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TECHNEWS
TECHNEWS.IIT.EDU
VOLUME 159, ISSUE 8
INACCESSIBILITY
INACCESSIBILITY
IITʼs academic buildings
were not built for wheelchair
accessibility. These buildings
should be fixed to comply with
building codes of Chicago.
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
LIFE
LIFE IN
IN CHINA
CHINA
CINDERELLA
CINDERELLA
This lyrical opera strays
far from Disneyʼs Cinderella,
but is no less entertaining.
This beautiful performance
leaves its audience very satisfied.
Chinaʼs economy is improving, evident by the recent
launch to space, but could this
country be Americaʼs next big
foreign policy challenge?
Read more on page 6
Read more on page 3
Read more on page 9
International Fest celebrates 30 years of IIT diversity
By Shravani Pasupneti
student groups and the evening eventsʼ performances represented 8 countries.
The day event filled the HUB with the
he IIT campus was abuzz last Friday with aroma of exotic cuisines. Rather than arrange
talk of the 30th Annual International Fest, their food on a simple table, some countries
were
extremely
creative in how
they presented their
countryʼs
delicacies. From Pakistanʼs “dhabba” to
Thailandʼs thatched
roof hut, there was
never a shortage of
eye-catching elements. In addition
to food, some organizations brought
arts and crafts
from their cultures.
The African Students Association
Photo by Michael Merkley
displayed
carved
wooden figures and
Student chefs intrigue passerbys with delicious, tempting and aromatic
jewelry from their
ethnic food on display at the 30th International Fest.
country while just
a few tables away,
one could buy tradiaffectionately referred to as I-Fest. The Inter- tional Chinese decorations and other art. While
national Students Organization and the Inter- all of the booths were phenomenal, only three
national Center were responsible for organiz- winners could be picked for the day event.
ing I-Fest, which is one of the fall semesterʼs Third place went to LIFE, second went to the
biggest on-campus events.
Indian Students Association and the VietnamPast yearʼs fests have been extremely ese Students Association took home the first
successful and this year was no exception. place prize.
The morning event drew participation from 18
Upon entering the HUB, students were
I-TECH EDITOR
T
greeted by the ISO board where they could buy gratulations to all of the participants and ISO
tickets to the eveningʼs performance, which for a wonderful job this year!
were held in the HUB Auditorium. Rajan Shah and Neha
Pathak emceed the show.
Staying true to IIT style, the
show started with a bang after
a slight delay. The show proceeded with a limited number
of technical difficulties, and
even those that did arise were
taken in stride by the participants. Vietnam was great at
sidestepping the difficulties
with their music by improvising a series of drumbeats.
The first place winner of
the night was the India, whose
emotional depiction of the
tsunamiʼs effects on India, as
well as the countryʼs strength
in rebuilding tugged at many
heartstrings. Second place
went to the Vietnam for their
lion dance, which definitely
caused many audience members to share the Vietnamese
view of lions as a source of
luck and happiness. Third
place went to the Africa for
their upbeat and lively perforPhoto by Abhishek Gundugurti
mance, entitled “Sango.”
As I-Fest celebrated itʼs
30th year, IIT students were
Two African performers walk on stage at the night performancable to truly revel in the dies of International Fest.
versity of our campus. Con-
White Sox in the World Series Bird Flu: EUʼs mounting threat?
By Jon Murawski
TECHNEWS WRITER
W
ith some big off-season loses to left fielder
Carlos Lee, veteran shortstop
Jose Valentin, and all-star
right fielder Magglio Ordonez, General Manager Ken
Williams had some big shoes
and numbers to fill. Making quiet acquisitions with
Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, and A.J. Pierzynski, the
making of a championship
team slowly started to take
form. Led by former White
Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen,
their young energetic coach, a
team chemistry quickly began
to structure.
The
2005
motto would
explain the
rest of the
season: “Win
or Die Trying!”
2
W i t h
3-5
an
average spring
6
training, the
7-8
White Sox
were predict9
ed to finish
third or sec10
ond at best
11-13
in the American League
14
Central Divi15
sion. With a
major league
best
17-7
INSIDE
WEEKLY REVIEW
OPINION
NEWS
CHICAGO
ARTS
TECHNOLOGY
I-TECH
COMICS
SPORTS
By Shea Lemley
TECHNEWS WRITER
B
during the month of April,
the Sox never looked back.
They were the first team to
win 10, 20, 30. 40. 50. 60. &
70 games respectfully. Team
chemistry and strong leadership roles by head pitcher
Mark Buehrle and leading
slugger Paul Konerko, they
took a underdog ball club to
one of the most feared lineups
in the majors.
Taking the best record
into the All-Star Break (5526) and an eight game lead
over the Minnesota Twins,
see Sox win page 15
ird flu, a strain of influenza known in the
scientific community as H5N1, has been
affecting Southeast Asia since 1997. Of 117
known infections, over 60 have resulted in
death. This is in striking contrast to the common flu, which
has a mortality
rate of 2% and
afflicts primarily the very
young and the
elderly. At present, bird flu is
only spread by
direct contact
with infected
birds and poses
little threat to
most individuals. However,
experts feel it
may be only a matter of time before the virus mutates and human-to-human infection
becomes a reality.
Many health officials are concerned
about the threats posed by H5N1, especially
since it seems to be spreading. Last week,
dead poultry infected with H5N1 were found
in the Eastern European countries of Russia,
Turkey, and Romania. Birds in Greece are
being tested to confirm the presence of the
deadly virus.
Last week, health ministers from the
European Union met to discuss the possibility of a worldwide outbreak. They planned a
two-day pandemic simulation to test Europeʼs
preparedness.
They also discussed containment strategies
and urged the
public to stay
calm, since the
virus posed no
immediate risk
to people. Patricia Hewitt,
the EU Health
Secretary
added,
“The
Courtesy of BBC News
World Health
Organization
confirmed that
there had been no increase in the risk of pandemic flu.” The EU also told farmers to keep
poultry separate from wild birds which may
carry the virus.
Asian and Eastern European countries
have been killing millions of birds to prevent
see Bird Flu page 7
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
WEEKLY REVIEW
TECHNEWS
2
Northbound Ram charges toward SSV
TECHNEWS
By Joshua Mullin
The editorially independant
student newspaper of Illinois
Institute of Technology, serving
the IIT community since 1928
OPINION EDITOR
W
itnesses watched as
a driver rapidly meandered his way down State
Street on October 15. Those
present reported that the
Dodge Ram pickupʼs driver
was weaving down the northbound half of the boulevard,
hitting the curbs on both sides
at about 1:30 PM.
When he reached the
crosswalk in front of Crown
Hall, the driver overcompensated, crashing through the
concrete barricades designed
to stop cars from making Uturns on IIT sidewalks. This
immediately flattened two of
the tires on the truck, sending
it flying across State Street and
into a tree planted in the front
lawn of State Street Village.
First on the scene were
students who reported that the
driver “appeared intoxicated,”
and the students speculated
that the driver would have hit
State Street Village had there
been no tree for his vehicle to
land against.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2005
VOLUME 159, ISSUE 8
MCCORMICK TRIBUNE CAMPUS CENTER
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TechNews Opinion Editor, Joshua Mullin, captures the aftermath destruction of a believed intoxicated
driver. The Dodge Ram tore up grass and almost crashed into SSV. Good thing the trees are there.
Public Safety immediately controlled the scene, and the
Chicago Fire Department, followed by the Chicago Police,
arrived quickly on the scene
and began coaxing the driver
out of his vehicle. There appeared to be no major injuries.
The driver, an African American male, was taken away in
an ambulance.
IITʼs 30th International Fest in pictures
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TechNews Opinion Editor, Joshua Mullin, captures the aftermath destruction of a believed intoxicated driver. The Dodge
Ram tore up grass and almost crashed into SSV. Good thing
the trees are there.
TechNews Opinion Editor, Joshua Mullin, captures the after-
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your voice. your newspaper. your TECHNEWS
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
OPINION
TECHNEWS
JOSHUA MULLIN, EDITOR
3
[email protected]
Hey you! May I please have your ID number?
By Joshua Mullin
OPINION EDITOR
I
ITʼs administration is not
ignorant. Nor do they pretend to be. They know where
campus is located, and they
understand the necessity for
students to feel secure while
entering and exiting on-campus buildings. Enter the door
guard. A door guardʼs purpose,
as in many apartment buildings throughout Chicago, is to
act as border patrol between
the outside world and the tenants within and to assist the
residents with any problem he
or she has. At IIT, this means
a door guard must watch the
building entrance(s), call
public safety or an RA when
problems arise, forward phone
calls to residents, alert residents when their respective
guests have arrived, and manage community property such
as ping-pong paddles or pool
cues.
That said, the administration also knows that from time
to time, people who donʼt attend IIT or live in the residence
halls will require or attempt to
acquire access to the residential buildings, for both good
and bad reasons. Thus, there
are guest policies. The IIT
residence hall guest policies
state that every guest coming
into the building must leave
an ID with the door guard, all
guests must be signed in with
the door guard, and all guests
must be accompanied by the
resident who signed them in at
all times, among other things.
This all sounds fine for keeping criminals out, right? In the
dorm buildings, SSV North
and Middle and MSV, this
policy makes sense from another standpoint as well. These
are dorms. They have resident
advisors, and all residents are
bound by a strict community
policy. The guest policies
should be part of it.
Then,
thereʼs
SSV
South. In order to get into any
(locked) individualʼs room in
SSV South, a resident must
scan or swipe his or her ID
card five times. He or she must
first scan at the front door to
open it, scan on the door guard
desk, scan in the elevator (or
swipe in the side doors for the
first floor), swipe into his or
her apartment, then swipe into
his or her individual room.
This constitutes five layers of
protection from the outside
world, each step necessary to
ensure protection of personal
as well as community property. Now, what of the guest
policy? What is that adding for
these residents? In SSV South,
there is no community agreement. Residents are bound
only to maintaining round-theclock courtesy hours, aside
from obvious rules governing
drinking and smoking in public areas. This is supposed to
be a completely independent
living experience, devoid of
administration (within reason). The building consists of
apartments, not dorms.
Given the buildingʼs
design and purpose, many
SSV South residents find the
guest policies to be moot. It
is widely believed that these
policies protect no one, and I
tend to agree. For living in a
building that costs roughly
220% what an MSV double
room costs to live in ($8,678/
year vs. $3,900/year), I, as a
resident of SSV South, have a
right to expect high security. I
also feel that I have the right
to not be treated as a criminal
by the door guards if I want to
sign my mom, dad, brother,
grandma, and grandpa in at
the same time. For me trying
to tell my family Iʼm living on
my own, it sure is a kick in the
face when grandma doesnʼt
have her driverʼs license with
her and has to sit out in the
car because the person behind
the desk thinks sheʼs going to
steal the community plasma
television from the lounge. I
couldnʼt have signed her in
anyway. That would have been
5 people.
I donʼt want to get e-mails
from Residence Life when a
maintenance employee comes
into my room and discovers
an unattended guest within my
apartment because I woke up
and went to work in the morning, leaving a nonresident
friend sleeping on my couch.
The “unattended guests” I have
in my apartment should be my
business, and I shouldnʼt be
given warnings that if I leave
people in my room again, Iʼll
get my right to sign guests into
the building revoked.
The residents of SSV
South are asking for change.
We want a guest policy that
is far more conducive to the
apartment building atmosphere. Everybody who comes
in should be brought up by
and accompanied by an IIT
student. This we understand.
However, the ID taking, guest
limits, and escorting of guests
within the apartment building
policies are ridiculous when
applied to the SSV South
housing situation, and they
need to be changed. Weʼre not
asking for the door guards to
leave; weʼre not trying to take
someoneʼs job away. The door
guards are a very effective
visual deterrent to criminal
activity. We just want a guest
policy that doesnʼt hinder our
day to day activities.
Africa: the underappreciated, third world treasure
By Daisy Agose
TECHNEWS WRITER
A
frica is a very poor continent. It is a third
world region, and has the poorest countries in the world. It is also home to some of
the most amazing wildlife. All of the listed
facts are over sung and romanticized in pictures shown in art galleries, cultural exhibits
and more. Think about safaris, monkeys, lions,
antelopes and the like and there you go, you
have a rich description of the continent. Or, at
least that is the image projected by the Western
media, and sadly accepted by a lot of people.
The continent of Africa is well-known
for its amazing wildlife and it is a fact that Africans are proud of this. However, most Africans would agree with me that it is the constant
projection of desert lands, fly-infested villages, war-torn countries and of course wild -life
disease-ridden villagers that they find worri-
some. For example, if someone asked me to
tell them about London I would not repeatedly
show them a picture of Big Ben or any other
iconic image. I would say other things that in
my opinion characterize the city of London, its
people and so on.
Africa is a beautiful continent that is
miles away from the development seen in the
westernized nations, yet it is developed, given
the fact that most of the popular advancements
found in the Western world have their origin
from the continent of Africa. As hard as this
may be to believe, the concept behind the Internet we enjoy today was founded by an African mathematician and scientist named Philip
Emeagwali.
Geographically, Africa is divided into the
four main regions which are the traditional:
north, south, west and east zones. There are
fifty-four countries in total of which Nigeria,
Egypt, and Ethiopia are the most populous
countries. Africa is a culturally rich area with
very energetic, intelligent and vibrant people.
Ask anybody who has visited any of the countries there, and they would tell a tale about how
friendly, receptive, and creative the people are.
Contrary to what is widely believed, there are
no wild animals on the streets and the people
who have pets have the domesticated ones we
are familiar with. The big and medium sized
cites have houses that are made of bricks and
cement, while houses that are made of mud
could be found in some villages. Another
popular notion of Africa is that is it is home
to some of the most corrupt nations in the
world. Well, depending on what the yardstick
for measuring corruption is, I would agree that
it is just as corrupt as anywhere else in the
world, the only difference being that corruption in other parts of the world have reached
sophisticated levels it almost seems non-existent. People move around in cars and planes
and all other popular means of transportation.
The public system of transportation may not
be sophisticated as organized as that of France,
but it serves its purpose. All of the things mentioned above, vary from city to city and country to country. I would have loved to go into
details about almost all the African countries,
but I am most familiar with those related to
my home country, Nigeria. I would encourage
anyone who really wants to know more about
a certain country or the African region in general to please direct their questions to a place
where they can get a wholesome response. The
African Students Organization (ASO) at IIT is
more than willing to answer of your questions
or direct them to someone who can. We invite
you stop by our booth on October 21st during
the 30th International Festival at IIT, where
we will have delicious cuisine from all over
Africa, pictures, and other information about
the continent.
Wheelchair inaccessibility at IIT part I
By Jessica Li
TECHNEWS WRITER
I
llinois Institute of Technology is bad when it comes to
dealing with handicap issues.
Although Illinois Institute of
Technology says its technology is one of the best, there
are lots of buildings that arenʼt
even handicap accessible. I
know this for a fact because
I am handicapped and wheelchair bound. In this part, I am
going to talk about 3 buildings
and the Quad that arenʼt very
handicap accessible.
I am first going to talk
about the residence halls. One
can live in either of the two
main buildings, either MSV
or SSV. In MSV there are no
elevators, so I canʼt get to talk
to anyone except if they are
on the first floor. In addition
to that, the 24 hour open computer lab is in the basement so
I canʼt use it. Instead, I have to
travel all the way to Stuart before 12PM to be able to use a
computer lab that has printing
capabilities. Once I had this
Physics assignment and we
had to type it up. Of course, I
canʼt go there after 12 so I had
to do a lot of pleading for my
assignment to be due at a later
date.
I currently live on the top
floor of one of the SSV buildings in one of the studios. Last
year there was a fire alarm and
we went out of our rooms to
see what was going on. The
front and back sides of SSV
are all made out of glass and
I saw a public safety officer go
into the building. However, he
didnʼt come up. Instead, one
of my friends got a phone call
and heard there was smoke
coming out of one of the rooms
so he helped me down. Then
my friends brought me down
in my push wheelchair and of
course I was hungry. It is a
lighter wheelchair without the
batteries and motor. Therefore,
I had to push myself by hand
with tea on my lap. Of course,
the tea spilled and caused second-degree burns. If the public safety person came up and
told me that it was okay then
none of this would have happened, because I have some
food in my room.
Another time, the elevator
broke down. I was shopping
and got home to put down my
stuff to go out again. I pressed
the elevator button again and
again but it wouldnʼt come up.
So I look outside, remember it
is glass, and see the
elevator stuck on
the 4th floor with
its door open. I
called public safety
and told them that
there is a wheelchair bound person
on the fifth floor. I
also remember that
there was another
person who called,
complained, and
told them that there
was a disabled person on the 5th floor.
Both times their reply was that
it would be fixed by tomorrow
morning. Tomorrow was a
Friday and I have class at 10,
so public safety and facilities
brought me down. Still in the
afternoon, no one came to fix
the elevator so they decided
to move me downstairs to the
1st floor. The moving process
was a pain. If I needed something from my room, I had to
call the front desk. The front
desk had to call an RA. Finally, the RA had to get over
here, listen to what I want, go
up stairs to get it. Then come
down with it. Now that is 5
levels. That took a lot of time
to move. On the second day, a
door guard said that out of five
times three times the elevator
door wouldnʼt open or something like that. I donʼt mind
that the elevator breaks down
occasionally, but why put studios on the 5th floor?
In SSV there is another
problem. In my particular
building the handicap en-
trance/exit button doesnʼt work
on the outside but does on the
inside. Also in the other handicap accessible buildings the
handicap button doesnʼt even
work. So how can you call it
handicap accessible when you
press a handicap entrance button and it doesnʼt work? This
is also true for some other
buildings.
Plus, IIT should invest
in a stretcher because I have
a belt on my wheelchair that
keeps me in, but what if a personʼs hands slip off? Does the
chair also fall on me? Considering the fact that I weigh less
than this chair does that mean
I will get broken bones?
Now I live in a studio
because living with someone
means someone is more likely
to help me out. That is going
to make me feel more handicapped. You see, I told myself
that I am not disabled. I am
in a wheelchair so the lower
half of my body is handicapped but not the upper half
and most importantly not my
heart. Now there are single
person rooms with bathrooms
in MSV. However, you need a
separate key to open the door
of the bathroom. So I didnʼt
decide on that. Besides, I will
have lots of stuff to put in if
I use a public bathroom, like
handrails, a footrest, and a
chair to sit on.
One building out of the 9
buildings in the quad is handicapped accessible, specifically
the ASA house. I understand
that the buildings were built
a long time ago, but you also
have had a long time to change,
15 years. This is also true for
most of the other buildings
here at IIT.
For this part of the article,
the last building I am going to
talk about is the Keating Center. There is no ramp to get
in. Now IIT says that they are
going to build a ramp into the
Keating Center, but I still see
no construction there. Now I
may look wheelchair bound
but I can walk very slowly, so
I can walk on the treadmill. I
can do the weight room with
the exercises that involve
arms, if not then at least the
dumbbells, or I can converse
with friends, because I know
lots of people that go there.
OPINION
TECHNEWS
JOSHUA MULLIN, EDITOR
4
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
[email protected]
Speed limits: the ultimate enemy of freedom
By Justin Schenck
COPY EDITOR
T
here I was, peacefully driving down Lake
Shore Drive back to my college home of
IIT. A feeling of dread passed over me as I
check my rear view mirror to see every driverʼs
worst nightmare – the flashing of police lights. I
sigh and mutter some words that I wonʼt repeat
here as I pull to the side of the road. The officer
informs me that I was going twenty-nine miles
an hour over the speed limit, by going 64mph in
a 35mph zone. As he went back to his car, I was
speechless. I was driving a reasonable speed
down an eight-lane expressway that was, unbeknownst to me, zoned 35mph. Due to the city of
Chicagoʼs desire for traffic ticket funds, I was
forced to throw $135 and 4 hours of my time
down the toilet. The hours of my time being for
the ever-popular traffic safety school, the waste
of time that manages to keep a conviction off
your record. Due to Illinois state law, since that
would have been my second conviction in two
years, I would have had a suspended driversʼ
license.
These laws do nothing but turn ordinary
Americans into criminals. Why must I throw 4
What
By Colin Emch-Wei
CHICAGO EDITOR
I
know exactly what you
do when you go home.
You casually mosey over to
your computer and check
your Facebook account. Of
course, you first must oblige
the friends page, making sure
that nobody in your (or anyone elseʼs) social circle has
hooked up with anyone, or
founded an equally absurd
group. Thereʼs an almost religious occurrence of this, I
tell you.
Iʼll admit it; I do exactly
the same thing. I know that
other people around me do it
as well. In fact, everyday, I
walk by an open window on
the way back to my room, and
in that window is a computer
open to a Facebook account.
Everyday without fail.
I have no idea what
this service is for. At first, I
thought it was some sort of
online yearbook. No, upon
more careful observation, itʼs
nothing of the sort. Next, I
hours of my time and $135 of my money away
to avoid a driversʼ license suspension? I must
do this for the crime of believing my time is important. In 1995, the National Maximum Speed
Limit of 55mph was repealed, allowing each
state to establish its own speed limits. Sadly,
most states have restricted speed limits to an
unreasonable and rarely followed 65mph. In
some sections around Chicago, the interstates
are 45mph or 55mph. Why? Is it because “speed
kills!” No. It is for no other reason than to funnel your hard-earned money to the state.
When the National Maximum Speed Limit
of 55mph was repealed, Montana began to use
“reasonable and prudent” speed limits on federal and state highways. There were no numerical maximums, but rather required motorists to
drive at “speeds considered safe for conditions.”
The State Patrol enforced an average limit of
90mph for reasonable and prudent speeds. A
ticket was challenged in 1998, and the Montana
Supreme Court declared the Reasonable and
Prudent Speed Limit unconstitutional due to
vagueness. For the next five months, Montana
had no speed limits.
Did speed kill? Was Montana plagued with
accident after accident, as drag racers zoomed
the
looked for some sort of blogging feature. I can always use
another blog. Swing and a
miss, Facebook. The closest
thing to a blog is some redheaded stepchild of a bulletin board, known cutely as a
“wall.” People here can post
whatever they want, although
it usually seems to include
the words “Hey!”, “sexy”,
“white”, and other invariably
obtuse sayings. Great, a place
where people who have nothing to say can spew their mental nothings unto me. Excuse
me while I find a squeegee.
Of course, and how could
I forget the timeless icons of
true friendship, the various
“TRUCKS”. These ASCII
gems exude warmth and true
emotion. Perhaps youʼve
been hit by the “BEAUTIFUL TRUCK”, or even the
“ASIAN TRUCK”? Taking
into account the vapidity of
the people who created these
accursed things, Iʼm surprised
they took the time to spell
“truck” correctly.
I guess the only draw to
down the expressway at 90mph? Not a chance.
The average annual rate of accidents on interstates during the period of no speed limits was
27.0 per year. Once speed limits were once
again resumed, it jumped to 40.8 per year. In
fact, the lowest fatality rates recorded in the last
few decades in Montana were during the period
in which there were no speed limits. Just as on
the German Autobahn, which have no speed
limits and a consistently lower fatality rate than
the United Statesʼ interstate system, it was proven that speed does not kill. Why would speed
limits cause such a problem that they would increase accident rates?
The problem is lane courtesy. Traffic flows
much better when slower traffic moves to the
right, especially when faster traffic is approaching from behind. However, there is a large
group of people who refuses to do this. They
feel that they are going the legal speed, so why
should they have to move over for law breakers? These drivers then fuel road rage, and their
driving practices result in abrupt lane changes,
erratic speed changes, tailgating, and dangerous
passing maneuvers. The primary safety strategy
in Germany is flow management – why must
the United States rely on arbitrarily conceived
numbers that have no basis in engineering or
practice? Why must interstates be zoned 65mph
when it does no good? Why must Lake Shore
Drive, an eight-lane expressway that is a major
route for many Chicagoans, be zoned a lethargic
35mph? The answer to this question, like many
questions of public policy, is money.
The solution is to know what youʼre up
against. You can fight the racketeering front
of speeding tickets. This system was designed
solely to make money, not keep people safe. The
statistical and historical data in this article about
Montana was from a press release by the group
known as the National Motoristsʼ Association.
They exist to stand up for all citizens against
this system. This organization was responsible
for the demise of the National Maximum Speed
Limit in 1995, and is still working to protect
you. On their web site, you will find news and
information about current trends that politicians
and police are using to keep you under constant
threat of a ticket, as well as information on how
to fight a speeding ticket. I recommend that you
go to www.speedtrap.org and www.motorists.
org to learn how to protect yourself and begin
standing up for yourself. Speeders of the world,
unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains.
Facebook? TECHNEWS
this system is the ability to see
which of your fellow students
can be tapped for late-night
homework resources, since
that lovely “courses” feature
exists. Hi there, I saw you on
Facebook...whatʼd you get for
problem 4?
Groups. What in the
world are these things really
for? Do they really represent
activities that youʼre really
interested in? I donʼt know
about you, but I think some
of these groups exist simply
to create insignificant duels.
Case in point: the existence
of the “Greeks, Weʼre Better
than You!” and “Dormies...
Better than Greeks”. These
arenʼt communities, these
arenʼt blog rings...theyʼre
a waste of precious server
space.
This campus is 5 blocks
wide. On this campus, I probably see the same people day
in and day out. Many of them
I donʼt know, but I recognize
their faces. They might just
recognize mine as well. Some
of the other people actually
know me by name, and casually wave to me. Next time
youʼre walking down State
Street, take note of all of
the people who you actually
know and could hold a conversation with. The list will
probably grow rapidly, which
leads me to believe that weʼre
all friends anyway in some
strange, twisted way. For
some bizarre reason, rather
than get out and get to know
people better, we settle for
the digital, boiled-down-to-asingle-page versions of each
other. I donʼt know about you,
but I stare at these profiles
and wonder who these people
on my friends list actually
are. More than half of them
are dancing or holding beer
cans. Based upon what Iʼve
seen in a profile and a picture,
I guess they drink a lot and
gyrate madly on the weekends. Thanks to Facebook,
Iʼll never truly know, and Iʼll
forever think of you in a straw
hat doing naked back flips.
Go on, reader. Go ahead
and Facebook me. I dare you.
your voice. your newspaper.
Staff opportunities
now available
Entertainment Editor
Distribution Manager
to apply:
e-mail
[email protected]
1. list position in subject line
2. attach pertinent information
The inertness at IIT runs rampant among students
By Srinivas Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
I
tʼs a really sad thing to organize a big event
that ends up drawing a small number of people. The reason given for the small turnout is
“that IIT is a small school,” and this is totally
unacceptable. There are enough students at IIT
to have major events that sell out every week.
But sadly, big events by big organizations have
low turnouts. Why? Is it because of lack of
interest? I donʼt know what is not interesting
about a spirit team having creative competitions and a prize giveaway of $200. I donʼt
know what would push people away from not
participating and signing up for a spirit team,
even though each floor in the Residence halls,
each house in the Quad, and each student organization gets to have an opportunity to sign
up for a team. Itʼs probably time constraints.
Sure, they might have had a class during one
of the competitions. If that was the case, they
could have found substitutes for their team.
The turnout at the Homecoming dance was
moderate to high. But it could have been high-
er, since it is the only major dance event in the
fall semester. What reason is there to prevent
someone from going to a Saturday night dance
event? Unless they are insanely studious and
are studying for a midterm, I see no other acceptable reason which prevents someone from
coming. Another aspect of this is that there is
enough publicity for all the events. Students
who organize such events are thinking of more
and more creative ways to make it noticeable.
The problem is, people notice the publicity and
then do not come to the event. Itʼs like ignoring
gold when you find a trail of nuggets. The other
thing with this “I-see-but-I-donʼt-care” thing is
that students in the big organizations are thinking like big companies and big executives who
spend lot of time and money on advertising.
One student organization asked all its members to brainstorm wacky and creative ways
to advertise an event on campus and the list
turned out to be two whole pages long. Another
student organization is using 30 giant posters
from the SAF for their events. The creativity
displayed on campus flyers of student organizations is reaching exponential values. This is
a good thing. But even with such publicity, if
there is a lack of “I-saw-so-I-will-go,” itʼs disappointing.
The other big lack of interest issue is participation in the decision making process at IIT.
If you did not figure out what this means, I am
referring to student government. SGA at IIT is
an important way for a student to voice his/her
opinion and communicate to the administration
what the studentʼs needs are. If you thought
SGA means weekly meeting which you have
to go to for three hours or more, you are very
wrong. Thanks to some dedicated individuals
in SGA, the meetings are becoming more efficient and get done earlier. All SGA needs now
is more students, more input, and more voices.
This also applies to other organizations which
require student participation. Residence Hall
Association has a meeting on the off week of
SGA. They focus more on the governance part
of the dorms. They also do some programming.
But right now, they lack interested individuals
who will take leadership positions. There is
something called Hall Council for which there
is an individual floor representative. For this,
residents have to come forward. There is really not too much time commitment here, just
a couple of hours weekly. What would it give
you back? It would give real world experience
like people skills, time management, organization, and financial responsibility. Is this an
exaggeration? Not at all. Many professors say
that college is about having a completely new
experience to train a student to the real world.
If this is to be true at IIT, students have to push
themselves to do something more than just academics.
The last important thing is cheering on the
Scarlet Hawks athletics and sports teams; that
could be done without much effort. But sadly,
the turnout to soccer games, volleyball games,
and baseball games is low. Why? Are you too
busy to go support your friends in intramural
sports? It would be a great thing to do for the
school, to go and support the athletics teams,
just one of them or all of them.
I would like to end by saying that the decision is yours. You can choose to be inert and not
participate. Or you can be lively and entertaining and leave college a trained professional.
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
OPINION
TECHNEWS
JOSHUA MULLIN, EDITOR
5
[email protected]
Your argument is valid if your opponent is insane
By Joseph Kaiser
TECHNEWS WRITER
D
o you like me?
[ ] YES [ ] NO [ ] MAYBE.
When I was in first grade, I wrote one of
these notes to a girl I “liked,” as much as you
can like a girl in first grade. As I graduated from
eighth grade, the girl reminded me of this note,
and said that she checked YES because she
thought it was funny.
In 1988, when I was two, lawyer Jack
Thompson wrote a similar love note to Janet
Reno, his opponent in the race for Dade County
State Attorney.
I, Janet Reno, am a:
[ ] Homosexual [ ] Bisexual [ ] Heterosexual
Unfortunately, Janet never felt the same
way about Jack – probably because he accused
her of being blackmailed by the mob and of suffering from various mental disorders because of
her medication for Parkinsonʼs disease. He was
like the Helga to Renoʼs “Hey Arnold!”
Reno won the election, and Jack moved on
to his next target: obscenity in the media. As a
result of one case that he assisted in, members
of 2 Live Crew were arrested for writing a song
called “Me So Horny”.
Jack dropped off the radar for a few years.
He popped up briefly to get Ice T dropped from
his record label because of the song “Cop Killer” in 1992, and then laid dormant, satisfied that
sex and violence in music had been defeated.
He would not rise from his slumber until 1999,
when a new threat threw the balance of the
world into grave danger.
On behalf of the parents of the Paducah
schoolhouse shootings in 1997, Jack filed suit
against several producers of video games (or as
Jack calls them, murder simulators), the producers of the movie “The Basketball Diaries” (because the movie features a school shooting), and
several operators of sex websites (just ʻcause.)
Jack had a fever, and the only cure was
blaming everything on video games. For example, the popular Xbox video game Halo
featured a “sniper rifle,” an invention of the
Microsoft Corporation that was definitely not
used in World War II. The Beltway Snipers,
responsible for the murder of 10 people in the
Washington DC area, were inspired to use one
of these “sniper rifles” to perform their attacks.
Even though John Allen Muhammad, one of the
snipers, was a former soldier trained with rifles,
video games were definitely to blame.
Indeed, no violent game was safe from
Thompsonʼs steel fist of purity. A sniper in Columbus, OH owned a PlayStation 2. The murder
of a 14-year old by a drug addict was inspired
by the game Manhunt. And then, of course,
thereʼs Grand Theft Auto.
GTA made Jack angry, of course. This was
as bad a murder simulator as any he had played.
Well, watched someone play. Rather, heard
about from a friend who had watched someone
else play it. We all know that by paying $49.99
for a copy of GTA, we are treated to a forty hour
video in which the lead character drives his car
back and forth over a prostitute, bloodied and
on the ground. What we didnʼt know, though,
is that thereʼs a sex scene inside the game that
anyone can access.
Well, itʼs not really inside the game.
Thereʼs no way to come across the scene accidentally. You have to download a patch from the
internet to view it, and even then you have to do
a significant amount of work inside the game
to get to it.
Itʼs also not really sex, itʼs two video game
characters bumping up against each other, both
fully clothed.
Really, if you want to get into it, you could
argue the point over why sex is more taboo than
violence in our media even though sex creates
life, while violence destroys it.
In the end, though, the ESRB recognized
that sex is bad and reclassified the game from
“Mature”, its original rating, which is described
as having “content that may be suitable for persons of age 17 and older”, to “Adults Only”,
which is described as having “content that
should only be played by persons 18 years and
older”.
Thatʼs nothing, though, compared to his
assault on The Sims 2, which he claimed had
“full frontal nudity, including nipples, penises,
labia, and pubic hair.”
In fact, the most impressive part of this accusation is that it is a lie.
These are just a few of Jackʼs exploits.
Beyond this, heʼs insinuated that all gamers
are drug addicts, compared the president of the
Entertainment Software Association to Goebbels, Hitler, and Saddam Hussein, reported an
AOL Instant Messenger buddy icon featuring
violence against him to the FBI, and threatened
Letters to the editor
Letters to the editor are accepted at the TechNews office or via email at
[email protected]. Letters are printed as received and express the views of our
readers. They do not necessarily express the views of TechNews and its staff.
In response to last weekʼs
“Down with cell phones” article
By B. Oke
TECHNEWS WRITER
I
n the latest issue of
TechNews, I read with
surprise Jonathan Mikesellʼs article “Down
with cell phones.” Honestly, my first reaction
was “Are you kidding
me?” First, I would like
to make it clear that I
do respect your opinion
and your stance on issues but I couldnʼt help
but respond to your article. Well, this is the
21st century, and it is
characteristic that we
advance in many fac-
ets of life including the technological side. The impact of
cell phones into our world has
been tremendous in a positive
light and has made so many
things more convenient for us.
As with many technological
introductions, there are pros
and cons, and Iʼm surprised
that you focus more on the
cons in your article.
With respect to the average
college student, I do think that
it is appropriate to own a cell
phone if you can afford it. One
is almost obligated to own one,
so if you do have one, then you
obviously have the resources to
maintain it. You made mention
that these cell phones cause dis-
turbances in classes and
could be a pain when you
need to get rest. Well, we
all know that these phones
do come with appropriate
means to switch to silent
modes when necessary.
So, I really do think that
cell phones can be managed properly by college
students who are maturing adults and not little
kids. As innovations are
made in the technological world, we should embrace the positive effects
they bring to our lives and
not dwell deeply on the
disadvantages they bring
alongside.
the writer of the webcomic VGCats. He initiates e-mail correspondence with his opponents
and then, when he begins to lose the argument,
denies that he initiated the correspondence
and threatens legal action. During these correspondences, he often resorts to name-calling
and ignoring valid arguments. He referenced a
family group that supported him several times
in his so-called “open letters” - only problem
was, they donʼt support him. They proceeded
to publicly distance themselves from him. Jack
then, of course, threatened to sue them. He went
on CNN to say that because the NFL wouldnʼt
allow its name to be used on Midway Gamesʼ
new football title “that tells you something”.
Yes, it tells you that the NFL has an exclusive
deal with Electronic Arts. Recently, he offered
to donate $10,000 to anyone who develops,
produces, distributes and sells a game featuring
a father of a killing victim who murders many
members of the entertainment industry – all the
way down to employees of GameStop and EB
Games.
Most recently, and perhaps most bizarrely,
Jack has been campaigning against Gabe and
Tycho, creators of the popular webcomic Penny
Arcade. You know Penny Arcade – they invented the kitchen appliance that does unspeakable
things in the process of juicing fruit. Now, as
I retell this story, forgive me if there are leaps
in logic – these leaps are courtesy of the mind
of our pal Jack, not yours truly. You see, Gabe
emailed Jack to let him know that their charity organization, Childʼs Play, has raised over
$500,000 for charity. Jack called Gabe on the
telephone, and Jack asked if Gabe, personally,
had ever donated to charity. When Gabe said
he had, Jack got mad and threatened legal action if they ever emailed him again. Because
thatʼs what Jack does. When Gabe suggested
that he would have to sue himself if someone
actually made the explicitly violent game that
Jack detailed above, and Jack got angry and
started screaming, then hung up. When someone actually made Jackʼs game, he claimed that
his original offer was satire, and he would not
donate the $10,000, as promised. So, Penny Arcade donated that money instead, with a note on
the check: “For Jack Thompson Because Jack
Thompson Wonʼt”. Then Jack got angry again
and sent a fax to the chief of police of Seattle,
Washington, claimed criminal harassment and
said it was all because of his appearance on the
TV show 60 Minutes to “explain a wrongful
death lawsuit” against a boy who “obsessively
trained” on the “cop-killing murder simulator”
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and just in case
the chief of police couldnʼt make a massive, implied leap of logic, that the video game industry is “paint[ing] a bullseye on [Seattle police
officersʼ] backs.” Jack was also sad that they
made a shirt that says “I Hate Jack Thompson.”
He closed the letter by saying “I look forward
to working with your fine police department to
shut this little extortion factory down and/or arrest some of its employees.”
Iʼm pausing here to allow the reader to weep
for our American legal system. Thank you.
Truth be told, if Jackʼs so worried about
what these gamers and their average American
audience think, he shouldnʼt have called them
drug addicts. Too little too late, I suppose. For
a person so worried about “threats” and “harassment,” he sure does a lot of “threatening”
and “harassing.” Cʼmon, Jack. Do unto others.
Please?
And, of course, for a man who throws
around the word Hitler like so much confetti, he
certainly knows where the problem is in society,
as referenced in this quote:
“The Bible doesnʼt promote killing innocent people,” Thompson said. “Grand Theft
Auto does. Islam does. Islam promotes the killing of innocent people. The Quran requires the
infidel, whether Jew or Christian, to be killed. ...
Thatʼs a core essence of the religion. ... Muhammad was a pirate who killed infidels and who
advocated the killing of infidels. Not a nice guy.
Osama bin Laden is in keeping with his fine tradition.”
Oh, Jack, you sure do hate those A-rabs.
I guess as long as middle America is confused
about things that can only be described as “new
fangled” whilst waxing romantic on the good old
days when their parents forbade them from listening to rock and roll, well, weʼll always have
a place for a nutty old kook like you. Are video
games really so terrible for Americaʼs youth?
Thatʼs an opinion piece for another day. Is Jack
Thompson really crazy, or just misunderstood?
That, my friends, is up to you to decide.
Nah, Iʼm just kidding. Heʼs really crazy.
Seriously.
Legal Action against Joseph Kaiser by
Jack Thompson is scheduled to begin in December 2005.
In defense of cell phones
By J. Schenck
COPY EDITOR
J
onathan Mikesell certainly
finds a lot of time to write
to TechNews about the issues
of the day. It is no wonder he
canʼt be bothered to have a cell
phone; heʼs too busy thinking
of his next article and which
group of people at IIT heʼll insult next. Last week, it was cell
phone users. As an avid cell
phone user myself, I decided I
should stand up in my defense.
The cell phone is easily
one of the greatest technological advances in widespread use
today. I can call home, my
friends, contact the police if
necessary, Dominoʼs, China
Chef, and the list can go on and
on. A common complaint that
Jonathan Mikesell also espouses is about cell phones going off
in class. This certainly happens
more frequently than it should.
In fact, this is such a disturbing
trend that I remember each and
every time it happened this semester – all five times it did.
Mr. Mikesell also states
that there is no need for cell
phones because you should
simply talk in person – especially since our campus is
small. This leads me to believe
that Mr. Mikesell has few to
no friends outside campus,
and his family either lives on
campus or does not want to
talk to him. This is easily the
worst argument Iʼve heard all
year. Our campus is small, thus
you should not have a phone.
Ignore your friends from high
school, parents, friends at other
schools, and the poor Dominoʼs
delivery guy. You canʼt talk to
them because our campus is
very small.
After this, he throws up a
series of straw men to “prove”
that cell phones are a liability and cuts them down with
amazing dexterity. His first is
“What if you go to a party and
your parents call?” Well, we already know that this shouldnʼt
happen, because our campus is
so small. However, if this situation were to actually happen,
the solution would probably
be to not answer the phone.
He then goes into the terrible problem of prank calling,
something Iʼve experienced
exactly zero times. Almost as
amusing as the “campus is
too small, no phone!” argument is the study session or
nap. He does cover himself
by saying that you could
turn your cell phone off.
However, for Mr. Mikesell,
this is far too difficult to remember with so much else
on his mind. I rest assured
that not all of our lives are
that complicated.
Finally, Mr. Mikesell
gets to the only intelligent
point of his article – cell
phones can be expensive.
Young adults are not yet
self-sufficient, and as such,
may have to work extra
hours or rely on their parents
to pay for their cell phones.
So be it. If students want to
have the extra responsibility, there is nothing wrong
with that. My cell phone is
easily one of the best things
I own. There are disadvantages to cell phones, but the
advantages far outweigh
them for the average college student. For your own
convenience and the convenience of your friends and
family, buy one.
NEWS
TECHNEWS
SHERINE GEORGE, EDITOR
6
TUESDAY, OCT. 25 2005
[email protected]
Space economy and military fever in China
By Vijay Muthabathula
TECHNEWS WRITER
C
hina, the most populated nation in the
world, has a huge military economy. Its
space economy is been in good shape and it
has been established by launch of two manned
spacecrafts in two years (2003 and recently
2005) making it the third country to send humans into space after United States and Russia. Recent developments in these fields are
garnering an interest among the foreign policy
issue makers in Washington.
Asiaʼs new giant – the Peopleʼs Republic of China – might be Americaʼs next big
foreign policy challenge. China is now being
viewed as a challenge to United States for preminenence in the Pacific and more so even
globally. Now there is a lot more speculation
about the future relationships between Asiaʼs
new giant and the United States because of the
current trends in Chinaʼs economy.
Chinaʼs military program has undergone
a defense modernization program which is
causing anxiety both in Washington and in
capitals across Asia. China boasts of having
the worldʼs second-largest defense budget and
itʼs been planned that it will be developing a
world-class defense industry in 10 to 15 years.
China imports most of its defense equipment
and weapons from Russia, making progress in
developing its own missiles, submarines, and
naval ships.
On October 15, 2005, China launched
its second manned spacecraft designed by its
own technology experts. China spends over
10 billion Yuan (US $1.2 billion) according to
Professor Han Liyan from the Business Management Institute of the Beijing University of
Aeronautics and Astronautics. Shenzhou VI is
the second manned space flight involving key
technologies in launching, satellite manufacture and retrieval, monitoring and control, as
well as life guarantee systems. This improvement of Chinaʼs space technology can play a
key role in improvement of GDP.
Trade is another factor of contention between U.S and the Peopleʼs Republic of China.
American trade deficit with China this year is
expected to top $700 billion, surpassing last
yearʼs record $617 billion.
But one thing is certain: Whether China
is partner or peril will depend on various issues such as Taiwan, proliferation, democracy, trade, and human rights. The choice is
Chinaʼs.
Courtesy: China Daily
Weight loss an effective aphrodisiac Local News Briefs
By Vijay Muthabathula
TECHNEWS WRITER
“
Aphrodisiac” was coined
by H.E. Wedeck, who
composed the dictionary of
lead a happy life.
It is believed in yoga
that sex has to be a natural
function, which will be helpful in a loving relationship
and of course, indispensable
stresses and strains while doing job, not exercising regularly.
Obesity is one of the
leading causes of diseases
such as diabetes and many
Here are some of the tips
which can help you achieve
your weight loss success:
1
. Never skip a meal. A full
stomach means less craving for food.
2
. Donʼt expect to
achieve weight loss in
less time, have patience.
3
. Donʼt get disappointed when you donʼt
achieve your goal. Stress
keeps you fat, so always
be cheerful.
4
. Follow a sensible
diet which consists of
fruits and vegetables.
5
. Never go hungry; going hungry is the biggest diet-killer!
6
Courtesy of Yoga for Weight Reduction on google.com
aphrodisiacs. This term is
actually taken from the myth
of the Greek goddess of love,
Aphrodite, who sprang forth
from the sea on an oyster
shell.
It is well known that a
physically fit person can enjoy the pleasure of sexual
life. It has been proved beyond a doubt that a fulfilling
sexual life is necessary to
for the continuation of the
human race on the earth.
Maintaining
body
weight and keeping the body
fit can enhance your sexual
life. If our body is not taken
care of or diet is unbalanced,
it can lead to excessive
body fat and also to obesity.
These factors are all related
to unhealthy life style, such
as working for long hours,
others. So weight loss drugs
marketed by chemical industries are springing up, which
might be popular for short
term results. But, ultimately
for the long run, itʼs weight
training which is best for
maintaining body weight.
Maintaining your body
weight not only keeps your
body fit but also improves
your sexual performance.
. Lastly , the weight
loss is affected a lot
of factors such as present
Body Mass index(BMI),
state of health, activity,
intake of calories, age,
gender, lifestyle, and
stress level.
According to U.S
researchers, obese individuals who achieved weight loss
enjoyed enhanced sex lives,
feeling healthier than they
were before. Weight loss definitely improves your body
image and boosts your outlook. Weight management as
well as your diet plays a key
role in your sexual life.
Courtesy: InternationalDietCenter.
Bird Flu: EUʼs mounting threat?
continued from Front Page
the spread of bird flu. Treatments exist for the virus but are
currently in short supply. Roche, a Swiss pharmaceuticals
company, produces Tamiflu, the most effective antiviral
medication against H5N1. Roche is planning to increase
the number of production licenses for Tamiflu in the hopes
of increasing its supply before the virus spreads further.
The most lethal pandemic of recent history, the
“Spanish influenza” of 1918-1919, killed 50 million people. Recent research suggests that this strain was origi-
nally an avian influenza virus that mutated to infect humans. According to the World Health Organization, the
“next pandemic is simply a matter of time.” The EU and
countries from Russia to Argentina are taking precautions
to combat the possibility of a pandemic.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6880869/
http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2005/10/19/
health/12345898&sec=health
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,135091835730,00.html
By Vijay Muthabathula
TECHNEWS WRITER
Virginia-based oil company pleads guilty in bribe
scandal
Virginia based oil trading company, Midway Trading, was accused of paying $400,000 on account
of bribing Iraqi officials for oil purchases under a UN
scheme. This scheme known as oil-for-food ran from
1996 until 2003, was highly corrupted by Iraqi government, politicians and some UN officials.
Courtesy: BBC News
A
North Carolina tops in math average but falls below
average in reading
ccording to a National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) report, it was stated that nearly
40 percent of fourth-graders and 31 percent of eighthgraders performed below a basic level of proficiency in
reading. However, they did well in securing top positions in Math scores. The NAEP test is considered the
best benchmark of progress which assesses math and
reading in several areas with performance scale from
0 to 500.
A
Courtesy: news14charlottle.com
Chances of hike in Metra fares
ccording to the 2006 budget proposal, riders will
have to pay an extra 5 percent to take the train
compared to the present year. The reason for this hike
was due to the skyrocketing fuel costs and security expenses. If the budget and finance committee approves
this proposal, the new fares would go into effect starting in February next year.
Courtesy: Chicago Tribune
A
State of Emergency declared in Florida
state of emergency has been declared, on account
of approaching Hurricane Wilma. But there was a
chance when the stormʼs slower pace delayed its likely
landfall. According to Hurricane Center Director, the
storm could weaken from Category 4 to category 3
or even less before it strikes southwest coast, Naples,
Florida.
Courtesy: Suntimes
A
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
CHICAGO
TECHNEWS
COLIN EMCH-WEI, EDITOR
7
[email protected]
City lights: the marvelous majestic millennium
By John Brilla
TECHNEWS WRITER
H
ave you ever simply sat
somewhere, marveling
at the way in which a building captures the light, the way
in which it changes the illumination around it? It is my
contention that the success of
architecture depends highly
upon the mastery with which
it is illuminated, as well as the
majesty with which it handles
and reshapes the surrounding
light. I would even go so far
as to say that the quality with
which a single entity is lit,
can and most likely will effect all adjoining entities, and
each must be courteous to the
others so as not to destroy the
aura of the area. But beyond
this, the success of architecture lies in its abilities to present itself soulfully and simply
to through the most simplistic
of means, reducing it from a
discussion of architecture to a
discussion on how wondrously
it asks light to interact.
It is then no surprise that,
not simply for the architecture, but more inclusively its
abilities to live in a harmony
of illumination, Millennium
Park in downtown Chicago,
has some of the most aweinspiring movements of light
that I have ever seen. As with
an aurora, the colors change
sensually and somewhat naturally, but no matter the colors,
the change always leaves the
mind with a mystical sense of
wonder.
Ah, then there are those
areas in which the light does
not change colors, a simple set
of flood lights shining across a
pool of water to cast a reflective glow onto a yellow stone
wall. These areas, though having little color, never allow the
mind to think of this absence,
and declare to you the majesty
of simple illumination. As I
have interpreted it, this acts as
though it were a palate cleanser through one level of sense,
while acting as a sensory stimulant through another.
Then, most amazingly,
there exists the creation of light
from a body which contains no
ability to create light for itself,
the body of reflective metallic.
The entity captures the emissions of the surrounding areas
and re-emanates them as soulfully as it chooses. This type
of creation and manipulation
of illumination becomes one
of the most profound statements within the frame of
view, as well as beyond.
As I have previously
stated, it is my belief that
Millennium Park is not only
a playground for the mind architecturally, but should be
that for the eye of any human
being, and has been given the
ability to become such through
its mastery of the numerous
levels of visual sensory activation. One does not need an
architectural background to
become enthralled by the surrounding visions; he/she sim-
ply needs to be open to discovering them.
In one final attempt, if
my intentionally vague statements have not enticed you to
start perceiving the world in
a new way, if they have not
driven you to interest, I declare to you, go out into the
world in which you live and
experience it! An experience
can be an experience in an
infinite number of ways, and
I wish you the best of luck
in discovering them all, and
I leave the methods in which
you achieve the ends solely
within your hands.
CHICAGO
TECHNEWS
8
COLIN EMCH-WEI, EDITOR
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
[email protected]
Boots are Made for Walking: A Stroll Spot
By Colin Emch-Wei
CHICAGO EDITOR
I
n a city like Chicago, one that is completely
dominated by its public transportation, one
would correctly assume that the second most
frequented mode of travel is by foot. However,
it comes to mind that not all places in Chicago
are the best for walking around in.
Luckily, there is an abundance of areas to
walk around in the vicinity. Just a short Green
Line trip up is the Adams and Wabash stop,
where the casual pedestrian is greeted by many
different sights to see.
If you are the classical artsy type, the Art
Institute of Chicago is almost directly across the
street from the Green Line. Here, you can gaze
longingly at the classic American Gothic, or refresh your artistic palate with some Rembrandt.
Of course, there are many more fabulous works
of art here, and traveling exhibits are often the
star attraction. If this hasnʼt convinced you yet
to take a look, consider this: the museum is
open to the public and totally free every Tuesday. Now go run off and get cultured.
Just down the street is the almost-brandnew Millennium Park. Itʼs a great place to stroll
around, to take pictures, and simply to peoplewatch. If youʼre a fitness nut, you can join the
other nuts in the seemingly perpetual jogging
circles that frequent the spot.
After youʼve walked around long
enough, youʼre bound to get at least a little
hungry. Never fear; there are places to eat on
at least every street corner, and probably in
every other storefront. These restaurants stay
open long enough to be considered a main
aspect of a successful nightlife, and should
definitely be considered when planning a Saturday night.
If youʼre the kind of person who likes to
spend a couple of bucks, there are plenty of
places to get rid of the green burning in your
pocket. A Tower Records lurks around Adams
Street, and the famous Prairie Bookstore is just
a few blocks South of the Green Line stop. Trust
me, you and your money will soon be parted,
and you wonʼt be a fool for doing so.
Next time someone on campus complains
that thereʼs nowhere to walk around and enjoy
the sights, politely give them a hard shove towards the general direction of the Green Line.
Heck, push yourself there too while youʼre at it.
Make it a date.
From the Silver Screen to Semi-Gloss
By Joshua Mullin
OPINION EDITOR
T
he Illinois Institute of
Technology may be
ranked #20 on the “Dorms
like Dungeons” category,
as rated by the Princeton
Review, but there is something simple to be done
about that. MSVers: Hate
your “institution yellow”
walls? SSVers: Looking for
something to spruce up all
that concrete and drywall?
Grab that U-Pass and head
up to the Belmont stop
on the Red Line. There,
you will find the greatest
store ever: beyondthewall.
Whether youʼre thinking
a giant cuddly picture of a
kitten to hang next to your
closet, or you just must have
that periodic table of mixology for Friday nights, beyondthewall has exactly what
youʼre looking for.
beyondthewall has an atmosphere unlike that of most
other stores in Chicago. The
store itself has kind of a heavy
metal record store appeal to
it. There is always loud music blaring, and the store is
always packed full of people.
There are posters of all sorts
of famous people framed and
put on the wall, most of which
are for sale. However, the gist
of the storeʼs inventory is located in the giant flip-through
books.
Those who were on campus during beyondthewallʼs
appearance in the MTCC may
have had the pleasure of flip-
ping through the poster
books, pointing and gawking at all the memorable or
funny posters. At the store
itself, there are far more
posters to flip through.
Movies that have been
long forgotten by most of
society, popular new Hollywood releases, and esoteric pictures of obscure
bands riddle the long tables
full of posters.
Interested? Head on
over to beyondthewall and
pick yourself up a beer
pong poster for $9. After
all, “Heroes are made one
cup at a time.”
beyondthewall is located at 935 W. Belmont.
They also have a web site,
www.beyondthewall.com.
Photo by Colin Emch-Wei
The Art Institute of Chicago, home of such famous works as American Gothic and numerous traveling exhibits.
For those about to rock
By Justin Schenck
COPY EDITOR
A
re you tired of having
to explain what “I like
heavy metal music” means?
When you say that you like
heavy metal, are you tired of
the question “Oh, like Slipknot?” (or any other similar
band?) When you go to a music store to quell the urge to
buy a metal CD, are you tired
of the metal selection being
limited to the latest Cradle of
Filth or Dimmu Borgir album?
I am too. Fortunately, thereʼs a
solution.
Metal Haven is an independently owned retail store
located in the Lakeview neighborhood. It is a music store exclusively for and by the heavy
metal fan. When you walk in
the small store, racks of CDs,
VHS, and DVD recorded
concerts alike fill the room, TShirts of all varieties of metal
bands drape from the ceiling,
and even records and cassettes
line the walls. There is something here for any metal fan.
No matter if youʼre searching for the progressive rock
kings Stratovarius and Dream
Theater, female-fronted rock
opera bands like Nightwish
and Within Temptation, brutal
death metal such as Bane of
Existence and Virulence, black
metal from the dark corners of
Scandinavia like Emperor and
Darkthrone, or anything in
between – youʼll find it here.
Even if youʼre just looking for
some good old fashioned ʻ80s
rock, there are plenty of things
to spend your money on. The
first time I went to Metal Haven last year, I was quite impressed. I also left with an
opaque black bag and $80 less
in my pocket. These results are
not the exception. I introduced
my girlfriend to Metal Haven
earlier this semester. She, too,
left with an opaque black bag
and $60 less in her pocket.
Metal Haven Chicago is
known by heavy metal fans all
across the country. Whenever
people come to Chicago for a
metal show, Metal Haven is
surely on the list of places to
stop. Itʼs one of the few stores
in the entire country designed
for metal fans and owned by
metal fans. If youʼre interested, you have two options.
You can order online from
their website at www.metalhavenchicago.com. If youʼd
rather experience the greatness
for yourself, hop on the Red
Line to Belmont. Metal Haven
is at 604 W. Belmont(on the
northwest corner of Belmont
and Broadway,) only a couple
blocks east of the Belmont
CTA stop. Their hours are 19pm Tuesday-Thursday, 129pm Friday and Saturday, 16pm on Sunday, and they are
closed Mondays.
Restaurant reviews, great eats in Chicago
By Callie Johnson
TECHNEWS WRITER
Grecian Corner
6701 W. 111th St.
Worth, IL 60482-1911
708-448-4799
You are going to need a car and some
time to kill. However, some restaurants are
worth it—worth the drive, worth the traffic, worth the headache. The food has to be
great, and so does the service. There is a
Greek restaurant off of Interstate 294 that is
completely worth the trouble.
Family owned and operated, Grecian Corner is simply fantastic. The décor
of the restaurant is homey—the booths are
comfortable, the lighting is not glaring and
not so dim you cannot see. You are seated
immediately, and your waitress is right at
your table. The menu is extensive. You can
choose from gyros to salmon. The spinach
and feta triangles on the appetizer portion on
the menu are also wonderful. Also included
on the menu is the normal Greek fare. After
you are done eating, you can sit and talk with
your friends or your date for as long as you
like. The owners and the waitresses are not in
a hurry to get you out in order to seat someone
else at your table. This is a rarity when eating in
the Chicago area. The price of food is reasonable—$8 to $15 per entrée, and you get quite
a bit of food. So, bring your appetite, bring
your friends, and bring the driving music. (And
maybe a bottle of ibuprofen for the drive, too)
There are not many places I would suggest dining at if you have to drive some serious
distance. However, some restaurants are completely worth it. So, if you have a car, a desire
to put some miles between you and campus, and
an appetite for Greek food, Grecian Corner is a
place you should definitely try.
Grade: A
Ember Grille
320 N. Dearborn St.
312-836-5499
Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner: 5:30-10 p.m.
Some restaurants require you to put down
some major cash. This is fine—I was looking
for something nice to take someone special to.
After my first choice fell through, I decided to
go to the Ember Grille. It is conveniently located a couple of blocks south and west of the
Grand stop off of the Red Line in the Westin
Chicago River North. The reviews of it on the
internet made it sound like a great place to go,
so it sounded like a good idea at the time.
I did not have reservations, but I was seated immediately. The restaurant is small, but the
ambiance makes you feel, well, fancy. My waiter was right there every time I needed anything,
and he had a great sense of humor. He was
knowledgeable of the menu, and he was, well,
just pleasant in general. The menu choices were
not extensive—I chose the grilled whole snapper. I also decided that the Lobster Corn Bisque
sounded good, as well. The Bisque was fantastic—at $8, it had to be. However, my main
course, my snapper, which was to fulfill all my
hopes and dreams of what snapper should taste
like, fell somewhat short of what I expected.
If it had cost something like $15, I would
not be as disappointed as I was. Costing
somewhere in the $30 range, I guess I have
license to expect more than what I got. But
maybe I was setting the bar a little too high.
(Well, not really.) Everything else was wonderful, but the food is what you are going to
a restaurant for, and when that is not what
you want, especially when you are really
paying for it, disappointment is definitely
the feeling you get.
The bottom line: if you want to spend
some major cash on a really nice dinner, go
ahead. There are plenty of nice restaurants in
the Chicago area where you can do just that.
However, if you want good food as well as
great service, I would not go here. You are
better spending your evening waiting for a
table at the Cheesecake Factory—where you
know the food is good and you do not have
to spend $30 an entrée, either.
Grade: B-
ARTS
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
TECHNEWS
ALICE WONG, EDITOR
[email protected]
9
Cinderella: a spectacular and comical opera
By Alice Wong
nerentola (Cinderella), his stepdaughter, whose
given name is Angelina and serves as the family maid, sings a forlorn ditty about a king who
inderella or La Cenerentola is a marvelous found a wife among the common folk. When a
masterpiece composed by Gioachino Ros- beggar appears, the stepsisters want to send him
sini. This spectacular and at times comical op- away, but Cenerentola offers him bread and cofera is not your typical Disneyʼs Cinderella story. fee. While he stands by the door, several courtiers
Interesting twists and substitutions are cleverly arrive to announce that Prince Ramiro will soon
weaved into the fascinating plot that is presented pay a visit: he is looking for the most beautiful
by the Lyric Opera until November 4th. Vesselina girl in the land to wed.
The sisters order Cenerentola to fetch them
Kasarovaʼs magnificent Mezzo Soprano voice is
more jewels.
Magnifico,
awakened by
the commotion, comes
to
investigate, scolding
the girls for
interrupting
his
dream
of a donkey
that sprouted
wings. When
he learns of
the princeʼs
visit, he exhorts
the
girls to save
the
family
fortunes by
capturing the
Photo by Alice Wong
young manʼs
fancy. All reThe Lyric Opera House is home to Cinderalla. The Lyric Opera is internationally
tire to their
recognized as a great opera company of our time.
rooms, and
Prince Ramiro
exceptional while Juan Diego Flórez, a fantastic - disguised as his own valet - arrives alone, so as
tenor, as Prince Charming, is capable of making to see the women of the household without their
the ladies swoon. Itʼs definitely an opera not to be knowing who he is.
The handsome stranger startles Cenerentola,
missed out on.
ACT I. Late eighteenth or early nineteenth and each admires the other. When asked who she
century. In the run-down mansion of Don Mag- is, Cenerentola gives a flustered explanation about
nifico, Baron of Montefiascone, his two daugh- her motherʼs death and her servile position, then
ters, Clorinda and Tisbe, try on finery while Ce- excuses herself to respond to her stepsistersʼ call.
ARTS EDITOR
C
Chicago artistsʼ
month 2005
By Alice Wong
ARTS EDITOR
O
ctober is Chicago
Artistsʼ Month and
throughout Chicago, you
can see illustrations done
by many prominent artists
from around the world. If
you missed the first half of
the events from this celebration, refer to the list
of happenings that are still
going on now and donʼt
fail to go see it.
Sapphire and Crystals:
Black, White, and Blues
Now through November
10
Woman Made Gallery
2418 W. Bloomingdale
Avenue
See demonstrations of cutting, application, and design, using mosaic materials such as marble, glass,
and ceramic
Dia de los Muertos: The
Journey Home
Now through December
11
Visit the nationʼs largest
Dia de los Muertos (Day
of the Dead) exhibition
and the special ofrendas
created in memory of Carlos Cortez, Ed Paschke,
and Allen Stringfellow
Art in the Abstract
Now through February 17
Compare the work of notable abstract artists of Illinois from the past and the
present at this exhibition
of 39 paintings, drawings,
and prints from 1913 to
2002.
Images of the Past: Collections of Artwork from
the ʻ40s, ʻ50s, ʻ60s, and
ʻ70s
Now through November
19
Celebrate the South Side
Community Art Centerʼs
65th anniversary at this
exhibition featuring works
from the WPA, Africobra,
and Muralist movements.
When Magnifico enters, Ramiro says the prince
will be along shortly. Magnifico fetches Clorinda
and Tisbe, and they greet Dandini - the princeʼs
valet, disguised as the prince himself - playing his
role to the hilt as he searches for the fairest in the
realm. The sisters fawn over Dandini, who invites
them to a ball. Don Magnifico also prepares to
leave, arguing with Cenerentola, who does not
want to be left behind. Ramiro notes how badly
Cenerentola is treated. His tutor, Alidoro, still
dressed as the beggar, reads from a census list
and asks for the third daughter of the household.
Magnifico denies she is still alive. Once Dandini
has left with Magnifico, Alidoro tells Cenerentola
she is to accompany him to the ball. Casting off
his rags, he identifies himself as a member of the
court and assures the girl that heaven will reward
her purity of heart.
Dandini escorts the two sisters into the royal
country house and offers Magnifico a tour of the
wine cellar, hoping to get him drunk. Dandini
disentangles himself from the sisters and says
he will see them later. In a drawing room of the
palace, Magnifico is hailed as the princeʼs new
wine counselor. No one, he decrees, shall mix a
drop of water with any wine for the next fifteen
years. Looking forward to the feast, he and his
attendants leave. Dandini reports to the prince
with his negative opinion of the two sisters. This
confuses Ramiro, who has heard Alidoro speak
well of one of Magnificoʼs daughters. Clorinda
and Tisbe rejoin Dandini; when he offers Ramiro
as an escort for one of them, they turn their noses
up at a mere groom.
Alidoro announces the arrival of an unknown, veiled lady. Ramiro recognizes something in her voice. When she lifts her veil, he and
Dandini, as well as the sisters, sense something
familiar about her appearance. Their confusion
is shared by Magnifico, who comes to announce
supper and notices the newcomerʼs resemblance
to Cenerentola. All feel they are in a dream but
on the verge of being awakened by some rude
shock.
ACT II. In a room of the palace, Magnif-
ico stews over this new threat to his daughtersʼ
eligibility, telling them not to forget his importance when either of them ascends the throne. He
leaves with the girls, whereupon Ramiro wanders
in, smitten with the newly arrived guest because
of her resemblance to the girl he met that morning. He conceals himself as Dandini arrives with
the magnificently attired Cenerentola, courting
her. She politely declines, saying she is in love
with someone else - his groom. At this the delighted Ramiro steps forth. To test his sincerity,
she gives him one of a pair of matching bracelets,
saying that if he really cares for her, he will find
her. After she leaves, Ramiro, with Alidoroʼs encouragement, calls his men together, so that the
search can begin. Once again the princeʼs valet,
Dandini, faces Magnifico, who still believes he
is the prince and insists he decide which daughter
to marry. Dandini confesses he is a valet. When
Magnifico turns indignant, Dandini orders him
out of the palace.
At Magnificoʼs house, Cenerentola again in
rags, tends the fire and sings her ballad. Magnifico
and the sisters return, all in a vile mood, and order
Cenerentola to prepare supper. She obeys, as a
thunderstorm rages. Dandini appears at the door,
saying the princeʼs carriage has overturned outside. Cenerentola, bringing a chair for the prince,
realizes he is Ramiro; he in turn recognizes her
bracelet. Confusion reigns as Magnifico and
his daughters smart from their defeat; angered
by such meanness, Ramiro threatens them, but
Cenerentola asks him to show mercy. Her family still against her, Cenerentola leaves with the
prince, while Alidoro gives thanks to heaven for
this happy outcome.
In the throne room of Ramiroʼs palace,
Magnifico curries favor with the newly created
princess, but she asks only to be acknowledged at
last as his daughter. Secure in her happiness, she
asks the prince to forgive Magnifico and the two
stepsisters; born to misfortune, she has seen her
fortunes change. Chastened, her father and stepsisters embrace her as she declares that her days
of sitting by the fire are over.
Purlie: a glorious musical in Chicago
By Alice Wong
ARTS EDITOR
C
apʼn Cotchipee owns the small Southern
town and everyone that lives in it. With
ice cold blue blood in his veins and a bullwhip
in his hand, he has oppressed the townsfolk
for as long as anyone can remember; and now
he is threatening to destroy Big Bethel, the
church that is the heart of the community. Black
preacher Purlie Victorious hopes to get back his
church by swindling Olʼ Capʼn Stonewall Jackson Cotchipee, owner of the plantation where
Purlieʼs parishioners labor in sharecropper servitude. The plot takes a dangerous turn when
the lecherous Cotchipee shows an interest in
Purlieʼs girlfriend and coconspirator, Lutiebelle
Gussie Mae Jenkins, but Purlie saves the day
with the help of Cotchipeeʼs rebellious son, a
would-be protest singer. Based on a 1961 folk
comedy by Ossie Davis, the show bursts with
overbearing humor. Performed at the Goodman
Theatre on 170 North Dearborn Street until October 30th, so donʼt miss it!
The Goodman Theater is home to Purlie, directed by Sheldon Epps. The theater
sat next to the Art Institute in the late 1960s.
TECHNOLOGY
10
KEVIN HENRY, EDITOR
TECHNEWS
[email protected]
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
Break out the tinfoil helmets
By Joshua Mullin
OPINION EDITOR
I
f I told you that I could tell
you the exact date and time
the newspaper you hold in
your hand was printed, what
would you think? Youʼd probably say, “He must have been
there when the paper was
printed. Thatʼs nothing special.” Now, what if I told you
I could tell you when your
copy of the Chicago Tribune
was published, to the min-
ute, or that that copy of “The
Revolutionary Worker” in
your desk drawer came from
a Xerox printer, and then I
cited the printerʼs serial number to you? Would that be different? Wouldnʼt it be incredibly scary if the government
could trace every piece of paper printed from every single
color printer manufactured
within the last ten years to the
date, time, and specific printer
that printed it? Did you register the last printer you bought
FreshTech
By Kevin Henry
TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Aluminum bullet-proof glass?
The US Air Force is currently testing a new bulletproof armor window made out of aluminum. Known as
ALON, or aluminum oxynitride, the transparent material
is much lighter and stronger than the current bullet-proof
glass used by the military. ALON is a ceramic compound,
with similar properties to sapphire. The material has been
tested to withstand bullets from high-powered sniper rifles
that would require inches more of current bullet-proof
glass materials to withstand. The only drawback of the
new material is the current cost is three times that of current bullet-proof glass.
Smallest cars have large potential
Scientists have made the worldʼs smallest car. At only
four nanometers across, the car is made from parts inside
a single molecule. The car contains a chassis, four wheels
on two axels and a pivoting suspension system. Using
certain chemical properties, the cars can even be moved
when heated. Scientists hope they can use this to develop
“nanotrucks,” or tiny vehicles that could move atoms and
molecules around in nanofactories.
Check your email in your cornfield
Recently there has been much talk about creating
city-wide wireless networks, although the one drawback
has been competition from local phone companies. However, in Oregon, an entrepreneur has found a way around
this problem by building the largest wireless network in a
rural area of Oregon. The 700 square mile wireless cloud
provides free internet access to local farmers and residents.
The large network is supported by contracts with city and
county agencies, as well as larger farms. The system is
built so farmers can even check the status of certain crops
in real-time.
The fuel-cell Nano Phone
Roman Kriheli has created a concept for a new phone
that utilizes a fuel-cell induction-charged battery. The item
to pay attention to on this phone, however, is a full-body
screen. The touch sensitive display can switch between a
keypad and a caller ID or a menu. If tilted horizontally, it
can even be used to view movies.
Feel safe wearing $900 of denim
A body armor company is selling a modified Levis
Strauss denim jacket with a level IIIA bullet-proof lining
sewn into the inside of the jacket. The jacket can provide
protection from a variety of bullets, up to rounds from a
.44 magnum.
Sheets to creep out the kids
WestPoint Home has created smart sheets that are interactive. Special conductive threads woven into the fabric
of a Cinderella themed comforter light up lights and play
sounds as theyʼre moved. The fabric also has the potential
to interact with other products, such as lights and appliances. The machine washable smart fabric is just a start to
the “smart” bedroom products WestPoint Home may have
in store.
Another shirt for the uber-geek
Muzikware has introduced a shirt with their new
“Wire Management System.” The shirt works with small
MP3 players such as the iPod nano, or the Sony NW-E500.
Three special pockets make up the “Wire Management
System.” A pocket on the sleeve is the “Digital Player
Pocket”, the “Slack Pocket” hides the slack in the cord,
and the“Grip” on the back of the neck holds the headphone
wires behind the head as they go to the ears.
with its manufacturer?
It has happened, and the
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first group of
people who have identified it.
They claim that every printer
manufactured within the last
ten years carries a dot pattern that is printed with every
sheet of paper fed through
the printer. Encoded in this
dot pattern is the exact date,
time, and serial number of
the printer (see picture). The
code is printed in such a way
that it cannot be seen with the
naked eye. The EFF staff that
cracked the code used blue
light emitting diodes (LEDs)
and microscopes to view the
dots responsible for tracing
the documents.
On their web site, the
EFF goes through a tutorial
on how to crack the code for
a Xerox color laser printer.
This is the only printer that
has a dot pattern that has
been deciphered so far. However, each of the major print-
ing manufacturers, including
Hewlett Packard, Epson, and
Lexmark, have had dot patterns identified that follow
suit with Xeroxʼs cracked
one.
Whatʼs more is that there
are no laws on the books to
govern such actions. It is not
illegal for the FBI to track a
document to its owner “by
any means possible.” This
includes use of these dot patterns. Printer manufacturers
have hidden, as Adobe did
when they created the feature that stops people from
counterfeiting money with
Photoshop, behind a weak,
“The government asked us
to do it, and we complied.”
Move your thumb a little to
the left, America. Big Brother
is about to give us our daily
briefing on which facts from
yesterday need to be forgotten for the new versions of
the truth, but he needs to scan
your newspaperʼs absolute
date first.
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
I-TECH
TECHNEWS
SHRAVANI PASUPNETI, EDITOR
11
[email protected]
I-Fest day program fills HUB with ethnic flare
terested in food or cultures, there was something for everyone. Spainʼs representatives
played music and danced as students enjoyed
n Friday, October 21, the Herman Union their booth. At Thailandʼs booth, while stuBuilding became a melting pot of cultures dents were waiting in line for food, they were
from around the world. Over eighteen student treated to beautiful posters and videos depictgroups came together to celebrate diversity ing Thailand.
and pride in their countries and cultures for
Many countries also displayed crafts
Illinois Institute of Technologyʼs thirtieth an- and gifts from their home countries. Africa
nual International Fest sponsored by the Inter- displayed carved wooden figures, drums, and
national Students Association.
jewelry. At Chinaʼs booth, prints of Chinese
I-Fest participants came from countries art, and traditional decorations were for sale.
from all around the globe. Just a few of them Other countries provided information about
are Vietnam, India, Taiwan, Iran, and Turkey. their cultures. The Muslim Students AssociaEach student group decorated, or in some tion passed out copies of the Quran, and inforcases constructed, a booth that displayed as- mational booklets.
pects of their culture, and all of the booths also
The most exciting part of I-Fest is the celserved traditional food from their home coun- ebration of diversity. Each booth was unique.
tries. Nor Tanapura, a freshman aerospace ma- Crystal Reynolds, a freshman biology prejor said, “My favorite food was the potato dish med major, said her favorite part of I-Fest was
“seeing
all of the
students
in
their
traditional
clothing,
having
fun, and
celebrating their
countries.”
“ I Fest just
has a great
a t m o sphere,”
said fourth
year
arPhoto By Michael Merkley
chitecture
student
Crystal
Turkey’s booth brought in great interest from students, faculty and staff as well as
IIT visitors.
RichardsJinenes,
“Everyone
is happy,
from Belarus. It was simple, but really tasty.”
we are playing music, and having fun.” RichEvery country had a unique menu, and ards-Jinenes is a member of Latinos Involved
some even provided free food. One of the lon- in Further Education, LIFE, and is from Costa
gest lines at I-Fest was for the Indian Students Rica. She was the only representative from
Association selection of Indian cuisine. An- Costa Rica, but LIFE brought students from
other popular booth was Pakistanʼs ʻdhabbaʼ. all over Latin America to join in on the celDhabba is a term for a small café in Pakistan. ebration. The LIFE booth was a vibrantly colThe dhabba provided free food from Paki- ored vehicle that was carried around the HUB
stan.
towards the end of the dayʼs events.
Whether students visiting I-Fest were inLIFE was not the only country that was
By Kevin Arnold
STAFF WRITER
O
SGA meeting briefs: October 18, 2005
Announcements
Student Activities
Day of Service
Saturday October 29th.
Signup in MTCC room
207.
Installation of New
Officer
President Jason Tenenbaum installed the new
Associate Vice President
for Communications Ian
Roe.
Committee Reports
Finance Board Chair: Tim Schug
There was $232,928.55 in
the SAF.
The school has accepted a
new policy of 48.5 cents
per mile for driving costs.
SGA Advancement: Brandon Lloyd
Completed a report on student
governments from 15 universities
Report will be reviewed and
amendments will be brought
forth to better SGA
Hawkeyes: Steffany Evanoff
Costume bowling with Strike
Force Bowling Society Friday
8pm-11pm
Topic of Discussion with
Meg Mattson
Discussed the possibility of a
rental car company on campus
for drivers over 21.
It is being currently looked
into and the web site is zip-
cars.com
Cost of $25 per year plus
$8.50 an hour.
Finance Board Selection
Committee Nominations
Members of this committee are responsible for
selecting and interviewing
the FB member.
Nominations open, to be
closed on November 1st.
Finance Board
Nominations
There will be 6 positions
open on Finance Board
Nominations are open and
to be closed on November
1st.
Next SGA meeting...
Tuesday November 1st
9:15pm, Perlstein Hall Auditorium
having fun
during the
dayʼs festivities.
F r a n c e ʼs
delegation
at the festival served
e a g e r
students
French cuisine while
donning
large chefsʼ
hats. From
the smiles
seen as students left
Photo By Michael Merkley
the HUB,
it was clear
that
the
Photo Editor Michael Merkley catches IIT students enjoying the variety of food availevent was
able at the 30th International Fest.
also fun for
those in atshe said, “I just really enjoy I-Fest. It is fun to
tendance.
Shivam Srivastava, the International Students experience the diversity, and it feels good to
Association president seemed pleased with represent your country,”
It was clear that Vietnam was excited
the event. “It has been a very successful I-Fest
so far. We have worked for over two months about being recognized for the hard work
on the event, and it has been a lot of fun.” He they put into their booth. When the ISO presialso said his favorite part of I-Fest is not the dent announced that Vietnam had received
event itself. Instead, he enjoys seeing all of the first prize for their booth, the entire group all
students getting together before the event. “It yelled together, and jumped up and down as
is great to see everyone come together to work they made their way to the stage.
The celebration was not long though. The
and have fun,” he said.
Near the completion of the day portion students involved in I-Fest were finished with
of I-Fest, Srivastava announced the winners of the day portion of I-Fest, but one of the most
the contest for the country with the best booth. popular parts of the event comes later, durThird place went to LIFE, for their vibrantly ing the evening performances of each of the
colored, fun, and inviting booth. Second place student groups. The group had just over five
went to Indiaʼs booth. India was by far one of hours to get ready for their performances, and
the most popular booths. It was rarely empty, the afternoon was spent in preparation for the
and the atmosphere the booth created was evening event.
The International Fest was certainly a
unique, and exciting. The standout organization, which took first place, was Vietnam. The big success this year. Students seemed to regroup built an amazing hut, complete with a ally enjoy the event. The diversity and cultural
newspaper-thatched roof. Their booth was experience at the event is unrivaled at IIT. It
also filled with many students from Vietnam, truly is amazing to see students from all over
and they provided a wide variety of food. Hao the world come together for a fun day of food,
Nguyen, a third year molecular biochemistry unity, and pride. The I-Fest had something
and biophysics major, was one of the repre- for everyone. There was dancing and music,
sentatives from the Vietnamese Studentsʼ As- crafts and gifts, and free and cheap food that
sociation, and she said, “We worked hard on was a refreshing taste of home for some, and
our hut. It took a couple days to build, but we an exotic new experience for others.
had a lot of great teamwork, and a lot of fun,”
I-TECH
TECHNEWS
12
SHRAVANI PASUPNETI, EDITOR
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
[email protected]
The evening of International Fest- a cultural explosion
By Alice Jacob
STAFF WRITER
T
a dance developed by African slaves, in which
the dancers raised their skirts to show their
slips to ridicule the attire worn by the plantation ladies. The next performance was particularly noteworthy because Roman Kofman
impressed the audience with a dance based on
bull fights. Last, but not least, was the performance put on by the African Students Association, “Sango,” a mythical African legend.
The night ended with a dazzling fashion show
portraying various cultural attires of vibrant
colors and styles. The last models on the ramp
were two little guests dressed in traditional
Iranian clothes.
In the end, the judges, Celia Bergman,
Lovetta Houston and Keith Green announced
the results by proclaiming ASO in third place,
Vietnamese Student Association at second,
and India at first place. There was some disagreement from the audience with the decision
of the judges. A lot of people in the audience
seemed to think that France should have ended
up in the top three. In fact one student vehemently expressed his disappointment saying,
“France should have been in the top three
because the audience was rooting for them.”
Krisztina Lorentz, ISO Advisor, responded to
this by saying that France had in fact almost
made it to the top three and commented that
she was pleased to see the French students performing this year. She was both excited and
relieved that the show went well. She has been
organizing International Fest for the past six
years because this event in particular is like no
other in showcasing both talent from around
the world and a taste of the rich diversity that
IIT has to lend its students. Although I-Fest
he fusion of different cultures and traditions, not to mention the colors and sounds
of homeland are a few things that are bound to
keep people enthralled and in their seats, and
the 30th Annual International Fest was no exception. From the soothing sounds of guitars
playing to the vibrant fashion show, every item
last night left its mark in all the audience present. With every tick on the clock, the audience
was transported to a new land to gain a greater
understanding of all the various cultures at IIT.
The Audience was kept entertained by the performances and the quips from the two Masters
of Ceremony- Rajan Shah, and Neha Pathak.
Spain dazzled the audience with their traditional dance called “Sevillanas”, and the all famous Macarena. China was represented by a
Solo performance of a Chinese folk song from
the point of view of a little girl who describes
her childhood and her motherʼs stories of the
sights in China. Then after a few drum rolls
by Noah, the Vietnamese Students Association
presented their “Lion Dance” which in the end
Turkey’s booth brought in great interest from students, faculty and staff as well as IIT visitors.
took second place at International Fest and a
modern version of the fan dance. Right before
the 15 minute intermission, India finished off
on a serious note with a representative dance
was shorter this year as compared to previous said, “The content of the performances were
portraying the disaster of the Tsunami. The Inyears, she was glad to acknowledge that this very authentic and truly breathtaking but the
dians in the audience were in an uproar and
year the quality of the performances had im- length of the show was unexpected.” An IIT
by the end were echoing the nationalistic sloproved.
alumni, Rohit Murali commented on the event
gan of “Bharat Matha ki Jai” which literally
So what was the overall response towards by saying that although this yearʼs show was
means “Victory to the Indian Motherland.”
I-Fest? A unanimous “It was great” from stu- shorter, he really enjoyed the evening, howWhether it was learning about lions bringing
dents, faculty, parents and performers alike. ever, noted that it was disheartening to see
good luck and happiness or that unity in diTarik Abou-Nemeh, a third year undergrad that there were fewer members of faculty and
versity can help overstaff present at the show this year
come even the greatas opposed to previous years. He
est natural calamities,
went on to applaud ISO for having
there is no question
pulled off a great evening on such
that each performance
a limited budget. Shivam Shrivhad a captivating effect
astava, the current ISO president,
and led the audience to
was also pleased with the way
scramble back to their
things had turned out and thanked
seats even before the
the students for having taken part
end of the intermisin the performances and encoursion. The show moved
ages more student participation in
on with the French perthe future.
forming a few different
All in all, except for technipieces starting with the
cal difficulties right before the
French touch, to a song
Vietnam performance, the whole
from the famous movie
evening went by smoothly. Bud“Amelie” to a mix of
get limitations and lack of funding
French songs and endfrom the student activities fund
ing with an acrobatic
definitely didnʼt seem to stop the
dance with French guys
ISO from putting on a fabulous
in their underwear that
show, and hopefully the rich tradihad the audience in an
tion of I-Fest will continue to come
uproar of laughs. After
back every year. What more can be
France, Latinos Insaid other than the fact that everyRepresenting one of eight countried represented in the 30th International Fest concert, these students participate in
volved in Further Eduone who came to International Fest
cation (L.I.F.E) perleft with a smile on their face.
formed “Afrobomba”,
Haunted Houses on the Quad!
By Katy Pyles
STAFF WRITER
W
e always knew the
Quad was a little
spooky, what with scary
people, strange music,
large gatherings for apparently no reason, and
of course who could forget the zombies that are
seen wandering around
still trying to finish their
homework? Now we
know why! The Quad is
haunted! At least it will
be on Saturday, October
29th...
This coming Saturday there will be a Haunted House in the middle of
the Quad, for all of IIT and
Chicago to see and be scared
of. Every Greek chapter will
have one section of a large
tent to decorate with bats, rats,
cats, ghoulish lights, spiders,
and wicked masks. Not only
will the big tent in the middle
be haunted, but the Quad will
also be a cemetery, so watch
where you step! You might
be walking over the graves of
past IIT students that didnʼt
make it through Studio or
Chem 124. Additionally,
there will be a sit-in movie
theater by the bandshell so
you can see funny 50ʼs and
60ʼs movies that were creepy
in their time.
It will cost $5 to enter,
if you dare, and the proceeds
will go to charity. The chap-
ter with the best/spookiest
section of the tent will be
declared the winner of the
competition and will decide to what noble charity
the proceeds will be given. The haunting will be
going on Saturday night
from 6:30-9:30pm, so stop
on by and support your
freaky friends and their efforts to raise money for a
fun and worthy cause! Invite your friends, teachers,
brother, sister, and even
your
great-great-greatgreat-great-grandmother!
Sheʼd fit right in with the
other ghosts and apparitions that will be seen this
Saturday...
Happy Halloween!
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
I-TECH
TECHNEWS
SHRAVANI PASUPNETI, EDITOR
13
[email protected]
Upcoming technology workshop to be held at IIT
By Shravani Pasupneti
I-TECH EDITOR
O
n Saturday October 29th,
IIT will be hosting the
3rd Annual Invention to Venture Workshop for the Chicago
region in collaboration with
DePaul University, Loyola
University,
Northwestern
University, the University of
Chicago, and the University of
Illinois at Chicago. The workshop is an initiative of the National Collegiate Inventors &
Innovators Alliance.
The workshop is aimed
for individuals interested in
becoming entrepreneurs and
is open to undergraduate and
graduate students in science,
engineering, business, design,
and all other majors. Participants will be offered the opportunity to attend a number
of seminars led by successful
entrepreneurs such as Chris
Gladwin, Barry Moltz, and
Said Al-Hallaj.
Galdwin is current President and CEO of Cleversafe,
which is a Chicago start-up
that is involved with information storage and security. In
1999, he also founded MusicNow, one of the first companies
in the digital music services
arena to establish partnerships
with a number of record labels.
The company served nearly
100,000 customers before Circuit City acquired it.
Moltz is a co-founder of
Prairie Angels LLC, a Chicago
based company of private investors who raise funding for
early stage companies. He is
also the author of “You Need
to Be A Little Crazy: The Truth
about Starting and Growing
your Business.” At IIT, Moltz
is currently teaching Business
316: Introduction to Entrepreneurship.
Al-Hallaj is the founder
of All Cell Technologies LLC,
a company based on technology that manages heat given
off by lithium-ion batteries.
He is also a Research Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering and the Coordinator
of the Renewable Energy Programs at IIT.
Other professionals and
entrepreneurs that will be
present at the workshops are
Bob Okabe, Jay Fisher, Marc
Cohen, and Keith Guenther,
Business Productivity Advisor
for Microsoft.
Tom Jacobius, Director
of the Interprofessional Studies Program, says, “The Invention to Venture Workshop
is a great investment of time
for anyone who wants to get
a quick overview of the whole
concept of taking an idea to
commercialization.” The day
is divided into a number of
different sessions, each one
covering a different topic,
with a number of networking opportunities dispersed
throughout the day. The sessions will help participants
explore the various aspects
of technology entrepreneurships, such as identifying entrepreneurship opportunities,
resources at universities, legal
implications, and financing
the idea.
The workshop will be
held in the HUB on Saturday
October 29th from 8am – 5
pm, with a reception from 57pm. The registration fee is
$10 for students and $25 for
faculty and staff and includes
meals as well as the reception. There will be an extra
$10 charge for on-site registration. Jacobius encourages,
“Students at all levels, faculty
and staff will find value today
or down the road through the
information, the speakers and
the connections with others
who will be attending. You
would have to pay hundreds
of dollars to receive the same
value that is available for a
very low price right here on
the IIT campus. Make sure
you register as soon as possible to secure your spot at this
workshop!”
Kaplan Fellows spend Fall Break in Silicon Valley
By Allisah Love
STAFF WRITER
D
irector Jay Fisher and twelve members
of the Ed Kaplan Entrepreneurial Studies
Program spent Fall Break in San Jose, California during the programʼs annual trip to Silicon
Valley.
On Friday, October 14th, students met
with Joe Hedges of the San Jose Office of Economic Development, where they learned about
the history, economic and business growth of
San Jose; followed by a tour of the $388 million
dollar City Hall complex scheduled to have its
grand opening the next day.
From there, students had the pleasure of
meeting an IIT Alumni, Chuck Erickson, manager of a non-profit business called the San Jose
Software Business Cluster. Mr. Erickson educated the group on how software start-ups and
emerging businesses access resources and network through his companyʼs business incubator, which is supported by leading organizations
within Silicon Valley.
After lunch on Friday, the group traveled
to Palo Alto, California on a chartered bus to
attend a presentation by George Pavlov of Tallwood Venture Capital, whose company focuses
on investing in early-stage start-up businesses
relating to semiconductor technology.
Next on the agenda was a self-guided tour
of Stanford Universityʼs beautiful and spacious
campus; located adjacent to the City of Palo
Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
On Saturday, October 15th, the Ed Kaplan
group returned to Palo Alto to attend presentations by Yatin Mundkur of Artiman Ventures, a
venture capitalist firm investing in leading edge
technologies; and Suboh Tuprani, an IIT alumni
and CEO of ZettaCore, a company pioneering
the future of the microelectronics industry.
From Palo Alto, students traveled to the
San Francisco Bay Area, where they hiked up
and down Americaʼs most crooked street, Lombard Street, which was paved with bricks and
alongside beautiful mansions.
After lunch, visits to other historic sites included San Franciscoʼs Haight-Asbury shopping
district, the Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, a local
art fair in Washington Square, and Chinatown.
Next, students attended the final business
presentation on their agenda with a visit to the
headquarters of StubHub.com, an online ticket
exchange company, founded by former Stanford University student Jeff Fluhr at the age of
twenty-five. Mr. Fluhr shared with students his
experience in starting a business, protecting his
business idea, raising the capital to bring it to
fruition, and the sacrifices he made along the
way, including not completing the MBA program he was enrolled in at Stanford University.
Mr. Fluhr offered all of the students encouragement in their educational pursuits and offered to
review the qualifications of IIT students interested in an internship with his company.
In conclusion of a most enjoyable and educational trip, Jay Fisher made reservations for the
group to have dinner at one of San Franciscoʼs
finest, Pompeiʼs Gratto, a seafood restaurant on
Fishermanʼs Wharf.
On Sunday, October 16th, students returned to Chicago ready to face the remainder of
mid-term exams and share their experience with
fellow IIT students.
Giving back to oneʼs educational community was the vision of IIT alumni, and trustee Ed
Kaplan, who at the age of twenty-six, co-founded Zebra Technologies a bar coding company.
In the year 2000, Ed Kaplan funded the
Ed Kaplan Entrepreneurship Studies Program,
which offers a business component to the Interprofessional Projects offered at IIT.
The Kaplan Fellows Program is a program
is a two-year program offered through Ed Kaplan Entrepreneurial Studies, and is designed
to prepare students for leadership in technology
business ventures.
Applications for acceptance into the Kaplan
Fellows Program are usually available during
the spring semester of the school year. For information please contact: Jay Fisher (fisher@iit.
edu).
14
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
TECHNEWS
DOWN WITH BOREDOM
ANSHUL MAHESHWARI [email protected]
OPEYEMI BABATOLA [email protected]
Statutory Warning: Opening this page on the ‘L’ may cause you to miss your stop.
Breaking the Barriers:
RUSSIAN
Hello
Zdrastvuite (Zdraa-stvui-teʼ)
How are you?
Kak dela? (Kak dey-la)
Goodbye
Dosvidaniya (Do-svi-da-nia)
I just drank a fifth of vodka, dare me to drive?
Ya vipel butilku vodki, hochesh prokatitsya na
mashine? (Ya vi-pel bu-til-ku vod-ki, ho-che-esh
pro-ka-ti-tsia na ma-shi-ne?)
I have an extensive collection of Anna Kournikova
pictures!
U menya bolʼshaya kolektciya fotograpfi Anni
Kurnikovi (Oo me-ni-ya bol-sha-ya ko-lek-tsi-ya
fo-to-gra-fi An-ni Kur-ni-ko-vi)
My hairiness has an advantage, it helps me survive
the cold winters.
Moya volosatostʼ imeet pribil, ona menya spasaet
ot holodnih zim. (Mo-ya vo-lo-sa-tost e-me-et pribil, o-na me-nia spa-sa-et ot ho-load-nih zim)
Word Search
COUNTRIES
Word
List
CANADA
CHINA
COLUMBIA
FRANCE
GHANA
INDIA
ISREL
JAPAN
KOREA
MALAYSIA
MEXICO
NIGERIA
PAKISTAN
POLAND
SPAIN
SRILANKA
THAILAND
TURKEY
USA
VIETNAM
ZIMBABWE
SPORTS
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 2005
TECHNEWS
MATTHEW HELLAND, EDITOR
15
[email protected]
What to watch for: NFL Week 8
By Matt Helland
SPORTS EDITOR
Chicago 14 Detroit 20
The Bears dismantled the Lions in week 2,
winning by a final score of 38-6. However,
this game is in Detroit and the Bears canʼt
expect Joey Harrington to throw another five
interceptions. If Detroit is able to hold onto
the ball, they should avenge their loss and
take the division lead away from the Bears.
Minnesota 13 Carolina 24
It canʼt get much worse for the Vikings.
Culpepper has been playing horribly, the
defense has been unimpressive, and theyʼve
had numerous off-field problems, even without Randy Moss. To make matters worse,
they play on the road this week, where they
never win.
Green Bay 14 Cincinnati 31
Carson Palmer has been the league MVP the
first half of the season, and will get a chance
to impress more voters against Green Bay.
The Packer secondary wonʼt provide much
resistance, and the only thing that might
stop Carson is a huge lead at the end of the
game.
Arizona 10 Dallas 24
Drew Bledsoe has reenergized the Cowboy offense this year, passing for over 250 yards per
game after struggling in Buffalo last year. Some
credit Bill Parcels or wide receivers Johnson
and Glenn for the turnaround, but the real difference is the great protection of his offensive
line.
offense.
Cleveland 14 Houston 10
This is one of the few games that the Texans
have a chance to win this year. Cleveland has
problems offensively, but possesses an above
average defense which will give the Houston
offensive line problems.
Miami 20 New Orleans 13
This is the second week in a row that the Dolphins have been affected by a hurricane. Last
week their game was moved to Friday, and this
week they are playing in Baton Rouge because
of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, with two extra days
rest, Miami will be ready for the Saints.
Washington 20 NY Giants 28
This is a classic battle between an explosive offense and a solid defense. Iʼll give the edges
to the Giants in this game because Eli Manning
has been playing far better at home than on the
road this year.
Jacksonville 27 St. Louis 17
With Marc Bulger likely out for a few more
weeks, the Rams will have to rely on their defense to keep them in games. However, their
defense has been anything but reliable this season, and will struggle, even against the Jaguar
White Sox in the World Series
continued from Front Page
the Sox became the team
to beat in the American
League. The Sox faced
their biggest challenge
of the season through
the month of September.
Dropping 23 of their next
52 games, the Sox battled
injuries and complacency.
To make matters worse,
the Cleveland Indians
strung several winning
streaks over 6 games each
to cut a 15 game deficit
into 1⁄2 a game. Although
the White Sox players and
coaching staff remained
calm, they were on the
verge of the biggest catastrophic disaster is sports
history. But, with winning
the last five games of the season and sweeping the Indians,
the White Sox won the American League Central for only
the fourth time in the last 22
years. Sox fans and the city
of Chicago were in pure pandemonium. To finally have a
team that combined strength,
power, and speed, the thought
of a World Series Championship was not far fetched.
The first round of the
playoffs was no easy task,
but the Sox made a cakewalk against the defending
World Champions Boston
Red Sox in three straight
games. Advancing to the Division Series, the Sox battled
the Anaheim Angels of Los
Angeles. After losing the
first game 2-1, the Sox threw
back-to-back-to-back-toback complete games to
beat the Angels in five
games. This remarkable
pitching performance has
not been accomplished in
fifty years. Paul Konerko
earned his first post season MVP award as well.
The White Sox are headed
to the World Series for
the first time since 1959.
There they will face off
against the Houston Astros, a team that has never
reached a World Series in
franchise history. Both
cities are extremely excited and with both teams
possessing
dominant
pitching staffs, another
exciting series is sure to
take place.
Oakland 24 Tennessee 27
Raider nation thought that Randy Moss would
solve all their problems, but Oakland has found
out that itʼs hard to win games without a defense. And now that Moss is injured, Oakland
will find it even harder to win games.
Kansas City 31 San Diego 34
Tune into this game if you have a chance. Future Hall of Fame running backs Priest Holmes
and Ladainian Tomlinson should put on quite a
show for the fans in San Diego. Look for both
to each find the end zone multiple times, with
Tomlinsonʼs team winning a close game.
Philadelphia 24 Denver 28
It seems like every week the Eagles find themselves playing another playoff-caliber team.
This might be one of their toughest games,
as Denver is one of the best home rushing
teams in the NFL. The Broncos average
over 150 rushing yards per game, while the
Eagles defense ranks in the bottom third at
stopping the run.
Tampa Bay 24 San Francisco 7
Number one overall pick Alex Smith has
been given control of the 49er offense, and
has looked like a rookie in his first few starts.
It wonʼt get much easy for Smith this week,
as he faces a tough Buccaneer secondary.
Buffalo 16 New England 27
The Patriots have looked beatable this year,
and lost their first home game in three years
to the Chargers. However, the Bills donʼt
have the offense to match New England, and
will have to rely heavily on the legs of Willis
McGahee if they want to stay in this game.
Baltimore 7 Pittsburgh 24
The Ravens have been one of the most disappointing teams thus far. With almost the
entire defense back, and a healthy Jamal
Lewis, Baltimore fans expected a playoff
run this year. If the Ravens donʼt improve,
it is only a matter of time before Brian Billick loses his job.
After losses, volleyball rebounds
By Sarah Ocwieja
TECHNEWS WRITER
O
n October 11, 2005, the Hawks dropped
a conference match to Judson College. At
times, each player contributed great plays, but the
team lacked consistency. Senior middle blocker
Amanda Bieberich led the team with 13 kills and
2 block assists. Senior setter Lauren Joyce tallied 34 assists, 2 solo blocks and 1 block assist.
Freshman outside hitter Jaimi Stroot and middle
blocker Sarah Olson each had 7 kills.
Despite the loss, the Hawks managed to
pull together and put up a 3-1 record at the Grand
View College Tournament in Des, Moines, Iowa
after defeating Mount Mercy, William Penn, and
Grand View College. They only lost to nationally ranked National American University. Since
two of the teams during this weekend were are in
the region, the Hawks overall standing has improved. Joyce and Senior libero Sarah Ocwieja
were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Hawks lost another disappointing conference match to Olivet. IIT lost the match in 3
games. At times the Hawks fought back from being down, but could not hold onto the lead for a
long time. Joyce, played well and led the team
with assists and aces. Overall the team played
well, but the basic elements did not come together.
This weekend the Hawks traveled to University of St. Francis for the USF BIG GUNS
CLASSIC. The Hawks rose to the occassion and
compiled a 3-1 record, losing only the weekend
opener to nationally ranked Madonna University.
IIT then dominated their next three opponents,
winning in three each match.
Waldorf, Saint Ambrose, and Aquinas were
not match for the Hawks. IIT stepped it up, serving was aggressive and the team was passing
near 100 percent. Ellen Tran, Candice Estep and
Jessica Patera were able to contribute to the team
wins. Freshman outside hitter, Carlie Douglas
had a good weekend by taking advantage of the
line shot and tallying 48 kills. Joyce had 144 assists and 14 aces for the weekend. Bieberich had
2 solo blocks and 7 block assists. Olson had 4
solo blocks and 8 block assists. Ocwieja chipped
in 44 digs as well as consistent serves. Sophmore
outside hitter Raisa Pelae contributed 31 digs.
Stroot contributed with 18 kills. It was a great
team effort. IIT will hopefully carry this momentum onto Tuesdayʼs home conference game.
S C A R L E T H AW K S A T H L E T I C S
This Week
Men’s Soccer
Tuesday
10/11
Thursday
10/13
Friday
10/14
Saturday
10/15
Grand View Tourny
Des Moines, IA
Grand View Tourny
Des Moines, IA
at Judson
7:30 PM
Tuesday
10/4
Women’s Volleyball
Cross Country
Wednesday
10/5
Thursday
10/6
Friday
10/7
at St. Francis
4 PM
Won, 4-1, Cardinal
Stritch
Forester Invite
Lake Forest, IL
11:45 AM
Saturday
10/8
at TIU
2 PM
vs. Cardinal Stritch
7 PM
Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer
Monday
10/17
Sunday
10/9
Monday
10/10
at Trinity International
3:30 PM
Cross Country
Last Week
Sunday
10/16
vs. Robert Morris
7 PM
Women’s Soccer
Women’s Volleyball
Wednesday
10/12
vs. Cardinal Stritch
5 PM
Lost, 3-0 St. Francis,
IN
Carthage College
Invite
12 PM