The Mac Weekly

Chino Latino: Dangerously trendy, definitely worth it during Happy Hour

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Chino Latino is one of those places that seems trendy and expensive from the get go. The outside is covered in strands of shiny bronze colored disks, drawing in passers by. The impression only gets reinforced once you get inside: the first level had dark wood floors, colorfully back-lit bars, and a young, fashionable clientele.

Fall convocation speaker: Health activist and Partners in Health co-founder Paul Farmer

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

This fall, the convocation speaker for Macalester will be the renowned anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer. This is after several years of trying to match schedules.

Farmer is one of the cofounders of Partners in Health, an international health and social justice organization and, more recently, known for his aid for Haiti.

Tobacco Task Force helps Mac prepare for a smoke-free campus

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

After a semester of meetings and discussions, the Tobacco Task Force has come up with several recommendations to be passed on to Vice President of Student Affairs Laurie Hamre and other senior administrators early next week.

The Tobacco Task Force consisted of current, former and non-smokers from the student body, faculty and staff.

Kentucky Derby runner has Macalester connections

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow Macalester students will have Springfest and finals on their minds, but can hopefully spare some time to cheer on a horse in the Kentucky Derby racing valiantly for Macalester.

Paddy O'Prado, one of the 22 horses in the Derby, is owned by Iowa-based Donegal Racing, a 10-member partnership founded in 2008 by Macalester's Board of Trustees vice chairman Jerry Crawford '71.

Summer job shortage dire for some international students

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

While most Macalester students already have summer lodging and employment squared away, some international students are finding themselves without the assurance of an on-campus job for the summer months.

According to Aaron Colhapp, the Director of Macalester's International Center, over 15 percent of rising sophomore and junior international students planning to stay on campus this summer and looking for full-time jobs don't yet have on-campus employment, and are struggling to find jobs with all on-campus positions already full.

Changes at Springfest:Program Board shifts to outdoor BBQ, indoor concert after negative feedback

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Springfest is tomorrow, and coordinators Lara Adekola '10 and Lexi Abrams-Bourke '11 have decided to revamp the event entirely, changing the time and venue in an attempt to appeal to more students.

In years past, Springfest has been scheduled during the afternoon and evening, entirely on Shaw Field.

Kirk Basement Lab: Pragacz's lair

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Perhaps more of a dungeon than a workspace, the Kirk Basement Lab is furnished with two slit-windows (only one of which is boarded-up), low ceilings and bright florescent lighting. The door connecting the lab to the upstairs of Kirk locks behind you. Surprisingly, some have made this basement lair home.

Mac Snap shot: Spencer Retelle '11

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Tell me about your style. My style usually consists of multiple influences. The main one is what I wake up in, but I really just like to wear things I like. WI like to wear things that are me, not who I am, but how I feel in the morning. Whether that is hung over or showered, which are definitely mutually exclusive.

If you give a boy a cupcake...

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A cupcake is a unique experience. Every bite is different depending on when, why, and how you're ingesting the precious construction of cake and frosting. As such, this cupcake review is not so methodical. I ate these cupcakes on a whim and encourage you to do the same.

Professor book reviews: "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A broken foot doesn't sound like a stroke of luck, but for Macalester history professor Andrea Cremer, it was just the beginning of a storybook ending.

Cremer was planning on spending her summer horseback riding in Prior Lake, a reward to herself for landing a job at Macalester the previous year.

Professor book reviews: "The House of Tomorrow" by Peter Bognanni

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

"The House of Tomorrow," the debut novel by Macalester English professor and alumus Peter Bognanni, is a book that mixes the antiquated futurism of R. Buckminster Fuller with the modern angst of punk rock. The book took Bognanni two and a half years to write, and takes place in a made-up town in his native state of Iowa.

Professor book reviews: "Africa's Freedom Railway" by Jamie Monson

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Professor Jamie Monson, a specialist in African history, has been doing research in Tanzania since the early 1990s. For her recently published book, Monson had to extend her research halfway across the globe to China.

Her book, titled "Africa's Freedom Railway: How a Chinese Development Project Changed Lives and Livelihoods in Tanzania," explores an important railway project that was completed from 1970 to 1975 between Tanzania and Zambia assisted by a team of Chinese railroad workers.

Athletics Department continues hard push for results, excellence

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Two years into a new home in the Leonard Center, the stakes are higher for the Macalester Athletics Department.

With the completion of the state-of-the-art $45 million athletics complex, under the leadership of a new athletics director with a mandate to push for excellence, and with a college president who has made creating a culture of success in athletics a priority, coaches and administrators agree that there are increased standards within the department.

Macalester goes shoeless for Grassroot Soccer

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Grab a soccer ball and lose your shoes! This Sunday is the third annual Macalester Lose the Shoes barefoot 3 v. 3 soccer tournament, an event benefiting Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit organization that educates African youth about HIV/AIDS through soccer.

Women's frisbee team moving on to regionals

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The women's frisbee team has had reason to brag this year.

"This has been the best season in four years," exclaimed Mac ultimate players Julie Greene '10 and Jacque Kutvirt '11 regarding the success the women's Frisbee team has had this spring.

Dubbed the "Purse-snatchers" (or just "Snatch" for short), Mac's lady ultimate team had their best result in recent memory at the sectional tournament last weekend.

Twins off to fast start: Liriano returns to form

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Coming into the 2010 MLB season, the excitement level surrounding the Minnesota Twins couldn't have been much higher. After 27 years of playing baseball indoors at the Metrodome, 2010 marked the opening of Target Field, the Twins' brand new outdoor stadium.

reSites: Senior Art Exhibition opening today

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The seven Studio Art majors of the graduating class are opening their final exhibition today in the Art Gallery.
The exhibition, titled "reSites," is the culmination of the Senior Art Studio Seminar in which the students have developed their ideas and shaped their work as artists.

Spring Dance concert is worth seeing twice

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In the frenzy that is the end of spring semester, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the events scheduled for this last weekend before finals. But if there's one event that's a must appearance, it's the Macalester spring dance concert.

The dance concert is titled "Double Take," features the work of twelve choreographers, the majority of whom are seniors.

A capella's interview innuendos: The Trads

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Mac Weekly sat down with senior members of the Macalester Traditions, Joe Ptacek, Jason Rodney, and Peter Truax, to discuss their concert on May 4th concert. The concert will start in JBD at 9:15 p.m.

Why is this year's concert a traveling concert?

PT: What kind of angle are you trying to pull?

JP: We plead the fifth.

A capella's interview innuendos: The Sirens

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

We also sat down for a civilized conversation with senior Sirens Katia Cardenas, Sarah Halloran, and Nelli Thomas, whose concert will be held in the music hall on May 4, 8:00p.m.

I heard each of you picked a song for your upcoming concert. What were each of your choices?

SH: Seniors always get a solo.

Hate crimes at Macalester

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

On March 25 Adelante! put up 40 individually decorated crosses and numerous explanatory signs on the lawn in front of Bateman Plaza. The crosses and signs were part of a larger campaign designed by Adelante! to bring the issue of the ongoing femicide in Juarez, Mexico to light on campus.

Frag-ments: Be queer for the revolution

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

This is the last Frag-ment. I spend most of my time in both this piece and academic life being critical of idea or policy 'x.' Here, however, I want to put forward something I actually believe in, something that I think will make the world a 'better' place.

Sweatshop labor on tour

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Next March 25, 2011, will be the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire on the East Side of New York City. 146 workers died in that fire, locked in to prevent them from sneaking cigarettes or fresh air on the balcony. As the fire blazed, workers threw themselves from windows to survive.

The favor of a response

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

With spring comes the season of celebration, when people come together to witness weddings and graduations, to celebrate births, and to honor familial ties. The invitations have started to arrive. In a very real sense, the party begins when the invitation arrives.

Staff Editorial: The year in review

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

We'd like to take this opportunity to look back on the year at some of the bigger stories and controversies, as we bid our senior class adieu. Some of the stories were frightening, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, some of the stories were strange, such as the hiring of a "Sign Consultant" to help make campus more user-friendly, and some were enheartening, such as the Men's and Women's Soccer Teams making it to nationals.

Ode to the Class of 2010

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

It was four short years ago that the class of 2010 was sending in acceptance letters to Macalester, left only to wonder what the next four years would bring. In a mere two weeks those four years will come to an end, and everything that was left to speculation four years ago will have already come to pass.

A science of friendship

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Mac Weekly: The date is September 2nd, 2006: first day of freshman orientation. When you first met, what were the first impressions?

Sara: Can we go before that? Do you remember the orange slip that told you who your roommate was? I called Elissa, and I was petrified because it said she was from Texas and I thought, "Oh, god.