Lancaster is known for the Fulton Theatre, the Central Farmers Market, and several different shopping centers, such as the Rockvale Outlets. The Farmers Market and Rockvale are good places to go if you really enjoy shopping, but if you are a fan of the cabaret, there are two shows happening during Spring Break that have a few seats left: John Hererra’s Broadway and More and Tropical Illusion are playing March 6 and 7, respectively. Tickets are only $15.

Lancaster County also has some enjoyable museums and places to visit. The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia offers self-guided tours through the history of timekeeping, with tickets costing $8. In Strasburg, take a ride on the Strasburg Railroad or ride a train at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Both locations offer weekend hours and specials.

On March 8, the last day of our break, visitors can go to the Railroad Museum free of charge to celebrate the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s 327th anniversary.

There are plenty of other places in downtown Lancaster and in the county that make for fun and pleasant experiences. The Lancaster Museum of Art on Queen Street offers free admission on a daily basis. There, you can view an assortment of contemporary art from local, national, and international artists. Just down the street is the Lancaster Newspapers Newseum, which provides a self-guided look at how newspapers evolved over the centuries.

Visitors can learn how the Lancaster New Era and Intelligencer Journal evolved into the papers they are today. These are just a handful of the many wonderful daytrips that you could take without going too far away (if you already live close to Lancaster, that is).
If you want something cheap to do, but you want to be away from Millersville and the Lancaster area, take a train down to 30 Street Station in Philadelphia.

There are a variety of attractions in the City of Brotherly Love, including the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Philadelphia Zoo. All of these places would make for great daytrips, or you and your friends could make an overnight trip out of it.

Philadelphia is only a 90-minute drive from Lancaster, but if you would prefer a different transportation method, train tickets from Lancaster to Philadelphia only cost $15 to $20 one-way. Tickets for these museums are also inexpensive: for example, students visiting the Franklin Institute can pay as little as $13.25 for a basic admission plan or as much as $20.75 for an IMAX combination plan.

Hopefully this article has provided some ideas for what to do during Spring Break that will not completely empty your wallet. Check out 800padutch.com/mem-att.shtml and phillyfunguide.com/ for more information on the attractions and museums mentioned in this piece as well as many other fun ideas.

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“I’ve been looking forward to this because it’s time for new strong ideas in the White House that will help our economy and a fresh start for America,” said junior Sarah Felter.

The seats in the Student Memorial Center MPR were filled by students and faculty members who came together to watch the historical event.

Students and staff join in the Student Memorial Center's Multi-Purpose Room to watch the historical Inauguration. Photo by Christian Shuts.

As the new president finished his inaugural speech, he received many cheers, clapping and a standing ovation by those watching.

NBC News reported that the crowd at the National Mall was close to 1.8 million.

This would exceed Lyndon Johnson’s record in 1965 with a turnout of 1.2 million, according to the Washington Post.

As Obama took oath, many large cities across the nation held celebrations watching the presidential inauguration on a large screen.

Celebrations around the world included Obama’s father’s hometown in Kenya where many came together to watch the inauguration.

Sworn in by Chief Justice, John G. Roberts Jr., Obama placed his left hand upon the bible, held by First Lady, Michelle Obama that belonged to 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

This was the first time Lincoln’s Bible has been used in a presidential inauguration, which marks an important and special moment in which the United States has it’s first African-American president.

“I think the fact that Lincoln’s Bible was used in the ceremony is a very remarkable symbol,” said junior Amy Blevins. “It shows just how far our country has come and that anything is possible.”

After Vice-President, Joseph Biden, and President Obama took their oath in office, the new president addressed the nation with his inaugural speech making many bold statements about various challenges and changes that he will face in the next four years including the economic crisis.

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the remaking of America,” Obama said. “The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.”

On the topic of terrorism, Obama gave this message to those who threaten our homeland; “We say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

The transition of presidents from George W. Bush to Barack Obama was operationally smooth and seemingly respectful.

A team of movers arrived at the White House Tuesday to move the Obama’s into their new home after former president and first lady George W. and Laura Bush departed.

Just seconds after Obama ended his inaugural speech with “And God bless the United States of America,” the White House’s official website was changed by the click of a button with a new layout displaying the headline “Change Has Come to America.”

President Obama’s day ended with ten official inaugural balls planned by the inaugural committee.

One of them included a first-ever Neighborhood Ball in which anyone was able to attend for free or at a low cost.

At the Neighborhood Ball, Obama thanked the American people “for what you do to make America better.”

He explained that the Neighborhood Ball was important and it “best captured the tone of the campaign.”

Jan. 20, 2009 is now a day in history which will be remembered by millions, and written in our future history textbooks.

Obama’s words were absorbed by millions around the world including many proud citizens.

“The thing that stuck out the most to me about the inauguration was how little separation there is of church and state,” senior Meredith Anderson said. “Overall, I was impressed by President Obama’s speech and I hope it serves as a good indication of the next four years.

“His willingness to admit the struggles that lie ahead while still reassuring the American public, and the world, that we can do it together helped remind me why he is our 44th President.”

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Melissa Kuntz displayed her art in the Sykes Gallery during the winter session, through the first week of the spring semester.

Her art utilizes mostly basic lines and shapes, and has a very pop like feel, much like the art of Andy Warhol. Though she does not focus on subjects like Marilyn Monroe or bananas, her art would look quite at home in a Warhol gallery.

Kuntz’s paintings, in her most current show, feature close-ups of everyday images such as signs and hotel balconies. In fact, the majority of the paintings are of signs for establishments of no real importance; one being “Pinecrest Motel.” Her paintings give off a  lighthearted feeling, making the viewer feel like he or she is vacationing at the beach or the mountains.

Many of the pictures almost appear to be photographs that were accidentally set on zoom when they did not have to be. The signs only show the last half of the word and give off little indication of what it was supposed to be in the first place.

They display no backgrounds and are set in front of only plain whites, grays and blues. However, what the pictures lack in detail they make up for in a sort of retro like spunk. It appears that Kuntz not only used Warhol’s design as a muse, but also used his time period. The paintings look like representations of works that would have come out of the 50s.

One piece features a diner with booths perfect for a poodle skirt. Kunts received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Novia Scotia College of Art and Design and her Masters of Fine Arts from Purchase College in New York.

She now teaches at Clarion University in Western Pennsylvania. Kuntz has received numerous awards for her art exhibitions and collections. Sykes Gallery is featuring artist Danielle Kramar next and will be showing her exhibit, “Only The Real.”

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Issues ranging from the War in Iraq, the economic situation and foreign relations are just a few of the whirlwind events that will likely engulf the new President’s attention in 2009.

But the one issue that will dominate the administration from the start is the economic stimulus package that is currently being debated in Congress.

Obama’s place in future history books could very likely be staked on how he handles the economic downturn.

To most political pundits and average citizens, the idea of using taxpayer dollars to bail out established American companies like General Motors or Wells Fargo is a necessary idea. We cannot let such large companies that employ thousands of people go under.
Most of America will gladly watch billions of hard earned taxpayer dollars go to help such companies stave off bankruptcy.

But there is another point to consider in all of this. The list of companies looking for government handouts has grown to a size that could cross the Grand Canyon and back.
Not all of these corporations should receive even a dime in federal assistance. You heard me right; Some should be allowed to either fail or get bought out by someone else.  So let me explain this before I get any messages saying I am crazy to think, let alone write this for all to see.

Since we live in a free market economy, the life of a business is determined on how well
they can make profits and compete in the marketplace.

Companies that do well thrive and expand, while those that cannot succeed ultimately fail.

This cycle ensures that only the most efficient and beneficial to the economy prosper, because they do the best job of delivering the necessary goods and services. Throwing money at corporations that have failed is a waste of taxpayer dollars since it upsets the business cycle that promotes only the profitable businesses; not to mention some of these companies will still fail in the end

When one company goes under, another will step in to take its place or another will find a better way to operate. For example, should the Federal Government have bailed out vinyl record companies when CD’s came along?

Of course not. Compact discs were more advanced and had more applications than records ever could.

New jobs were created in various other industries and those who might have lost jobs in records, found new ones in industries created by the new technology.  It is a message that might be hard to take in for some, but it is a lesson that those in Washington would do well to hear.

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Their preparations for defending their PSAC East Title began with four crossover games.

Then ranked eighth in the nation, Indiana (Pa) visited the Marauders at their home court on January 13.

It was the home side who grasped hold of control of the game through their defense.  Millersville were able to hold the highly ranked opponents to a horrible shooting day (17-of-59), and Millersville

Senior Gladine St. Julien led all scorers with 17 points.  Millersville upset the nationally ranked Crimson Hawks, 54-42, and stretched their record to 9-1.

Things did not shape up as well for the lady Marauders at Pucillo Gymnasium when they hit the floor, against California (Pa) Vulcans.

Once again, Millersville found themselves facing off against yet another Nationally ranked team in successive days.  The Marauders gave up a season high in points surrendered, in a 70-56 loss.

Senior Gladine St. Julien fades awar for a short jump shot in the paint. Photo by Christian Shuts.

Millersville finished their four crossover games with the PSAC West, on the road against Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst.

Slippery Rock jumped out to a first half lead, but it was the visitors who bounced back.  The Marauders pushed back into the lead, early in the second half, behind performances from Junior Jenna Craig and St. Julien.  Craig completed her fifth double-double of the season, adding 11 points and 10 rebounds.  St. Julien finished with 17 points on the day, which was a game high in her team’s 60-48 victory.

The second of the two day double header, against Merchurst, presented Millersville with another chance to celebrate.  Millersville shot out the gate as Senior Jenna Philo started off the scoring, leading her team to a quick 17-2 burst.  St. Julien also proved her inside dominance by scoring a game high 20 points.

The lady Marauder’s fierce defense and early hot hands on offense, knocked the home side out, and gave Millersville its second straight win, 53-54, heading into PSAC East play.

“It was a tough stretch for us.  We took each crossover game one at a time,” Fleig said.  “We had our best defensive efforts against Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock and need to keep up the intensity on defense during the season.”

Millersville defense of its division title began on the road, as Millersville traveled to West Chester.  The opening of the PSAC East did not go as Fleig and the team had expected, though.

Millersville had the lead as time was nearing a close, yet West Chester nailed a clutch game-tying three pointer with 22 seconds left in the game.  Millersville could not close out the game and wound up going down, 64-54, in overtime.

Sophomore Dominique Stroman looks for dribbling room along the baseline against the University of the Sciences. Photo by Christian Shuts.

The pain however did not stop there.  Millersville’s second PSAC East opponent was Kutztown at their place.  The lady Marauders went cold in the final four minutes, and saw the game slip away from them as the game neared completion.  Managing only two points in those final minutes, Millersville appeared in the losing column for the second straight outing, 60-56.

The team is well aware of their shortcomings in the losses, but will not dwell on the outcome.  It is a long season, and the team can not afford to lose focus on the
road ahead.

“This was not what I anticipated after the intense defensive we played with the last two games,” Fleig said.  “We just do not give up as many points as we did.  We played passive defense, which is not our game plan.”

However, the lady Marauders know what they must do in order to rebound from some tough losses.

“Our team needs to work on defending tougher and managing the final minutes of games,” Fleig said.  “It is a long season and we had tough road games in the beginning.  We will get our chances at home later in the season.”

Millersville hits the floor again on Wednesday and searches for its first PSAC East victory against Shippensburg.

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In doing so, the students were given both the opportunity to purchase their textbooks used and read for classes in advance and prepare accordingly.

Students were then able to save money on books because buying used is always cheaper than buying new from university stores on campus.

Those fortunate students could then use that money they saved on things like food, rent, car insurance bills and the like.

There was one university called Millersville, however, that decided not to allow its students the privilege of the much esteemed booklist.

Instead, the only ways its students could obtain the titles of their books was to e-mail every professor on their schedules and hope that they responded in good time, get lucky every once in a while and find the titles on MyVille, or find the titles after painstakingly scouring the Millersville website. In most cases maybe two or three professors would respond; which is commendable considering they have their own workloads and personal lives to worry about.

So, the students resigned to finding out the book titles of their remaining classes by going into the University Store. Unfortunately for them, by the time the store first opened at the beginning of every semester it was too late to order and receive used books online before classes started.

Also unfortunate, for some reason there were a scant number of used books throughout the store so that students could not even buy used books there.

Sometimes multiple books were even bound together in saran wrap so that they could not be bought used in the store. With fate seeming to be pitted against them, defeated and soon-to-be broke, students paid the full price for their textbooks. Seriously though, why doesn’t Millersville offer booklists?

Most other colleges and universities do, why should Millersville students have to bend over backwards trying to find out what their textbooks are? Why should Millersville professors have to read through hundreds of e-mails that ask for textbook titles? Most importantly, why is it that with this system Millersville students have to pay full price or they will not get their textbooks in time for class?

The Millersville chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (MU SDS) has a petition floating around asking Millersville to require its professors to make a booklist two weeks in advance.

I suggest that all students looking to save on textbooks sign the petition and pass it on so that this student unfriendly system can change.

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Spring break provides students with a decent amount of time to get away from the sameness of their surroundings for just a little while.

It is not necessary to travel overseas or go to the islands for a fun spring break trip; especially since airfare can be so expensive when combined with the costs of food and lodging.

Road trips to various historical places or just places, you have always wanted to go, provide entertainment and allow you to see many things in a short period of time.

An attraction like Niagara Falls will be less expensive to go to during spring break this year with it being the off-season. The beginning of March is not really the time for hotels to inflat their prices for tourists.

Casinos, historical attractions, and interesting features like the Daredevil Museum can be enjoyed without worrying too much about cost. Not to mention it is only about a six and a half-hour drive from Millersville University.

Junior Ashley McColgan went to Canada for a previous spring break and saved money by finding a cheap hotel online, driving there, and finding little bars to eat at instead of larger restaurants.

Of course, Canada is not going to be any warmer than Pennsylvania.

“I don’t really like the snow, so it wasn’t my favorite trip,” said McColgan. “It wasn’t a rowdy trip.”

Most ski resorts are in season until the beginning of April, so with MU having  an early spring break this year, students will have the opportunity to try out some skiing that they might have missed during winter break.

Renting a little cabin with a bunch of friends can help to keep costs down and several skiing areas are within reasonable driving distance from Millersville.

If you really need to enjoy the warmth on the beach, the closest and least expensive place to go is Florida. While a longer drive, it can be made into a fun adventure when you have several friends all having a good time together and sharing the cost.

It is important to remember that going to visit family can be a nice way to get out of the Lancaster area and save money by staying with them instead of at a hotel.

Sophomore Lori Rosowski traveled to Florida to visit her sister for spring break last year and got the added benefit of enjoying the beach. However, according to Rosowski, spring break is not long enough to really get much out of it.

“I think spring break is overrated, wait until summer,” said Rosowski.

To save money and still have a good time, junior Cassandra Blum stayed at a friend’s house in Puerto Rico for a spring break get away. If you do not have someone to stay with, Blum recommends sharing a room with friends or going away with family.

“Spring break is just expensive,” said Blum. “You just have to save up for it.”

Another thing to keep in mind, the beach is not far from Millersville, even if it is just as cold there as it is here.

“Obviously it’s too cold to actually go to the beach, but at least it’s a different town,” said McColgan.

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True to form, Smith not only finished the match, but also won decisively, showing once again that the Marauders are here to compete this season and have matched their team win total from last season.

Following a long break, the Marauders got back to business at the “Shorty” Hitchcock Memorial Classic. It was a successful tournament as three members of Millersville’s squad placed.

Junior Jeremy Brooks (165 lb) finished just short of winning it all, falling in the final bout against Maryland’s Josh Asper.  Brooks has been competing for Millersville after coming out of a stacked 165-lb class.  His finish was the third-straight place for Millersville at this tournament.

Senior Jarrett Hostetter (157 lb) battled to a third-place finish for the third consecutive year.  He won four out of his five matches along the way, eventually defeating Virginia Tech’s A.J. Johnson in the third-place match.

Sophomore Raymond Bennett (197 lb) placed fourth after scoring four decisions.  He narrowly missed a third-place finish after losing to Army’s Orion Ross, 6-5.

Because of the large field of 258 wrestlers, coach Todd Roberts was impressed at how hard they worked to get to the semi-finals.

“They wrestled well,” Roberts said.  “It was nice to see guys place at our own event.”
Hosted by Millersville University, the “Shorty” Hitchcock Memorial Classic was an open event with wrestlers at many levels.  From Pennsylvania to South Carolina, high school wrestlers to college graduates, the event featured a wide range of competition.

The tournament came at a good time for the Marauders.  It was an opportunity for the team to get back into competing in an individual event before they got back into a difficult part of their schedule.  They were also able to sit some wrestlers who were either injured or needed the rest.  This seemed to pay off in their dual meet last Sunday.

Freshman Sean Andel (141 lb) grapples his opponent against Wagner. The Marauders have enjoyed success thus far with a record of 5-1. Photo by Christian Shuts.

The Marauders won convincingly against American International and Springfield Technical Community College. Millersville defeated AIC, 37-12 and Springfield, 45-9.  The Marauders lost only one match that was not a forfeit.

Smith (174 lb) scored two pins on the day, which has been his specialty this season.
“Very rarely does he get someone on their back and not get the pin,” Roberts said.

Millersville is now 5-1 on the season and have improved vastly over last season. While a lot of the focus was previously on Hostetter and his success, this year the Millersville wrestling team is no longer focused on just one individual.  However, Roberts said many of the people on the team have stepped up their training after seeing the amount of work that Hostetter put in to get to where he is now.

“Jarrett’s work ethic inspired people to work harder,” Roberts said.  “He makes guys around him better.”

The Marauders next dual match is against Clarion University of Pa. and Duquesne University.  Their schedule for the remainder of January and February includes two matches weekly, which means the Marauders will have to work hard to maintain their weight and stay in shape.

Smith is going to have to keep his forehead bandaged in the upcoming weeks.  The rest of the Marauders also seemed to have patched things up.

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This university is one of the best colleges in Taiwan for the arts, according to Professor Debbie Sigel.

Not only did Professor Sigel recommend her student Yeager for this opportunity, but she studied at the Tainan University during four months of her sabbatical.

Stefanie Yeager will be leaving for Taiwan in February and is planning to return in May.

“My family is really excited for me, but my mom is a nervous wreck,” Yeager said.

Yeager is the first person in her family to receive a four-year degree and also the first person from Millersville University to receive such an opportunity.

She double majored in art education and art with a concentration in ceramics.

Yeager said that she is very grateful to all her professors in the art department, especially Debbie Sigel, because they have always been so helpful.

“I am forever thankful for Professor Sigel’s guidance and support.” Professor Sigel said that Yeager embraced every opportunity that the professors offered her and worked extremely hard.

Yeager’s goals in Taiwan are to experience the culture as much as possible, take advantage of studio time at the university, travel all of Taiwan and to visit China.

“I know that to experience a culture, eating their food is a definite so I’m planning on experimenting different types of foods while I’m there,” she added.

Yeager thinks she will be able to handle the culture shock because she spent a lot of time with a Taiwanese art student who studied in Millersville last year and she has been learning the language in her spare time.

Professor Sigel recommended Yeager because she is a very strong art student and believes she will succeed in an intense program.

“I am incredibly proud and impressed with her independence and willingness to take risks. I’m sure no matter what Stefanie ends up doing, she will do well and impact others,” Professor Sigel says of her former student.

Yeager admits to be both nervous and scared about her upcoming adventure, but plans on tackling it like any other opportunity that was thrown in front of her.

“Millersville is about opportunity. Graduating is not the end, it is the beginning,” said Professor Sigel.

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Originally released in theaters in 1973, not long after the debut of the album itself, a DVD version, Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii: The Director’s Cut came out in 2003. Running significantly longer than the earlier versions of the film, it includes additional commentary and interviews with the band in the EMI Recording Studios Abby Road in London.

The premise: Pink Floyd performs at a set of old ruins that once may have hosted performances of Greco-Roman tragedies, period concerts, or the place of some spectacularly bloody and violent show put on to satisfy the Roman Empire’s thirst for blood at the height of the once formidable empire.

It starts with the gentle pinging of the cymbals on the drum, and other slow, soft, sounds including some played using an early electronic keyboard. The melody builds up from those initial soft sounds to Waters on bass and Gilmour on six-string as they dominate with harder guitar rhythms throughout the work.

Vocalists Gilmour and Waters evoke the Albatross of old literature as they sing of an Albatross flying overhead, almost lifeless, much like the Albatross of Coleridge’s poem hung around the head of those that harmed the poor marine bird.  The lyrical segment is short; the group goes back to instrumentals for the remainder.

The audience gets a break from the music with a series of interview and commentary with the group filmed as they were preparing their iconic album, Dark Side of the Moon.

The setting is informal, no one is dressed for the stage, or for formal interview, they dress as themselves. Gilmour and Waters share their thoughts on the direction of rock and roll, in particular what they see as a greater emphasis on using the sophisticated equipment coming out, but all the same, no matter how sophisticated the equipment, what makes a band great is the talent of the members. Water’s comment, “Give a man a Les Paul guitar and he becomes Eric Clapton” feels relevant now, as it did in the early ‘70s.

Nick Mason, who played with Pink Floyd from their inception, does much of the drumming for this album.

Fans of Mason’s drumming will find it almost mesmerizing to see his talent for percussion come to life as he plays in sync with the group. While playing One of These Days his drumstick flies away, he gets another and plays again without missing a beat.

The popular song, A Saucerful of Secrets is performed. Haunting melodies and voiceless vocals with instrumental clashes throughout that surprise, yet never feel out of place.

The film is not without flaw. Animated CGI scenes of ancient Rome before the empire’s fall are mixed in with Pink Floyd’s music playing in the background. This does not take away from the music, just begs of the audience to ask why? It still does not have much place in a film about Pink Floyd.

An enduring legacy of all that is Pink Floyd, Live at Pompeii remains as fresh and daring an album as it did in the early ‘70.

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