ident.
Our features section takes
a trip down the campaign
trail; we preview all four
major candidates for pres-
Pages 4&5
One of rap’s most popular
young stars passed away
this week. Our A&E staff
gives Big Pun his final
words.
Page 9
HOT STRIP CLUB
AD FROZE BUDGET
By JUSTIN WALDEN
Editor-in-Chief
The Hudsonian, Hudson Vai-
ley Community College’s student
newspaper, is back in business
this week after being shut down
February 7. The paper’s faculty —
advisor quit amid controversy
over an ad for a local strip bar,
forcing the shut down. The con-
troversy ended on a positive note
when the school announced this
week that the Hudsonian will be
back to its normal publication
schedule.
English professor Scott
Hathaway resigned from _ his
position after the Hudsonian ran
a full page ad for The Odyssey, a
strip bar in Clitton Park. In his
resignation letter Hathaway said,
“T do not feel comfortable attach-
ing my name and reputation to
this type of publication.”
According to the HVCC student
senate constitution, the paper
cannot be published without an
TY ¢
fie
oF rs Pere UNIVERSI
esti. =
¥ ai ORC en era. f
Pstix’ : a
Snow
High 27, Low 26
Snow
Monday
Partly Cloudy
High 36, Low 25
High 37, Low 21
Tuesday
Mostly Cloudy
High 42, Low 29
Partly Cloudy
High 34, Low 18
Wednesday
Mostly Cloudy
High 38, Low 26
as Someone
The staff at the Hudsonian in front of their locked office.
Photo Courtesy of Tony Gray
h sachibiee
proposes
TAP increase.
By ANNE LINDNER
Associate News Editor
advisor.
HVCC President John
Buono said in an interview with
the Times Union that he did not
agree with the advertisement.
“Personally, I thought it was
offensive. Do I support what the
senate is doing? Yes I do. But I
left it entirely up to them.”
Anthony Gray, the Hudson-
ian’s Editor in Chief, said that at
the beginning of the semester the
school administration might have
had to cut down on the number of
issues it printed due to the lack of
financial resources.
Continued on Page 3
Administration agrees to meeting
By BENJAMIN POLEN
News Editor
President Karen Hitchcock
has said that she and other top
administrators will meet with
representatives from the Coali-
tion for a Sweat-Free SUNY and
NYPIRG, in an attempt to ease
recently mounting _ tension
between the two sides.
Fifty UAlbany students
engaged in at least a one-day fast
this week, in a show of support
for students at the University of
Pennsylvania who had occupied
the offices of UPenn’s president
demanding a change in policy.
Ten UAlbany students fasted for
four days and succeeded in draw-
ing the administration’s attention.
The administration has agreed to
a meeting scheduled for Tuesday,
February 22. The students see
the meeting as essential because
it will bring high-ranking admin-
istrators together in one room.
Three guards as well as a
survelleince camera were posted
outside her office on Wednesday
and Thursday, apparently in
anticipation of such a move.
Considering similar actions by
students, the UAlbany adminis-
tration may have agreed to the
meeting out of a fear that students
here would stage their own occu-
pation of President Hitchcock’s
office.
.
The students will attempt to
pursuade UAlbany to adopt a
code of conduct’ which would
ensure that apparel bearing the
UAlbany logo would not be
made in sweatshops. Sweat-Free
SUNY has been trying for three
years to get UAlbany to change
its policy.
_ Thirteen University of Penn-
sylvania students occupied the
offices of University President
Judith Rodin at noon on Monday,
February 7. They demanded
their university withdraw from
the Fair Labor Association (FLA)
and instead join the Workers
Rights Consortium (WRC). The
students consider the FLA to be
an industry-controlled organiza-
tion that covers up labor abuses
and prefer the WRC, which relies
Photo by Mike Sutton/ASP Photo Stuff
Students entered Hitchcock's office on Tuesday
on worker input.
The UPenn sit-in ended
Wednesday, February 16, when
the administaration capitulated
and agreed to withdraw from the
It is
unclear if UPenn will join the
Fair Labor Association.
Workers Rights Consortium.
UPenn has said that it will
not take action against the stu-
dents that participated in the sit-
in.
On Tuesday, February 15,
ten of the hunger-striking stu-
dents at UAlbany walked into
Hitchcock’s office to ask her to ©
telephone Rodin and support the
students. Hitchcock was unavail-
able to meet with the students at
the time, but the students left a
message pressuring for a meet-
ing.
Other colleges have adopt-
ed strict codes of conduct pro-
hibiting logo-bearing merchan-
dise coming from sweatshops.
These colleges include Haver-
ford, University of North Caroli-
na, and the University of Michi-
gan.
New York State Assembly
Republicans proposed a plan that
would provide rewards for stu-
dents for community service and
academic excellence, provide
additional tuition assistance to
families and make college tuition
completely tax-deductible.
The “College Bound” pro-
gram, sponsored by Senate
Majority Leader Joseph Bruno
and Senate Higher Education
Committee Chairman Kenneth
LaValie, would expand the eligi-
bility and increase the maximum
grant to $5,000 under the
Tuition Assistance Program
(TAP) and benefit over 800,000
college students whose college
costs have increased more that
500 percent over the past twenty
years.
Bruno (R-C, Brunswick)
explained the need for expanded
assistance to the families of col-
lege students when he said “One
of the toughest challenges facing
middle-income New York fami-
lies is the ability to pay for a col-
lege education for their sons and
daughters.”
He went on to add “‘College
Bound’ caps the Senate’s earlier
efforts - including creation of the
College Choice Tuition Savings
Program, which allows families
to build tax-free nest eggs to pay
for tuition and other costs - to
place a college education within
reach of even more New York-
ers, So our young people can be
best prepared to enter the work
force of the future.” :
If passed, the “College
Bound” program would make
New York the first state in the
nation to make tuition tax-
deductible, as well as increase
the TAP awards and make more
families eligible for the program.
LaValle (R-C, Port Jeffer-
son), principle architect of the
TAP plan, explained the impor-
tance of the increased availabili-
ty of the assistance when he stat-
ed “The state TAP program is
often a family’s only means of
Continued on Page 3
Index
eR VON oc ar 6
> jepdagaa See + SCA ee 14
Dane of the Week.......... Se al a 20
£)-Of ne Week. Gs aes 12
Greck 1 ite a 18
5. « Seaeeietge >: MARNE Ameo e Seine 13
Check out the Albany Student Press Online at
www.albanystudentpress.com
pe Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
News
Yo Albany, Bust a Move!
By Matt BROWN
Contributing Writer
Members of the Albany State
University Black Alliance
(ASUBA) culminated months
of hard work this weekend as
they presented ASUBA Fest
Y2K, a Black Arts and Hip Hop
Conference... The.. conference
offered a wide variety of activi-
ties and featured many critically
acclaimed performers, including
two poets and a legendary hip-
hop artist.
The purpose of ASUBA Fest
Y2K was to allow everyone the
chance to come together to dis-
cuss and learn about a culture
that is often misrepresented. Tom
Simmons of ASUBA explained
the achievements of the confer-
ence when he said, “The confer-
ence was a great success and
really fulfilled the expectations
of all the people that were.
involved in organizing it.”
The conference began on Fri-
day, February 11, 2000 with a
night of poetry at Page Hall on
the downtown campus. The two
performers at the poetry reading
were poet/author/independent
film star Saul Williams and poet
Williams starred in and co-
wrote the movie “SLAM,” and
will soon be starring in “SLAM
The purpose of ASUBA
Fest Y2K was to allow
everyone the chance to
come together to dis-
cuss and learn about a
culture that is often
misrepresented.
NATION: THE SPORT OF THE
SPOKEN WORD.” He _ was
voted “Best Actor” by the Inde-
pendent Film Council and has
authored two collections of poet-
ry, “She” (1999) and “The Sev-
enth Octave” (1998).
Sanchez is the author of ten vol-
umes of poetry, three children’s
books, and seven plays. Her poet-
ry collection, “Homegirls &
Handgrenades” (1984), won the
American Book Award. She has
won many other literary honors,
including an NEA Fellowship, an
American Book Award from the
Before Columbus Foundation, a
PEN Fellowship, and a Legacy
Award. She has also been nomi-
nated for the National Book Crit-
ics Circle Award in poetry and
the NAACP Image Award
The following night ASUBA
hosted a Hip Hop concert in the
Physical Education Building
that featured DJ Iroc of the Ruff
Ryders and legendary Hip Hop
artist Slick Rick. The concert
was originally scheduled to fea-
ture the Flipmode Squad, but
they pulled out of their contract
just a few weeks before the con-
cert and were replaced by Slick
Rick.
The last day of the conference,
Sunday, February 13, hosted the
closing ceremonies of the con-
ference and the performances of | j
twenty unknown, yet very tal- |
ented poets.
The conference was co-spon-
sored by the Student Associa-
tion, Residential Life, the
offices of the Vice President and
President, Liga Filipina, Uni-
versity Auxilary Services, and
the New York State Writer’s
Institution. The weekend’s
events were funded by the Stu-
dent Association.
Simmons is thankful for all of
the outside support that the con-
ference received. He hopes to see
the same support next year as he
and
ASUBA try to make the Hip Hop
and Black Arts Conference an
Chuck D graced us with his presence on the 12th.
All sexed up
the other members. of
By ELIZABETH BROWN
Contributing Writer
and author Sonia Sanchez.
(1998).
annual event here at UAlbany.
News Briefs ©
Regional
A leaking steam generator
at Westchester County’s Indian
Point 2 nuclear reactor caused
the plant’s shut-down this
week. According to plant offi-
cials, a small amount of radia-
tion was released and should be
of no danger to residents of the
surrounding area or to employ-
ees. The cause of the leak is
unknown at this point, but an
investigation will continue
while the plant is shut down.
The leak only required issuing
an alert, the 2nd lowest catego-
ry used to rate nuclear events,
far below the rating which was
given to the Three Mile Island
incident.
NEW YORK
Developments in the
Amadou Diallo murder trial this
week included a request by the
prosecution to allow the jury to
consider lesser charges against
the accused. Defense attorneys
were not opposed to allowing
the jury to consider manslaugh-
ter and criminally negligent
homicide charges. This decision
came after the defense rested
their case, and Supreme Court
Justice Joseph Teresi’s denial of
the defense’s motion to dismiss
all murder charges. Allowing
the jury to consider the lesser
charges could permit an easier
conviction but the charges
would carry weaker penalties.
National
The Canadian woman
accused of aiding in a terrorist
plot to smuggle explosives and
illegal aliens was released from
prision this week. Lucia Garo-
falo pleaded guilty to two
immigration charges, but
according to prosecutors she
hadn’t aided in any planned
violence. Garofalo was arrested
trying to smuggle an Algerian
man with a stolen French pass-
port into the United States. She
faces up to 10 years in prison
and $250,000 in fines, but will
most likely be granted a lenient
sentence dué to her guilty plea.
Massive storms in Georgia
gave birth to several tornadoes
which destroyed homes Mon-
day night. 18 people are
believed dead, including many
elderly children. Monday
night’s tragedy was the dead-
liest tornado strike since 1944,
striking victims in three coun-
ties across the state. Four coun-
ties were declared disaster
areas, granting them federal
assistance for emergency hous-
ing, grants and loans for
those to rebuild.
COMPILED By TIM
SHABAREKH
International
A meeting with acting Russ-
ian President Vladimir V. Putin
brought about an end to the
rocky relations between Russia
and NATO. The move seeks to
form an alliance aimed at a sta-
ble and indivisible Europe and
is a sign that Russia is interest-
ed in normalizing relations with
the West. Former Soviet
Republics have requested to
join NATO. Russian leaders are
seeking’ stronger ties with the
West for the financial and tech-
nological benefits it will
recieve. Russian officials stated
that the agreement did not sig-
nal a change in it’s military
action in Checnya, an issue that
NATO has strongly criticized.
The head of Germany’s
Christian Democratic Union
political party stepped down
today amid a scandal that has
shocked the country. The CDU
has been the ruling party for 37
out of the past 50 years, bring-
ing stablility to post-war Ger-
many. The scandal arose after
former Chancellor Helmut
Kohl admitted he accepted over
one million dollars in illegal
donations. The CDU now faces
numerous fines, which along
with their dwindling popularity
could result in a significant
decline in their power after
future elections there. Some
fear that this could lead to polit-
ical instablilty.
UAlbany’s seventeenth Sexu-
ality Week climaxed on Tuesday
with a visit from keynote speaker
Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Dr. Ruth’s
lecture, entitled “Sexually Speak-
ing with Dr. Ruth” summarized a
wide range of issues presented
throughout the week of February
8 through the 15.
Sexuality Week is an annual
event intended to inform and
educate college students about
issues ranging from reproductive
health to relationships.
Sexuality Week 2000 offered
students seminars and exhibits on
topics such as: World Population
-Growth, the Bible and Homosex-
uality, Communicating with your
Partner and STD’s/HIV: Making
the Connection. The seminars
were presented by experts on
these various topics. The topics
of the seminars were chosen after
proposal to a Sexuality Week
planning committee comprised
of students, faculty, and health
care professionals.
The week was sponsored by
many on-campus organizations
including The Department of ©
Student Life, the Student Associ-
ation, and the University Health
Center. The primary concern
was to raise awareness on cam-
pus.
Much of the organization and
planning was the responsibilty of
the Middle Earth Peer Assistance
Program. Dr. M. Dolores Cimi-
ni, Director of Middle Earth, was
the planning committee chair for
Sexuality Week 2000. Dr. Cimi-
ni felt that Sexuality Week 2000
was received wonderfully by the
UAlbany community. “It was
the most phenomenal attendance.
Students vote with their feet. If
they attend they feel that it’s
important,” Dr. Cimini said. She
attributes the success of Sexuali-
ty Week to the participation of
various organizations, students,
‘and the UAlbany faculty.
The Albany Student Press is now looking
for staff writers to fill Features, News, and
A&E sections. Please call Justin in the
Newsroom at 442-5666 or go to CC 326
Wednesday’s at 7 PM for our General
Interest Meeting.
qe
re OE
News Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS 3
qe
SAC addresses safety on campus
Survey highlights students unease on campus
By Tim SHABAREKH
Staff Writer
Assault, theft and walking
at night are among concerns
shared by UAlbany students,
according to a recent survey
conducted by the Student Action
Committee to address safety
concerns of students on campus.
The survey, which was con-
ducted door to door and in the
campus center, took the opinions
of 807 students, comprising of
384 females and 423 males. The
six question survey was divided
into two sections, one asking
about student’s primary con-
cerns and how to address the
problems, while the other sec-
tion concerned the blue light
phones.
Female students were much
more concerned with travelling
at night and assault than their
male counterparts, who felt that
theft, among other issues, was
more pressing. Other concerns
important to students, as shown
in the graph, included various
broad, non-categorized concerns
such as lighting.
Suggestions cited in the
report included hiring additional
security and having officers
assigned to foot patrols. Both
female and male students felt
that better lighting and more
security patrols were needed. In
addition, students felt that secu-
rity personnel working solely on
Indian Quad should be given
assignments on other parts of the
campus to more evenly distrib-
Hopefully, with suffi-
cient student support
the implementation of
these suggested
improvements will take
place.
ute the officers.
In a meeting. between Stu-
dent Action Committee Chair
Erin McCampbell and UPD
Chief Wiley the concerns were
discussed. Both sides agreed that
the suggestions were important
and have been suggested to the
administration by Wiley. Hope-
fully, with sufficient student .
support the implementation of
1. Primary Concems: University Total
NOOONCERN. 5... THEFT amar |
Bx RR @ WALKING AT NIGHT]
PO ONSTANCE OF LOTS
is q (DIM LGHTING
OTHER oo WALKING AT ay
a i DORM INTRUDERS
& OTHER
WTRUDERS Las ANCE OF [St Tt eee iN sd
5 LOTS
ar aa
ASSAULT i :
14%” DM LiGHTING
10%
these suggested improvements
will take place.
The improvements would
include the repositioning of the
security staff from Indian to the
other quads, additional blue light
phones, and brighter, flashing
lights to make them more visi-
ble.
Efforts. are underway to
reestablish the Student Safety
Patrol, an organization which
provides escorts beyond the
hours of Don’t Walk Alone. The
Safety Patrol has low member-
ship, and needs volunteers to
effectively service students.
McCampbell is also circulating a
petition in support of the recom-
mendations made to the admin-
istration. She has 1,500 signa-
tures so far, with the hope of
receiving 6,000 total.
The University offers sever-
al safety services, including the
Don’t Walk Alone program,
which is based in the lobby of
the uptown campus library and
is available to students Sunday
through Thursday, 7pm to Ilpm,
while school is in session. Dur-
ing the hours Don’t Walk Alone
is unavailable, UPD officers will
escort students, and can be
reached at extension 2-3130.
The police department recorded
154 escorts from January to Sep-
tember 1999.
The second half of the sur-
vey dealt with student usage and
sentiments regarding blue light
phones, the University’s cam-
pus-wide system for emergency
response. The vast majority of
students have never used a blue
light phone (98%). The survey
also found that two thirds of
those polled felt the current sys-
tem was inadequate. Over 80%
of the female students respond-
ing felt that more phones were
needed in order to improve UPD
response in emergency situa-
NC COMMENT
BY
UNSATISFIED
Br
&. Satisfaction with Amount of Blue Light
Phones: University Total
SA TSRIED
ZEN,
[ig SATISFIED a UNSATISFIED 0 NC COMMENT |
tions.
The blue light phone system
has several hundred phones
located on all campus property,
including freedom quad and the
downtown campus. Suggestions
on locations for new blue light
phones. included the paths
between the Podium and resi-
dence halls, on and around the
Academic Podium, and in the
student parking lots. Perhaps the
most beneficial location for con-
sideration would be the corners
of the podium, being the areas
closest to the residence halls on
the farthest ends of the podium.
McCampbell said, “I am
very pleased with the support I
have received from students for
the survey recommendations.
All of the petition signatures
will help me when I meet with
administrators. Overall I hope to
improve safety on campus as
quickly as possible.” A student
safety forum with UPD and the
SAC is being planned, but a date
hasn’t been set.
NO COMMENT
13%
OTHER J
14%,
BLUE LIGHTS |
12%
CLOSERILARGE |
LOTS od
B%,
2. Suggested Solutions: University Total
SORE,
PA TROLISCRTY
20%
BETTER
LIGHTINGS
ZB%
@ OTHER
MOREPATROUSORTY. @ BETTER LIGHTING
LOTS!
i NO-OODMMENT
student
travel.
counciltravel.com |
1-800-2council|
Local paper reopens
Continued from page 1
In three weeks the staff at
the Hudsonian amassed close
to $3,000, with a $490 check
from The Odyssey for two
full-page color ads. “Appear-
ances don’t matter as much as
long as we get results,” Gray
said. ;
The controversial ad
appeared on the back page of
the February 2 edition. Within
a week Hathaway quit the
paper. On Monday, February
7 the student senate voted to
freeze the Hudsonian’s budget.
The following day staff mem-
bers tried to get into their
office only to find that the
locks had been changed.
Local media pressure
may help the Hudsonian and
its cause. The Times Union ran
a story and an editorial ques-
tioning HVCC’s decision to
censor the paper.
Some HVCC students
feel that the administration
was looking to bully the paper.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going
to work this time,” Gray said.
According to Gray the paper
will reopen its doors on Mon-
day. The staff is hoping to be
back for a March | edition.
In a stunning develop-
ment this week, the manager
of the Odyssey agreed to with-
draw his advertisement in
exchange for a $250 refund.
“I’m sure the owner is thrilled
with all of the additional pub-
licity,” said HVCC Spokes-
woman Sarah Boggess.
Buono said, “I am
pleased that the students have
found a way to resolve this
_issue.”
TAP increases lie ahead
Continued from page 1
bridging the gap between
their personal savings and the
cost of tuition. This plan
expands TAP eligiblity to mid-
dle-income families while also
increasing the size of TAP
awards to help make college
more affordable.”
The Senate Republican’s
proposal would increase the
maximum TAP grant to $5,000
and raise
income limits for eligibility
from $50,500 to $80,000, ulti-
mately increasing the 250,000
students getting TAP assistance
by 20%. In addition, there
would be a 5% TAP bonus for
juniors and seniors who maintain
a 3.5 or higher GPA, which could
mean free SUNY tuition for a
student receiving the maximum
TAP award.
The TAP program, estab-
lished by Senate Republicans in
\
1974, was originally only avail-
able to New York residents who
attended in-state colleges, under
the new program, all New York
residents would be eligible for
TAP funding, no matter where
they attend school.
This initiative by the Senate
Majority is part of a program of
initiatives to increase the avail-
ability of college for families.
Other programs include the Col-
lege Choice Tuition program,
which allowed families to invest
$360 million dollars in tax
‘deductiblé savings accounts, the
effort to exempt college text-
books from sales tax, saving fam-
ilies $40 million each year, the
vote to restore $451 million in
budget cuts to the tax program,
increasing the TAP maximum
award to $4,125 a year and creat-
ing 6,000 Scholarships for Acad-
emic Excellence awards to high
school seniors, totaling over
$10.5 million annually.
Features
4 Friday,-February 18, 2000. ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
linton’s
to try for office
By KELLY M. BECKER
Features Editor
As the primary elections
rapidly approach, Democrats are
faced with the decision on who to
elect for the democratic nomina-
tion. Vice President Al Gore has
high hopes for the Presidency -
and has the experience to back it
up. Gore, who is currently finish-
ing out his second term as Vice
President of the United -States,
has served as the President of the
Senate, a Cabinet member, a
member of the National Security
Council, and has also served in
the U.S. Army during Vietnam.
Because of his extensive experi-
ence and leadership, many
democrats feel he is ready to do
the job! a a
One specific aspect about
. Gore which seems to be a win-
ning element with so many peo-
ple is that he stresses the impor-
tance of family values. Gore and
his wife, Tipper, have 4 children
and he feels that his proudest
accomplishment in life has been
raising them. Gore, motivated by
his own family, has since been a
strong voice on issues concern-
ing flexibility for mother’s and
father’s in the work place, as well
as initiatives in strengthening
fatherhood.
Besides family values, Gore
is also focusing his campaign on
such issues as improving health
care, ruraleEconomic develop-
ment, revolutionizing American
education, new treatments for
AIDS, and also fighting crime.
One major issue specifically
relating to. UAlbany -students is
_-Gore’s idea for “Savings Plan
-and Tax Cuts to Make College
and Job Training More Afford-
able.” The National Tuition Sav-
ings program is an attempt to
bring together state, tuition pro-
grams so that parents could save
for college tuition tax-free, and
use that tuition in the. certain
states that. are, within, the pro-
gram. - Eventually the; goal is. to
have.every state participate, but
as of right now, only 30 states,are
currently involved. Jessica
Wisneski, sophomore and Politi-
cal Science major said, “I think
the Vice President is the right
person for the job, he’s doing
more than any other candidate
for education and many more
issues. I’m proud to be volun-
teering for his campaign here in
Albany.”
For more information on Al
Gore, check out www.algo-
re2000.com.
The Democratic
campaign trail
By KIMBERLY R. EGAN .
Contributing Wrtier
Many students often wonder
what it would be like to a join a
political campaign. Senior and
English Major Josh Rosenbloom
interns for “Students for Gore.”
Although he is an intern his posi-
tion is constantly changing.
When Rosenbloom was asked
what he, as a student and a
Democrat, would like to see hap-
pen in the U.S., his response was,
“T think that his (Al Gore’s) plans
with education, Medicare, and
Healthcare are gradual and will
take place over a number of
years. His plans are the only ones
that will work.”
Rosenblooom thinks that
Gore is definitely the best candi-
date for the Democratic Party
because he is highly qualified
and has the most experience on
the job.
“Gore’s record is superb!”
Rosenbloom feels that Gore is
going to make things exceptional
for students. Gore is planning on
making the first two years of col-
lege free for all students and will
significantly cut taxes. Francisco
_ Gomez (also a Democrat work-
ing for “Students for Gore’) went
to New Hampshire with Rosen-
bloom and the other students to_
meet the candidates. Gomez
thought that’ the candidates
seemed, “very competitive.’
Rosenbloom on the other
hand, thought that the candidates
were not competitive at all. “The
candidates seemed very intimate,
and the people in New Hamp-
shire are very involved in their
politics. It’s much different there
politically than here in New
York,” he said.
There are so many reasons
why the students of UAlbany
should join a political campaign.
Rosenbloom said, “Working for
the campaign is incredible! I
have met so many people from
all over the country and learned
so many new things.” He
believes that working on “Stu-
dents for Gore” was a great
opportunity everyone should
take advantage of.
What is a good motivation
for joining a political campaign?
You do not need to be the most
competitive person or a person
whose life revolves around poli-
tics. Many students work for
these campaigns mainly because
they want to see good things hap-
pen in our country. Rosen-
bloom’s motivation for joining
was that he really liked Gore and
wanted to do his best to help him.
If any UAlbany student
would like to join the Democrat-
ic campaign or “Students for
Gore,” they can do so by calling
453-0820.
\ Former New York Knick
runs for president —
By KELLY M. BECKER
Features Editor
New Jersey Senator Bill
Bradley has come a long way
from being the small town boy in
‘Missouri. A basketball player for
the New York Knicks for 10
years, he’s now serving his third
term on the United States Senate
and feels he can contribute some-
thing to our country.as President.
Bradley has served the Sen-
ate for 18 years and has worked
hard on such issues as taxes,
international trade and finance,
and campaign finance reform. He
has focused his Presidential cam-
paign on providing adequate and
affordable healthcare to the citi-
zens of the United States, as well —
as-issués. dealing .with child ©
poverty, gun control and educa- ©
tion. - °
Raised in a middle class
family, Bradley knows what it’s
like to worry about the current
generation’s children not having
all the necessities his generation
had growing up. This is the main
reason he is campaigning to coor-
dinate an Early Care and Educa-
tion (ECE) Partnership program.
This will improve the education
of children from infancy to age
five, which parents, educators
and local businesses will help
with, He is proposing more.
teacher training programs, and
after school community centers
which will be open to children
who don’t have someone home to
watch over them after school
hours.
_ Like Gore, financial help for
college students is another issue
stressed by Bradley. “The
Bradley Plan” will help with
access to Community Colleges
by providing childcare and flexi-
ble class schedules for students
with children or who work. Rob
Adams, senior and Criminal Jus-
tice/Business major said, “It will
be a benefit for this part of the
nation to have a politician who
has had experience with the local
economy and job market. We can
benefit. from government pro-
grams instead of just getting
passed over by previous. Presi-
dents.”
~ "You wt wal ation narra acos dames on ND = BOR.
Olfice and at our Internet Site,
Work rem appro. Je - ean ag.
Applications doe by Spm on Fri, March 3
ren cht sants ty
Thee ars coroutive poke.
le: ik ee 6 ee i ee a
Features
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS B
Military man takes
aim at next level
By DANIEL SANDLER
Contributing Writer
The 2000 primary elections
are coming. UAlbany students
meet one of our country’s presi-
dential candidates, John McCain.
A 63-year-old Republican,
McCain is running for President
after serving on the United States
Senate for three consecutive
terms. He is an acknowledged
leader on issues of national secu-
rity and foreign policy and is
very much involved with
improving educational standards.
Philosophy major, Christopher
Casey said, “McCain is a refresh-
ing change to the ore typical
Republican candidate.”
McCain has a very dark and
possibly even scandelous past.
He has been accused of helping
convicted racketeer Charles
Keating, who was involved in a
scandal that cost the tax payers
$3.4 billion. It has also been
rumored that McCain has con-
nections with the Bonano crime
family. McCain’s first marriage
ended when had an extra martial
affair, and his second wife, a
daughter of a wealthy beer dis-
tributor, was addicted to pre-
scription narcotics at one point
during their marriage. Even an
Arizona mayor said that he does-
n’t want someone as out of con-
trol as McCain to become the
President. In 1998 at a Republi-
can fundraiser in Washington,
McCain said the following state-
ment, “Why is Chelsea Clinton
so ugly? Because her real father
is Janet Reno.”
John McCain was born into
a family with an extensive mili-
tary background. His father and
grandfather, who are also named
John McCain, were both admi-
— *
kook
rals. McCain graduated from the
U.S. Naval Academy in 1958,
where he was at the bottom five
percent of his graduating class.
He then went on to become a
Naval Aviator. In 1967, while
fighting in Vietnam, a missile
sheared off a wing of McCain’s
“skyhawk”. He bailed out of the
plane, breaking his arm and legs,
and for the next five and a half
years he would be a prisoner of
war. During that time McCain
was in solitary confinement for
two years and attempted to kill
himself twice.
John McCain still manages
to get the support of many col-
lege students here at UAlbany.
Political Science major, Heather
Ohlberg is one college student
who is pro-McCain! Ohlberg
said, “I don’t particularly like
Republicans, but McCain has
potential to be an efficient leader
and he is an extremely articulate
speaker.” What do many other
college students have to say
about John McCain? Thomas
Chang, undecided major, put it
best when he said, ““Who is John
McCain?” The New York prima-
ry is held on March 7th, if you’re
Republican, you’ll get a chance
to decide if John McCain is right
for you.
If you'd like to find out
more about John McCain, visit
his official campaign web site at
www.mecain2000.com.
An amiable fraternity boy?
Former president’s son looks to
follow father’s footsteps.
By JEREMY Norris
Contributing Writer
Since the beginning of the
campaign, Governor George W.
Bush of Texas has been the
front-runner for both the Repub-
lican nomination for President
and the election in November
itself. This was due to a mes-
sage, centered around “compas-
sionate conservatism,” that
Republicans thought would
appeal to a large base of voters
and a subsequent accumulation
of approximately $68 million
dollars in campaign funds (with
In his bid for the
presidency, Bush
has many things
going for him.
more coming in).
Until only recently, the
Bush campaign had been vague
about Bush’s positions on specif-
ic issues. He said very little of
substance, relying on statements
such as, “It is conservative to cut
taxes. It is compassionate to
help people save and give and
build” to give people a favorable
impression while not pinning
himself down to a particular
stance.
Even his vague slogans
came under criticism, however.
Many have wondered how he
can claim to be a “compassion-
ate conservative” even though he
oversaw the execution of 120
people in 5 years.
Many have also questioned
his claims that he is a reformer
from outside the system -
claims he makes even though he
was born into the burgeoning
political aristocracy of the
south. After months of cam-
paigning, however, Gov. Bush
has managed to outline basic
positions on most issues.
Many of these positions
would be considered standard
Republican ones. He outlines
an increased $21 billion in spe-
cific military spending, and
favors other military ventures
that, if implemented, would add
to that considerably. He opposes
Affirmative Action and, as Gov-
ernor, supported the initiative to
force the Texas State University
system to abandon racial prefer-
ences. In addition, he has long
opposed extending civil rights
guarantees to gay men and
women.
The Governor also claims to
support a large tax cut. Ona
more moderate note, though he
says he would do “everything in
[his] power” to prevent abor-
tions, he has so far refused to say
he would use a Pro-life litmus
test when nominating Supreme
Court justices. This could be
particularly significant consider-
ing that the next president is
likely to appoint three justices,
and that the Roe vs. Wade deci-
sion has only a narrow majority
still supporting it on the bench.
He has already garnered the
support of the large majority of
the Republican establishment,
securing the endorsements of 39
U.S. Senators and 26 Governors.
He has
more money to cam-
paign with than does his Repub-
lican opponent John McCain
and, despite a recent swell in
support for Senator McCain, bet-
ter poll numbers in most of the
country.
Still, Bush does have signif-
icant problems. According to
the New York Times, of his orig-
inal $68 million dollar stake, he
has left only $20 million. This
leaves him less and less able to
stem the momentum of McCain
(who has less money, but has
been receiving more free press
coverage).
Support within the Republi-
can Party has also begun to
erode. Despite the early and
nearly unanimous support he
received, many have begun to
doubt whether Bush could win a
Presidential election.
As conservative journalist
George Will put it, “Bush is tak-
ing a political party on his ride.
He and it will care if on Nov. 7,
2000 people think of Gore or
Bradley as an unexciting but
serious professor and of him as
an amiable fraternity boy, but a
boy.”
College Republicans active in
politics at UAlbany
By MARC TARANTELLI
Associate Features Editor
KRISTIN A. ZIELINSKI
Contributing Writer
The word Republican may
have meant a group of rich white
men in business suits to those
growning up in the eighties and
early nineties. Today, Republi-
cans are hoping to project a more
tangible and personal image.
This modern view of Republi-
cans is being realized at UAI-
bany.
The UAlbany College
Repulicans are very active in the
local community. “We are work-
ing with Mary and Doug Lyall,
Suzanne Lyall’s parents, to help
get a bill passed into law,” said
Lee Zeldin, President of the UAI-
bany College Republicans. Col-
lege Republicans have helped
with campaigns in the Albany
County Legislature. They recent-
ly worked with Assemblyman
Bob Prentiss of Colonie to press
for the removal of toxic waste -
from the area.
“We serve the community by
helping with elections and com-
munity events such as a recent
blood drive. We try to get
involved as much as we can,”
said UAlbany College Republi-
cans Vice President Robert
Alberty. Members travelled to
New Hampshire for the Rebubli-
can debates and recieved televi-
son exposure. And College
Republicans were at Purchase, -
New York to see Hillary Clinton
announce her candidacy.
“Part of our sucess is that we -
do serve the community. Local is
a nicer way to do business,”
Alberty said. Group members
have many opportunities to get to
know the local candidates. The
position of the UAlbany College
Republicans is that “All politics
is local. You can learn alot when
you know the person that repre-
sents you.”
The UAlbany College
Republicans have grown to more
than 130 members. “Conserva-
tives are rare amongst our age
and our campus,” Alberty said.
“But we’ve come back and really
grown with the help of a lot of
flyers and getting our name out
there.” Last year the College
Republicans won the award for
‘best comeback club’ at the stu-
dent awards.
“We are a group of students
interested in politics,” Zeldin
said. “We have about a dozen
Democrats in College Republi-
cans.” Most members are Repub-
lican Political Science majors,
but other affiliations are welcome
to become active with the group.
A recent event sponsored by the
College Republicans was a
“Women in politics forum” that
was open to all intersted students.
College Republicans are no
-longer funded by the Student
Association after it was specifi-
cally explained the College
Republicans had to become non-
partisan.
The goal of the College
Republicans is to promote
Republican ideas on campus and
give interested students an oppor-
tunity to gain experience in poli-
tics. Many internships and jobs
are offered through membership
in College Republicans. ‘“We’re
one mile from the New York
State GOP,” said Alberty, “We
have a good relationship with
local politicians.” Last semester
anyone in the group who was
interested in an internship or
other job opportunities in the
state Republican party got their
desired position. Club members
can volunteer for the New York
State Republican party, the
Albany County Republican party,
or hold positions on the commi-
tees. ““We’ve done voice-overs
for a candidates’ radio advertise-
ments and represented candidates
at local functions,” Zeldin said.
One of the members, Brett
Mecum, is Chairman of the New
- York State College Republican
Committee.
The group plans to be active
in supporting the Republican
campaigns this year. “We try very
hard to get the message out
there,” Alberty said. In the future
the College Republicans hope to
arrange debates on issues and
candidates. With election year
2000 picking up next semester,
the group plans on being all over
the state and attend the Republi-
can National Convention. “We
have immediate plans to establish
an active youth movment for
Senator McCain. We hope to
moblize as many interested stu-
dents as possible,” Zeldin said.
The UAlbany College Repuli-
cans website is
_www.albany.edu/~crepubs/
(italics).
6 _ Friday, Febuary 18 , 2000 “ALBANY STUDENT PRESS-
Podium Perspective
Friday February 18
8:15 a.m. Health Care in the
Media: The Media’s Role. in
Shaping Public Opinion. NYS
Nurses Association Conference
Center, 11 Cornell Road, Latham,
NY. No charge.
1:15 p.m. The Muslim Students’
Association Friday Prayers.
Campus Center Terrace Lounge.
7 pm. & 9:30 p.m. Laurel
Masse performance. The Van
Dyck, 237 Union Street,
Schenectady, NY.
7:30 p.m. The Big Deal on
Madonna Street. Page Hall.
8 p.m. Pianist Pavlina Dokovska
performance. Siena College
Chapel.
Saturday February 19
7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Claudio
Roditi with The Nick Brignota
Quartet. The Van Dyck, 237
Union Street, Schenectady, NY.
8:45 p.m. Al Gore will be at
Albany International Airport.
Signature Air Hanger. Tickets
are free and can be acquired at
The College Democrats Table in
the Campus Center or by calling
453-0820.
Sunday February 20
3 p.m. The Ophelia Project.
Performing Arts Center Arena
Theater. $10 general public; $7
students, senior citizens, Alumni
=
2
<
2)
g
A
190]
>
o
=
®
Oo
pe
S
—
cpa
N
kee
sos
i
|
=
_
=
pe |
2
ie
=
140)
se
we
=
=
aa
cn
is)
ne)
ss
a
”
=
<
2
Y
©
£
1o)
Fons
£.
Oo
fe)
D
G
oO
io?)
14)
eae
oe
o
Q
>)
4
London Dublin Paris Nice ¢
ampus Events
epoeaneti
Association members, and
University staff.
Monday February 21
12:30 Classroom
Dynamics: Question ad
Discussion Techniques. CETL
East Seminar Room LE G-6l.
RSVP 437-2920.
p.m.
Wednesday February 23
6 p.m. Career Development
Center Biology, Chemistry, and
Physics Career Forum. Campus
Center 375.
8 p.m. The Muslim Students’
Association Halaquas. Business
Administration 231.
8 p.m. The Ophelia Project.
Performing Arts Center Arena
Theater. $10 general public; $7
students, senior citizens, Alumni
Association members, and
University staff.
Thursday February 24
12 p.m. Skin Deep. Campus
Center 370.
Special Low Student Airfares to
EUROPE!
Fly now and get $25.00 off your next trip!
me
More Than 100 Departure Cities!
Low Student Airfares!
Eurailpasses ¢ Bus Passes « Study Abroad
www.StudentUniverse.com
1-800-272-9676
*Some restrictions and blackouts apply.
Award Application
Seminars. Education 346. —
4 p.m. Chinese Poet Xue Di will
12 p.m.
hold an informal seminar.
Humanities 290.
4:30 p.m.
History Month. Humanities 3.
7 p.m. Financial Aid Seminar.
College of Saint Rose St. Joseph
Hall Auditorium.
8 p.m. Chinese Poet Xue Di will
read from his work. Performing
Arts Center Recital Hall.
Friday February 25
1:15 p.m. The Muslim Students’
Association Friday Prayers.
Campus Center Terrace Lounge.
7:30 p.m. The Floating Weeds.
Page Hall.
Ongoing
Acrimony in Albany: The Foster
Hall Geological Chart
Controversy. New York State
Museum, West Hall.
Siena College Presents Artist
Nancy Engel. Straight thru
Electrobricollage.
BIAS Buogjequeg pPUpeEYW uogsi] BHingsisajag 1S MODSOW MesIeAA BNHesg Jsoedepng euuaipA sajdeN eoUsI0j4 soluUe/A SWOY
What do you think of UAS |
food at UAlbany’?
Celebrate Black .
{Ryan Rockfeller
|Business, Freshman
: i It’s not bad. It could be
4{better though.
Faith Sullivan
Reading Program,
Grad. Student
I once got food poison-
ing. The Marriott should
be better with the
amound of money we’re
spending for it.
Caprice Nelson
Sociology, Junior
It sucks ass. I don’t eat
and I’m under weight.
The meal plan is forced
on me, and I’m taking a
loan for something I
don’t use.
Matt Klein
Undecided, Freshman
It sucks. It is too over-
priced.
ae Chris Dood
Sociology, Junior
It’s overpriced, but the
quality is okay. It tastes
ike it’s supposed to.
Kristen Adler
Business, Freshman
I wish there were more
choices.
“Richard Alverez
= Undecided, Freshman
1 don’t like the food on
acampus. It turns my
istomach so I don’t eat it.
COMPILED BY MATT LISSAUER
Crime Blotter
2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
Crimes
2/10 Library -- Unknown male bothering female between 2/1 and 2/10
2/10 Cooper Hall -- Textbooks stolen from unlocked suite
2/11 Social Science -- Door signs sto tween 2/10 and 2/11
2/11 Colonial Quad -- Former stud ‘nt dispute over property & owed
money. Both parties interviewed, a matter
2/12 Pierce Hall -- Large hole in we
2/12 Freedom Quad -- During pa
m coat pocket, drove car,
2/12 Campus Center -- Fight
injured, treated and fi
2/12 University Drive Eas
for Agg. Unlicense
2/13 Mohawk Tower -- G
2/14 Adirondack Hall
altered license.
2/14 Dutch Quad-- Stud
report.
1 persons. Two persons
nist ID’d to be referred to judicial
nd wanted on bench warrant
ounty Sherriff’s Department
§ during past week
marijuana, one student also with
fie call-did not wish for crime
e phone call and started swearing
ent, warned.
yetween 2/14 and 2/15
2/15 State Quad dock --M sted -- had forged special dock parking
permit
2/15 LC--Report of broken sibly student with injured hand. No
theft, and student not located: ponded.
2/16 Indian Quad-- Student arrested for stealing books from suitemate. Also charged
with Possession of another’s license and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. »
ASP Classifieds
Call Jennifer Reschke
CRIME BLOTTER
- 2/15 Dutch Quad -- Stude
- 2/16 Tappan Hall-- Fire ala
Friday, February 18,
Incidents
2/11 UPD Construction Site -- Civil dispute between contractors -- forklift removed
from site. :
2/11 Parking Management -- UPD respé
warned, no further action ne
2/11 Indian Quad -- Student reported §
and returned books
2/11 Campus Center -- UPD cove
ded to report of disorderly person -- subject
guisher
2/12 Waterbury Hall -- Two j
2/13 Dutch Quad -- Taxi fare’
2/15 Colonial Quad -- Pare
Life located daug
Jana, non-cooperation
elfare of his daughter -- Res.
Okay
> calls, wishing to end out-of-state
internet contact. A
2/15 Lecture Center -- Rep
hand. No theft, and
2/15 Campus Center -- UP
lems
2/16 State Quad Cafeteria
hine, possible student with broken
Vending company responded
th” event -- capacity crowd, no prob
Traffic and Parking Violations
2/11 State Lot -- Two car accident
2/12 RACC Lot -- Car towed -- unregistered
' 2/13 University Drive & Western -- Stop sign
2/13 University Drive -- Headlight out
2/13 Various Areas -- Eight parking tickets issued 2/11-2/13
442-5665
2/14 Alumni Quad -- Altered License
2/15 Hawley lot -- Parked car hit
2/15 Various Areas -- |1 parking tickets issued
2/15 University Drive West -- Car driving on sidewalk -- woman driver was feeling dizzy.
¥ Move ahead in your academic program
Y Prepare for graduate school
v Explore a new subject area
tions on campus.
Summer Sessions 2000
Plan now to earn more credit this summer
The University at Albany offers more than 500 undergraduate and graduate courses in the
summer, making it the most comprehensive summer program in the Capital Region.
Z Flexible scheduling in six independent four- and six-week sessions makes it
possible for you to take classes and still have time for work, vacation, and
summer fun. Plus, many popular courses are available in the first sessions.
Pick up your copy of the Summer Sessions 2000 Bulletin at major loca-
summer Sessions Classes begin May 30
Plan to earn more credit this summer -- see your
academic advisor now.
UNIVERSITY
-AT ALBANY
NEW YORK
STATE UNIVERSITY OF
Visit us on i web:
www. albany.edu/summer
Office of Summer Sessions, LI-85
Albany, NY 12222
442-5140
Arts & Entertainment
He Said:
Things are heating
up in Boiler Room
By NEIL BAREISH
Staff Writer
Is it possible for a movie to
be three hours long, yet not seem
longenough? Walking out of
“Boiler Room” I felt like I had
just seen three quarters of a
movie and awaiting an ending
that will only be on the limited
edition DVD. Three hours is con-
sidered to be the maximum
length of any movielooking to
make a buck, but for some rea-
son, “Boiler Room” just didn’t-
seem to be long enough. The
whole movie went by’so fast, it
could havegone on for another
half an hour and yet still felt
shorter than sittingthrough “Bill
and Ted’s Bogus Journey.”
Some three-hour movies
drag on. “Boiler Room” does not.
It is threehours of cinematic
excellence. Nothing needs to be
cut out to speed upcertain parts,
which has been the downfall of
so many films that are of this
length. The movie’s intro is over
an hour long, but it seems like-
half that amount of time. The
entire movie is fast-paced and by
the end you'll have no idea how
fast the last three hours just flew
by.
“Boiler Room” is written
and directed by Ben Younger.
Never heard of him? That’s
because this is the first major stu-
dio project that he has been
involved in. In fact, this is the
first movie that he has put out,
period. If he keeps it up, he could
become Hollywood’s hottest new
commodity.
Watching the previews,
commercials and every other
form of promotion used for this
film, I expected Ben Affleck to
play a major part in the movie.
He is in three, count them, three
scenes. Affleck is on screen for
no more than 15 minutes during
the entire film. His was more of a
cameo than a supporting actor
role, so be warned if you’re
intending to see this soley for
him.
The movie stars Giovanni
Ribisi, a
young
stockbro-
ker/casino |
owner}
working at
an off-Wall
Street bro-
kKerage
house.
Actually,
By AupDRA LEVITT
Staff Writer
Courtesy of New Line Cinema
As strange as it may seem,
after writing reviews for this long
I have come to realize that the
ones I have the toughest times
writing are
the good
movies.
After all,
there are
more ways
to describe
a movie as
bad than as
good. I
had this
the compa-
ny is way out on Long Island,
and has a less than stellar reputa-
tion.
Comparisons to “Wall
Street” can be made, but only
because there isn’t exactly a
library filled with movies about
the stock market. Just like its pre-
decessor, “Boiler Room” shows
the money-hungry, get rich quick
mentality of the young broker
learning the ropes of the busi-
ness, but the business has
changed more than a little in the
last decade. The work ethic has
remained the same: Make (and
spend) obscene amounts of
money and leave your con-
science (and any relic of human-
ity you may have left) at the door.
“Boiler Room” is one of
those inexplicably good movies.
It keeps you interested for the
full three hours and you won't be
checking your watch every five
minutes half way through the
movie waiting for the closing
credits. Movies of this length
tend to be extremely boring, but
“Boiler Room” is three hours of
stock trading action. Don’t miss
it!
problem
with this week’s review for
“Boiler Room.”
The film stars Giovanni
Ribisi and Nia Long, with
appearances by Ben Affleck.
Though I was first excited by the
concept of another Ben Affleck
movie, my attention was quickly
turned to Giovanni Ribisi. With
his realistic. portrayal of any
character he plays, this actor
jumps into the role of “Seth
Davis.” One becomes truly
enraptured with the character of
Seth Davis; you will cheer for
him in good times and sympa-
thize with him when he is down.
The film focuses on the life
of Davis. The son of a federal
judge, Davis is a college dropout
living in Queens and paying his
rent by running an illegal casino
out of his house. Happy with the
fact that he is doing well for him-
self the only thing Seth struggles
with is his need to be accepted by
his father. When his dad finds out
what Seth is up to he quickly
becomes angry and Seth is told to
either shape up or he will not be
part of the family anymore. As if |
it were a simple twist of fate,
She Said:
Don’t trade in on
- Boiler Room
Seth gets a knock at the door
from an old friend of his and
another guy who have come by
for a card game. While dealing
out the cards, Seth finds out more
about the successful and
extremely wealthy lives that
these two brokers lead. Before,
he knows it he is offered a job as
a trainee for a hundred and fifty
dollars a week and the promise
that he will be a millionaire in
three years. Eager for the money
and the respect Davis heads to
“J.T. Marlin” for an interview.
Upon his arrival, Seth imme-
diately is sucked into the world
of trading. After his “group inter-
view”, where Ben Affeleck (who
plays the head recruiter) gives a
passionate speech about making
money. Gradually, Seth works
his way through the process and
‘eventually passes the “Series
7’exam needed in order to
become a real broker. He enjoys
the work and becomes incredibly
successful, but as always, there is
a downfall. Seth begins to get
curious as to how
J.T. Marlin makes all its
money and finds out their shock-
ing secret.
Boiler Room is a great film,
both captivating and original.
Your attention will never be
diverted for a second and you
will be left craving for more. The
writing of the film is clever and
different from other movies I
have seen. A true cross between
“Wall Street” and “The Firm”,
this movie*Stands on its own two
legs without a question of a
doubt. Although the movie is
long (almost three hours) it is
well worth it. It’s great to see a
different spin on a career that has
already been dealt with in the
film industry. Don’t waste any -
time and go see this film I
promise you, you won’t regret it.
By GrecG C. HEVIA
Staff Writer
ete
Photo By Safia Fatimi
Screwball is a rap group that
has appropriately titled its album
y2k, even though the meaning-
less threat of last century is past
us now. Screwball is a rap group
that sounds like it was from the
previous century. Screwball is
old school rap in its beats and
Screwball - Y2K the Album
gangsta rap in its rhymes.
The first track off of the
album is “That S***,” a track
that is rich in bass and horns. The
raps flow smoothly even though
the lyrics are only about killing
people. Aside from the lyrics,
this song is a pleasurable listen
because of the steady flow and
beat of the song. “FAYBAN?” is
the next track which is rife with
scratching and sweet bass and
rhythm. Again, the main prob-
lem with this song is not in the
rapping but in the meaningless
lyrics that pollute the whole
album, with tales meant to make
the rappers in Screwball look like
tough gangsters. “Take it There,”
a track featuring Capone, sounds
more modern than the other
tracks with its synthersized beats
and grittier sounding raps, mak-
ing this one of the better songs on
the album.
“Y2K” is a song that has an
X-Files vibe to it. The beats
‘sound like an alien is about to
pop out of the CD player at any
moment. This also is a good
song to bounce to. The rapping is
good quality but again the lyrics
show no differentiation from pre-
vious songs. The violins and
scratching work on “Seen it All”
would make this song worth lis-
tening to without the raps, which
take away from the musical
aspect of the song with meaning-
less posing and posturing.
“The Heat is On” is a slow-
er track with a nice steady beat
that could have been a hit in 1993
when gangsta rap was popular.
Its about how the members of
Screwball are drug runners with
the cops on their case. They also
talk about killing people, just like
in every other song. The next
track, “The Blocks,” is about run-
ning from the cops, but the guitar
and percussion beats in the back-
ground fit the song so well that
the lyrics are hardly noticable.
The funniest song on the
album is Who Shot Rudy?, a song
about the imaginary assassination
of the New York City Mayor. It
is also the song on the album
with the most lyrical quality and
the lowest body count.
Overall, “Y2K the Album” is
rich in beats and a vocal style that
is destroyed by the lyrics about
killing, which very few people
want to hear anymore. Screwball
should have released this as an
instrumental album.
Shelby Lynne:
’“Lookin’ Up”.
I Am Shelby
Lynne
By Grec C. HEVIA
Staff Writer
“T am Shelby Lynne” is an
album that is hard to define. On
one hand, it’s simple and Lynne
sounds like Sheryl Crow, but the
music varies from country to
R&B to rock. It’s probably eas-
iest to describe Lynne as a musi-
cian who sounds. like Crow
would, if she had made music in
the 1950s.
The first song, “Your Lies,”
is beautifully vocalized and
accompanied by piano and gui-
tar. The vocals are rich, deep
and full of emotion about a lost
lover, _ Leavin’? is a, slower
song, also about lost, love, and
Lynne’s sexy voice could turn on
even the most staunch homosex-
ual. “Life is Bad” has a southern
rock sound to it worthy of
Lynyrd Skynyrd. It is uppity and
makes the listener want to sing
along. It is another fine example
of Lynne’s great voice with its
southern twang.
“Thought it Would be Easi-
er” starts off sounding like an
older Crow tune. “Gotta Get
Back” and “Why Can’t You
Be?” are two great country
songs. Even though country is
not the most popular college
genre, these songs are ire-
sistable and have to be listened
to. “Lookin’ Up” slows down
the pace a little bit and returns
dramatically to the album’s dom-
inant theme which is lost love,
something that everyone can
relate to in one way or another.
This song is another fine exam-
ple of Lynne’s talents, as is
“Dreamsome,” the next track
which follows the same route as
“Where I’m
From” is a song about Alabama.
It’s a good song too, but doesn’t
come close to “Sweet Home
Alabama”. “Black Light Blue”
is the closer of the album and
sounds like a lounge song. The
listener can imagine Lynne on
' top of a piano singing in her sul-
try voice and seducing the men
into giving her tips.
This is a great album for
anyone who likes southern rock
and lounge type music. Lynne’s
strongest asset is her voice, and
she uses it to its full potential.
This talent can make anyone
who listens to this CD want
some more.
lu = i
~ Arts & Entertainment
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS 9
(Medel dekuheRsl ludelched Mele Bc tlld dl ludeledd Aedededhsted
Sekou Sundiata makes the
Long Story Short
By CARLA GABRIS
_ Staff Writer
Sick of contemporary pop?
Want to listen to something a lit-
tle off-beat and poetic? Then be
sure to get ahold of a CD called
Long Story Short, by the artist
Sekou Sundiata. This unique CD
was produced by Righteous Babe
Records, the record company
formed by another unique artist
(folk dynamo Ani DiFranco)
when no label would sign her
back in 1990. After 10 years of
successfully producing Ani’s
albums, the label has branched
out, adding other artists to its ros-
ter.
Long Story Short is com-
prised of 15 songs, each with
their own beat and subject mat-
ter. Many of the songs, such as
Mandela and Making Poems,
have a very poetic touch to them.
Sekou speaks the words in a half-
singing, half-talking way, recit-
ing the lyrics to the rhythm of
upbeat jazz/Caribbean melodies.
Although many of the songs
are lively and fun, there are quite
a few which have a somber tone
to them. For example, Lonely
‘Man’s Portrait of a Romance is
about a romance that falls apart.
The song consists of Sundiata
telling the story of this relation-
ship in a very conversational
manner. He begins by explaining
how the man and the woman
loved each other very much and
continues to describe how the
relationship slowly falls apart.
He speaks of the affairs each of
them had with others, how they
lost trust in each other and rela-
tionships in general. He then
goes on to speak more broadly
and philosophically about rela-
tionships, trust and loneliness.
Photo By Jane Leon
There are also quite a few
songs on the CD which deal with
African-American issues. Sun-
diata sings about African-Ameri-
can notables such as “Mandela”
and “Hendrix” and mentions
more in the track Mary J. Blues.
In his piece entitled Black Boys
to Men, Sekou speaks of _ trou-
bles that black men face. He just
recites his poem in this piece,
without the use of any instrumen-
tals. He talks about the violence
in black culture, and the unfortu-
nate state of black-on-black
crime. Although the subject
sounds cliché, the way Sundiata
expresses it is very unique, as his
poem is full of imagery and inter-
esting language. His voice also
has a calm, deep quality which
draws the listener in.
Give this CD a chance. If
you see it in a record store and
it’s up for “free listening,” pro-
vide yourself with the opportuni-
ty. The CD is incredibly unique,
and the assortment of subject
matter and interesting rhythms
make it a great and different lis-
tening experience.
By KENNY HERZOG
Staff Writer
Hardcore’s not dead. It just
sucks now and continues to
linger around like a 24-year-old
mama’s boy. No further proof of
the above is needed than when
one of the sub-genre’s brightest
beams of hope, Indecision, puts
out an album this listless and
uninspired. Hardcore was
always cool because it fused
metal: musicianship and punk
spirit, avoiding the cheesier sides
of both to carve out its own
niche. Plus, if you were an alien-
ated, pissed off at the world
teenager, it was a rather poignant
combination.
I’m not a teenager anymore
though, and neither are the guys
in these bands. Youthful rebel-
lion isn’t quite as intriguing when
you’re not youthful. This is a
concept Indecision must grasp.
No offense to guitarist and head
sociopolitical activist of the
group, Justin Brannan. He’s a
great guy and means well. When
they first jumped onto the scene
out of Brooklyn, they brought a
well-needed breath of intelli-
gence and sincerity to a hardcore
universe drowning in its own
hyped up © straightedge-vegan
morals. That and _ blistering,
tight, complex songs that made
most other bands realize how
boring they really were.
One band in the latter cate-
gory was Long Island’s Mil-
house, which may be why Artie
Phillie, the band’s vocalist,
jumped ship and joined the Inde-
cision crew. Artie was also
pissed off, but mostly at his par-
ents, former high-school peers,
and God. When ranting on these
subjects, his voice resembled that
of Linda Blair’s in “The Exor-
cist” if she was being punched in
the chest. He was also rather
overt about his fascination with
metal, down to that whole penta-
gram thing.
All this brings us to Indeci-
sion’s latest release, Release the
Cure, on MIA Records. They’re
all still pissed for all different
reasons and the music is certain-
ly heavy and blistering. Except
something unavoidably stinks
here. Artie is married, happily as
far as I know, and Justin has cre-
ated what has become a hardcore
legacy with this band. Can’t they
just relax in their late twenties
and be happy? — Stuff like the
liner notes describing the inspira-
tion of the title coming from dif-
ferent conspiracy _ theories
involving the government, for
instance. It was cool five years
ago, but doesn’t it seem just a lit-
tle tired and clichéd at this point?
Then there’s the quality of
the tracks. There’s no real need
to even point out particular tracks
here. None are particularly good
and none are necessarily worse
than the others. Now Artie has
opted for a deep-throated, Coa-
lesce-esque guttural growl that
makes you want to laugh or cry
out of silliness and shock sooner
than vent your rage in your own
little slam-dancing session. It
also seems he brought his craving
for metal along with him from
his Milhouse days. Justin can
still write a great breakdown and
change up the moshy tempo, but
at this point, who can’t? It’s the
same stuff as five years ago, but
with a grating and less intimidat-
ing metal edge too it. Pat Flynn,
Steve Bago, and Rachel Rosen,
the other current players, might
as well just stand around and
watch, as this album is so horri-
bly produced you can’t hear any-
one but Justin and Artie anyway.
_. The message here is not
exclusive to these guys, but can
be universally applied to all hard-
core bands. Don’t start one
unless you have something dif-
ferent to play or say. Don’t call
yourself. a hardcore band if
you're putting out stuff for the
college radio metal bins. Stop
once you’re old enough to drink.
Then maybe have a drink and
relax.
- Photo By Manyi Wong
Big Pun: A huge loss
By MIKE BR
Staff Writer
album,
- which was also the label’s first
Christopher Rios, known to
most as the Latino rapper Big
Pun died last week at the age of
28. In the world of hip-hop,
untimely death has. not been
uncommon. Even so, the loss of
Big Pun takes yet another prolif-
ic rapper out of the music game.
Big Pun first came onto the
rap scene in 1997, with a cameo
on the Beatnuts track “Off the
books.” With his smooth lyrics,
street attitude, and knowledge of
hip-hop, Pun’s entrance was
noticed by everyone. Shortly
after this, the Bronx native paired
up with another Latino rapper,
Fat Joe. Together they started the
record label Terror Squad. In
1998, Pun released. his first
“Capitol Punishment,”
LP. It was an instant hit, making
Pun the first Latin rapper to ever
go platinum.
With beats harder than mar-
ble and smart, vicious lyrics, the
album has few weaknesses.
Laced with creative sound-bites
from random movies, the perfect-
ly produced album ranks up high
on my chart of best rap albums.
Just play the first song on the
album, “Beware,” and you get a
hint that you’re in for something
special. The words “I gave you
fair warning, beware,” echo in
the background, and next Pun
drops his lines revealing a style
like no other. Even with hardcore
rap songs like “Dream Shatterer,”
“Capitol Punishment,” and
“Twinz,” (a song done with part-
ner Fat Joe, using the classic beat
of Dr. Dre’s song which debuted
Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Deep
Cover’), one track stands by
itself. “Tres Leches,” a collabo-
ration with rappers Prodigy of
Mobb Deep, and Inspectah Deck
from the Wu-Tang Clan, is by far
the best song on the album, and
one of the best pure rap songs in
the past few years. Inspectah
Deck, who may have the best.
flow of any rapper today, drops
his usual smart, smooth verse
after Prodigy. Big Pun follows up
as the anchor of the song.
Backed with a bassy hard beat
produced by Wu-Tang’s Rza,
“Tres Leches,” is one of those
songs you can play over and
over.
Pun’s most recent work
includes guest appearances with
Jennifer Lopez, Raekwon, and
Kool G. Rap. His new album,
titled “Yeah Baby,” is set to come
out. sometime in late April,
according to producer Fat Joe..
There is a big hole to be filled in
the world of real hip-hop with his
loss, and Big Pun will be missed
greatly by all of his fans.
Arts & Entertainment
10 Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
22 5 2 2 2 =e |
CDuctive.com - Get hip-hop, indie rock,
and synth-pop on one CD
By KATHRYN McCARTHY
Associate A&E Editor
Take a moment to think
about what your ideal CD might
sound like, and how you might
go about creating it.
We all love different
types of music, but
how often are you
able to find a single
CD that lets you
have a little taste of
everything? Imag-
ine if you were able
to compile: as much
as 72 minutes of
your favorite music
(from hip-hop and
electronica to indie
rock and_ dance
music) all on your
own custom CD.
With one visit to CDuctive.com
(pronounced “seductive”) you
can hand-pick your own selec-
tions and fix them onto a CD that
will arrive within 48 hours.
Partners Tom Ryan and John
Rigos founded the site in 1996,
and have since acquired licensed
tracks from hundreds of labels
world-wide. Much of the music
featured on the site comes from
the abounding and _ generally
unexplored resevoir of American
and international indie rock.
These bands, though often
grouped into one category, have
contributed endlessly to contem-
porary music. Unfortunately
many of these bands have long
been vinyl devotees, and _ their
music has rarely been available
in CD form. Some of these gems
from the eighties and the nineties
have also been long out of print
and unavailable to the general
public.
One of the site’s objectives
is to offer listeners a chance to
discover new music inaccessable
elsewhere, and to give them an
opportunity to listen to the new
tracks before purchasing them.
CDs usually sell for 14 to 16 dol-
lars on average, and all too often
they prove disappointing. At
CDuctive, you will be able to
review a forty-five second song
sample before commiting them
to your custom'CD. The base
price starts at $4.99 for the first
single and $.99 for each addition-
al track. When you consider the
value of a CD that holds more
than an hour of your favorite
music, it’s well worth your time
to visit CDuctive.
The site offers more than
four thousand tracks from bands
that many have never
heard of _ before,
although they are
well known in other
parts of the country
and the rest of the
world. Acts like the
Make-up, Elliot
Smith, Aphex Twin,
Bauhaus, Get Up
Kids, Land of the
Loops, and Stereolab
show the wide range
of genre and history
that CDuctive has to
offer. Other bands
like Helmet, Crystal
Method, Fatboy Slim, Iggy Pop,
Hole, and King Missile are some
of the better known groups avail-
able to browsers. Some of the
genres mentioned at the site
include trip-hop, illbient, trance,
Eurodance, and _ acid-jazz.
CDuctive.com has also released a
few sampler CDs that show the
kind of selection and arrange-
ments available for the individual
consumer. Check out the site at
www.CDuctive.com and finally
get some of the music you’ve
been looking for, have long want-
ed to check out, or just would
like to see all on the same CD.
The Music Minute
By Grec C. HEVIA
Staff Writer
*He ain’t gonna be a playa no more. The nearly 700 pound rap artist Big Punisher died last week of
heart failure. Doctors said that the situation could have been avoided if Pun had watched what
he ate and had “run his ass around the block a few times.”
*The Manhattan District Attorney claimed last Thursday that Puff Daddy
bribed his driver to take the rap for him on gun charges because “he did
not want to be anally protruded in jail for making bad r&b into bad rap
music.”
*Radiohead staged a surprise webcast concert on its official website. They
talked to fans and played such hits as Creep and Creep.
*Teen idol David Cassidy and Wyclef Jean are collaborating on a song for a
benefit album. The proceeds will go to War Child USA.
*TLC has been nominated for three Soul Train music awards which is more
than any other artist this year. The awards will look good in TLC’s closet right next to all the
other awards no one considers valid.
*Run-D.M.C. is back in business. The group, who’s last hit was in Magic Johnson’s rookie year, will
be performing at this year’s NBA all-star game right around the time everyone flips to another
channel. You can find out where they’ ve been all of these years on this week’s episode of Behind
the Music, airing Sunday at 9pm.
*Geri Halliwell will not be joining her former Spice Girls on stage when they accept their Brit Award
She will be working on something that doesn’t deserve a lifetime
for Lifetime Achievement.
achievement award, like world peace or feeding the hungry or just showing her boobs for rent
money.
*In other Soul Train news, Prince will receive their Artist of the Decade Award, showing just how
derailed and out of touch the train has become.
*D’ Angelo, the recording artist that no one has heard of, bought another 190,000 copies of his album
this past week to land himself in the Billboard number one position for the second week in a
row.
*Lil’ Kim will serve as a spokesperson for the new Viva Glam III, a plum-brown shade of lipstick
that helps prevent chafing.
*Former Smashing Pumpkin D’Arcy Wretzky, who left the band before it sucked, faced drug pos-
session charges in Chicago court for an unspecified drug. She was found shaking and repeating
“Stop making music Billy, stop making music...”
It’s a wild world
out there
By CARLA GABRIS
Staff Writer
Interested in picking up a
fantastic bestseller? Are you fas-
cinated with the wild? If so, then
you might want to pick up a copy
of Into the Wild, by John
Krakauer (author of Into Thin
Air). Into the Wild is a riveting
page-turner full of energy and
insight.
This non-fiction book is an
account of the journey of Chris
McCandless, a wealthy Ameri-
can college student who one day
decides to pack up and take a trip
to Alaska... by foot!
Krakauer wrote the book
based on the information he
acquired from individuals who
met Chris during his adventure.
He traced McCandless’ steps to
Alaska, finding out what towns
he stayed in, who he worked for,
and other details. We meet sever-
al interesting people throughout
the book whose lives were
touched deeply by McCandless’
idealism and adventurous spirit.
Not only does Krakauer
explore McCandless’ journey,
but he also writes about the
adventures of other people who
went into the wild years ago,
focusing on the physical and
emotional trials of living within
wilderness and isolation. In
addition, Krakauer gives a per-
sonal account of his own adven-
tures. He goes into great depths
when articulating why certain
people have such a strong desire
to get away from society and dis-
cover something new within
themself.
Into The Wild is an incredi-
ble book on so many levels. It
can be read in three hours, with-
out the slightest tempation to put
it down for a second. However,
the book is challenging, in the
sense that it addresses a lot of
ideas about human nature and
society. Krakauer’s writing has
movement. It flows, and makes
our minds race as we try to keep
up with the adventure.
This book is not one to be
passed by if you see it on a book-
store or library shelf. Into the
Wild is well worth reading, and
will leave you thinking, wonder-
ing, and perhaps longing, to go
out and put your youthful ideal-
ism and adventure to the test.
STARTS S NENA 10
CROSSGATES 18 || SPECTRUM 7
weigher ese 449.995
~ Arts & Entertainment
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
11
weTTTiTy st. RRR EH ERE
RMERR EWES TEED:
££ RERKKEERARHRHERH SE FEE
SSERER RRR R OREO ROE E Ee |
eee FERRELL HERRERA EEA EH Hs
~ @e BRSEES
Peanuts
Creator
Dead at 77/
By SHARON DRUCK
A&E Editor
Charles Schultz, creator of
the comic strip known as Peanuts
and such memorable characters
as Charlie Brown, Snoopy,
Linus, and Lucy, died in_his
home on Saturday, February 12,
2000, the day before his final
strip was scheduled to be run.
Schultz had announced his retire-
ment from cartooning in Novem-
ber of 1999 after being diagnosed
with colon cancer and after a
series of small strokes that made
cartooning difficult.
“Peanuts” made its national
debut on October 2, 1950. Since
then, it gained popularity for its
unique, child-like view. of adult
life. The strip eventually ran in
over 2,600 newspapers, reaching
fans in over 75 countries world-
wide. “Peanuts” was also spun
off into several feature films, an
off-Broadway and Broadway
musical, and an award-winning
cartoon series, which included
the Emmy & Peabody Award-
winning 1965 special “A Charlie
Brown Christmas,” which is still
aired yearly on CBS,
The popularity of the strip
was largely due to a diverse and
colorful cast of characters, and
certain constancies in plot. Every
day, readers could count on see-
ing Charlie Brown just missing
pitching a winning game or snag-
ging the little red-haired girl, or
his faithful dog Snoopy battling
the Red Baron or writing novels
from the top of his doghouse.
Readers also came to love the
exploits of Linus, the Blanket-
toting philosopher;. his sister
Lucy, the football-snatching
amateur psychiatrist; Schroder,
the Beethoven-worshipping
pianist; and Charlie Brown’s lit-
tle sister Sally, amongst others.
The final strip featured the
faces of these characters sur-
rounding the enduring image of
Snoopy at his typewriter, reading
a letter from Schultz that thanked
readers for their longtime sup-
port.
“T have been grateful over
the years for the loyalty of our
editors and the wonderful sup-
port and love expressed to me by
fans of the comic strip,” Schulz
wrote. “Charlie Brown, Snoopy,
Linus, Lucy ... how can I ever
forget them ...”
Schultz was a
acclaimed cartoonist, winning
the Reuben Award, the highest
honor a comic artist can receive
in both 1955 and 1964, and was
voted International Cartoonist of.
the Year by over 700 comic
artists worldwide in 1978. On
May 27th of this year, he was to
be honored with a Lifetime
Achievement award from the
National Cartoonists Society. He
is survived by his wife Jeannie
and his children.
The Albany Student Press will be accepting applications in
mid-March for postions opening up for the Fall Semester
2000. We will be looking for a candidate to serve as next
year’s Advertising Manager. Job duites include: Working
with national and local companies to place advertisements in
the Albany Student Press; developing a new system for mar-
keting space on our website; maintaining regular office
hours; running our business office.
* Great experience
« Salaried pesition
* Excellent hours
* Exciting position on a financially independent student
newspaper
Born Again - The Notorious B.I.G.
By MICHAEL DILLON
Staff Writer
widely -
Biggie lives on with a little
help from his friends in his new
album Born Again. Biggie’s
third album, which was released
in early December, is a collection
of 16 new tracks, including an
intro and outro. The songs are
comprised of old lyrics laced on
top of new beats from producers
such as Puff Daddy, Clark Kent,
DJ Premier, and Deric “D-Dot”
Angelettie, amongst others.
It’s been over 2 years since
Biggie Smalls (Christopher Wal-
lace) has passed and the stitching
together of his old work did not
come easy. The album is full of
fantasy collaborations to beef up
the songs and transcend regions.
The album features a virtual
who’s Featured on the album are
Lil’ Kim, Puff Daddy, Eminem,
Hot Boys, Big Timer, Mark
Curry, Snoop Dogg, Busta
Rhymes, Junior M.A.FI.A., Too
Short, Sadat X, Redman, Method
Man, G-Dep, Craig Mack, Missy
“Misdemeanor” Elliot, Mobb
Deep, Joe Hooker, Lil’ Cease,
Black Rob, Ice Cube, Beanie
Sigel, Nas, K-Ci and Jo-Jo; a vir-
tual who’s who in hip-hop today.
Some. lyrics. from. the past
are rehashed with new beats,
while some songs feature old
school beats with never before
heard lyrics from Biggie’s vault.
The album has not gotten the best
of reviews from critics because
most of Biggie’s best stuff has
Courtesy of Bad Boy Entertainment
already been released. Why
would any great song be kept in a
vault on purpose? The producers
did do an excellent job of bring-
ing in talented artists and stitch-
ing together new songs from
what they had left over. Among
the best is Eminem’s addition to
the Dead Wrong track, which was
the first single released from the
album. This showcases B.I.G.
and Eminem’s best work laced
over a repetitive hard-core base.
Some other excellent tracks
are the infamous Who Shot Ya?
and Ni**as, the only two tracks
that feature just Biggie’s lyrics.
The DJ Premier produced Rap
Phenomenon featuring Method
Man and Redman is another great
one with Premier cutting up
famous old Biggie lines within
the song. Almost every song has
something memorable within it,
which makes this a good pick-up.
This album could very well be
the worst of the three Biggie has
released, but its against steep
competition. Still, it towers over
many other recent rap releases.
Downright cute, but not very bright
By SHARON DRUCK
A&E Editor
$5.00 AT DOOR
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
| swing band $10.00
4/1/00 To be announced :
$5.00 off with this ad
MINI MALL THEATER
UPCOMING EVENTS
At the Hilton Center 40 Russell Rd OFF CENTRAL BY WESTGATE
phone 4531048 :
WELCOME SUNY STUDENTS & TEACHERS
ALBANY’S NEWEST THEATER & SPECIALTY SHOPS
Country & Line Dancing Thurs nights 7-9 Beginners. Al Rodder
2/25,26,27 & 3/3,4,5/00 FRI. & SAT. 7PM & SUN 2 PM CUT PRINT
MURDER, Mystery dinner show $30.00
>
3/11/00 8 pm Hill Town Ramblers,Blue Grass Tickets $10.00
3/18/00 Three Bands Marmalaed For Now, Gesse & The Rippers & 12
Days to Valentines Blues Rock Tickets $10.00
3/25/00 8 PM Serenity Duo & Rosie’ & the Riveters 16 piece all girl
Some films cannot be
enjoyed and taken seriously at
the same time. Mostly, these
movies are usually ones that fall
into the category of the “date
film,” something safe to take that
special (or-soon-to-be-special)
someone to on a weekend night
to laugh, gasp, and generally
have fun with. Something that
will make the viewers happy as
they leave the theater.
Usually action and horror
movies are most popular for
dates, probably due to the height-
ened risk that the person you’re
with will jump into your arms to
hide from something
scary/shocking/disgusting on the
screen in front of you. (Anyone
who doubts this theory should
have witness the throngs of cou-
ples waiting to buy tickets to
Scream 3 last Friday). The other.
popular “date movie” genre is the
romantic comedy - where we find
Down to You, starring two alum-
ni of the Teen movie bonanza of
the 1990s — Freddie Prinze, Jr.
(She’s All That & I Know What
You Did Last Summer) and Julia
Stiles (legendary for her turn as
\
Kat in /0 things I Hate About
You) as two lovers who learn that
the course of true love does not
‘run smooth.
Prinze plays Al, son of a
popular TV chef. He attends
some ritzy college in New York
City — the same mythical one
attended by all New York City
college students on TV and in the
movies — complete with huge
dorms and gothic academic
buildings. It is there that he
meets Imogen (Stiles), an artistic
freshman whom he has an instant
attraction to. The pair become
inseparable despite Al’s stuffi-
ness and Imogen’s quirkiness,
and whatever other loopholes
there are in the relationship. This
story is NOT about a guy who
dumps the girl of his dreams
because his friends want him to
be a player. It’s a flashback that
leads slowly into the present day,
with both Al and Imogen giving
their versions of what happened
all those years ago to form their
relationship. The film is so pre-
dictable that to give away more
than these details would be to
destroy the entire plot.
Most young-adult romantic
comedies require a large amount
of suspension of disbelief in
order for the storylines to be at all
plausible. Down to You presents
us with the same paradoxes as the
-TV shows Felicity and Friends
do. If these people don’t work,
then where do they get the money
for these apartments/parties/gifts
that in the so-called real world
would probably run into the thou-
sand-dollar range and upward.
They’re supposed to be in col-
lege, yet the characters are
almost never depicted studying.
The story is at times silly and
predictable, pulling out many of
the cliche twists and turns we
come to expect from such a film.
Amazingly enough, despite its
many flaws, the film manages to
be undeniably fun and charming,
and will most certainly be very
popular when it hits University
Cable. Prinze and Stiles make a
cute pair, even though they lack
the chemistry that Stiles and
Heath Ledger had in /0 Things...
Down to You will neither
change your life nor alter your
perception of it. It will simply
provide an enjoyable evening to
those viewing it. Don’t be too
upset about missing it when it
leaves the theaters — no doubt it
will be a staple of Friday nights
once it hits video stores later this
year.
12 Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
Chuck D. and Saul Williams
highlight first ever Black Hip-
Hop and Arts Conference
By KENNY HERZOG
Staff Writer
“The fire’s in my eyes and the
flames need fanning/With that
knowledge of self-determina-
tion.” The hip-hop poetry of
Talib Kweli perhaps best sums up
the feelings conveyed this past
weekend at ASUBA’s first annu-
al Black Hip-Hop and Arts Con-
ference. Various performers
converged on the uptown and
downtown campuses for a series
of events intended to identify
where the hip-hop and black cul-
ture are at and how the two are
interrelated. As a white male, it
was a particularly enlightening
and beneficial experience.
A nice-sized and diverse crowd
showed up for the poetry reading
at Page Hall Friday night. Sonia
Sanchez, renowned poet and
leader in the black studies move-
ment, kicked things off. Once
she began speaking, she trans-
formed into a mother and a
prophet. Her words echoed with
importance, and her tone
demanded respect. In her dis-
course with the audience, she
sent out a forceful message about
maintaining one’s voice in this
world and not squandering the
potential each person possesses
in light of racial limitations.
Then the torch was passed, lit-
erally and otherwise, to Saul
Williams, leader of the slam
poetry movement and juggernaut
behind the movie Slam, which
justifiably garnered mass praise
from critics and those who saw it.
It was amazing to see the new
generation of black artists pick
right up from where Sonia left off
and snap into a frenzied, high
energy performance of relentless,
lyrical poetry that had the whole
crowd jaw-wagging in simulta-
neous disbelief and approval. In
talking to the audience, he was
quick to point out that what he
does is not far removed from
what hip-hop truly is and intends
to be. Though he did add that it
seems it has lost its focus, point-
ing away from current well-
known MCs and towards the
likes of Portishead as being the
leaders of — s hip-hop uni-
verse.
The group of speakers the next
day, lead by Chuck D. and Pro-
fessor Griffin of Public Enemy,
echoed similar sentiments on the
fragmented state of hip-hop,
while trying to help find solu-
tions to, or at least reasons why
- black culture is where it is today
in this country. Professor Griff,
the group’s often controversial
Minister of Information, spoke
first, hitting on something that
seemed to be a main point of
everyone there. He said that
“when you’re emancipated,
you’re let go of someone’s hand,
but not out of their sphere of con-
trol.” The point being that
blacks were never fully freed
because they are not allowed to
fully celebrate and grasp their
culture in an Anglo-Saxon, Euro-
American society.
In a very powerful and engag-
ing speech, the group’s legendary
frontman, Chuck D., delved fur-
‘ther into how hip-hop is a means
of preserving and is an essential
part of black culture. He then
lashed out on the non-revolution-
ary, commercial state of hip-hop,
something best explained in the
title of his speech, “Back that Ass
Up into the New World Odor.”
Alumnus and speaker, Rosa
Clemente, urged that “hip-hop
has to come back to the people,
not to the commercialism.”
Media was also a target. On the
misrepresentation of hip-hop,
Shefik (of the Knight Entities)
Publicity Company remarked
that “mainstream media fears
hip-hop because they don’t
understand it.” Both Rosa and
Chuck were not afraid to turn the
finger inward.
Railing against black college
students’ tendencies to try and
put up tough-guy fronts and “rep-
resent Brooklyn,” etc., Chuck
strongly pointed out that “gun-
culture and jail culture is not hip-
hip” and proposed that “black
college students have forfeited
their opportunity to be the black
intelligencia of America.”
Clemente later expressed con-
cern and anger over the
hypocrisy of acts such as black
women dancing to a hip-hop
song that is clearly misogynistic.
The atmosphere was not one -
of finger-pointing or lecturing,
however. It was merely no-
frills-discussion and exchange on
issues relevant to black culture in
America today. Performances
by Universal Poetics, 20 Poets
and a Mic, and Slick Rick were
arranged to help keep a balance
when things felt like they were
getting a little too heavy, as being
able to both party and advance
your mind was a big message
being splashed throughout the
weekend.
The only negative aspect of the
conference was that more people,
black, white, or whatever weren’t
in attendance. I, for one, am far
less ignorant about issues, both
racial and universal. It also
seemed as if most of the predom-
inately black crowd came away
more self-aware. The confer-
ence’s organizers and guests
deserve enormous credit for
putting together something truly
special. As usual though, it
seems these kinds of events take
a back seat to weekend partying
for the population at large, mak-
ing it twice as necessary to make
sure this event wasn’t a one-time
deal.
WCDB DJ of The Week |
Martian of “Sunday Sunshine: Port 23 Radio”
Real Name: Marvin Mitchell
Genre: Underground Dance Music, focusing mostly on House
Favorite Songs: My favorite tracks change from month to month,
basically anything with a soulful groove, solid bass line, and intelli-
gent composition will catch my ear.
Favorite Album: Pretty much anything from Kerri Chandler, Moody-
man, Roy Davis jr., Paul Johnson, or Carl Craig
Recent Guests:DJ School, Soul Controller, Sir Issac, Jen Hailey, and
Milk Dud.
Show Time: Sundays 12 - 3 p.m.
The Port 23 Radio show hosted by Marvin “Martian” Mitchell has been bringing
the capital district the illest House, Techno, Trance, and Jungle for the last year.
Most recently the radio has enjoyed an extended stint in the Sunday noon time
slot. Tune in if you’re a fan or neophyte of drum & bass, Speed Garage, Trance,
RPM, or Club music. Every week the show brings together the various sounds of
electronic music into one solid mix, featuring classics, new tracks, a featured
artist, and event news. So instead of waking up this Sunday to the sound of your
roommate’s howling prayers to the porcelain goddess, tune into 90.9 FM for the
ee Martian’s maniacal mix of electronic dance music. 4
Undependable.
Unpredictable.
Unforgettable.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES avo MUTUAL FILM COMPANY present s SCOTT RUDIN'CURTIS HANSON propectio MICHAEL DOUGLAS
“WONDER BOYS” TOBEY MAGUIRE FRANCES McDORMAND KATIE HOLMES RIP TORN xo ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
"Gy CHRISTOPHER YOUNG ravoicxs ADAM SCHROEDER NED DOWD. sutSttattt MICHAEL CHABON “*"""'n STEVE KLOVES
NDTRACK: " ATLABLE 0 COLUMBIA’ al MUSICSOUNDTRAX BOs: PRODUCED SCOTT RUDIN CURTIS HANSON DIRECTED = CURT HANSON a
READ THE iu Aen www.wonderboysmovie.com sO ET eens RESHRNED. c+
OPENS FEBRUARY 25 AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. « ysecom
Arts & Entertainment
Editorials
By SHARON DRUCK
A&E Editor
It’s not easy finding out the
things you care about are non-
essential. I just discovered this
recently, and I didn’t like it one
bit. I’m in charge of the Arts &
Entertainment section of this
newspaper. Many people have
told me in the past that they enjoy
reading my section because it’s
full of reviews of movies,
albums, concerts, events, and
exhibitions- things they enjoy
and find enriching to their lives.
More than mere distractions,
things like this are what help the
student body at the UAlbany
unwind after a long hard day or
week of work.
The Internet is a large part of
this process. Most of the people
I know who live on campus
spend a large quantity of their
free time writing e-mails, chat-
ting on instant messenger, or sim-
ply surfing the web. I know I do,
it’s my favorite part of the day.
One of the things I discovered
one day in a conversation on
Instant Messenger was a service
called Napster. This program was
designed specifically for the
search of MP3 music files, which
are quickly becoming the most
popular and advanced way to
experience new music. These
files were always present on the
network (and the web) before,
but Napster made them easier
than ever to acquire. All you had
to do was‘doéwnload the software,’
choose a user name and password
and you were on your way to
MP3 heaven. Napster put you in
touch with people in universities,
corporations, and homes all over
the country who wished to partic-
ipate in this giant MP3 swap,
Big brother comes to UAlbany
completely free of charge. I was
hesitant at first, but after a short
time I became a huge fan of this
program. It was a great way to
experience new kinds of music
without draining my already |
meager finances. And then one
morning I couldn’t connect.
I thought it was a fluke, after
all, any client of AOL Instant
Messenger service knows how
completely fickle a server can be.
So I was patient, and waited for
the problem to correct itself.
After about a week, I was
annoyed, but still believed that it
was simply a traffic problem on
Napster’s part. It wasn’t until a
friend of mine delivered some
unbelievable news that I learned
the truth. Napster was fine. The
University had just blocked it off.
The reason? It is uneducational.
Academic computing has
been quite vocal in the past about
its distaste of MP3s, saying they
had the potential to violate copy-
right laws. However, whether or
not this is actually true still has
yet to be determined by the fed-
eral government, the true man-
agers of all law, copyright or oth-
erwise. Academic Computing’s _
decision to block off the Napster
service is bothersome for more
reasons than their apparent belief
that they have more jurisdiction
to decide on law than the system
of government.
This isn’t just where we go
to school. This is our home. We
do not spend every waking
moment of every day participat-
‘ing in academic activities. ‘They
take up the bulk of our time, but
its not everything we do. The
students here require diversion
from their many responsibilities
for the same reason our profes-
sors and administrators do- we’re
human beings. No human I
know can work 24 hours a day
without eventually collapsing
and/or losing their sanity. What’s
more, who are they to decide
what truly educates us? A truly
well-rounded person learns
something from every aspect of
their life, not just someone else’s
words lectured in a classroom or
written in a textbook, although
we do learn a lot from them.
History has taught me that
when things begin disappearing
for vague or no reason it’s not a
good. thing. Who knows what
will be taken from us next? Will
we be denied access to programs
like AOL or Juno or Instant Mes-
senger because the University
wishes to control and monitor our
e-mail and limit our conversa-
tions to overpriced phone calls?
Will Netscape and _ Internet
Explorer be deleted from the sys-
tem because it’s a potential dis-
traction?
I certainly hope not- that
would make this University into
a George Orwell novel in both
looks AND character. I can see
blocking Napster because. it
caused too much network traffic,
or problems with the server.
Blocking a program for any rea-
son other than it causes a prob-
lem with providing a fast-moving
and efficient computer network
for the student body is not Acad-
emic Computing’s concern. If
we’re considered mature enough
to decide whether or not we can
handle web sites that exhibit
pornography and other objection-
‘able materials,’ then. why aren’t
we equipped to handle a program
that provides us with something
wholesome and soothing? I have
no reason, but I am interested to
hear what someone else has to
say.
Carcinogens in my Shampoo
EU should stay out of
Austria’s business
By KENNETH C. WANG
Political Columnist
The European Union, the
most inert political organization
on the Continent, seemed very
lively of late in condemning the
new Government of tiny Austria.
Of course, when the government
has recently started sharing
power with a far right-wing
party, known for its statements of
isolation and anti-immigration,
such a move may well be under-
standable. Joining in are the gov-
ernments of Israel and the United,
States, who are mulling recalling
their ambassadors.
It is funny to think that if
Austria was some random person
living in the United States, with
those’ views (*cough* | Pat
Buchanan *cough*), he would be
regarded as little more than a
crank. Somehow, as a sovereign
country, Austria has less rights
than one of its own citizens. For
the act of choosing its own
leader, as a purely internal deci-
sion, this nation is to be excluded
from the core of European
affairs.
This is a very dangerous
precedent. What are the conse-
quences of this move by the Aus-
trian government on the larger
world community? None, thus
far. Even before the ink dried on
the deal that gave the Freedom
Party power, there were howls of
protest coming from every capi-
tal in Europe. Apparently they
are taking no chances by exclud-
ing them the first chance they
get. Yes, such a distancing
between governments is not new,
but what is utterly incomprehen-
sible is the rapidity it was done
with. Usually a hostile action, an
overt statement of unfriendliness
is required before one rushes to a
measure as drastic as downgrad-
ing diplomatic relations. If every
nation followed the EU’s stance
and applied it no one would be
speaking to one another.
What is more outrageous is
the people behind the move. The
United States has as much right
to this matter as it does have a
right to say who should be the
King of England. Would we try
to overthrow this government
that displeases us? This hearkens
back to the ugly days of the Cold
War, where strongarm dictators
were supported and socialist
democracies were destabilized
by our policies. In our own
protest, overlooked is our own
hypocritical past. | What hap-
pened to engagement, as with the
Chinese? Is Austria an insuffi-
ciently large market that we can
safely express our feelings and
act heavy handedly?
Both the European Union
and the United States are placing
a great deal of prestige into this
petty argument. The United
States in particular is showing
itself to be a self-contradicting
fool with its foreign policy. Let
the Austrians deal with their own
business, and if their actions
cause grief then work with it
then. This foolishness is only
likely to get nowhere, and only
makes us look like xenophobes
which cannot accept any idea
except which we already
endorse.
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS 13
hoe
- Food
Fundamentaiz
‘The Prize Pizza”’
By JosH LEVINE
As an experienced pizza lover along with a consensus
taken from a sample of “fat bastards”, I plan to set the
record straight on the quality of pizza restaurants in our
downtown area.
With minimal dispute, Paesans is rated #1, with their
savory homemade sauce and high- quality cheese, making
their pizza one of the best I’ ve ever had.
If you are looking for the most slice for your $1.50 you
will be heading to Cusatos for their enormous yet under-
cooked slice. Mild Wally’s and Roma’s have the best loca-
tion for the drunks; intoxicated you will enjoy their pizza
but I suggest to make a walk to a finer pizza unless you are
going for wings.
On a higher level is Madison’s, Trio’s, and Sovrano’s
which is decent but better known for their other foods (such
as Madison’s chickenburger and Trio’s Peabody Grill).I
apologize for not writing earlier if you are one of the unfor-
tunates that have tried Casino’s, intended on getting the
kids after happy hour outside the Branch.
Don’t be bashful in ordering a tasty mini pizza from T’s
if you don’t mind it being saturated in oil. I don’t recom-
mend any chains but if you are low on cash and have to
resort to them, go with Papa John’s. I’m glad I was able to
clear this up, and when getting it delivered make sure to
order it well done to get it as if you were in the restaurant.
ee Appetite.
The Albany Student Press Staff
Justin Walden, Editor in Chief
Anthony Johnson, Managing Editor
Benjamin Polen, News Editor
Mike Kiernan, Sports Editor
Kelly Becker, Features Editor
Sharon Druck, A&E Editor
Emily Katt, Editorials Manager
Ben Fractenberg, Photography Editor
Marc Tarantelli, Associate Features Editor
Anne Lindner, Associate News Editor
Kathryn McCarthy, Associate A&E Editor
Jeremy Morrissey, Co-Production Manager
Jessica LaFex, Co-Production Manager
Jeff Reitzen, Systems Consultant
Keri Quinn, Business Manager
Cary DeBenedictis, Advertising Manager
Jen Reschke, Business Staff
Nicole Graceffo, Billing
Dave Finnerman, Distribution
The Albany Student Press is published every Friday between August
and June by the Albany Student Press Corporation, an independent not-for-
rofit corporation. Editorials are written by the Editor in Chief with mem-
rs of the Editorial Board. Advertising policy as well as letter and column
content do not necessarily reflect editorial Rina nh The Albany Student Press
® is a registered trademark of the Albany Student Press Corporation, which
enjoys the exclusive rights to any materials herein.
Copy Editors: Stephanie Coyle, Karen Williams,
Kerri Grzymala, Ron?
Staff Writers: Neal Bariesh, Bridget Barrett, Dana Bertisch, Michael
Dillon, Jonathan Faltin, Shawn Field, Jana Friedman, Carla Gabris, Kevin
Grossman, Jen Haddad, Kenny Herzog, Mike Hess, David Israel, Brian
Kiernan, Cassie Lee, Audra Levitt, Doree Lewak, Kathryn Phillips, Dan
Sawtelle, Tim Shabarekh, Bhawin Suchak, Kenneth Wang, Todd Yellin.
Staff Photographers: Kristen Kleinfelder, Matt Lissauer,
Michelle Martinez, Dariya Roussanova, Mike Sutton.
Contributing Artist: Kevin O’ Neil
14 Friday, February 18,'.2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
Editorials
Concrete Blonde
How destructive i is your ©
MTV?
By DOREE LEWAK
Staff Columnist
There’s something about the
arrogance of an overpaid, under-
talented TV personality that real-
ly flicks my raw. The little
solace I do get is knowing that
his shelf life in show business
will at least be shorter than the
time it will take Leapin’ Larry to
graduate.
I am referring to none other
than America’s highest paid
baby-sitter himself, at least from
the hours of 3:30 to 4:30 every
afternoon. Carson “Can. my
name sound any more commer-
cialized” Daly recently made a
very callous comment on the air.
Its underlying message resonated
with me, a 20-year old who’s
reached that oh-so-Felicityesque
crossroads between adolescence
and taxes.
Sometime between the glori-
fied 10th grader Mandy Moore
video and “Show Me the Mean-
ing....of real talent” video, Car-
son matter-of-factly said that
MTV had more money than most
third world nations.
What a sign of the times
when a network that promotes
mindlessness, recklessness, and
the saddest sack of karaoke per-
formers I’ve ever seen has more
power and influence on our chil-
dren than any other institution we
know today. MTV is a cultural
phenomenon and it doubles as
the driving force that contributed
to the downfall of our youth.
It’s a universal language, a uni- -
versal symbol that needs no elab-
oration or explanation. MTV is
an entity all on its own. It has
simply catapulted in recent years;
not only has it crashed into the
epicenter of our mainstream cul-
ture, it has come to define it!
More people watch MTV
religiously than they do public
networks combined. MTV is in
the position to broadcast educa-
tional and positive programming
to our world’s youth, yet it intro-
duces children to this adulterated
television most people would
consider soft porn.
It should be the network’s
social responsibility as a pro-
grammer to broadcast positive
television, not the destructive,
mindless kind. In order to turn
any profit though, the program-
mers, who always have the view-
ers’ best interests at heart, broad-
cast whatever drivel they think
kids will watch.
In one breath, the network
promotes safe sex and HIV test-
ing and in the next, it broadcasts
videos promoting pure violence, -
racism, and sexism. Watching
the countdown that the entire
world demands to be aired makes
me fear for the future of our
youth. If teenage viewers are
ingrained with these suggestive
and sexist images, why wouldn’t
they freely practice them? ©
child “back his *&@% up”
around town, you'll know who
to blame.
These destructive messages
become perpetuated over time.
We complain about society’s
expectations, messages, and
norms. What we fail to recog-
nize, though, is that we are the
ones who compose society.
Society isn’t this shapeless,
nameless entity. In effect, we
are the only ones who have the
power to change things. Instead
of resigning ourselves to this
MTV culture, we can revolution-
ize it!
Carson Daly may not be
entirely to blame. He’s only
doing his job — playing the
videos the public wants, as
shameless as they may be.
- While I alone can’t stop this
force that’s moving full steam
ahead, what I can do is try to
fight the desensitization of our
youth. We’ve come to accept
this precociousness in our youth
instead of retaliating against it.
We have a social responsi-
bility to our children and we
squander it. We capitalize on
the wrong people for the wrong
reasons. We capitalize on our
youth at the expense of our
youth. As much as MTV may |
gross in dollars and cents, the
long-term effects such program-
So the next time you see ‘a’ ming has; on, its viewers go far
_, beyond anyone’s pocketbook”
It’s not just.about image -
~Music makes me move
By JUSTIN WALDEN
Editor in Chief
When I was in high school
‘Td gaze with a condescending
eye at all of the no name trying to
be cool kids with Green Day tee
shirts. I’d think with a deep con-
tempt how their Dookie tee shirt
would be shelved as soon as
MTV stopped running Welcome
to Paradise.
I still can’t stand the average
music tee shirt, but after accumu-
lating a sizable cache of concert
shirts my opinions have changed
somewhat.
My two Kansas tees (Yeah, I
know I’m the lone Kansas freak
on this campus-if there are any
more of you please stop by the
ASP office) are tokens of really
great experiences. As I sit here at
the ASP computer’s on a Tuesday
night the finer details of each live
show that I’ve seen do not come
quickly to mind. Now, donning
one of my battered concert shirts
I can remember most of the song
list from a given show.
The message behind the
music varies with different bands
of different genres. Imagine a
live show with Rage Against the
Machine and the Grateful Dead,
a contrast of styles, lyrics, atti-
tudes. Yet I can guarantee that
there are myriad music fans with
Rage’s new CD and some of the
Dead’s copied live shows on
tape.
Music for the most part is
not 100% attitude, nor is it 100%
message. Rage Against the
Machine uses the’ medium of
music to convey a sharp political
view, yet despite all of Zack de la
Rocha’s pleas for the freedom of
Mumia Abu-Jamal he is still a .
musician. Don’t misunderstand
me, Rage is all about politics but
music is a pleasure for them.
I believe in the potential of
man, the thought that each per-
son will pursue the things that
make him happy for himself.
People can be what they want to
be, and they can enjoy every
minute of it. Music for me ties
into this. Catch an outdoor show
from a band and look at their
faces. Beyond the sweat and
intent look of concentration you
can see the joy they exude from
playing. You can see the simple
pleasure in life, in man.
Certain music will make me
want to write, make me. want to
create. The passion of Vivaldi’s
Four Seasons moves me to the
point where I have to contribute a
piece of my own soul through an
editorial or poem.
We all have the same poten-
tial for greatness; for me, certain
types of music bring out my
potential as a writer.
_ ‘The tragedy continues..
Zove" nan elevator
By JEREMY MORKEEEE
Staff Writer.’
On April 20, 1999, two stu-
dents walked into Columbine
High School. The rest is a story
that is known way too well. After
killing 12 students and one
teacher, and injuring more than
' 20 others, the two killers took
their own lives. Unfortunately,
the disgusting injustice did not
end on that day.
This week two students of
that same high school in Little-
ton, Colorado were murdered.
The story made the front pages of
many newspapers throughout the
country and was on most nation-
al news programs that evening.
But why?
As tragic as those deaths are,
why did that murder make up the
big story that day? Why not the
boy that was shot in California
this week for touching a bicycle.
He merely touched a bicycle and
now he has to fight for his life.
Who decided that these human
lives were more important than
his? |
Littleton, Colorado is a city
that is very close to Denver.
Clearly there is going to be some
crime and unfortunately some
deaths. But one of the first things
explained in most stories was
that there didn’t appear to be a
connection between this and last
April’s shooting. Until I was told
that, I wouldn’t have thought
there was one.
Why did this story get so
much attention? Is it because the
two victims were students at
Columbine High School? Just
last” weék, “an eléVen-year-old
boy’s body was found inadump- |
‘ster in.that-same city, but appar-
ently that story isn’t newsworthy
enough for us.
The most disturbing scene of
all was when one reporter went
up to a woman who had lost her
daughter in the April 20 massacre
and asked how she felt about
another shooting. Was that neces-
sary? Did she need that wound
that was not nearly healed to be
ripped open for a completely
unrelated story?
Why can’t the media just let
the dead rest and the wounded
heal. Immediately after the
shooting last spring, some news-
paper editors desired not to print
the names of the murderers,
thereby not sensationalizing such
gruesome killers. They were
instantly rebuffed on_ their
beliefs. In this article, I honor
their values by not naming the
killers.
But somehow people reacted
shocked when more school
shooting or attempted shootings
happened last year. If a frustrated
adolescent were looking for
attention and he sees all the focus
the two killers at Columbine
High School got, what would
stop him from shooting up his
school.
Instead of trumping up the
actions of the murderers, maybe
‘we should focus on the deceased.
In an exclusive piece put out by
Time magazine this winter, the
killers revealed their motives on
videotape. They wanted to be
made famous by the killings.
‘Well each day the media helps
them in achieving their goal.
Letters
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
15
Letters to the Editor
Release the block
on Napster!
To The Editor:
A few months ago a free service for
music was introduced to the world,
called Napster. Many students at this
University, and people around the world
use this program to browse new music
selections not readily available without
this service, as do I. Just recently
though, this service ceased to operate.
For a while I thought it was the program
itself, or maybe the server that I was
connecting to, however I was wrong.
It has been brought to my attention that
UAlbany has put a block on the service
so students living on campus may not
use it. The reason? Because it is
“uneducational.” I find this to be an
outrage. The use of music has been
shown to enhance overall intellectual
stimulation. I ama lover of music, and
of the Internet; I find that this service
helped me find music that soothed my
mind, and in many situations even
helped me study. With porn, video
games, and computer crime openly
available on the Internet at this
University, I cannot believe that the
higher authorities at this school have the
audacity to destroy a great service such
as this. I am writing this letter to you,
the press, because I feel something
needs to be done; the students here
should know what has happened and the
truth needs to be told. I feel that a peti-
tion of some sort is in order to bring
back this service. Mark my words,
actions will follow this letter if some-
thing is not done. This school will
hear the students’ voice.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Elan Zadok
Vit. Spock Carel Gee
aust cali me
Bunny.
OSs
“tciknteat Ray e TY
< fu, “| ,
sen welt yes, your minicure donkey
ZA COULecion is WMpressive. However,
| icsnol waat I meant by assets.
Stop bashing
ResNet
To the Editor:
My name is Matt Olsen and I am a
junior at the University at Albany. I
lived on campus for two and a half
years. In a recent issue of the ASP
(Albany Student Press) I read and article
regarding ResNet. I was upset and
frankly a little irritated by this article
which was titled “ResNet Outages Take
Students by Surprise” written by Brian
C. Shaw. The article details how
Marty Manjak has supposedly not ful-
filled his duties. Stating that “I think it
is ridiculous and irresponsible to not
notify students about the shut-down or
even possible shut down of a major
resource.” In fact Marty had notified
students on news group servers (_csc-
news.albany.edu_ (italics) which he was
not obligated to do in any way.
The outages were scheduled for off-
peak times to affect as few students as
possible and lasted for as short a dura-
tion as was physically possible.
Brian also mentions that students
possibly lost email and instant messen-
ger privileges during the short outages.
As much as this may be the case, unfor-
tunately Brian must have been misin-
formed because that is not what Resnet
is here for. ResNet is here to provide
the students with an Internet connection
to further their educational opportuni-
ties. Talking with their friends at one
o’clock in the morning is not included in
these privileges and Marty is in no way
obligated to provide them. While I
will agree that doing educational
research and reading emails from pro-
fessors are included in these privileges,
they need not be done (nor are they
guaranteed) at one o’clock in the morn-
ing.
However even if Marty was obligat-
ed to provide these services, occasional
technical difficulties as well as regular
maintenance are to be expected. Marty
has in the past, and I believe will con-
tinue to provide the best service to stu-
dents possible. Many times Marty
goes above and beyond what is required
of him at his current position. Many of
the students at this University may not
realize how lucky they are to have the
network that Marty has worked so hard
to get for them. Our school has a very
large and very fast network that is main-
tained by both student and professional
staff. This network is large by both
measure of public and private schools.
Many other schools do not have the net-
working abilities that the students here
take for granted. Students have free
technical support for all network related
problems, high speed network access,
free email, help desk support, news
group access, nearly static ip address-
ing, as well as news and security
updates.
I think it was however “ridiculous
and irresponsible” to print this deforma-
tion of Marty Manjak. At the very
least an unbiased party should reinter-
view Marty Manjak and get a more
accurate depiction of the situation.
One may find that he bends over back-
wards to provide you with an Internet
connection more reliable and faster than
any connection you will find elsewhere.
To my knowledge, no other Internet ser-
vice provider will provide its customers
with anywhere near the amount of cus-
tomer service that ResNet does. Nor
will they provide the personal relation-
ships that students have with their
RNC’s. Overall ResNet is a great pro-
gram, Marty should be rewarded for his
progress not reprimanded for problems
that face all networking facilities.
Matt Olsen
PARSONS
Summer 2000 —
intensive studies in New York and Paris
for high school, undergraduate and
graduate students, teachers, working artists
and designers.
New York City: Session 1: May 22-June 22 - Session 2: June 26 ~July 27
Paris, France: July 3-July 28
Parsons School of Design
Office of Admissions
66 Fifth Avenue, New York; NY 10011
Tel: 212.229.8910 or 800.252.0852 ext.443
Fax; 212.229.8975 //www.parsons.edu
email: parsadm @newschool.edu
New: School Univer sity
a Parsons Sree! of Design
16 Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
Letters
Cartoonist says: Lack of concerts
no laughing matter
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter to
expand on my cartoon last week
that commented on the disap-
pearance of big concerts at this
school. I am extremely disap-
pointed at the Student Associa-
tion’s ability to consistently orga-
nize concerts at this school. I
am not going to even comment
on any other aspect of SA other-
wise this paper would need three
more pages, and I’d probably
bore the hell out of you.
Ok, we pay $150 dollars a
year in that mandatory student
fee. I understand it goes to fund
student groups but where are my
friggin’ concerts? With $150 I
should at least be able to go to
some cool concert with a name
band that I pay ten bucks for.
Now, of course I didn’t stop
into the programming director’s
office to ask “Hey man, what’s
going. on with concerts?” You
know why I didn’t? Because I
shouldn’t have to do that...we
should know when concerts are
coming, and who is going to be
there through promotion. The SA
certainly does not do this.. Am
I asking that much for the 150
bucks I give them year? The
best concert I have been to at this
Fighters..they were here three
years ago. Did you know that?
You probably didn’t because I
doubt SA promoted it because I
was moshing with a bunch of
high school punks who barely
even filled the RACC.
Let’s look at Sienna Col-
lege..a small private college of
around 3,000. They had Jewel,
Third Eye Blind, Mighty Mighty
Bosstones, Billy Joel, LL Cool J,
and many others. “Over the
past five years Sienna has estab-
lished itself as the ‘Concert Col-
lege’ of the Capital Region.”
(Times Union, December, 1997)
How do they do this? UAlbany (a
school 4x Sienna’s size) pales in
comparison. I’m sure they have
a larger budget, but part of it is
that they also have someone
hired by the school who works
with students to organize their
concerts.
I understand that there was
Parkfest last year, but who is to
say it’s going to be this year, or
the year after that? Organizing
concerts is a BIG responsibility,
and it is obvious over my three
years at this school that SA can-
not handle this responsibility.
‘Each year a new programming
director is appointed guarantee-
ing all these concerts, and our
Don’t you think concerts would
make all your “voters” happy?
Student Life or the Administra-
tion should hire someone to be
the school’s concert promoter.
Someone who is experienced,
and will be there every year to
develop contacts, give some con-
certs that the majority of the
school would enjoy, and who
would not be vulnerable to the
PETTY and INEFFICIENT poli-
tics of our SA. The professional
promoter could head up a student
events board that would consist
of students who would provide
input, ideas, and assist in creating
programming.
SA should get a BIG concert
with popular bands organized
and promoted by the end of the
year, otherwise that is just plain
pathetic. The Administration
should really think about this
because it would definitely
improve the quality of life at this
campus.
Thank you for taking the
time,
Kevin O’Neill
P.S. This is not a personal/politi-
cal attack that you usually see in
this section...I am just a student
that is pissed off that some of my
money is not being used very
I am writing this letter in
response to the article “Greek
Week in Review” in the February
4 issue. First, as a fellow jour-
nalist for the ASP I was surprised
that this “article” wasn’t printed
in the editorial section of the
paper. What appeared on the sur-
face to be a look at Greek life
over the week was actually a bla-
tant advertisement to join a fra-
ternity. I have a couple of issues
I would like to address in the arti-
cle.
First, this article reinforced
generalizations and stereotypes
that have existed about Greek life
for as long as fraternities have
existed. The article painted the
fraternity members as “God-like
beings” that “...the majority of
UAlbany’s female population
can’t keep their cool around... .”
most ridiculous things I have
heard in my years at UAlbany.
I’m sure there are many good
looking frat boys out there, and
I’m sure there are many girls on
campus who are attracted to
them. But to call frat members
“God-like” and to claim that
UAlbany females can’t keep their
hands off them is irresponsible
and just plain ignorant to say.
I was also very amused by
the author’s attempt to claim that
fraternities make our community
a better place by “... putting those
flowers on all the campus center
tables... .” I’m not sure whether
this comment was meant as sar-
casm or if it was an honest
attempt to show that fraternities
participate in community service.
There are dozens of organiza-
tions on campus that genuinely
try to make a difference in our
school was the Foo- expectations just are not met. well.
Not e think
To The Editor: I’m sorry, but this is one of the community and our school. This
is a slap in the face to all the
organizations that do real work.
Perhaps frat boys are too worried
they'll get their “electric blue
Versace turtlenecks” dirty. Ms.
Beplat should be more careful
with her words, as she is repre-
senting all the Greek organiza-
tions on campus.
This article summarizes the
main reason why I, and many
other dOwn to earth attractive
people will never join in Greek
life. In an attempt to make fra-
ternities seem cool and popular,
Ms. Beplat successfully made
Greeks seem shallow and petty. I
congratulate her because she suc-
ceeded in reinforcing stereotypes
about fraternities.
Sincerely,
Kevin Grossman
In response to the letters above: The Albany Student
Press would like to say that our Campus Life section
is a continuation of the Editorials and Columns Sec-
tions.
What is published is written by campus groups
or students separate from the Albany Student Press
and do not reflect the opinion of the paper.
Student fees are
necessary, useful
To the Editor:
This letter is in response to
the editorial in last weeks paper
by Anne Linder regarding the
Constitutionality of the Student
Activity fee. The article makes
the argument that the mandatory
activity fee infringes on students’
freedom of speech, when actual-
ly it is the exact opposite. Free-
dom of speech is based on the
right to express any opinion you
wish. The student activity fee
supports all of the student groups
on campus, the same groups who
provide forums for students to
spend about free press while
writing the Constitution.
So should “political” groups
be funded? Well what is a polit-
ical group. Is it only those
groups such as Republicans and
Democrats who are overtly and
partisanly political? Incidentally,
our Student Association refuses
to fund partisan activities to
begin with. So it must be groups
like NYPIRG and Students’
Rights Coalition who take stands
on issues affecting students on
campus and in government, who
count as political Maybe we
should include all organizations
that represent a particular popu-
lation like LGBTA/PRIDE and
ASUBA. But neither of these
definitions 1s even close. “Poli-
tics” is the authoritative alloca-
tion of scarce resources. There-
fore every group on campus is
political in the sense that they
compete for the same limited
money, the same limited press
coverage, the same man and
woman power.
Perhaps the easiest way to
explain the complicated issue of
the constitutionality of the Stu-
dent Activity fee is to draw on an
analogy. The activity fee is the
campus equivalent of a tax.
When the U.S. spends tax
money, each person’s taxes are
not spent according to the issues
that concern the particular per-
son. Instead, money is spent on
the programs and_ institutions
which need to be funded. So
parents whose children go to pri-
vate or parochial school still pay
public school taxes and for the
most part people who cannot col-
lect through the program, pay for
the welfare program.
We invest in each other as a
community. through the activity
fee. On behalf of all the student
groups at all the colleges across
the country and on behalf of
every student whose rights have
been defended by these groups,
we must maintain the Constitu-
tionality of the Student Activity
fee. Our money, our community,
our future, our freedom. Protect
it.
Sean Carroli
President Students’
Rights Coalition
Desirable guys need
not wear Greek letters
To The Editor:
I was amazed and appalled
to see the article printed in the
February 4 issue entitled “Greek
Week in Review.” What could
have been a good article about
the fraternities available here on
campus (for those who like that
sort of thing), instead turned into
a blatant suck up to fraternities in
general. The article also made
the generalization that all of the
women on campus cannot help
but throw themselves at these
“fraternity studs.”
I would like to speak for
myself and many other women I
know. Our goal in life is not to
come here and sit at a table in the
campus center near frat guys and
hope to catch one. There are
many of us out there who are per-
fectly able to date men without
Greek letters on their shirt. Actu-
ally, there are many of us out
there who wouldn’t even consid-
er dating men with Greek letters
on their shirt! I am not trying to
say that fraternities are bad or
stupid; I am friends with a lot of
Rather, I
people in fraternities.
was insulted by this article which
seemed to say I should “throw
myself” at frat guys and my life
would only be fulfilled if I could
date one. That may not have
been the author’s intent, but
that’s how it sounded to me and
all the people I know who read
the article.
It is my hope that women
will not devote their time to guys
with letters. There are so many
wonderful men out there who
choose not to join a fraternity. I
admire those guys for not joining
in with what everyone else is
doing. My boyfriend is not
involved in a fraternity, and he is
the sweetest, most wonderful
man I know. As I said, I am not
saying there are not perfectly
wonderful guys in fraternities. I
am merely saying that women do
not live to date them, and that
there are many guys out there just
as sweet and hot, if not more so.
Thank you.
Rachael Shevlin
j
;
:
;
:
;
}
:
|
:
Friday. pene 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
JOBS
Fraternities - Sororities - Clubs -
Student Groups
Earn $1000-$2000 this semester
with Campusfundraiser.com three
hour fundraising event. No sales
required. Fundraising dates are fill-
ing quickly, so call today! Contact
Dan Wolman at Campusfundrais-
er.com, (888) 923-3238, x. 301 or
visit www.campusfundraiser.com
Part time work on campus, 15-20
hours/ wk. $10/ hr. Photography -
Ist log on to
www.collegeclub.com. (it’s free)
hit: Become member from. your
new email address send a letter of
interest to: billlronaudrite @col-
legeclub.com
“Be the life of the party! Complte
Music, North America’s largest DJ
service is now hiring. This is a great
Spring Break 2000 From $399
Free food, free drinks. Guaran-
teed lowest price. Call Free!!!
(800) 395-4896.
Aspiring Writers. Inform,
Expose, Provoke, Explain, Tell,
Ask, Vent, Change an online
college community. Email:
earn @maincampus.com $25 per
article!
part-time ioe We —— the
equipment, CD library, and paid
professional training. If you are
friendly, energetic, and have your
own vehicle, call 346-1200. Come
join the professional team!”
WeClife.com Wants you. The
internet’s most notorious audio,
video, journalism, pphotography,
and animation perpetrators.
Reward $6000 in the Submission
Showdown Contest
@www.weClife.Com
Part-Time Help Wanted Print
Shop Bindery Department.
Some hand collating, but mostly
machine collating and stapling.
Should be be capable of lifting of
LAST MINUTE SPECIALS
ON SPRING BREAK!
qAeeleln egy
RS UT, »
aT CUN
AMAICAS
“y
Ti AUS
” HTS \Y
ANN a
Ug
\
iS
TTS
Wa
[em
nA
xy
WUT77
init
I
[Kan
Wy
\\
{/]
Kr
q\lt
SS
S
S
counts for 6 or more! South
Padre, Cancun, Jamaica,
Bahamas, Acapulco, Florida, and
Mardi Gras. Reps needed... Trav-
el free 800-838-8203/
www.leisuretours.com
light cartons off machine. Gen-
eral print shop duties. Will train
right candidate. Flexible hours.
Between 9 and 5. 472-9703.
Females needed for adult enter-
tainment service. Attractive, fit,
uninhibited, responsible, 18+,
own transportation, flexible
hours, will train, lucrative oppur-
tunity 393-6539.
GO DIRECT! #1 Internet-based
company offering Wholesale
Spring Break packages! Guaran-
teed Lowest Price! 1-800-367-
l 2 } 1
www.springbreakdirect.com
SPRING
BREAK HOUSING
Apartments for Rent. 2, 3, 4, and
5 bedrooms from $550 to $1175.
Some include heat, some on
SPRING BREAK busline. Call Nick 165 - 9340.
Act Now! Last chance to reserve
your spot for Spring Break! Dis-
SJamai€a,
Cancundamaica Bahamas aG anc u nN. :
$ $ ; 2 Great Apartments for Rent.
399 399 a 55 Blberon Place, behind the. “B ar ‘b a d '@) S. |
‘glovida Lampost Bar. Recently renovat-
ed, each apartment has 3 bed-
rooms, 2 baths, seperate living
room, kitchen and dining room,
front and back porches, hard-
wood floors, celing fans, track
lighting, and mini blinds. Avail-
able June 1 $675 per month each
apt. Call Paul or Dawn 518-242-
4992.
: Bahia. |
cara Parties
More Action.
Best Hotels
Best Adie
CAMPUS REPS - SIGN UP ONLINE !
1-800-234-700
www.endlesssummertours.ca
Large 2 and 3 bedroom apt. for
rent off-street parking, modern,
on SUNY busline, must see. Call
Dave for details at 458-8394.
Telemarketer(s) Needed
Looking for individual(s) to assist Agents of
a local insurance agency in Latham. Part
time temporary positions. Late afternoon /
early evening hours.
1.800.426.7710
alae
Please call Thomas Casey, Personal Lines
Manager at 518-786-8099 ext. 7134 for
additional information.
@® Prudential
We are an Equal Opportunity/A ffirmative
Action Employer and are committed to
Diversity in our Work Place.
BEA CAMPUS REP - TRAVEL FREE ! !
1:800-367: 1252
The Prudential Insurance Company of
America 751 Broad Street, Newark, New
Jersey 07102-3777
Happy Birthday
to our
Business Manager,
Keri Quinn!
We love you Keri!
We would have run your photo, but we never see you...
LOSE WEIGHT THE LAZY WAY
THE INCREDIBLE FAT BURNING
COOKIE
eSuper-Natural, Secret Formula
Revs Up Your Metabolism
°100% Natural, High Fiber, Great Tasting
Chocolate Chip Cookie
eOne a Day--Watch the Fat Melt Away
¢You Have Nothing to Lose But Fat
For More Information--Send $1 to:
Cookie Diet Plan
Consolidated Services
P.O. Box 92644
Rochester, NY 14692
~ 18 ~ miday, February'18, 2000 ALBANY. STUDENT PRESS
Campus Life
Behavioral-based interviewing |
By KIMBERLY ADAMYK
Student Assistant,
Career Development Center
It’s that time of year. Gradu-
ation and hopes for a job or
internship are on the way which
means it’s time to start preparing
for interviews. Instead of the gen-
eral “Tell me about yourself”
kind of questions, it is now quite
common for employers to use
behavioral-based interviewing
(BBI).
To predict future job success
within their organization,
employers ask questions about
the candidate’s past experiences,
rather than hypothetical situa-
tions, which are believed to be a
better indicator of how well a
person will “fit” into a company.
A great deal of preparation is
needed for this style of interview-
ing.
Being prepared is key to any
successful interview. First, know
your resume.. Make sure you
- have a “story” about each activi-
ty or job listed. Not all of your
answers have to be job-related;
your involvement in community
|. Service activities, a campus orga-
_ nization, or even a hobby can °
provide a situation. .
When telling the interviewer
about a particular situation, break
it into a three step process:
describe the situation, explain the
actions you took to resolve or
accomplish something, and give
the result/outcome of your
efforts. Not every situation you
describe may have an outcome
you expected, however. Being
able to deal with unexpected situ-
ations is also a good skill to pos-
sess. Show how you took respon-
sibility for a situation and explain
how you handled pressure or
deadlines.
Rehearse different scenarios
including how you used these
skills to handle the situation.
Here are a few example ques-
tions:
* “Tell me about a situation in
the past year in which you had to
deal with a very upset customer
or co-worker.”
* “Give me an example of how
you aimed to reach for a goal but
the outcome was not what you
expected. How did you deal with
this failure?”
* “Tell me about a recent situa-
tion where you had to persuade
someone to accept your idea or
proposal.”
The Career Development
Center offers mock interviews
which are a good source of
preparation before an interview.
To schedule, call 442-5515 or
stop by ULB 69.
Second, make sure you
research the company. Employ-
ers predetermine which skills are
necessary to perform a specific
job and ask questions directly
associated with these skills.
Make sure you know what
these skills are at the company
you are interviewing with. Keep
your situations relevant to the job
requirements.
In general, be yourself and
know your information. When
explaining a particular situation,
stay relevant to the topic, be spe-
cific, and don’t ramble on. Inter-
viewers will ask you for more
detail if they want more. Behav-
ioral-based interviewing can be
helpful for both an organization
as well as the interviewee.
LET TIAA-CREF HELP
YOU BUILD A SECURE
FINANCIAL FUTURE. —
© 1999 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund, NY, NY
or over 80 years, TIAA-CREF has
been the leading retirement company
on America’s campuses. But experience is
just one reason why so many smart
investors trust us with their financial
future. Here are a few more:
Superior strength
With over $250 billion in assets under man-
agement, TIAA-CREF is the world’s largest
retirement organization — and among the
most solid. It’s one of the reasons why
Morningstar says, “TIAA-CREF sets the
standard in'the financial services industry.” !
Solid, long-term
performance
We seek out long-term opportunities that
other companies, in pursuit of quick gains,
often miss. Though past performance can't
guarantee future results, this patient philos-
ophy has proven extremely rewarding.
Ensuring the future
for those who shape it.”
\ Morningstar Variable Annuitics/Life, 6150/99. 2 Standard e3 Poor's Insurance Rating Analysis, 1999; and
3DALBAR, Inc., 1997 Defined Contribution Excellence Ratings. For more complete information, including charges and expenses, call 1 800 842-2733, ext. 5509, for CREF and TIAA Real Estate
Account prospectuses. Read them carefully before you invest or send money. TIAA-CREF Indivi
Estate Account.
Surprisingly low expenses
TIAA-CREF'’s operating costs are among
the lowest in the insurance and mutual
fund industries.2 So more of your money
goes where it should — toward ensuring
your future.
Easy diversification
We offer a wide variety of expertly
managed investment options to help build
your assets. We make it simple, too, with
stock, bond, money market, real estate,
and guaranteed options.
Unrivaled service
We believe that our service distinguishes
us from every other retirement company.
In the most recent Dalbar survey,
TIAA-CREF ranks tops in participation
satisfaction.
Call today to find out how TIAA-
CREF can help you build the financial
future you want and deserve.
To find out more — give us
a call or visit our website
1 800 842-2776
www.tiaa-cref.org
Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., Lipper-Directors’ Analytical Data, 1999 (quarterly).
dual and Institutional Services distributes CREF certificates and interests in the TIAA Real
8/99
By DELIA BEPLAT
Greek Correspondent
Sigma Alpha Mu stood out on
the charts this week. And it has
nothing to do with the fact that
they’re party animals or because
they’re so damn good looking.
They are no ordinary babes, but
babes with brains.
It just so happens that
SAMMY has the second highest
GPA next to the business fraterni-
ty. This is quite an accomplish-
ment and leaves only one ques-
tion on everyone’s mind. How is
that possible? Considering the
amount of time they dedicate to
having fun, it’s a wonder how
they set aside any time to eat or
sleep, let alone study. These
boys obviously do though, and
their overall GPA reflects that.
Every college student knows
how difficult it is to balance
studying with an exciting social
life. On the one hand, it is tempt-
ing to go out with your friends
and on the other hand you know
you have work to do.
Everyone has to make choic-
es, go out and it will pull your
grades down or stay in and put a
damper on your social life.
Somehow, the boys in SAMMY
have become role models as to
how this scale should pan out.
After a long week of classes,
the Sigma Alpha Mu boys are
teady to’go just as soon as those
Lecture Center doors burst open
Friday afternoon. SAMMY ’s
weekend events are always mem-
orable and always wild. Once in
Sigma Alpha Mu
Hotties and More
a while they: will quite literally
“raise the roof,’ throwing each
other into the ceiling until some-
thing breaks, usually the ceiling
itself, and perhaps one day it
could unfortunately be one of
their backs.
These guys have proven
they’re rough and tough time and
time again. Not just around
school though, I’m actually refer-
ring to the athletic fields.
SAMMY is currently ranked
number one in the Fraternal
Intermural Football and Softball
leagues. This semester, maybe
you'll be lucky enough to catch
a game so you can join in the
excitement. Watch these fine
young men tackle, slide, punt,
and catch. Rumor has it their
new uniforms consist of cutoff
tees and spandex. Now who in
their right mind would pass up
the opportunity to see that?
These hotties are not just intel-
lectual, but they are also oozing
with incredible athletic abilities.
Now, SAMMY is the dictionary
definition of a well-rounded fra-
ternity. Any day of the week, if
you’re looking for someone to
hang out with, or to perhaps have
an intellectual conversation with,
head over to Green Mountain (in
the campus center) and there you
will find a fine selection of
SAMMY boys to choose from.
The guys in SAMMY are not just
intelligent athletes, they are also
very understanding and compas-
sionate; ‘and: theywould:-never,
ever take anything for more than
it’s worth (Beau).
i
ZG,
A,
ihe | Live in
¢ New York City
” This Summer
ti
: NYU Summer Housing
May 21—August 125 2000
Living in an NYU residence hall offers a
safe and convenient home base while
you are working, taking classes, or
doing an internship.
e Minutes from New York's business
and cultural centers.
* Apartment-style and traditional
residences; single and
double occupancy.
Outstanding sports-recreation
facility.
¢ Over 1,000 day and evening courses.
Apply early
to secure a space.
For More Information
www.nyu.edul/
summerhousing
(212) 998-4621
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., ET
*Depending on enrolment
New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.
~ Sports
Youth movement obvious on
All-Star weekend
By Russ BARRETT
Staff Writer
The NBA All-Star weekend featured a
transition from veteran superstars such as
Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, David Robin-
son, and John Stockton to dazzling young
stars like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter,
Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. The vet-
erans sat on the bench and watched the
NBA’s youth guiding the league into the
21st century, led by Carter’s thunderous
dunks, and Bryant’s Jordan-like moves.
The weekend started with the rookie
versus sophomore game where the 1999
number one pick, Elton Brand, was named
MVP by scoring 16 points and grabbing 21
rebounds. Brand led the rookies to an
impressive overtime victory over Jason
Williams and the rest of the sophomores.
Williams brought the crowd to its feet on
several occasions with his eye-popping
passes, highlighted by an assist to forward
Raef LaFrentz. Williams started to go
behind his back and then bounced it off his
elbow to a trailing LaFrentz who convert-
ed the basket. Williams was quoted as say-
ing “I did it so you all wouldn’t ask me to
ever do it again.”
It seemed as if the players were sim-
ply bringing all their moves learned on the
playground as Steve Francis and Kevin
Garnett were giving themselves alley-oop
passes and of course Williams’s magical
passes.
The NBA and WNBA teamed up for a
two-ball competition. Jeff Hornacek and
Natalie Williams were victorious thanks to
a baseline. buzzer-beater by Hornacek.
Hornacek, consistently one of the league’s
top shooters, went on to successfully
defend his three-point championship.
The fans eagerly awaited Saturday’s
final competition, the Dunk Contest. Steve
Francis and Tracy McGrady opened with
impressive dunks, but it was Vince Carter
that seemed to win the contest after his
first windmill dunk was scored a perfect
50. His third dunk may go down as the
greatest dunk in the history of the contest.
Carter caught a low bounce pass set up
from teammate McGrady, then put the ball
through his legs and slammed it down.
Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal and the
rest of the viewers were left in disbelief of
what they had just witnessed. Carter fin-
ished off the competition with a two-hand-
ed jam from just past the foul line.
The weekend concluded with the All-
Star game where again, the players dis-
played moves seen on the playground and
not during the regular season. The western
All-Stars featured tremendous : height ~in
Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Garnett. The East
featured tremendous speed, led by Allen
Iverson. The size of the West proved to be
too much as O’Neal, Garnett, and Duncan
combined for 70 points, leading their team
to a 137-126 victory. Shaq and Duncan
were named co-MVP’s, but O’ Neal insist-
ed on taking home the trophy, pointing out
that Duncan had a championship ring
already in his possession.
The players will now return to their
respective teams, some competing for
playoff positions while others simply play-
ing for respect and pride. In the East, the
Knicks and Heat will continue to battle,
while the Pacers will look to maintain
home-court advantage throughout the
Eastern Conference playoffs. The West
will be a dogfight as the Lakers chase the
Blazers for the best record and the Spurs,
Jazz, and Kings will be right behind them
as the regular season comes to an end.
Friday, February 18, 2000 ALBANY STUDENT. PRESS 1 9
Rutgers too much for Danes
By KEVIN GROSSMAN
Staff Writer
The UAlbany men’s basketball
team traveled to Rutgers University
last Monday for a late season contest.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights, a mem-
ber of the Big East conference, were
a formidable test for the Great Danes #
in what has become a series of tests Fo
all season long. The Danes were able —
to keep things close in the first half, |
but the experience and_ athletic So
prowess of Rutgers helped propel |.
them to a 79-60 victory.
Rutgers (14-10) opened the
game with eight consecutive points.
It seemed that the Danes had lost
after the first couple of minutes. |
Albany (10-15) was able to rally back
and keep the scoring close through-
out the first half. Senior guard Matt
Haggarty came alive and sank seven
three-point-shots to keep the team
close. The Danes tied the game at 19
with 6 minutes and 52 seconds to go
Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Todd Cetnar scored 16 points in Monday’s 79-60 loss
to Rutgers.
in the first half. Haggarty finished the
game with 23 points, and his amazing
three-point shooting set a new school
record. He has made 247 three-point field
goals during his career at Albany, break-
ing Darrin Jahnel’s old mark of 246.
Rutgers went on a 21-7 scoring run to
end the first half and take a 40-26 lead at
halftime. The Scarlet Knights never
looked back in the second half and show-
boated with a series of flashy dunks to
woo the half-empty Louis Brown Athletic
Center.
The Great Danes were outrebounded
by Rutgers, 50-25, and it cost them as the
Scarlet Knights got a bunch of easy put-
backs.
“T was satisfied with out effort, we
competed hard,” UAlbany Head Coach
Scott Hicks said. “We played well the first
Attack Win In
Electrifying Fashion
Now look for revenge in second game
against Popa tits
By SHAWN FIELD AND
JAIME BLOCHER
Staff Writer
Last Friday night the
Albany Attack won what is per-
haps their most thrilling game
of the 2000 season. The Attack
down by two at the half, battled
back and forced the game into
sudden death overtime and win
13-12. Prior to this game the
Attack played in two overtime
games this season both ending
in tough road loses. This time
the Attack were at home and
they were not going to let the
crowd of over 6,400 go home
sour.
In the closing seconds of
the first overtime period, Phil
“Flip” Sanderson made a spec-
tacular defensive effort by
stick-checking a streaking Paul
Gait and preventing what could
have been the game-winning
goal for Syracuse Smash. -
In the National Lacrosse
League (NLL) there are no ties
so the game went into a second
overtime period. This time the
Smash had a_ three-on-one-
break when goalie Rob Blasdell
made a huge save on Owen
Benedict who chose to shoot
himself despite a wide open
Gait to his left.
The Attack brought the ball
back down the field where Dar-
ris Kilgour scored the game-
winning goal at 1 minute and
57 seconds of the second over-
time. The energy in the build-
ing was electrifying as the
Attack got their first overtime
win under their belt. Game
MVP Josh Sanderson led the
Attack with three goals. and
five assists. _
The Attack (2-3) are now
2-0 at home and will seek
revenge on the Philadelphia
Wings at the Pepsi Arena this
Friday night at 7 pm. These two
teams met on January 7th in
Philadelphia where the Attack
suffered their first loss in fran-
‘| Why? Because we have it all.
chise history 12-11 in overtime.
In that game the Attack had
four goals called back in regu-
lation, sending the game into
sudden death overtime.
Crosse Talk
Attack rookie Gary Rosys-
ki recorded his first career hat
trick last Friday against the
Smash....Goalie Rob Blasdell
tied a season low with 12 goals
allowed in the winning effort
on Friday....Ted Dowling con-
tinues to lead the NLL in goals
with 21, while Josh Sanderson
ranks second in points in the
NLL with 37
14 minutes, but then went through a three-
minute lapse where we made bad deci-
sions. We knew they had a size advantage
going into the game and the rebound mar-
gin proved that point.”
Todd Cetnar contributed with 5-of-13
shooting and 16 points, and Dave Schloss
led the team in rebounds as he grabbed
seven and finished the game with six
points.
“Their size really hurt us and we did-
n’t play well at the end of the first half
which was really the difference in the
game,” Cetnar said. “We have three
games left that are winnable and that’s
what we’re looking forward to.”
The Great Danes next contest and
final home game is on Saturday, February
19 when they host Army at 7:30 pm.
The Big Grape
(Who says you can’t change New York?)
School of Public Affairs Graduate Programs
Managing change...
challenge. You'll need vision and first-rate skills.
At Baruch’s School of Public Affairs, you can develop the
- policy-making vision and administrative skills you need
making a difference. It’s no small
for a career that is as meaningful as it is successful.
Master's degrees are offered in Public Administration, Health
Looking for a job? Need a
phone number for off-campus
housing? Booked your spring
break plans yet?
Check the ASP’s classified
section for employment
opportunities, apartment list-
ings, spring break travel agen-
cies.
Policy and Administration, Higher Education Administration,
Administration and Supervision/SAS Certification, and
Human Resources and Labor Relations. Study full time or
parf*time. We even offer an executive option.
Call or visit our website for more information.
212.802.5912. Website: www.baruch.cuny.edu/spa. -
E-mail: Pe ence banice ae
VUBTC Baruch
mht ttt NS The City University of New York
GELS = x
&
Championship caliber show- One win streak ends,
ing at Fordham Invitational
By DAN SAWTELLE
Staff Writer
The UAlbany Great Danes
men and women’s track and field
teams closed out their most suc-
cessful season in school history
Friday with second place finish-
ings at the Fordham invitational.
The men scored 90 total
points, only two points behind
winner St. John’s, in a field of 10
schools that included such teams
as Rutgers, Manhattan, Iona, and
Fordham University. Luis Soto
easily won the long jump with a
leap of 23 feet, 8.75 inches, nar-
rowly Anthony
Davenport’s school record of 23
feet, 9 inches. Soto will get
another chance at the school
record in two weeks when he
the IC4A
missing
competes at
Championships.
Joining Soto at the IC4A’s
will be Robby Harrison, who
took second place in the long
jump with an IC4A qualifying
jump of 23 feet and 2 inches.
Junior Ronald Edmundson won
the triple jump with a leap of 47
feet, 4.25 inches, with Albany’s
Daniel “P-Nut” Agosto taking
second place. Jamie Rodriguez
placed third in the 5000-meter
run (14:51.88) behind a one-two
placing by Iona College’s dis-
tance runners. John Morris was
second in the high jump (6-5),
and Rudy Volcy took third in the
55-meter hurdles (7.89)
The women scored a total of
100.5 points finishing second to
File
oto
Dan “P-Nut” Agosto finished second in the triple jump at the Fordham
Invitational on Friday night. The Great Danes placed second in the meet.
another begins
By DAN SAWTELLE
Staff Writer
St. John’s (144 _ points).
Individually, the UAlbany
women continued their all-out
assault on the school record
books by taking down another
three on the night. Andrea Viger
who broke the school record in
the 3000-meters two weeks pre-
vious on the same track won the
5000-meter run in what was the
second fastest time in school his-
tory. Viger’s time of 17:35.24
was less than a second off of
Tonya Dodge’s school record
time of 17:34.61, and also quali-
fies her for the ECAC champi-
~ onships. Andrea’s sister, Erica
Viger ran to a fifth place finish in
the 1000-meters while breaking
Matt Haggarty
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Year: Senior
Major: Communication
Accomplishments:
Haggarty scored 23 points
in Monday night’s 79-60
loss at Rutgers. He shot 8-
of-13 from the field and 7-
of-12 from three-point
range. The seventh three-
Jahnel’s school record for
career three-point field
goals with 247. Two weeks
ago at Army, Haggarty
became the twenty-third
player in school history to
surpass the 1,000 point
mark for his career.
Dane of the Week
point-shot broke Darrin §
Dodge’s six-year old school
record time of 3:02.57, crossing
the line in 3:02.07. Dinnah
Decatus eclipsed another record
owned by Dodge, when she fin-
ished fourth in the 800-meter run
with a time of 2:16.88. Sarah
Best added to the record-break-
ing night by equaling her school
record height of 8 feet, 6 inches
in the pole vault.
The individuals qualifying —
for the IC4A and ECAC
Championships will travel to
Boston, Massachusetts in two
weeks to compete in the champi-
onship meet.
Albany
Schedule
2S:
Men’s Track & Field at
NET&F Championships
6:00
Women’s Track& Field
at NET&F Championships
6:00
2/19
Men’s Basketball
Army 7:30
2/23
Women’s Basketball at
Bucknell 5:15
Men’s Basketball at :
Bucknell 7:30
The UAlbany women’s bas-
ketball team extended their win-
ning streak to four straight with
an impressive 78-30 victory over
St. Joseph, Vt. on Friday. Lauren
O’Brien scored a career-high 17
points coming off the bench, as
the Danes improved to a 9-14
record.
Albany jumped out to a 17-
2 lead in the first seven minutes
of the game. Marie Connors
scored five of her career-best 13
points in the run. Sophomore
center Cara Caffell also had a
career night finishing with 13
points and seven rebounds. The
Danes shot an astounding 53
percent from the field in the first
half compared to St. Joseph’s
meager 21 percent. At the end of
the half the Danes led 43-16 in
what seemed to be a warm-up
game for the women who trav-
eled.to Mississippi State on
Sunday to take on the twenty-
first ranked Lady Bulldogs.
“This was a confidence
builder for several of us,” said
O’Brien, who went 5-of-9 from
three-point range and added five
assists and six steals. “I had not
been shooting well, and tonight I
got my rhythm back. Meghan
(Buchanan) has the flu, so it was
great to see Marie and Cara step
it up.”
Buchanan is the team’s top
_ scorer this season with a 16.3
average, but saw only nine min-
utes of playing time and scored
only three points in the game.
The UAlbany women saw
their four-game winning streak
come to a halt Sunday as the
Lady Bulldogs trounced the
Great Danes 84-34 at Humphrey
Stadium. Liz Tucker led Albany
with 14 points, while Melissa
Schoonover grabbed a season-
high 12 rebounds. The Danes
shot a season-low 22 percent
from the field against
Mississippi State. The only high-
light of the game for Albany
came in the rebounding depart-
ment. The Danes outrebounded
the Lady Bulldogs by a slim 47-
42 margin.
Mississippi State (18-5)
jumped out to a 24-6 lead,
sparked by freshman forward
LaToya Thomas’ with 14 points.
Thomas, ranked eleventh nation-
ally in scoring, led all scorers
with a 27 point performance,
shooting 8-of-13 from the floor,
and 10-of-13 from the free
throw line. She also added seven
rebounds, and five steals in the
winning effort. At halftime the
Danes found themselves down
by a 43-16, and the game was
out of reach.
Albany’s 34 points were its
lowest total since scoring 32 in a
loss to Saint Rose in 1980. This
game is a harsh reminder that
this Danes team has a long way
to go to be competitive with top
Division I teams.
The Lady Danes recovered
from their defeat on Sunday,
coming home to defeat Green
Mountain 69-40 on Tuesday.
Once again the high scorer for
the Danes was Tucker with 12
points. Schoonover added 11
points and eight rebounds as
Albany earned its fifth victory in
six games.
Albany found itself up by
ten at halftime, but used a 12-5
run in the second half, and a sea-
son-high 33 turnovers forced to
extend their lead to 42-25. The
Danes shot an impressive 51.4
percent from the field in the sec-
ond half and lead by as many as
31 points. Tucker added seven
assists, six rebounds and four
steals to her team-high scoring
total.
“We were a little sluggish in
warm ups,” Schoonover said.
“The trip was exhausting with
our flight delayed until Monday,
but we had to put that behind us.
In the second half, we did things
we had to do to win, and picked
up our intensity on defense.”
Team of the Week
Men’s Track & Field
The Great Danes closed out the season with a second
place finish at the Fordham Invitational on Friday
night. Albany finished the 10 team meet with 90
points, finishing only two points behind the champion
St. John’s Red Storm. The Great Danes were led by
Luis Soto, Ron Edmundson, Rob Harrison, Dan “P-
Nut” Agosto, John Morris, Jamie Rodriguez, and
Rudy Volcy, who all finished in the top three in their
respective events. Albany finished the season with a
15-1 dual meet record, the best in school history.