Knight News

CUNY Launches Veteran Support Services Program

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On Feb. 27, veterans, staff members and representatives from all over CUNY gathered in Room 403 of the Student Union for an orientation to the new Veteran Support Services program (VSS) at Queens College. This program offers supportive services to meet the multiple needs of both veteran and reservist students.

Dateline Producer Visits and Inspires Students

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Surrounded by the scientific apparatus of an organic chemistry classroom, one would think this young QC freshman was on the fast track to medical school. If he had continued on with the pre-med program, he'd probably be working in the medical profession now.

Keeping CUNY in the Loop

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Most college students have been stunned by recent campus violence nationally, and the same events have galvanized CUNY to adopt a university-wide alert system to publicize emergency messages. Specific CUNY campuses like Queens College already implemented individual programs in the previous fall semester, but this new system will allow for all CUNY schools to receive the same message simultaneously.

Knight News Wins Third Place National Journalism Award

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Queens College's student newspaper, The Knight News, won third place for the Associated Collegiate Press' Best of Show award.

The award, under the category of four-year non-weekly, was given on March 2 during the ACP conferences in San Francisco. Another New York college, Fordham University, won first place for their newspaper, The Fordham Observer.

Model U.N. Club Brings Home Two Awards

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The first annual CUNY Model United Nations Conference went off without a hitch on the weekend of March 1, with the Queens College Model U.N. Club's excellent performance earning them two awards.

QC senior Tony Quach, who represented India, and freshman John Moreno, who represented St.

Professor Tackles Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Greater Israel, administered territories, occupied territories - choose your label and reveal your political orientation.

Thus said professor Mark Rosenblum as he managed to straddle the line between academic objectivity and revealing his own political orientation during the March 10 Presidential Roundtable lecture where he gave a talk on the subject of "Israeli/Palestinian Peace: Between the Impossible and Inevitable.

Student Leader to Drug Dealer

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Think "recreational" drug use is OK? Think you don't get hurt? Former convicted drug dealer Rafael Saler begs to differ. In his "Student Leader to Drug Dealer" event, Saler told students how his "recreational" drug use turned this star athlete and scholar into a felon, ruining his once-perfect life.

Bartlett, Flahive Win Awards

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Freshman Amanda Bartlett and Coach Tom Flahive were awarded two of the big three ECC awards following the team's playoff loss to C.W. Post.

In what comes as no surprise, Bartlett was bestowed the 2007-08 ECC Rookie of the Year award and also made first team all-ECC.

ECC Finals Held in FitzGerald Gym

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Queens College hosted the final two rounds of the 2008 East Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships on March 8-9 in FitzGerald Gymnasium.

The first-round quarterfinals were held at the schools of the higher seed.

In the men's bracket, top-seeded C.

Knights Season Ends With Two Losses

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The disappointing 2007-08 season ended for the Knights basketball team just the same way it began.

That is, with a five-game losing streak.

The Knights lost to Concordia College on Feb. 27 by a score of 65-49. Khaleef Allicott led Queens with 17 points with Terrell Simmons putting up 12 of his own for Queens.

Knights Win One, Lose Four

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Queens College Knights baseball team won their first game of the season but also lost four of their first five against stiff competition.

The season began at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Knights were a little rusty, losing their first two games to Felician and Bloomfield Colleges on Feb.

Lack of Practice Dooms Lady Knights

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Limited practice and stiff competition kept the Lady Knights tennis team from picking up where they left off at the end of the fall season.

Queens lost to Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Knights in the team's first game this semester by the score of 7-2 inside the Tennis Center on March 7.

Lady Knights Dance Team Has Magical Time in Disney

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Lady Knights dance team took the stage at the Indiana Jones Theater in Disney's Hollywood Studios for the Universal Dance Association's 2008 College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship on Jan. 19, the first time the team has competed in the event.

Lady Knights' Playoff Hopes Busted

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For the first time in two years, the Lady Knights qualified for the playoffs, earning the sixth seed in the tourney. But even though they beat C.W. Post by double-digits once during the regular season, they faced a crushing defeat, 54-38, in the first round quarterfinals at the Pratt Recreation Center in Brookville, NY.

A Troubling Double Standard

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The latest uproar in Major League Baseball is the purported steroid craze that is affecting everyone from the commissioner of the MLB, Bud Selig, to the home-run king Barry Bonds, whose image is being tainted because of the alleged steroid accusations against him.

Barack Obama on Civil Rights: Reading Between the Lines

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

When viewing the nightly televised clips of Sen. Obama rallies wherein thousands of participants, many of whom are secular progressives, shriek and wail and jump and faint in unrestrained orgies of mass hysteria, the following question arises: Isn't this exactly the same kind of stuff secular progressives point to with disdain, indeed with horror?

But concern should not focus on secular progressives, or with the idea of holding up a mirror to any one of them and saying, "You have met the enemy and the enemy is you.

DSA is A-OK

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Take a front-row seat in your living room. Tune in to the Democratic presidential debate. I guarantee the word "change" will start to irritate you. Really, it's disturbing.

Change is a good idea, but action is better.

I'm Angelica Ottomanelli-Katz (A-OK), elected president of the Democratic Student Alliance (DSA), and I know the need for action at Queens College.

The Meaning of "Change"

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Barack Obama's campaign can be summed up in one word: change. What is the change he's referring to? Don't have a darn clue. To be more accurate, the word that sums up Obama's campaign is semantics. Sure, he has policies and grand plans, but they have nothing to do with his campaign.

Turning a New Page

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

"You didn't graduate yet?" That is the response I get from many of my peers when they see me on campus. Believe it or not, this is only my fourth and final year at Queens College.

Over these four years I have learned a great deal and worked hard in many organizations on campus, namely in the Political Science Club and the Democratic Student Alliance.

UP Leadership for '08/'09

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

UP, Queens College's most successful student political party, has announced its endorsements for president and vice president of Student Association (SA) for the upcoming SA and Academic Senate elections (Apr. 7-13): Adjani Papillon for SA president, and Gonul Asiker for SA vice-president.

Why Israel is not an Apartheid State

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Israel is often accused of being an apartheid state similar to South Africa from 1948-1994. In the spirit of Apartheid Week I will rehash some simple differences between an apartheid state and Israel.

Israelis and Palestinians are allowed to marry each other and live together.

Ensuring Fair Online Elections

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

In light of the electioneering and harassment of students that has taken place in previous year during student elections, the Democratic Student Alliance (DSA) party was successful in getting online elections passed in the Academic Senate. (The United People party (UP) was opposed to online elections because they feared the system was not "secure" enough despite the fact a similar system is used to secure our grades and private information through e-Sims and, to date, has not been significantly compromised.

Good Professors Don't Come Cheap

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It's a story with which many students are all too familiar. They find a great professor who gets them excited about a specific subject, has excellent rapport with classes and conducts fascinating research. To the students' dismay however, this professor has been offered a better position elsewhere, and due to financial and personal considerations he/she plans on accepting the competing university's offer.

Letter

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Editorial Was Biased ... Yet Again

The editorial on the Good Charlotte concert in the Feb. 27 edition of The Knight News was filled with inaccuracies and personal attacks.

At the beginning of the list is the comment made about the bathrooms. Months ago, Student Association's leaders helped to secure funding for all of the bathrooms in the Student Union building, including the men's bathrooms near the bookstore.

9 Questions for Jenny Kijowski

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A Chancellor's Fellow in the English Department, Professor Jenny Kijowski is bright, young and highly recommended by other professors. Her fields of interest include women's studies, film studies, visual/digital culture, cultural theory, critical theory and trauma studies.

Spherical Trivia

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The spheres outside of Klapper Hall, currently the home of the art and English departments, were new once. They were illuminated at night and according to Dr. Suzanna Simor, gead of the art center in the Rosenthal Library, "the effect was magical." Since their installation in 1995, countless numbers of students have walked by and ignored them for being oddities.

The Best Laptops

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

As a student on a commuter campus, when you're thinking about buying a laptop you're probably thinking about two things: performance and portability. However, these two things don't always come hand in hand. With a multitude of laptops on the market, you need to know what type you're looking for before you buy.

The Senses: Chapter 2

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

I was usually always spending time with other fellow writers or dramatists. One of my closest from the crew in which I spent a majority of my time with was Erin. He was studying to become a director, constantly taking classes in acting and film direction. We worked on small projects together.

BMW to Expand its U.S. Factory

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The BMW automobile company recently announced that it plans to spend $750 million to expand its production facility located in Spartanburg, S.C. The move will create 500 new jobs and will double the size of the company's U.S. manufacturing operations.

BMW plans on adding 1.

Queens Pathmark Gives Local Businesses $72,000

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Pathmark supermarket located on Merrick Boulevard in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood of Queens recently distributed $72,000 to local businesses in an effort to help them improve their businesses and stimulate the local economy.

In a meeting at his Laurelton district office, City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) personally distributed the roughly $72,000 from the Pathmark Fund to 14 local businesses.

In Search of Reality

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

"The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits." - G.K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy.

In Blaise Pascal's Pensees, the intuitive mind is juxtaposed with the mathematical mind; likewise, in Chesterton's Orthodoxy the poet is contrasted with the logician.

Do You Have Health Insurance?

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

If the answer to that question is no, you are in the same situation as 30 percent of other Queens College students and those nationwide. Many students are covered on their parents' insurance until they are 23 years old. Many others are not covered after the age of 18.

So What About This Corny Fuel?

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It's hailed as the answer to all of our energy problems. The renewable resource that would make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil. The corn derivative burns cleaner than fossil fuels do and can also be domestically produced. But is ethanol all it's gassed up to be?

Our nation's leaders seem to think so.

Dubailand

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is hoping their largest investment project, DUBAILAND�, will be the number-one destination for tourism and entertainment in the Middle East and even the world. With the slogan, "The Fun is Building in Dubailand," this park, conceived by Mohammad Al Habbai, CEO of Dubailand, will be the largest destination for family-oriented tourism and entertainment in the Middle East.

San Francisco

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A vision of the Golden Gate Bridge leading into the city of San Francisco across the bay from Alcatraz will linger in my memory whenever recalling my trip to San Francisco. The west coast was the destination for The Knight News team for the bi-annual American Collegiate Press (ACP) National College Media Convention.

Don't RSVP to this Wedding

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

There are bad movies, and then there are movies like Margot at the Wedding. There are certain types of movies like Plan 9 From Outer Space that are so bad that you can't help but want to laugh at its sheer stupidity; films that are enjoyable because the creators look like they're having fun.

Eric vs. Spenny: An Interview with Kenny's Other Half

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Several issues ago, I had the chance to take on Kenny Hotz. Now, it's Spencer "Spenny" Rice's turn.

KN: In my interview with Kenny, he said his favorite competitions are the ones where he'll intentionally lose and you still end up thinking you lost. One such competition was "Who Could Drink The Most Beer?" What's your response to your friend's antics?

Spenny: I think it's bullsh**.

Good Movie, But Still Don't Eat Yellow Snow

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

In the first scene of director David Gordon Green's compassionate and elegant Snow Angels, the coach berates the school's marching band for being out of tune while practicing their version of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." The coach gives a speech about how the band members are just going through the motions.

Grand-Sweeping Epic from Bollywood

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Set in 16th-century India, when the Mughals were ruling, Jodhaa Akbar is the story of the greatest Mughal emperor in Indian history and his marriage to a Rajput princess. This marriage starts out as an alliance between Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan) and King Bharmal of Amer, whose daughter, Jodhaa (Aishwarya Bachchan), marries Akbar.

He Is Legend

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

There is a little subgenre within the pantheon of action movies, the "Will Smith saves the world" genre. He's saved us all in Independence Day, I Am Robot and in the two Men in Black films. He's even saved us from poverty in The Pursuit of Happyness. He's saved all of Hollywood from successful movies coming from white guys named Tom.

Star-Studded Tale 'Nose' Best

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It is rare to find a movie that can appeal to anyone, from young children to old man. It's also rare to find one that has a wonderful message and is destined to be a classic for many years to come. Penelope happens to be one of these rare findings. From the magical story, to the fun clothes, interesting characters and whimsical set designs, there is nothing not to like about this film.

The Battle Continues: Kenny Vs. Spenny

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The old phrase "best friends make better enemies" still applies to the madcap fraternity fun found on Comedy Central's Kenny vs. Spenny, returning with seven new episodes beginning March 16 at 11:30 p.m. The premise is still the same tried and true competitions, such as the "Who Can Handle The Most Torture?" competition, which is followed by victor humiliating the loser.

You Say You Want a Revolution

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It's no secret that the 1960s were one of the most turbulent times in our nation's history. Hippies, Vietnam, Korea, civil rights, the U.S. as a police state and many more all contributed to a decade of uncertainty and fear. Writer and director Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture) tries to convey much of this uncertainty in the new film, Chicago 10.

English Beat Rocks Irving Plaza

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On a dark and stormy Friday night, after a harried week of studying for midterms, writing multiple papers and missing out on considerable hours of much-needed sleep, there are few things that would deter us from planting ourselves firmly in bed for the entire weekend to come.

Forgotten Inspiration: Neutral Milk Hotel

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

"All of my songs are life, you know? I have a little dreamworld in my head and I just sing about it. I don't really understand it either, or understand it in a way that I could express verbally." These are the words that Neutral Milk Hotel front man Jeff Magnum told Ptolemaic Terrascope magazine in 1996, six months after their first full album, On Avery Island, was released.

Good Thing We've Got Good Charlotte

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, 500 tickets were sold for the Good Charlotte concert at Queens College. Not long afterwards, the entire front section of Colden Auditorium was sold out as well. There is no doubt that the Queens College student body is excited for the upcoming concert.

How Out of Touch Can the Administration Possibly Be?

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

I have spent several years of my life as a Queens College student and have always thought the same thing: Why can't the school throw an event to get students interested in the campus.

We have a great campus, but nobody cares. Why? Because there is no social life at Queens College.

Kiss Kiss No Thrill

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Fans of the HorrorPops, much like the Danish psychobilly band itself, have been through quite a bit over the past year and a half. The departure of guitarist Geoff Kresge - also known for his earlier, stand-up job (extremely lame pun, get it?) as bassist for Tiger Army - transformed the former quartet into a trio, with Nekroman (who many of you may know as the sick "coffin" bass player and front man of Nekromantix) taking on all guitar duties.

The Music Section's Alternatives to the Good Charlotte Crapfest

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It's easy for music section to sit around in our little office and talk about how much Good Charlotte sucks and that the school is wasting $120,000 of our student fees. So, as to not sound like a bunch of elitists talking out of our a**es, we decided to be a bunch of elitists who want to offer a solution.

Think of One Interesting Album

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

While underground punk bands tour the tri-state area in search of dive bars to assault and pop stars are touring the nation in search of stadiums to capitalize on, Think of One tours the globe looking for musicians to add to their troupe, and to create some of the most enthralling, culture-bending music anyone has ever heard of.

When It's No Longer About the Music ...

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For better or worse, and whether you like it or not, an artist's image means just as much as their songs in today's MTV and Internet-based world. Whether its Joel Madden's stupid dash of pink hair dye, or Marilyn Manson's spooky eyes, artists these days try to really push their image more than their music.

Who the Hell Is: Symphony X

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Mainstreamers, I am sure you all have that one friend who has an "obscure" taste in music. They might even mention Symphony X from time to time. I suggest you listen to them and get hold of an album or two. I say this because Symphony X, along with many other bands I listen to, have what numerous groups lack - substance.

A Bloodier Show Makes For a Bloodier (and Better) Novel

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Compared to the second season of the show, Dexter Morgan's horrible hobby takes a backseat (he only kills two people) in Jeff Lindsay's superb second novel of the series, but there is still a whole lot of blood to be spilt.

Wear a smock; it's going to be messy.

All My Pretty Ones

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Poet Anne Sexton published work during the 1960s and 1970s; and her work is still read by a wide audience today. You can find her book of retold fairytales, Transformations, at most bookstores. One of her earlier collections, however, seems to have fallen through the cracks, and one cannot help but wonder why.

Carey's New Book Revolutionizes the Childhood Self

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Carey takes us back to the days of the radical hippies in his new novel, His Illegal Self. He depicts the scene in a totally new light, through the eyes of Che, a 7-year-old boy.

Che is the son of Susan Selkirk, a leader of the Movement, an organization of radical and militant anarchist and communist students in the late 1960s.

Why Into the Wild Ended Up on the Bestseller List

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild (1996) didn't need an adapted major motion picture in 2007 to gain worldwide recognition. But perhaps the film's nomination for two Oscars, in addition to its 28 other nominations from organizations including the Director's Guild of America, The Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild, accurately reflects the immense popularity and success of the novel, which spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

Between Violence and Beauty

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum presents, until May 28, 2008, a retrospective on Cai Guo-Qiang who, born in Quangzhou in 1957, is one of China's most preeminent contemporary artists. Under the name "I Want to Believe," the exhibition presents Guo-Qiang's interest in juxtaposing Eastern ideas and concepts with the globalized world of mass consumption, computers and violence.

Chronicles of the Feminist Movement Through Art

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Art, aside from aesthetics, has a multitude of social, political and personal meanings. The exhibit "WACK!: Art and the Feminist Revolution" shows how art can assist in movements as well as in chronicling them.

The first piece, by Niki de Saint Phelle, Jean Tinguely and Per Olaf Uhvedt, is a sculpture that makes up the entrance of another exhibit.

Crossing the BLVD: A Must-See Collage of Voices and Perspectives

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Crossing the BLVD, an exhilarating collage of voices and perspectives, is relevant both here and now. Now, because immigration reform is a key political issue in the pre-election debates. Here, at QC's Godwin-Ternbach Museum, because it is situated in the heart of the most ethnically-diverse county in the United States.

Grammy Award Winners Perform

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The world-renowned Turtle Island String Quartet won this year's Grammy Award for best classical crossover album. Their hard work on their flawless classical album, A Love Supreme, paid off for their concert on Feb. 23, 2008, at the LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College.

White Landscape at the QC Library

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Imagine you are a tiny person, painting one dot after the next on an enormous canvas. Walk up to the fourth floor of the library and you will discover the work of artist Jin Lee. Displayed are paintings, drawings and paper sculptures primarily in blacks, whites, grays and creams.