Written by Jade Nowland on August 24, 2010.
August 27, 2010 
West Region pre-season poll tags Tigers womens cross country number three In the 2010 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll released last week, the Occidental College women’s cross country team landed as the third ranked team in the West Region entering the season.
The Tigers return to the course with just one senior and look to repeat as Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions in 2010. The ultimate goal is to qualify for National Championships as a team.
Occidental enters the season ranked third behind Whitworth (Wash.) University and SCIAC foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Tigers have jumped to the third spot after finishing fifth in the West Region a year ago. Joining Oxy and CMS from the SCIAC are Pomona-Pitzer, Whittier College and the University of Redlands who lock in with the number six to eight spots, respectively. The Northwest Conference’s reigning regional champion, Whitworth, enters with the No. 1 sp
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Written by Joel Ramsbotham on August 23, 2010.
Dr. Jeffrey Kahan, Professor of English, recently published “Bettymania and the Birth of Celebrity Culture“ (Lehigh University Press, 2010). In 1804, a kind of madness descended upon Britain. A thirteen-year-old boy, William-Henry West Betty, arrived and took Ireland, Scotland, and England by storm. Women were fixated on his beauty; men referred to him as the “personification of Hamlet.” Crowds were so intent upon securing tickets for Betty’s performances that officers were called out to stop rioters in the streets. What attracted audiences to this prodigy, why did his popularity fade, and why was he all but forgotten in a few short years?
Whether supporters of Betty or of more modern celebrities regret their acts of collective allegiance and personal devotion, their recriminations in no way invalidate their idealizations. Even later acrimonious rejections of Betty or, for that matter, of any former celebrity, add to and support the notion of a shared social investment. The real issue is whether fans fully appreciate that modern celebrity and long-term loyalty cannot coexist. Robert Burton,
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Written by Laura Lawley on August 22, 2010.
Student’s can’t move into their campus homes until Saturday, but students and others attending a celebration today got a sneak peak at the $3.5 million renovation of Mathias Hall — the college’s largest residence hall.The project, paid entirely through student housing fees, was completed over the summer.Improvements included work on the building’s common spaces; “green” improvements including low-flow water fixtures, recycled-content materials, Energy Star appliances and energy efficient lighting; and technology upgrades.The renovation also increases CC’s Living Learning Communities from one to four. The LLC program is built on collaborations between student life and academic offices, allowing a group of students to develop living standards, programming and community service. The three new themes are Gender and Sexuality, Global and Spirit of Non-Violence. The Civic Engagement theme is now Grassroots Organizing. Themes are chosen depending on staff resources, faculty involvement and student interest.Mathias Hall, which houses 296 students, is on the southwest corner of Uintah Street and Nevada Avenue. It was built in
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Written by Angelina Weir on August 22, 2010.
Lions Have Eight Players Heading into 2010-11.
SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo head women’s tennis coach James Bryce has announced the addition of three signees for the 2010-11 season, as the trio of Laura Kemkes, Bethania Laan, and Phoebe Di Leo join the eight-person squad. The Lions are looking to reload this with the departure of seniors Shaena Keefe and Gina Schifano.
The 2009-10 version of the women’s tennis team went 8-14, including a 2-6 mark in a difficult Sunshine State Conference. Despite the record, the Lions finished the year on a high note by defeating Eckerd in the seventh-place match at the Sunshine State Conference Championships. Saint Leo looks to use the final win of the season as catapult for even greater success in the SSC this season, while igniting hopes of earning their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.
Bryce feels his most recent signings will aid in that effort, as each player brings a critical skill sets to the table.
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Written by Laura Lawley on August 21, 2010.
The Abilene Independent School District will meet tonight to hold a public forum on the proposed tax rate and to approve the 2010-2011 budget. The public is invited to comment.
In addition, the board will hold a separate agenda review meeting today covering a new plan for the Woodson Center for Excellence and other matters.
The public forum will be at 5:30 p.m. and the agenda review meeting will be at 5:40 p.m. in the Boardroom of the One AISD Center at 241 Pine St.
The proposed budget includes $117,148,076 in revenues and $119,269,817 expenses, leaving a deficit of $2.1 million.
The expenses includes about $800,000 to match a technology grant that, if approved, could bring the district $4.3 million in technology infrastructure.
The budget also includes a two-percent pay raise for district personnel.
The AISD fund balance has about $21 million.
The proposed tax rate is $1.16, which will raise more taxes this year.
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