Breaking the habit
Some students say April's 82-cent-per-pack tax hike won't curb their habit

Minutes before the start of noon classes, a line of students stand in front of the Wabash Campus Building, 623 S. Wabash Ave., cigarettes in hand.

Wanting to grab a few minutes to smoke before their classes, these artists, writers and graphic designers probably aren't thinking about the inevitable: Their ritualistic smoke break will cost them 82 cents more per pack after April 1.
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Teen gang targets South Loop CTA
Two robberies spark renewed safety concerns

Seven teenage girls were charged March 2 with robbing and beating two female passengers last month on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line.

One attack happened at the Roosevelt stop near Columbia's South Loop campus.
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Chicago slated to host Gay Games VII in 2006
World's largest amateur sporting event to bring city $25M in revenue

After much deliberation, and amid even more controversy, Chicago was announced as the host of Gay Games VII in 2006 on March 2.

The games, scheduled for July 15 to 22, will bring Chicago-area businesses between an estimated $25 million and $50 million in revenue, while attracting somewhere between 35,000 and 60,000 visitors to the city, said Dennis Sneyers, co-chair of Chicago Games Inc., the group responsible for the city's Gay Games bid.
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Gays rally for right to marry
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sister-in-law arrested

When Ron Shaw and his partner of four years applied for a marriage license March 4, they were denied and instead were offered a domestic partner registry as an alternative.

“It was offensive to what our relationship stands for,” Shaw said. “They give murderers on death row the right to marry, but not gays—all we want is equal rights.”
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It's that time again.

Time to pick your horse for the big race. However, we here at The Chronicle know you aren't the consummate gamblers and horrible political junkies that we are, so we're offering up our endorsements to help make filling out those numerous ballots easier.

In the race for Columbia's U.S. Representative seat, incumbent Danny K. Davis (D) is by far the clear choice. Despite his relatively short term in office, Davis already has a proven track record supporting the city of Chicago and its surrounding communities.
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Editorial: Don’t believe the South Beach hype

Everyone's doing it: TGI Friday's, Burger King, Chili's, even Home Run Inn Pizza-and now Columbia's Underground Café and Hokin Annex are joining in the low-carb craze.

Last week, South Beach Diet-friendly fare was introduced on campus, offering veggie plates and hummus, hard boiled eggs, protein rich salads and sugar-free gelatin to those who desire more than the grease-laden, lukewarm cheese pizza from the Underground.
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Quiznos not 'monkey'-ing around with ads
The Chronicle attempts to solve the mystery behind creepy creatures in sandwich commercials

Sure they're crunchy and tasty and warm because they toast them, but, really, what are those things jumping around in those relentless Quiznos commercials? And more importantly, why won't people stop talking about them?

If you've been living under a rock in 2004, you may not be aware of the unique animated figures currently bouncing around television screens across the country singing the praises of "pepper bars."
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Chicago film industry gets jump start in 2004
Production companies and government officials lure major studios

Chicago was a perfect fit for the upcoming drama The Weatherman, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Gore Verbinski. The cast and crew came to town to shoot scenes involving Chicago's typical winter weather. What they got instead was sunshine and temperatures in the upper 40s.

"I'm looking out the window right now, and the weather doesn't want to cooperate with the film," said Richard Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office in a recent telephone interview. "Despite that, they've finished shooting the tougher scenes and things seem to be going along quite well."
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