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4 September 20, 2007The CurrentIn BriefDrinkingAgeMothers Against DrunkDriving continually fightsto maintain the currentdrinking age, while otherorganizations are workingto lower it to 18. Someargue that it is unfair toallow people to go off towar and yet deny themthe liberty to drink. Theircompromise is to suggesta more thorough alcoholeducation.Many people referback to the Vietnam Warwhen 29 states loweredtheir drinking age andsubsequently lost federalhighway funding. Manystates shy away fromreopening the debatefor fear of again losingfunding. The Star said notto plan on voting on theissue anytime soon.Cell Phonesand DrivingThe new legislation inCalifornia has outlaweddrivers under the ageof 18 to use their cellphones, lap tops orpagers while driving. InWashington a similarbill has passed and theticket is a DWT, DrivingWhile Texting, with finesreaching 100 dollars.The introducer of thebill said his reason forproposing such legislationwas, “Year after year, carcrashes are the numberone cause of deathamong teenagers.”Currently Missouri hasno legislation banning theuse of hand-held or handsfree devices.Parking is your problemParking complaints prevail,security cracks down and it’sup to LV students to fix theproblem, arrive early.by GREG FARLEYDrivers arrive at Longview everyweekday around 9 a.m.,frustrated that they cannotfind a parking spot infront of or near the buildingwhere they attendclasses. It is a spectacle tosee people drive aroundintently searching for anavailable spot.According to aLongview public safetyofficer, who spoke on thecondition of anonymity,one logical alternative tobeing late every day wouldbe to arrive on campus atleast 15 minutes early inorder to secure both sanityand a parking spot. Astudent named Lindsey,who said she is accustomed to campuslife, agreed, saying that she arrives at 8:30New flags fancyup CampusDanielle Hays/The CurrentNew flags on campus, put up thissummer, add decoration and color.Bulldozers take what little room is left in the C Lot.current@mcckc.edua.m. for her nine o’clock class. A studentnamed Nick said that with his long commute,he arrives even earlier.Another alternative is to park in theD Lot, where 90 new parking spots havebeen added at the Rec Center.“It is approximately a five-minutewalk from the D Lot all the way to thebuilding at the far end of campus (High-Tech & Automotive building),” said thesecurity officer. “If you are arriving fiveminutes before class, you already do nothave much time to be picky about whatparking spot you get.” He added that manypeople burn up gas and time, almost aslate as 25 to 30 minutes after classes start,simply because they are wishing for a veryconvenient parking spot.Parking across the street has beenseen as another interesting option. “Theparking over in the D Lot or across thestreet is not the most convenient alternative,but that five-minutetime bubble is your bestbet if you are runninga little bit late,” he said.“You can buy back the gasyou have burned, but youcannot buy time.”The officer said thatsecurity is going to comedown harder on parkingviolations such as parkingin stairwells and in thefaculty parking lot, nowthat the semester is backin full effect.“They should waiveparking tickets for thenext year until constructionis done,” said JessicaNealy, who wonderedwhether the college issues tickets in orderto raise funds.Abby Huff/The CurrentTie dye me up,tie dye me downby ABBY HUFFThe Jamaican vibe was alive atLongview on Tuesday the 11 th andWednesday the 12 th for a Career Counselingevent sponsored by Monster.com.Students gathered in front of the CampusCenter and created their own art ontheir shirts. Aprons, t-shirts and paintwere provided and the students weregiven information on how to care fortheir new shirts. The tie-dye colors wereto represent what career goal is right forstudents.Following the tie dye is a Campusto Career presentation on Thursday the13 th . This presentation is to help studentsplan their goals throughout college andthereafter. Anyone who made a tie-dyeAbby Huff/The CurrentLV students participate in tye dye.shirt and wears it to the presentation receivedfree food.


The Current September 20, 20075A + for students dating professors?others just frown upon it.Controversy flourishesas teachers and studentscontinue to dateby AMANDA ROSEIt happens, whether it is frownedupon or just plain outlawed: professorsdating students.In the August 17, 2007 edition of theChronicle of Higher Education, UCLApsychology professor Paul R. Abramsonclaims that professor/student dating isprotected by the U.S. Constitution.“Universities don’t have any businesstelling professors whom they can date;it is a violation of the professors’ rights,”Abramson said, citing the Ninth Amendment.Abramson is promoting his book,Romance and the Ivory Tower; the Rightsand Liberty of Conscience, which will bereleased early this fall.The Ninth Amendment states reads,“The enumeration of the Constitution,of certain rights, shall not be construedto deny or disparage others retained bythe people.” According to Abramson,“Despite all the things we’ve described,the people still retain their fundamentalrights. The right to reproduce is one ofthese. You have to choose who you aregoing to reproduce with, who you are goingto romance with and love.”Elliot Shimmel, division chair of SocialSciences at Longview, said that “thisissue is not necessarily backed up by theNinth Amendment. It has to go throughthe courts and the courts decide if it is actuallya legitimate right.”Not all colleges have the same guidelinesabout dating. Many forbid it, whileLongview’sDean of Instruction, Beth Lindquist,said, “Professors dating students createsa hostile environment and it is threateningto the student. It is an institutionalissue that creates sexual harassment inthe classroom.” Lindquist, who has beenLongview’s dean for six years, said shestrives to continue to create a safe environmentwhere students can learn.Metropolitan Community Collegeemployees take an online training coursefor preventing sexual harassment. This isa mandatory course and a quiz is given atthe end of the program.“I don’t think that it would be a goodidea for a professor to date a student becauseit would cause problems with otherstudents and I would feel uncomfortable.Sometimes professors might let thempass by with good grades,” Longviewsophomore Chase Davidson said.Learning Center tutor and sophomoreBen Zibers agrees. “It would beokay if the teacher would ensure the relationshipwould remain professional butthe problem is that there is still a bias inthe world. What is the point of being inschool? The point of being in school isnot to find the person you want to marry,it is to make lasting friendships and getan education. It would be a distractionfor both the student and the teacher andthe teacher would not be able to maintainprofessionalism.”The Chronicle asked Abramsonwhether he himself had ever dated a student.“I was 26 when I came to UCLA.I dated students, I dated faculty, and Idated staff,” Abramson replied. “I can’tremember if I dated students who were insee DATINGpage 11Would you date a professor?MCT CampusJessica Nealy“Yes, I would wait untilafter the semester.”John Price-Dukes“Yeeeaaahhh, whenevershe wants to.”Melissa Phillips“No, I always think ofprofessors as old guys.”Keith Hart“Not during thesemester. I would befocusing on the teacher.”Lindsey Powell“No, that’s kinda gross.”www.longviewcurrent.com


6 September 20, 2007The CurrentMY DISNEY DIAFive monthsin Florida, alifetime oflasting memoriesby AMANDA ROSEWhile completing my first semesterat Longview, I overheard someone in myEnglish class bragging about how he wasgoing to Florida next semester to work atDisney World as an intern. He made itsound so easy to get accepted.“All you have to do is apply and completeone semester at Longview,” he said.I didn’t understand his excitement at beingaccepted. Who would want to go toFlorida and have to work?Another semester at Longview wentby. Missouri grew older by the day, especiallythe weather. It was cold and thebrutal winds kept swaying me off my pathto class. This was all I had ever known:freezing cold winters and unbearably hotsummers. Why can’t it warm up? Therehad to be a way out, an escape to somewherenew. Then, remembering that guyin my English class from the semester before,about how all he did was apply, hopesurrounded me.Posters announced a Campus Repmeeting and meet with a counselor, whogave more information about this internshipand told me the only cost is tuition.She also informed me that Longview offerssix hours of college credit electivesjust for completing the internship, andit was optional to take online classes orclasses at Disney University. It soundedtoo good to be true. Not wanting to goalone, I convinced my boyfriend to apply,too. After waiting a week, a letter came inthe mail from Disney. They wanted me towork for them. Nick was accepted, too.January 6, 2007. Finally, after twomonths of waiting, it was time to kissthe snow goodbye. Looking back, thiswas the only year when Christmas andNew Year’s could not end soon enough.When I awoke, it was still dark out. Wecaravanned with Nick’s parents for 18hours, all the way to Florida. Sleepingmade the trip go by faster. I woke up andthought we were getting gas, but no, wewere there. Looking out my window, all Icould see were palm trees and a blue sky.I opened the door. My sweatpants werestuck to me. It was sunny and warm. Justhours ago, there had been snow on theground in Missouri, but this was homefor the next five months.Being an intern, housing and shuttletransportation were provided. Shuttlestake interns to and from work, to the mall,and to Wal-Mart for those who don’tbring a car along. Housing was on threeproperty complexes: Vista Way, ChathamSquare and The Commons. The Commonswere only open to internationalstudents, and of course they were the nicest.Chatham Squarewas the nicer of thetwo available to choosefrom. Chatham was forthe mellow, quiet, nonadventurousstudents,while Vista Way, whichis an older building,was for the partying,loud students. (Whereelse do you see peoplehaving sex in the hottubs publicly?) Nickand I stayed at VistaWay. We got settledin and said goodbye toour parents. We wereon our own now.We quickly gainedfriendships with ourroommates. We hadfive roommates andthree bedrooms, yes,we had to share a room.My actual roommateAlyssa, worked at Disney’sPop Century Resort.She worked in thedining hall of the resortand had to be at workat six in the morningmost of the time forthose guests that likedan early breakfast. Iwas usually scheduledto work until midnight.Alyssa was from Kentucky and attendsMurray State University. Some of myother roommates worked in merchandise,food, and operated rides. We each workedat a different park. Sharing an apartmentwith five other girls taught me to be considerateof other people. I couldn’t justRose with Buzz Lightyearcurrent@mcckc.eduleave my dirty dishes in the sink anymore,or my half of the room messy. This waschallenging butit taught me a lotabout myself.Florida reallyhas a lot to offer.Every chance Igot, the beach wasmine. There werethree malls very close by our apartmentsbut the food doesn’t come close to whatwe were used to in Missouri.The next day we went to our work locationsfor the first time. I was assignedto work at a restaurant in Epcot, the ElectricUmbrella. I must say, the clothes wereelectrifying. Every color imagined wasput into this costume. I stuck my nose upbut put it on. After about a week it didn’tbother me anymore.My job, working in quick service foodand beverage was just like a big McDonalds’.It was devastating at first! I wasright, who would want to come to Florida“It was not the job that gotme through my internship.It was the people.”and work? There is a McDonalds’ twominutes from my house at home.It got easier as time went by and thegrossness of the job grew on me. My jobwas to clean tables, run meat throughthe Nico (our grill), and work the fryersmaking chicken andfries. After working therefor a week I stopped eatingmeat. Watching all the extrafat lard dripping off theburgers at the other endwas not appetizing. Theroast beef we served wasraw and we put it in somehot saucy water for a coupleminutes and call it cooked.It was gross beyond all belief.When the macaroniand cheese grew old, wejust added milk to make it“fresh” again.Nick got to do the funjobs ranging from BuzzLight-year from Toy Story,Pluto, Flick from a BugsLife, Rafiki from Lion King,Luis, from Meet the Robinsonsand a couple of othercharacters. I was jealous.He always talked abouthow cute the kids were andhow much off set time hegot. He worked hard, too,though. I got used to myjob but I never really likedit. It wasn’t the job that gotme through my internship,it was the people I workedwith. I was fortunate towork with some of the nicestmanagers and co-workersI had ever met. That was what it wasall about. Disney is famous for diversity.They hire college interns from all over theworld, China, France, Russia, anywhere.On my days off, believe it or not, allof my roommates, and all of Nick’s roommateswould get together and go to some


8 September 20, 2007The Currentcurrent@mcckc.edu


EntertainmentThe Current September 20, 20079Music War of 2007Rappers battle it out on record50 CentOn a first name basisby MORGAN RYMANSelling crack and shooting peoplehas worked so wellfor the multi-platinumrapper 50 Centthat he decided totry it with his thirdstudio album, Curtis.The end product isabout as generic as amodern gangsta rapalbum gets, whichseems to be what themasses crave.The prevailingthemes of this albuminclude getting paid,as evidenced in “I GetMoney” and “Movin’on Up” which refersto his financial gainsin the streets and inthe boardroom. Onthe track “Straight tothe Bank”, 50 says, “I ain’t even got to rapnow.”On the killing anyone who gets inyour way end of things, “I’ll Still Kill” featuresAkon, rap’s go-to man for guest vocals.The guitar-driven “My Gun Go Off ”opens the record in a typical, driving fashion.“Curtis 187” and “Fully Loaded Clip”,two tracks producedby Havoc of MobbDeep, have the hardestfeel to them.Timbaland andJustin Timberlakedrop the most memorabletrack on Curtiswith “AYO Technology,”a hypnoticstripper anthem thatis undeniably catchy.With the rest ofthe record, we are remindedof why Eminemis retired, buthe still shows thathe can be gloriouslybland with “PeepShow.” Dr. Dre’saged talent goes towaste on “Come &Go” a rehash of the phenomenally popular“In Da Club” and “Follow My Lead,”see 50 CENTpage 7Kanye WestHas he graduated?Kanye West, in his first album since2005’s LateRegistration,advances to thenext class ofhip hop withGraduation.This classseems to focuson trimminghis product,which doesnot suffer fromthe absence ofskits. West hasreceived hisbachelors inorchestration,and is currentlyworking onby MORGAN RYMANan associatesin electronics,as evidenced inthe Daft Punk heavy single “Stronger.”The album draws from polar oppositesof the music world. “Barry Bonds”features Lil Wayne delivering his typicalbraggadocious flow. Coldplay’s ChrisMartin sings the chorus of Kanye’s odeto Chicago “Homecoming.” T-Pain’s synthesizedvoice croons over“The Good Life.” John Mayerprovides vocal support on aniTunes bonus track, the tooharsh-to-be-pop, too-sugaryto-be-the-blues“BittersweetPoetry,” the reflective andbright “Flashing Lights,” featuringneo soul artist Dwele,and the low down highlightof the album, “Drunk andHot Girls,” featuring streetpoet Mos Def in an unexpectedsinging role.Despite all the guest appearances,Kanye still standsout the most on tracks he solos.The whimsical “I Wonder,”the optimistic, Steely-Dan-laden “Champion,” hispowerhouse single “Can’t TellMe Nothing,” and his tributeto his friend and mentor Jay Z in “BigBrother,” where Kanye finally proclaimssee 50 CENTpage 7Conscious versus gangsta: Who will win the rap battle?by GREG FARLEYAn epic confrontation of musicalproportions occurred on September11, 2007. The much anticipated Curtisalbum, brought to you by rap star50 Cent, has arrived along with therelease of Kanye West’s Graduation.Over the past month and a half, it hasbeen among the hottest topics amongmusic fans and forums that these not afraid to take on bigger issues withhighly acclaimed albums would arrive songs like “Can‘t Tell Me Nothin’.”on the same day. That day came this This is the third album for both 50past Tuesday.Cent and Kanye, having both begunThere is not much separating the their trek in 2002. So it is easy to seetwo except for their styles. 50 Cent that 50 Cent has something to proveis the stereotypical gangster rapper now that show time has arrived. Thehailing from New York City, with hit media has attached to this competitionsongs like “I Get Money” and “Ayoof musical prowess, with numer-Technology.” Kanye is the more consciousous advertisements and updates. Evenrapper of the two, because he is Las Vegas is in on the action, takingwww.longviewcurrent.combets on who will sell more during thefirst week of sales.So will 50 Cent’s Curtis or Kanye’sGraduation win the war? Only timecan tell. So far, The figures as ofTuesday 11, at midnight EST, are thatKanye has sold 437,000 copies to 50Cent’s 310,000 copies.


10 September 20, 2007The Currentcurrent@mcckc.edu


The Current September 20, 200711BTC <strong>bookstore</strong> pledges continuedimprovements for online studentsBOOKSTOREfrom 5and the other campus <strong>bookstore</strong>s don’tcommunicate that with us.” Ore explained,“I plan to begin meeting with individualdivision chairs each semester inorder to assure accuracy.”Michelle Capps, the manager ofthe Longview camups <strong>bookstore</strong>, said,“Sometimes changes occur after the cutoff.If that happens, the information maynot get passed to the BTC <strong>bookstore</strong>.”District <strong>bookstore</strong> manager JulieDawson was not available to comment onthis story.Ore also explained that the systemisn’t automated and therefore it will besubject to human error, but said that studentscan do several things to improvetheir <strong>bookstore</strong> experience: check theShould studentsdate professors?DATINGfrom 5a class of mine. Psychology classes alwayshave 300 to 400 students in them. Professorsdon’t do the grading themselves. Allof that is done by teaching assistants. If Idid date a student I was grading, I wouldhave used the conflict-of-interest strategywhich would have meant either recusingmyself or having a third party evaluator.”“The issue of professors dating studentsis not a huge deal. Age certainlymakes a difference. I would probablynever date a teacher myself but don’t havea problem if another student does. I amnot sure about if it is a student in thesame class as the teacher, though,” saidsophomore Robbie Corder.Abramson claims that the real reasonprofessors and students are banned fromdating is to prevent lawsuits. “Universitiespresent themselves as if they’re takingthis moral high road that they are tryingto protect students. What they’re reallytrying to do is reduce their liability.What’s the middle ground?” Abramsonsuggests a “romance release” form.“Every professor and student wouldsay they’d hold the university harmlessif they fell in love….Universities will cutout love completely with these policies inorder to protect themselves.website for stock before coming out topick up books, always bring a class scheduleto the store, and always leave all bookssealed until the instructor verifies that thetextbook is the correct one.Students can pick up their textbooksat the BTC <strong>bookstore</strong> or, for a nominalfee, they can order their books onlineand have them shipped to their home oranother campus store. The approximateturn around time for delivery is 3-5 businessdays.Ore said he is confident that underhis management, the book buying processwill begin to move smoothly for studentsand faculty alike. “The <strong>bookstore</strong> isthe dentist’s office of the academic world,”said Ore, “no one wants to go there butyou have to.”Kanye vs. 50 Cent50 CENTfrom 9warbling singer Robin Thicke, showsthat 50 has a softer, apologize-for-callingyou-a-bitchside. Young Buck and Nicoleof Pussycat Dolls fame appear on theDre-produced “Fire,” Mary J. Blige deliversthe unfortunately memorable choruson “All Of Me” “Your body is calling me/got me feeling like a fiend on crack.”The record ends with “Touch TheSky,” featuring Tony Yayo, a song thatwould have sounded more in place aroundthe middle of the album.If generic, non-challenging, hardgangsta rap is what you crave, Curtis mayvery well be the record for you.KANYEfrom 5he has achieved “stadium status.”West has always had an ego that couldfill a stadium, but with this album, it isofficially proclaimed that he has made it.The fusion of orchestration, electronics,and good, old-fashioned record mixingfeels like it is at his peak, just like his otherreleases. Also like his previous efforts,if West could perfect his vocabulary anddelivery, he would be able to crush bigbrother.Graduation is not necessarily thestate of hip hop on the streets, but Graduationis definitely the state of hip hop inthe universe.High School Musical rocks asequelby DANIELLE HAYSMy best friend returned from collegethis summer and I expected we wouldcarry out an array of activities. I had noidea what she had in mind for our firstreunion since her departure but expectedshe might want to go on a road trip, hangout with old buddies or watch reruns ofour favorite show Grey’s Anatomy.I never would have guessed thatthe first thing on our summer to-do listwould be to watch High School Musical2, but it was. I accepted her enthusiasmwith giggles and caved in.My preconception of High SchoolMusical 2 was the same as for any Disneymovie. I expected a predictable plot,annoying songs and acting that make methink I can do what they do, which is nocompliment. Surprising myself, I foundmy toe tapping, an indisputable smile onmy face, and my attention focused.“What time is it?” the opening songsets the tone for the entire movie. It’ssummer time and the Wildcats leave theirschool for jobs at a country club ownedby parents of the antagonists, Sharpayand Ryan. Sharpay wants to spend timewith her crush, Troy, and tricks him intosinging with her in the talent show, whichhe promised he would do with his girlfriend,Gabriella. Conflict rises ever morewhen Troy seems to lose sense of himselfand turns to the dark side with Sharpay,sporting the good life and allowing evenhis closest friends to wait on him.Ryan, Sharpay’s sidekick and brother,soon finds that his sister has no interest inhaving him in the talent show and gainssolace in Troy’s friends. Troy figures outthat Sharpay had his gang kicked out ofthe talent show and comes to his senses.He then does his best to bring the Wildcatsback together for the big show and heis, of course successful.Like most would expect, it ends happilyever after when all the members ofHigh School Musical 2 sing in chorus toSharpay’s song for the talent show.Overall the movie is predictable andthe acting isn’t top notch but those kidscan sing and dance. The movie offersmany lessons that even college studentscan take away. We shouldn’t constantlybe worrying about the future becausethe present is slipping through our fingertips, for instance. It may be hard toenjoy the piles of homework and thestress of tests, but when will you everagain be in the place you are at right now?www.longviewcurrent.com


12 September 20, 2007The CurrentVoice of ReasonOJ didn’t not do it.Did you?by MORGAN RYMANIt seems that another generation gets a hefty glass of the Juicein the media. Orenthal James Simpson has managed to get in thepublic’s eye once again, this time for allegedly sticking up a sportsmemorabilia dealer in a Las Vegas hotel room.This coincides with the release of OJ’s 100 percent, completely,entirely fictional account of how hemurdered his ex-wife and her friend, If IDid It. OJ lost the rights to publish thebook last year, and it will be published tothe financial benefit of the family of RonGoldman.I see this as a shame, I thought thiswas America, a country where a mancan totally completely not murder his exand her friend, and then 10 years laterrecall what he would have done if he hadactually done it. If a man can’t get paidfor writing about his murderous fantasies, what does a small childhave to dream about?And what is worse, OJ is being held without bond. This meansthat a whole new generation will be deprived of an extremelylong and slow celebrity car chase. Ah, I can still clearly remembergathering with my family as we watched the White Bronco slowlytraverse the highways of California. This is one of the few memoriesof quality family TV viewing I can remember.Well, if I did it, meaning that if I were OJ and I didn’t do it butstill had a grasp of what had happened, I would have written thestory more recently after not doing it. Strike while the iron is hotand the masses still feel the national bloodlust that comes fromgross over coverage of something as juice as a celebrity murder.But that’s why you’re the Juice and I am not. You may not getyour name on the cover of this book, but we all know you didn’tnot do it. And don’t worry about lack of Cochran-I’m sure you willfind a clever rhyming lawyer to get you off again.Danielle HaysHays will transfer toMizzou in 2008. Anaspiring writer, she iscurrently unemployedand is a professionalplasma donor.Ayla AdamsAdams wants to be asocial worker. She’s avegetarian and she likespiercings. She hopes tomove to New York nextyear.CalendarWednesday 19Disney Interns Informationmeeting 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.SeptemberFriday 14Lakers Volleyball at home vs.Cowley, 7 p.m.Monday 17Lakers Volleyball at home vs.Independence, KS, 7 p.m.Tuesday 18Reentry Club potluck, CC 257(the Reentry Room) 11 a.m.Thursday 20Check out the new location ofPhi Theta Kappa in CC 102A.Free Rice Krispy TreatsFriday 21Latter-Day Saints StudentOrganization (LDSSA) outsideLakeside Cafe 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.Wednesday 26Lakers Volleyball at home vs.Graceland JV, 7 p.m.Thursday 27Late Night Café5:30 – 7:30, outside CC/BUOctoberWednesay 3Lakers Volleyball at home vs.State Fair, 7 p.m.Thursday 4World Arts & Music Festival,4 - 8 p.m. Food, music, salsalessons, henna artist.Fri 5 - Sat 6Lakers Volleyball TournamentFriday 5 - Sat 6Advertising Deadline forOctober 12 CurrentTuesday 16No Class Meetings - InserviceThursday 18Lakers Volleyball at home vs.NE Oklahoma A&M, 7 p.m.Friday 19Lakers Volleyball at home vs.Graceland JV, 7 p.m.Monday 22Lakers Volleyball at home vs.KCKCC, 6 p.m.Wednesday 31Halloween Costume Contest.Prizes, free food - watch fordetails.NovemberTuesday 6Election DayWednesday 21Campus Closes at 4 p.m.current@mcckc.edu

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