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www.theeastcarolinian.com
THE EAST CAROLINIAN
Volume 81 Number 32 WEDNESDAY November 3
Chew on ECU food
Dining Hall update
SARAH BELL
STAFF WRITER
ECU'S dining halls, Todd and
West End, feed approximately
1,700 - 2,000 people each day
- quite a few people to keep "fat
and happy
But by offering an all-you-
can-eat buffet, a clean environ-
ment (both received A sanitation
grades) and different types of
food, the dining halls attempt to
do just that.
Students, however, don't
seem too impressed with the typ-
ical dining hall fare, saying there
is little change in the menus.
"They have the same thing all
the time - there's not much vari-
ety said Lindsey Pope, freshman
apparel merchandising major.
"It's repetitive the food's
not that great said Maria
Ochoa, sophomore nursing major
at brunch.
Ochoa said she typically
only eats breakfast at the
dining halls, because "they
can't screw up breakfast
The dining halls repeat meals
weekly, like "Taco Tuesdays
fried chicken at lunch every
Wednesday (Todd) and "Brunch-
at-Lunch" Fridays.
Allison Metcalf, ECU mar-
keting program manager, said
the dining halls try to adapt to
customers' preferences.
"The managers of the loca-
tions actually build the menus
Pizza is a popular dish for dining hall patrons eating on campus.
they can tell that something's not
very popular if they're not having
to prepare much and they'll take
it off the menu said Metcalf.
To help spice up the usual
menu, the dining halls host
special events, like the upcom-
ing Holiday Dinner Dec. 7, the
Thanksgiving Dinner and the
'Surfin' Safari premium night at
Todd Dining Hall which drew
more than 900 people.
To provide additional incen-
tive to dine on campus, ECU has
signed up with the 'Jam' Rewards
program - making ECU one of
six universities throughout the
U.S. participating in the pilot
program.
Students who eat at the
dining halls or anywhere on
campus can swipe their 'Jam'
rewards card with their pur-
chase to earn points. Points can
be redeemed online at the Jam
Rewards Web site, jamrewards.
see DINING page A2
Patterns in dorm vandalism
The continuing trend
KIMBERLY BELLAMY
STAFF WRITER
Dorm vandalism is a
continuing problem at
ECU and there seem to be
different patterns in the types
of vandalism, areas on campus
that are vandalized and the
people who commit the acts.
Damage to residence halls
with drywall is common. Stu-
dents often create holes in these
types of walls.
"Sometimes intoxicated
people maybe bang into a wall,
particularly punch a wall said
Aaron Lucier, associate director
of campus living.
Other vandalism includes
knocking door tags off resi-
dences' doors and damaging fire
exit signs.
"A particularly popular one
is to damage a fire exit which
is a concern to us because it is a
part of fire safety Lucier said.
A pattern has also been
noticed in regard to the indi-
viduals and areas on campus
that experience more vandalism.
Campus neighborhoods that
have residence halls with sturdier
construction tend to be less prone
to damage.
"Some of our facilities lend
themselves to be damaged easier
than others Lucier said.
"A number of our buildings
Food prices in Greenville
Pizza
Domino's - medium
one topping pizza
costs $10.99
Boli's - Large pizza
costs $18.85, small
pizza costs $9.85
Burgers
Sbarro -
NY Style
Cheese
pizza costs
$12.99, first
topping
costs $2.99
Chicken
Sandwiches
McDonald's - Quarter Pounder costs $2.20
Miami Subs -13 pound burger costs $2.29
Wendy's - Home-style Chicken Filet
combo costs $4.99
Chic-fil-A - Chicken Sandwich (alone)
costs $2.55, Chargrilled Sandwich costs $3.19
Canadian girl receives peanut
butter kiss of death, only 15
Even bus stops get vandalized. Partyeastcarolina.com left their
handy work at a bus stop at the bottom of College Hill.
have cinder block hallways. It's
really hard to do wall damage to
a cinder block wall. Some of our
buildings have dry wall, which is
a little bit easier to damage
A coed dorm versus a same
sex female dorm has more inci-
dents of vandalism.
"Buildings like Clement and
Greene that have only women in
them sometimes get less damage
than hypothetically the same
style building like White, that is
coed Lucier said.
Hanna Zhu, White Hall coordi-
nator, was the coordinator of same
sex female dorm Greene for two
years and is now the coordinator of
coed dorm White Hall. She noticed
a similar trend in the amount of
vandalism between dorms with
males versus an all female dorm.
When asked if she notice
a certain floor that has more
vandalism than others or a dif-
ference between vandalism in
Greene hall and White hall, Zhu
said, "Yeah, definitely Zhu also
said that male floors have more
incidents of vandalism.
The blame is not all on the
males when it comes to the cause
see DORMS page A2
Many people have allergic reactions to peanuts and peanut butter. Sometimes it can cause death.
Bush, company get NC Christmas tree
The Washington, D.C. Christmas tree is being put together already. First Lady Laura Bush
will be actively involved In the tree decorations and lighting. The tree Is an 18 and a half foot
Fraser fir tree. It came from North Carolina and will be put into the White House Blue Room
once decorations are complete.
MONTREAL (AP) � A 15-
year-old girl with a peanut allergy
died after kissing her boyfriend,
who had just eaten a peanut
butter snack, said hospital offi-
cials Monday.
Christina Desforges died in a
Quebec hospital Wednesday after
doctors were unable to treat her
allergic reaction to the kiss the
previous weekend.
Desforges, who lived in
Saguenay, about 155 miles north
of Quebec City, was almost
immediately given a shot of
adrenaline, a standard tool for
treating the anaphylactic shock
brought on by a peanut allergy,
officials said.
An autopsy was being per-
formed. Dr. Nina Verreault, an
allergist at the Chicoutimi Hos-
pital in Saguenay, declined to
comment on the case.
The symptoms of peanut
allergy can include hives, plung-
ing blood pressure and swelling
of the face and throat, which can
block breathing.
Peanut allergies have been
rising in recent decades. The
reason remains unclear, but one
study found that baby creams
or lotions with peanut oil might
cause children to develop aller-
gies later in life.
About 1.5 million Americans
are -severely allergic to even the
smallest trace of peanuts, and
peanut allergies account for 50
to 100 deaths in the United States
each year.
Rhoda Kagan, peanut allergist
at Montreal Children's Hospital,
said Desforges' case is "very rare
and worrisome" she said.
Reactions will depend on
personal medical history and on
how much peanut substance was
ingested.
While giving a shot of adren-
aline is requested immediately
following such an attack, hos-
pitalization is usually required
to monitor progress as 20 to 30
percent of cases patients can have
a recurring attack, Kagan said.
No-confidence vote in Canadian
government, confidence a problem
TORONTO (AP) � Canadian politicians will
hit the campaign trail this holiday season after
opposition parties seized upon a corruption scandal
to bring down the minority government of Prime
Minister Paul Martin in a vote of no confidence.
Monday's loss means an election for all 308
seats in the lower House of Commons, likely on
Jan. 23. Martin and his Cabinet will continue to
govern until then.
The Conservative Party teamed up with the New
Democratic and Bloc Quebecois parties to bring
down the government, claiming the ruling Liberal
Party had lost its moral authority. Recent polls have
given the Liberals a slight lead over the Conserva-
tives, with the New Democrats in third place.
The same surveys suggest the Bloc Quebecois
would sweep the French-speaking province of
Quebec, making a majority government unlikely
no matter which party wins the most seats.
Martin is expected to dissolve the House of
Commons on Tuesday and set a firm date for the
elections. Canadian law sharply restricts the dura-
tion of the campaign.
see CANADA page A3
INSIDE I News: A2 I Classifieds: A10 I Opinion: A4 I What's Hot: A4 I Sports: A7

11-30-05
Page A2 news@theeastcarolinian.com 252.328.6366
CHRIS MUNIER News Editor
ZACK HILL Assistant News Editor
WEDNESDAY November 30, 2005
Announcements
Book Donations
The Department of Library Science
and Instructional Technology will
be accepting book donations for
the Greenville Community Shelter.
Books can be dropped off at the
Joyner Library Conference Room
2406 through Dec. 15. For more
information, contact Al Jones at
328-6803.
Toys for Tots
Student Health Service will be
collecting new, unwrapped toys
until Friday, Dec. 7 as part of the
annual Toys for Tots program.
The drop box is located in the
lobby of Student Health Service.
For more information, contact
Georgia Childs or Ellen Goldberg
at 328-6841.
Student Store Holiday Sale
Dowdy Student Store's Annual
Holiday Sale and Festivities will
take place Thursday, Dec. 1
i from 4 - 8 p.m. in the Wright
Building featuring discounts on
ECU gifts and apparel. The ECU
Gospel Choir will perform and
the ECU Cheerleaders will be
on hand. Bring a donation of
canned food or a toy and have a
holiday photo taken with PeeDee
for free. Donated goods go to
the ECU Holiday Drive. Patrons
may register for an hourly gift
certificate giveaway. For more
information, visit studentstores.
ecu.edu or call 328-6731.
PIlobolus Dance Theatre
PTOO is considered the "little
luxury edition" of Pilobolus Dance
Theatre, one of the dance world's
most renowned ensembles. Its
two bravura dancers will present
an evening of new and classic
Pilobolus works at 8 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 1 in Wright Auditorium.
Purchase a Crown Subscription
by Dec. 1 to receive a choice
of six events. Prices are $162
for the public, $150 faculty and
staff, $84 for youth and $48 for
students. Advance individual
tickets, if available for $25 public,
$23 faculty and staff, $13 youth
and $10 students. All tickets at
the door are $25. Group discounts
are available for groups of 15 or
more. For more information, visit
ecu.eduecuarts.
New Musical
John and Jen, a new musical, will
be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 10 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
11 in the Studio Theatre. John and
Jen is an original musical that
takes a look at the complexities
of relationships between brothers
and sisters and parents and
children. The story is set against
the background of a changing
America between 1950 and 1990.
The event is free, but tickets are
required and seating is limited. For
more information, call 328-6829.
ECU Arts Tickets
Subscriptions for the S. Rudolph
Alexander Performing Arts
Series and Family Fare are both
currently on sale. The S. Rudolph
Alexander Series is ECU'S flagship
performing arts series, presenting
a season of nine of the world's
top orchestras, ballet companies,
iazz artists, dance ensembles,
Broadway shows and much more.
The Family Fare series provides
kid-centered cultural excursions
for the entire family. For more
information, contact the Cultural
Outreach Office, or visit ecu.
eduecuarts.
News Briefs
State
White House Christmas tree
arrives by horse-drawn wagon
WASHINGTON (AP) - A horse-drawn
wagon pulled up to the White House
Monday with an 1812-foot Christmas
tree that will adorn the Blue Room,
marking the official start of the
holiday decorating season at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue.
First lady Laura Bush walked outside
to receive the Fraser Fir that was
pulled up the driveway to the North
Portico by two horses, including one
that didn't seem happy in his work.
'Our horses aren't working as a
team this morning Mrs. Bush said
as she eyed the restless horse and
scanned the tree, which was bound
and protruding from the back of a
green and red wagon.
The tree was donated by Earl and
Betsy Deal and their son Buddy of
Smokey Holler Tree Farm in Laurel
Springs, NC.
Gary Walters, chief usher at the White
House, and Mike Lawn, grounds
foreman, selected the tree at the
Deals' farm Oct. 20. The tree for the
Blue Room as well as trees for the
Bush family's private residence and
the Oval Office were cut Nov. 25 and
transported to Washington.
This year, the holiday decorating
theme at the White House is "All
things bright and beautiful The
Blue Room is the centerpiece of the
White House decorations. The tree
must be 18 12 feet tall because a
chandelier is removed so the tree
can be attached to the ceiling.
"The decorators are in there right
now Mrs. Bush said. "Santa's elves
are in, decorating the White House
The National Christmas Tree
Association has presented the official
White House tree since 1966.
Members of the association, which
represents about 4,500 people
involved in the production and sale
of real Christmas trees, compete
in state and regional competitions
to become eligible to take a tree
to the national contest. The Deals,
who have been growing trees for
about 34 years, competed and
won the North Carolina contest and
then beat 22 other entries at the
national convention.
The Deals, who have about 240,000
trees growing on their farm, won the
national competition with another
Fraser Fir that was between 6 and
8 feet tall the size popular among
homeowners. After the Deals won
the national competition, the White
House staff members traveled to the
farm and chose the trees.
"We had tagged this one, hoping it
would be the one picked Earl Deal
said. "This is a dream come true. I
think every Christmas tree grower
hopes that they will someday provide
a tree to the White House, but it's still
hard to believe that it will ever happen
to you. There is no higher honor in
this business
National
Orders for manufactured goods
rebound in October
WASHINGTON (AP) - Orders to U.S.
factories for big-ticket manufactured
goods rebounded sharply in October
as demand for military aircraft shot up
by the largest amount in more than
five years.
The Commerce Department reported
Tuesday that orders for durable
goods rose by 3.4 percent last
month, erasing a 2 percent decline
in September that was blamed on
disruptions from hurricanes Katrina
and Rita and a machinists strike at
aircraft giant Boeing.
The increase was better than the 1.4
percent advance that economists
had been expecting and provided
further evidence that the economy is
shaking off the adverse effects of the
Gulf Coast hurricanes.
For October, durable goods orders
rose by $7.1 billion to a seasonally
adjusted $214.4 billion. More than half
of that increase reflected a $4.1 billion
jump in orders for military aircraft and
parts, which surged by 140.4 percent
to $7 billion.
That was the biggest increase since
June of 2000 and reflected the billions
of dollars being spent by the federal
government in a defense buildup to
fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Orders for commercial aircraft also
increased in October, advancing
by 50.4 percent to $11 billion after
having fallen by 2.7 percent the
previous month. The September
decline was blamed in part on a
strike by machinists at Boeing, which
disrupted activities at the nation's
largest airplane manufacturer.
Orders for all transportation items
were up 11.4 percent, a gain that
reflected strength in both commercial
and military aircraft sales. Orders for
motor vehicles actually fell by 2.2
percent in October, reflecting the
trouble automakers had spurring
sales following the impact of a
sharp surge in gasoline prices in
September.
Excluding transportation, durable
goods orders would have been up
a more modest 0.3 percent following
a 0.2 percent decline in September.
Total durable goods orders had fallen
2 percent in September.
Orders for non-defense capital goods,
considered a good barometer of
business plans for expansion and
modernization, rose by 6.7 percent
last month after having fallen by 8.6
percent in September.
World
Rescuers work to find missing
Chinese miners after explosion
kills 148
QrTAIHE, China (AP) - Rescuers in
northeast China searched in freezing
temperatures Tuesday for three coal
miners who were trapped after an
explosion killed at least 148 others.
The blast in the Dongfeng Coal Mine
late Sunday prompted national leaders
to demand stricter enforcement of
safety rules in China's mines by far
the world's deadliest, with thousands
of fatalities a year in fires, floods and
other accidents.
On Tuesday, roads leading to the mine
were blocked several miles away, with
police officers and vehicles standing
guard.
Search efforts were still going on at
sundown.
The chance of survival was low
because of a high concentration of
poisonous gas in the tunnel, Song
Kaicheng, an engineer with the group
that owns the mine, was quoted
as saying by the official Xinhua
News Agency.
Inside the mine compound, rescue
workers wearing orange jumpsuits
and respirators could be seen
making their way through the 10-
degree temperatures to the mouth
of the coal pit.
Seventy-two workers have been
saved, state media said.
Xinhua said 148 were killed
including two people who died in an
aboveground generator room. The
others were all underground.
A man who answered the telephone
at the coal mine said that there
had been a meeting with relatives
Tuesday and that mine officials
were arranging for counseling and
compensation.
The man, who gave only his family
name, Liu, refused to give any
more details.
The official China News Service
said relatives were to receive up to
Dining from page A1
DiningTiall employees help students to their choice of foods.
com, for prizes like electronics,
sports gear or music downloads.
Purchasing an ECU meal plan
or Pirate Bucks gives students
the equivalent of the Jam points
they would earn throughout the
semester up front, instead of with
each meal.
Despite the addition of Jam
Rewards and various special meals,
many students miss "Friends-Eat-
Free" Fridays, which are no longer
offered at the dining halls. "Friends-
Eat-Free" Fridays allowed diners to
bring one friend to lunch every
Friday at no additional cost, but
have been replaced this year by
free guest passes included with
meal plans.
Metcalf explained that the
overwhelming crowd drawn by
Friends-Eat-Free Fridays inhib-
ited the dining halls' ability to
provide optimum service, and
concerns about regular patron
satisfaction, not operation costs,
were what ultimately ended the
popular meal.
"When your number of lunch
guests doubles or triples on one day,
It's not good for those customers
who are on meal plans who come in
all the time it wasn't fair to them
it was hard to keep up with that
many people and offer the level of
service they needed Metcalf said.
ECU is in the process of build-
ing additional dining facilities at
the Brody School of Medicine,
which are scheduled to be opera-
tional by March of 2006, and
expanding the meal plan options
to meet the needs of students who
will be living in the new kitch-
enette-equipped residence halls.
For more information about
the dining halls' upcoming events,
menus and meal plans, visit ecu.
edudining.
This writer can be contacted at
news@theeastcarolinian. com.
DOrmS from page A1
of vandalism.
"Vandalism occasionally
happens in an all female
building, so it's not impossible
Lucier said.
More incidents of vandalism
occur at certain times of the year
than others.
"1 think a lot of times they
are related to events like Hal-
11 loween. Some of the football
.game weekends, for example,
, are sometimes periods when we
� see more damage than others
Lucier said.
Vandalism can be the result
of a number of things.
"I think a lot of times van-
dalism is connected to other
problems Lucier said.
"Either students being
frustrated or being aggra-
vated by something else or it is
often connected to alcohol
use
Lucier also said vandalism
is caused by unintentional acci-
dents while horse playing in
the hall and by residents' guests
who are not watched carefully
enough.
The estimated number of
vandalism occurrences per year
is very high.
"In terms of direct vandal-
ism, I would probably say about
10,000 incidents a year Lucier
said.
Efforts are taken by the
school to minimize the problem
of vandalism.
"We educate the residents at
a first floor meeting by talking
about the types of vandalism,
the vision we have for the year,
ownership and pride in our
campus community Zhu said.
According to Lucier, stu-
dents can be billed if they are
identified for the damage and
it could result in occasional
legal action or probation,
depending on the severity of
the damage.
"We have installed the camera
system, which is at the entry of
every residence hall building and
that has helped us in many cases
to identify some damage and
people responsible for vandalism
in a number of buildings and
situations Lucier said.
Resident advisors are a part of
the efforts to keep the number of
vandalism incidents low.
"We document them and
then from there, they go to
your coordinator and they take
proper action depending on the
vandalism that happened
said Matthew Taylor, second
floor resident advisor of Belk
Hall.
"It could go anywhere from
a warning to getting kicked out
of the hall
Students seem to know about
the effects of vandalism and how
to stay safe.
"For the most part I feel safe
said Marty Barstow, sophomore
living in Scott Hall.
"I always leave my door
locked unless I'm going to the
bathroom
This writer can be contacted at
news@theeastcarolinian.com.
WE BUY BACK
$10 EACH
(NOT PABST, MILLER LITE, OR YUENGLING)
OPEN 8 -12 & 1-5 MON-FRI
CALL 758-1515 for Directions
R.A. Jeffreys Distributing
1950 N. Greene St Greenville,NC
$25,000 in compensation.
The disaster is a setback for Chinese
officials struggling to improve safety
in the coal mining industry. Most
accidents are blamed on a disregard
for safety rules or a lack of equipment
for ventilation or fire control. Local
officials often are accused of helping
mine owners or managers flout
safety rules.
"This industry is too corrupt. Safety is
no good said Yuan Yongqing, a 57-
year-old retired miner, whose younger
brother, Yuan Yongcun, was killed in
Sunday's explosion.
One man who gave only his family
name, Li, said he was hoping for
news about his son. Reporters trying
to speak with dozens of relatives
waiting outside were swiftly escorted
off the premises.
Beijing has unveiled one safety
initiative after another in recent
years. It has announced the creation
of a national network of safety
inspectors, stricter fire standards
and shorter working hours for miners
to prevent fatigue.
Authorities say they have shut down
more than 12,000 coal mines this year
for safety inspections. Thousands
have been ordered to improve their
facilities, and many others aren't
expected to reopen.
The government said the explosion
in Qitaihe was blamed on airborne
coal dust that ignited. But there was
no word on whether it was believed to
involve misconduct or human error.
The town has seen a series of fatal
mining accidents. In May 2004, 12
people were killed in an explosion.
Blasts also killed 17 in March and
another nine in May this year.
The Qitaihe disaster came as the
nearby city of Harbin was struggling
to recover from a toxic spill in the
Songhua River that forced the
government to cut off water supplies
for five days.
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11-30-05
THE EAST CAROLINIAN � NEWS
PAGE A3
CdfldUd from page A1
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin does a political "wave" during campaign speeches.
"The vote in the House of Commons did not
go our way Martin said. "But the decision of the
future of our government will be made by Cana-
dians. They will judge us
Martin has had frosty relations with the White
House, standing by the Liberal Party decision not to
support the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He also declined
to join in Washington's continental ballistic missile
shield, infuriating the Bush administration, has
been called weak on terrorism, and was vocal in his
opposition of high U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber.
His push to legalize gay marriage throughout
Canada also raised the hackles of Republicans
south of the 49th parallel, but Martin is widely
respected worldwide for Canada's neutrality and
open arms toward immigrants and minorities.
Canada's Conservatives, by contrast, are seen
as much more receptive to improving relations
with Washington, though a majority of Canadi-
ans opposed the war in Iraq and the policies of
President Bush.
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper
favors tax cuts and opposed Martin's successful bill
to legalize same-sex marriage throughout Canada.
He would become prime minister if the Conserva-
tives receive the most seats in Parliament.
"This is not just the end of a tired, directionless,
scandal-plagued government Harper said after
Monday's vote. "It's the start of a bright new future
for this country
ECU Plastic
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William Wooden, MD
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WorldFest '05
A Holiday Celebration Around the World
Free Food & Festivities
December i, 2005 - 8pm
atTheMSC Gallery
Ramadan
Three Kings Day
Santa Lucia Day
Loy Krathong
St. Nicholas Day
Bodhi Day
Shichi Go San
Advent
Winter Solstice
Diwali
Hannukah
Yulejole
Daeborum
Christmas
Kwanza
There will be food and festivities from each holiday around the world.
.4 v�it.
ill
Cultural
252-328-4715 vmw.ecu.edustudentunlon

OPINIO
Page A4
editor@theeastcarolinian.com 252.328.9238
JENNIFER L HOBBS Editor in Chief
WEDNESDAY November 30, 2005
My Random Column
Wacky weather causes
chaos this year
Seventy-five degrees in November, does that
make since? It doesn't to me.
There is another tropical storm in the Atlantic
Ocean and the season is supposed to end today
but Epsilon takes this season to a new extreme
with its formation in the mid-Atlantic around 800
miles east of Bermuda. The 26 storms named
this season makes this the longest season in
history since 23 storms named in 1933.
Usually only 10 storms are named a year and
less then a handful threaten land. Not this
year, we were blasted along the Gulf Coast
with expensive damages and whole cities
underwater. We are still trying to help those
who were harmed or lost parts of their lives to
storms that happened months ago. And there
is speculation that the season may not be over
yet because the water is still wa'm and with the
low and high fronts causing storms to form, we
can be looking for a possibility of more Greek
named storms into December.
Isn't it the time of year where we should be
looking for snow not hurricanes? It was snowing
in the mountains last week but it is back up to
50-60 degrees there and here this week.
Not that I am ready for snow by any means,
but I don't really know how I can handle the
randomness of the weather It has caused the
majority of people I know to have gotten sick
and the rain makes it miserable to go from one
class to another. Luckily the rest of the week
should, I repeat should, be nicer and sunnier
but no promises.
Lets just hope the sky makes up its mind and
lets us know what season it wants it to be and
not cause us to be miserable through the last
week or so of classes. I hope all of you with
colds have a chance to sleep a little more
than usual and get the medicine you need.
Good luck with the last week of class and the
demands that teachers have pui forth this last
week of cramming all the loose ends into six
more days. I know I need more than luck.
Until next week - Jennifer Hobbs
Our Staff
Jennifer L Hobbs
Editor in Chief
Chris Munier Zack Hill
News Editor Assi News Editor
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Herb Sneed Photo EditorRachael Letter Asst Photo Editor
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Serving ECU since 1925, TEC prints 9,000 copies
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regular academic year and 5,000 on Wednesdays
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Opinion Columnist
Unleashing your inner animal
What inspires us to
connect with animals.
BENJAMIN CORMACK
CAUSAL OBSERVER
I've been hearing people talk
lately about how that when they
die, they want to come back as
an animal. For most of them
that animal would be a dog.
Now I'm not exactly a believer
in reincarnation, but then again
I don't think it is not possible. 1
gave this issue some thought and
here's some of the things I came
up with.
The life of a pet dog would be
pretty awesome: no job, regular
meals, warm place to sleep and
lots of love. Then again there
are the fleas, trips to the vet and
getting left behind while your
owners are away. Then again,
those are similar to things that
1 already have to deal with. That
"no job" concept though is pretty
enticing. I just hope my owners
wouldn't name me Benji. 1 hate
being called that.
Have you ever noticed how
much humans willingly connect
and try to connect themselves
with animals? While we associate
ourselves with a hardy, crafty and
often savage man of the sea, other
schools associate themselves with
savage creatures of the wild. Even
professional sports teams equate
their game play with the behav-
ior of animals. Some of these
animals include wolves, rams,
breeds of dogs, various species of
birds, various species of insects,
lions, tigers, bears and (oh my!)
so many more.
According to Wikipedia, the
term "zodiac" comes from the
Greek word "zoon" which means
animal. Almost two-thirds of the
symbols in this order are ani-
mals, associated with animals,
or at least animal-like. Actually
if you look at the classic zodiac
calendar, it almost looks like the
line-up of teams for a profes-
sional sport. Just imagine it:
THIS SUNDAY
Arizona Aries vs. Cincinnati
Scorpios
Detroit Leos vs. California
Capricorns
Minnesota Gemini vs. Texas
Taurus's
In the Chinese Zodiac, all
the characters are animals. Each
year is represented by an animal
and the animal changes every
year. Each animal has its time in
the spotlight, so to speak, about
every twelve years. The twelve
animals can be divided into two
sets, one representing Yin and
the other representing Yang.
Yin, often considered the "dark
element" has the characteristics
of being passive, feminine, down-
ward-seeking and correspond-
ing with the night. Yang, often
considered the "light element"
has the characteristics of being
active, masculine, upward-seek-
ing and corresponding with the
day. Even years are yang and odd
years are yin. The cycle begins
with the rat and ends with the
Pig. Here's a list of the animals,
their alignment with Yin & Yang,
and, I'm guessing most of you are
about my age, a list of years some
of you were probably born:
Rat Yang19721984
Horse Yang19781990
Ox Yin19731985
Goat Yin19791991
Tiger Yang19741986
Monkey Yang19801992
Rabbit Yin19751987
Rooster Yin19811993
Dragon Yang 19761988
Dog Yang 19821994
Snake Yin 19771989
Pig Yin 19831995
Then there's also the use of
the simile. You know: Hungry as
a bear. Cat-like reflexes. As big
as a whale or elephant. Sly as a
fox, etc.
So what is it that drives us
to make associations or con-
nections with animals? Is it out
of a desire to connect with out
primal nature, or just an inherit
admiration of and curiosity
about nature? Since we can
not communicate with most
animals the way we can with
other humans, all that we do
know is limited only to what
science and observation can
tell us. Some scientists have
actually taught gorillas and
chimpanzees to communicate
with sign language and special
sound boards. I've even heard
of a parrot that has the IQ of a
three-year-old child. Perhaps by
better understanding animals
and their nature, we can better
understand our own natures and
the nature of the world itself.
Perhaps we can even unlock
secrets that could change our
way of thinking forever.
1 know I've talked about
animals before, but with the
holidays my brain felt drained.
So I thought I'd write about some-
thing a little easier to wrap my
brain around. After spending
Thanksgiving picking and eating
at poultry with my family like a
pride of lions, I thought I should
do something to "appease the
spirits" so to speak of the turkey,
pig and chicken we ate. As usual
I hope this article has given you
something to think about or at
least been entertaining. I promise
next week will be better.
Letters To The Editor
Dear All ECU Students,
The students of ECU have been
kept in the dark about a financial
matter that will have a grave effect
on almost all students at this univer-
sity. HigherOne, a debit based middle
man has either purchased or been
given private financial information
by this university. The university
signed a contract with HigherOne
on Oct. 10 200S. The university
will now outsource its financial aid
department and the cashier's office
thanks to HigherOne's debit card
system. The students had no say in
this nor do you have a choice if you
rely on financial aid to attend this
university.
The selling point for HigherOne
is that it reduces administrative
costtime. If these departments are
such a costly endeavor to keep here
at this school then why have they
yet to show a set plan to decrease
these departments considerably?
This also is another delay in
turn around time for an already
delayed financial aid system.
Students of East Carolina Uni-
versity, you must stand up now
and defend yourself. Do not acti-
vate these cards. There is a chance
you can still get your checks if you
do not activate them due to peri-
ods of time where the school has
to be cautious to ensure everyone
gets their financial aid money in
a timely fashion. Your privacy
should never be something that
can be bought or sold.
Sincerely, John Johnson
Junior
Anthropology
Dear students at ECU,
Recently it has come to our
attention at HigherOne that there
has been some confusion regard-
ing the new ECU debit card pro-
gram. Quite a bit of misinforma-
tion has been posted online and
been spread through e-mail. I
wanted to take the time to address
concerns and provide the facts
about the program so that there is
a joint understanding of the way
the program works. As a native
North Carolinian (I went to River-
side High School in Durham), I've
been so excited that ECU is now a
customer and look forward to pro-
viding a high quality service to the
institution and its students.
Question 1 - Why am I getting
this card? Do I have to pay fees
to receive a refund? What does
activate mean? Answer: You will
use the ECU Debit Card that you
receive to identify and authenticate
yourself on the ECUDebitCard web
site (ECUCard.com). You will then
be asked to setup a login to the web
site. You can use the Web site to
receive information about refund
payment status and your prefer-
ence. In the next step you choose
how you would like to receive
any refund that may be owed to
you. Many students have con-
fused "Activating" the card with
choosing the OneAccount and
Easy Refund option. "Activating"
means using the card to authen-
ticate yourself on the web site to
make your refund choice. It does
not mean activating the account
and Debit MasterCard option.
Question 2 - I am worried
about my privacy. Is the OneAc-
count secure? Do I have to give
out my social security number?
Answer: NO. HigherOne does not
sell consumer information. Period.
Further, if you choose to use the
OneAccount, the account and card
do have security features.
Question 3 - If I choose the
OneAccount, are there-a lot of fees?
How can I learn more? Answer: If
you choose to open the OneAc-
count and use the ECU Debit Card
as a Debit MasterCard, you have
chosen to open a Free checking
account. This means that the
funds in the account are FDIC
insured up to $100,000. You can
use the OneAccount and your card
without incurring any fees. There
is no monthly fee, no minimum
balance, and Debit MasterCard
transactions (where you swipe
and sign) are always free. Like
any checking account, there are
fees for additional services such
as overdrafts, wire transfers, or
stop payments. The fee schedule is
accessible through the links under
"Learn" on ECUCard.com.
Question 4 - Is HigherOne
a reputable company? Answer:
Higher One is a financially solid
company that works with 33 col-
leges and universities across the
country. Over 130,000 students
have chosen to use the HigherOne
OneAccount through their ID
or debit card. The company has
helped our clients make more than
$ 1 billion in payments to students.
3 of our clients have won best
practice awards for implementing
our service. At one college, Sam
Houston State University (where
we launched in 2003), four in five
students have chosen to use and
have a balance in their OneAc-
count. 1 think that this speaks for
itself, as if our product was bad,
students would choose a different
option.
More information about High-
erOne is available at HigherOne.
com.
Thank you,
Sean Glass
HigherOne Founder
Pirate Rant
Enjoy your hump day!
To the person who decided to generalize everyone
that spends thousands of dollars to come to ECU does
not come to "party and slack off Maybe that's what
you and your friends came here to do, but some of us
are here to actually get a degree or two.
To the person who made the comment about smoking
on Tuesday - Smoking is no worse than drinking or any
other vice a person may have, and if you don't want to
walk behind a smoker speed up I am sure that with your
excellent lungs and crappy liver (one of the wonderful
things drinking does for you) you can out walk us.
Why is it that people are on their cell phones at 8
a.m.? Just walk to class in silence if you must. We don't
want to hear about your drama the night before. And
another thing, don't take your cell phone to the gym
- you are there to work out, not scream on your phone
and get attention.
After looking over the EPA employee salaries on OneStop
it's obvious that a lot of Administrators are leeching
inflated paychecks from this University. Don't refer me
to a secretary from now on, 1 know what you make and
I want you to earn It!
To the person who said they were going to get lung
cancer from walking behind me on campus: Stop
making things up. The smoke I exhale is twice filtered
and not all the smoke is going directly in your face and
your lungs. There's this crazy thing called wind that
blows it every which way. You're not going to get lung
cancer. And personally I never cared if smoking was
cool or not. I do it for myself so I can put up with people
like you that complain to me all the time.
If there are any classy girls at this school who do not
only care about hooking up, could somebody please
tell me where to find them because it's obviously not
downtown.
People need to learn that smacking gum or food Is the
most disgusting habit in the world and need to learn
some manners. Nobody wants to hear or see you chew-
ing anything its called closing your mouth!
To the two "mini bike boys I see you guys riding your
mini motorcycles to campus and it's adorable - thanks
for making me smile.
Don't forget the construction in the Rivers building
too - year four.
To the women and men who keep Bate building clean,
thank you! You do a great job and are always friendly!
You would expect after spending $500 on your new
XBOX 360 it wouldn't crash on you! I'm glad 1 decided
to wait until they worked the bugs out!
Are you a Southern girl?
I agree if you're driving down 264 and want to go slow
please get in the right lane!
You know what really grinds my gears? Why is it that
95 percent of the girls that wear shirts that say hottie,
or have license plates that say Q-Tee or something to
that effect are not hot? Please stop false advertising,
when you came back to your car 1 expected to see a
beautiful face! Thanks for making me wait an hour for
no reason at all!
As of Monday night the Athletic Department gets an
additional $50 per student on top of the $50 increase last
year. 1 love Pirate athletics but there are more important
things in a school.
ATTENTION: Nice girl in search of "good" guy
I cannot believe that the Student Government approved
these new debit cards.
Why is it only called cheating when guys do it?
OK guys, if a girl was interested in you how would you
want her to approach you? I really want to make this
guy feel special.
What was the guy doing behind City Market at 3:45
a.m. anyway? Didn't your Mom tell you nothing good
ever happens after midnight?
To the guy who offered to help me bring my luggage
upstairs Sunday night, even though I had it and said no
thanks, thank you for the thought. It is nice to know
there are still some guys out there with manners.
1 got towed for overtime parking by 15 minutes and the
driver damaged my vehicle. Not only did I have to pay
$130 to get it released, but due to some stupid policy
eliminating liability for damage, I now have to pay $500
for transmission repairs. &$ you very much!
Do we attend ECU or Florida State, because if you
stumble into the so-called new and improved Wright
Place the paint job is Burgundy and Gold. Not Purple
and Gold! Outrageous! Great way to up school spirit,
huh? Make sure the center of campus is devoid of school
colors. Stellar! If it's not repainted by January 2006 then
whoever made that decision needs to be fired! ASAP!
Nothing makes my day more than seeing some spoiled
girl walking around campus in tears because she didn't
get something she wanted. Deal.
ECU hockey is 10 in the South in standings.
I find it interesting that Gary McCabe got tons of rants
and disgusted replies to his last article and NONE of
them were panted (only praise rolls eyes). So here's
another: Gary McCabe, concerning your derogatory,
ignorant and elitist comments in the AD article, please
leave the South as you suggested.
Students quit reading the pirate rants during class.
I would just like to tell everyone that lives in North
Carolina, the Panthers aren't that good! Get over it!
In the past six months I have realized how ridiculous
our legal system really is. Hire a lawyer and you can get
away with just about anything, but if you don't hire a
lawyer, you'll get screwed for everything you have.
Editor's Note: The Pirate Kant Is an anonymous way or students and staff in the
EOJ community to mice their opinions. Submissions eon be submitted anonymously
online at www.theeastcarollman.com, or emailed to edltorftheeastcamlinlan.
com. The editor reserves the r(jh( to edit opinions for content and brevity.

r 30, 2005
ilize everyone
me to ECU does
ybe that's what
but some of us
about smoking
drinking or any
iu don't want to
e that with your
f the wonderful
out walk us.
;11 phones at 8
must. We don't
ght before. And
one to the gym
on your phone
ries on OneStop
irs are leeching
. Don't refer me
t you make and
Ing to get lung
campus: Stop
is twice filtered
n your face and
illed wind that
sing to get lung
if smoking was
up with people
ne.
)ol who do not
mebody please
obviously not
n or food is the
1 need to learn
( see you chew-
louth!
uys riding your
arable-thanks
livers building
building clean,
lways friendly!
) on your new
i glad 1 decided
rant to go slow
Why is it that
hat say hottie,
something to
se advertising,
ected to see a
ait an hour for
tment gets an
50 increase last
tore important
id" guy
ment approved
rs do it?
ow would you
t to make this
Market at 3:45
nothing good
lg my luggage
I it and said no
nice to know
manners,
inutes and the
i I have to pay
stupid policy
veto pay $500
' much!
ecause if you
roved Wright
Id. Not Purple
school spirit,
!void of school
ary 2006 then
fired! ASAP!
; some spoiled
use she didn't
ings.
t tons of rants
and NONE of
es). So here's
lr derogatory,
article, please
ring class.
ives in North
Get over it!
ow ridiculous
id you can get
u don't hire a
you have.
mu and staff in the
mltted anonymously
HHheautauvlitilan.
intent and brevity.
What's Hot
Page A5 features@theeastcarolinian.com 252.328.6366 CAROLYN SCANDURA Features Editor KRISTIN MURNANE Assistant Features Editor WEDNESDAY November 30, 200E
Top 5s:
Top 5 Movies
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2. Walk the Line
3. Chicken Little
4. Derailed
5. Zathura
Top 5 Pop Albums
1. Madonna
2. Carrie Underwood
3. Kenny Chesney
4. Marian Carey
5. Various Artists
Top 5 TV Shows
1. -csr
2. "Desperate Housewives'
3. "Lost"
4. "Without A Trace"
5. "Grey's Anatomy
Top 5 DVD Rentals
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2. Christmas with the Kranks
3. The Devil's Rejects
4. Bewitched
5. Star Wars: Episode III � Revenge
oftheSith
Top 5 Books
i. A Feast for Crows
2. Light from Heaven
3. Predator
4. Christ the Lord
5. The Camel Club
Horoscopes:
Aries - Figure out a strategy for
spending money wisely. Give yourself
a special reward with all the money
you save.
Taurus - You know what needs to be
done. Get some help figuring out how.
You'll do better if you include another
point of view.
Gemini - Being well organized takes
practice and now's a great time to try.
Any organizing at all that you do will
be a big help.
Cancer - Talk it over with the people
who mean the most to you. Earlier is
better for planning. The action begins
tomorrow or late tonight.
Leo - There are things happening
that would never have occurred to
you. Listen carefully, but don't offer
comments unless you're asked.
Virgo - The objective is to have the
skills you'll need, before you need
them. That time is approaching
rapidly, so practice!
Libra - Start by sorting and filing.
Figure out what you have. Then,
planning how to use it will be the fun
part. There's enough.
Scorpio - Be thinking about ways to
improve your efficiency and increase
your profits. You'll also get some pretty
good ideas from a loved one. Ask.
Sagittarius - Don't expect others to
come right out and tell you what they
want. Figure that out and provide it,
before you're asked.
Capricorn - You don't have to tell
everything you know. In fact, you
shouldn't. Resist the temptation.
Aquarius - Help the person who's
actually giving the orders do it right.
Provide technical support unless, of
course, you really want her to fail.
Pisces - Information you've been
seeking from far away comes through.
Inquire again, even if you've been
disappointed before.
Announcements:
The East Carolinian is looking for
someone with savvy social skills and
an exciting lifestyle to write a features
column for next semester. Do you
think you have what it takes to be the
next Carrie Bradshaw? Come fill out
an application at our office located on
Third Street. Any questions can be sent
to features theeastcarolinian.com.
Fun Facts:
The average French citizen eats 500
snails a year
Former U.S. President Franklin Pierce
was arrested during his term as
President for running over an old lady
with his horse, but the charges were
later dropped.
Roosters can't crow if they can't fully
extend their necks.
Mel Gibson has a horseshoe kidney,
which is two kidneys fused into one.
The oldest pig in the world lived to 68.
Every workday, 6.7 million people
commute to Manhattan!
Nearly 22,000 checks will be
deducted from the wrong account
over the next hour.
mjmmrsy Paom Rudolph
From red nose to red light and back
DANIEL BROCK
STAFF WRITER
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- it's a story
we all know. Or do we? Noting the approach-
ing holiday season I pondered what it might
be like to sit down with Rudolph at his North
Pole estate for a TEC exclusive with the "Most
Famous Reindeer of All My imagination ran
wild and he had plenty to say about his dark
childhood, crazy times, battles with drugs and
the androgynous Hermie the Elf.
TEC: It's well documented that you grew up
in an abusive household and were tormented by
your peers. Did that affect your outlook on life
at an early age?
Rudolph: Of course it did. It made me feel
like a freak. My father constantly ridiculed me,
and those punks at school were always taking
shots at me. They'd be like, "Oh does the carpet
match the light bulb I didn't even know what
that meant then. Then I get the gig with Santa,
and everybody wants to be Rudy's friend. Need-
less to say, they got theirs.
TEC: Medical technology has advanced
quite a bit since your childhood. Was your condi-
tion ever, and I hesitate, diagNOSED?
Rudolph: (Silence) Yes. much later it was
discovered that I had a rare condition known as
North Polar Disorder. There is no known cure.
It's not about suppression, it's about control. Of
course it's helped me in my career, but some-
times I wonder, "What if?"
TEC: As a social outcast you met a disgrun-
tled young factory worker named Hermie the Elf
who had the dream of becoming a dentist. How
did that relationship change your life?
Rudolph: Hermie was a cool cat. He was
just sick of being hassled by the man. We had
The famous image of Rudolph from the 1964 made for TV movie.
some freak out times on the Island (The Island
of Misfit Toys, the legendary North Pole hippy
commune). He was a good guy and it never hurts
to have a friend who will perform free dental
work. Well, let me take that back. It never hurts
to have a friend who will perform free dental
work, and is licensed to do so.
TEC: Around the time you guys were on
the Island of Misfit Toys, you met a wild-eyed
miner name Yukon Cornelius, and began a
much-publicized feud with the Abominable
Snow Monster.
Rudolph: Yeah, Cornelius was crazy. We
got into some rumbles with the Snow Monster,
something about Yukon and the Monster's old
lady. He stomped us a couple times, but we
got the better of him in the end and things
worked out. Hermie even did some bridge work
for him.
TEC: Of course after that, there were heady
times as Santa famously asked you to "Guide
my sleigh tonight
Rudolph: Yeah that's where things really
took off, and my nose turned out to be an asset.
Santa came around, and I reconciled with my
dad. I was lead reindeer for 12 years after that.
It was a great time, and a real turning point in
my life. Shortly after I married Clarice (Clarice
the Doe, Rudolph's three time ex-wife) and it
seemed like I would be on top forever.
TEC: You mentioned Clarice, how are things
with her now?
Rudolph: We still talk, and we have joint
custody of the kids. I mean, when it was good
it was good. I would rather not comment on
those honeymoon videos that were floating
around though.
TEC: Yes, that was my next question. Do
you have at least a short comment?
see RUDOLPH page A6
Foods for thought Traditional holiday feasts
One of the most important elements in a holiday feast is including the people you care about.
Food variations among
cultures and locations
SARAH CAMPBELL
STAFF WRITER
Bourbon brown sugar pound cake is a tasty holiday favorite.
Great holiday food for all
tastes
MEREDITH STEWART
SENIOR WRITER
Thanksgiving is over and
everyone's stomach is full, for
now. The winter holidays are
just around the corner so it's
time to get your big appetite
back. Some families prefer the
traditional foods - ham, dress-
ing, candied yams, rolls and
everyone's favorite pecan pie.
It's nice to have these tradi-
tional foods at your table, but
be sure to serve a bigger variety
to satisfy everyone's taste buds.
Along with ham, serving
turkey or chicken is also a great
idea. Pasta salad is quick and easy.
Just choose pasta (bowtie works
well), add fresh herbs, light garlic
and vinegar. Get artsy with your
ingredients by cutting them to
match the pasta shape.
Mashed potatoes are some-
thing most enjoy, especially chil-
dren. To add a little something
extra put in some cheese and
bacon bits. Cooked baby carrots
with brown sugar are sure to add
color to the table. Almond green
beans are great, but to add some
zest, warm a can of green beans
and then let them simmer in
Italian dressings for about eight
minutes. It has a very unusual
taste, but worth a try.
"I told my grandmother about
this recipe and she warmed a can
of kitchen cut green beans, and
then let them simmer in zesty
Italian dressing for a few minutes.
It was so good, that's the only
way I like to eat them now said
Catherine Stallings, sophomore
English major.
Cranberry sauce is a must
along with simple greens, stuff-
ing, broccoli casserole, rice pilaf
and yams. All of these holiday
food ideas will be sitting on
many tables around the country,
but it's up to you to add a little
something special or a twist to
make your dishes unique and
memorable.
Making soup is also a great
way to use excess food. Just
place tomatoes, butter beans,
corn, celery, okra, potatoes, any
kind of meat and any other kind
of vegetable you like to in your
soup. Place it on the stove and let
it simmer. This includes all the
foods that people love and you
don't have to waste anything.
"Homemade soup is my abso-
lute favorite. Each holiday season
my family gets together to eat
lunch and the vegetables we
have left over are used to make
soup. We usually eat that soup
for dinner, along with other
things we couldn't put in it
said Alina Panchuk, freshman
biology major.
Holiday baking and food
preparation can be rewarding as
well as tasty. If you are looking
to cut holiday calories, try surf-
ing the Internet for low calories
holiday ideas and enjoy all of
your low calorie kitchen time.
On another side note, always
be sure to plan a menu around
your guests. Find out about food
allergies and extreme dislikes. The
recipe to accompany the above
photo is below for you to try.
7"hs writer can be contacted at
features@theeastcarolinian.com.
BOURBON BROWN SUGAR
POUND CAKE
3 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Vi teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Vi cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 large eggs
Vi cup plus 2 teaspoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Position rack in center of oven
and preheat to 325 degrees Fahr-
enheit. Butter and flour two (nine-
inch) loaf cake pans. Set aside.
Whisk or sift together the
flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
and baking powder. With a
wooden spoon or a mixer fitted
with a paddle or rotary beaters,
cream the butter until it is light
and fluffy, then gradually beat
see FOODS page A6
Now that Thanksgiving
is over, families around the
world have begun getting
ready for the biggest holidays
of the year, Christmas, Hanuk-
kah and Kwanza. In prepara-
tion people are shopping for
gifts, decorating their homes
and gathering the necessary
ingredients needed to create
their favorite holiday dishes.
The winter holidays are a time
to spend time with family and
friends enjoying meals and
celebrating the meaning of
their winter holiday.
When speaking about each
of these holidays, there are
many variations of tradition
and food that go with each.
Christmas Is no exception as
far as cultural diversity goes.
Different cultures around the
world have varying traditions
when it comes to what foods
they prepare.
In the United States, we enjoy
a bountiful feast on Christmas
Day followed by delectable des-
serts including pies, pastries and
candies. Let's take a look at some
native dishes of countries around
the world.
In Italy, a traditional Christ-
mas feast includes salted dried
cod fish (baccala), vermicelli,
baked pasta, capon and turkey. La
Vigilia Napoletana is a traditional
Christmas Eve dinner where
seven types of fish are eaten in
order to bring good luck.
A Christmas dinner of oven-
baked ham, vegetable casseroles,
liver casserole, mixed beetroot
salad, smoked salmon and her-
ring dishes are eaten on Christ-
mas Eve in Finland. This is a time
for families and friends to enjoy a
festive atmosphere while sharing
a traditional holiday meal.
In Poland, people begin cook-
ing Christmas dinner up to a
month in advance. On Christ-
mas Eve, there are traditionally
twelve dishes served - that's
why preparation for the day
begins so early. Soup and
dumplings are common dishes
served during this feast. Polish
desserts mirror some of our
most popular Christmas des-
serts such as rum cake, butter
cookies and fruitcake.
A special Christmas beer,
Juleol, is brewed in Norway
weeks before Christmas arrives.
Juleol accompanies the pork
dishes that make up the main
course for the Christmas feast.
Sweet Christmas bread filled
with raisins sends a tantalizing
scent into the air luring people
in from the cold to enjoy a hot
slice of it.
A centerpiece of turkey
mole, a sauce containing choco-
late and chilies, is surrounded
by roast suckling pig, turkey
and beet salad with peanuts at a
see CULTURES page A6
HO, HO, HO: Holiday drinks
Garnished martinis, when consumed in moderation, can make a great addition to holiday dinners.
Drink and be merry,
safely of course
DANIEL BROCK
STAFF WRITER
No family holiday celebration
would be complete without one
(or more) of your relatives being
excessively intoxicated. The
awkward silences, inappropriate
comments and the Inevitable
eviction are as much a part of the
holidays as turkey and mistletoe.
In my family, the drunkard that
towers above the rest (because
he's standing on a coffee table)
is my mullet sporting, tattoo
bearing, dental hygienically
challenged Uncle Dennis.
The holidays have always
been Uncle Dennis' time of year,
a time of free flowing alcohol and
trips to the county correctional
center. There was the Christmas
of 1994 when he boldly pro-
claimed, "94 beers in '94 He
made it to 43 before he passed
out while urinating in the snow.
Who could forget New Years
1998? In a now legendary scene,
Dennis, whilst in the depths of
despair after being laid off (for
drinking on the job), drank a
twelve pack of Budweiser and
chugged an entire fifth of rum
in 27 spectacular minutes. I was
personally impressed, however
many in the room were not'
amused and my Aunt Mary Anne
see DRINKS page A6

RAGEA6
THE EAST CAROUNIAN � FEATURES
11-30-05
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was asked to once again cart the
D-Train back to their mobile
home. Uncle Dennis' coup de'
grace, however, was the holiday
season of 2003. Upon his return
from rehab, Dirty D proclaimed
he had converted to Judaism. We
were all happy for him until
Hanukkah. Dennis redefined the
phrase, "Eight Crazy Nights" in
a wild booze soaked bender that
landed him not only in jail, but
also in divorce court.
If you are going to drink,
why not do it in style mod-
eration? Let the good times
flow, but remember not to go
totally overboard or you may
have your exploits scrawled
across the pages of some college
newspaper's Features section.
Or worse yet, end up hurting
yourself or others while in your
drunken stupor.
So with holiday drinks on our
mind, without further ado here
is TEC's Holiday Libation List.
Amaze your friends and family
with your drink mixing skills and
not only will you be guaranteed
better gifts, but you just might
end up under the mistletoe with
your cousin's hot new girlfriend.
Three Wise Men:
Shot.
A wise man once said, "This
round's on me I once said,
"Sweet
12 fl oz Bourbon
12 fl oz Whiskey
12 fl oz Scotch
Pour in desired order and drink
up.
Christmas Martini:
Martini (6 oz. glass).
"It's no coincidence that the first
letter in the word martini is
mmmh - Tony Sinclair
1 14 fl oz (31 ml) gin
14 fl oz (6 ml) dry vermouth
14 teaspoon(s) peppermint
schnapps
Cracked ice as required
Candy cane to garnish
Half-fill a cocktail shaker with
the cracked ice. Pour the gin,
dry vermouth and peppermint
schnapps. Shake well. Strain the
mixture into chilled Martini
glass(es). Serve garnished with a
candy cane.
Spiced Cider:
Enough for a crowd.
Cider, candy and rum. Oh my!
1 gal. Apple cider
1 cup Red Hots (candy)
1 cup Rum
Over medium heat, in a large
pan, bring cider to a boll, add Red
Hots and stir until dissolved. Let
cool a bit and add 1 cup of rum
before serving.
Egg Nog:
Enough for a crowd.
This Holiday classic is loved by all
6 eggs
12 pint Rum
12 pint Brandy
2 pints Heavy Whipping Cream
6 Tbs. powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
Serve in any festive holiday glass.
Budweiser:
Beer.
A personal favorite of old St. Nick.
Cookies and milk? Try pretzels
and beer.
So there you have it, a drink
for any and all holiday festivities.
More info on these drinks and
or other ideas, visit vyum.com.
Again, just to be sure, always
drink in moderation and never
drink and drive.
This writer can be contacted at
features@theeastcarolinian.com.
FOOdS from page A5
in both sugars - cream mixture
until very light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time,
alternating with the flour-and-
spice blend, a little at a time, until
both are incorporated. Don't
overheat. Stir in the bourbon and
vanilla, and spoon batter into
prepared pans. Slip a table knife
blade into the batter and run it
through in a back-and-forth S
motion to take out any large air
pockets. Give the pan a couple
of firm taps on the counter
- enough to bring any air pockets
to the surface.
Bake for about 1 hours,
until risen, golden brown and
a straw inserted into the center
comes out clean. Don't open the
oven door for the first 1 V hours.
Make sure the cake is completely
done, but don't overbake it or it
will be dry and heavy. Turn off
the oven and let it cool for 10 min-
utes, then crack the door and let
the cake cool completely before
taking it out of the pan. Makes
two loaves, 12 to 16 servings.
PER SERVING: Calories-456 (39
percent fat) Fat-20 g (12 g sat)
Cholesterol-128 mg Sodium-136
mg Fiber-1 g Carbohydrates-60 g
SOURCE: "NewSouthern Baking
RlldOlph from page A5
Rudolph: Let's just say Cher
was certainly a big fan (Rudolph
and Cher were briefly married
in 1979).
TEC: I'm glad you mentioned
Cher. The late 1970s saw you
go into an extended slide that
led to some troubling personal
problems.
Rudolph: Yeah the 1970s
and 80s were crazy. There was
a lot of coke around and the red
nose was kind of a target. Hermie
passed away from AIDS in 1981.
No one even knew elves could get
AIDS so it was really devastating.
I was in and out of jail for a while,
but Santa was always there for
me. Clarice and I got divorced
and remarried and then divorced
again, and things were really
crazy. At one point I was working
at the Parkview Mall in Omaha
and living in a dumpster behind
J.C. Penny.
TEC: That makes your recov-
ery and sobriety even more
remarkable. Is it true that Tom
Cruise introduced you to Scien-
tology?
Rudolph: 1 really feel blessed.
I've been sober 10 years now, and
I have never felt better. I've
starred in a couple films, and I
do specials every once in a while.
For the most part I'm just happy
to hang out with my kids.
Yeah, for a while Scientology
seemed cool but Tom is a guy that
really freaks me out. I mean did
you see him on the Today Show?
Crazy. I'm a Kabbalist now and
that has really changed my life.
In fact Madonna and I are doing
a seminar in London next month.
TEC: You've had an amazing
life, and have taught everyone
that adversity can be overcome
with hard work, good friends and
a glowing appendage. How would
you sum it all up?
Rudolph: You just gotta
be you, dude. Don't let man
push you around and don't take
crap from nobody. Find a good
woman and some good buddies,
and enjoy the ride. Are there
things I would change? Hell
yeah! Who would ever want to
live in a dumpster? You saw what
it did to Oscar the Grouch. I've
got to thank Santa for always
being there for me, he really
bailed me out a couple times. All
in all though, I'm happy the with
life I've had, even with my share
of ups and downs. But at the end
of the day I can sit back and say,
"Rudy, you did alright
This writer can be contacted at
features@theeastcarolinian.com.
CUltlireS from page A5
traditional Christmas Eve dinner
in Mexico. Chocolates, candies,
fruits and nuts are hidden inside
pinatas, which are broken by
children after dinner.
Although Christmas is the
most commercialized holiday
during the winter season, Hanuk-
kah and Kwanza host traditional
foods as well. The most popular
dish for Hanukkah are latkes, or
potato pancakes. Their popular-
ity stems from the way they are
cooked, which is in oil. Being
cooked in oil, latkes remind
Jewish people of the miracles that
a single pitcher of oil can hold.
Applesauce, green onions and
sour cream can be poured on
top of the latkes. If this doesn't
sound like enough to eat, don't
worry - baked chicken and salad
accompany them to create a feast.
At the close of Kwanza, a very
large feast is prepared in order for
people to share fellowship and
become closer to their African
heritage. Information and enter-
tainment is presented during the
feast, which is held on December
31. The main ingredient of the
feast is coconut. Some of the most
common Kwanza foods include
baked chicken in coconut milk,
coconut coleslaw, glazed sweet
potatoes and coconut cream pie.
For more information about
traditional holiday foods from
around the world and for recipes
visit theworldwidegourmet.com
and allrecipes.com.
With so many traditions to
honor and so many different
holidays to celebrate, it will be a
busy holiday season indeed.
This writer can be contacted at
features@theeastcarolinian.com.
Holiday favorites in Europe
Turkey is often regarded as the usual Christmas meal, but a variety
of holiday dishes are enjoyed across Europe. ��
�gpm. la NORWAY
� Macaroni, n
carrot and potato,
ham or turkey
� Mixed meat and
fish platter
BMTMN m
Pudding and mince pie
Cod,
haddock and lutefisk
(fish preserved in
lye), lefse flatbread
Pork chops,
meatoaf and special
Antipasto, pasta, roast
meat, salad, sweet
pudding followed by
cheese, fruit, brandy
and chocolates
Shellfish, pork,
cooked and raw
herring, caviar,
cheese and brown
beans
PORTUML
Salted dry cod wi
bpiled pttatoJl
eERMANV
� Roast goose
with potatoes,
cabbage, carrots,
parsnip and pickles
Ik Wild boar
and venison
CM03KRT
Sowk Inumaanaim G. spree: jaum jarwoy. em pom
Report news students need to know, tec
Accepting applications for S1AFF WRITERS l llaTf
Learn investigative reporting skills ' t ���
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i. � � � � -i � � � j
Arc you a student with a mental illness but are ashamed of the stiwna that
comes with it?
Or does someone you care about have a mental illness?
Do you want to see the stigma erased?
Tnen Please Come Join
NAMI-ECU
East Carolina University's Voice On Mental illness!
We Meet the I' Thursday of Every Month S 6:Opm
In the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center
East Carolina University
Our next meeting is December Ist
For more information, call Erick at (2J2) W5-J2l7or Olivia at (2?2) 753-12?
$180
Per
Month
1 his coupon nood for
2nd and 4th donation
I'm a Student and a Plasma Donor
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DCI Biological of Greenville � 252-757-0171
2727 E.1001 Street � Down the Street from ECU � www.dclplasma.com

SPORTS
Page A7 sports@theeastcarolinian.com 252.328.6366 TONY ZOPPO Sports Editor BRANDON HUGHES Assistant Sports Editor
WEDNESDAY November 30, 2005
Sports Briefs
Wagner, Mets reach preliminary
deal
Ace closer Billy Wagner and
the New York Mets reached a
preliminary agreement Monday on
a $43 million, four-year contract.
Wagner, considered by many the
top reliever on the free-agent market,
saved 38 games for Philadelphia last
season and is a four-time Alt-Star.
The Phillies offered just more than
$30 million over three years to retain
the 34-year-old left-hander and were
prepared to enhance the proposal
Monday - but not increase the length.
- In each of the next four seasons, a
high-ranking baseball official said.
The official spoke on condition of
anonymity because the deal had not
yet been finalized. The Mets have an
$8 million club option for 2010 with
a $1 million buyout. If exercised, the
deal would be worth $50 million over
five seasons. Wagner must pass a
physical, which is likely to take place
Tuesday, before the agreement can
be completed. New York reached
the agreement on the same day it
introduced slugger Carlos Delgado,
acquired last week in a trade with
the Rorida Marlins, an NL East rival
just like the Phillies. Wagner's average
salary will be the highest for a reliever,
topping the $10.5 million Mariano
Rivera is earning from the New York
Yankees under a two-year contract
that started last season.
Rutgers headed to first bowl
since 1978
Rutgers will play in a bowl for
the first time in nearly three decades
and Boise State is staying home for
its postseason game. Rutgers (7-4)
accepted an invitation to play in the
Insight Bowl on Dec. 27 game in
Phoenix against Arizona State. The
last time the Scarlet Knights played
in a bowl game was 1978, when they
played Arizona State in the Garden
State Bowl at Giants Stadium, not
far from their campus in New Jersey.
Rutgers has had just four winning
seasons since 1984. Boise State
accepted an invitation to play in the
MPC Computers Bowl on the blue
artificial turf of its home stadium. The
Broncos will be making their fourth
appearance in the nine-year history
of the bowl. Boise State (9-3) will
play a team from the Atlantic Coast
Conference on Dec. 28. North Carolina
State (6-5) is considered to be a front-
runner after beating Maryland 20-14
Saturday. The Broncos beat Louisiana
Tech 30-13 Saturday to earn a share of
the WAC championship with Nevada
and Fresno State. Boise State last
played in its home stadium bowl in
2002, defeating Iowa State 34-16.
The Broncos also won two previous
appearances, beating Louisville 34-31
in 1999 and UTEP 38-23 in 2000. The
bowl was known as the Humanitarian
Bowl in its first seven seasons.
Ryan, Blue Jays finalize five-
year deal
After finalizing the largest contract
for a relief pitcher in baseball history
- a $47 million, five-year contract with
the Toronto Blue Jays - B. J. Ryan was
asked if he was worth it. A left-hander
who turns 30 on Dec. 28, Ryan has
42 career saves, including 36 last
season for the Baltimore Orioles.
Ryan's deal tops the $39.99 million,
four-year contract Mariano Rivera
received from the New York Yankees
from 2001-04. Rivera has the highest
average salary for a reliever under a
$21 million, two-year contract with
the Yankees that has one season
remaining. Ricciardi said signing
Ryan was just the start of Toronto's
offseason plans. The Blue Jays were
also thought to be pursuing free-
agent starter A.J. Burnett. Toronto was
16-31 in one-run games last season.
The Blue Jays finished 80-82, third
in the AL East behind the New York
Yankees and Boston Red Sox (both
95-67). Ryan converted 36 of 41 save
chances for Baltimore last season,
going 1-4 with a 2.43 ERA. He struck
out 100 and walked 26 in 70 innings
and earned $2,825,000, including
bonuses.
Brohm tears knee ligament, out
for season
Louisville quarterback Brian
Brohm will miss the rest of the season
with a torn ligament in his right knee.
An MRI exam on Monday revealed
Brohm tore the anterior cruciate
ligament while scrambling for a 7-yard
gain late in the third quarter of No. 16
Louisville's 41-17 win over Syracuse
on Saturday. Brohm clutched the knee
for several minutes before moving
to a training table on the sidelines
to watch the fourth quarter. Brohm
has thrown for 2,883 yards and 19
touchdowns. No. 16 Louisville (8-2,4-2
Big East) finishes its regular sdason
Saturday at Connecticut. On Monday,
the Cardinals accepted an invitation
to the Gator Bowl. Hunter Cantwell,
a freshman, will make the first start
of his career against the Huskies.
I Cantwell is 8-of-11 passing for 153
I yards and a touchdown in mostly
J mop-up duty this season.
Football season labeled a 'success'
ECU gains 5 wins, first
time since 2001
ERIC GILMORE
SENIOR WRITER
Skip Holtz visualized ECU
becoming a top 20 national
mainstay in his first season as
head football coach.
"Honestly, our aspirations
and our expectations going into
this year were a lot higher than
5-6 said Holtz.
"As I said, we were going to
set the goals this year that we
were going to have four years
from now. We were going to give
the seniors the opportunity to
achieve those goals. And I said 'if
you shoot for the stars and reach
the moon, do you fail?
Consider the difference from
last season's finishing emotions
for both Holtz and ECU.
Unemployed, Holtz was rec-
ognized for his surname more so
than his coaching ability. Once
considered a prodigy after coordi-
nating Notre Dame's offense for
two years, the younger Holtz had
regressed professionally 11 years
later. After his father's second
retirement, Holtz was networking
after six years under his father at
South Carolina, the last two years
as a position coach.
And ECU was in a similar sad
state of affairs. James Pinkney,
the only hope in a 2-9 team full
of mishaps, was beaten brutally
52-14 by then superior rival NC
State. Backup Desmond Robin-
son, a Division I-AA quarterback
on his best day, picked grass from
his teeth constantly en route to
140 yards of total offense.
Approximately a year and
five wins later, Holtz was embrac-
ing fellow Notre Dame letter
winner and ECU defensive coor-
dinator Greg Hudson in little ole
Greenville amid the ambiance
of smiles and cheers. The Pirates
had just spoiled UAB's bowl hopes
with a 31-23 win a week after elim-
inating Marshall's odds 34-29.
But simply competing in
every quarter was a far cry from
the Thompson days. Instead of
48-7 and 56-23 drubbings by West
Virginia, the improved Pirates
hung tough losing 20-15. Instead
of 337-yard Big East records j
by opposing running backs, c
the defense held tough allow- g-
ing 200-yard totals only twice. �
The Pirates finished 19th �
nationally in pass defense giving �
up a 300-yard plus passer once.
While ECU still had trouble stop-
ping the run, opponents averaged
28.8 points per game, an 11.1-
point improvement over 2004's
39.9 per game average.
Offensively, the Pirates
turned in the fourth-best single-
season passing performance in
school history with 2.816 yards.
Pinkney matured equaling an
ECU single-season record for
most 200-yard passing games
ECU coach Skip Holtz led his team to a 5-6 record with consecutive wins over Marshall and UAB.
(10) while passing Jeff Blake to
move into third-place on the
school's career passing yardage
list with 5,390. In addition, he
finished with 2,773 passing
yards, which ranks as the second-
highest total in school history.
And Aundrae Allison in his
first year became the first 1,000
yard receiver in ECU history.
Had Allison not suffered a MCL
injury during the season finale,
he likely would have also broken
Terrance Copper's single-season
receptions record.
But the success label of a
losing record doesn't reside
with schemes or X's and O's.
What is so impressive is that
the perspnnel haven't changed
from Thompson's days. The
same players that fans claimed
didn't have enough Division
I-A talent suddenly started
making plays to win games.
The result came from a change
in attitude, which emitted from
the top, flipping the dynamic
of team and subsequently its
success. When arriving, Holtz
and his staff gave the 19 seniors
see PIRATES page A8
ECU to carry unblemished
record into new year
KOBE
ECU finishes stellar first
half at Nike Cup
SCOTTY WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
The ECU swimmers have
been right on the money thus far
in their season. They have come
away victorious from every meet
this year, and they completed
a stellar first half of the season
by making an impressive splash
at the Nike Cup in Chapel Hill
recently. Winning the event did
not register as the top priority
- the important thing for the
team was to swim fast and com-
pete against themselves. That
they did.
The Lady Pirates broke ten
season meet marks, paced by
Kate Gordon and Allison Miller.
Both swimmers recorded the fast-
est times of the season in three
separate events. Gordon quali-
fied for the final in the 100- and
200-yard butterfly, and in the
200-yard individual medley. She
ended up finishing fifth in the
200 butterfly and seventh in the
100 butterfly. Jennie Meade also
made the finals in three differ-
ent distance swimming events.
In one of her events, the 1650-
yard freestyle, she was joined by
teammates Meghan Brosi, Megan
Pulaski, Kimberly Brewer and
Brennan Gaeckle.
For the men, the star was
Christoph Lubenau. Lubenau
set the ECU varsity record in the
100-yard butterfly and placed
second overall in the event by
just under seven tenths of a
second. Lubenau also reached
the finals of the 50-yard and 100-
yard freestyle, joined by team-
mate Bryan Yasinsac. Their relay
team (which also included Greg
Neville and Charlie McCanless)
made the finals of the 200- and
400-yard freestyle relay, as well as
the 200-yard medley relay.
Swimming coach Rick Kobe
was ecstatic about the team's
performance at the prestigious
event as well as their level of
competitiveness against some of
the best teams in the nation.
"We had a great experience at
the Nike Cup, we swam really fast
and well over 20 finals swims,
which is huge Kobe said.
"It was very fast, one of the
fastest meets in the country
Kobe praised the perfor-
mances of both Lubenau and
Geoff Hansfield, who was the
only Pirate to reach the finals
of the 200-yard event. On the
girls side, Meade, Allison Miller,
Amanda Duncan, Kelly Shinton
and Sarah Hunt all were on
Kobe's short list of impressive
performances.
The swimmers' incredibly
strong performance at the Nike
Cup brings a lot of optimism
for the future. In the immediate
future, the swimmers plan to
work hard at their four hour per
day routine up until after final
see SWIMMERS page A8
New York Rangers' right wing Jaromir Jagr celebrates a goal.
NHL winning
back hockey fans
Chunk by chunk, Busch
Stadium disappears
KRT � Driven by curiosity
and devotion, the regulars make
their way to the corner of 8th
and Clark every day at lunchtime
to watch the artless, methodical
and for them irresistibly fascinat-
ing show performed in the dust
and rubble of what used to be a
ballpark.
Chunk by crumbling chunk,
Busch Stadium, the 40-year
home of the beloved St. Louis
Cardinals, is disappearing before
the eyes of the faithful, the rabid
and the just plain sad-to-see-the-
stadium-go crowd.
Most people who work in
downtown St. Louis do not make
the lunch-hour pilgrimage to
Busch. But for Cardinal fans who
hold dear the memories of Bob
Gibson, Lou Brock, Willie McGee
and Whitey Herzog, their daily
trudge to gaze at this limited
engagement of noisy destruction
is a final albeit prolonged oppor-
tunity to say goodbye.
And it will be a long goodbye,
lasting several more months.
This is not just a guy thing,
and it's more than simply giving
in to the childlike amazement at
watching a building be demol-
ished. This is baseball, and in St.
Louis, perhaps the best baseball
town In America, the home of the
Cardinals is a special place.
"This is the only stadium I've
ever known said Dick Hemkin,
of Staunton, 111 who stood
with his wife, Michelle, as she
snapped pictures at the yawn-
ing gap where home plate once
was. Michelle comes to Busch
three to four days every week to
photograph the demolition of
old Busch and, right next to it,
construction of the new, dark-red
brick Busch Stadium, which will
open next spring.
"This is hard she said. "I
don't think this needed to be
done
Kerry Derrington, a legal ana-
lyst from Wentzvllle, Mo walks
to the park every day from his
downtown office. On a recent day
he recalled attending Game 7 of
the 1982 World Series, in which
the Cardinals beat the Milwau-
kee Brewers 6-3, after coming
back from a three-games-to-one
deficit. It was their last world
championship.
"I've been here hundreds of
times Derrington said, saying
he remembers attending a game
at the old Sportsman's Park,
which was torn down in 1966 to
make way for Busch. Derrington
said he is not upset by the demo-
lition, but he walks here every
lunch hour to enjoy the memo-
ries and anticipate the arrival of
the new Busch.
The uniquely American
romanticism of baseball has
elevated stadiums, such as New
York's Yankee Stadium, Boston's
Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrig-
ley Field, to churchlike status.
Defenders of Tiger Stadium in
Detroit once created a human
ring around the old park to dem-
onstrate their opposition to the
bulldozing of the stadium, which
the Tigers left for a new home in
1999. The old stadium, now 93
years old, still stands, but it looks
haggard and sadly neglected.
Busch Stadium, with hon-
eycomb latticework at the top,
replicating the curve of the
nearby Gateway Arch, is an odd
entrant for venerable stadium
sainthood. It is the last of the
lamentable quartet of carpeted,
unisex arenas built in the mid-
1960s to provide a public stage
for baseball, football, soccer,
rock concerts, revivals and the
occasional tractor pull.
While baseball fans wax
poetic about the old parks, one of
the few memorable quotes about
Busch in the past 40 years is
see STADIUM page A9
KRT � The new NHL is a
hit.
After a season lost to a labor
dispute, fans have flocked back
to most NHL arenas this season
to see what the majority believes
is an improved game with more
scoring, more skating and less
hooking and holding.
Even in New Jersey, where
the Devils have struggled to
adjust to the rule changes and
life after Scott Stevens and Scott
Niedermayer, fans prefer this new
version of hockey to the lower-
scoring old NHL.
"I like it said Karl Palzer, a
Devils fan from Hillsborough,
N.J. "The game is faster, quicker.
There's more action. But I don't
think it's helping the Devils at
all
With a mandate from
the league with the intent of
increasing scoring, referees
have been keeping a close eye
on obstruction fouls. As evi-
denced by the high number of
penalties, some players are still
adjusting, but by hindering
defenders' ability to slow attack-
ing players, the game has opened
up.
The legalization of two-line
passes over the center ice red
line also has helped in this area,
making it more difficult for teams
to play the neutral-zone trap.
The combination of all this has
boosted scoring by 23.5 percent
from 2003-04.
"To me, it's 10 times better
than the old NHL said Kevin
Sinclair, a college student in
Ottawa. "Talent is the most
important thing. If you don't
have talent, you shouldn't win.
The teams with the best talent
should be the best teams
The most popular rule change
has been the introduction of
the shootout to break tie games.
Fans are brought to their feet by
the breakaway confrontation
between shooter and goalie.
"It's great Palzer said. "No
one wants to watch for three
hours and not have a conclu-
sion
Surprisingly, not all the fans
like the increase in offense. Some
still prefer the subtleties of a
defensive battle.
"I hate games that finish 8-7.
Give me a 1-0 goaltenders' duel
any day said Brandyn Babits-
kas, a Florida Panthers fan from
Sunrise, Fla. "(More goals) make it
more exciting when you watch it,
but they're going to keep chang-
ing it to the point where it's like
basketball and one goal doesn't
count for much
� Some players also have been
highly critical of the impact the
rule changes have had.
"Everybody keeps saying this
is great. It's not great Detroit
Red Wings captain Steve Yzer-
man told the Detroit Free Press last
week. "It's not hockey
Yzerman was bothered most
by the high number of penalties,
which turn some games into
power-play contests.
"They've taken judgment out
of it and I think it's somewhat
made it easy on the referees just
to call anything, because there is
no judgment Yzerman said.
Another common criticism
from players and coaches is that
most of the physical battles in
front of the net and in the corners
have been eliminated.
"The new NHL is awesome
Sinclair said, disagreeing. "The
only people who don't like it are
the old players who can't keep up
with the game anymore
If attendance Is any indi-
cation, most fans agree with
Sinclair. Entering this week, the
NHL's 30 teams were playing to
91.1 percent of capacity - a l.i
percent bump from 2003-04
- and 21 teams had experienced
attendance increases.
The Devils are part of the
minority. They averaged only
13,889 fans over their first U
home dates, which is only 72.9
percent of Continental Arena's
19,040 capacity. That also repre-
sents a drop of 1.9 percent from
the 2003-04 11-game average of
14,159.
But other teams are play.
see NHL page A9

PAGE A8
THE EAST CAROUNIAN � SPORTS
11-30-05
Pirates
from page A7
opportunities to provide build-
ing blocks for success. A year
later, five wins is evidence that
the players bought in.
"We laid our foundation
now said graduating senior
Chris Moore.
"We didn't finish out how
we wanted to - go to a bowl,
but we've got great coaches. The
players that are coming back, 1
think they're going to be better
than us
Success is relative to a pro-
gram's expectations. Because of
Thompson's misery, few wins in
2005 were expected. The coaches
selected the Pirates to finish last
in C-USA's East Division. Fin-
ishing 500 in C-USA exceeded
reasonable calculations.
"We were competitive this year
in C-USA Holtz said.
"We can't sit status quo.
When you look at the scheduling
that's been done over the next
eight years, we can't say 'it's good
enough just to compete We are
still building as a program. We
still have a long way to go. We
still are a work in progress
Knowing that Holtz is cur-
rently scouring the nation to
upgrade talent is comforting.
SWimmerS from page A7
exams, when they'll get a week's
break before traveling to Florida
for some Christmas training and
an exhibition with Loras in Jupi-
ter, Florida on Jan. 4, 2006.
They will make their 24th
straight trip to Florida in an
attempt to get in better shape
for a tough and all-determining
stretch run next year. The teams
take on the Virginia Tech Hokies
(who they saw at the Nike Cup)
on Jan. 15 and Duke will come
to town on Jan. 28.
"We'll work about five hours
a day down there (in Florida), it
should put us in great shape and
hopefully put us over the top for
our last huge, major meets coming
up next year Kobe said.
As for now, the swimmers
can just tread water for the rest
of year. They need to tread fast,
though, because they'll need
the speed coming up next year
if they hope to keep their unde-
feated slate clean.
This writer can be contacted at
sports@theeastcarolinion. com.
Trusting the head coach is some-
thing unseen from the players
and coaches in more than six
years. But if the seniors laid the
groundwork for future prog-
ress, then when can ECU be
stopped?
"We've got a great coaching
staff said unior receiver Bobby
Good.
"We're looking forward to next
year because we're showing our
Improvement. We know that next
year will get better and better
This writer can be contacted at
sports@theeastcarolinian.com.
MOTIF YW
HAVEN'T T0L0
www.shareyourtife org
1-800-355-SHARE
mutOsw j
MM 91.5
is now accepting
applications.
Ho applications will be taken after
January 10,2006 at 5:00p.m.
Come Feel the
Season's Warmth.
at the Dowdy Student Stores
HOLIDAY SALE.
Thursday, December 1,
4 p.m. - 8 p.m. '
-� Wright Building
Free Gift
Wrapping
for your
purchase
ry Time
ings by
ECU campus
personalities!

Drawings for
Gift Certificates
EVERY HOUR!
ECU Gospel
Choir
5 p.m 7 p.m.
ECU
Cheerleaders!
Refreshments ,
JML
PHOTOS with PEE DEE!
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Bring a new toy or canned
food to donate to the ECU
HOLIDAY DRIVE and we'll take
your photo with PEE DEE,
free
Ronald E. Dowdy
25 OFF
All reg. price
Gifts & Apparel!
LAST MARKED
PRICE
on Clearance
Apparel!
30 OFF
ALL reg. price
Outerwears
Polos
L.
25 OFF
a HUGE
Selection of
ECU Holiday
Ornaments &
Figurines!
Minimum 2.0 GPfl required
Student Stores
Where your dollars support scholars
Wright Building � 328 6731 www.studcntstores ecu edu
World AIDS Day 2005
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Preventions estimated 180,000 to
280,000 people have HIV and
do not know they are infected.
Free and confidential HIV testing is available
at the ECU Student Health Service year-round.
So what is the
current state of HIV on
NC college
campuses?
Join us for this eye
opening discussion on
December 5th, 2005
at 7pm in the Bate
Building.
Sponsored by B-GLAD
&
Campus Wellness
Call 328-5771
for more information
Isn't it worth a few minutes of your time to
know your status?
I Get Tested!
mmm

11-30-05
THE EAST CAROUNIAN � SPORTS
PAGE A9
Massage
Therapy
a hands-on manipulation with many
diverse physiological effects
Benefits
Reduced Anxiety
Improved Sleep
Stress Relief
Relaxation
Flexibility
and many ,
NHL from page A7
ing to packed houses. With
rookie phenom Sidney Crosby
generating interest, Pittsburgh's
attendance is up 37 percent.
Carolina, one of the teams that
has benefited greatly from the
rule changes, has experienced a
24 percent upsurge.
"I think fans in Canada
like the NHL either way, but
Americans were the ones that
needed this to happen said
Michael Valentinuzzi, a Toronto
Maple Leafs fan who lives
in Ottawa.
"The people in Canada and
the big markets in the U.S. like
Detroit and New York were able
to appreciate the game, but this
has made it more exciting for
the fans in the smaller markets
in America where they needed
their teams to do well to bring
in fans
V
more
ECU
offers
Swedish
Acupressure
Therapeutic
Reiki
30 min. � $25.00
60 min. � $45.00
gift cerificates available
Stadllim from page A7
an all-too-appropriate ode to
humidity: "It holds the heat
well Along with memories of
Brock stealing 118 bases in 1974
and Mark McGwire hitting 70
home runs in 1998, nearly every-
one has memories of sitting at
Busch in the stifling, 100-plus
degree heat.
Yet here in late fall, people by
the dozens brave the cold winds
and the swirling dust, to take
pictures and to remember where
they sat and what they saw.
Scott Buck (no relation to the
legendary Cardinals broadcaster
Jack Buck) drove eight hours from
northeast Ohio to peer through
the chain-link construction fence.
"My uncle brought me to my
first game here in 1967 Buck
said. "Gibson pitched and it
lasted an hour and 58 minutes
The demolition site resembles
a scene out of Jurassic Park, with
large, wheezing power shovels
playing the role of prehistoric
beasts foraging for food. The seats
are gone, the supports dangle
from upper deck wreckage. Curi-
ously, a large full-color advertise-
ment for Bud Light beer hangs
amid the mess, looking as if it
were wiped clean by construction
workers every couple of hours.
Similar ballparks of that era
- Cincinnati's Riverfront Sta-
dium, Philadelphia's Veteran's
Stadium and Pittsburgh's Three
Rivers Stadium - all disappeared
in spectacular fashion. They were
blown up. Their violent end pro-
vided a prompt closure for those
who dwell on sentimentality.
Proximity to the new Busch
Stadium, not even a feeble foul
ball away, prevented a similar
fate for the old Busch.
kV
I

EAST
CAROLINA
UNIVERSITY
Call 328-6841 for an appointment
Student Health Services
�Cozy One 8cTwo BedroomOne Hath Units
�Free Water and Sewer
�Central Heat 8c Air in Two Bedrooms
�Wall AC Unit St Baseboard Heat in One Bedroom
�WasherDryer Connections
�1st Floor Patio with Fence
�2nd Floor Front or Back Balcony
�Pets Allowed with Fee
�Energy Efficient
�On ECU Bus Route
Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
should contact the Department for Disability Support Services at least 48 Hours
prior to the event at (252)328.6799 voice(252)328.0899 TTY"
�Spacious Two BedroomOne Bath Units
�Free Water and Sewer
�Central Heat 6c Air
?�WasherDryer Connections
�Dishwasher
�Ceiling Fan
�Each Unit has a Patio or Balcony
�Pets Allowed with Fee
�Energy Efficient
PO Box 873 � 108 Brownlea Drive Suite A � Greenville, NC 27835-0873
phone (252) 758-1921 Ext. 60 � lax (252) 757-7722
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat By Appointment Only
r ropertLj I q
noQement
Aportments & Rental Houses
www!wrx
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ttJk
A gift far every ocoiUok
alpineblack
fall 2005 - alpine black wristlet and brush & pencil
chelseagi-een
kfo. � x ' 'Vtx'Jr cH
- T 3i f .
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� :V?5 fall 2�' Ifttle tbgc in chelsea gre� -lie tote Sn
avail.able
516 S. Cotanche � Greenville, NC
SWWx!VWWWxxxxxxxx

CLASSIFIEDS
Page A10
WEDNESDAY November 30, 2005
FOR RENT
Three bedroom two bath new inside
two blocks from campus January 1 st
$1100 252-341-8331
2 & 3 Bedroom units 1-3.5 Baths -
Rent from $575.00 Blocks from ECU
& ECU Bus Route. Call 717-9871;
717-9872
FREE! 1st Mo. Rent plus High Speed
Internet - 4 bedrooms, 3 baths,
Central heatAC, fireplace, fenced
yard, dogs OK. Near ECU, PCMH,
427W. 4th St. $1000Mo. 347-
6504
Modes to ECU, 2 or 3 Bdrms, 2.5
Baths, All appliances, Central
HeatAC, Reasonable Rent,
Available DecJan - Call 321-
4712 or www.collegeunlverslty
rvntals.com
One two Brs. on-site management
maintenance Central heat air 6,9,12
month leases Water Cable included
ECU bus Wireless Internet pets
dishwasher disposals pool laundry
(252) 758-4015
Three bedroom new inside fenced in
backyard and deck two blocks from
campus $1100 341-8331
3 BR 3 bath houses available now
or next semester. Includes washer
dryer. Short term leases available.
$990 per month. Call Chip 355-
0664.
2 BD 2 BA Wyndham Circle Duplex
Available Dec 1st and an 1st 595.00
mo. 321-4802 newly decorated
Cathedral ceilings, nice landlord!
Great Price!
2 B.R. Apt. @ 1212 A Charles Blvd.
Near Campus. Air Con. Nat. Gas
Heat, double glass windows.
Dishwasher, Dryer, Washer Hook-
Up. Carpet - $400 ph. 329-0385
- Available an. 1st'06
1 & 2 bedroom apartments, walking
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KNOWTHAT THE
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For Rent 2013A River Drive
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month rent free - Available lanuary
- $600month - Call 252-355-6339
or 252-341-1726
ROOMMATE WANTED
Female roommate needed for
Spring Semester. 4 Bedroom 2
Bathroom House walking distance
to campus. $435 includes rent St
all utilities. Contact Jenni @ (336)
918-8871.
Sublease Jan. '06 thru June '06 Rent
$235 a month plus split cable and
utilities Near Campus On bus route
call Stephanie 252-531-3217
Roommate wanted: male, NS to
sublet four bedroom apartment
at College Park, University Manor;
private furnished room; $295.00
month; includes all utilities, cable,
and internet; on ECU bus route;
available now; call 240-508-9900
FOR SALE
Free cat to good home. Litterbox
and accessories included. Black
and less than a year old. Call Anna
at 413-8445.
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