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(06/15/09 8:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The transition from high school to college can be both fun and difficult. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the amount of free time students will have. Although loads of free time might sound refreshing, it can lead students to fall behind with schoolwork.“A typical semester’s worth of classes requires students to be in class only about 15 hours a week,” University Division Academic Adviser Jay Showalter said. “You can’t believe how much potentially productive time during the daylight hours leaks through the cracks of most students’ days.”Dean of Students Dick McKaig said the biggest challenge for incoming students is time management. Students are responsible for their own behaviors; they don’t have parents structuring their days anymore. He suggested that students find a time and place that is most conducive to studying, noting that trying to mix social life and study life usually isn’t effective.“A party isn’t very fun with a chemistry book in front of you, and a chemistry book doesn’t get much in your mind when there’s a party going on,” he said.But Associate Journalism Professor Claude Cookman suggested that one way to inspire studying is to study in groups.“We are social animals. We learn best in groups,” he said. “The best way to master a subject is to teach it to somebody else.”He suggested that students look for opportunities to help students who are having trouble.The first way students fall behind is by not going to class, McKaig said.“They get in this habit of nothing-is-due-tomorrow mentality and attendance-might-not-be-taken world to have the presumption that they don’t really need to go to class,” he said.McKaig said student should also plan out assignments, papers and tests.Cookman said the most effective way to keep up with schoolwork, be motivated to attend class and learn material is to “learn for the sake of learning, for the pleasure of using your intellect, for the satisfaction of mastering new fields of knowledge and complex ways of thinking.” To him, grades, diplomas and even jobs are extrinsic rewards, and students should pursue such intrinsic rewards that will help them now and in the future.But if a student does begin to fall behind, there is an unlimited number of resources on campus. Attending professors’ office hours is the best way to create a relationship with a professor, but most students only come when they are already having academic problems, Cookman said. Showalter suggested that students should go to office hours and talk about what they enjoy or find confusing about class because then it’ll be easier to come with academic concerns. And some departments with traditionally hard classes, such as math or foreign language, usually have lists of potential tutors, McKaig said.Jo Ann Vogt, director of Writing Tutorial Services, said the Student Academic Center, Academic Support Centers and Writing Tutorial Services are good resources to turn to when students need help. Writing Tutorial Services, a department on campus to help students with writing assignments, has tutors to assist students with everything from brainstorming topics to preparing the final draft of a paper. But this service shouldn’t only be used when a student is struggling, Vogt said. Most students who use this resource are already strong students and good writers, she said.Donna Lane, Academic Support Center adviser at Briscoe Quad, said the most important resource on campus for incoming students is their freshman academic advisers. Lane said advisers can assist in choosing a degree path, point students to academic services and help with planning schedules.“Your adviser is your contact person to the rest of the University, and his or her office is located right in or near the dorm in which you are living,” she said.
(08/07/08 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Voldemort just doesn’t understand the power of friendship, the power of love and the power of rock ‘n’ roll,” Paul DeGeorge said Sunday night to the crowd of over 60 attendees during the Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo ’08 tour stop at Rhino’s. And that’s just what united us all there.The entire floor was covered with multi-colored balloons, beach balls and inflatable objects such as cell phones, a lobster, rocket ships and a monkey. The whole show was obviously geared toward kids, hence the venue – Rhino’s All-Ages Club – but that didn’t mean adults couldn’t let loose and enjoy it. The Harry Potter Alliance even had a table set up where attendees could register to vote if they would be 18 by November: “Wrock the Vote. No vote is a vote for Voldemort,” the table read.The three bands on tour – accompanied this time by local band Good Luck – kicked off the show with every member on stage singing the “camp song” followed by Paul and Joe DeGeorge of Harry and the Potters dressed up and rapping as Dumbledore and Aberforth. Camp was in session.The first band to perform – Uncle Monsterface – was the most awkward for me and, it seemed, most of the adults there. They were the only band that I couldn’t completely enjoy because their music was strictly alluring to those who hadn’t gone through puberty. Using sock puppets, a guy dressed up as a giant monster (conveniently named “Uncle Monsterface”) and a projector screen, the lead singer Marty Allen, who wore Mickey Mouse ears on his head and had his shoulder-length curly hair tied into two ponytails, ran around the stage singing about video games, “Dungeons & Dragons” and whatever else.I noticed all the adults at least 10 or more feet away from the crowd of children who were clearly into it. I really felt sorry for guitarist Dan Brennan, because he actually was really good; what was he doing in this creepy band?Good Luck, whom Allen repeatedly forgot the name of, took the stage next. Finally, tolerable music! Dodging flying balloons throughout their set, the three-piece band was entertaining, without being excessive, like Uncle Monsterface. Their punk-pop sound was clean for the underage crowd, yet appealing to those of us that were actually without baby teeth. Next, the newest member of the tour’s lineup, Math the Band took the stage; and were accepted just like Good Luck – both adults and children could enjoy their hyperactive, techno sound. The keyboardist, drummer and guitarist/vocalist had lots of high energy that matched Uncle Monsterface’s. At one point, the drummer’s cymbal feel off (he was set up on the front, left side of the stage); and although I though he would falter, he flawlessly used it to his advantage; it added to his energy as he banged the floor-ridden cymbal with his drum stick. Soon, Joe DeGeorge from Harry and the Potters held up the cymbal for him. That’s another thing that was interesting about the show – all the bands participated in each act and/or danced in the crowd; it really seemed like a big musical family rather than a tour with three separate bands.Lastly, and mostly anticipated, were Harry and the Potters. More adults poured in for this final performance.During their first song, guitarist Paul DeGeorge broke a string on his guitar – or Voldemort used the “stop the rock curse,” according to his brother Joe DeGeorge, keyboardist and saxophone player. The band’s intensity was high as they ran around and sang songs about Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black, Hagrid, S.P.E.W. and more. Paul DeGeorge even summoned (Accio) a new guitar that looked like a broom.But each band prompted the crowd to register to vote during their sets, and Paul DeGeorge had a “Stop Global Warming” wrist band on; although the night was all about fun and music, the political undertone couldn’t be ignored.The night ended with all the bands swarming on stage to sing the tour’s “camp song” once more and Joe DeGeorge playing “Auld Lang Syne” on “the saxophone of Godric Gryffindor.” Camp was over.
(08/06/08 10:49pm)
I was counting down the days to the
next “Twilight” series release “Breaking Dawn” almost as eagerly
as I awaited “Deathly Hallows” last summer. The first three
books in the series were so good that I never anticipated such an incredible
letdown.
(07/30/08 10:36pm)
In this
quiet college town, something magical and mysterious is occurring
behind the backs of its “muggle” residents. SLIDE SHOW Harry Potter
(07/30/08 10:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wizard rockers Harry and the Potters are on the six-week Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo ’08 summer tour along with bands Uncle Monsterface and Math the Band; they plan to cast a spell here in Bloomington on August 3 at Rhino's All-Ages Club, 331 S. Walnut St.Brothers Paul and Joe DeGeorge started Harry and the Potters in the summer of 2002.“I was really impressed by the effect the books were having on kids everywhere. They were inspiring kids to read, tantalizing their imaginations,” Paul DeGeorge said. “It seemed like it was such a positive force that we thought we could supplement that in some way and get kids not only pumped about reading books but also pumped about rock ‘n’ roll.” But Harry and the Potters aren’t new to Bloomington. They played at the 2006 WIUX Culture Shock and even have some friends in the area. “Bloomington has a great, awesome punk rock scene. We try to adhere to that culture and we love going to a place that embraces that,” DeGeorge said. IU junior Ace Cutshaw said he saw Harry and the Potters play at the 2006 Culture Shock. During a few songs the band used an iPod so they could run around and sing, he said. Cutshaw said he enjoys “wizard rock” and thought the songs bring a new perspective to the books and give minor characters more attention.In 2003 interviews, Harry and the Potters coined the genre “wizard rock” to describe their music and spawned a following of over 400 bands devoted to the “Harry Potter” theme, including Draco and the Malfoys, The Remus Lupins and The Half Bloods.Although Uncle Monsterface and Math the Band don’t primarily sing songs about the wizarding world, all three bands have a good mix, Marty Allen of Uncle Monsterface said. “We’re fans of the books ourselves,” Allen said. “It’s cool to be the muggle representatives, even though we’re weird.”Using sock puppets, singing songs about video games and welcoming the occasional giant monster, Uncle Monsterface, who have teamed up with Harry and the Potters for about three years, is the “total embrace of the nerd and child in all of us,” DeGeorge said.And the newest band addition – Math the Band – play “hyperkinetic party music like Andrew W.K. on speed, (and) rock ‘n’ roll dance aerobics,” he said.The performance at Rhino’s will be the first time IU freshman Melinda Kashner has seen the three bands live. Not only is she excited about the performance, she said their music is “fun, eclectic, interesting, and definitely out of the ordinary.”“I respect them for not taking music so seriously,” she said. “While they are really dedicated to what they do and care clearly devoted to making music, they have fun with it, which is refreshing.”
(07/17/08 8:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bodies of Water are a band that you have to listen to a few times to really appreciate their style. Their sound is like a melting pot of musical genres – gospel, indie, folk, punk, rock, Latin rock, progg, etc. The vibrant-sounding musical instruments and the haunting sound of the singers’ combined vocals put a spin on gospel that is original and definitely gives the band a signature sound. Their latest album A Certain Feeling, from the Bloomington label Secretly Canadian, is a bit hot and cold at times – one song will be rockin’ and the next will be a little boring; but I think this is an aspect of their sound that is meant to keep the listener wanting more. Sometimes when a song isn’t initially striking, I skip to the next track on the album; but with A Certain Feeling, such a reflex is a mistake because almost every song is sure to impress at some point. Most of the songs start slow and then build to an incredible climax that is unsurpassable. The standout track on the album is definitely “Under the Pines,” which is actually the lead single. The song starts entirely instrumental with a dreary organ that has a Romantic-esque feel to it – as if you’re walking the castle grounds in “Castlevania.” Then, a hard, powerful guitar riff breaks through balanced with the loud, thumping beat of the bass drum and the faint sound of cymbals in the background. About a minute in, the music gets more upbeat as a tambourine comes in and the drums and guitar kick in a little more; the vocals start harmonizing with the instruments about two minutes in. Suddenly, the band pumps out a Latin-rock flair that makes you want to salsa.This is the greatest aspect of the band’s sound – the members’ incredible instrument-playing. Sometimes when a band mixes several instruments – aside from the basic drums, guitar and bass combo – the music gets sloppy and hard to follow, but the band ingeniously uses each instrument carefully – one from every musical family; they have taken a worthwhile risk that is sure to pay off in the long run. The vocals are definitely different – unlike almost anything I’ve heard before, but once you get past the unusual sound, you’ll start to appreciate both the singing and instruments together. Bodies of Water are an up-and-coming band to watch out for, and A Certain Feeling is certainly worth a listen.
(07/17/08 5:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bodies of Water are a band that you have to listen to a few times to really appreciate their style. Their sound is like a melting pot of musical genres – gospel, indie, folk, punk, rock, Latin rock, progg, etc. The vibrant-sounding musical instruments and the haunting sound of the singers’ combined vocals put a spin on gospel that is original and definitely gives the band a signature sound. Their latest album A Certain Feeling, from the Bloomington label Secretly Canadian, is a bit hot and cold at times – one song will be rockin’ and the next will be a little boring; but I think this is an aspect of their sound that is meant to keep the listener wanting more. Sometimes when a song isn’t initially striking, I skip to the next track on the album; but with A Certain Feeling, such a reflex is a mistake because almost every song is sure to impress at some point. Most of the songs start slow and then build to an incredible climax that is unsurpassable. The standout track on the album is definitely “Under the Pines,” which is actually the lead single. The song starts entirely instrumental with a dreary organ that has a Romantic-esque feel to it – as if you’re walking the castle grounds in “Castlevania.” Then, a hard, powerful guitar riff breaks through balanced with the loud, thumping beat of the bass drum and the faint sound of cymbals in the background. About a minute in, the music gets more upbeat as a tambourine comes in and the drums and guitar kick in a little more; the vocals start harmonizing with the instruments about two minutes in. Suddenly, the band pumps out a Latin-rock flair that makes you want to salsa.This is the greatest aspect of the band’s sound – the members’ incredible instrument-playing. Sometimes when a band mixes several instruments – aside from the basic drums, guitar and bass combo – the music gets sloppy and hard to follow, but the band ingeniously uses each instrument carefully – one from every musical family; they have taken a worthwhile risk that is sure to pay off in the long run. The vocals are definitely different – unlike almost anything I’ve heard before, but once you get past the unusual sound, you’ll start to appreciate both the singing and instruments together. Bodies of Water are an up-and-coming band to watch out for, and A Certain Feeling is certainly worth a listen.
(06/19/08 1:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 40 years ago this week, one of the most historic American musical festivals took place in San Francisco – the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. This festival, put on by the dreaded “counter culture” of the time, celebrated music for the mere love of music; no stress over fitting in, dressing the part or sticking to the right scene. Together the attendees and the artists, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding and others, formed a harmonious, collective bond for one simple, yet powerful thing: music. As I look back to that time, I wonder what happened to those feelings of freedom. To me, the counter culture is not a negative concept, because it gives people the freedom to oppose the mainstream, dominant unattainable values of society. Are we not all guilty of “countering” this strict culture in some way or another? Why is it then that music, something at one time so personal, free-loving and experimental has gotten so political? People are accused of being “posers” for liking different genres of music, and bands are “sellouts” once they experiment with different sounds. In San Francisco’s 1967, music lovers and artists alike were encouraged to broaden their horizons in all aspects of life, but this isn’t so today. Of course, there were always those that were against the summer of love’s “hippie” spirit, but they were those outside trying to retain culture’s traditional values. Today, people that label themselves within specific music genres follow strict boundaries, to not disappoint their fellow friends and their music scene in general; they take every chance they get to bash those that don’t bother themselves with fitting in (even if it’s one of their “friends”) – people who’d rather enjoy the vast, unlimited amount of music and culture the world has available, rather than being restricted to the narrow confines of a genre. These confines stem from the necessity of humanity to impose labels. Society has influenced us to envision a certain “type” that fits each label and if a person strays then he/she is outcast amongst scenesters. Labels are becoming so rampant, yet no one can even stick to them, because everyone can evolve; anyone can be drawn to music, fashion and/or values that he/she wouldn’t expect. A band can test different styles, instruments, sounds, etc., and still be just as great – from the classics the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys to modern bands like Thrice, Coheed and Cambria, and Weezer. I, for one, was never one to label myself, or judge others for dabbling into lots of music; I would have been a hypocrite to do so because I can appreciate any genre of music – from hardcore bands like Evergreen Terrace and Killer to country songs from Garth Brooks and Sheryl Crow – and why be embarrassed? Hell, I’ll admit it, I was in love with the Backstreet Boys, but could still rock out to their boy-band nemesis ‘N Sync. Music is music, and my mind is wide open to the possibilities. Because, for me, it’s not about forming an identity or defining what’s good and bad music; it’s more so about the simplicity behind the semantics of a song – the instruments, mixing, lyrics, time, artists, etc. – that make it truly amazing. To go back to the summer of love, especially June 1967, the month that arguably the Beatles’ best album (yet most experimental) came out – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – would in every sense be a time warp. Today, hardly are artists appreciated for what the Beatles and other artists accomplished: just making music – having the talent to combine noise and words (although words are just an additional bonus) and create something inspiring, memorable or even just catchy. Then and now, in the simplest of meanings, music provides a chance for people to escape the real world and be immersed in something that almost – for a moment – allows for a worry-free atmosphere. Why not grant yourself the freedom then to experience all kinds of music, without worrying if you’re “scene” enough? With the harsh world we now live in, I doubt there will ever be another movement like the summer of love – a chance to basically appreciate all the pleasures in life, encourage free-thinking and make music that spoke to the hearts of those of the counter culture. Music is music and I, as everyone should, appreciate it without worrying about the socially constructed rules that tag along.
(05/24/08 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The transition from high school to college can be both fun and difficult. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the amount of free time students will have. Although loads of free time might sound refreshing, it can lead students to fall behind with schoolwork. “A typical semester’s worth of classes requires students to be in class only about 15 hours a week,” University Division Academic Advisor Jay Showalter said. “You can’t believe how much potentially productive time during the daylight hours leaks through the cracks of most students’ days.”Dean of Students Dick McKaig said the biggest challenge for incoming students is time management. Students are responsible for their own behaviors; they don’t have parents structuring their days anymore. He suggested that students find a time and place that is most conducive to studying, noting that trying to mix social life and study life usually isn’t effective. “A party isn’t very fun with a chemistry book in front of you and a chemistry book doesn’t get much in your mind when there’s a party going on,” he said.But Associate Journalism Professor Claude Cookman suggested that one way to inspire studying is to study in groups. “We are social animals, we learn best in groups,” he said. “The best way to master a subject is to teach it to somebody else.” He suggested that students look for opportunities to help students who are having trouble. The first way students fall behind is by not going to class, McKaig said. “They get in this habit of nothing-is-due-tomorrow mentality and attendance-might-not-be-taken world to have the presumption that they don’t really need to go to class,” he said. McKaig said student should also plan out assignments, papers and tests.Cookman said the most effective way to keep up with schoolwork, be motivated to attend class and learn material is to “learn for the sake of learning, for the pleasure of using your intellect, for the satisfaction of mastering new fields of knowledge and complex ways of thinking.” To him, grades, diplomas and even jobs are extrinsic rewards and students should pursue such intrinsic rewards that will help them now and in the future.But if a student does begin to fall behind, there are an unlimited number of resources on campus. Attending professors’ office hours is the best way to create a relationship with a professor, but most students only come when they are already having academic problems, Cookman said. Showalter suggested that students should initially go to office hours and talk to the professor about what they enjoy or find confusing about class because then it’ll be easier to come with academic concerns. And some departments with traditionally hard classes, such as math or foreign language, usually have lists of potential tutors, McKaig said.Jo Ann Vogt, director of Writing Tutorial Services, said the Student Academic Center, Academic Support Centers, Writing Tutorial Services and Counseling and Psychological Services are good resources to turn to when students need help. Writing Tutorial Services, a service on campus to help students with writing assignments, has tutors to assist students with everything from brainstorming topics to preparing the final draft of a paper. But this service shouldn’t only be used when a student is struggling, Vogt said. Most students who use this resource are already strong students and good writers, she said. For Donna Lane, Academic Support Center adviser at Briscoe Quad, said the most important resource on campus for incoming students is their freshman academic advisers. Lane said advisers can assist in choosing a degree path, point students to academic services and help with planning schedules. “Your adviser is your contact person to the rest of the University and his or her office is located right in or near the dorm in which you are living,” she said.
(05/24/08 1:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The transition from high school to college can be both fun and difficult. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the amount of free time students will have. Although loads of free time might sound refreshing, it can lead students to fall behind with schoolwork. “A typical semester’s worth of classes requires students to be in class only about 15 hours a week,” University Division Academic Advisor Jay Showalter said. “You can’t believe how much potentially productive time during the daylight hours leaks through the cracks of most students’ days.”Dean of Students Dick McKaig said the biggest challenge for incoming students is time management. Students are responsible for their own behaviors; they don’t have parents structuring their days anymore. He suggested that students find a time and place that is most conducive to studying, noting that trying to mix social life and study life usually isn’t effective. “A party isn’t very fun with a chemistry book in front of you and a chemistry book doesn’t get much in your mind when there’s a party going on,” he said.But Associate Journalism Professor Claude Cookman suggested that one way to inspire studying is to study in groups. “We are social animals, we learn best in groups,” he said. “The best way to master a subject is to teach it to somebody else.” He suggested that students look for opportunities to help students who are having trouble. The first way students fall behind is by not going to class, McKaig said. “They get in this habit of nothing-is-due-tomorrow mentality and attendance-might-not-be-taken world to have the presumption that they don’t really need to go to class,” he said. McKaig said student should also plan out assignments, papers and tests.Cookman said the most effective way to keep up with schoolwork, be motivated to attend class and learn material is to “learn for the sake of learning, for the pleasure of using your intellect, for the satisfaction of mastering new fields of knowledge and complex ways of thinking.” To him, grades, diplomas and even jobs are extrinsic rewards and students should pursue such intrinsic rewards that will help them now and in the future.But if a student does begin to fall behind, there are an unlimited number of resources on campus. Attending professors’ office hours is the best way to create a relationship with a professor, but most students only come when they are already having academic problems, Cookman said. Showalter suggested that students should initially go to office hours and talk to the professor about what they enjoy or find confusing about class because then it’ll be easier to come with academic concerns. And some departments with traditionally hard classes, such as math or foreign language, usually have lists of potential tutors, McKaig said.Jo Ann Vogt, director of Writing Tutorial Services, said the Student Academic Center, Academic Support Centers, Writing Tutorial Services and Counseling and Psychological Services are good resources to turn to when students need help. Writing Tutorial Services, a service on campus to help students with writing assignments, has tutors to assist students with everything from brainstorming topics to preparing the final draft of a paper. But this service shouldn’t only be used when a student is struggling, Vogt said. Most students who use this resource are already strong students and good writers, she said. For Donna Lane, Academic Support Center adviser at Briscoe Quad, said the most important resource on campus for incoming students is their freshman academic advisers. Lane said advisers can assist in choosing a degree path, point students to academic services and help with planning schedules. “Your adviser is your contact person to the rest of the University and his or her office is located right in or near the dorm in which you are living,” she said.
(03/19/08 3:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Intercollegiate Quidditch is sweeping the nation, one broomstick at a time. Originating from J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter,” the sport is turning the fantasy world of wizards into a reality. However, unlike Harry and his Hogwarts classmates, these mortal students cannot fly on their broomsticks and are thus getting quite the workout. More than 60 college Quidditch teams belong to the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, with Vermont’s Middlebury College as its founder and one of its front-runners.The organization, which started in fall 2005, serves as an outlet for both “Harry Potter” and fitness enthusiasts. At IU, the women’s Ultimate Frisbee team bears a striking resemblance to the magical sport. Subsequently, IU students have shown curiosity in starting a Quidditch team. IU sophomore Molly Fitzpatrick, a handler on the IU women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, said Quidditch and UF have both similarities – each of the seven players have unique roles – and differences, including their ideas of teamwork.“Obviously, we don’t fly,” Fitzpatrick said.Three handlers on a UF team work together to bring the disc up the field to score a goal. She said handlers are similar to the three chasers on a Quidditch team, who try to score by throwing a “Quaffle,” (one of the three balls used in Quidditch) in the opposing team’s hoops. The IU women’s Ultimate Frisbee team was compared to Quidditch in a 2007 article in IU’s Teaching and Learning Magazine, stating that both combine the “best parts of several different sports, including soccer, basketball, football, and netball.” Middlebury junior Xander Manshel created the IQA rules and organized the first "muggle" Quidditch matches, Middlebury College junior Alex Benepe said. The IQA rulebook contains information for people to establish their own teams, the rules for muggle Quidditch and guidelines for hosting a World Cup. Muggle Quidditch is similar to several conventional sports such as dodgeball, volleyball, tag and especially rugby, because the game is so rough, Benepe said. The Seeker’s role is like tag, because he or she has to chase down the Snitch runner to snatch the Snitch. In a way similar to dodgeball, beaters block Bludgers from hitting their teammates, but also try to hit the opposing team with Bludgers. The Chasers’ main role is to advance the Quaffle down the field, which is like volleyball, Benepe said. To be the Snitch runner, who is dressed in all gold or yellow, a person must have endurance, attitude, agility and a short and skinny stature. The IQA recommends recruiting cross-country runners or soccer players for the position of the Snitch.The “Snitch,” according to the IQA rulebook, is composed of the Snitch ball and the Snitch runner. The Snitch ball is inside a long sock that hangs from the back of the Snitch runner’s shorts.Benepe said UF’s spirit is similar to the one that surrounds Quidditch. He added that Quidditch is physically “very demanding, especially for the Chasers and Seekers.” He said a lot of running is involved, and according to IQA rules, players must hold a broom between their legs at all times, which weighs them down and makes it more difficult to handle the game balls.IU sophomore Mike Gasso and IU junior Ashley Novotney are both active in fitness and are fans of “Harry Potter.” Gasso enjoys running and biking while Novotney plays various intramural sports. Gasso said his fascination with “Harry Potter” is due to its element of escapism.“The books really do create a fantasy world,” Gasso said, “ ... each time I would open up one of the books, I would go back into that fantasy world, and I was allowed to imagine them however I wanted to.” Benepe said that although Quidditch is based upon Harry Potter, it has “come into its own world.”Middlebury sophomore Katie Panhorst said that the people who read “Harry Potter” in high school or middle school were the ones who initially connected to Quidditch, but now it appeals to everyone.“It dominates campus – now it’s just cool, not nerdy.”Middlebury’s Quidditch World Cup helped the sport gain popularity and fan support due to all the event’s publicity, Panhorst said. Middlebury has more than 400 students on its team’s roster and its fall World Cup attracted more than 300 spectators, Benepe said. To further increase the popularity of Quidditch, from March 22 to March 30, 25 Middlebury students are going on a road trip to play Quidditch scrimmages and/or matches at Bard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, Vassar, Wesleyan, Amherst and Dartmouth, Benepe said. MTV is even getting in on the action; it is planning to film at the University of Pennsylvania and potentially Princeton, Benepe said. MTV will incorporate the footage for a program that showcases alternative spring break excursions. “I am really excited for them to come, but it definitely puts pressure on us to deliver an incredibly awesome spectacle,” he said. Middlebury is trying to challenge existing teams or hold clinics for colleges without Quidditch.Fitzpatrick, Gasso and Novotney said they would join a Quidditch team if IU had one. Although Quidditch is similar to UF, Fitzpatrick said she would still play UF, but added with a laugh, “Who doesn’t want to play Quidditch?” She said one of the biggest differences between UF and Quidditch is teamwork. “For Quidditch, it seems that the Seeker is on his own; usually the Seeker makes the team win, whereas in Ultimate Frisbee everyone is involved in the win,” she said. Fitzpatrick is pointing to the 150-point bonus in the “Harry Potter” series that the team gets when the seeker catches the Snitch; once the Snitch is caught, the match is over. Gasso and Novotney said they were hesitant about starting an IU Quidditch team, pointing to the hassle of getting the word out and attracting players. Novotney said it may be easy to find a lot of interested people, but some might find the sport “kiddish.”But Benepe feels that Quidditch isn’t just for Harry Potter fans, or “nerds.” He said it appeals to all people. “I think people are realizing how cool and fun it is. In the words of USA Today — it has lost its ‘nerd stigma,’ he said. “It is now something that everyone can and will enjoy, rather than a ‘weird’ fringe activity.”Check out these videos of Quidditch in action:
(03/29/07 4:00am)
This suspenseful thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire movie, but a forced message and sloppy editing left me full of questions.\nLinda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) is living the normal life: taking her kids to school, shopping for food, cleaning the house. Then a sheriff arrives with the devastating news that her husband, away on business, died in a car accident the day before. Could it be a bad dream? Linda thinks so -- she awakens the next day to find her husband alive, eating breakfast, watching TV. But tomorrow he's dead again; the next day he's alive.\nHer husband, Jim (Julian McMahon aka Dr. Christian Troy from "Nip/Tuck"), pulls off a stellar performance. Their relationship is well-developed in a scene where the couple are happy in their new home and we feel the devolution of the relationship to the point where they're acting more like roommates than spouses.\nLinda realizes she's caught in a time continuum spanning a week, wherein she is reversed and fast-forwarded through time each day. The first day she wakes up on a Thursday -- the next on Tuesday. If she can just figure out what day it is and use the information wisely, she can save her husband. (Man, a calendar would have been a wise investment.)\nAfter an unsuccessful visit to a shrink, she seeks guidance from Father Kennedy (Jude Ciccolella), who reads Linda passages about people who have had premonitions about their families and tells her to have faith. This is perhaps the most pivotal scene in the movie -- the one that broadcasts the movie's message to the world -- a better actor could have done Father Kennedy justice. Ciccolella is dull, causing many to leave for bathroom breaks and refills. Being a not-so-religious person, I feel a movie with religious undertones publicizing the message that being a better Christian will allow people to evade death is utterly ridiculous.\nFather Kennedy was telling Linda to have faith, not in God, but in her marriage and life in general. But the movie fails to fully execute the point that it doesn't matter what you have faith in as long as you have faith, which left me confused and unsatisfied.\nBullock maintains a strong dramatic performance throughout, but her choice to act in this problematic film may hamper her credibility as an actress.\nMennan Yapo's direction, for being not-so-well-known, was above average. Each actor, from child to adult, had a believable personality, but it fell flat in the editing room. Too much may have been taken out that could have left the viewer less confused. The ending could have been better if the message was clearer and the plot wasn't so confusing, but at least it wasn't predictable.