Former CNN journalist Peter Bergen discussed global terrorism and recounted his 1997 interview with Osama bin Laden during a speech in Weyerhaeuser Chapel on Monday.

Bergen is one of the only Western journalists ever to interview bin Laden. {more}

This summer, graduating seniors will be getting an economics lesson, whether they want it or not.

The current recession has resulted in layoffs because of over-hiring in the past few years. Now, companies are trying to reduce their labor force instead of recruiting college graduates. {more}

More than two months after dozens of students were ticketed for drinking underage, and one was arrested for providing alcohol to minors, some students still have not received a summons to appear in court, while others have been given community service, fines, chemical dependency evaluations and probation officers.

Brian Schenk ’03, who was arrested when he hosted his 21st birthday party, said that his court case is still pending. He has not been to court, or received a letter telling him to appear. He said that his lawyer has advised him not to comment. {more}

President Michael McPherson was not the only one who was shocked when he discovered Macalester ranked number one on the Princeton Review’s list of schools where “students ignore God on a regular basis.”

A group of students who saw the ranking last spring decided to do their own survey to see what role religion played at Macalester. {more}

When Laura Pennington ’02 first became involved in the Off-Campus Student Employment (OCSE) program in her junior year at Macalester, she worked in a second grade classroom at the American Magnet School in Mounds park. {more}

Assaults on civil liberties recall a not-so-distant era

You know it’s bad when the FBI starts saying the Justice Department is going overboard curtailing civil liberties.

In one of his latest moves, John Ashcroft is considering relaxing restrictions on FBI activity, specifically regulations that keep the Bureau from spying on religious and political organizations. Many officials in the FBI, which itself has a rather shaky record on civil liberties, want to keep the regulations. {more}

Ongoing Thread:

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recent ongoing discussion of issues of multiculturalism and general ideas about campus climate. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please write to Quietly or e-mail Ola Nilsson at onilsson@macalester.edu with your perspective on how we can make Macalester a better place for people of all cultural backgrounds and experiences. {more}

Ola: I think that the atmosphere at Macalester needs to be transformed, and I believe that we, the students, are going to have to be the ones to do it.

Nimu: The difficult bit is moving beyond critique to actually suggesting how we might change things. It’s awful that I’m beginning to think seriously about that just as I’m on my way out of Macalester. {more}

Macalester has a unique opportunity to create the living standards of its own community. Signing of housing contracts, the payment of costly room charges, and the college’s treatment of students as tenants does, in our opinion constitute a basic right to due process and a minimum expectation of privacy. Outside of Macalester, neighbors are expected to obey rules of their rental complex and otherwise govern themselves. At Macalester, we have like-minded individuals living in close quarters able to set their own standard of living. We agree that it is necessary to have regulation of dormitories to mediate any conflicts arising between residents. Should a need for intervention not be expressed, security and hall directors need not search out confrontation. {more}

Macalester has never been known to have a strong men’s basketball program. The last time the Scots won the MIAC championship was in 1981, as co-champions with St. Thomas. You’ll have to go all the way back to 1937 to find Macalester’s other championship. Since the MIAC began its playoff system 17 years ago, Macalester has been the only team that has not qualified for the tournament.

While it might be far-fetched to say that the conference championship will finally return to Macalester this season, the basketball program is definitely on the rise. Head coach Curt Kietzer’s team began the season as a legitimate favorite for a top six conference finsish and the team’s first playoff appearance. {more}

Aside from interviews with toasters and Jordan Becker’s hatred of the Minnetonka Little Leaguers, I feel our newspaper has become sidetracked from its chief subject of discussion-underage consumption. What ever happened to the babbling stream of controversy-filled pissing contests in which we fearlessly assimilated underage consumption to racism and then contested it with the rational argument that a bloke who breaks the law should not be punished? What happened to our defiant youth and adventurous enthusiasm?

Eager to uncover the truth, I set out on the definitive investigation which would bring minor consumption back to the Weekly and expose this intricate web of evil. Are drinkers (underage in particular, naturally) truly the detriment of society or merely victims of a larger scheme? Has the social scene at our college changed since our run ins with Undercover ZAP-ster Sergeant Ramstad and Prosecutor “I Hate My Life” whatever-his-name-is? Am I chemically dependant? Armed with pen and notepad, I began my quest. {more}

Freedom From Want

For Robert Putnam and Coolio

Matt Wilke, who I haven’t seen since leaving for college last summer, still prides himself in driving his mother’s Caravan. And why shouldn’t he? It’s perfect for hauling equipment to his band’s shows (not to mention the dozens of CDs that he’s likely to play at any time), the sound system is superb, and the license plate’s odd amalgam of his mother’s name and the make of the car -“Ofyvan”- gives the otherwise ordinary ride some decent camp value. This afternoon, the Ofyvan is headed towards the Brunswick Lanes in Lake Zurich, Ill., one of the many large-scale bowling alleys that the franchise has set up in the area. And it’s certainly fun for all ages, as the advertisements suggest: It holds parties for children, league play for adults, afternoon activities for the local senior citizen center, and late-night black-light “cosmic” bowling for the kids dedicated enough to shell out 12 dollars per game. Matt and I are headed to none of these special events, just an ordinary four dollar game to pass the time on this dreary Saturday after Thanksgiving. {more}

Yet again, we ventured to the movie theatre, ready for a break from reality, ready to digest yet another film together and hopefully emerge with contented grins on our faces. However, I think this movie was the least satisfactory so far this fall.

Most movies contain metaphors, but Life as a House is a metaphor that contains a movie. There’s a prefabricated construction to this movie that prevents it from acquiring the emotional solidity it needs to stand out. Neither of us were too enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. OK, so a mean, terminally ill guy rips down his shabby house and builds a beautiful new one, with his son. Do you get it? ’Cuz see, he had this nasty old house, just like his nasty personality and then he . . . oh, whatever. {more}

In the post Sept. 11 cultural climate, patriotism is back in vogue. I’m glad to see Hollywood is set to cash in. Behind Enemy Lines (Dir. John Moore) is a slick bit of cinematic nationalism at its best (or worst depending on your political perspective). Former art-house-comedian-turned-media-whore Owen Wilson stars as Burnett, a navy pilot during the Bosnian conflict who is tired of flying “pointless” missions. Lt. Reigert (Gene Hackman) is his tight-assed commander, and they are ready to butt heads at the beginning of the film.

Of course, Burnett’s jet ends up seeing things it shouldn’t on a routine fly-by and ends up being shot down … behind enemy lines (sorry if I ruined the surprise for anyone there). From then on the film pretty much consists of Burnett running away from angry silent guys with guns. To give the enemies credit, they don’t say much, but do look really sinister. The film tries to throw in a political subplot when Reigert’s hands are tied down from immediately rescuing Burnett because of the politics involved. Hackman does a good job of playing a repressed military man torn between following the letter of the law and his own instincts. {more}

As I’m sitting down to interview Macalester College’s newest pop/punk band, Fallout Boy, I’m apprehensive. They have a reputation as a “difficult” band. The whole group is gathered in a cramped Dupre five single, with drummer Mitch Skinner and bassist Mike Cosimini lying together on the bed. Guitarist/singer John Knefel reclines in a chair, and Chris Holoyda, the temperamental lead singer/guitarist, stands, drinking a kiddie cocktail and eating a block of cheese like an apple. I’m sitting in a chair in the corner, leaning my head against a pair of green underwear which Holoyda claims is the band’s mascot.

There’s a lot of tension in the room, with the band members fighting and constantly talking over each other. Skinner has already been kicked out of the band numerous times, and will be kicked out twice more during the course of this interview. While the other band members joke around, disparaging each other’s moms and sisters, Holoyda is all introspection. “I want to make out in the WMCN radio station someday,” he says thoughtfully, “that would be really cool.” Cosimini is known now as “the cursed one,” after he recently did a jump kick and broke an expensive light fixture during rehearsal.

Skinner is the quietest band member, but he can go on about Michael Jackson for hours. He is impatient, sighing and asking when the interview will be over. His goal, according to Holoyda, is to be like the one-armed drummer from Def Leppard. Knefel is the peacekeeper in the band, except when anyone is talking bad about Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi isn’t the only issue that these guys can’t agree on. But no matter what goes on when they’re together, it creates beautiful music. {more}