http://www.columbiachronicle.com/ A Student Publication at Columbia College Chicago en-us http://www.columbiachronicle.com/ webmaster@chroniclemail.com This past year has been the longest one yet. As a reader, you now know my opinions and have learned of my lessons, and perhaps I’ll leave you with the most important one for my last column: You can’t do this alone. I’ve tried it both ways: Once about a year ago I thought I was too busy with my job here, class and commuting to spend quality time with anyone. It was the worst year of my life. I lost friends, hurt family and stressed myself out to no end.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50602008-05-12The Student Government Association elections have been held and the results are in. Voting for the senators ended on May 2 and the executive board nominees were voted on on May 6. The new senators have already taken over as of May 6, but the executive board won’t officially be in charge until June 1. The new senate convened on May 6 to vote on their leaders for next semester.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50612008-05-12Students in the Audio, Arts and Acoustics Department have tried to voice their concerns about the growing number of problems in the department to the administration and to the Audio, Arts and Acoustics Department through letters and meetings with little or no response.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50622008-05-12More than 2,000 Columbia students will walk across the stage and graduate on May 17 and 18 at the UIC Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. Columbia officials expect 700 to 750 students at each of the three ceremonies and about 5,000 to 6,000 guests at each, said Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs. Typically students bring an average of eight guests, he added.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50632008-05-12In his March 19 State of the College address, Columbia President Warrick L. Carter said Columbia had 750 scholarships available for students, a number that might appear high to anyone who has checked out the scholarship page on Columbia’s website.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50642008-05-12The Coalition of Chicago Colleges, which consists of various student governments from Chicago schools, met with Metra executives on May 5 to discuss student discounts on its rail system. Earlier this semester, the CCC submitted an amendment to the Illinois legislature to be attached to a current bill. The coalition hopes to expand the definition of students to encompass college students as well as grade school and high school pupils. Currently, Metra only grants discounts to the latter of the two groups.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50652008-05-12School districts eager to boost scores and keep pace with federal mandates are using computer games, electronic blackboards and even pep rallies to prepare students for state exams. Technology in particular has become a mainstay for some schools as they prepare students for an acronym soup of tests.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50662008-05-12The end of the semester holds a whole new level of meaning for the study abroad student in London. We only have a few weeks to get in any last-ditch London experiences. I bought tickets to a concert at Astoria 2, a notorious venue for hardcore and alternative-rock that is slated to be torn down. A few students are going to attempt to rush through every museum in London in a day. I may have drunk a lot of tea since I’ve been here, but I have yet to dress-up for proper tea service and nibble on crumpets (a fancy way of saying English muffin).http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50902008-05-12In the ongoing race for space in the South Loop, DePaul University has taken the lead over Columbia—for now. DePaul increased its real estate holdings in the South Loop by 25 percent with the purchase of the 14 E. Jackson Blvd. in June. According to a press release, the acquisition of the 18-story, 384,000-square-foot building makes DePaul the largest educational institution in the area and the largest owner of land with approximately 1.7 million square feet in South Loop holdings.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50942008-05-12For the third consecutive year, Columbia has won an award for its float entry in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, which took place June 29 in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood. Columbia’s ABBA-themed “Dancing Queen” float won honorable mention from judges at PRIDE Chicago, the parade’s organizer. In years past, Columbia’s float has won for the best organization float award for previous themes like “Nancy Sinatra” and “The Sound of Music.”http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=50992008-05-12Columbia is a step closer to purchasing the land at 16th and State streets for the construction of the Media Production Center. The Community Development Commission voted unanimously to recommend to City Council the sale of the $3.2 million parcel of land for $200,000. The one-story Media Production Center will include two sound stages, a motion capture studio and an animation lab, among other amenities, for film, video and television majors.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/campus.php?id=51002008-05-12After securing a spot in the playoffs last season, it seemed the Cubs were poised for major league greatness. However, the Cubs suffered a disappointing loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks during their last playoff game. This year is different for the Chicago Cubs for a variety of reasons. For starters, 2008 is exactly a century after the Cubs won their last World Series title. Ex-Cubs pitcher Mark Prior is gone and a variety of fresh faces are now on the roster.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50672008-05-12Since the Major League Baseball’s opening series in Toyko on March 25, viewers have seen some very exciting game play through both the National and American Leagues. In Chicago, baseball lovers are divided between rooting for the White Sox or the Cubs. Both teams show signs of smart baseball playing and continue to stand in the top two spots of their divisions.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50682008-05-12The current scene on Wabash Avenue in the Loop is a bit cluttered. Green mesh lines chain link fences and sandbags lay on hammered, uneven concrete surfaces and on fence ties. Concrete barriers line the sidewalks and close off southbound traffic lanes. Construction workers sit with their lunch pails and white hard hats. Wooden boards lie on top of holes and lead into temporary entrance ways to businesses and schools. The noise of jackhammers and equipment sound loudly.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50692008-05-12This year marks the 40th anniversary of an international event that began in Chicago: the Special Olympics. Opening ceremonies for Chicago’s Special Olympics track and field events were held at Soldier Field on May 6. Athletes had the opportunity to compete in events such as the 100-meter wheelchair relay or the running long jump at the three day event.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50702008-05-12The city’s newly implemented bottled water tax has collected $1.5 million in revenue from January until the end of April, said Department of Revenue spokesman Ed Walsh. The money collected from the tax goes into the city’s general funds that provide city services, such as trash collection, Walsh said. The goal is to earn $10 million a year or $500,000 a month from the tax, said Alderman George Cardenas (12th Ward), who proposed the tax.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50712008-05-12While sitting on the curb of Milwaukee Avenue last weekend waiting for a table at a popular brunch spot, I was reminded how summer has been my favorite time of year in the city. And, if the forecast is right, the season has just begun. The winter is when I’m engrossed in books, fixated on a computer screen and in a fixed mindset: school, work, school, work, school, work and “Oh my God, it’s cold.” But, summer is the time to wind down and enjoy the city without more than three layers fastened on and tucked in.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50722008-05-12At this year’s Taste of Chicago, some menu items of more than 70 local restaurants will be a little less indulgent and little more nutritious. The Mayor’s Office of Special Events has required participating food vendors to add a more healthy option to their selection at the Taste. Cindy Gatziolis, spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, said the office has been noticing a more calorie-conscious trend in food and wanted to encourage the vendors to offer something lighter.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=50932008-05-12Nearly 15 years after its release, Liz Phair’s Exile In Guyville, an album often touted by music buffs, critics and ranked as one of the top 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine—is back. Chicago native, Liz Phair, the ingenue behind the classic lo-fi album, is re-issuing the record for its 15th anniversary on indie label ATO Records on June 24.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50922008-05-12The sweet scent of muffins, scones and other assorted pastries waft through the oven doors and into the sitting lounge as they are placed behind glass cases and rested upon trays and dishes. Fresh coffee is brewed and the employees are busy at work, cooking more pastries. Yet these baked goods were not put into the oven by seasoned confectioners. They were baked by previously unemployed homeless youth.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50582008-05-12Fifty years ago, a lesbian nightlife scene in Chicago seemed like a fantasy. Now, as society has become more accepting of the GLBT community, more bars, clubs and events are springing up around the city to make up for lost time, said Ken Mallwitz, the general manager at Spin Nightclub, 800 W. Belmont Ave.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50732008-05-12Last weekend, while I was eating my dad’s homemade meatloaf, I had a revelation: I need to pack up my belongings, move out on my own and finally learn how to cook.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50742008-05-12There’s no literary quote I can steal to sum up how I feel about college now that it’s at the end. No famous poet has ever worked at The Chronicle—let’s just say that. Our office was much more colorful than most. Perhaps the better word is “crude.” A little thing called “decency standards” were implemented a semester after I started, if that gives any inkling of how the managers tried to curb this manifestation of poor behavior. But it was, unapologetically, the most entertaining time of my life.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50752008-05-12After Damian Kulash and Tim Nordwind met over a game of ping-pong at a summer camp in Michigan when they were 11 and 12, they quickly formed a friendship that would last for years to come. After attending the same summer camp for several summers and keeping in touch during their college years, Kulash and Nordwind began sending music recordings to each other, starting a habit that would lead to the formation of a band.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50762008-05-12As millions of fans clamored to get a copy of Grand Theft Auto 4 during the week of April 29, the biggest question facing the new game is how it will stand next to its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar North, the developer of Grand Theft Auto 4, has implemented more multiplayer options to accommodate the online capabilities of next generation consoles, and the game’s setting, Liberty City, also has been updated. With top-notch graphics, gameplay and sound, Grand Theft Auto 4 is a fantastic video game with a few missing pieces to its criminally-engaging puzzle.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50772008-05-12Weather fanatics armed with cameras capture massive tornadoes enveloping small Midwestern towns every day and plaster their footage all over the Internet. Even mainstream movies like Twister have tapped into the phenomenon of high-speed chases to catch sight of severe thunderstorms and the damage they create.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50782008-05-12Though the Jammy Awards were able to bring together the members of Phish for the first time since they broke up four years ago, the reunion may not have been everything Phish-heads had hoped for. While all members of the beloved jam-band appeared—and two of them grooved onstage (Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell)—they didn’t perform together on May 7. And as they accepted their lifetime achievement award, there was no hint of another reunion, dashing rumbling hopes that Phish might become the latest act to get back together for a blockbuster tour.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50792008-05-12When was the last time a superhero was overshadowed by his alter ego? It’s difficult to imagine an audience preferring to see a film solely about boorish billionaire Bruce Wayne or squeaky-clean geek Peter Parker. But in the case of Iron Man, the real hero is the man behind the mask, Tony Stark. With his bitingly brusque wit, whimsically carefree demeanor and spectacular self-assurance, he is the single most engaging alter-ego ever brought to the screen.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50802008-05-12http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50812008-05-12Bob Krause served 13 years in the military without anyone ever realizing his “secret.” Though he managed to hide his picky eating habit from his fellow soldiers and still lives with it today, it’s an everyday struggle to get through certain social situations involving food.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50952008-05-12Stephanie Kuehnert has been busy. She hosted her first book signing at Chicago’s Women and Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., and the young author has been scheduling press interviews back-to-back all summer. “It’s kind of getting overwhelming, to be honest,” Kuehnert said. “I’ve got a lot to do in very little time. It’s been great; I can’t be happier about it.”http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50972008-05-12Last year, Steven Rosengard, a former Columbia student, competed briefly on the hit fashion design show. This year, Columbia alumni Terri Stevens, a 39-year-old fashion designer and visual stylist, will duke it out with 15 other designers to fight to be the winner of “Project Runway.”http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=50982008-05-12With so many bands and so little time, making decisions on which sets to check out at Lollapalooza, Chicago’s biggest music festival of the year, and which to miss out on can be a bit stressful. Of course, headliners like Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Wilco, Nine Inch Nails and Kanye West are givens, but with so many promising smaller acts performing in different areas at the same times—in forecasted temperatures of above 90 degrees, nonetheless—pre-planning is absolutely necessary.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=51012008-05-12With so many bands and so little time, making decisions on which sets to check out at Lollapalooza, Chicago’s biggest music festival of the year, and which to miss out on can be a bit stressful. Of course, headliners like Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Wilco, Nine Inch Nails and Kanye West are givens, but with so many promising smaller acts performing in different areas at the same times—in forecasted temperatures of above 90 degrees, nonetheless—pre-planning is absolutely necessary.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=51022008-05-12His shows draw upward of 3,000 fans in his hometown of Minneapolis, though according to singer-songwriter Mason Jennings, he doesn’t have a favorite city when he performs live. The only thing that matters, he said, is that the audience enjoys the moment. Jennings is known for his voice, which is one of the most unique in folk rock music. It has a honey-thick, meandering tone that dodges in and out of the foreground, awkward and effortless all at once. His music is sweet and simple, resonating with the use of his acoustic guitar, and sometimes a piano and drums.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=51032008-05-12I want to thank all of the students for their support. I hope that I served you adequately and represented your needs and opinions in my time as president. I also want to thank the SGA executive board, senators and members who worked hard to ensure the credibility of the SGA and helped me accomplish the goals I had set out to achieve for the students. I want to thank all the faculty, staff and administrators who played a role in teaching me and guiding me to be a better student and better person. I want all of the students of Columbia to know there are good people looking out for you and your needs at the highest levels of college governance.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50912008-05-12New York Senator and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton won the Indiana primary late on the night of May 6. But her margin was so slim (less than 2 percent, according to CNN) and Senator Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) victory in North Carolina so dominating (14 percent) that the long-awaited death knell of the most resilient and damaging campaign in recent memory has finally been sounded.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50832008-05-12About two years ago, I went to a concert at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., to see one of my favorite bands at the time. I was 18 years old, wore electric blue tights with a pair of Chuck Taylors and couldn’t wait to dance and get sweaty with other underagers like myself. I was so excited to actually see a band I loved at a great venue in the city without having to track down a fake ID just so I could be admitted into a show, since Chicago venues seemed to shun underage crowds at concerts.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50842008-05-12Well, that’s that. My ideal senior column would consist of those three simple words and nothing more. There’s no way I could summarize the gut-wrenching, glorious, heart-breaking, triumphant, extraordinary two years I’ve had at The Chronicle in one column. My memories at the paper play like an irrevocably damaged DVD, skipping past large chunks while pausing on individual moments. Here are a few of them…http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50852008-05-12I’ve always wanted a column. In my cocky naivete, I felt that my own musings about things like street corner preachers and the idea of reclaiming the Hitler moustache as an acceptable style of facial hair as a way of removing it’s stigma deserved to be shared with the masses who read The Chronicle. However, I’m not a word person, and my opinions oftentimes should not be shared with everyone. (Sometimes, not be shared with anyone.) To those who have listened to all my rants, tangents and moans: Thanks. This includes, but is not limited to, all of my teachers, those in my classes, people I work with, friends, roommates and occasionally random strangers I sit next to on the el.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50862008-05-12When I first started college I thought, “This won’t be so hard.” I signed up for classes at a typical state school and began to map out the next four years in my head. I would follow the recommended class schedule and get my degree—cut and dry, no problem. But when I realized how much I hated my school choice, I made a conscious decision that I needed to do something bigger with my life.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50872008-05-12If you would have asked me years ago if I’d ever be graduating from college, I would have said no. My entire previous experience with school was nothing short of miserable. Now I’m steadily approaching the day when I receive my diploma. But unlike all the films I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard, I feel a little peculiar. I feel no sense of pride, no overwhelming joy, not even a sense of accomplishment. Instead, I’m just merely relieved that it’s finally over.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50882008-05-12After years of following the scholastic cycle—classes for a few months, spring break, summer vacation and back to school shopping—it’s finally ending. At least for some time anyway. Although I’ve been out of school before, this is a big step. I took a few years off from school in 2003 and moved to Chicago from Miami. I worked a menial customer service job for a couple of years and then decided to go back to school.http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/opinions.php?id=50892008-05-12http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/.php?id=50822008-05-12