Hear Music

Paul McCartney (or Sir Paul McCartney if you want to be that guy) has danced around through different genres for over fifty years.

He’s done the blues thing, the pop thing, and the rock thing and he’s dipped his fingers in the electric pool. Now, in 2012 he’s broke into a genre we always kind of expected him to get into eventually. “Kisses on the Bottom” is an easy-listening jazz/pop album full of pre-rock pop song covers and Paul’s whimsical vocals, which haven’t deteriorated over the decades (not too much, anyway).

McCartney, himself, describes the album as something “you listen to when you come home from work.” It’s that kind of slow, jazzy upbeat music that exists permanently in the background not hurting anyone or exciting anyone. Listening to it and thinking about McCartney it’s easy to get the feeling that this is exactly where he should be. There’s no need for the proto-metal shredding of “Helter Skelter” at 69 years old and there’s no need for experimental compositions like “Uncle Albert/Admiral Hadley” or “Band on the Run.” Now is a time of seasoned compositions that float easily around the room slowly pushing good feelings around the air.

Of course, I can’t see anybody calling this an important album in popular music, nor do I think it’s supposed to be. If you give it a fair chance and aren’t looking for anything special from it there’s no reason you won’t enjoy it. It doesn’t rock your face off and it doesn’t change everything forever like a Beatles song but it gets your foot in a tap and your head in a soft nod in that casual way Paul McCartney has.

Photo by Mike Frederiksen

The Cyclones have captured their sixth consecutive 20-win season and currently sit at 20-8 (8-4) with an outside shot at a conference title.

On January 31 Moraine took their talent on the road to a .500 team in Morton College. With the combination of a well balanced offensive attack and some new-found defensive energy, the Cyclones took a commanding 35-13 halftime lead. Moraine Valley never looked back as they coasted to their third straight conference victory, 64-42. Raven Phillips posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Loretta Burton filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 6 boards, 5 dimes, and 2 blocks.

On February 2 Moraine returned home to take on McHenry County College. For the second game in a row the Cyclones came out firing on all cylinders, especially from behind the arc. Moraine cruised to an easy 82-57 victory. Kelly Foley led the team with 22 points, Kim Young added 12 points, and Natalina Cifaldi added 6 points and dished out a team high 8 assists. In the end, the Cyclones rained in 13 baskets from downtown.

On February 4 Moraine squared off against College of Lake County. The Cyclones played yet another amazing first half with a 35-19 lead. Moraine started the second half where they left off and cruised to a 65-34 win. Young led the team with 17 points, Foley added 13, and Becca Theriault followed with 10. With the win the Cyclones (8-2) moved into second place in the conference.

On February 7 the Cyclones went into the hostile territory of Elgin Community College (9-1). With a win against the Spartans, Moraine would take possession of first place in the ISCC. The teams traded buckets throughout the first half, and Moraine led 29-23 at the half. The Cyclones were up by as much as 13 in the second half, but with six minutes left to play the Spartans went on an extended run and Moraine fell 64-61. Foley, Cifaldi and Phillips each had 14 points. Phillips also had 19 boards, which gave her yet another double double with. The Cyclones loss can also be contributed by their 29-team fouls.

On February 9 Moraine took on ISCC foe Waubonsee Community College. The teams traded baskets throughout the game, especially toward the final minutes of play. Despite having the home court advantage the Cyclones fell short in a close one, losing 65-64. With the loss the Cyclones dropped to fourth in the conference. On February 11 Moraine finished their non-conference schedule with a win at Joliet Junior College. The Cyclones captured their coveted 20^th win of the season with 76-69 victory.

Throughout the rigorous season the Cyclones have held their opponents under 50 points 11 times, and have outscored their opponents by at least 20 in 11 games.

Congratulations to guard Brittany Bixman and forward Rebecca Theriault who were both named to the Academic All-District Team, based on their outstanding GPA and basketball stats.

Photo by Mike Frederiksen

On February 9, the spirit games began with both the women and men’s basketball teams paying homage to their sophomores before the match up against Waubonsee, in their last home game.

The woman started off the festivities with a lot of energy right from the opening tip off. Players on the bench as well as our own mini-student section in all green were exchanging “DE-FENCE!” chants. The student turnout was great, as every student participated throughout the game by chanting, cheering, waving their hands or stomping their feet.

The lady Cyclones went back and forth, but came out of the first half with a 32-28 lead. They continued battling in the second half and at the 11-minute mark, there may have been a little too much energy in the atmosphere as forward Jessica Contant almost got into a scuffle with a Waubonsee player over a loose ball. This upped the intensity from both benches and the cyclone crowd, as there were “let’s go cyclones!” chants, combined with endless booing towards Waubonsee players at the free throw line. Student Ashley Cunningham could only use the words, “crazy and exciting,” to describe the high intensity throughout the game. The match up went down to the last shot, but to no avail as the lady Cyclones fell short of the victory 65-64.

This Bitter moment was brief, however, as the men’s team came out and beat Waubonsee 69-55. Assistant coach Justin Domingo said that it “meant a lot” to come out with a victory for the players that aren’t returning. He added that, “they (the players) showed great leadership, and did all the little things, like keeping possession and rebounding.”

There was no disappointed fan that walked out of the gym on February 9. Both teams came into their games and battled to the end. Sadly the women came up short as the men won their ninth straight game. Amidst all the craziness and hoopla during the games, at timeouts there were cones, candy, and even t-shirts being thrown out into the stands.  At halftime, there was an entertaining performance by the 24 Karat dance team and they even invited everyone in the crowd to come down and join them many of which did. Overall, the spirit games’ was a great and fun experience for all Cyclone fans and if you weren’t there you missed out.

Archive Photo

When will this cold weather pass? I know that the ground hog has promised us six more short weeks of winter but these weeks aren’t going by fast enough. I personally think that winter has just begun, but that’s just my opinion. Let’s all hope that I am very wrong!

Today I want to talk about the importance of an individual’s voice. I feel that I can’t stress enough the importance of speaking out. Just last night I was thinking about the many problems that occur every day in this world. I asked myself, “Why do such things happen?” I answered quickly and said to myself, “Well because there are bad people in the world,” but I began to think deeper. I began to think that there has to be more to this issue, this was when I knew that “good” people were part of the issue. For example, if a third grader sees a second grader getting bullied and doesn’t say anything, is he then part of the problem? If I put myself in that position, I would have to hold myself accountable as part of the problem for not speaking up in defense of the younger student.

I think the fear of getting hurt or also getting picked on would bother many people, but I think if we couldn’t take action in a certain situation this fear grows and lingers with us as we continue down our road in life and we continually begin to accept things without question or concern . Many of us can see it, not just in second or third grade, but at work or in college and beyond. From my personal experience I have witnessed students who decided to avoid speaking out and asking questions in class just because of the fear of getting hurt or being picked on. What good does that do for anyone?

I know of those students because I was one of them, and being silent does no good. We must speak up and not only ask questions in school but outside of school as well. I am trying to say that our voices can stop people from being bullied, our voices can clarify things not just for an individual but for a crowd, our voices can change the future. Our voices can do tremendous things if we only practice using them. If there is something that we don’t understand or agree with I ask that we all speak up and ask questions for clarification, Thank you and have a great day!

Universal Pictures

“Safe House” hit the big screen on February 10 with high-speed car chases, bullets flying, conspiracy theories and talented leading actors Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds drawing in crowds.

Denzel plays the role of Tobin Frost who has been at the top of the CIA’s most wanted list for years, completely untraceable, when suddenly he is taken into custody and placed in a safe house. When the safe house is attacked and all other personnel wiped out, it is up to Ryan Reynold’s character, young agent Matt Weston, to figure out what to do with his guest.

With the realization that the safe house had been a secure location prior to attack, it becomes questionable whether one of the higher-level authorities has become corrupt. We discover that Tobin Frost has or knows something that someone doesn’t want coming to the surface, and they will do anything to cover it up. Weston gets tangled into the mess as he begins to wonder if what Frost is holding is true.

The top-notch actors seem to carry this film. Denzel and Reynold’s performance were fantastic, but the plot seemed to be a little on the predictable side nearing the end. The film was intense in action due to the man-on-the-run nature of it. There were plenty of fierce hand-to-hand combat scenes and a multitude of shoot-outs. A couple chase scenes even utilized the South African setting, running across rooftops of a shantytown, and causing chaos at the soccer stadium.

The greatest downfall of this film was the frantically moving camera during the action scenes. It really took away from the action when you were spending so much of your energy trying to refocus your eyes and trying not to let it make your head spin.

As far as action films go, it is overall a good piece of entertainment, but there isn’t anything groundbreaking. Had they cleared up the issues with it’s action scenes the film would have been tremendously better and viewers would be more engaged.

Photo by Mike Wade

When it comes to skiing on the snow-covered hills of America, Ski and Boarding Club founder Mike Wade says he and his team “want people to be able to afford a trip to a beautiful place to do what they enjoy.”

With this in mind, the Moraine Valley Ski and Snowboarding Club recently took their long awaited annual trip to Crested Butte, Colorado. Every year, the club is able to choose a location for the annual ski trip and this year they selected Crested Butte because it’s a beautiful resort that sits nestled at the base of Elk Mountain in the heart of the Rockies. The club began their five-day trip to Colorado by taking in the powder blanketed mountain and the beautiful Colorado weather.

“Every year we pick a new resort to go to, always giving us somewhere new to check out” Wade said.

Crested Butte offers many shops, restaurants, and bars right near the resort at the base of the mountain.

“Nothing can compare to the real mountain experience and carving real powdered snow. Local resorts cannot compare in size to a real mountain and most use artificially made snow,” said Scott Conrade, Vice President of the Ski and Boarding Club.

Last year for their journey the club traveled to Park City, Utah and enjoyed its vast mountainous scenery.

Mike Wade founded and currently runs the Ski and Boarding club so students can have an affordable opportunity to learn what life on the slopes is all about. “The annual trip is a great way for friends and family to ski and snowboard together for a low cost,” Wade said.

The Ski and Boarding Club hopes their services can offer more people the opportunity to travel and ski with friends and family for a nominal fee. Since the club travels as a group it receives group rates, which come out to be much cheaper than if a single person was to go alone.

Of course, not every college student may believe they can afford such a trip, but with accommodations, airfare, lift tickets, and travel all included you can get a pretty good deal with the Ski and Boarding Club. It is a great opportunity for people to get out to do what they like and for a nominal fee.

At the end of the current spring semester Emmanuel Santoyo’s term will come to an end. Applications for the positions were released on February 6 and the deadline to enter the election is March 2. To be elected as the voice of roughly 20,000 students, potential candidates must be willing to commit a minimum of 15 hours a week to the position and be willing to travel off campus. The responsibilities include attending Board of Trustee meetings, writing columns for the Glacier, and conducting surveys to gain insight on what the student’s want from Moraine Valley Community College. The student trustee will not only gain leadership experience but also stipend for the cost of tuition.

The elections will be held on March 27 and March 28. As Santoyo wraps up his final days in office, he shared his thoughts on his term. “It’s been an amazing experience to be behind the scenes seeing how a college really works and seeing that the students really do have voice. If there’s one thing I would say to students considering this, just do it. It’s a positive experience that changes you for the better,” said Santoyo.

Student Life coordinator, Demetrius Robinson was pleased with Santoyo and all the work he dedicated to the college and to the many students who want their opinions heard. “He’s been a great trustee that accomplished many things and brought his own flair to the table. He is a very active individual, always working out, walking the trail and he definitely promoted a healthy lifestyle. He’s truly going to be missed.”

Robinson hopes to find another trustee just like Santoyo, one that will bring his or her own uniqueness. Applications are still being accepted. For questions you can speak to Robinson or contact Student Life at (708) 974-5353.

Photo by Erica Sinnot

It’s that time of the school year when high school girls are planning their unforgettable prom night, but we must remember, prom is not an economical event.

For this reason, many girls can’t go to prom because it’s an expensive occasion. Moraine Valley wants to make the dream of high school juniors and seniors a reality by hosting a drive for prom dresses through the Dream Come True Project.

Many girls are looking for prom dresses but the cost can be dreadful, with the average cost of a dress ranging anywhere from $500 to $1,000 dollars. Instead of girls wasting hundreds of dollars on a dress, though, they can come to Moraine Valley on Saturday, March 31, from 9 to 11 a.m. to choose a quality dress. All dresses will be free.

In order to help local high school girls, Moraine Valley came up with an idea of allowing people to donate new and used dresses with specific guidelines in place to guarantee all dresses are of the utmost quality. Dresses need to be in good condition. Dresses that are ripped or have stains will not be accepted. All sizes from a variety of dresses can be donated.

“In the past years the drive has received hundreds of dresses,” said Jessica Crotty who works as the College & Community Relations Coordinator at Moraine Valley. She also said that over the past few years the project has indeed been a success, with many people donating and many underprivileged girls receiving quality dresses free of charge.

The project is aimed towards local (in-district) high school girls. Moraine Valley is open to dress donations throughout the year but, or course, it will always be better if dresses are donated before this year’s prom so girls will have enough time to find the right dress.

If they don’t want to keep the dress, girls can always return it, according to Crotty. If anyone is willing enough to donate, please drop off all dresses in the Multicultural Student Affairs office in Building S, room S201 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Dreams Come True Project’s ultimate goal is to collect as many dresses as possible so all girls can enjoy their prom night. The name of the project says it all: it’s to make the dream of girls a reality.

For more information on the Dreams Come True Project, go to the Moraine Valley website or contact Jessica Crotty at (708) 974-5281.

Photo by Patrick Vogwill

Moraine Valley’s extensive book store consists of over 3000 titles, how do they get so many of them? Well from you of course!

Students of Moraine Valley Community College who want some quick cash can re-sell any text book they want to, at any point during the year without waiting for the semi ritualistic end of semester book buy-back season.

Kashif Shaf, the Director of Auxiliary Services  (who also oversees the bookstore) said that the main factor affecting the resale value of books is whether or not the books will be used in the following semester (including books used for both four and eight weeks classes).

Shah also said that for students taking classes offered only once a year and looking to sell back their books, the best strategy is to hold on to them until shortly before the commencement of the semester that the class is offered (in a year’s time).

This of course is dependent on whether or not the textbooks are the current editions the class requires. “Textbook publishers are in the habit of revising their textbooks every two to three years,” said Shaf. So, whatever you do, you still may have to face a gamble.

According to Shaf, the year-end books buy-back event is usually outsourced. Previous contractors include the Missouri Book Company, the South Eastern Book Company, and Follett.

Shaf said that students who elect to sell their books before the end of the semester will have to settle for less money-averagely between twenty five to thirty five percent of the actual cost of the text books-as opposed to the fifty percent or more students who wait till the end of the semester to sell their books can get.

Photo by Amel Saleh

Why did the three little pigs build houses? Was the wolf really so mean?

The Three Little Pigs arrived at Moraine Valley on Thursday, February 16 at 10 a.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater.

The story, which took a new spin on the classic tale, featured a Big Bad Wolf who wasn’t big and bad and wanting to eat the pigs, but was simply too powerful to play with them. Every character is portrayed in a jubilant manner. The wolf isn’t an enemy of the pigs but a friend. Even the wolf’s mother is a friend with the pig’s mother.

Instead of going straight into “these three pigs built these houses” the play took an interesting turn. In one scene, Mother Pig reads the piglets a bedtime story. One piglet becomes overly obsessed with the story and fantasizes about living in her own home at a mere 10 weeks old. She describes her dream home as “one with a white picket fence and a strong roof.” The other two piglets then become convinced they want their own homes, too. Each pig then describes the home of their desire, and you guessed it; one’s made out of straw, one sticks and the other bricks. Introducing the reason why they chose the material for their homes and including a mother figure into the story presented an interesting take on the classic tale.

Mother pays a visit to the wolf on the day of his birthday, which seemed like a pretty depressing day as he sat alone in front of a cake with one candle. He no longer speaks to the pigs because of some altercation the audience is unaware of. We find out the friendship was severed due to the wolf being too powerful to keep company. Mother pig teaches the wolf about being gentle and encourages him to patch things up.

When the wolf tries to visit the first pig, he can barely get his word across because the character is so worried about the wolf “breaking something.” The wolf becomes sensitive to this and seems to prepare to cry by a series of huffs and puffs. This blows down the pig’s house. I understand they didn’t want to promote violence to an audience full of children but I felt a better idea could have been used for the huffing and puffing.

The pigs and the wolf became friends again, thanks to the efforts of Mother Pig’s maternal nature. When there’s conflict, try to understand the other side rather than quickly shutting the person out of your life. It was a cute performance to put it in simple terms. A college student surrounded by second graders, I left with a valuable reminder of something that’s often forgotten in society: never judge a book by its cover.