President Michael McPherson rescinded a request that religious students fill out an online survey for the Princeton Review last week after receiving a letter from one such student who was enraged and accused him of trying to skew the results.

McPherson originally made the request after being told by an alumnus that Macalester ranked number one on a list of colleges where “students ignore God on a regular basis.” The Princeton Review, which produces an annual college guide titled The Best 331 Colleges, first released the list in August on its Web site, www.review.com. {more}

On Nov. 17-18, 8,000 veterans, labor unionists, college students, anarchists, nuns, Jesuits and members of other religious groups traveled to Columbus, Ga. to protest at Fort Benning, one of the largest military bases in the country, and home of the School of the Americas. {more}

On Thursday, Dec. 6, the Macalester College Student Government will hold an all-campus referendum for students to vote on whether to have a student programming board and accordingly raise the student activity fee by $40 each semester, President Nick Berning said.

If passed, the programming board would plan all-campus events, bring in speakers and entertainment, host dances and serve as a resource for student organizations interested in holding events. {more}

In front of a packed lecture hall full of students and members of the local media, President Michael McPherson announced on Tuesday that Macalester will keep its varsity football program.

The team will play its 109th season next year but will withdraw from competition in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAC) and play an independent schedule {more}

A group of Environmental Studies majors, concerned about the future of the department, met early this month to discuss ways to get more funding and support for the interdisciplinary major. {more}

The programming board is a great idea.

Macalester currently has three all-campus events every year: Springfest, and both the QU dances. We need more.

Springfest, frankly, just does not cut it. MCSG pays $36,000 so that the whole campus can have an excuse to get stoned. Granted, the event has some potential. But in the last three years, students have spent more time lamenting about Springfests Past than actually enjoying the event. The money keeps being spent because we have nothing else. If a programming board existed, Springfest would have to compete with other all-campus events. {more}

It was a cold, snowy night when I sat down to talk to Joe Walsh. Before the misconceptions start in, I suppose I should frame this entire article as a disclaimer: you may not believe it belongs in the paper, or in this column. But whose problem is that?

Joe and I decided that this is an alright time for discourse on the impasse between so-called liberals (which I’m not) and so-called conservatives (as he is so called). We had a conversation, and this is what it was like. This article is a window into the problems that some of us on different sides of the ideological spectrum share. {more}

My apologies to Amy Margolies ’04, Professor Aldemaro Romero, and the students and faculty in the Environmental Studies department. I was wrong, and I am sorry.

It is hard to come to grips with the realization that something you have written is erroneous. It is a blow to both your credibility and your ego, and a level of embarrassment inevitably follows. I was presumptuous and, I realize, a little pretentious (however unintended). Margolies is at least partially correct in hypothesizing that the reason for both is my status as a senior. Indeed, I thought I had been at Macalester long enough to accurately gauge the educational and political climate of the whole campus, and I also thought my experiences here could prepare me for any and all reactions and criticisms to my article “Four things your Macalester professors will never tell you,” which I knew would be unpopular. {more}

Men’s varsity basketball opened the 2001-2 season by splitting a pair of games against NAIA nationally-ranked teams in Florida last weekend.

The Scots fell to Flagler (Fla.), ranked 18 in the NAIA Division II, 72-64 last Friday but regrouped and defeated third-ranked Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 85-80 the next day in the Daytona Beach News-Journal Thanksgiving Classic. {more}

Ben Van Thorne ‘04 - Men’s basketball

Sophomore forward Ben Van Thorre (Minneapolis, MN/Washburn) from the men’s basketball team led Macalester to a split against a pair of NAIA Division II nationally-ranked teams at the Daytona Beach News-Journal Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 23-24, pumping in 49 points in the two games while shooting 50 percent from the field (16-for-32) and 88 percent from the foul line (15-for-17). Van Thorre had 23 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a 73-65 loss to No. 18 Flagler (Fla.). He led all scorers with 26 points the next night in an 85-80 come-from-behind victory over No. 3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), going 8-for-16 from the field for the second straight game while dishing out three assists. For his strong weekend, Van Thorre was selected MIAC Player of the Week.

Men’s basketball

Dec. 1, HOME vs. St. John’s, 3 p.m.

Dec. 5, at Bethel, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball

Dec. 1, @ St. Benedict’s, 3 p.m.

Dec. 3, HOME vs. Crown, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5, HOME vs. Bethel, 7:30 p.m.

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving

Nov. 30-Dec. 1, @ Lawrence University (Wis.) Invitational, 4:30 p.m./10 a.m.

On Tuesday, I had the misfortune to be exposed to a late rehearsal of Bad Comedy’s Accidental Vasectomy Extravaganza. Frankly, the experience couldn’t have been titled more accurately, as I would readily liken it to having my genitals mysteriously and meaninglessly amputated. Why anyone would want to see a troupe who admits their ineptitude in their name is beyond me, but for the sake of academic curiosity I will attempt to articulate what makes their show so terrible. {more}

DAMON BARNA DRINKS NEON GREEN SODA AND WORKS AT FIRST AVE

My next-door neighbor from freshman year, Damon Barna, senior from Middlebury, Ver., finally reveals the secret of why he walks around campus barefoot. Damon is a history major and will be giving his history senior seminar presentation next Monday on "Representation of Gypsies in American Culture." {more}

I was picking apples one afternoon, just minding my own business, when this man walked up beside me. He said,

“Maybe if you pick 1011 apples I will love you.” I swear to god to you that’s what he said. And I kept picking my apples, kind of like don’t talk to strangers. It was a late warm month and that afternoon I could feel the sun spreading over the top of my skin; the air was quiet. I get tan in the sun. Very tan. {more}

The holiday season always arrives as a mixed blessing for this reviewer. Thanksgiving comes with homey warmth and usually extra padding on the waistline. But recovering from that triptophane hangover, I often find myself in a world gruesomely transformed. Suddenly, Minnesota has turned to ChristmasLand. KOOL 108 only plays Christmas songs now. There are wreaths and bows and bells on everything, sales everywhere you look, Santas on TV, Santa references, Santa sweaters. Don’t they know I have three papers, two finals and a photo project to finish before Christmas comes? It’s like a month away! {more}

In addition to instructing language labs, Paulino Ayala-Brener, one of the native Spanish speakers from Argentina, was looking for a means of bringing Spanish culture to Macalester in other interesting ways. With this in mind, he combined his culture with his love of theater by heading Macalester’s very own Spanish Theater Workshop, which provides creative opportunities for students with an interest in theater and the Spanish language. {more}

OK. So it came out. The highly anticipated Harry Potter. The record breaking Harry Potter. So guess what fans? Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone lived up to the hype. Go watch this movie. Now! It’s Friday, classes are over, go see it.

What? You are still here? OK, well, you can read this on the way to the movie. Let us tell you about it. Stiner (the avid Potter fan) and Rolio (Potter who??) went to this movie on opening night, for the 12:01 a.m. showing. Damn right. As a compulsive reader and lover of fiction and fairy tales, of course Stiner is a true Harry Potter fan. For anyone who’s entertained by authors such as Lindgren, Tolkien, Dahl and the like, she thinks Ms. Rowling has something to offer, and if you still haven’t tried reading the books … Go! Skip! Run along to the bookstore! {more}

On Friday, Nov. 16, the Holland-based ICP Jazz Orchestra passed through the Twin Cities as part of its North American tour, stopping at the Walker’s Northrop Auditorium for two evening sets. The first set offered an odd mixture of blues-infused swing and lyrical melody, cacophonous atonality, as well as musical and theatrical humor. It was a night to remember, both for the audience members on their feet at the end of the first set lobbying for an encore, and for the fifteen or so people audacious enough to get up and walk out mid-concert. The reactions varied wildly; the music varied wildly. In short, there was some of everything. {more}

With their combination of crisp syncopated drumming and dueling buzz-saw guitars, Illionois’ legendary indie-rock outfit, Braid, became a favorite in the hearts of many. Braid’s success in their brief six years together was large enough to spawn inevitable copiers and various annoying sub-genre labels like “emo” that served no purpose in elucidating the merits of how powerful a musical force they truly were. The real magic of Braid lay in the vocal interplay between the ragged yelp of Chris Broach and the smoother sound of Bob Nanna, in the oblique yet touching lyrics of emotional angst that never smacked of pretension and more importantly, never lapsed into amateurish “sad boy loses girl” territory.

Simply put, Braid was a great band, but Braid is no more. {more}

The semester is winding down. Winter has arrived. The Twins may be contracted. Rasho Nesterovic may be the best player in the NBA. What does all this have to do with the analysis of a fresh batch of independent music in the much beloved and long absent rock ‘n’ roll round-up? Absolutely nothing. Let’s get to the music.

Centro-matic - Distance and Clime (Idol Records)

Singer/guitarist Will Johnson and the rest of his Denton, Tex. crew know how to crank out records. Distance and Clime is Centro-matics sixth full-length album in six years. Fortunately Centr-matic are too clutch to ever come up short in the quality department. Despite their staggering rate of output pretty much all of their songs boast memorable melodies. Distance and Clime is a pretty straight forward indie-rock record (scratchy vocals, quiet/loud dynamics, edgy guitars). None of this is particularly revolutionary to anyone who’s listened to the likes of Sebadoh or Guided By Voices, but it doesn’t make the tunes any less enjoyable.

Most songs boast nice piano arrangements and flit about in the same mid-tempo territory. Johnson keeps the proceedings intriguing by belting out abstract words (“For two days in succession I twisted capillaries deep in euphoniums across marching fields.”) that pretty much defy any attempt at making sense, but still work. Whatever he’s singing about, he sounds like he means it, and that counts for something.

Rating: 7 out of 10 {more}

Snow Flurries - Light snow falling for a short duration. No accumulation or light dusting is all that is expected.

Snow Showers - Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some accumulation is possible.

Snow Squalls - Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumul-ation may be significant.

Blowing Snow - Wind-driven snow that reduces visibility and causes significant drifting. Blowing snow may be snow that is falling and/or loose snow on the ground picked up by the wind.

Blizzard - Winds over 35 mph with snow and blowing snow reducing visibility to near zero.

Sleet - Rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the groud. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate like snow and be a hazard to motorists.

Freezing Rain - Rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard.

The leading cause of death during winter storms is transportation accidents. Preparing your vehicle for the winter season and knowing how to react if stranded or lost on the road are the keys to safe winter driving. Make sure to have a mechanic check your car and keep a windshield scraper and small broom for ice and snow removal. Its good to maintain at least a half-tank of gas during the winter season.

One last thing! Plan long trips carefully. Listen to the radio or call the state highway patrol for the latest road conditions. Always travel during daylight and, if possible, take at least one other person. Be safe: If you must go out during a winter storm, use public transportation.

Winter Storm Watch - Severe winter conditions, such as heavy snow and/or ice, are possible within the next day or two. Prepare now!

Winter Storm Warning - Severe winter conditions are about to begin in your area or will begin within the next 12 hours. Stay indoors! For now, expect greater than seven inches in a 24 hour period. For ice, expect .5 inch or more in a 24 hour period.

Blizzard Warning - Snow and strong winds will combine to produce a blinding snow (near zero visibity), deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill. Seek refuge immediately!

Winter Weather Advisory - Winter

weather conditions are expected to cause signifcant inconveniences and may be hazardous. If caution is exercised, these situations should not become life-threatening. The greatest hazard is often to motorists.

Winter Chill Warning - Bitter cold combination of frigid temperatures and wind. Issued when this combination reaches -45 degrees.

Wind Chill Advisory - Bitter cold combination of frigid temperatures and wind. Issued when this combination reaches -30 degrees.