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(08/27/07 3:20am)
With shopping lists in hand and school supplies in cart, many IU freshmen loaded up on necessities at Wal-Mart’s annual Midnight Madness from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday.\nStudents started loading shuttle buses that would take them to Wal-Mart promptly at 9:45 p.m., but many were unable to squeeze in.\nTeter residents and roommates Amanda Straight and Emily Harder were waiting for the shuttle to go pick up thumbtacks and scissors.\nAfter noting the large amount of people wanting to pile into a less-than-adequate-sized bus, Straight mentioned that she had a car of her own, to which Harder replied, “Wait, then why aren’t we driving?” The girls left the large group of students for a more comfortable means of transportation. \nAfter the students arrived at Wal-Mart, the first thing they noticed was the IU gear. Wal-Mart workers clad in IU T-shirts pointed to IU-emblazoned items, such as banners, clocks and rugs.\nJessica Solano, Wal-Mart’s overnight customer service manager, said this would be the first time Midnight Madness was held at the new store. “I’m excited for the groceries,” she said. \nThe new Wal-Mart is considered a Supercenter, which contains almost a complete grocery store. Solano said the grocery store should be popular with the incoming freshmen. \nBryan Sewell, a freshman living in Foster Quad, ventured to Wal-Mart for a wide assortment of items.\n“I want whatever I can get,” he said, which he joked might include something with “High School Musical 2” logos on it. “I’ll be here however long it takes.” \nAn Energizer Bunny mascot perused the aisles, handing out pink bunny ears that read “keep going.” Most of the students didn’t need to be told twice.\nTeter residents and freshmen Ashley Matuska, Anna Clark and Josslyn Kennedy mainly bought appliances and decor for their rooms. \n“There was definitely stuff we forgot,” Kennedy said. “And as freshmen, we don’t really have a way to get here, so this was really helpful.”\nAside from shopping, students could participate in games in order to win prizes, which included T-shirts, candy and even a television. \nValerie Westlake, a Wal-Mart employee who was overseeing the basketball hoop game, said that Midnight Madness generates a lot of business, and consequently, a lot of cleanup.\n“It’s basically like the day after Thanksgiving, but at midnight,” she said. \nEven the fabric department saw a rise in business, said Jodie Swassord, a Wal-Mart employee. The students buy fabric for homemade drapes and togas, she said. \n“It’s wild and it’s exciting,” Swassord said. “But Wal-mart loves IU students and really appreciates the business.”
(08/04/07 4:00am)
Alternative-dance rockers Garbage hit the mainstream airwaves in 1995 with their strong self-titled debut, featuring the lower-register vocals of goth-starlet Shirley Manson. Also a band of producers (namely famed Nirvana Nevermind producer Butch Vig on drums), Garbage released a polished pop sound that contrasted dark lyrics. Absolute Garbage does a good job reminding listeners what an indulgence Garbage was during the mid-'90s.\nAbsolute Garbage takes off early with some of Garbage's strongest work from their 1995 debut. The opening lyric "I can't use what I can't abuse" on opener "Vow" sets the album's tone and immediately treats listeners to the first of many perverted Shirley Manson lyrics. "Queer" calmly bounces into your head with its trip-hop feel and acidic guitar melodies. "Only Happy When It Rains" still explodes as an alternative-dance anthem for those enamored with the darker side of life. The calm yet funky beat and ambient pre-chorus of "Stupid Girl" remain effective, and the haunting, slow-burning "#1 Crush" is still incredibly hypnotic and seducing.\nBut somewhere around the middle of the album, the songs begin to feel repetitive. Even though Garbage was a talented act that released dark material, it was also a band of producers who knew how to construct good pop songs. The songs of the middle third of the album aren't necessarily bad, but they feel bland placed in the middle of this compilation. \nThis makes the sweeping orchestrations of Bond-track "The World Is Not Enough" all the more welcome, while ushering in a more satisfying direction for the final third of the album. Although the hits aren't as renowned, numbers like "Cherry Lips," where bubblegum sound is juxtaposed with Manson's dark lyrics, make for an intriguing listen. "Shut Your Mouth" shows Garbage reveling in the sound they established, while the Lou Reed-esque "Bleed Like Me" serves as a nice change in dynamic and instrumentation.\nWhile maybe not a collection of the ages, the stronger material on Absolute Garbage makes it a worthwhile listen.
(05/10/07 4:00am)
WEEKEND presents ... well, whatever the heck we enjoy right now -- we're cramming down your throat, but only because we love you.
(04/11/07 4:00am)
On Monday, pleas of “Help fight hunger!” were met with no acknowledgement, a stern “no” or the rare “where do I sign?” as students exited Ballantine Hall.\nThe Indiana Public Interest Research Group is using its pledge drive this week to not only get people to pledge INPIRG, an environmental activist group, but also to “spread the word and raise awareness,” said INPIRG volunteer freshman Paul Levy, who was one of the members doing the recruiting outside Ballantine.\nPledging entails paying a $10 fee per semester, which can be billed to a student’s bursar account, said junior Ben Kitto, the media coordinator for the Campus Climate Challenge, a program that INPIRG-supported program dealing with the prevention of global warming.\nINPIRG members can be found for the rest of the week at Ballantine and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and at Collins and Read from 5 to 8 p.m., Kitto said.\nINPIRG puts on two membership drives each year, one in the fall and one in the spring, each lasting one week, Kitto said. \nDuring INPIRG’s spring pledge drive this week, the group hopes to attract about 1,200 new pledges, said sophomore Brett Kokot, assistant director of INPIRG’s Campus Climate Challenge. Each pledge will pay $10, which will make them official members of INPIRG.\nElliot Hayden, the Campus Climate Challenge coordinator, said in a March interview that INPIRG is a nonprofit, student-run and student-funded organization. \nThe $10 pays for a number of costs, including a paycheck for the woman that runs INPIRG’s internship program, money to hire lobbyists and advocates in Washington, D.C., and donations to causes that INPIRG supports, Kokot said.\nSome of the donations will go to the Campus Climate Challenge, Kitto said. \nKokot said another portion will be used for INPIRG’s other project, the Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, which benefits the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, hence the cries of “Help fight hunger!”\nHunger Cleanup, one of the events that is partially funded by the money raised during pledge week, took place March 24 and is one of INPIRG’s biggest events of the year. Hunger Cleanup is a “serve-a-thon” where students get people to sponsor them for each hour they volunteer on a Saturday, according to INPIRG’s Web site.\nIn 2006, IU’s Hunger Cleanup raised the second highest amount of money out of 88 schools and communities and likewise raised the most money out of all schools from online fundraising, according to Hunger Cleanup’s Web site.\nKokot said pledging INPIRG provides a way for students to help the causes they are concerned with even if they are unable to physically volunteer.\n“This gives people a chance to give money to issues they care about even if they can’t be there to help,” Kokot said. “It is a great way to invest your money if you can’t invest your time.”\n–Indiana Daily Student reporter Heather Haemker contributed to this story.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
In a country where every two and a half minutes someone is a victim of sexual assault, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, one group on campus is fighting back against unwanted sexual encounters and promoting safe, consensual sex.\nThe group Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters focuses on three main tasks, including performing the skit “He Said … She Said,” participating in events all over campus and performing the tri-annual condom distribution, according to the pamphlet.\nThe next condom distribution will be Thursday, April 19, said Mari Kermit-Canfield, RAISE coordinator. In order to participate, all a student needs to do is wear a red T-shirt and show up to Memorial Hall by 11 p.m. If a student would like to attend, he or she should e-mail Kermit-Canfield ahead of time at RAISE@indiana.edu.\nThe tri-annual condom distribution usually includes three groups of students who hand out condoms by visiting bars and walking the streets. They hand out between 1,500 and 3,000 condoms in one night, Kermit-Canfield said. Mike Raunick, vice president of RAISE, hopes to pass out about 5,000 condoms.\n“Some people make jokes about it, like ‘Sorry, I can only use a magnum’ or ‘That one won’t fit me,’” Raunick said. “But the best reaction is when people ask why we are handing them out because then we get to explain.”\nRAISE is trying to approach the situation from a pro-sex angle, as long as it is consensual, Raunick said. The main point of handing out the condoms is to achieve the goal of promoting safe, consensual sexual acts.\nThe group of volunteers will be handing out two condoms per person that read “Don’t Guess, Get A Yes! (Always ask your partner if they want sex).” \nOne other way that RAISE promotes safe consensual sex, other than the condom distribution, is by performing the skit “He Said ... She Said”. \n“He Said … She Said” is a dialogue between members of the opposite sex, which exposes both of their viewpoints before, during and after the unwanted sexual encounter, according to the RAISE Training and Resource Manual. It is a skit that gets performed by request for certain classes, such as human sexuality, psychology, criminal justice and public health, and has just recently been performed for a handful of Greek houses, said Raunick.\n“He Said … She Said” is a good program for men to get involved in, Raunick said. \n“A large majority of sexual assaults are committed by men,” he said. “If a guy can go to these meetings and be a part of this group, then it will be easier for us to get the point across to other guys. The message is more powerful that way.”\nAnd the message seems to be getting across to a greater majority of people every year, said Cara Berg, president of RAISE.\n“It gets more interesting each year,” she said. “More and more people know more and more statistics and definitions, which means that they are getting educated on the subject.”\nThese statistics include that one out of every six college women is the victim of a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault, according to the pamphlet. \nOne of the best ways to prevent sexual assault is to “use the buddy system,” according to the RAISE Training and Resource Manual.\n“If you are a girl, you need to watch your friends,” Raunick said. “If you are boy, you need to watch your guys and make sure that something is stopped before it even gets started.”\nFor more information about RAISE, visit the Web site at www.indiana.edu/~owa/raise.shtml. For immediate counseling or psychological services, call the Sexual Assault Crisis Service’s 24-hour line at 855-8900.
(03/20/07 4:00am)
"Does global warming exist?” is no longer a question stumping citizens and scientists alike, says Philip Stevens, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Now, he says, the question is: “How do we fix it?”\nA coalition of IU organizations and local businesses are taking the first steps toward fighting global warming,\naccording to a news release from the Indiana Public Interest Research Group.\nThe contributors to this cause are INPIRG, the Environmental Management\nAssociation, the IU Environmental\nLaw Society, and IUCoupons.com, according to the release. These players are working on turning the University from a “climate change contributor” to an “environmentally friendly institution.”\nThe recent rise in temperatures gives global warming substantial scientific\nmerit, Stevens said. Of the last 10 years, nine were the hottest to be recorded, he said.\n“There is a discernible human influence\non global warming,” Stevens said. “We can’t explain the temperature\nchange without humans.”\nStudents, teachers and administrators\nall can have an impact on global warming and its prevention, said junior Elliot Hayden, the Campus\nClimate Challenge Coordinator for INPIRG.\nAmong Big Ten schools, IU received\nthe worst grade – a D-plus – on the College Sustainability Report Card released in Jan. 2007, according\nto the Sustainable Endowments Institute.\nEven the air that students are breathing is environmentally unfriendly,\nHayden said.\n“Students are subjected to health risks every time they choose to get up and go to class,” Hayden said. “But unfortunately, students just don’t care about the health risks of bad air.”\nHayden said that IU can increase its good air and lower its carbon-dioxide\nemissions by making a few changes, such as switching to natural gas instead of coal, using energy-efficient\nflorescent bulbs or recycling.\n“The biggest problem at IU is that we don’t have the right incentives\nto make people care,” Hayden said. “And people respond to incentives.”\nThe most obvious incentive for IU to become more energy efficient,\nHayden said, is the money IU would save.\n“The challenge is that when looking at the short term, the University\nwill be spending money on upgrades,” Hayden said. “But in the long term, IU will save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.”\n“The initial cost makes it more difficult,” Stevens said. “But if we make the investment, it will eventually\npay for itself.”\nIn order for humans to undo the damage they have done to the atmosphere,\nmany things are going to have to change, said Jeff Riegel, director of the an avian conservation site Web site BirdCountry.US.\n“There is no one thing that anybody\ncan do,” Riegel said. “There is no magic silver bullet.”\nRiegel said he his coming to campus March 21 to give a presentation\non the Oscar-winning movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” He is one of the 50 people handpicked and certified by Al Gore to give the presentation,\naccording to INPIRG.\nRiegel’s presentation is only one of the events that has been planned to help IU’s conservation efforts.\nINPIRG is having a membership drive from April 9-13 and is planning\na large Earth Day celebration April 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Dunn Meadow, Hayden said.\nThe celebration will consist of bands, booths, food and a fun competition\nwith prizes. All the participants\nwill also have the opportunity to help plant trees in Dunn Meadow,\nHayden said.\n“It is disheartening to know that more people don’t really care about environmental issues,” he said. “But with a combination of luck and really hard work, everything will fall into place.”
(02/28/07 5:00am)
The threat of becoming overweight is an ongoing issue and Indiana is not pulling its weight in the war on obesity, said Lloyd J. Kolbe, a professor and researcher in the Department of Applied Health Science, who wants to see a change in schools’ attitudes toward health.\nRoughly 30 percent of Indiana’s youth between the ages of 6 and 19 are obese or overweight, according to an IU news release. The percentage of obese or overweight adults in Indiana is up 16 percentage points from 1990, resting at 62 percent in 2004. The number of obese high school students in Indiana grew by 30 percent between 2003 and 2005.\nKolbe serves on the International Obesity Task Force and has worked with Chinese health officials to address adolescent weight issues in China. In 2005, he presented the Indiana State Plan to Reduce Obesity at Gov. Mitch Daniels’ INShape Indiana Obesity Prevention Summit.\nKolbe said he believes the main reason for this is an increase in caloric intake and a decrease in caloric output. People are eating more foods containing higher calories, and Kolbe believes this is due to the fact that more food is being produced, and people have more options when it comes to variety, taste and easy access to food. He also said an increased efficiency in the marketing of food affects caloric intake.\n“Each one of these is a small contributor,” Kolbe said. “But combined, they have a huge impact on the increase of caloric intake.”\nHeidi Boruff, a registered dietician employed by IU, said one solution to this problem is to eat more lower-calorie vegetables, which, she stressed, does not include potatoes.\n“Everywhere you look you have potatoes,” she said. “They have almost double the calories of normal vegetables, which have between 25 and 30 calories per serving. Potatoes have 60.”\nEspecially at a college campus, where the school does not have enough funding to pay for exotic fruits and vegetables, students are not taking advantage of the resources already provided for them, Boruff said.\n“Everything can be part of a healthy diet in moderation,” Boruff said. “But health is a personal choice.”\nKolbe has a different view on the issue of “personal choice” from Boruff.\n“People think that obesity is the individual’s fault,” Kolbe said. “This is, in fact, not the case.”\nKolbe has identified 23 policies for schools to reduce obesity among young people. These policies break down into eight different categories, which, Kolbe believes, are the eight components of wellness that schools need to consider.\nSome of these include food services, physical education and activity requirements, health services, counseling and psychological services and the school’s attitude toward health.\n“Multiple interventions should be required,” Kolbe said. “There is no single magic bullet.”\nObesity can cause many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure and birth defects, according to the American Obesity Association’s Web site.\nAlthough the health effects of obesity can be detrimental, the economic effects are leaving a mark on America as well, Kolbe said.\n“The health conditions associated with obesity have a long incubation period,” Kolbe said. “As the population ages, these effects will begin to show themselves. Health costs will increase and taxes will go up. Everybody pays for the effects of obesity.”\nOn a smaller scale, Kolbe believes that “universities are not stepping up to the plate.”\nBut in order for universities to respond to the obesity epidemic, students must voice what they want done, both Kolbe and Boruff said.\n“Getting the menus changed in the food courts is an ongoing process,” Boruff said. “To see changes in the future, we need some student feedback.”\nSimilarly, Kolbe hopes that students will take a larger role in the fight against obesity.\n“The University needs to do more for the students,” Kolbe said. “But what the University does needs to be determined by the students themselves.”\nKolbe believes a group of students can achieve this by forming a coalition to talk about health concerns with the administration. It would be more than happy to meet with students about their concerns, Kolbe said.\n“There is little will to do the things that need to be done on the scale that they need to be done to address this epidemic,” Kolbe said. “Our children are without question going to live sicker and die younger than their parents would – and we just should not tolerate that.”
(02/22/07 5:00am)
A group of female students waits on the curb for a campus bus to pick them up. A car drives past and the passengers yell embarrassing and demeaning remarks at the women. Before they have a chance to respond and refute “How much do you ladies cost?,” the car is long gone, as is the group’s hope of an explanation.\nThe women are Asian and therefore prime targets of ridicule and degradation that many minority students face. Although the women were unable to speak directly to the students in the car, Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, helped them to contact the authorities with the car’s license-plate number.\n“This way the students were made aware that what they did was not acceptable,” Castillo-Cullather said.\nAccording to Asian-Nation.org, Asian-Americans have become the fastest-growing targets of hate crimes and violence in the last 20 years. \nEven though Castillo-Cullather said IU does not see a considerable amount of serious violence, a program sponsored by the Asian Culture Center called Responding to Incidents of Casual and Everyday Racism, or RICER, is trying to give students the chance to talk about the discrimination they frequently face on IU’s campus.\nCastillo-Cullather believes that talking about racism in everyday life is the first step to fighting it.\n“Students experience a place where they can talk about and share their incidents without feeling like they are being judged,” Castillo-Cullather said. \nWhen it first started, the program was a weekly group meeting made possible by funding from a grant. After the funding decreased each semester and ultimately ran out, the program no longer had the resources to meet as a group.\nBut RICER was so effective that the Asian Culture Center decided to continue it as a one-on-one session between students and Castillo-Cullather, she said. Most of these meetings are arranged by a friend of the student who is experiencing racism but is either too afraid or too unconcerned to talk about it.\nCastillo-Cullather believes that students become more comfortable addressing racism once they realize they are not the only ones who experience it. \n“Some of the students feel like they brought the racism upon themselves, so that is who they blame,” she said. “They ask themselves, ‘Did I say something or do something to deserve this?’”\nSome of the different kinds of racism reported include, but are not limited to, name-calling, taunts, making fun of physical characteristics and repeating racist comments heard on TV. All of these derogatory remarks can leave a student feeling uncomfortable, and anything that makes a person feel uncomfortable is a form of injustice, Castillo-Cullather said.\nSince racism happens every day, many victims choose not to report it and, as a result, racism goes unaddressed, Castillo-Cullather said.\n“The most important thing is to make people aware that incidents of racism are occurring on campus,” Castillo-Cullather said. “If this is not done, it will lead to a false impression that everything is going right when it is not.”\nA racism report may be filed confidentially with the Racial Incidents Team at reportit@indiana.edu. To schedule an appointment, e-mail Melanie Castillo-Cullather at the Asian Culture Center.\n“We can’t completely eliminate racism,” Castillo-Cullather said. “But that doesn’t mean that individually we can’t contribute to a better place for everyone.”
(02/07/07 10:04pm)
What were once thought to be houses without homes are turning out to be quite the opposite: homes without houses.\nSome say that a house can make or break a sorority or fraternity, but many organizations on IU's campus are lacking just that.\nSororities and fraternities alike are marking their place on campus, even without street addresses. Gamma Phi Omega, also known as G-Phi-O, a Hispanic sorority, won Chapter of the Year at the 2005 Greek Awards -- with only six members.\nSimilarly, Sigma Phi Epsilon, a fraternity lacking a house, also won Chapter of the Year in 2006.\nSophomore Luke Lawson, vice president of Sigma Phi Epsilon's Brother Development Committee, said he believes many off-campus organizations do not get the recognition they deserve.\n"We are a different type of fraternity built on a no-hazing policy, which we strictly enforce," Lawson said. "Until we get a house, none of the other houses even acknowledge us as a real fraternity."\nBut things are changing. The SigEps have plans -- big ones.\nCale O'Bryan, SigEp's sound body chairman, is helping to organize an event much like Zeta Tau Alpha's Big Man on Campus, which raises money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through a talent show.\nSigma Phi Epsilon's version will be called "Hoosier Sweetheart" and the proceeds will go to the SigEp Foundation, which benefits AIDS research.\n"We're trying to do things the right way," O'Bryan said. "We want the best guys to contribute to the right kind of fraternity."\nAnd by attaining enough of the "best guys" -- 80 to be exact -- the SigEps will receive their house back, which is currently being loaned to Phi Kappa Sigma and will thus have an easier time fitting in with the rest of the greek community.\nOther greek organizations on campus embrace their small numbers. Zenaida Olivero, a member of G-Phi-O, said the small number of sisters is what makes them thrive.\n"We count on each other just like a family," Olivero said. "The sorority is a family away from home for us. Sisterhood is one of our goals; these girls are my best friends."\nOlivero's sentiment is that she enjoys having her own apartment and coming together with her sisters elsewhere. This can help prevent arguments that occur between friends when they get a little too close for comfort.\nJesse Kousen of Alpha Sigma Phi, another off-campus fraternity, agrees with Olivero's mentality. \n"Living in a fraternity house is kind of just like living in the dorms again," he said. "Several of us are close because we live close together." \nThe small numbers that usually accompany the homeless greek organizations have had an impact on the closeness of the sisters of Gamma Phi Omega, said member Kimberly Roberts.\n"It's not about the size of an organization or where they live," Roberts said. "It's about the people in those organizations and how they strive to meet goals and make a difference in the community"
(10/13/06 2:59am)
Picture this: a place where individuals need not worry about showering. A place full of fried foods and copious amounts of people to consume it. A place where mullets are accepted and, dare I say it, expected. This place may seem like an impossible utopia, but it is very real. It's called the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, and it can be found Oct. 1-7 in Evansville, my hometown.\nThe Fall Festival is a meeting ground for mullets. I was planning on taking a friend from my dorm back home with me to experience the "mulletude" (the multitude of mullets). Unfortunately, plans fell through, and I was instead forced to take pictures. At first, I chose to photograph every mullet I saw. But after snapping more than 40 shots in the first two minutes, I decided that this probably wasn't the most practical idea. However, based on my sample, I observed certain patterns emerging in the mullet population.\nIn this way, I was able to conduct a survey on the diversity of the mulletude at the festival.\nIn order to understand all of the other types of mullets, one must fully grasp the concept of "The Standard Mullet." This specimen can be seen wearing a sleeve-less T-shirt, tight jeans and a full mustache. This classic mullet is most likely to be found in a trailer park on a man with a two-part first name (Jimmy-Bob, Bobby-Joe, Billy-Bob). Some describe the Standard Mullet as "business in the front, party in the back." This kind of mullet made up a surprisingly low 28 percent of the population.\nThe plurality, 46 percent, were "Curmullets." A Curmullet is a mullet that is permed and/or very curly. To me, this says the mullet wearer takes great pride in his or her mullet. Instead of having to worry about visible grease, the Curmullet just puts on a John Deer hat and "gits 'er done."\nThe "NASCAR Mullet" is next on the list, topping out with a weak showing of just 12 percent. This mullet is generally coupled with a Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon shirt and matching key chain. Other defining features of Curmullet-wearers include the freshman-in-high-school mustache (no matter how hard you try, it just won't grow) and acid-washed jeans.\nThe last mullet worth mentioning is the "Gullet," or girl mullet. This category includes both Curmullets and the Standard Mullet. The Gullet-wearer is distinguished by a wardrobe filled with phrases like "I'm out of bed, what more do you want?" and "Save a horse, ride a cowboy." The Gullet made up 12 percent of the mulletude. \nThe last 2 percent fell into the "other mullet" category. \nVisiting the Fall Festival year after year still continues to amaze me. Although I do not take part in the consumption of deep-fried Twinkies or Oreos, the mulletude is enough to keep me satisfied. I urge each of you to join the festivities at least one time in your life. Who knows, maybe you'll find a whole new category of mullet and your name will live on forever in mulletdom.
(09/29/06 3:15am)
What kind of ice cream best describes you? Which Disney character are you most like and why? What is your favorite sexually transmitted disease?\nWhat do these three questions have in common? They could be potential queries from an old TV favorite: "The Dating Game."\nAs a kid, I was quite the little fan of "The Dating Game." It was intriguing to watch a woman or man choose from three members of the opposite sex based only on a few random and seemingly pointless questions. At the end of the show, the bachelor or bachelorette made his or her selection and was visibly disappointed when the really attractive contestants exited stage right, while he or she was stuck with the noticeably less physically appealing contestant with "a good personality."\nSo of course, after hearing that Teter, my dorm, would be holding a dating game at the "Teter Fiesta," I signed up immediately. Was I going to meet the man of my dreams? Not likely. Was I going to come off as desperate? Probably. Was I going to be humiliated?\nAbsolutely.\nAfter sitting down next to the other contestants, I took a look around. There were five beautiful blondes burning with optimism. I became a little nervous until the announcer said, "OK, if you are blonde, you can leave." Gawking, I watched as all of the blondes left with heavy sighs and disappointed looks. Apparently, Mr. Bachelor had a thing for the brown-headed babes. \nDuring the blonde exodus, I noticed a male candidate sitting next to me. I gave him a funny look and he smiled sheepishly back. "I'm just in it for the free dinner," he assured me. Then he added: "I'm also really drunk! I can't wait until this is over, so I can go back to my room and drink some more!"\nThe questions grew ever more personal as the game went on, and eventually the competition was narrowed down to contestants one and five. Sadly, I didn't make that cut, and I was forced to stand up and join the ranks of dateless losers.\nApproximately 10 minutes later, contestant five took the walk of shame while contestant one hugged her "prize."\nAfter all was said and done, I realized how absurd the whole activity was. With my prior knowledge of "The Dating Game," it should have been obvious from the beginning that it would leave the contestants with a feeling of rejection and no chance of a real connection. \nEven though I regretted participating in "The Dating Game" for quite some time, I now believe it was an overall fulfilling experience: I had a microphone shoved in my face, I saw five blondes get shut down and I got to meet a drunk. How often does that happen on a Sunday?\nAnd, hey, if you like the chance to win a free dinner for two at Fazoli's, "The Dating Game" might be just the thing for you.