New Music: Battle of the Bands 2009

Watch this video to see DU students performing at Battle of the Bands 2009. Tom Blackwell, Tomasz Jurczak and Austin Hall talk about their musical styles. Learn about new musical genres such as space crowd rock and noise music.

Did you know you can manipulate sounds by using a gameboy??

This video will show you how....

Coughlin 2 Wonder Water Fountain

The 8th Wonder of Coughlin 2 was on display late last week. It was the never ending water fountain! The water would go and go without any human assistance.

While the attraction undoubtedly created by some mischievous resident was amusing at first, the aftermath left nothing to smile about. After about an hour of running, the water began to fill up and overflow. Maintenance was called by two RA's and a resident in order to fix the problem. At around 12am, Jeff Powell, a member of Physical Plant, came to shut the water off.

The prank lead to a giant puddle in the hallway and a water damage on the floor below. For now, the water fountain has been shut off indefinitely.

If you did not get a chance to see the attraction before it closed, please check out the video below.

Dominican Court: Housing Plan Unveiled

Students at Wednesday's RSA meeting look at the apartment unit floor plans displayed on easels.

This past Wednesday at Resident Student Association's General Meeting, Rob Babcock and Evy Koutzas from Residence Life gave the details of the housing plan which will go into effect next fall. A new construction apartment complex, Dominican Court, has been reserved for Dominican students. It's on 7700 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park. The walk to and from Main Campus (if you choose to walk) is shorter than the walk from the Priory to the Main Campus.

With the housing shortage continuing to be an issue for the university, the chance to house up to sixty DU students at these apartments is a way to help alleviate the problem. The number of freshmen coming in next year is continuing the growth trend. While the housing is shifted around on the Main Campus (for example, 40 beds on the 3rd and 4th floors of Centennial being reserved for freshmen), the housing lottery this spring will have the additional option to live at Dominican Court.

Each apartment unit has a full kitchen (includes dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave). There is also a washer and dryer in each apartment, though you have to pay per use. The heat, water, gas and electric is included in the lease payment, but students will have to pay extra for internet and cable. With the full kitchen, students are not required to sign up for a meal plan at Dominican. Instead, students can go on the commuter meal plan (50 flex dollars).

The apartment lease starts from August 22 to May 15. The three options are 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; and 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Below are photos of the display boards showing the floor plans so students at the meeting could get a better idea of what to expect.

The pricing of the apartment lease is yet to be determined, but it will most likely be higher than rooms on campus.

For more information, students should contact Evy Koutzas at (708) 714-9185.

Valentine's at The Nite Light Cafe...

This past Saturday night (February 14), I went with a friend who lives in Berwyn to see her brother perform with a band member at The Nite Light Cafe located in Berwyn. The Nite Light Cafe is a Christian non-profit venue that are open to any bands (Christian, Hardcore, Alternative) to perform at the place.

One indie rock band, The Green Tangerines, impressed me and I think they were one of the top bands that performed that evening.

Below is 2 minutes of the band performing the cover "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab For Cutie.

Is it the right thing to do?

With the tragic plane crash in Buffalo, New York Thursday evening, I've been thinking about the growth of participatory journalism. No matter how many trained journalists there are, nothing can beat a local who is already at the scene as it happens before their eyes. Time is of the essence and journalists can only get to the scene so fast. The question is, "Where do you draw the line?"

On CNN.com, they have iReport submissions where people took photos or recorded video right when the Buffalo plane crash happened. One particular video includes a woman screaming, frantic and wanting to know if her family was all right in a house near the crash site. I first saw this on CNN and I felt uncomfortable, almost guilty for viewing a very emotional and tragic scene.

True, it is interesting to see live, eyewitness video versus reporters telling the story after the fact. But there is a point where the interest for watching the video makes way to "why am I watching this in the first place?" Sometimes, too much information is too much information.

Now I'm all for online journalism because of the opportunity to do more rather than writing a story and maybe a color photo (if the newspaper has the money for it) along with it. The chance to do an in-depth photo essay - in full color - or adding video to attach the names in the written story to faces allows for news to be presented in more colorful, interesting ways. Black and white print isn't what it used to be.

And traditional print media can't compete with the interactivity of online journalism through the ability for viewers to comment on a story, video or photo. Reading one comment on the previously mentioned plane crash video, I had hope that some people are able to step back and say what we all should be thinking...

[viewer comment to video posting below]

Why is this out for public viewing? I understand the freedom's of press, but this is a very personal glimpse of a tragic moment for people who haven't even had a moment to think about or reflect on what just happened to them. Is their no common decency left in America, or are we all just gore addicts?

Source: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-212790

Even so, there's just something about having a camera or camcorder to document an event as it occurs. Unexpected things happen all the time and while it may not be a plane crash right in your backyard, the need to know is relentless. As iReport shows, it's not just journalists who have that need to know - it's any one of us, however much we deny it. Celebrity gossip is popular for a reason after all.

Valentine's Day Oak Park Style

Some consider Oak Park to be a mini-downtown Chicago. The rich history and community of this suburb attracts many new and returning visitors. The diverse and trendy restaurant scene of Oak Park offers great opportunities to try a wide assortment of different cuisines.

With Valentine's Day only two days away, take advantage of one of many Oak Park restaurants. If you and your special someone (or close group of friends) have a preference for American, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Asian, Indian and even South American flavors, make a reservation at an Oak Park restaurant. Click here to get a complete list of restaurants, phone numbers and even customer reviews.

In this video, I visited Oak Park's Sushi House, Papaspiros Greek Tavern and Cucina Paradiso (some of my favorite OP restaurants) to hear about their plans for Valentine's Day.

Check out my video and let me know how dinner at one of these fine restaurants was.

Super Bowl 2009: A lesson in Sociology

Original posting from Review Chicago

We marvel at how many millions of dollars are spent on 30- or 60-second commercial time slots during the Super Bowl every year. It can be quite easy to dismiss the ever-so-hyped Super Bowl Sunday commercials as over the top, silly, or a waste of money, but the fact that companies are willing to shell out upwards of $3 million for individual commercials holds much significance. Analyzing the whole spectacle from a sociological standpoint can speak volumes about American culture in a particular era...and what we allow major corporations to convince us.

My personal hypothesis in analyzing the most-viewed sporting event of the year (95.4 million people!) was based on previous observations: Super Bowl commercials will use the allure of hot babes, status, and machismo to sell products, as well as the promise of happiness and well-being—and most importantly, the ads will capitalize on stereotypes.

I mean, obviously. But while it’s not a groundbreaking theory, And people are more open to the messages when they’re expecting the ads to be sensational—is there ever a time when commercials are more anticipated? (Other times of the year, we use TiVo or fast-forward through ads!)



The most pressing issue for Americans in 2009 is the crumbled economy. By the millions, people are hesitant to spend, worried about jobs, and uncertain about the future. Advertising companies don’t ignore the trends—they strive to give the people what they’re starving for.

For example, Career Builder capitalized on that with their witty commercial displaying people who hate their jobs—and ending by saying it’s okay to be on the job hunt—you’ll revamp your life and obtain more personal happiness and fulfillment.



AP

Priceline, an online travel agent that allows you to name your price for travel packages (and NEGOTIATES for you!), also reinforced that feeling. Their message was that it’s okay to travel still—just use their service and you won’t be overspending in these tough financial times.



Racial stereotypes are also integral in Super Bowl advertisements. Save for a new talkin', singin' baby in the E-Trade commercials, the blacks in the ads were mostly athletes inspiring young black kids to dream big! Read: become professional athletes. The executive hot shots were white men in business suits. The Asian executives at Hyundai (Oh, it sounds like "Sunday?" We can pronounce it now!) were yelling like it was a kung fu movie; almost mockable.

Sex and gender roles are also key. A new Pepsi product is the diet cola for a MAN, not women. Mr. Potato Head is driving in the mountains with his nagging wife when her mouth pops off and falls down a cliff; thank goodness! GoDaddy.com uses busty babes and suggestive same-sex shower scenes to sell domain names. Teleflora allows men to send flowers to women and simultaneously avoid the typical female over-analysis and mixed signals.

And isn't it interesting how the only female athlete prominently featured in the ads was completely objectified?

The many advertisements during the most-watched broadcast of the year reinforce and perpetuate the stereotypes. And there’s clearly a reason why these tactics work—they’ve been deeply embedded in our subconscious; we’re used to perceiving people or situations certain ways. Blacks are athletes, women are either confused or sex objects, white men are either executives or idiots ("I'm good, I'm good."), Asians sound funny when they yell and it’s always okay to spend money! In fact, you must!

I wasn’t surprised in the findings of my Super Bowl "sociological experiment," if you will, but viewing the commercials with a critical eye—specifically looking for the time-tested selling tactics—brought new perspective to our culture and norms.

And I don’t get offended that the marketing execs exploit women and typecast non-whites. Obviously the advertising strategies work, and stereotypes are in place for many reasons including the fact that we allow them to be. I enjoyed almost all of the commercials and laughed a lot (after being rendered speechless over Jennifer Hudson's tremendous National Anthem performance!).

Other than that, we know that bugs are Coke addicts and MC Hammer loves gold. Good times.

Inauguration Viewings Result in Large DU Crowds

This display can be found in the Science Building.

On Jan. 20, 2009, the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama was on the minds of the American people. According to CNN, 1.5 million people gathered to watch the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, at the National Mall on Tuesday.

While at least one of Dominican's students, Evisa Kalemaj, attended the inauguration and the Inaugural Ball (as an Inaugural Scholar), the majority of the Dominican community watched the President take the oath of office from various locations on campus. Check out the Feb. 4 Dominican Star for more on Evisa's inauguration experiences.

Dean of Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Jeffrey Carlson said,"The University decided to have as many viewing venues as possible to accommodate what we thought would be a strong interest among many in the community." This was a great strategy as many classes were canceled to relocated to an inaugural viewing area to allow students to soak in the moment.

Students and faculty alike viewed the historical event in the Library Link. Dean Carlson sat in front of me during the viewing and Angela Frazier-Asiedu, assistant dean of advising services, sat to my left.
Frazier-Asiedu said she "cried through the whole thing."

"As I watched the first family come through the tunnel, I was gleaming. These people looked like me. The daughters reminded me of me and my sisters when we were that age. I was so proud. And then, Aretha Franklin began to sing and the tears began to well up," Frazier-Asiedu said.

Emotions of "joy, disbelief (wow, this was really happening), peace, thankfulness and pure pride" took over Frazier-Asiedu as President Obama took the oath of office.

"I could not contain my expressions," she said. "His words were strong and showed his leadership right out of the gate. He not only gave Americans hope, but I think he gave the world hope."

Students and faculty stood at the back of the Library Link as CNN broadcast live coverage from Washington. By the time President Obama gave his speech, the standing area overflowed into Lewis Hall and into the library. (Unfortunately, I was not able to get a photo of the intense crowd as there was no way to get out of my seat. Also, I did not want to disrupt those around me as the moment in Washington captivated everyone in the area.)


The Social Hall also displayed the inauguration. A large screen showed CNN's live coverage and rows after rows of seating allowed students to take part in the moment. Freshman Marco Colapietro viewed the inauguration in the Social hall.

"Watching the event in the Social Hall (with all my peers) was a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said.

As inaugural events progressed and President Obama's speech came closer and closer, more people gathered in the Social Hall. The standing area that was unoccupied, became more and more full as the clocked ticked. In the photo above, you can even see President of Dominican University Donna Carroll gathered to take part in this event. Junior Kacey Hahn was also in among the Social Hall's viewers.

"There were a ton of people there. Students were there, teachers there, all of Dominican was there," she said. "It's great DU showed the inauguration especially because it's such a big milestone. DU made it so that students wanted to go."

The Springer Suite was also a host of the inaugural viewing. Students and faculty gathered, mesmerized by the events taking place in our nation's capital.


As you see above, most people watching the inauguration appeared to be so glued in to the TV screen. Seriousness was present. Focus was present. Emotion was present.

The Cyber Cafe also became a viewing spot for students and faculty. These students watched the inauguration in between classes.

Inauguration viewings were also held in Parmer Hall and the Priory Campus. This election was the first election many students were able to participate in, and Dominican University embraced students' interests by hosting many viewing areas throughout campus. Frazier-Asiedu said watching the inauguration with her "work family was amazing."

"I was grateful that the University felt like this event was important enough to show throughout the campus," she said. "This gave the DU community to participate in an historical moment together."

Patriotism was a large presence that not only took over Washington, but the Dominican community as well...the cafeteria even had a cake for lunch decorated like the American flag and said: "President Obama...Yes We Did!"

We WILL Be Back

I hope all of you DominiNET readers are enjoying the first week of break!!! (I know my fellow bloggers and I are!)

Please CHECK BACK WITH US the first week of next semester.

Have a happy and safe holiday break!!!!

Take a part in helping the environment...

Today and tomorrow (from 10am-4pm in the Social Hall), Eco Club is having its annual Christmas plant sale where you can choose from several different plants priced from $3 to $10. The plants are: Snake Plant, Moses in the cradle, Spider Plant and Purple Queen.

I personally decided to take advantage of this because I wanted to get a Christmas present for my mom. I know she likes having potted plants around the house. And I'm never sure what to get her for Christmas, so I thought this would be a good idea.

The president of Eco Club, Elena Maans, talks about her club's Annual Christmas Plant Sale and how it's going so far (today being the first day of the sale).

A quick overview of each of the plants at the plant sale. For those (like me), who don't know much about plants. Also, why the plants are good for students living on campus...

Clothing Swap Fashion Statement

At Holly Ball, I noticed Jamie Zwijack's interesting choice of dress for the night. Two minutes later, she had another, more trendy outfit on. I asked Jamie what happened to her lovely red outfit and she explained that it was kind of a joke. Jamie said that she had gotten this lovely circa 1991 outfit through the clothing swap she and a fellow resident assistant helped organize. I thought this was amazing it it totally made me laugh!!

Kudos to the clothing swap!!

This is why I love the Dominican Staff

As I walked through Parmer Atrium yesterday the sound of loud laughter caught my attention. It was our wonderful Dominican faculty decorating the Christmas tree. They were having such a great time I was almost envious. It put a smile on my face, so I figured it was a good time to capture the holiday moment...and yes, she is shaking her butt at me.

Holiday Cheer Comes to Dominican

The weather outside is frightful, but Dominican is so delightful! As the holiday season comes into full gear, the school has began to decorate to spread some cheer. There have been trees and ligths all over to make DU a little bit more of a home.

The social is set up for the annual RSA Auction with a tree and wreaths.

Coughlin 2 with a festive holiday snowman!

How will you spread the holiday fun?

Fashion Club Basket Raffel

So today and tomorrow, the Fashion Club will be selling tickets to raise money for their annual fashion show (which happens in Spring). Christmas music could be heard in the library and dining halls luring people to get in the spirit and stop by their apealling display in the Lewis Alcove. The fashionistas dominated the alcove from 9:30 this morning until 5 tonight...they will be there all day tomorrow as well.

Tickets to win one of the elaborate baskets cost $1 each. Six tickets can be purchased for $5. All proceeds will help to produce the fashion show coming this spring. The Fashion Club's Kelsey Swank is a member of the club's publicity committee. In this video interview, Swank explains more about the drive.

The most expensive item featured in one of the baskets is a Nintendo DS. Nintendo DS's generally range from $125-$200 at retailers.

This next basket will satisfy the winner's sweet tooth. Boxes of fine chocolates and a $50 Cheesecake Factory gift card are included among other treats.

Attention all movie lovers: This basket features all your favorite pick on's while watching some of this year's most popular included DVD's.

The mentioned baskets are just some of the many baskets featured in the raffle. The prizes are great and the baskets would also make awesome gifts.

Tip's View on DU's Men's Basketball

As Joe posted earlier today, the Stars lost one of their biggest games of the season last night. Our men's basketball team lost to Concordia's Cougars 75-41. Ouch.

Starting senior and point guard Kyle Tipton spoke with me this afternoon about the defeat. He's thinking positive about the rest of the season and the next game, this Saturday against Marian University. The home game's tip off will be at 4:15 p.m.

In this video, hear why Tipton thinks the Stars lost and how they'll make a comeback.

Flower Power....After the Snow

With this season's first snow fall decorating the landscape, and Christmas lights glistening all around, one can't help but appreciate the winter wonderland. Just how long will the snowflakes and icicles last?

I love the winter snowflakes and ice (ice rinks, that is) has been a part of my life since I can remember. (My entire family is obsessed with hockey.)

Anyways, Monday I snapped this photo in Parmer Hall's fourth floor women's restroom.

Weird, huh??

I know that Parmer's a science facility (among other things), but I thought all plants and flowers were kept in the green house. Since the old science building is a little out dated, is Parmer's women's restroom becoming a new botanic garden?

CSA wins 1st Place...

The Gingerbread House Competition took place this afternoon, ending at 4 PM. Anyone who is a part of the Dominican community could have participated - you didn't have to be a member of a student organization. The majority of gingerbread houses I saw were from student organizations such as CIAO, OLA, RSA, Eco Club, CSA, etc.

I came after 4 PM while judging was still taking place. I took a picture of CSA's house because of its uniqueness - having no idea that a few minutes later their house would be placed first in the competition.

The shuttle is the vehicle-shaped cookie with black windows on the top level of the "parking garage."


The "shrine to the parking garage" house wins CSA first place.

Commuter Student Association won first place with their gingerbread house styled after the parking garage. The above picture was taken while judging was still underway. What it says on the red card is "CSA! Our shrine to the parking garage. It saves us commuters in winter! The shuttle is on top!"

OLA (Organization of Latin Americans) won second place.
"The Gingerbread House Competition gave the clubs an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate the holidays," OLA member Angie Santiago said.

Another member of OLA, Alex Sifuntes, liked that the competition "gave a chance for clubs to express themselves" through the way they designed their gingerbread houses.

Resident Student Association won third place with their house advertising one of their big events - Battle of the Bands (BOTB).

There were several gingerbread houses made by teams of students who were not doing it as part of a club. One had a Snoopy theme to it.

Gingerbread Decorating Contest!

Today in the social hall the annual gingerbread decorating contest took place. The Commuter Student Association took first place. The judges were impressed with their remake of the parking garage!


The Campus Climate Committee makes their house solar friendly!

Members from OLA have their eye on the prize!

A member of the Ecology club concentrates.

Team Snowflake smiles for the camera.

CIAO members Michael Meranda and Paolo Cosentino decorate their house.

Stars Fall to Rival Concordia

The Men's Basketball team came up short versus rival Concordia Chicago Tuesday night. Team captain Dan Borys scored a team-high 20 points, but it was not enough, as the Stars lost 75-41. This 34-point loss leaves the Stars' record at 2-5, and 0-2 in the Northern Athletics Conference. The Stars will try for their much needed first conference win against Marian University Saturday at Dominican.

(Team captian Dan Borys, photo courtesy of dustars.cstv.com)