Drexel’s Department of Public Safety launched Drexel Guardian May 9 to supplement its existing services with a mobile resource available to students, faculty and staff.

Drexel Guardian allows users to build a profile on DrexelOne with key personal information that can help Public Safety to respond quickly in the event of an emergency. The profile, which is free and completely optional, can include information such as a height, weight, hair and eye color, a picture for identification purposes, and any allergy information. Users can then link their Drexel Guardian account with their cell phone number, and any calls to Public Safety from that number will provide dispatchers with their name, approximate location and information from their profile.

Additionally, the service can be used as a “virtual campus escort.” When users are walking across campus alone, they can call the Guardian number to set up an alarm. After entering their PIN, users can choose how long they expect it will take them to arrive at their destination. If they arrive safely, students can call the same number and enter their PIN to deactivate the alarm. If it hasn’t been deactivated by the time when the alarm expires, a series of reminders will be sent. If it still isn’t deactivated, Drexel Police will be notified.

“The Drexel Guardian supplements the programs we have in place. I would always recommend that students, faculty, staff — that anybody in our community use the walking escorts. There’s no substitute for having someone there walking with you who’s in constant contact with our communication center. But this is another tool in our toolbox that broadens our capabilities,” Domenic Ceccanecchio, senior associate vice president of Public Safety, said.

DPS worked on Drexel Guardian with representatives from the University’s Office of Information Resources and Technology, University Communications, Student Life, and Rave, the company responsible for storing profiles and keeping all of the information safe.

“We’ve taken precautions, and we’ve worked very hard with the vendor to make sure that all of the information is secure. No one will have access to this information other than, for example, the dispatchers when the system is activated,” Ceccanecchio said.

Members of the Drexel community have the option to create a Drexel Guardian profile by logging into DrexelOne and choosing “Drexel Guardian” under the Safety and Security heading in the Drexel tab. There, they can link their cell phone with the account and install the advanced GPS tracking capabilities if their phone supports it. Emergency contact information can be added, as well as specifics about addresses and vehicles to help Public Safety track down a student in the event of an emergency.

Washington Post journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick spoke to Drexel University students May 9 about the CIA’s misplaced trust in a rogue Jordanian spy turned al-Qaida operative.

Warrick’s lecture, which was co-sponsored by Drexel’s Office of International Area Studies and the Drexel Arabic Language Association, told the story of the spy, Humam al-Balawi. Balawi, a doctor turned terrorist who walked into the CIA’s secret base in Khost, Afghanistan and killed seven prominent CIA officials Dec. 30, 2009.

Balawi was a known dissident, having professed his anti-American opinion on numerous Internet blogs and chat rooms prior to recruitment. The Jordanian intelligence service captured Balawi and tried to turn him into a double agent for the United States and Jordan.

After a long disappearance, Balawi re-emerged with highly coveted intelligence, especially in regard to Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida’s second-in-command.

John Friesen

Worried about the possibility of counterintelligence, U.S. officials had all of the Afghan guards turn their faces and personally escorted Balawi through four different sets of security checkpoints. Despite these precautions, Balawi carried out his suicide attack upon arriving at the base.

The question-and-answer session at the end of the lecture brought up a diverse range of topics ranging from journalistic ethics to drone legality.

Warrick spoke about how hard it was to obtain information that the White House wants classified.

“The CIA press officer is one of the best jobs in the world,” Warrick joked. “You just sit back and deny everything.”

Warrick then offered advice to future journalists.

“Find a topic you’re really interested in, and stick with that beat. Being able to write news stories doesn’t matter much because you learn that as you go. When you write in a way that’s compelling and makes sense, that’s what is exciting about this job,” he said.

Warrick’s book, titled “The Triple Agent: the al-Qaeda Mole Who Infiltrated the CIA,” is currently available for purchase.

Doug Chesnulovitch

Drexel seniors goalkeeper Mark Manos (7) and defender Dana Wilber (9) wait on the opposition during the Dragons 9-14 loss Feb. 28 at Villanova University. Manos and Wilber have won two of the last three Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year awards.

“We knew that UMass is a very talented team, and they have a very potent offense,” star goalkeeper Mark Manos said. “They are the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. We wanted to try and limit them inside and win the ground-ball battles, but unfortunately it just did not go our way.”

UMass kicked off the scoring with a goal just 58 seconds into play. That lead was short-lived, as Ryan Belka and Brendan Glynn each found the net to give Drexel an early 2-1 lead. Both teams swapped points for the remainder of the period, , but unfortunately for the men in Blue and Gold, the Minutemen found the net on an extra occasion, closing the period with a 4-3 lead.

Entering the second period, the Dragons were off and running. They scored two of the next three goals, bringing the game to a 5-5 tie. At this point it appeared as though the Minutemen switched it into high gear, as they went on a 5-0 run thanks to efforts from Kyle Smith, Art Kell and Ryan Hollenbaugh.

Within the final two minutes of the half, Glynn, who finished with three goals on the day, found the net for the Dragons, closing the half with a four-point deficit at 6-10.

“We never gave up,” Manos said. “At any point during the game, we could have just said it’s over and packed it in, but we kept fighting. The seniors did not want to go out this way, but we had to keep battling. … I give credit to everyone on this team. No one gave up, and everyone played their heart out.”

Even with strong defensive efforts from Drexel, UMass once again came out strong in the third, scoring three goals within the first five minutes of the period. At this point the Dragons needed a serious boost to keep themselves in the game. Moments later, on an unassisted opportunity, Andrew Vivian found the net for the Dragons, bringing the score to 7-13. The Dragons would only score one more for the period from Bergman, while the Minutemen would add another two to their total. The period closed with UMass holding a very comfortable 15-8 lead.

Even though the Dragons were trailing by a significant margin, they weren’t ready to throw in the towel. Within the first few minutes of the final period, Robert Church and Aaron Prosser each scored, tightening the score to 10-15. During the last minutes of play, the Dragons were struck with two penalties, giving UMass yet another opportunity to benefit from the situation. Though Drexel would find the net twice more in the contest, their efforts weren’t enough to take down the Minutemen, as the title game ended with an 18-12 score.

“No one in the world wanted to win that game more than the senior class, and it is unfortunate that we were not able to,” Manos said. “We fought hard in order to battle back from a slow start and make it all the way to the CAA Championship game. This class of seniors was extremely influential and instrumental in helping bring this team up to where it is today, and we want that legacy to be remembered and to continue with the underclassmen.”

Even though the Dragons suffered a tough loss, they still had a few standout players who received recognition for their efforts. Among those named to the All-Tournament team were Glynn, Bergman and Manos, who finished the contest with 11 saves.

At the end of the day, this is just one game in the grand scheme of the season, and as Manos pointed out, the legacy these seniors are leaving is the greatest gift they can give to the rising players. Moving forward, the underclassmen can benefit from these words of wisdom:

“You write your own chapter,” Manos said. “The underclassmen just need to understand and realize that you have to take control of your destiny out on the field, and I think that all of them see that this team is something very special, and they all have a huge role in writing the next chapter of Drexel lacrosse.”

The seniors will be dearly missed, but with the knowledge they leave behind, one can only hope that the underclassmen will do them justice as they continue on their journey to making the men’s lacrosse team the best it can be.

Jesse Wolff

Drexel freshman infielder Sylvia Llamas (5) runs to first base to receive a throw from senior pitcher Hillary Allen during a home game at Drexel Softball Field earlier this season. Llamas played in all 48 games as a rookie for the Dragons in 2012, starting 47 of them.

“It was disappointing that we did not make the tournament,” head softball coach Kim Camara said. “But I am proud of the way the team played all year. They fought hard and just came up short.”

When the series began May 4 on Blue Hen turf, the Dragons needed to win one of the day’s two games in order to stay in the running for the postseason. They managed to achieve that goal, losing the first contest 2-1 but shutting out Delaware 2-0 in the second.

It wasn’t until the first game’s third inning that a Blue Hen slid past catcher Paige Collings at home plate by taking advantage of two Drexel errors — the first by Devon Metcalf, who couldn’t get a grip on a fierce grounder, and the second by Sylvia Llamas, who bobbled and dropped a hit. These errors led to runs by Delaware’s Jessica Grisler and Alicea Coy.

In the fifth, the Dragons earned their first and only run of the game when starting pitcher Hillary Allen blasted a double and was propelled home thanks to efforts from her teammates. Though Allen earned a run for her team, her efforts on the mound and swinging a bat weren’t enough to win the game. Allen took the loss for the game even though she didn’t allow a single earned run.

Entering the second game, the Dragons were fired up and ready to compete at a high level. They knew that if they lost the second game, it would be the end of the road for them.

With that mentality, sophomore Shelby Taylor pitched a complete-game shutout.

There was a lot of back-and-forth in the first few innings trying to get on base and score. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that Drexel junior Amanda Bachmann, with Maddison Timoteo on base, slammed a ball out of the park.

These would prove to be the only runs of the contest, giving the Dragons the win they needed to keep their CAA playoff hopes alive.

“Playing as a team is vital to success,” Camara said. “We played as a team, and it allowed us to win close games.”

The Dragons’ regular season came to a close the following day, May 5, when their success ran out on the final pitch of a 10-inning battle to the end.

Though the Blue Hens earned the first run in the bottom of the first, the Dragons quickly answered with two of their own in the second inning — one each from Bachmann and Caprice DeMirjian.

Thanks to efforts from Allen and Bachmann, the Dragons added another run in the fourth inning, but Delaware tied the game with two runs in the sixth. The Blue Hens looked as though they would pull out a win in the seventh, but good Drexel defense and a focused pitcher forced the game into extra innings.

Back-and-forth attempts ended in the 10th when a member of the Blue Hens converted an initial walk into a scoring run, thus concluding the hard-fought battle with a final score of 4-3.

“We missed a few opportunities with people in scoring position, but they played their hearts out this weekend,” Camara said. “[My team] left it all on the field, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

An upside of the contest was that first baseman Jenn Reading recorded her 27th walk of the season to break the Drexel record of 26 set by Barb Svanson in 1989.

Drexel finished its regular season with a record of 22-26 and 7-13 in the CAA.

With spring fully in bloom and the weather (finally) starting to warm up, now is as good of a time as any for a date out to beautiful Rittenhouse Square, which has sprouted abundant foliage and shaken off the dull lifelessness of winter.

Courtney Denton

Rittenhouse Tavern, located in the 105-year-old Wetherill Mansion on the corner of Manning and South 18th streets offers a wide variety of gourmet dishes.

Located inside the historic Wetherill Mansion, a gorgeous 105-year-old home shared with the Art Alliance of Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Tavern immediately impresses with its stately, elegant decor. I took in as much of the beauty of the home as I could before being led out into the chefs’ garden, an outdoor eating area with ample plant life and rustic lanterns that, put succinctly, was picturesque.

Shortly after sitting down I was greeted with homemade rolls that contained dill and horseradish, as well as salted sweet butter — a delicious treat. I could not resist indulging on the bread.

After perusing the menu, which tempted me with options like Amish chicken with dirty barley, crispy leg and rosemary jus; day boat sea scallops with a rhubarb reduction, white asparagus and English peas; and crisp arctic char with artichokes in miso, licorice and young garlic, I opted to order the rack of Berkshire pork with crisp belly, purple mustard, quinoa crust and endive.

The service was brisk and attentive; I neither felt overburdened by the staff nor ignored (the busboy was a bit overzealous in refilling my glass of water, but I digress). In a surprisingly short amount of time, my pork was sitting in front of me, waiting to be consumed.

Unsurprisingly, given the stellar job the restaurant had already done, the dish was superb. The pork was tender and cooked to perfection, with the quinoa crust and purple mustard complementing it while still allowing for the excellent cut of meat to impart its full flavor. The endive served to add further to the pork, contributing another layer of texture and flavor.

Finally, the crisp belly — essentially small fried nuggets of pork fat — was tasty, though not a favorite of mine. Despite the fact that I far prefer leaner cuts of meat and generally do not eat fatty foods, I still enjoyed a few pieces of the crisp belly.

Rittenhouse Tavern is, however, fairly pricey for the average college student. With most entrees costing almost $30, be prepared to spend a sizable amount of money if you choose to eat here.

That being said, the dining experience was an absolute treat. If you wish to impress someone with a bit more than a stroll around the park, a dinner at Rittenhouse Tavern may be just the ticket.

If you’re hungry and looking for a unique burger experience, I suggest grabbing a friend and hitting The Spot Food Truck. Painted in red and yellow, Spot is a gourmet burger truck located at 33rd and Arch streets, seeking to serve college students on Drexel’s campus.

Sabrina Wong

The Spot food truck, located on 33rd and Arch Streets, serves students gourmet burgers. The truck appeals to college students with affordable prices of a burger for $6 and fries for $1.50 and opens 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Opening at around 11:30 a.m., Josh aims to sell out every day to keep the product fresh, which means the truck usually closes at around 6:30 p.m.. However, his day doesn’t end there. On Sunday and Wednesday he cubes the meat to be drained, but the fresh sirloin butt beef is grinded on a daily basis after sellout. This ensures that the meat maintains its cherry-red exterior to be both fresh and aesthetically pleasing for the customers. This process results in juicy ground beef and a lower-priced, quality burger. However, this is also a very time-consuming process.

This daily routine leads to strains in Josh’s hand and arm — a result of creating a product that he still chooses to make day after day. Josh explains how extra labor for him reduces the price for students because purchasing expensive ingredients skyrockets the prices of the product. The heart and soul that Josh puts into each individual product truly shows as he makes each burger his own individual masterpiece.

The menu features a wide array of burgers, and no two are alike. The menu offers a choice of seven different gourmet burgers, plus the option of the weekly special or build-your-own. For my meal I chose the umami burger, which was filled with their third-pound, 100 percent ground sirloin patty topped with lettuce, pickled daikon, grilled onion, mushrooms, gochujang and teriyaki sauce. The sirloin beef was smooth and marinated to perfection, without excessive amounts of fat or tendon.

As an onion and mushroom lover, I feel as if it added the necessary components of any burger. However, the pickled daikon didn’t stand out to me and was barely noticeable due to its small quantities in comparison to the rest of the burger. Although I am a fan of the Japanese teriyaki sauce and Korean gochujang, a mixture of fermented soybeans and red chili, the combination of all these ingredients did not work for me in a burger. I had high expectations with the culmination of all my favorite ingredients but ended up leaving disappointed.

However, the fresh-cut fries were more satisfying and reminiscent of a thinner version of Five Guys’ potato-skinned fries. However, with the burger priced at $6 and the fries priced at $1.50, it was worth a try, especially compared to the more expensive burger joints in the area, such as Bobby’s Burger Palace and New Deck Tavern.

Overall, I enjoyed the ingredients separately but not in their exact combination. However, the amount of care put into each burger by Josh is more than enough to warrant a return to Spot. I’m eager to build my own burger with Spot’s unlimited toppings so that the burger can be created to my own personal taste.

To see Spot’s specials and most updated business hours, visit the Spot Twitter page @Spotburgers.

The Costume Institute Gala is an event hosted by Vogue, also known as the “Oscars of The East Coast.” It is solely reserved for fashion’s elite to showcase their sartorial takes on the latest designs in the fashion industry. This year, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art held the event May 7 in honor of “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations,” the museum’s new exhibition.

Courtesy The Superficial

Actress Camilla Belle impresses in an elegant Ralph Lauren gown at the 2012 New York Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala, held May 7 in honor of the museum’s new exhibition.

The exhibition revealed the many similarities between Schiaparelli and Prada, including their designs. Aside from the exhibition, a star-studded red carpet posed for lenses before the event. With the likes of Anna Wintour and her Vogue brigade, it is not difficult to realize that galagoers did anything but disappoint, especially because Wintour herself wore a custom-made Prada gown inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli’s lobster design. The design was collaborated with Salvador Dali. Needless to say, the red carpet was dotted with elaborate embellishments, extravagant feathers and bejeweled embroidery in honor of the deceased designer.

From Chanel Iman in Tom Ford to actress Diane Kruger and singer Beyonce, dyed feathers were a fan favorite. In my opinion, the feathers were fleeting, and other than Kate Bosworth’s minimally styled Prada feather frock, I wasn’t impressed. Meanwhile, Camilla Belle, Ashley Greene and Cameron Diaz dazzled in elegantly slinky gowns. Belle, in particular, looked effortless in a Hollywood-glam style Ralph Lauren.

Metallic was quite popular among the stars. To no surprise, Jessica Alba wowed in Michael Kors while Carey Mulligan, the exhibition’s co-chair, looked pleasantly like a mermaid in Prada. Gwyneth Paltrow stunned in a silk Prada number and drop earrings. Let’s just say 40 never looked better.

Another fan favorite was Lea Michele wearing a leg-revealing Diane Von Furstenberg gown. On that note, Alber Elbaz’s date for the night was Emma Stone, who wore the Lanvin designer’s delicate interpretation of a floral minidress, showing a soft and sweet side we haven’t seen from Stone before.

Despite having quite a few hits on the red carpet, there were a couple of misses. Understandably so, this was a fashion industry event, and no one should be at fault for taking fashion risks, but these dress options would not go over as well in the real world.

To my surprise, Sarah Jessica Parker disappointed in a Valentino Couture gown. The gown was a few years too young for the actress. Its floral print made me think of wallpaper plastered all over a baby’s nursery, and to be honest, I’d rather see Parker in something sexy — a la January Jones’ form-fitting Versace gown.

Another disappointment, although still looking strikingly gorgeous, was Rihanna in a crocodile-embossed gown by Tom Ford. The body-skimming dress was intended for someone with little to no flaws, which, of course, was perfect for Rihanna. Although the dress was well received, it was a bit underwhelming for the usually outlandish fashion diva.

Lastly, Alexa Chung was a letdown in Marc Jacobs. It’s not that this look should be hated among all; it’s just that the look was out of place. In other words, the ensemble looked more appropriate for the street than for the red carpet.

Despite some major disappointments, the majority of attendees dressed to impress. As for the letdowns, we’ll let those few slide. Not everyone can handle the pressure of choosing what to wear to the Met Ball, especially when the devil (Anna Wintour) is actually wearing Prada.

For as long as we’ve been at Drexel, we’ve been fortunate to have many great restaurants, food trucks, convenience stores and other dining establishments on campus and within short walking distance. However, students who live on or near campus and want to cook their own food have not been so fortunate. The nearest supermarkets are The Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut streets and Trader Joe’s at 21st and Market streets, both quite a distance for college students without a car to transport groceries back to their apartment.

With that being the case, we were pleased to hear that plans are in the works to build a new supermarket closer to many Drexel students’ off-campus apartments in the Mantua area of West Philadelphia. Mantua’s boundaries are Mantua Avenue to the north, Spring Garden Street to the south, 31st Street to the east and 40th Street to the west. The project, tentatively named “Westview Plaza” by real estate developer Aquinas Realty Partners, will be funded in part by a $2.75 million redevelopment assistance grant from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. Preliminary plans call for the site to be built around the 3600 and 3700 blocks of Mount Vernon Street.

The blocks in Mantua currently tagged for the project were not part of the original plan. A site closer to Drexel’s campus was previously considered. While the current tentative site will be very convenient for students living in Mantua and northern Powelton Village, it’s not an ideal location for all students. It’s outside Drexel Public Safety’s patrol boundaries in an area that is more prone to crime than the areas between our campus and the two existing supermarkets in our vicinity. Ideally, we need a supermarket that is close to campus and that we can feel safe walking to 24/7.

One major need that the Drexel University Master Plan does not address is an easily accessible on-campus grocery store. The Chestnut Street Development will add 11 retail spaces, many of which will be food service options, but students will continue to desire a convenient grocery store that functions primarily for the campus population. We’d love to see the master plan altered to include this necessity.

Drag Bingo brought Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj and Robyn dancing to the James E. Marks Intercultural Center May 9 at an event hosted by the Foundation of Undergraduates for Sexual Equality and the Office of Multicultural Programs.

The hosts for the night included freshman Ian Crumm as J-Lo, pre-junior Ajay Raghavan as Nicki Minaj, and freshman Kenny Wittwer as Robyn. Clad with wigs, makeup, dresses and three-inch heals, the three drag queens took the stage and entertained the audience with a night of wise-cracks, dancing and bingo.

Wittwer, a sociology major, said that the idea of Drag Bingo came up after trying to think about something fun to do for Pride Month, which is celebrated in May and supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Tara Giancaspro | The Triangle

“Because Drexel has finals and commencement and things, we celebrate [Pride Month] in May. We thought, ‘Hey, let’s do drag bingo, something fun and extravagant, spice things up a bit at Drexel,’” he said.

The evening started as the drags introduced the rules of Bingo, game sheets strewn about on the table with playing chips and enough cards for each player to have four or more games. As the drag queens called the numbers onstage, there was no shortage of jokes to entertain the audience.

Puns like, “O-65. As in, oh, you’re 65?” or “B-9. That tumor is b-9,” kept everyone light on their feet and laughing throughout.

There were over four rounds of Bingo played, and the drag queens would take the stage between every round to sing one of their popular songs and dance to the beat. Audience members were also encouraged and sometimes playfully forced onstage to dance with the drag queens.

Tara Giancaspro | The Triangle

High heels seemed to be the only problem of the night, as each drag queen tripped once or twice onstage, causing the roar of the audience to intensify.

Chelsea Hahn, a freshman communication major, said, “This is good; this is hysterical. It’s weird because I’m going to see Ian [J-Lo] tomorrow without a wig or dress.”

A dance-off occurred between the winners of the first round of Bingo, with the prize being a Drexel folding chair. That winner also happened to come dressed in drag and went by the name “Esperanza.”

Halfway through the night, Bingo was called to a halt as the drag queens took the stage. Robyn took the microphone and announced that a song would be played in tribute to Whitney Houston. Soon, Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” was blaring through the speakers, and a few audience members also took the stage.

Tara Giancaspro | The Triangle

Though Wittwer had never dressed in drag before, he said that hosting an event like this would bring awareness but would also be fun and lighthearted.

Commenting on his character for the night, he said, “Robyn’s kind of very shy and not really very loud and outgoing and stuff, [so] I decided to kind of change and make it a sassy Robyn, the drag version, just to make it fun and entertaining.”

The evening ended the way it started — with plenty of laughter, jokes and dancing. The drag queens stayed onstage, posing for pictures as the audience left.

“I had a lot of fun,” Crumm said after the event ended. “The only problem is it’s really hot with all the lights, but I suffered through it and the pain in my feet to please the audience and put on a good show.”

Wittwer is an undergraduate advocate for the LGBT community. He said that FUSE takes on a lot of responsibility and really helped to make this event happen.

Wittwer also said that he believed the event would raise awareness and make Drexel’s LGBT community visible, something he said the Office of Multicultural Programs has really been working on all year.

The three hosts are currently members of FUSE.

Kerry Hooks, the director of multicultural programs, said that this event is something she would like to see repeat annually. She added that Drag Bingo could also be held more than once per year, perhaps in February for Valentines Day.

Mark Segal, a gay rights activist and president of the Philadelphia Gay News, was the keynote speaker May 8 at the annual student-faculty mixer hosted by Drexel’s Foundation of Undergraduates for Sexual Equality and sponsored by Drexel Event Services.

Segal heralded the importance of creating and maintaining a gay community and explained the progress of the movement in the last 40 years.

Segal founded PGN in 1975 with the goal of providing a weekly communication platform for the gay community where readers can debate and discuss issues.

Segal has reported on gay life both in America and abroad. His reports at the Berlin Wall at the time of its fall and in Cuba during Castro’s rule led to his moniker as the “dean of American gay journalism.”

Courtesy Sara Ann Kelly Public Relations

This April, the Local Media Association ranked PGN as the nation’s second-best weekly newspaper of all types, winning 10 awards. PGN is also the most award-winning gay newspaper in the nation and in LGBT history.

“We’re doing pretty well. If you look at our paper, it’s doing as healthy as any other weekly in the city. We’re real proud of that, which says that our community is doing well,” Segal said.

Segal was recently awarded $19 million from the government to create an LGBT-friendly senior living center in the heart of Philly’s Gayborhood. Construction is planned to begin this fall and be completed by January 2013.

“People like to be around their own type, especially in a time of need when you’re getting older. That’s a good reason, or when you’re young and having problems — that’s when you want to be around your own type,” Segal said.

FUSE is currently working to bring an LGBT center to Drexel’s campus to build a stronger sense of community among LGBT students.

“I, along with a lot of other members of FUSE, are actively working to get an LGBT center established on campus. I think it’s really important that our community has some sort of beacon in the fog that is college life,” Ajay Raghavan, a pre-junior biomedical engineering major, said.

During the event, Segal began brainstorming ideas with the audience about bridging the gap between the older and younger gay generations. An idea he proposed to the audience was to set up a youth program where a student would “adopt” an LGBT grandparent at the senior center. This would also serve the purpose of providing role models for younger people.

“When I was invited here I immediately said, ‘Yes!’ because I’m an older guy, and I assume no one in this room is older than 40, therefore I need your pulse,” Segal told the crowd.

An audience member suggested adding a rotating college column to PGN to unite the five major colleges in the area: Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Villanova University and La Salle University. The column would bring together LGBT students from the area and provide them with social events for the underage crowd. If all agree to participate, the column would start running this fall.

“When I was first talking with Segal, I realized this would be a great opportunity for him to come speak with us and talk about his life as a publisher and LGBT activist, about how it all relates,” Ian Crumm, a freshman communication major who organized the event, said.

Segal began his life as an activist in 1969 when he moved from Philadelphia to New York to be free to live a gay lifestyle at the age of 18. Today, Philadelphia is one of the most LGBT-friendly cities in the country.

“I wanted to go to New York because I wanted to be who I was. I wanted to be gay, and in 1969 I couldn’t tell my parents I was gay,” Segal said.

At that time, gays were considered criminals by law enforcement, unholy by the church and neurotic by psychologists and psychiatrists.

Two months after he moved to New York, Segal found himself in an illegal bar during a police raid. Stereotypical gays, drag queens and those who the police planned to blackmail were left inside the bar while Segal and others stood outside.

“We decided that Black Panthers were out there, Puerto Rican Free Organization was there, Women’s Rights out there, when can we get ours? When do we become free?” Segal said.

Segal fought back with others against the police for six hours, marking the first time gays fought back against the establishment. This event became known as the Stonewall Riot.

“The whole movement is referred to a lot in the drag community — there’s an official bar now where Stonewall used to be, and it’s a huge performance deal. Coming from someone who does do drag, hearing a personal account of an incident that means so much to our community just blew me away,” Raghavan said.

The Stonewall Riot led to the creation of the Gay Liberation Front, which provided a community for gays when there was none.

A major problem the Front identified was that gays were not seen on television. After writing numerous letters to the networks and receiving no reply, the group began disrupting live television programming.

On Nov. 3, 1973, Segal walked on the set of the “CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite,” holding a sign that read, “Gays protest CBS prejudice.” Later, Segal explained to Cronkite how CBS censors its news on gays, giving Cronkite the persuasion to begin broadcasting unbiased reports.

“I never realized how someone could do so much for our community, and sitting here tonight I realized there’s so much history he has been a part of that I didn’t even know,” Crumm said.

Segal is currently an adviser to Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, and he actively works toward the inclusion of LGBT characters, no matter how minor, in some form.

Segal established Gay Youth in 1970, and it is still in existence today, making it the longest-running gay organization in New York. He created the group to help give a voice to the young generation of that time while helping them to become integrated into the community.

Drexel Police Captain Fred Carbonara arrested Torin Myer, 23, a confirmed University City robber, May 8.

Myer confessed to four robberies occurring in University City over the past two weeks and was arraigned May 9. He was charged with four counts of robbery, theft, reckless endangerment of another person, aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, receiving stolen property, and possession of an instrument of crime.

Carbonara was on patrol May 8 when he saw a man fitting the description of the robber coming out of the Super Deli located at 415 N. 34th St.

The man was wearing the grayish hooded sweatshirt and black sneakers with white soles associated with the physical description of the robber. Carbonara saw him come out of the Super Deli and get on a bike.

Carbonara stopped Myer and saw that he had a knife on him. Carbonara told Myer to put his hands at his side as he retrieved the knife. Once Carbonara got the knife, he felt a gun in Myer’s back waistband.

“At that point in time, as I’m retrieving the knife, I grab his right wrist, the small of his pants and I throw him on the ground — not hard. I get him off the bike, on the ground, in an arm lock, and he’s placed under arrest,” Carbonara said.

The Southwest Detectives were there within minutes and handcuffed Myer. Police recovered a realistic-looking gun replica, three knives, heroin, needles, fingerless gloves and a black nylon mask.

Carbonara and police at the scene went into the Super Deli and asked the man working what Myer did. According to the employee, Myer asked if the deli sold cheese and then walked out.

According to Carbonara, one of Myer’s modi operandi was to scope out his target locations first and then put on his mask and gloves and come back to hold up the facility with his fake gun.

The Southwest Detectives took Myers to jail, where he confessed to the crimes.

“It was an excellent piece of police work,” Domenic Ceccanecchio, senior associate vice president of Public Safety for Drexel University, said.

“As far as we’re concerned, it takes this guy off the streets, and there’s a possibility that he was going to hold up the minimart, and the captain’s actions stopped the commission of another robbery,” he continued.

Carbonara got the information on the suspect at the weekly development meeting of the University City District Public Safety Task Force Group. Police officers from Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Police from the 18th and 16th districts, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of the Sciences meet weekly to discuss recent criminal activities and assess patterns. The meetings are led by Lt. Brian McBride, commanding officer of the University City District.

Myer’s information was valuable to Carbonara in making the arrest.

“A lot of this came about because of our relationship with Philly police and their ability to provide us with the video information that we could identify the male that committed the robberies,” Ceccanecchio said.

Carbonara has been an officer in Philadelphia for 32 years. Before joining the Drexel Police force, Carbonara was the commanding officer of the University City District that Drexel President John A. Fry pushed to create during his time at the University of Pennsylvania. Carbonara had been working in West Philadelphia when the MOVE Black Power movement occurred.

“I am so proud of the entire department. I’m proud of everyone involved because everyone was relentless in finding this guy and ending this. And for me, it was just a matter of luck being in the right place at the right time. It could have been any one of us that made the arrest,” Carbonara said.

“I can’t let my guard down. It’s not over. There’s always other people willing to jump in and go to jail. And we just can never rest. It was nice for two minutes, but now you’re back to work,” Carbonara concluded.

File Photo

The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams will be competing on the Schuykill River for the historic Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta May 11-12. Drexel is just a few years removed from sending a record-five boats to compete in the grand finals on the second day.

The Dad Vail is the largest collegiate regatta in the world with 132 competing colleges. The Dragons have been hard at work, putting in long training hours in preparation of the contest. They hope to take advantage of the nationally televised event by building on their accomplishments and the strides they have made since the start of the season.

“Dad Vail is the culmination of a year’s worth of work,” head coach Paul Savell said. “From September through the second Saturday of May, the team uses Dad Vail as driving motivation. Everyone wants to be on the starting line Saturday afternoon for the grand finals.”

Using Dad Vail as a motivation appears to have led this team to great achievements thus far this season. The Dragons will have not one but two teams in the immediate spotlight as No. 1 seeds as a result of their success this year.  Holding top seeds are the men’s freshman eight and the women’s freshman eight.

The goal will be to match or top last year’s performance, according to Savell. That will not be the easiest task to achieve given Drexel’s high standards. Last year Drexel advanced a record-tying five boats to the grand finals, with the men’s varsity pair earning gold and the men’s novice eight earning silver. This time around, Savell will look for a few rowers to have a big weekend.

“We are hoping that Drexel rowers [will bring] home some hardware,” Savell said.

With strong individual performances, hopefully team success will follow. As a unit, Drexel will look to stand out and be recognized for a strong showing among the many colleges competing.  Team success would be a strong way to end a dominating season for the Dragons.

“We have had a very successful season,” Savell said. “Our team has developed physiologically and psychologically as we have gained race experience through the season.”

It was just two years ago that the women’s varsity eight shattered the competition and finished with gold en route to their invitation to the Henley Royal Regatta in England, one of the most internationally heralded regattas, where they finished as the top collegiate boat in the world.

Hopefully all their hard work this season will pay off this weekend, earning Drexel the spotlight as it did just a couple of years ago.

Doug Chesnulovtich

Drexel senior defender Dana Wilber keeps his distance against a University of Notre Dame attackman during the Dragons 5-6 loss to the Irish at Vidas Field March 3.

It’s always great to go out on top. While the Drexel University men’s lacrosse team could not bring home the ultimate prize, the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, senior defenseman Dana Wilber just capped off his finest season to date.

To validate his efforts, Wilber was awarded the CAA Defensive Player of the Year award. Wilber’s superb performance this season has contributed to the Dragons’ No. 18 national ranking. The Dragons also have one of the best defenses both within the conference and throughout the country.

The Dragons’ schedule this season ranked as one of the most difficult in the nation. Holding opponents to under nine goals per game is no small feat, and the Dragons were able to accomplish that this season thanks largely to Wilber’s excellent play throughout the year.

Throughout the season, the Dragons’ defense held ranked opponents to subpar performances. Unfortunately, some of those results did not go the Dragons’ way. Drexel’s defense held then-No.1 University of Virginia to nine goals, then-No. 2 University of Massachusetts to eight goals, and No. 5 University of Notre Dame to six goals in admirable efforts. Wilber had strong performances in those losses to top-ranked opponents.

Overall, Wilber caused 18 turnovers and 30 ground balls, leading the Dragons for 2012.  One of the highlights of his season was holding Tewaaraton Trophy winner Steele Stanwick, the nation’s top lacrosse player, scoreless and without an assist in the Dragons’ one-goal loss to UVA.

Wilber capped off his season by helping the Dragons to make a run to the CAA Championship final, where they lost to UMass. Wilber may not have won the title that he and his teammates wanted the most, but he was still recognized for his outstanding defensive efforts with this honor. As a result, he will go out on top this year as the best defenseman in the CAA.

Students brought a little color into their lives May 5 when Urban Playground and the Drexel Indian Undergraduate Association co-hosted a celebration of Holi, an Indian holiday also known as the Festival of Colors, in Drexel Park. Holi is a cultural celebration of the coming of spring, and even though it is celebrated in India at a different time of year, Drexel’s Holi was scheduled to correspond with springtime in the United States.

Student technicians began setting up a sound system at 11:30 a.m. Around noon, students wearing white T-shirts began to arrive, ready for the festivities. The celebration consisted of a large group of people throwing colored powder at each other. The powder was made of dyed cornstarch that stuck to skin and clothing when mixed with water. After being covered in color, the students danced to Punjabi music to continue the celebration. Traditional Indian candies and sweets were also distributed.

In the Indian culture, the idea of creating a display of colors on the body is representative of the blooming of flowers and other plants during spring.

According to Akshay Sharan, a freshman representative of DISHA, there is also a religious significance to the celebration.

Courtesy Jeremy Buck

“It represents victory of good over evil in the Hindu religion,” he said.

Even though Holi is an Indian holiday, the crowd was made up of a diverse group of students. Indian students saw the celebration as a great way to connect with each other, and they were glad to continue a tradition they had in India.

“After four years, this is an awesome feeling,” Riddhiman Yadava, a junior biomedical engineering major who celebrated the festival for the first time since coming to the United States, said.

He added, “When we used to play in India, the whole city played.”

Ari Melman, leader of Urban Playground and a senior business major at Drexel, knew he wanted to bring the festival to Drexel when he heard about it during his trip to India over winter break.

Courtesy Jeremy Buck

“Holi is way too awesome an event to be confined to one country. … It involves getting as messy as possible,” Melman said.

He spread the word of the event through Facebook and was soon expecting 200 students to attend based on the number of RSVP responses.

Urban Playground has organized events in the past such as a cupcake fight, a citywide pillow fight and a no-pants subway ride, all with the purpose of getting people involved with their community in a fun way.

I was watching the Sixers take on the Detroit Pistons in some second-round action. At one point in the game, the Sixers went on a run against the very tough Pistons team. Everyone in the arena was on their feet as it looked like the Sixers might pull away and win. At that point, my father said something that would define my thinking of Philadelphia sports for the rest of my life:

“Joe, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

The Sixers went on to lose the game and the series.

Being a Philadelphia sports fan is not measured by wins or losses or championship rings. It is measured by how many times you can be knocked down and get right back up. In my time as a fan, I’ve realized that if you are able to stick with your teams through thick and thin, they will sometimes surprise you.

In the past few weeks, surprises — both good and bad — have been plentiful.

Let’s start with the 76ers. At some point after fighting over the last donut in the TNT break room, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal both declared that the Sixers didn’t have a chance in their series against the Chicago Bulls. Well, guess what? The Sixers earned themselves a spot in the second round of the playoffs after taking four games from Chi Town behind the inspired play of Spencer Hawes, Jrue Holliday, Evan Turner, and the epic free-throw points from Andre Iguodala in the final seconds of game six.

Granted, reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose did unfortunately get hurt, as did Joakim Noah, but our Sixers have shown some heart nonetheless, and I’m not going to let the details get in the way of an opportunity to stick it to Shaq and Sir Charles.

Although the Bulls’ season ended bit sooner than expected, at least head coach Tom Thibodeau — who, in all seriousness, should have been NBA Coach of the Year — can look forward to his role as The Penguin in Christopher Nolan’s next “Batman” film.

Speaking of Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers team that dismantled Sid the Baby and the rest of his merry band of whiners in the first round seemed to lose their mojo in the second round against the New Jersey Devils. After a Game 1 win that had me predicting a sweep, the Devils, led by a 40-year-old netminder and an underachieving Russian sniper, took the next four games of the series sending the Flyers packing.

Maybe if the Flyers had taken care of the goaltending situation this season, the outcome would have been different. I actually miss Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher.

Ilya Bryzgalov, who was less than stellar in both series, told reporters that he’d be an astronaut if he weren’t a professional goaltender. It’s funny because the Flyers could probably start a new United States space program with the money they are paying Bryz. As for next season, I have a bad feeling.

The only people more upset than the fans about the Flyers’ early exit are the executives over at Wrigley’s Gum. I predict sales will plummet without Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette chewing an entire pack of gum each game.

On second thought, there’s always Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who goes through a pack each game too! It seems as though Chuck’s managing skills haven’t been showcased on the offensive end thus far this season — it doesn’t matter how good the pitching is if they can’t score runs. And right now they just can’t score. That is why this team will meander around .500 until Ryan Howard and Chase Utley return from the disabled list — if, that is, they come back before the end of the season. If those two can’t prevent the Phils from getting swept by the New York Mets, off all teams, then they are in some trouble.

I think the nickname “Kid” Cole got to lefty Cole Hamels in Washington a few nights ago. He beaned cocky rookie sensation Bryce Harper in the back, causing quite a stir. Don’t let the hair highlights fool you: Cole Hamels is now a man. He was suspended for five games for his actions, but that’s only because he said he threw at Harper intentionally as a welcome to the big leagues.

And how about the Eagles’ draft? A defensive lineman in the first round, and fans are pretty happy? I’m actually elated for Fletcher Cox, so much so that I rush-ordered his jersey. It now hangs in my closet next to my Brandon Graham, Jerome McDougle, Victor Abiamiri and Bryan Smith jerseys … Let’s be honest: Andy Reid drafts defensive linemen about as well as he manages the clock. I am more than skeptical about Cox.

So, yes, it has been quite a crazy couple of weeks in Philadelphia sports. To recap, Sixers still playing, Flyers not; Phillies can’t score; Eagles hope to score for once with a new D-lineman.

Welcome to the world of Philadelphia sports. Surprise!

To kick off 2011, Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill signed a joint record deal with Warner Bros. and Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group. Since then he has been featured on the label’s collaborative album, “Self Made,” and has released two installments of the “Dreamchasers” mixtapes. With his debut album, “Dreams and Nightmares,” coming Aug. 28, Meek Mill had one last chance to give the fans a taste of what they can expect to hear this summer. He released “Dreamchasers 2” May 7, and it received over 2 million downloads in the first 24 hours it was available on datpiff.com. After a lot of hype generated around the project, Meek Mill lived up to the expectations and delivered his best mixtape to this point in 2012.

Courtesy Warner Bros./Maybach Music Group

Hip-hop artist Meek Mill released “Dreamchasers 2,” the second of two installments of the “Dreamchasers” mixtapes. The mixtapes is a preview of Mill’s debut album “Dreams and Nightmares” set to release Aug. 28.

“Y’all n—-s was sleeping on me; y’all really were up at night. Tryna chase my dream, now I ball out for my team,” Meek raps. After delivering warning shots on the intro, he changes up the pace with “Ready or Not,” which samples The Fugees’ legendary song of the same name.

Meek’s talents of energy and presence on each song separate him from other rappers. Those talents are on full display over the next few songs, beginning with  “Amen,” which features Jeremih and Drake. Drake delivered the best line on the album: “I’m the type to say a prayer and then go get what I just prayed for.”

The album continues with “Burn,” featuring Big Sean and produced by Jahlil Beats, who gave Meek Mill his first hit, “Ima Boss.” In “Burn,” Meek and Sean go back and forth delivering fast-paced rhymes over sirens and a solid beat. The final standout of the first five songs is “A1 Everything,” which features Kendrick Lamar for a surprising collaboration.

The pace slows down with “Use To Be” before picking right back up with “Flexing” and “I Get It.” After three more songs of the same high-energy, braggadocio nature, including “Everyday” featuring Rick Ross, Meek Mill breaks it down and tells his story on “Big Dreams” over the piano-led melody with a clean backing of drums. “Small city, big dreams, I’ve been waiting on this day since I was 16.” The song shares parts of Meek’s upbringing and how he arrived at his current success’.

The energy starts up again on “Take U Home,” which features Big Sean and labelmate Wale on this fun summer jam. Meek then goes on to remix Drake’s “The Ride” before getting back into two consecutive party songs featuring Trey Songz on the first, 2 Chainz on the second and Wale on both. This perfectly flows into the remix of Meek Mill’s hit from last summer, “House Party,” which features Fabolous, Wale and Mac Miller.

The mixtape comes to a close with three closing songs that bring the project full circle, including the outro, which uses a similar beat to the intro’s heavy-hitter as DJ Drama, the “host” of the mixtape, shares his final thoughts.

For “Dreamchasers 2,” Meek Mill compiled 20 songs that showcase a variety of production sounds and plenty of street bangers. He also shows vast improvement from the first installment of the series and gives hope for an impressive debut album. If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend you download this mixtape now.

I keep my eye out for interesting beers from around the country, and this week I finally broke down and picked up a beer that I have been desiring for months. Stone Brewing Co. has been made quite popular by its Arrogant Bastard ale, with its bold hop profile and complex while solid malt backbone. The beer I grabbed, however, is the Double Bastard, which is the special-edition double dry-hopped version of the beer.

Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. The pair initially met in 1989 and realized that their tastes in beer were similar when both attended a class on tasting beer taught at the University of California, Davis. Steve was already an experienced brewer at this point, and Greg an accomplished businessman, so they decided to open a brewery together a few years later. The brewery has since moved from its original site in San Marcos, Calif. to a larger facility in Escondido, Calif., where they now operate a larger brewing system with a capacity of 70,000 barrels per year and room to expand.

The beer poured a hazy, translucent brown with nice golden highlights toward the edges. The head was only about half a finger, even with a vigorous pour, and it settled down to a coarse foam ring that stuck around for a good 15 minutes or so, leaving a nice lacing behind as the beer was consumed. The aroma was surprisingly sweet, with some caramel and plum notes and just a hint of roast. Bitterness was noticeable in the aroma, and overall the effect was quite like a fresh American Barleywine.

The taste was complex up front, with both a significant bitterness and a bold malt character fighting for domination. The malt was fairly sweet up front, with a dark melanoidin character, almost like a bock. The bitterness definitely won out in the end, and very little hop flavor came through. The body was moderately thick, which was accentuated by the low carbonation. This beer reminded me most of all of a fresh Barleywine before it had a chance to mellow out.

I would recommend pairing this with very bold, grilled meats and barbecue. Extra-sharp cheddar or nuttier cheeses like Asiago will pair well, as will drier blue cheeses, but creamier cheeses will probably clash with the malt profile. I would also try roasted nuts or stir-fried vegetables, as these are probably bold enough to stand up to the Double Bastard. The proper glassware for this beer is a snifter, but pint glasses work just fine, too, if you don’t mind losing some of the hop aroma.

Double Bastard was pretty good but just isn’t really my type. It’s definitely not a bad beer, and it can probably be significantly better with aging, but right now the bold, complex malt profile just clashes with the hops, at least to my palate. I would recommend trying it if you love West Coast IPAs, Russian Imperial Stouts and American Barleywines. If these aren’t your cup of tea, I would avoid this beer.

As Philly’s local alternative rock station, Radio 104.5 offers a melodic fusion of the genres. It mixes hits by rock icons like Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters with singles from more recent indie bands such as Of Monsters and Men, Foster the People, and Gotye. Indeed, the DJs — Wendy, Stephen, Johnny and Kade — do not discriminate in their selections, each playing a sound characteristic of the station’s style yet diverse enough for unique daily playlists.

Unlike most other stations, Radio 104.5 features special segments such as the “New Music Show,” which plays the newest tracks from rising artists Sunday nights at 9 p.m., and “Stripped Down,” which plays “unplugged” and acoustic tracks Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. In addition, the station holds “Studio Sessions” in which artists in any range of fame are invited to perform live for a small, specially selected audience. In fact, Radio 104.5 sponsors a multitude of concerts, including its famous Saturday Summer Block Parties and its upcoming 5th Birthday Show, which will include performances by Incubus, Cake, and Angels and Airwaves.

I have been an avid spokesperson for these shows since they started three years ago. They are completely free, which is a reason in itself to attend (what college student turns down free offers?), and they occur at least one Saturday per month. They take place at The Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties, which includes a converted brewery and adjacent buildings that now accommodate commercial space and apartments. The complex surrounds an open-air courtyard,  a setup that offers viewers a different experience than other venues around the city. Restaurants and storefronts line the edges of the square, accompanied by promotional booths of the event’s sponsors: Miller Lite, Vitamin Water, Sun East Federal Credit Union, McDonald’s, The Ski Bum and Vita Coco. Visitors are encouraged to enter raffles and sample products at the sponsors’ booths.

Neon Trees, Eve 6, and Darry Miller & the Veil kicked off the series in the festive spirit of Cinco de Mayo. Though the crowd did not meet the numbers of some previous block parties — granted, it’s difficult to compare with the August 2011 lineup of The Airborne Toxic Event, The Naked and Famous, and Panic Years —attendees were not lacking any of the passion typically associated with these shows. The holiday celebrations could have contributed to the rowdiness, but the crowd was definitely encouraged by the high-energy performances.

Darry Miller & the Veil opened to an eager crowd. Though their music contains more of a pop influence than most bands played on Radio 104.5, their sound resembles that of a previous block party performer, Find Vienna. In any case, they succeeded in revving the audience into an excited state for the next performer, Eve 6.

Members Max Collins (bass, lead vocals), Jon Siebels (guitar, backing vocals) and Tony Fagenson (drums, backing vocals) emerged onto the music scene in 1998 with the premiere single “Inside Out” from their self-titled debut album. This was followed by “Here’s to the Night” in 2001 from their second album, “Horrorscope,” and after a short hiatus and disbandment, the band reunited and released its newest single, “Victoria,” which is frequently played on Radio 104.5, from their most recent album, “Speak in Code.” Needless to say, listeners were engaged for the entire set until headliner Neon Trees took the stage.

Neon Trees, the Provo, Utah, natives that first gained attention in 2008 after opening for The Killers, made a name for themselves in 2010 with the release of “Animal” from their debut album, “Habits.” The song reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received frequent airtime on Radio 104.5 and other stations of varying styles. Now, Tyler Glenn (lead vocals and keyboards), Chris Allen (guitar and vocals), Branden Campbell (bass guitar and vocals), and Elaine Bradley (drums and vocals) are enjoying positive feedback for their 2011 single “Everybody Talks” from “Picture Show.”

While Darry Miller & the Veil and Eve 6 vitalized the crowd, Neon Trees reached the crowning point. The mosh pit was rough but manageable for the two previous bands. For Neon Trees, most of the standing area transformed into a writhing entanglement of music lovers. Indeed, it made for quality bonding time with strangers if you embraced the situation — but if not handled correctly, it could be a bit awkward. Either way, the audience embodied the pep of the beat and undeniably enjoyed the show.

If this block party is any indication of those to come, it will certainly be an entertaining summer. The next is scheduled for June 2 with Switchfoot and Ballyhoo!  followed by two block parties in July: the first on the July 7 with The Dirty Heads and Steppin’ Razor and the second on July 28 with Of Monsters and Men and JJAMZ. The final show will be on Sept. 8 with artists yet to be confirmed. It seems unwarranted to say that they are leaving the best for last considering the talent of the aforementioned bands. Really, that just provokes even more anticipation.

We Were Promised Jetpacks stepped onstage May 5 at Union Transfer without any lead-in music or introduction. They grabbed their instruments and promptly started their first song, “Short Bursts.”

Anna Clay

Indie rock band We Were Promised Jetpacks performed at Union Transfer Saturday May 5. The band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003.

“We try not to interrupt the flow of the songs,” drummer Darren Lackie said.

They don’t need to talk to the audience to keep everyone’s attention. Their songs are completely captivating when performed live. Fast strumming, thundering drums and strong vocals all make their set powerful. Their songs are turbulent and tense, with buildups leading to bursts of energy.

We Were Promised Jetpacks, often called ‘Jetpacks’ for short, formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003. While finishing university, they signed to Fat Cat Records and released their first full-length album in 2008. In October 2011 they released “In the Pit of the Stomach,” an album they approached differently than their debut record. Lackie revealed that they thought more about how the songs would sound live, and the process of putting the album together was new to them.

“We kind of did it more like a paid job,” Lackie said. “We’d go to work every day, [and] we sort of had a plan of what we wanted to do, what we wanted to achieve by the end of the day, which was totally different for all the songs on the first album. … It was a totally different writing experience sometimes.”

There is a lot that makes them stand out, but one aspect that often comes up in interviews is that they aren’t influenced by “classic” bands. The band is focused on the present and creating music with a sound they love. They listen to modern music and cite contemporaries as their influences.

“We all listen to our friends’ bands — bands we like not only as musicians but as people as well,” Lackie said.

Perhaps this sentiment is partially what contributes to Scotland’s currently thriving indie scene. These bands support each other and learn from each other, creating music that feels part of a cohesive movement with variety. While a current trend is to produce music without a label, there are small labels like Fat Cat Records that successfully promote bands.

“[Our label] is really supportive of us. We know everyone who works on the label. We’re friends with everyone,” Lackie said. “We’re not keen on doing anything without our label. They’re more help than a hindrance, I think.”

Scotland has produced many phenomenal bands, including Jetpacks, who are passionate about what they do and are fantastic at doing it.

Jetpacks’ performance in Philadelphia this past weekend was more than enough evidence that they’re a band everyone should give a chance. The members are technologically gifted, and while long stretches of instrumentals can sometimes bore an audience, WWPJ manages to pull everyone into a trance. Guitarist Michael Palmer shushed the crowd as the band played “Pear Tree.” The audience obliged, completely taken aback by what was being played.

Their instrumentals may be key, but their lyrics shouldn’t be overlooked. Thompson doesn’t necessarily write songs about anything in particular. Lackie admitted that he doesn’t really know what the songs are about. While this seems to display a disconnection to the song, that’s not the case for the indie quartet. The lyrics are delivered in a heartfelt way, and some lines stand out as being quite poetically gorgeous. They are unique and open to interpretation, letting the listener make each song his or her own.

The crowd in Philly sang along to lyrics from songs new and old. They belted out the much-loved “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning,” which closed the set. Thompson thanked the crowd, and the band left the audience feeling enamored by what they just experienced.

The show consisted of many short “serio-comic” scenes based on information provided by audience members on the spot. Though the show followed a format, none of the performance content was scripted. Every piece came spontaneously from the minds of the performers with a little help from audience input. Seating was limited to about 40 audience members, which worked in favor of the intimate nature of Tongue and Groove’s performance style.

The preamble of the show, delivered by Bobbi Block (producing artistic director, performer and Drexel instructor) prompted audience members to answer two questions in writing: “Who are you?” and “Where do you feel the most like yourself?”

After collecting these answers, the performers used them periodically throughout the show to create the platforms for their scenes. The characters and settings were inspired by the audience suggestions but often taken into a very original context invented by the actors. For example, one performer picked a card that described a young Jewish woman and her desire to find her place in the world.

That bit propelled itself into a sketch about a couple with religious differences deciding how and where they would spend their holiday. Most of the characters were created in this way and ranged from a commitment-phobic young woman grappling with her sexuality to a pair of crass, elderly interior designers helping a single woman create a date-friendly home.

The performers played multiple roles within the show and often switched back and forth between them. However, the characters they created were so strong and distinct that the audience could easily stay with them through the transitions. The use of specific body language and vocal choices made all the difference in keeping the characters unique and immediately recognizable.

One of the most interesting segments of the show involved pairs of characters corresponding over the Internet, where a lonely yet colorful man crosses paths with a cyber-predator. A desperate, presumably single mother chats with a man who is, frankly, not all that into her, and another woman finds that her boyfriend has an almost obsessive interest in her mom. The pairs rotate, implying the passage of time in their particular correspondence every time they land in the hot seat. By exploring the very real reservations many people have about connecting over the Internet, the improvisers elicited many laughs and much empathy.

There is a certain excitement and sense of synergy that comes with improvised theater. The artists and audience collaborate to create something together, and that something feels real and satisfying. Tongue and Groove will be bringing its fresh, collaborative style of improvised theater to the Philadelphia Fringe festival in September, where the company will debut a brand-new show format. Tongue and Groove has also recently been accepted to perform at the 2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts.

Best known for its guitar-heavy rendition of “Carol of the Bells,” which frequents the airwaves during the winter holiday season, the orchestra’s most spectacular show is based on its non-Christmas album “Beethoven’s Last Night.” This fully narrated rock opera tells the story of the composer’s last night on Earth as he fights alongside the beautiful spirit of Fate to keep his soul from falling into the clutches of the Evil One himself.

As the concert begins, the TSO immediately sets the ethereal mood of Ludwig’s dying night. Smoke billows across the blue-lit stage, and pianist Derek Wieland strikes up the ghostly Moonlight Sonata, which kicks into their “Overture” based off the Ninth Symphony.

As the introduction fades to the first real song, narrator Bryan Hicks enlightens us with details of the tale we are about to hear. In a voice overflowing with more theatricality than that of an entire Shakespearian play cast combined, Hicks describes the plight of Beethoven, struggling to finish his 10th symphony alone in the darkness while the voices of the spirits of his past torment his deaf ears. Twist, the mischievous son of Fate, leads the ominous chanting vocals of “Fate.” This is followed by “What Good This Deafness,” where the composer, portrayed by Rob Evan, bemoans the torturous spirits that haunt him.

Soon, Mephistopheles arrives in the form of former metal vocalist Ronny Munroe. With his shaggy black hair and spectacularly guttural voice, combined with a row of flames that rise and fall behind him at the wave of his hand, you feel as though you really are watching a demon at work. He informs Beethoven that he will spare his soul from damnation if he allows him to erase all of his music from the memories of the world and gives him an hour to contemplate his choice.

Beethoven is filled with despair, wondering what tipping point in his life doomed him to the inferno. In “What is Eternal,” he expresses his horror at having nothing from his life succeed him. The kind Fate offers to take him back through his life and change anything that he sees fit.

We are shown Beethoven as a young man arriving in Vienna, where he meets his “immortal beloved” Theresa. Voiced by the incredible Chloe Lowery, Theresa has two show-stopping numbers: “Dreams of Candlelight,” a love letter to Beethoven, and “After the Fall,” a pained, internal vow of faith to him after he leaves her behind, not wanting her to know he was slowly going deaf.

Beethoven is filled with sorrow over abandoning her and going through a life without sound. In the end, however, he realizes that these hardships made his music into the timeless art that it is. He returns to the present and informs Mephistopheles that he will not surrender the music. The devil refines his offer to include only the newly finished and unheard 10th symphony, which the composer rejects as well.

In a last-ditch effort, Mephistopheles sings the mesmerizingly wicked “Misery,” in which he threatens to fill the life of a nameless poor child outside the window with pain and despair unless Ludwig submits. This produces Beethoven’s most impassioned performance: “What is This Child,” which sounds straight out of Les Miserables. It earned massive applause. Finally, the composer gives in, and Fate draws up a contract for the two to sign. All seems lost, but in a finale appropriately revealed by Twist, we find that Mephistopheles hasn’t won after all.

There are many instrumental songs, which highlight the stunning talent of the TSO band and orchestra members, throughout the concert. Everything from a simple acoustic guitar melody to some serious shredding is covered. In particular, lead electric violinist Roddy Chong is perpetually headbanging and jumping across the stage with enough energy to make the average human explode. Nobody could imagine that the “Ode to Joy,” “Fur Elise” and other symphony standards could be elevated to works of screaming, thrashing art. Even the performers’ costumes take classic sophistication and weave it through with slashes and chains.

“Beethoven’s Last Night” is not a concert; it is a full-blown theatrical experience that cannot be done justice with mere words. In a chapel of bursting lasers and green flames, orchestra and hard rock are fused together in an unholy matrimony of sheer brilliance.

How do you know when it’s time to let things go? My boyfriend and I have been fighting pretty much nonstop for the last few weeks, and I’m sick of it. The trouble is that I love him a lot, and when we aren’t fighting, everything’s good. I wish things would be better between us, sort of like how they were in the beginning. I really do want to be with him, but I can’t keep fighting all the time — it’s driving me crazy! Sometimes I feel like the relationship is not worth it anymore because all we do is fight; other times I feel super happy with him. I’m very confused —what should I do?

Lovelorn Laura

Dear Laura,

Oh, dear. This is a toughie. What needs to happen is a long, honest talk between the two of you in which you both let out your frustrations with the relationship. Constantly fighting with one another is a symptom of a bigger problem, not the problem itself. You both need to talk about what it is that is bothering you in the relationship, and you both need to be completely honest about whether or not you really want to be together. You may learn something not only about him but also about yourself. Maybe you start fights with him because it’s the only time you feel that you have his attention. Maybe you are subconsciously pushing him away for some reason, or maybe he’s doing the same. Whatever the case is, find out what is underlying all these fights, and work out if this relationship is right for you or not.

I’d advise not seeing each other for a few days before you do have this conversation. This will give the two of you time to calm down from your most recent argument and will allow the two of you to gather your thoughts. Take the time to think seriously about this relationship and what it is that you like and dislike about it. Think about the ways that you two are compatible and the ways you aren’t. Come to the table calm, cool and collected. Hear what he has to say without getting angry, and expect the same from him. Be open and honest, and things will end up as they should.

If you really do love him and the two of you want to work things out and be together, you’ve got more than a shot at salvaging this. My last piece of advice would be to make sure that you don’t have this relationship-evaluating conversation at either your place or his. Pick a neutral, quiet spot that isn’t public and doesn’t have any emotional value for either of you. That way, there are fewer distractions and less of a chance of a place being ‘soured’ for either of you. A neutral location will also help the situation to be less awkward in case this talk takes a turn for the ‘I don’t think we should be together.’

Be calm, be mindful of your boyfriend’s feelings (don’t intentionally try to hurt him), and be honest with both him and yourself — it’s the only way to make sure things end up for the better.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Sadie

 Dear Sadie,

This is pretty random, but hopefully you can help me. The last hour at work (I’m on co-op) always drags and drags. It’s the longest hour of the day, and I’m not productive during it (really, who is?). I was wondering if you had any ways to make this hour less brutal (i.e., boring and pointless). Thanks.

Bored Barry

Dear Barry,

Ah, that last hour of the day. It sucks, doesn’t it? But there are plenty of ways to make it better. For one thing, you could take the time to organize tasks you have to do the next day. This way you’re still doing ‘work,’ but you don’t feel the weight of projects compounded with the impending end of the day. Another thing you might try is organizing your workstation. I know firsthand how messy a desk can get during the day, and taking the time to organize it should kill a decent amount of time. Go through the stacks of papers on your desk and figure out what can go and what can’t. Make a list of supplies that need to be restocked.

Alternatively, you could always ask your boss if they have a sort of side project they’ve been meaning to do. Maybe they want the supply closet organized but haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe they’ve been meaning to put in a few work orders but are too busy to do them during the day. Offer to do small jobs like these — they’ll pass time, and you’ll impress your employer with your initiative.

Check your employee handbook and see if you have 15-minute breaks during the day. Plenty of jobs that last eight hours a day (like the typical office job) have 15-minute breaks allotted to employees (it could be one or two). Utilize breaks if you have them; take a walk if the weather is nice, or reward yourself for almost ending the day with a treat from the cafe downstairs. Get some air. Regroup. You’ll feel much more energized, and the time will seem to go faster.

Hope that helps!

Sadie

Theatre Exile is proud to present the Philadelphia premiere of the play that took Broadway by storm last season, directed by Joe Canuso. A mysterious stranger is on the hunt for his missing appendage. Two bungling crooks and a devious hotel receptionist are caught up in his dangerous machinations. Carmichael (think Captain Ahab meets Dennis Hopper) brings us into his obsessive search for what has been missing from his life since childhood. Another dazzlingly macabre tale from McDonagh, “Behanding” slices open the roots of fanaticism and lays open the need to be “whole” again and the contempt that we have for outsiders in a post-9/11 America. Of Theatre Exile, Philadelphia City Paper raves, “At last, a genuine mind-blowing theater experience. … We are left dumbstruck and dizzyingly alive.”

Christ Church Neighborhood House at 20 North American St.
Now through Sunday, May 13
Tickets: $32-35
www.theatreexile.org

Irish Heritage Theatre’s “Philadelphia, HERE I COME!”

Gareth O’Donnell is fed up with the dreary round of life in Ballybeg, consisting of his uncommunicative father; his humiliating job in his father’s grocery store; his frustrated love for Kathy Doogan, who married a richer, more successful young man; and the total absence of prospect and opportunity in his life at home in Ireland.
So, Gar has accepted his aunt’s invitation to come to Philadelphia. Now, on the eve of his departure, he is not happy to be leaving Ballybeg, but what does his ‘inner self’ think? In Brian Friel’s poignant comedy, we get two lead characters in one man and a chance to see and hear what private thoughts Gar has as he leaves Ireland and heads for the New World and — he hopes — a new life.
Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5 at 825 Walnut St.
Now through Sunday, May 20
Tickets: $25; $15 for individuals under age 25
www.irishheritagetheatre.com

Philagrafika Invitational Portfolio Prints

Studio:christensen is displaying pieces from 21 artists for an exhibition of selected works. Most often utilized for its “East Coast Urbane meets LA meets Copenhagen” interior architecture, the studio acts as a retail furniture showroom and simultaneous gallery space. The reception will be held on Friday, May 11 from 7 to 10 p.m.
studio:christensen at 333 South 20th St.
Friday, May 11 through June 3; Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12-7 p.m. and Sundays, 11-4 p.m.
www.jtchristensen.com

Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times

In 1947 a shepherd stumbled upon a hidden cave along the shore of the Dead Sea. Concealed inside were ancient scrolls that had not been seen for 2,000 years. After extensive excavation, a total of 972 remarkably preserved scrolls were found, including the earliest Biblical texts ever discovered. Now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, they have been called the most significant archaeological find of the last century.
The Franklin Institute’s “Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times” exhibit presents one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient artifacts from Israel ever organized. Among the 20 scrolls are the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible and four never-before-seen scrolls. With more than 600 items on display, visitors will experience firsthand the traditions, beliefs and iconic objects from everyday life more than 2,000 years ago.
The Franklin Institute at 222 N. 20th St.
May 12 through Oct. 14
Tickets: $31.50, includes general admission to the museum
www.fi.edu

Plays & Players 100th Anniversary Reading

Plays & Players celebrates its 100th anniversary with a staged reading of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband,” featuring local celebrities of stage, screen, politics and more. “An Ideal Husband” was first performed on Plays & Players’ stage in the spring of 1912, exactly 100 years ago.

The 100th Anniversary Reading stars big names in Philadelphia theater, including stage and screen star Sylvia Kauders (“The Wrestler, “Sex and the City,” “The Sopranos”); Barrymore Award-winning actors Madi DiStefano and Amanda Schoonover; Barrymore-nominated actor Kevin Bergen; and other notable Plays & Players actors and board members. Other stars include Fox 29’s Good Day co-anchor Karen Hepp, the Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens’ Isaiah Zagar, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and Philadelphia City Commissioner Keith Richardson.

“An Ideal Husband” is a sharp, witty satire of “refined” society from theatrical legend Oscar Wilde. Successful political figure Sir Robert Chiltern’s life is perfect thanks to the help of his loving and brilliant wife, Gertrude, and the support of his quick-witted sister, Mabel. In contrast, his friend’s life, the uninspired but utterly charming Lord Arthur Goring, is one of lounging, flirting with Mabel and avoiding his father’s insistence that he should marry. The world of these men is turned upside-down by the arrival of old acquaintance Mrs. Cheveley, who has come with blackmail in mind. As the comments and lies begin to fly about, it is revealed that the man thought to be perfect is flawed, the man with all the flaws must do something right, and the question remains: What makes an ideal husband?

Prior to the performance, there will be a pre-show reception and silent auction, with doors opening at 6 p.m.
Plays & Players at 1714 Delancey Place
Monday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
Admission: $25; $50 for general admission and meet-the-artist post-show reception
www.playsandplayers.org

With spring fully in bloom and the weather (finally) starting to warm up, now is as good of a time as any for a date out to beautiful Rittenhouse Square, which has sprouted abundant foliage and shaken off the dull lifelessness of winter.

Courtney Denton

Rittenhouse Tavern, located in the 105-year-old Wetherill Mansion on the corner of Manning and South 18th streets offers a wide variety of gourmet dishes.

Located inside the historic Wetherill Mansion, a gorgeous 105-year-old home shared with the Art Alliance of Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Tavern immediately impresses with its stately, elegant decor. I took in as much of the beauty of the home as I could before being led out into the chefs’ garden, an outdoor eating area with ample plant life and rustic lanterns that, put succinctly, was picturesque.

Shortly after sitting down I was greeted with homemade rolls that contained dill and horseradish, as well as salted sweet butter — a delicious treat. I could not resist indulging on the bread.

After perusing the menu, which tempted me with options like Amish chicken with dirty barley, crispy leg and rosemary jus; day boat sea scallops with a rhubarb reduction, white asparagus and English peas; and crisp arctic char with artichokes in miso, licorice and young garlic, I opted to order the rack of Berkshire pork with crisp belly, purple mustard, quinoa crust and endive.

The service was brisk and attentive; I neither felt overburdened by the staff nor ignored (the busboy was a bit overzealous in refilling my glass of water, but I digress). In a surprisingly short amount of time, my pork was sitting in front of me, waiting to be consumed.

Unsurprisingly, given the stellar job the restaurant had already done, the dish was superb. The pork was tender and cooked to perfection, with the quinoa crust and purple mustard complementing it while still allowing for the excellent cut of meat to impart its full flavor. The endive served to add further to the pork, contributing another layer of texture and flavor.

Finally, the crisp belly — essentially small fried nuggets of pork fat — was tasty, though not a favorite of mine. Despite the fact that I far prefer leaner cuts of meat and generally do not eat fatty foods, I still enjoyed a few pieces of the crisp belly.

Rittenhouse Tavern is, however, fairly pricey for the average college student. With most entrees costing almost $30, be prepared to spend a sizable amount of money if you choose to eat here.

That being said, the dining experience was an absolute treat. If you wish to impress someone with a bit more than a stroll around the park, a dinner at Rittenhouse Tavern may be just the ticket.

Drexel was chosen out of a pool of 34 schools for best activism on campus. Shoshana Weiss, the founder of Dragons for Israel, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

Weiss gave a short speech to accept the award, which had a Jewish proverb written on it that said, “Tikun Olam: You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

“In getting a firsthand glimpse into the skewed media reporting against Israel, I was inspired to create Dragons for Israel to help promote a more favorable — but more importantly — more accurate depiction of Israel,” Weiss wrote in an email.

CAMERA presented the award during its annual dinner at New York City’s Chelsea Piers. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., were keynote speakers at the gala.

“CAMERA has always helped guide us in the right direction. They give us accurate information of current events and connect us to prominent speakers traveling the country,” Weiss said.

The group’s website states that Dragons for Israel was created about a year and a half ago “to promote unity and joint action among pro-Israel Drexel University students, faculty and staff.” Dragons for Israel is not a religiously affiliated group.

“There are three main religions in Israel and all different races of people that live there. We want to create an open forum for whomever wants to support and/or celebrate Israel,” Weiss said.

The organization commits to various activities in order to spread awareness of what is truly happening in the Middle East and Israel. According to Weiss, Dragons for Israel has featured guest lectures with Middle East experts as well as Israeli-themed movie screenings. The group also writes op-ed pieces about biased media articles regarding Israel and the Middle East.

The acceptance of the award came before Dragons for Israel’s annual Israel Peace Week. The event is hosted for Israeli Veterans Day and Israeli Independence Day, which are one day apart.

“Tuesday we watched a documentary about three Philadelphians that died due to terrorist attacks or in the army of Israel. [Wednesday] we brought in Israeli Sgt. Nadav Weinberg to talk about the high ethical standards of the army. [Thursday] we are commemorating Israeli Independence Day with food, music, swag and more,” she said.

“Many students don’t know much about the conflict or Israel. What they see in the media is not the full story,” Weiss said. “We try to show students the relevance of Israel to Americans as well as to the security of the world with facts that are accurate and factual.”

Through CAMERA sponsorship, Dragons for Israel members were able to take a 10-day trip to Israel to “learn about Israel’s existential struggle and the influential role played by news coverage of events in Israel,” according to the CAMERA application for the trip.

Weiss won a fellowship from CAMERA to go to Israel with students from across the country, with one person per campus accepted.

“This trip really affected me because I got to see firsthand how biased the media was. I got firsthand account on what is actually going on in the conflict from civilians, military officials and diplomats,” Weiss said.

Dragons for Israel encourages Drexel students to travel to Israel through CAMERA or other organizations. According to Weiss, about 20 Drexel students travel to Israel every year on trips not associated with the University.

Ninety Millennium Hall residents have been displaced from their housing due to a small lighting fixture fire that occurred May 1 in one of the bathrooms on the ninth floor of the building. The resulting sprinkler activation damaged three floors of the freshman residence hall, making them unfit to inhabit.

A Drexel advisory text message sent at approximately 2:12 p.m. May 1 stated that there was a minor fixture fire in a Millennium Hall bathroom and that while there was some water damage, there weren’t any injuries.

The fire alarm sounded at 11 a.m., and all students in the building were forced to evacuate. While the building was closed, staff from University Facilities, Environmental Health and Safety, and contracted vendors worked to dry the floors and walls damaged by the activated sprinkler.

Residents of the building, including those not living on floors 7 through 9, were kept out of the building until it reopened at 6 p.m. that evening.

According to Casey Condon and Grant Houpt, two residents of the ninth floor, a maintenance order had been placed for the faulty light fixture that later caught fire.

“The lighting fixture that caught fire had not been working for several days previous to the incident, and our RA, Freddy May, put in a work order regarding the fixture four days before the incident,” Houpt, a freshman business major, said.

Ali Swider

However, Joe Russo, the director of University Housing, said that the maintenance request was filled.

“A work order to replace the light bulb was issued for this light, and the fluorescent tube was replaced. This is a routine work order, and the fixture worked properly when the mechanic left,” Russo said.

When contacted, May declined to comment.

“While the building was closed, assessments were done of similar fixtures throughout the building, and fortunately, it appears this was an isolated incident,” Russo said.

When the students on the affected floors returned to their rooms, they were surprised by what they saw.

“All of the furniture was pushed into the middle of the room because all of the moldings were removed. Certain bins and other things from the floor were put on top of our beds and desks, but I was able to find everything that I needed,” Condon, a freshman game art and production major, said.

However, there were certain items that he found that were not as he left them.

“My rug and some shoes were soaked, but the most unfortunate loss was my portfolio. A lot of my work and supplies were ruined, including work I was doing for class,” he added.

Houpt fared a little better.

“My room was basically unaffected except for a small puddle right inside, and all my things were fine,” he said. “Drexel has not offered any compensation, which is accurate in relation to my lack of damages.”

Sabrina Douglas, a freshman nursing major who lived on the eighth floor, also experienced similar minimal damage.

“I only went in my room Tuesday, and although I was directly underneath the flood, there was extremely minimal visible ceiling damage. However, I have learned that Drexel Housing went in and dismantled our rooms, so I have no idea what state they left it in. I am not allowed in until Saturday,” she said.

Staff from University Housing checked the other University City residence halls for open spaces in rooms before issuing emails to Millennium students and students in other residence halls that had open spaces in their rooms or suites announcing that a displaced resident might be temporarily added to their living assignment.

Condon was later relocated to a room in Towers Hall with an empty bed.

“I had no say in where I was being moved, but I also don’t see how it would make sense, in the midst of all of this chaos, to take the time to distribute a housing survey,” he said.

John Grillo, a freshman biomedical engineer on the seventh floor who was moved into Kelly Hall, felt the same way.

“It sucks that I had to leave my floormates, but at the same time I couldn’t live in a room where mold might end up growing in the walls,” he said.

However, Houpt, who was moved into Race Hall with some other students on his floor, was less pleased about the terms of the new arrangement.

“We had absolutely zero say regarding our new housing assignments, which, for the most part, made absolutely no sense, in that the majority of people were not placed with their current roommate but with another person from the floor,” he said.

Millennium residents and students in other residences were notified May 2 in an email from University Housing that the assignments would be permanent for the remainder of the spring term.

The follow-up email said that the contractors and staff from University Facilities determined that there was so much water damage behind the walls of rooms on the affected floors that the work had to be extended.

Displaced students were able to stop by Millennium Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. May 2 to gather some essential items. They will be able to move out all of their belongings May 5 during a move-out process where University staff and professional movers will be on hand to assist the students and provide them with carts and packing supplies, such as boxes and tape, if necessary.

Students in the rooms located below the seventh floor will be able to stay in the hall, but the floors will be periodically checked for water damage while the affected floors are repaired.

“Treatment is continuing on schedule, and our Environmental Health and Safety team is closely monitoring progress,” he said.

According to Russo, the drying process of the wall and flooring materials will last several days, and any that remain wet will be removed and replaced.

Students who were directly or indirectly affected have had a wide range of reactions to the events that unfolded after the incident.

“It’s not every day that there is a fire causing three floors to be damaged, and based on this spontaneity I would say Drexel did OK,” Condon said.

Grillo also did not blame Drexel. “The fire system did what it was made to do, and now we have to deal with the consequences of it,” he said.

He added, “There isn’t a better way that I can come up with to remove the water in the walls except to keep drying them and possibly replace the walls, neither of which can be done while we are living in the rooms.”

“In any crisis situation, University staff rely on the expertise of our on-campus partners and the cooperation of the student population to quickly identify the issue, ensure its containment and work to resolution,” Russo said.

However, other students feel differently.

“We are confused and feel homeless and like we have been ‘shafted.’ I know that my floor and the ninth floor were incredibly close, but the University seems to not care at all about splitting up these close bonds or helping us through this difficult time,” Douglas said, though she did mention that her RA recommended counselors to be used for support.

According to Russo, the students will be not charged extra for the move.

“Students who move to a traditional residence hall such as Myers Hall, Kelly Hall or Towers Hall will be prorated and charged the rate for that residence hall. Students who move to a suite-style residence hall, on the other hand, will still be charged the Millennium Hall rate,” he said.

Mosko, 28, was conducting combat operations in the Nawa District of Ghazni Province when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb during patrol. According to NATO, Mosko was one of three U.S. service members killed in the explosion.

Under the orders of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, flags on New York state government buildings were flown at half-staff May 2 in honor of Mosko.

“I join with all New Yorkers in mourning the loss of Lt. Mosko,” Cuomo said. “We will be forever grateful for the service and sacrifice of this New Yorker. I send my deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fellow sailors.”

Mosko commanded an explosives ordinance disposal platoon with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Afghanistan. His unit is responsible for locating, identifying and disabling all types of explosive ordinance in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, fighting the global War on Terror.

John Mosko, Lt. Mosko’s father, wrote about his son’s passing in his business blog, which can be read at johnmosko.wordpress.com.

“He was a great man in so many ways. We loved him and cherished him, and now we will grieve him,” Mosko wrote.

Lt. Mosko was born in Philadelphia and moved to Wisconsin, where he went to high school at Eau Claire Memorial High School.

After graduating from Eau Claire in 2002, Mosko attended Drexel University, where he began working toward his bachelor’s degree in commerce and engineering in the LeBow College of Business. Mosko enrolled in the Navy ROTC program at the University of Pennsylvania his freshman year.

After Mosko’s death, his father published on his blog a letter that he had written to his son upon his graduation from Drexel.

“I want you to know how proud I am of your accomplishments. You have shown the ability to achieve, and you have learned that it takes hard work and unerring integrity. Sometimes you have had to learn this the hard way, but the results speak for themselves. You have gained a great education, and you have attained your goals as you head into your Navy career,” Mosko wrote in his letter to his son, dated May 12, 2007.

Mosko is survived by his wife, Amanda; his father; his mother, Gayle; his brother, Nate; and his sister, Meredith.

“We are deeply saddened to hear about the loss of one of our own,” Drexel President John A. Fry was quoted as saying in a Drexel press release issued May 1. “Christopher’s service to our country was exemplary, and he was a source of great pride to Drexel. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time.”

A memorial service for Mosko, hosted by Drexel’s Office of Student-Veteran Services, will be held May 17 at the Amory on the University City Campus.

Doug Chesnulovitch

Drexel junior attackman Robert Church shoots one bye Villanova University goalkeeper Dan Gutierrez. Church scored one goal and two assists in the 9-14 loss to the Wildcats at Villanova Feb. 28. Church on the season leads the Dragons with 24 goals and 42 points.

Coming off clinching a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament after a 13-5 trouncing of Towson University April 21, the Drexel men’s lacrosse team looked to continue its four-year winning streak on Senior Day April 28 against St. John’s University.

The Dragons said goodbye to seniors Kevin Stockel, Mark Manos, Dana Wilber, Andrew Collins, Chris Farquhar, Max Crockett, Frank Tufano, Brian Teuber and Kyle Bergman. Although Senior Day is known as a ceremonial day to honor the grizzled veterans, the lacrosse team seniors are more focused on the game than the celebration.

“It’s nice to be recognized for making it through four to five years of lacrosse here, but that’s expected,” Bergman said. “I know me and the other seniors aren’t too into the ceremonial aspect of senior day — we just want to play — but our mothers like it, and so we’re happy to do it, and we do it with a smile on our faces because, well, we love our mothers.”

The Dragons got off to a fast start against St. John’s. Goals by Bergman, junior attackman Brendan Glynn and sophomore Ben McIntosh gave the Dragons a 3-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the first period. The Red Storm’s Kevin Cernuto scored a pretty goal at the 7:13 mark to close the gap in the score. After a stretch of time where St. John’s controlled the play, Drexel junior attackman Robert Church managed to score another goal with just 14 seconds remaining in the first period.

The second period was dominated by St. John’s. The Red Storm controlled the play for most of the period, holding the Dragons to only three shots. However, Manos stood tall by only allowing two goals on 10 shots. The Dragons managed to escape the period with limited damage and took a 4-3 lead into halftime.

St. John’s started the third period with a man up and scored a goal on the advantage just 18 seconds into the period. The Dragons grabbed the lead back at the 12-minute mark with a goal from redshirt-freshman attackman Andrew Vivian. Less than two minutes later, the Red Storm scored a goal to tie the game up. Church then scored two goals in a row to complete a hat trick and give Drexel the 7-5 lead. After the Dragons’ goals, The Red Storm scored two goals in a row to end the third period in a 7-7 tie.

The fourth period proved to be a wild one. The Red Storm came out strong, scoring the first two goals, which gave them a 9-7 lead. Soon after the St. John’s goals, the Dragons started their own comeback. Bergman scored an amazing cross-body opposite-side goal at the 9:01 mark to start things off. Under a minute later, junior Aaron Prosser scored another pretty goal over the goalie’s shoulder to tie the game. Glynn finished off the comeback with his second goal of the game. Manos had some big saves for the rest of the game to preserve the lead while the Red Storm attacked relentlessly. Drexel’s defense came up big, limiting St. John’s quality chances, closing the door on the 10-9 victory.

A combination of timely goals and strong defense won this game for the Dragons. Head coach Brian Voelker praised the team for the hard work and drive to orchestrate the comeback.

“It was nice to finish the regular season with a win and great to get a win on Senior Day,” Voelker said. “I don’t think it was our sharpest game, but we played hard and got the W. It was good that we showed composure in the fourth quarter. We got some big goals and key stops on defense.”

Church led the team with three assists and six points while Glynn had two goals and three points.

Manos made 13 saves in the game, most of which were game-saving.

“He plays the most important position on the field and plays it well,” Voelker said. “Our team has a ton of confidence in him, and they know he’ll make big plays when it counts. … Mark really shut the door in the fourth quarter.”

The Dragons then faced The Pennsylvania State University May 2 in the first game of the CAA Tournament. Before the game, Voelker noted that the comeback win against St. John’s might give them a boost against PSU.

“I hope the game gives us some confidence,” Voelker said. “We know we can play with anyone in the country. Penn State has had a great year, but I know we’re looking forward to playing them tomorrow.”

He was right about that, as McIntosh scored the first goal of the game for the Dragons. The game would prove to be a back-and-forth affair with the Dragons eventually prevailing with the upset.

Just over one minute later, the Nittany Lions scored their first goal of the game. They scored three more consecutive goals going into the second period.

The game shifted back into Drexel’s favor in the second period with three consecutive goals by Glynn, Prosser and freshman midfielder Ryan Belka, tying the game at 4-4. At 4:29, Penn State capitalized on being a man up and scored to take a short-lived 5-4 lead. The Dragons came right back to tie the game with a goal by Church. PSU scored one more goal in the half, ending the first with a 6-5 lead.

The Dragons opened the second half with four straight goals to take a 9-6 lead. Penn State answered with two goals to close the deficit to one, but Church managed to score with 26 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Dragons a two-goal lead going into the fourth period.

The fourth period started with a pair of PSU goals. The Dragons answered back with a goal of their own, but the Nittany Lions scored again to tie the game at 11 with 4:50 remaining in the game. Glynn broke the tie for Drexel with 2:36 remaining in the game. The Dragons scored one more insurance goal to solidify the 13-11 postseason win.

With the win, the Dragons will face the top-seeded University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. May 5.

Ian McDonald

Junior Alyse Maiden directed traffic while bringing the ball up the field, in a 10-11 loss against rivals Towson University at Vidas Field April 15. Maiden had one goal and three points in the Dragons’ loss.

“… Of course my answer would be to win it all,” she said.

Despite a solid effort in which the Dragons fell behind late in the second half but then surged with five goals in the closing five minutes of the game, bringing the deficit to just one goal with 14 seconds remaining, Towson goalkeeper Mary Teeters denied the final Drexel attempt, sealing the Dragons’ fate in a first-round 12-11 CAA loss.

“Our expectations heading into the game were that Towson was going to be a tough team, but we expected to win,” junior midfielder Kelli Joran said. “Our goal was to not only make it to CAAs but to also win the championship. We definitely had a few breakdowns throughout the game, but by the end of the game, we almost came back and won. If we had played that way throughout the whole game, then we would have beat them.”

The game was quite even from the first whistle until the end of the first half of play. Towson held the 5-3 lead going into the locker room, but Drexel was right there and ready to pounce at the start of the second. Unfortunately, so were the Tigers. And they jumped on Drexel early, pouring it on in the first 24 minutes of second-half play with seven goals to Drexel’s three.

But fortunately for the Dragons, there was enough time for them to make a run of their own — and that they did, playing superbly on both sides of the ball for the last five minutes of the game. Drexel held Towson without a goal from six minutes until the end of the game and scored five times in the final 5:20 off the sticks of junior midfielders Kristin Kopenhaver and Joran, as well as senior attacker Charlotte Wood and two from junior attacker Alyse Maiden. Fortunately for the Tigers, the Dragons needed six goals to tie it, and with 14 seconds remaining, Drexel’s final shot on goal, which came off of Joran’s smoking hot stick, was unable to find the back of the net.

“I was fairly confident going into the Towson game,” Vesco said. “A minor jolt was thrown at us when Jaclyn Klunder went down with an ankle sprain two days before the game. Klunder was our calming force on the field, and she quarterbacked our plays. Even though Klunder was on the field, she was not 100 percent. Other players had to step into Klunder’s role, but our sense of urgency came too late as we jumped and ran out of time on the comeback trail.”

Now that the season is over, despite the fact that it didn’t end in the way the players and coaches had hoped, they now get a chance to sit back and reflect on all they have accomplished this season.

“Drexel women’s lacrosse is filled with heart,” Maiden said. “We fought many battles this season that made us stronger. When it came down to the wire, we never gave up. Our goal was to be a top competitor in the CAA, and together we proved that.”

That they did. They finished the year as a top-four team in the conference by winning a program-record 11 games. They also managed to have five players earn All-CAA honors. Joran was named a First Team All-CAA performer; Maiden, sophomore midfield Amanda Norcini and senior defender Emily Kane were named Second Team All-CAA performers; and redshirt-freshman attacker Alissa Watts was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. On top of that, Maiden and Joran were also named to the CAA All-Tournament Team after their performances against Towson in the semifinals.

“We are excited to get five players on CAA teams,” Vesco said. “That’s a first for us. We would definitely like to believe that we would be a perennial contender in the conference going forward.”

Vesco’s players continued on that sentiment, feeling as though they had a great season, but they hope to build on that success and continue to improve.

“We had a great season this year,” Joran said. “We finished the season off with a good record. At the beginning of the season I expected to win CAAs. We did not quite reach that goal, but we definitely made a good run for it, and I’m proud of our team.”

With Maiden and Joran returning to lead this team in 2013, along many of their supporting teammates, the Dragons will have a good chance at recouping what they will lose with the graduation of Wood, one of the top attackers in Drexel history, and Kane, a rock on defense all season long.

“It will be a big loss,” Vesco said. “Charlotte has been a constant high scorer and will be hard to replace.”

The Dragons will have yet another season in which they will make some noise in the CAA, and with many of their players now having two years of postseason experience under their belts, don’t be surprised if the Dragons chisel their names onto that championship trophy next season.

“KJ [Kelli Joran)] and Alyse will have to step up into an even bigger role in order for next year’s team to contend,” Vesco said. “On the other side of the field, we will need players like Kaitlin Harris, Amanda Norcini and Kristin Kopenhaver to step up on the defensive end to make up for the loss of Emily Kane and Julia Lanzetta.”

Norah Jones seems to have a rubric for expressing heartache and melancholia. Creating simple, soothing yet lovelorn songs has made her a pillar of jazz and blues music. With her latest album, “Little Broken Hearts,” Jones slightly tweaks her sound as she croons about what she knows best.

Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Singer/songwriter Norah Jones released her fifth album “Little Broken Hearts” April 27. The album was produced by Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) with songs written by Jones and Burton.

The album may chronicle the end of a relationship, but it also represents a new chapter in her musical romance with famed producer Danger Mouse. If creating music were anything like vintage high school romance, the two would be going steady by now.

Their first collaboration came in 2009 with the spaghetti Western-themed “Rome,” which also featured Jack White. The concept album had its highs and lows, but it laid the foundation for “Hearts,” a distinctive breakup album for the 21st century.

Danger Mouse has a sonic signature that has defined his work for Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells and even Gorillaz’ “Demon Days.” On “Hearts” he acts as a megaphone through which Jones’ voice truly shines.

A keynote track is “Happy Pills,” Jones’ punchy and vibrant first single that strays from the somber staples that made her so successful. While the songstress is far too classy to give someone the middle finger, this is her vocal equivalent.

“Never said we’d be friends, tryin’ to keep myself away from you ‘cause you’re bad, bad news,” she says, with Mouse’s addictive beat bumping behind her.

Jones dismisses her former flame, applying an affective “won’t be fooled again” attitude to her immaculate vocals.

“Little Broken Hearts” comes 10 years after her best-selling debut passionately chronicled young love with unforgettable tracks like “Come Away With Me” and “Don’t Know Why.” Jones has clearly been through the emotional ringer and her new sound reflects her changed perspective on love.

Jones spends much of the album describing the woman that came between her and her man, namely on “She’s 22” and “Miriam.” These two highlights are both agonizingly depressing and poignantly beautiful. This is contemplative, sitting-at-the-bottom-of-the-pool music. It’s heartache personified by a talented writer and passionate lover.

Another standout is the title track, on which Danger Mouse’s and Jones’ talents blend perfectly. The producer lays out a sonic landscape that Jones pours herself onto like melted butter. This is Jones’ “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and she doesn’t disappoint.

As with any Norah Jones album, there are sleeper tracks. A true fan will appreciate them, and a casual one will dismiss them. Before judgment is passed on “Hearts,” one must understand that the album is the story of a sunsetting romance, with some parts more scandalous or interesting than others.

As the album comes to a close, Jones takes one last look at her relationship, dreaming of it lasting and hoping her fantasy isn’t “All A Dream.” Many can relate to her tale, which ends as a bittersweet story of love, loss and longing. I was ultimately left in a blissful state, swooned by the milky sweet voice of a generation.

It’s good to have you back, Norah.

Determining your perfect martini recipe is not a trivial task. It requires extensive research, a substantial liquor collection and a liver of steel. I am an engineer by training, so I approached this arduous task as a real-world process and designed a series of experiments to account for each variable. I tend to be a bit old-fashioned in my cocktail preferences, so I already knew that I liked a bit more vermouth than is currently favored. My first experiment was to mix three martinis, all using Tanqueray gin and Noilly Prat dry vermouth, but with 4-1, 3-1 and 2-1 ratios of gin to vermouth.

The 4-1 was very ginny indeed, with lots of juniper and a distinctly recognizable brine character from the olive. The 3-1 was much smoother up front, with a longer finish. Overall it was noticeably sweeter and milder. The 2-1 ratio had a much thicker body and was relatively sweet compared to the other two. I definitely liked the 3-1 ratio with the Tanqueray gin, as it provided the best balance.

The second experiment I ran was to try different styles of gin. I maintained the 3-1 ratio from the previous experiments but compared Tanqueray, Plymouth and Bluecoat gins side by side. The Plymouth gin was the most neutral of the three and was very smooth in the martini. Not as much salt was apparent in this cocktail, which surprised me, and the flavor just faded away. Personally, I think this gin is too neutral for this cocktail, but if you like vodka martinis, you should start with it.

The Bluecoat is an American Dry Gin that relies much more heavily on citrus than on juniper compared to Tanqueray. The martini has distinctly less Pine-Sol character, with more of a lemon taste. The martini was a bit drier up front, with a light, sweet finish. The Tanqueray is a classic gin with much more of a juniper bite. The finish had a more winelike character and was rough compared to the other two.

Now the classic martini has either an olive or a lemon twist as the garnish. I, however, typically prefer a cocktail onion, as I find that it adds a tiny bit more salt and spice to the drink; this variation is a called a Gibson. I also like the perfect martini variant, which substitutes half of the dry vermouth for sweet vermouth. This drink is much sweeter and smoother than a standard martini, but I found that it isn’t so good with an olive; the flavors just clashed.

The best alternative that my friends and I found is actually an orange twist. We tried a 3-1 perfect martini with orange twist garnish with both Blue Coat and Tanqueray. The Blue Coat had a nice orange flavor over the vermouth and was noticeably milder than the standard martini. The lemon took a back seat in this drink, and the juniper flavor got lost. The Tanqueray, however, balanced the orange, juniper and wine flavors beautifully.

At this point, we decided to call it quits and declared the Tanqueray Perfect Martini with Orange Twist our favorite drink of the night. It balanced the flavors and presented enough complexity to keep us from getting bored. Also, we thanked our lucky stars that we did not try a full factorial design of the experiment, as 10 martinis is quite enough for one night.

Let’s be honest: As much as everybody wants one, it’s seemingly impossible to find a great red wine for under $10. You figure trying a new one can’t hurt, but then you get home and strike out with something that tastes like moldy raspberries sprinkled with topsoil – another eight bucks down the drain.

Bonnie Trafelet/Chicago Tribune/MCT

There is some leeway in which red wine you choose to accompany your braised short ribs.

Part of the problem is just how unfriendly European wine labels can be to an American. The information on them is supposed to make us want to drink what’s inside but instead ends up scaring us away. Yet if you learn a thing or two about certain wine regions and their styles of wines, finding a bargain red isn’t as hard as you may imagine.

Spain, the most vine-covered nation in the world, has several regions that produce high-quality, inexpensive red wines, with labels that are usually easier to comprehend than French or Italian ones. There is value to be found all over the country in a variety of different kinds but especially in those wines made from Spain’s signature grape, tempranillo, meaning “little early one.” This black-skinned grape gets its name from its early ripening and is commonly blended with other grapes like Grenache, known as “garnacha” in Spain.

The Spanish love to drink tempranillo all night long because it has a low alcohol content without the tongue-coating tannins that some bigger red wines have. Most have aromas that remind me of what every college guy imagines his future bachelor pad will smell like – a combination of rich leather and fresh tobacco leaves. Typically, the smell of tempranillo is more intense than the fruity flavors of cherries or plums that unexpectedly follow.

This single grape has the ability to grow in the extreme climates of so many regions that most of them have by now coined their own name for the grape. Tempranillo’s aliases can often puzzle many buyers, so it’s important to recognize that they’re all basically clones of the same grape. It is called “tinto fino” if grown in the elevated, rocky region of Ribera del Duero, located in the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, about two hours north of Madrid.

In Toro, the first wine region I ever visited, where the soil is red and the climate is hot, tempranillo is called “tinto del Toro.” This region is home to some of the oldest vines, which yield smaller grapes with thicker skins that produce juicy wines full of bold, fruity flavors. It’s a shame that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board doesn’t offer more wines from Toro in its selection because they’re some of the most affordable.

Luckily, a perfect and reasonably priced tempranillo from the Castilla y Leon region, Bodegas Farina Peromato 2010, should be available soon.

Unfortunately, the many names for tempranillo are not the only confusing part of their labels. Spain has strict laws that regulate the different levels of wine based on how long they’ve been aged. The names of these styles may appear on the bottle as well.

Occasionally, you will find ones classified as “joven,” or young, that are not barrel-aged in oak. Fresh and fruity, they are meant to be consumed early. And if the bottle is labeled “roble,” or oak, it means the wine has spent a few months, but less than a year, in a barrel.

The most widespread style you’ll find is “crianza” — tempranillo wines that have been barrel-aged for a minimum of one year and at least one more year in the bottle. Because crianzas spend more time in the barrel than jovenes or robles, they have a more oaky flavor – a taste that I can best describe as a pleasant and beautiful combination of clove, wood and smokiness. It may sound like this would combat the wine’s fruity flavors, but it doesn’t – it actually helps reveal them.

If you know any wine region in Spain, it is probably Rioja, where many crianzas are produced. Because the name is so well known and respected, wines produced here often do not have tempranillo clearly marked on their labels and instead only include the style. One of the best buys I’ve found from this region is Campo Viejo 2008 Crianza, a bottle marked by its golden-yellow label, which sells for $6.99.

You may also encounter other styles of tempranillo in a wine store. They’re most likely going to be above your price range, but if you see a “reserva” or “gran reserva,” just know they’ve been aged long enough to be super spicy and oaky.

Tempranillo is a team player and pairs well with just about every food made during a backyard cookout or at any fraternity pig roasts. Its low alcohol and high acidity improve the flavors of grilled meats and roasted vegetables and, of course, any small Spanish tapas dishes.

The next time you find yourself searching for an affordable red wine, keep a look out for a bottle of tempranillo, tinto fino or tinto del Toro — whichever name it is given. Finding inexpensive and high-quality red wines may be easier than you think after all.

Recommendations

Emina Tinto Fino Roble 2007

Ribera del Duero, Spain, $7.99

13.5 percent ABV

A classic tempranillo for this region with floral aromas and dark plum flavors in perfect harmony, this wine offers more than you’d expect for the price. It’s also made in a “green” winery that uses solar power and recycles all wastes.

Montecillo Crianza 2007

Rioja, Spain, $12.99

13.5 percent ABV

With leathery and earthy tones on the nose, this wine surprises with smooth fruity flavors that are enhanced by hints of oak. Worth the few extra dollars if you want to know what the wines of Rioja should taste like.

Vina Herminia Tempranillo 2009

Rioja, Spain, $8.99

14.0 percent ABV

A very easy-drinking tempranillo that smells of red cherries and has savory flavors of berries — an excellent value from this region.

The fire caused a fire suppression sprinkler to activate, which led to flooding and severe water damage to the three aforementioned floors, displacing the students living there. Initially, their personal belongings were moved away from the walls so that workers could inspect the damage and start drying the walls and other structural elements. Students ended up having to be relocated for the rest of the term to various empty beds available in other residence halls.

Not all students are thrilled with their new assignments. While there is no way to keep everyone happy in a situation like this, University Housing moved quickly to find new homes for each displaced student. Additionally, students who were moved to traditional residence halls will be prorated and charged the lower rate for that hall.

There is some debate as to if the fire could have been better prevented, but the fact remains that the sprinkler system did its job and everyone is safe.

It’s important to maintain a serious attitude about fire safety on campus. With frequent fire drills and false alarms from cooking accidents, it’s easy to think lightly of these incidents. In general, we as students tend to develop a bad habit of thinking that fire safety precautions are a waste of time given the very low probability of a serious fire emergency occurring. But what we experienced this week should be considered a serious fire emergency, and we should all be thankful that the only long-term consequence was property damage.

We wish the best of luck to the displaced students and hope that this small bit of craziness does not adversely affect their midterm performances. Do not be afraid to use the great wealth of academic and social support services on campus to help you through these challenging circumstances.

Like many American universities, Drexel uses a Blackboard system for online learning management. However, it is questioned how effectively the tools provided by Blackboard are used by Drexel students. Drexel faculty and students often express frustration about their daily use of Bb Vista. The most common problems they are faced with every day are mostly technical issues, organization and usability.

A group of Drexel students conducted surveys and interviews to find more about these general concerns. Through this research it was found that roughly two out of three students use Google Chrome, which was not compatible with Bb Vista until very recently. Also, the pop-up window requesting access to the computer is a major issue. Nearly 91 percent of users that took the survey said that they despise waiting to close the pop-up every time they log in. Another problem that slows the pace of the student learning lifestyle is that Bb Vista doesn’t allow you to open more than one tab at a time. If a student wants to check two subjects or more at the same time, he or she will have to use two different browsers. About 81 percent of the Drexel students polled said this irritated them and made completing assignments in Bb Vista an annoyance.

Automatic logout is another issue that ranked high on the list of annoyances by users from Drexel. While this may seem like a good policy in protecting user information, it hinders students from accessing large amounts of information or discussion board threads easily and efficiently. The organization of the discussion threads further contributes to the difficulty of use. Not only can you only view one post at a time, but you can also only read one reply at a time.

Nearly 76 percent of the students surveyed uttered that they want Bb Vista to change. The pace of a student’s life is very fast, especially when they are dealing with different courses, projects and homework at the same time. They definitely want something that adapts to their lifestyle and not a slow, not user-friendly system that they will have to struggle to use multiple times a day. Most of the students state that they are paying enough money in their tuition to deserve a better online learning system. I started a petition online, and there are already a considerable number of students who have signed it. If we want Bb Vista to change, all of us should contribute to make this happen. I want to encourage as many students and faculty members as possible to sign this petition in order for our voice to be heard. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/change-bbvista

Iden Kurtaliaj is a freshman majoring in biomedical engineering and can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.

Neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author David Eagleman spoke May 2 at Drexel University’s second annual College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lecture, likening neuroscience to ‘a computer studying its own hardware’

“…It would be as though your computer started controlling its own peripheral devices and pulled off its cover and pointed its webcam at its own circuitry and started to figure out what it’s made out of. That’s the situation that we are in. And what we have found, under the hood there, is the most complicated device we have ever found in the universe,” Eagleman said.

Eagleman received his doctorate in neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine in 1998. He currently serves as the founder and director of Baylor’s Laboratory for Perception and Action as well as the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He also has published four books, both fiction and nonfiction, dealing with different aspects of the brain. In 2011 he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship, and he is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Wired and various other publications.

During the lecture, titled “The Secret Lives of the Brain,” Eagleman spoke about various aspects of neuroscience, including the human subconscious, perceptions of reality and time, synesthesia, and legal applications of his work.

Keith Hobin | The Triangle

The subconscious, Eagleman explained, plays a bigger part in decision making than most people know. A study showed that when men were asked to rank pictures of women’s faces in terms of attractiveness, a majority gave higher scores to the women whose pupils were dilated — a sign of sexual readiness. Even though their conscious minds didn’t know what dilated pupils indicated, their subconscious was attracted to it. In addition, Eagleman discussed the phenomena that people named Dennis or Denise are more likely to become dentists and that people are more likely to marry someone whose name starts with the same letter as their own.

“So what we see is that there’s this gap between what your brain is doing and what the conscious mind knows. There’s this enormous gap. So the question is: why? … If you try to reach down with your conscious mind into things that have been automatized, and they’re being taken care of by the unconscious brain, the whole operation runs more poorly,” he said.

He also tackled the question of reality, the contradiction between what humans see and what actually is. Using multiple optical illusions and other simple exercises, Eagleman showed that “vision is not anything like a camera. … The way vision actually works is that your brain generates lots of internal activity, and that is merely modulated by the little bit of data that dribbles in through these two holes in your skull.”

“In my opinion, the subject matter was extremely fascinating because the human brain is one of the biggest mysteries of life. I was astounded by how much knowledge Dr. Eagleman has and how charismatic and enthusiastic he is about his research,” Nikita Shah, a freshman biology major, said.

According to Eagleman, about 4 percent of the population has synesthesia, a condition where the different senses are connected in unordinary ways. Some people with synesthesia see every number and letter in a particular color; some see explosions of color when they hear music. This is because of increased connections between the brain areas, and Eagleman and his team invented an online test to identify synesthetes.

Keith Hobin

Eagleman also spoke about the neural basis of morality, legality and decision making. He explained that humans make two faulty assumptions about the brain and how it applies to culpability. The American legal system assumes that humans are “practical reasoners” who are free to choose their actions and that “all brains are created equal.”

“America is the No. 1 country in the world for the percentage of our population that we put behind bars, … and the reason is we treat incarceration as a one-size-fits-all solution for everything, and it rests on these sorts of assumptions. … A third of the prison population has a mental illness. That means that our prison system has become our de facto mental health care system,” Eagleman said.

The solution, then, requires a completely new perspective on the incarceration process and the prison system in America. Neuroscience can be applied to the legal environment in this way, and Eagleman is currently working on a way to rehabilitate drug addicts without sending them to prison, which perpetuates their addiction.

In Eagleman’s system, patients would be hooked up to a machine that would show them a picture of their drug of addiction and read the signals in the brain indicating a craving. A bar would show up on the screen, giving a visual representation for the intensity of the craving. The addict could then try to get the craving under control and shrink the bar, essentially giving the long-term decision-making part of the brain strength over the short-term craving.

“I love how he integrated two fields that seemingly have nothing to do with each other and created this whole potential industry to utilize neuroscience to improve the judiciary system,” Shah said.

If only one thing can be gleaned from Eagleman’s lecture, it is that his research in a myriad of neuroscience-related fields will continue to revolutionize how we consider the power of the brain. For more information, check out his book, “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.”

Three Drexel computer science undergraduates claimed the U.S. title at Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Competition, which was held April 20-23 in Seattle, for their design of a mathematics teaching smartphone application.

Team Drexel Dragons, composed of seniors Matt Lesnak, Keith Ayers and Nicolas Taylor Mullen, competed against teams from across the country and were selected as finalists, going on to win the Game Design — Windows Phone category with their app, which was titled “MathDash.”

“Imagine Cup is arguably the most prestigious serious game competition in the nation and the world,” Frank Lee, adviser to the team and co-founder and co-director of Drexel’s game program, said.

The team competed in the first round of the competition last December, defeating over 325,000 competitors and moving on to the second qualifying round, where they succeeded in claiming the title. Currently, the team is getting ready for round 3 of the World Competition. In two weeks, Team Drexel Dragons could be selected to compete at the finals in Sydney.

This year’s theme for the Imagine Cup was, “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.” With this theme in mind, the winning app, “MathDash,” was created to help students understand math in a fun, effective way.

“Our game ‘MathDash,’ that won in the Mobile Games category, is a game that teaches kids from first to eighth grade arithmetic,” Lee said. “Our goal was to not only make a game that was educational but was [also] a whole lot of fun to play. I believe we succeeded.”

The team knew that game designers today often try to create an educational game by first starting out with the fun aspect and adding the educational value on top of it, usually leading to negative results.

From the beginning, the team approached the game very seriously with two goals in mind: It had to be good as a game and needed to stand on its own so as not to feel like “educational” software.

The game provides players with numbers that float around the screen with an equation bar at the bottom of the screen. With the sum of the equation already given, players must drag two numbers to the equation bar that adds up to equal the sum. The game was designed this way to make players understand the math instead of simply guessing the solution.

A progress bar located at the top of the game allows players to track their success. Because the progress bar is continually decreasing, players earn more progress points for every solution they solve. If they fail to correctly answer a solution within an allotted time, the bar will reach zero and the game will end.

“‘MathDash’ takes a simple approach to teaching abstract problem solving. … By reversing the way a question is asked and limiting the numbers players can use, players have to come up with an available solution out of all the possible solutions given to the equation,” Mullen said in a video created for the competition that helps explain the app.

The game was designed as part of the team’s senior design project and is being field tested by schools in the Philadelphia area.

“MathDash” started as a PC game designed by two of the team members in Lee’s class, “Serious Game Design and Development.” From there the idea of creating an educational math game developed, and the students spent the summer further developing the idea. The idea to compete in the Imagine Cup helped to mold “MathDash” into the game it is today.

“MathDash” is scheduled for release for the Windows phone this June, and plans are underway for the team to create versions for iPhone and Android. The team has formed a company for the purpose of this release.

Olivia Garrity

The men’s and women’s crew team had a strong showing at the Bergen and Kelly Cups. Both variety eight boats took home gold in the events.

The men’s team completed a clean sweep of both varsity eight races, defeating Temple University in the varsity eight and the second varsity eight. The team of sophomores Sebastian Ryan, Vanja Busic and Michael Faust; juniors Kurt Linton, Paul Wisniowski, Aleksandar Radovic and Lorenzo Albala; and seniors Randall Lee and Will Masters finished five seconds ahead of Temple in the varsity eight race. They finished with a time of 6:04.9. The second varsity eight also won their race, beating out Temple by two seconds, finishing with a time of 6:11.5.

The men’s pair team of senior Pete Eyrich and junior Adam Cordi won their event with a time of 7:33.9, edging out second-place La Salle University by five seconds. Rounding off proceedings for the day, the Drexel freshman eight won their race. The team of Dean Hill, Brian McCabe, Hartman Byers, Cameron Staines, James Byrne, Jake Murphy, Grigorios Papadourakis and Christian Ladd finished first ahead of La Salle.

On the other hand, the women’s team performed well not only at the Kelly Cup, which they won for the third time in four years, but also at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships April 29.

In the Kelly Cup, they won both varsity eight events and were named Drexel co-Athletes of the Week as a result, along with senior men’s golfer Benjamin Feld. The first boat, including seniors Julia Jackson, Elizabeth Bratton, Emily Coyle and coxswain Alex Paulin; juniors Mollie Cusack, Samantha Cowan and Alexa Antonioli; sophomore Elizabeth Daugherty and freshman Sierra Baca, finished with a time of 6:56.1, beating second-place St. Joseph’s University by four seconds.

The women’s second varsity eight also won their race, once again beating St. Joe’s, although by a closer margin than their aforementioned counterparts.

The following day, the women’s team participated in the CAA Championships in Occoquan, Va. They finished fourth overall with 22 total points, behind the University at Buffalo, Boston University and eventual winner Northeastern University — which won its second consecutive CAA title and third in the last four years. The day’s highlights included the second varsity eight team’s second-place finish behind Northeastern and the naming of Elizabeth Bratton and Julia Jackson to the All-CAA team.

Up next for Drexel is the final and perhaps most important regatta on the collegiate rowing calendar: the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta. Drexel, along with 119 other schools across the United States and Canada, will take part in the 74th annual installment of this illustrious competition May 11-12. The qualifiers take place on May 11, and the semifinals and finals are scheduled for May 12.

Triangle File Photo

Senior Hillary Allen winds up to throw a heater at Vidas Field. The Dragons current ace holds a 10-13 record, with a 3.67 earned run average in 141.1 innings pitched. Drexel is heading into a big weekend series against the rival University of Delaware.

The April 28 doubleheader was split between the two teams, with Drexel taking the second game.

In Game 1, Drexel could not escape an early 5-0 deficit, eventually falling 5-3. Senior pitcher Hillary Allen struggled, allowing eight hits and recording only seven outs before being pulled. Junior Amanda Bachmann and senior Caprice DiMirjian each picked up RBIs in the second inning. The Dragons would get an unearned run in the third, but that would be all.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor pitched four and two-thirds strong innings in relief, allowing just three baserunners to keep George Mason at five runs.

In Game 2, a 4-3 victory, Taylor would continue the fine work on the mound and limited George Mason to three runs in a complete game. That gave Taylor a total of 11.2 innings pitched for the day.

Drexel put up all of its offensive production in one inning, scoring four runs in the second. The highlight was sophomore Maddison Timoteo’s home run, her sixth of the season. It was part of a good day at the plate for her as the designated hitter; she went three-for-three. Senior Paige Collings drove in two runs as well.

Drexel lost the rubber game 13-4. Allen, Taylor and sophomore Jessica O’Hara struggled on the mound, although five Dragon errors behind them led to three unearned runs.

“It was disappointing that we weren’t able to take at least two from them,” head coach Kim Camara said. “We played hard, and I think we should have been able to do that. We played hard and never gave up even when we were down. We kept fighting back.”

Collings hit her eighth home run of the season and 28th of her career in the April 28 game. The all-time home run leader for the Dragons, she and four other seniors were playing in the final home game of their careers.

Collings, Allen, DiMirjian, Devon Metcalf and Elena Fravel were honored as the five departing seniors on the team’s Senior Day. It’s a group Camara and the rest of the team have enjoyed.

“These seniors were a really, really special class,” Camara said. “They are great people, and a lot of them have started for a few years. … They are the heart and soul of our program. It was a special day for us to honor them.”

DiMirjian appreciates the team-first attitude that each fellow senior possesses.

“[We are] talented, hardworking, and most importantly, team players,” DiMirjian said. “My class is full of selfless people, both on and off the field. To us, it isn’t about how each of us succeeds individually, but it is about how the team performs.”

The seniors and the rest of the squad will need to help the team perform May 4-5 during a do-or-die series for the Dragons. They will travel to the University of Delaware to face the Blue Hens; it will be the team’s final hope to make the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

The series starts with a doubleheader May 4 and ends May 5 with the season finale. The Blue Hens are tied with Drexel for fifth place in the CAA and are in the same spot as Drexel, fighting for their playoff lives.

Drexel goes into the weekend 1 1/2 games behind Towson University, which was swept last weekend by Hofstra University. The Tigers face James Madison University, the second-place team in the conference, for their final three games.

“We obviously need some help from James Madison,” Camara said.

Two games back in the win column, Drexel essentially needs to win two more games than Towson this weekend. The two teams cannot finish in a tie.

The players understand the scenario and seem confident.

“The mindset is absolutely that we need to come home with at least two victories to have a chance at the CAA Tournament,” DiMirjian said. “But more importantly than that, we know that we can come out of this weekend against Delaware with three victories.”

DiMirjian and the seniors look to avoid having this series be the last one of their careers.

“We know and we believe in our hearts that we are more than capable of winning this weekend,” DiMirjian said. “And having that belief and the passion that our team has, we are already at an advantage. If we go out and perform our best, this won’t be my last weekend playing softball as a Dragon.”

Assembling “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as well as the not-super-powered-but-super-capable agents Black Widow and Hawkeye, director Joss Whedon unleashes them with the glee of a kid playing with his action figures. Things blow up , tempers flare, egos clash, and yes, Hulk smashes. The best thing is that Whedon seems to realize that the entertainment doesn’t come from watching our favorite heroes beat up the scum of the galaxy but from watching them beat up each other, both literally and figuratively. As it turns out, Earth’s mightiest also happen to be a mighty bunch of nutcases.

So why do these fractured heroes have any business being in the same room? They’re called together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of a peacekeeping agency called S.H.I.E.L.D., to help defeat Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s damaged adoptive brother, and his extraterrestrial army, the Chitauri. Loki comes to Earth to get his hands on the Tesseract, a cosmic blue cube that could be an endless source of energy or a weapon of mass destruction. Loki wants to take over Earth mostly because he’s the god of mischief and also because he didn’t take the news of his lineage very well. The plot is just a thing the film is required to have so that all these guys end up in one place, and once they do, after an exposition-heavy thirty minutes, it becomes one of the most fun spring blockbusters in recent memory.

It’s harder to decide which aspect of the film ranks higher: Whedon’s razor-sharp, self-aware dialogue or the performances from his A-list cast.

Downey is enjoyable as ever as the iron-clad playboy, able to help deliver the film’s sharpest punchlines and its quietest dramatic moments. Each hero gives commanding performances. Hemsworth improves upon his already-decent performance as the god of thunder by bringing a beautiful sense of fury to his fight scenes. Evans nails the earnest good nature of Steve Rogers, who could easily get lost in the cracks between the already popular Iron Man and the two guys strong enough to level buildings. Captain America shakes out to be the leader of the team by calling the shots, and Evans sells the position with heart. Scarlett Johansson’s role as the shady Natasha Romanoff is a vast improvement from her first appearance in “Iron Man 2,” and her “very specific skill set” is put to good use during one electrifying interrogation scene between her and Loki.

Unfortunately, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye has somewhat less to do, due to the demands of the plot, but Renner still manages to infuse the part with an enjoyable brooding cool. Hiddleston is clearly having the time of his life playing Loki, who is aptly described as a “bag of cats” — wonderfully droll at one moment and terrifyingly crazed the next.

Surprisingly enough, it’s the newcomer that manages to steal the scenes from underneath all the admirable aforementioned, and the casting of Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and his verdant alter-ego may be one of the smartest decisions made for the film. The Hulk as a character has been nigh-impossible to adapt to the screen, as any frustrated Marvel fan will tell you, and Whedon seems to have found the perfect balance by using “the other guy,” as Banner repeatedly calls his transformed persona, sparingly. Banner makes his first green appearance almost 80 minutes into the film, but Ruffalo manages to pull off in about 30 minutes of screen time what his predecessors (Eric Bana, Edward Norton) only sort of managed in their own feature films.

Ruffalo’s Banner is appealingly self-deprecating, easing the tension of his condition by making quiet, weary jokes about it. In contrast to all the ripped, towering specimens around him, he’s disheveled with a twitchy demeanor and ill-fitting clothes, and he ends up being the most interesting to watch. It’s only further in his performance that you can see some real bitterness and anger right beneath the surface of his calm demeanor.

“I’m exposed like a nerve. It’s a nightmare,” he admits to Stark. (Their relationship is one of the highlights of the film.) And the big guy? The Hulk has never been this entertaining, and the use of motion capture technology manages to put Ruffalo’s real performance beneath that impressive mass of green, computer-generated muscle.

But for all its fun, “The Avengers” never strives to be anything but a really good popcorn movie. The final 30 minutes of the film, an all-out war with Loki’s alien army, is a well-orchestrated but blissfully mad set piece that never gets confused. Whedon makes sure you know where everyone is at all times and what everyone’s purpose in the battle is, which is rare in modern action films.

The fight scene is not self-indulgent, which is weird, considering the glee with which a row of NYC taxis and traffic is carpet-bombed into oblivion. The 3D conversion goes well with the film’s bright tone and cinematography. Is there anything bad about this film? Well, to be fair, half the plot is just a series of MacGuffins to get our heroes and our villain into place. The attacking alien army is merely cannon fodder to be hammered and smashed. The script is only able to offer so much character development for the screen time allotted, so this film is certainly not “deep,” even though Whedon does manage to slip in a few quiet moments and philosophical discussions. But overall, “The Avengers” is so busy entertaining that most of these slights only hit you after the fact.

For anyone who knows anything about Marvel Studios’ business plan, you’ll know that “The Avengers” was too big to fail. Luckily, “The Avengers” not only succeeds in its goals, but it makes you wonder, “What’s next?”

Oh, as always, stay after the credits. Yes, all the way after them. U.S. audiences are lucky enough to get two scenes, so don’t leave prematurely.

One such band is Conspirator, which performed April 27 at the Trocadero Theatre and proved that DJs don’t have to be handy with a Mac to play great electronic music.

Though Conspirator was formed in 2004, it has only been within the last year and a half that the group has begun to make a name for itself in the electronic music community.

Regarded as the side project of Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner, the respective bassist and keyboardist of notable jam band the Disco Biscuits, Conspirator was typically only known within the jam band community, playing late-night shows or the odd festival set.

However, with the Disco Biscuits on break from touring since 2011, Brownstein and Magner have set out to enhance Conspirator’s reputation, hoping to have it grow into one of the top live electronic acts touring today.

The Disco Biscuits have made Conspirator a consistent four-piece group with former RAQ guitarist Chris Michetti and a rotating cast of drummers from all over the jam band and electronic music communities, including Mike Greenfield (Lotus), Darren Shearer (The New Deal), Adam Dietch (Lettuce & Pretty Lights) and KJ Sawka (Pendulum), among many others.

Conspirator returned to Philly to promote its new live album, “Unlocked — Live from The Georgia Theatre,” onstage at the Troc, a huge step up from the band’s last show at The Blockley. Though they were unable to sell out the show, they made sure to reward those in the crowd with an amazing two-set rager.

With drummer KJ Sawka, who also did a half-hour solo set for set break, Conspirator started out slow, playing somewhat rigid versions of “Fascinate” and “Flash Mob.” From “Flash Mob” came an amazing segue into a very fast-paced and intense sequence of “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Hard Acid,” “Oname Wa” and “Park Ave.”

The “Oname Wa” was something particularly special, having a new drum-and-bass feel to it. After “Park Ave.” the first set was rounded out with a great transition into a sequence of “Countach,” “Proper Education (a cover of Pink Floyd)” and “Feed the Wolf.”

For the second set they spared no time and launched full throttle into an incredible “Hoodwinker,” which then flowed into a sequence of “Oname Wa,” “Caves of the East,” “Digital Buddha,” “Need Someone,” “Velvet Red,” and the end of “Proper Education” and “Velvet Red.” After finishing out the set with “S&M,” the band came back on for a quick encore performance of “Mirrors.”

While there is no denying that the show was amazing, it also served as a reminder of one of the biggest problems that the group faces. Many fans look at Conspirator as an unsuitable version of the Disco Biscuits. Conspirator has a heavier, more electronic sound than the Disco Biscuits, and as long as they continue to cover the Disco Biscuits (six out of the 15 songs played at this concert were Disco Biscuits songs), committed Conspirator fans will continue to be confused and irritated.

Following their show April 28 in New York, they will be taking a two-week break before doing a quick run of shows in Virginia and Washington, D.C. with Big Gigantic drummer Jeremy Salken. Next up, Conspirator will be playing at a number of music festivals, including Starscape, Gathering of the Vibes and All Good.

The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design welcomed Angela Ahrendts, the CEO of British luxury brand Burberry, to campus for a question-and-answer forum May 2. Earlier in the day, CoMAD representatives awarded her the inaugural Westphal Award.

The discussion appealed to design and business students alike. Ahrendts, who became the CEO of Burberry in 2006, began by explaining that people are described as being either left- or right-brained with no happy medium. She emphasized the necessity to balance the creative and analytical aspects of the brain when running a company.

“I’m a merchant marketer,” Ahrendts said. “I’m right in the center.”

Ahrendts had this epiphany while attending Ball State University in Indiana, where she began as a design major. She soon realized that she was better suited for the business side of the fashion industry.

“I knew I loved the industry. I knew I loved magazines. I knew I loved to shop,” she said.

Courtney Denton

What makes Burberry, founded in 1856, one of the leading luxury brands in the world is Ahrendts’ drive to create a foundation based on trust while uniting Burberry’s customers and associates alike into a holistic unit.

“When you have a foundation of trust, you don’t have to worry about anything else,” Ahrendts said.

Ahrendts said that the question that steers her executive decisions is: “How can we create the world’s greatest, most modern brand?”

Ahrendts’ reliance on trust and her sharp marketing mind have led Burberry to become the fourth-fastest growing company in the world behind Apple Inc., Google and Amazon in 2011. In 2010 and 2011, Fast Company magazine named Burberry the 13th-most innovative company in the world.

Ahrendts noted that society, especially young people, has become increasingly dependent on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, which have become necessities to companies. Ahrendts has made it a priority to appeal to this technological acquisition with the help of Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey and  Chief Information Officer John Douglas. Together, the power team has created an informative and convenient digital world, binding the vision with today’s technology.

According to Ahrendts, Bailey is in charge of promoting Burberry’s image. He is in charge of designing the Burberry collection, line, advertising and store designs. She jokingly added that she has nicknamed him “the brand czar” because he is the visionary of the company.

Ahrendts explained that Burberry’s Strategic Innovation Council comes up with the dream, and the Strategic Executive Council turns the dream into reality.

Burberry’s image revolves around a British persona. According to Ahrendts, the company only hires British models, for example actress Emma Watson. Additionally, Burberry only reaches out to unsigned British bands for the company’s online music collection, Burberry Acoustics.

“[Bailey] had a very British image of what we could do with Burberry,” Ahrendts said.

Ahrendts also promoted Burberry’s philanthropic image. In addition to helping make Burberry a green company, she founded Burberry Foundation in 2008, which promotes creativity in youth. According to Burberry’s website, the foundation collects donations from employees and customers and is registered in England and Wales.

According to Ahrendts, Burberry Foundation gives “over $5 million a year, and over 1,000 hours of employee volunteer time … to give [youth] confidence as they go out into the workforce.”

In addition to Burberry Acoustics and the Burberry Foundation, Burberry’s website reflects Ahrendts’ goal to transform Burberry into a social enterprise. The website features the interactive Art of the Trench feature, which is connected to Burberry’s Facebook page. Customers can take photographs of themselves wearing a Burberry trench coat and upload them to the page. This nonprofit platform is Ahrendts’ way of connecting customers worldwide.

“Those are the young, conventional relationships we have to form to get everything out there,” Ahrendts said.

Ahrendts is working hard to create a unique Burberry culture and is headed in the right direction as she unites customers and employees. A flagship store was recently launched in Taipei with a live video feed of the launch party on YouTube and Facebook.

“[My colleagues] all felt like they were there, and that’s how you create a great culture,” Ahrendts said.

It all started with a coat, which morphed into one of the most successful companies in the world, customers old and new, and approximately 9,000 employees.

“The stronger and better the business,” Ahrendts said, “the more we can give back.”

Judith E. Glaser, winner of Drexel’s 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award, moderated the forum. Glaser is the CEO of Benchmark Communications Inc. and the Creating WE Institute chair. The forum was free and open to the public and took place in Mitchell Auditorium in the Bossone Research Enterprise Center.

Brothers from Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity volunteered April 26 for Dining Out for Life, a fundraiser started by the ActionAIDS organization, which raises money to help support people living with HIV or AIDS.

Serving as “ambassadors,” 10 brothers from the fraternity were spread throughout the city at various participating restaurants to answer questions about ActionAIDS, collect donations and thank patrons for dining out and supporting the cause. As part of the cause, participating restaurants donated 33 percent of that day’s proceeds directly to ActionAIDS.

“Ambassadors are vital to the success of this event,” Justin Gero, communications associate for ActionAIDS, wrote in an email. “They are able to answer questions about the event and where the money goes.”

Delta Epsilon Psi participates in various service events throughout the year. Having volunteered for a walkathon hosted previously by ActionAIDS, the fraternity became more interested in helping out the cause and asked the brothers if any would be interested in helping Dining Out for Life.

John Friesen

As ambassadors for the event, the 10 brothers split up between four different restaurants throughout the city and were stationed at a table set up with information about ActionAIDS. They were readily available to answer questions posed from the dining patrons.

Vikas Bhatt, a third-year biology major and Delta Epsilon Psi brother, volunteered during dining hours for the event at the Perch Pub located at 13th and Locust streets

“It’s actually cool,” Bhatt said. “A lot of people that we’ve talked to, if we especially ask, ‘Are you aware that it’s Dining Out for Life?’ they’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s the reason we came out!’ It’s just good to hear that a lot of people are coming out to support the cause.”

According to Bhatt, not all of the patrons were aware of the event when they arrived at the restaurant.

“Once they hear about it they are very excited to learn more, and they ask questions like, ‘Oh, what’s ActionAIDS? What is Dining Out for Life?’” he said.

Though this was the first year Delta Epsilon Psi assisted with Dining Out for Life, members of the fraternity said that they plan to make this an annual reoccurrence. As their biggest event this term, they saw this as a unique opportunity to help out and take part in something that not many people from Drexel were doing.

“It’s good to take part in events that are fighting for other people’s philanthropies,” Bhatt said.

Dining Out for Life takes place every year, usually around the last week of April. This year over 200 restaurants throughout Philadelphia and Delaware County participated in the event, which is also spread throughout 53 cities in North America. The event raises about $4 million annually.

Well-known restaurants in University City that participated in the event included Pod, Distrito and Lemon Grass Thai.

“Events like Dining Out for Life become more vital as pressure has grown to cut government budgets. Fundraising events like this become essential to continuing [the ActionAIDS] services,” Gero said.

Volunteers founded ActionAIDS in 1986 and continue to be the basis of the organization, vital to its continuum and success. Their mission statement reads, “ActionAIDS believes that no one should face AIDS alone,” and because its staff consists mostly of volunteers, the organization continues to uphold this statement.

According to Bhatt, the volunteering process isn’t hard to complete.

“All you have to do is go on their website, and they have a section that says volunteer, and you can volunteer on an ongoing basis. They have one-on-one mentoring [programs] with people that are diagnosed with the disease. Or they can volunteer for events like Dining Out for Life,” he said.

ActionAIDS is the largest service organization in Pennsylvania. The nonprofit organization provides various high-quality services such as counseling, care outreach, family programs, housing services, education and testing.

Dining Out for Life was started in 1991 as a way for ActionAIDS to help fund and create programs that would benefit the HIV and AIDS community. This year marked the 22ndanniversary of the event.

Triangle File Photo

Freshman Daniel Hansen readied himself for a return shot. Hansen will be one of the many returning players to the young Drexel tennis team.

The men’s team finished the regular season with a 9-8 overall record, including 5-1 in home matches. The Dragons lost three of their top four players from last season, which meant a new haul of talent into the program.

“We had a very young team this year with five freshmen on the roster,” men’s and women’s head coach Tricia Udicious said. “And they all stepped up and played crucial roles for us.”

With a bulk of the team being underclassmen, Drexel maintained strong leadership from its more experienced players.

“I am extremely proud of how our upperclassmen handled themselves this year,” Udicious said. “Players such as [sophomore] Skyler Davis and [junior] Jeganathan Srinivasan raised their games and pushed our younger players to do the same.”

The lone senior on the team, Bryan Nguyen, was one of those leaders as well. Hailing from Galloway, N.J., Nguyen was a stable presence in the Drexel lineup for all four years of his career.

“Bryan was a leader by example on the court,” Udicious said. “Every one of his opponents knew they were in for a battle when they faced him, and Bryan won that battle most of the time.

“Bryan will be the first to tell you that he does not have the prettiest game in the world,” Udicious continued. “But he used what he had better than any player I have ever coached.”

Nguyen thrived on team chemistry and made the most of his time as a Dragon. As a health sciences major, he will graduate in the spring with an undergraduate degree, and he plans to continue on to graduate school for health service administration.

“I have continuously grown and matured in the course of four years,” Nguyen said. “I can’t pinpoint one thing that I will remember the most because I have learned and experienced so much throughout my time at Drexel.

“Up until college, tennis was an individual sport for me. It was amazing to have a team that supported me to fight and win, which I thrived off of. That’s something that will definitely stick with me for a long time.”

Speaking of thriving, that is exactly what the women’s team did this season. The Dragons finished the year with a 13-8 overall record, including an astounding 8-1 in the Armory. It was a complete team effort to post the most team wins since the 2008-09 season.

“I believe this was the deepest team I have had here at Drexel,” Udicious said. “We had a solid lineup one through six and worked very hard as a team to shift our doubles play from a weakness to our strength.”

Drexel defeated Towson University in the CAA Tournament before bowing out to top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University in the second round. This marked the fourth straight year in which the Dragons won a match in the CAA Tournament.

“[Sophomore] Zeynep Mafa had another stellar year at No. 2, [junior] Emma Brook and [sophomore] Alex Bell were solid at Nos. 4 and 5,” Udicious said. “Meanwhile, newcomers [sophomore] Marcela Rosales and [freshman] Nicole Pivonka added consistency that we have lacked in the past.”

Two players who have been on the team for the entire string of success are seniors Sonja Stosic of Belgrade, Serbia and Elise Leizerovich of Thousand Lakes, Calif., both of whom have just wrapped up their outstanding Drexel tennis careers.

“Sonja led by example on the court,” Udicious said. “She fought through nagging wrist injuries all year and was a strong No. 1 for us in singles and in doubles with her partner Zeynep.”

Udicious continued, “Elise was more of a leader off the court. She helped the younger players adjust to their new team and was a big reason for the improvement of our doubles play with her partner Marcela.”

With the departure of three key players, the Drexel men’s and women’s teams will look for the experience gained by the younger players to carry into next season. But even Udicious knows that none of that could be possible without the support and leadership from the outgoing seniors.

“I, along with my assistant coaches and their teammates, will miss Bryan, Sonja and Elise very much,” she said. “We would all like to thank them for everything they have done for our program.”

Courtesy Drexel Athletics

Drexel senior co-captain Michael Serensits (middle) follows through on a shot from the tee as junior Ben Feld (right) looks on. The two competed in the CAA Championships April 27-29, with Serensits and Feld posting scores of 236 (plus-23) and 228 (plus-15), respectively

Having fired an opening round of 72, followed by an improved round of 68, the University of Delaware’s Greg Matthias arrived at the final hole looking to hold off the challenge of Georgia State University’s Davin White, who had put together a blistering 72 on his second round to go with his opening-round 77 and put pressure on the clubhouse leader. White’s strength on the back nine nearly saw him snatch the win as his weekend-best 69 beat out Matthias’ 77.

The consistency of Matthias’ game proved to be too much, however, as his overall score of 217 (plus-4) was enough to see off White (218, plus-5) by a single shot. Matthias’ first win in what was to be his last outing as a collegiate golfer allowed him to take the CAA’s automatic place in the upcoming NCAA Championships for the first time in his collegiate career.

Coming into the weekend looking to find some form, Drexel’s own golfers gave a good account of themselves. Benjamin Feld’s 20th-place finish in a field of 55 came off a solid 228 overall score (plus-15) that featured solid 73s on the second and third rounds. Vincent Anagnos was Drexel’s next highest-place finisher with a 233 (plus-20) that netted him 37th place overall. James Braunsberg and James Parsons finished with scores of 238 (plus-25) and 241 (plus-28), respectively. Competing in his last event in Drexel’s Blue and Gold, senior co-captain Michael Serensits put together a respectable 79, 78, 79 to finish out his weekend with a score of 236 (plus-23).

The weekend, though, belonged to a heavily favored UNCW outfit, whose combined score of 884 (plus-32) saw the Seahawks finish first overall, two strokes better than second-place Georgia State. The Seahawks were able to defend their title and earn the right to represent the CAA at the NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals scheduled for May 17-19.

The conclusion to the weekend’s festivities brought an end to a season that saw Drexel put in some decent performances. Top-10 finishes by Feld (first place at the Ace Club and the Philly U Golf Classic), Braunsberg (fourth at the Philly U Classic) and Serensits (10th at the Philly U Classic) mean that there is plenty of talent in the group with room for improvement looking forward to next year.

After a very successful debut with “The Adventures of Bobby Ray,” B.o.B is back with his sophomore effort, “Strange Clouds,” which was released May 1 on Atlantic Records. With this album, the artist also known as Bobby Ray has no chart-topping singles, as opposed to his three hits the first time around en route to an RIAA-certified Gold album. Despite this, “Strange Clouds” is a continuation of the sound B.o.B created with his debut. His ability to straddle the line between top-40 pop music and rap has led to a successful commercial start to his young career.

Tara Giancaspro | The Triangle

Hip hop artist B.o.B released his sophomore album “Strange Clouds” May 1 on Atlantic Records, featuring Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and T.I.

At this time I would like to formally retract the title “rapper” from B.o.B and hand him the title of “Atlantic Records puppet.” Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this label has done this. B.o.B, Lupe Fiasco and Wiz Khalifa have all been victims of Atlantic’s antics. Atlantic has been forcing its rap artists toward the mainstream pop sound that will sell the most records. While you can’t fault their business practice (it’s been quite successful), sonically, it’s disappointing to hear great rappers making pop songs when they have potential to make great hip-hop and rap music.

After the confused mish-mash that was “Both of Us,” the album shifts to the title track, which features Lil Wayne. B.o.B delivers his best rhymes of the album, including a little witty pre-hook line, “I’m top chef, you Top Ramen, I’m top shelf.” Unfortunately, this song has been out for almost seven months and isn’t quite as exciting as it was upon its release. It also is not nearly as good as the remix, which features Young Jeezy and T.I., but somehow did not make the album.

Next up is “So Good,” the album’s current radio single, which is currently 17th on the Billboard Top 100. Two tracks later, the album hits its peak with “Arena” and “Out Of My Mind,” which have potential to be the chart-toppers B.o.B and Atlantic are looking for from his sophomore album. “Arena” features Chris Brown on the hook and a great verse from T.I., while “Out Of My Mind” features a surprisingly good verse from Nicki Minaj in which she references one of B.o.B’s past hits, “Airplanes.”

The next four songs are rather forgettable as they lead into “Castles,” which features Trey Songz. The song is fun and energetic with a very catchy pop hook. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the album comes to an end with “Where Are You (B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray),” a piano ballad in which B.o.B addresses his struggles to adjust to his rise to fame and the change in his music over the years.

It’s been nearly three years since we last heard a complete B.o.B album. During that time, B.o.B’s relevance wore off, which is likely the reason the album has failed to produce a hit single to date. It will be interesting to see how “Strange Clouds” does commercially in comparison to his debut, “The Adventures of Bobby Ray.” It’s wrong to call the album a sophomore slump, but it’s far harder to listen to as a body of work than his debut.

The concept of food trucks is becoming more and more popular as we see new trucks appearing on campus every week. However, the concept of a grocery store food truck seems almost unfathomable. Regardless, it has become a reality as the Fresh Food Hub made its first debut April 25. Beginning as a pushcart market that only appeared once a week, Preston’s Paradise has expanded into the Fresh Food Hub five years later as a mobile grocery store (they still sell fresh produce on wheels). However, the only difference is that there is a bigger selection and now more availability to the community.

Sabrina Wong

Fresh Food Hub transformed from push-cart to food truck and debut in West Philadelphia April 25. The truck serves fresh and affordable fruits, vegetables and bread to students and residents alike.

Preston’s Paradise joined efforts with Greensgrow Philadelphia Project to make the Fresh Food Hub not only a possibility but also a reality. As a nonprofit mobile grocery store, the Fresh Food Hub serves West Philadelphia, conveniently located on Lancaster Avenue. The goal of Fresh Food Hub isn’t to raise a great profit or become famous and end up on national TV but rather to serve the underserved communities in West Philadelphia. Oftentimes many students are so enamored by the environment immediately surrounding them that they forget that there is life outside the boundaries of the University of Pennsylvania and the Greek life on Powelton. Even though we may forget amid our comforts, Fresh Food Hub keeps in mind the people who are still struggling in the West Philadelphia area.

Fresh Food Hub serves low-income customers with basic fruits and vegetables, including more seasonal items, especially during the summer. Wanting to be known as the “healthy cornerstone,” Fresh Food Hub uses affordable prices with high-quality produce to promote healthy eating. An array of local greens, potatoes and strawberries, among other fresh foods, is available to support eating more nutritious foods picked up easily on the go, as opposed to buying quick, processed dry foods in the supermarket. All the foods there are purchased from local farmers, and Fresh Food Hub is still on the lookout for entrepreneurs and small vendors to create more jobs and help fuel the local economy within West Philadelphia. The food is not only healthy but also affordable. There is an assortment of fresh foods ranging from fresh greens for $1 to freshly baked bread for $3. Fresh Food Hub is a cheap, nutritious alternative to the fast and unhealthy foods students are accustomed to buying.

However, having just a nonprofit grocery store on wheels simply isn’t enough for Food Hub. Next, Fresh Food Hub is planning on having educational workshops right in front of the truck — activities ranging from blood pressure screenings to yoga, cooking and gardening. The ideas for what is to come next are endless. Most importantly,  having a completely community-owned grocery store is the ultimate goal in mind. Food Hub aims to hire people in the local community and buy fresh produce from local farms and fields to sell to the community.

As a university right next to West Philadelphia, Drexel and its community should become more involved in what happens right next to us and be encouraged by the goal of Fresh Food Hub. This means being concerned for our health and the environment and being aware of the community we live in and how we can affect it.

Fresh Food Hub can be found at 37th Street and Lancaster Avenue on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.

Tours range from Center City locales, including Society Hill and Rittenhouse Square, to notable neighborhoods such as South of South and a subterranean tour of SEPTA stations. There are also specialized themed tours such as the popular “Littlest Streets” and “Bankers’ Heaven.”

The 2012 Walking Tour season will feature a tour for Jane Jacobs Walk, an annual commemoration of the birthday of the great urban thinker Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) with a brief “birthday party” followed by a free guided walking tour of “Around Washington Square” on Saturday, May 5 at 2 p.m. Meet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, center of Washington Square Park.

Tours are led by a lively group of experienced and enthusiastic volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds who share a passion for architecture, urban design and social history. Their passion and knowledge has enhanced understanding of the region’s architectural heritage for thousands of participants and has received awards and accolades. Philadelphia magazine honored the walking tours with a 2008 “Best of Philly” award, noting they are the “best reason to take a walk.”

May through October
Tickets: $10; $8 for students
www.preservationalliance.com

Pennsylvania Ballet’s “Peter Pan”
Escape to Neverland with this whimsical ballet starring the boy who never grew up. Based on the classic story by Sir James M. Barrie, “Peter Pan” takes you on an adventure with all your favorite characters, including the Darling children and Captain Hook himself.
Choreographer Trey McIntyre reinterprets the fairy tale with a twist for the new millennium, complete with spectacular flying sequences, swashbuckling swordfights, and costumes inspired by punk fashion. “Peter Pan” is the perfect introduction to dance for audiences of all ages.
Academy of Music at 240 S. Broad St.
Thursday, May 3 through Sunday, May 13
Tickets: $20-140; student rush tickets available two hours before showtime
www.kimmelcenter.org

Drexel Holi

With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it’s time to come out of our shells and enjoy spring. Holi — the festival of colors — is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of all Indian festivals. A day that transcends beyond barriers of religion and language, it’s an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and of course, lots of bright colors! Friends, family and strangers bind in the company of “powdered colors” that they sprinkle over one another with respect, love, or sometimes just plain fun. The celebration of Holi marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. The second day — called Rang Panchmi, Phagwa or Doljatra, depending on which part of the country you are in — is celebrated by spraying colors on each other.

Presented by the Drexel Indian Undergraduate Students Association (DISHA) and Urban Playground, gulal (powdered colors) and free snacks and music will be provided. Come in your white T-shirt and clothes you won’t mind getting messy!

Drexel Park

Saturday, May 5, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

www.uphilly.com

“Skins & Songs”

Painted Bride Art Center proudly presents “Skins & Songs: Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra meets Philip Hamilton’s Voices,” a world premiere concert engagement.

Throughout the ages, mankind has intrinsically used the drum (skins) and voice (songs) to communicate cultural significance and to express the heartbeat and spirit of a people. Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra and Philip Hamilton’s Voices project brings together two large ensembles, 22 artists and over 33 music traditions from around the globe to deliver a groundbreaking body of compositions and arrangements live onstage. “Skins & Songs” offers audiences an unforgettable evening of world travel and exploration as well as a rare opportunity to witness the strength and beauty within humanity when cultural diversity prevails.
Celebrated regionally and respected nationwide for their explosive live concert performances, Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra features 14 of the most disciplined and renowned hand drummers from the Philadelphia region. Since 1996, Spoken Hand has championed the natural unification of four distinct music culture traditions: North Indian tabla, Brazilian samba, West African djembe and Afro-Cuban bata to present an unprecedented sound to the modern world of music, “the kind of rhythmic extravaganza you can listen to all day, every day, forever,” the Philadelphia City Paper hailed.
An a cappella performance ensemble led by Philip Hamilton’s Voices, it combines eight accomplished vocalists from around the world and an array of international vocal tones and techniques. Tuvan throat singing, Congolese mouth-clicking, Balinese monkey chant and hip-hop’s beat boxing are accompanied by the rich sounds of diverse a cappella singing styles including doo-wop, Bulgarian choirs, barbershop quartets, work songs, South African miners’ songs and Gregorian chants.
Painted Bride Art Center at 230 Vine St.
Thursday, May 10 through Sunday, May 13
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 day-of; students receive 25 percent off
www.paintedbride.org

Steve Ward, a Drexel alumnus (’03) and host of VH1’s “Tough Love,” spoke to students in Behrakis Grand Hall May 2 to answer their questions about relationships and dating.

Ward’s advice was based around the importance of technology in today’s society, especially for college students and young adults.

“Dating is evolving because technology is evolving, but we’re not,” Ward said.

He gave a rendition of the 20-year technological revolution beginning with car phones and answering machines all the way up to modern gadgets like GPS navigators. Ward accused college students of not knowing the correct ways to use technology in the dating world. One piece of advice that made the audience laugh was, “Don’t text until there’s sex.”

Courtesy VH1

Ward began the night by answering the question of why he’s single given that he is a matchmaker

“[My problem is that] five minutes into the date, I tell them I’ve got a guy in mind for them,” he said.

However, Ward did say that his ideal woman is smart, sexy, funny, family-oriented, lean, and even though height doesn’t matter to him, he tends to date taller women.

Some of Ward’s featured tips of the night were to “be creepy” and “do your homework” on potential dates so that you know what you’re getting into. He advised students to keep the important things private on their own Facebook or Twitter profiles, because once pictures and text are posted online, “they are there forever.”

“Be efficient while using technology,” he said, although he admitted to using AOL Instant Messenger in his teens to talk to girls and says that he still uses Twitter and Facebook.

“Do not put your phone on the table. Keep it on silent and in your pocket. If you really need to use it, go to the bathroom, but you can only go to the bathroom once on a date.”

Just like on “Tough Love,” Ward created an improvised “hot-seat” and picked four female students to take turns answering questions to discover why they may be single.

Ward has plans to begin a “Tough Love” series with college students, targeting different universities for each season. Even though this idea isn’t in action yet, his mother is currently in the process of creating a different spinoff of his show.

Michael Martone, an experimental fiction writer, spoke April 26 at Drexel’s Barnes & Noble bookstore as part of an event co-sponsored by Painted Bride Quarterly and the Department of English and Philosophy.

His informal lecture, titled “Homer on Homer, Or a Bunch of Stuff that Happens,” is formulated into various pieces and read at random, so each lecture Martone gives is unique. He usually focuses on coincidences, accidents, plots and story creation.

Martone is an English professor at the University of Alabama and teaches a creative writing class. His classroom is unstructured, and he allows his students to choose how they spend their time in the classroom.

On the first day of class, Martone tells his students they will all receive A’s no matter what because he feels there is no true way to judge creative writing. The assumption about creative writing is that there is a teachable set of skills, which is limiting.

John Friesen

“In a world where education is put in a box, he actually has more interest in building up the student’s creative mind as opposing to making sure they get a good grade at the end of the quarter,” Rachel Major, a sophomore biology major, said.

Martone has been writing fiction for 35 years and has published hundreds of fictional pieces. In his latest piece, “Four for a Quarter,” the number four in all of its forms is featured prominently.

“He is a writer that has an incredible theoretical grasp of American fiction,” Dan Driscoll, associate teaching professor of English and associate director of the Drexel Writing Center, said.

According to Martone, readers tend to think about the sequence of events in fiction and how they are always leading up to a bigger event that will change the characters.

“Our existential problem in media is that our media is sequential and wants to go in a line,” Martone said.

The first piece of the lecture focused on “The Simpsons” and nothingness, setting the precedent for the rest of Martone’s talk. He explained that at the end of an episode, the characters are attempting to figure out the moral they should have learned from the events that occurred, and then Homer admits that there is no moral and that the episode was the result of a bunch of stuff that just happens.

“Real life is where we believe, we fear, a bunch of stuff nearly happens,” Martone said.

According to him, people are attracted not to character change but to character stability, which allows television shows to create a problem that is solved in a 30-minute time span. Martone noted that the audience does not care if characters change as a result of an event, but the audience is attracted to the fact that characters are stable and able to make it through the events.

“We see a story, and one of the first things we figure out is the plot, so I thought it was nice that Martone disrupts that and tries to show that what happens isn’t the only significant thing in the story,” Driscoll said.

Larry David knew this well when he was creating “Seinfeld.” He wanted to create a story of plot rather than a story of character, omitting hugging and learning from the show.

“We watch not for its character development but for the characters’ stabilities — their resilience and resistance to change. Nothing happens to the characters while around them everything is happening. Things flux, and it is the flux that attracts us. The adventure, the twist and turn, the pure plot and the coincidence,” Martone said.

Martone said he believes that when writers sit down to write a story, the plot should come naturally — it should not be forced. This is how he writes, ignoring the typical Freytag structure of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement. Instead of putting all of the emphasis on one major event, Martone focuses on the smaller parts of the story.

Martone is currently working on a book of science fiction titled “Amish in Space.”