sure they know it isn’t an attack on their character but that there are just certain friends (like them) that you don’t live well with. Find out what their plans are for the next year. If you haven’t discussed this with them there could be a possibility that they weren’t planning on living there any longer either. If this is the case, you’ve luckily breezed by and there isn’t much more reason to discuss it further. But if they don’t understand why you want to move out, explain to them your various reasons. Most importantly, don’t let this conversation turn into an argument. The last thing you want is for this to head south and lead you into a conversation about your friendship; feelings will be hurt.

If their concerns are about finding someone to fill your space, tell them that you will make it your responsibility to find someone to replace you so no one is screwed over.

It’s difficult enough saying goodbye to one roommate but the transition of someone new moving in is a whole new

Dear Diane, My ex-boyfriend constantly calls and texts me even when I’ve asked him to stop. He broke up with me so I don’t understand why he gets jealous when I’m around other guys and tells other guys not to date me. This is getting out of control and I don’t know what to do. I still care about him but he is making it really difficult for me to want him in my life. How do I get my message across?

-Nagging Ex Dear Nagging Ex, This probably describes at least one ex-boyfriend every girl has ever had. Two words: Looney Tune. This guy is nothing but bad news. There is no significant reason why he should continue to be in your life. If he keeps calling and texting, block his number. Not hearing from him will automatically make you feel a whole lot better. Another way to show him you want absolutely no contact with him is to drop off his things on his doorstep. Don’t let him know you’re coming by, just leave his things in a bag outside.

Getting rid of his belongings is something that needs to be done. Why hold onto things that remind you of a relationship that ended for a reason? He is clearly not all there in the head, so him getting jealous over you moving on isn’t something that should concern you. Let him be jealous; it will help remind him how badly he messed up when he broke things off. Overall, just be thankful things ended sooner rather than later. The tragedy of this story is that you had to date him to begin with. Just think of this relationship as a stepping-stone to finding someone better.

More than skin deep How to be a smart, sexy woman in the workplace

by

Leslea Kurht Staff Writer

The smart woman is sexy, almost by default…IF you know how to carry yourself. I watch a lot of “What not to Wear” and I hear a lot of these women talking about how they can’t possibly wear a dress to work because it would result in people not taking her seriously, or how they wear baggy, shapeless clothes so that people will respect them. Ummmmmm hello?! You are a woman, women have curves, women wear dresses. Trying to cover up your natural beauty is like putting a sheer curtain over the Mona Lisa and telling people that it’s not there anymore. We

can still see it! No matter what you try to do to hide your body, we all know it’s there!

Now, I’m not saying that everything should be form fitting, but it should be form “flattering.” You should want to look good. No matter what anyone says, the first thing you notice about someone is their clothes. If someone looks shabby, you assume things about them that you wouldn’t assume about someone who was well put together.

And believe me, as a hiring manager, we look at clothes! You are a representative of your workplace and if you look bad, they look bad!

When you are looking for an outfit for an interview, your best bet is always going to be some sort of dress (or even a skirt) with a cardigan or blazer.

I know a lot of people like to wear pant suits but that is so 1974! You should be proud of your femininity! Show it off in a tasteful way, you are more likely to get a job if you are dressed in a manner that is comfortable to you and shows off your personal style.

With graduation just around the corner, and job hunts and interviews to follow here are some ideas for the perfect work wardrobe: The Structured Dress: A must have, it shows your feminine side with enough structure and coverage to wear to the office. Try J.Crew (Heidi dress in wool flannel, $198); Banana Re-

public (Textured V-Neck Lady dress, $150); or Arden B (Origami Scoop Neck Dress, $69) The Pencil Skirt: Flaunt your curves! Check out Arden B (Sweater Bandage Pencil Skirt, $44); Urban Outfitters (Ecote knit pencil skirt, $48); or Topshop (Waxed Pencil Skirt

by Unique, $230).

The Ruffled Blouse: You can wear this with trousers OR skirts. Look for Bluefly (Moschino Cheap and Chic, $417); Ann Taylor (Contrast Stitch Ruffle top, $78) or The Limited (Ruffle Neckline Shell, $9.99) The High Waisted Pant: Accentuate your waist! Try Etsy (Vintage High Waist Trouser, $45), Bluefly (BCBGMaxAzria, $77) or Urban Outfitters (6X6 by no. 6 High Waisted Pant, $69) The Blazer: Cover up and still look chic! Look for Arden B (3/4 sleeve lace blazer, $59), Gap (Velvet Blazer, $98) and J.Crew (Moonbeam Sequined Blazer, $495) Be prepared to shell out a lot of money for a good looking professional wardrobe. If you have at least one of every piece mentioned you’ll have a great foundation, as long as you can filter in decent looking button-ups or drapey tees to wear under your blazers—and don’t forget to have fun with your accessories and shoes! Congrats December Grads and Happy Hunting J Have a great holiday everyone!

wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | D3

My Way or the Highway To China Bus or Not to China Bus? That is the Question

by Chelsea DeAngio Arts and Entertainment Editor

If you’ve ever thought about a quick weekend getaway to the Big Apple, you’ve probably heard of the China Bus. Word of mouth seems to be it’s only true form of advertising, and yet nearly everyone knows about it. The China Bus (slang for one of the many bus lines that go from Chinatown, NYC to just about everywhere along the eastern seaboard) has become a ubiquitous facet of our culture. Something we take for granted, but know very little about. A bus shrouded in mystery, if you will.

“My friend took that bus once. The bus was chased from Norfolk to Jersey by drug dealers trying to get their stash from one of the passengers,” a co-worker told me. “One time, this lady got in a fist fight with some girl on the bus and the driver kept going! Didn’t even look back at them,” said a friend.

The China bus doesn’t exactly have the best reputation, it’s true. But I knew that rumors were likely just that: stories made up by people who’d probably never even taken the bus. And who could argue with the fare - $60 round trip to New York? I’d run the risk of drug dealers and fist fights for that price!

So when it came time for the annual quidditch world cup (yes, I said quidditch and yes, there’s a world cup) this November, I knew the only way to get to New York was the China bus. My car can barely make it to the Virginia Beach oceanfront, and airfare is just out of price range for a broke college kid like myself. So the challenge for cheap bus fare began.

A quick Google search of the words “China bus” brought up several different sites that all seem eerily alike. Same bus routes, same bus fare, same shopping cart icon – different brand name. My friends and I picked the most legit looking of the bunch and hoped for the best.

For those who aren’t familiar with the way the China Bus works, passengers arrive at the bus “station” (a strip mall near Virginia Wesleyan college) at 12:30 a.m. and arrive in Chinatown at around 8:30 a.m. Sure, the late night bus ride sucks, but it’s a great way to get a jump on a full day in New York. Still, we were a bit overwhelmed when we saw the standby line full of people waiting to get on our bus. Luckily, with our pre-purchased tickets in hand, we scored some of the last few seats.

Now, there are certain stereotypes about Asians and drivers that I don’t care to go into. I will say this, though: our drivers were fast. Heart-stoppingly fast. I sat near the front on the way to New York and nearly had a heart attack watching our driver whip around tractor trailers and minivans like he was racing in the Indianapolis 500. Needless to say, we got to New York a full two hours earlier than expected, and the memory of the break-neck speed was forgotten amidst a slice of New York style pizza.

Another downfall to the China bus is that, well, you arrive in Chinatown. At 6:30 on a Friday morning in Chinatown, it’s easy to get a little lost. The subway station isn’t far – about four blocks over, if you can find it. We did, eventually, but I’d definitely recommend figuring out where you’re going before you get off the bus. For the city that never sleeps, there were remarkably few people to ask for directions that early in the morning.

Of course, finding your way back to the China bus is equally as frustrating at the end of your trip. Navigating the subway is always difficult, but navigating Chinatown streets where many of the stores look alike is nearly impossible.

Buses leave New York mid-to-late afternoon, and arrive back in Norfolk around midnight. Make sure you check in early – our bus left nearly 45 minutes before it was scheduled to leave. Luckily, we were able to catch it in time, but didn’t get a chance to eat dinner before we boarded.

How were the people on board the bus, you might ask? Mostly, they were nice, working class people trying to get home to see loved ones. I ran into a high school acquaintance two aisles over, and made friends with my neighbor.

Most of the people were quiet and simply trying to get home. Of course, there are bad apples in every bunch. After boarding the bus to Norfolk, no more than ten minutes had passed before an argument broke out over a seat. Someone was taking up two seats, and someone else wanted one of the seats, or something.

I’m really not sure. But the driver didn’t turn around once – not even when the woman was threatening physical violence against the man taking up two seats.

Scary? A little. But it passed quickly and ultimately didn’t ruin the trip home.

So would I recommend the China bus? Yes, but not to the faint of heart, or to anyone traveling alone. Like with anything, common sense gets you far in these situations, and as long as you keep your nose down and don’t expect too much, that $60 fare is more than worth the price.

WWW.MACEANDCROWN.COM

S1 | MACE & CROWN | wednesday 12/08/10

sundr y

FRIDAY 10: 52°

SATURDAY 11: 53°

SUNDAY 12: 50°

[SUHN-DREE] (look it up)

Mace & Crown

MACE IN YOUR FACE

ERIK CABELLOS

Working or relaxing during break?

Traveling anywhere?

Any New Year’s Resolutions?

Best finals survival tip?

What are you wishing for the holidays?

How many times have you voted for Big Blue?

Working part time

Snowboarding in PA and WVU, the Rose Bowl to see TCU win

Nope, I live my life exactly how I want

All nighters

To be happy and a TCU victory

A couple hundred and still voting. Go Big Blue!

Relaxing

Nope

Hard to keep

Get a lot of sleep

Break from job

Way more than I can count

Some of both

Not sure, probably not

I don’t do those

Don’t wait until the last minute to study, don’t sacrifice sleep to cram!

A new video camera

I’ve lost count!

I’ll be working

Going to Chespeake

Keep on being productive next year

Don’t start studying the night before.

See all my family and friends back at home

I’ve lost count.

Relaxing. I believe mindless activities are healthy!

Only around Norfolk and Chesapeake for family.

No more fast-food!

Sleep early so you’re not late for that 8:30 exam!

XBox Kinect! You got to try it if you haven’t.

926247273 times.

And that’s only rough estimation.

Junior

ELLIOT FISHER RA Gresham Main

SARAH ABDELNABY Member of ODU Diversity Institute

ALAN TSANG APASU Director of Programming

FREDELITO TUGAS SAC Homecoming Chair

C R O W O R DS S Solution for last week’s puzzle

BestCrosswords.com - Puzzle #6 for December 4, 2010 Across 1- Cheerio!; 5- Affirm solemnly; 9- Monetary unit of Botswana; 14- Banned apple spray; 15- A bit; 16- Brother of Moses; 17- Actress Petty; 18- With great success; 20- Chinese martial art; 22- Bind; 23- ___ bene; 24- Soccer star Mia; 26- Anklebones; 28- War-horse; 32- Cloud of interstellar gas; 36- Chopper; 37- Computer key; 39- Boldness; 40- Process of combustion; 42- Where Columbus was born; 44- Former Fords; 45- Wind instrument; 47- Research deeply; 49- Stutz contemporary; 50- Aden native; 52- 1st president of Israel; 54- Comic Foxx; 56- Franklin D.’s mother; 57- Abba of Israel; 60- Be in debt; 62- Aptitude; 66- Filibuster figure; 69- Gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans; 70- Confiscate; 71- Hindu princess; 72- Lady of Spain; 73- Sleep disorder; 74- Linen source; 75- Belgian river;

Down 1- Confer; 2- Baseball family name; 3- Small mountain lake; 4- Correctly; 5- Presumptuous; 6- Pledge; 7- Expel gas or odor; 8- Pardon; 9- Mai ___; 10- Carthaginian general; 11- As a result; 12- Metal fastener; 13- “Orinoco Flow” singer; 19- Intend; 21- Payment for travel; 25- Doled (out); 27- Monetary unit of Bulgaria; 28- Silly; 29- Banish; 30- Truth ___; 31- Continue a subscription; 33- Extreme; 34- Water-repellent cloth; 35- Bad lighting?; 38- Actor’s parts; 41- Perpetuate; 43- Woman pilot; 46- Chemical ending; 48- Poet Pound; 51- Billy ___ had a hit song with “White Wedding”; 53- Disease of the body; 55- Diminutive being of folklore; 57- Designer Schiaparelli; 58- High-pitched tone; 59Not “fer”; 61- Bibliography abbr.; 63- Epic narrative poem; 64- Branta sandvicensis; 65- Boris Godunov, for one; 67- Large body of water; 68- ___ roll;

WWW.MACEANDCROWN.COM

wednesday 12/08/10 | MACE & CROWN | S2

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