text:
By Moni Basu, CNN
(CNN) - Officials at Penn State published an open letter this week about an incident that has brought the university under scrutiny once more.
Members of the university's Chi Omega sorority chapter celebrated Halloween at a Mexican-themed party. They wore sombreros and ponchos and pasted fake mustaches on their faces. They held signs that said: "Will mow lawn for weed + beer." Another sign said: "I don't cut grass. I smoke it."
Then they took a photo and posted it online. Outrage spread over the insensitive nature of the photo. Some said it perpetrated stereotypes and were culturally insensitive. Latino students on the Penn State campus demanded a direct apology from Chi Omega, which issued a statement of regret to the college newspaper.
The university president, the president of the board of trustees and other officials expressed their own feelings of deep disappointment.
"How any constituent groups or individuals in the university could behave with such insensitivity or unawareness is a question we must both ask and answer," they said in a letter Thursday.
"Our university is a place of learning and discovery, and there certainly are lessons to be relearned, or even discovered for the first time, from these incidents," the letter said. "The simplest of those lessons is that costumes that include blackface, or that parody or imitate a person or groups of people, are always offensive to someone. They convey either a lack of awareness about the human condition and human sensitivities or, worse yet, disdain for the thoughts, feelings, histories and experiences of others. They suggest a failure to empathize or even a failure to think. They make all of us small."
The incident comes in the wake of this year's conviction of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky for sexually abusing 10 boys over a period of 15 years. He was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison. The scandal led to the dismissal of legendary head coach Joe Paterno, who died only weeks later, and severe NCAA penalties against the school's storied football program.
Reaction to the Chi Omega story, however, has not all been of dismay or outrage.
Some CNN.com readers commented that the picture was just plain old college fun. "Anyone who is offended by this needs to take a pill," said one reader.
Two people who identified themselves as Latino wrote on CNN's Facebook page:
"As a Hispanic-American, I don't find it "offensive" at all," wrote Will Jiminez. "Just a bunch of college kids having fun, if it was offensive I would have cut my wrist every time Family Guy made a joke like this. Kids having fun, that's all! If you're actually offended by this, you're an idiot!!!!
And Adrian Briones said: "I'm Mexican-American myself and I think this pic was just meant to be funny/harmless. The media just trying to make this an issue, like everything else."
But fun doesn't necessarily mean there's no insensitivity, said sociologist David Pilgrim, a specialist on diversity and race relations.
"The two are not mutually exclusive," he said.
When he heard about the Penn State incident, Pilgrim was reminded of a Martin Luther King party held at Tarleton State University in Texas where attendees showed up in Afro wigs and gang apparel and ate fried chicken and watermelon. One woman even dressed as Aunt Jemima.
"At those parties you don't typically have the people being caricatured in attendance," said Pilgrim, who is also the curator of the Jim Crow Museum of racist artifacts at Ferris State University in Michigan. "That means you have created a safe space in which to defame them."
But is it inherently wrong to wear clothing associated with a racial or ethnic group?
"No," said Pilgrim. "This is why I would say: Ask them what they did at the party."
Did they change the way they spoke or the way they walked? Did they perform a brown-face minstrel show?
"I, obviously, think that's wrong," Pilgrim said.
The signs the sorority women were holding were perhaps an indication that it wasn't all innocent, he said. Those signs made him think of a T-shirt he once saw on a Chicago Cubs fan: "Albert Pujols mows my lawn."
"Even a rich, successful, iconic figure can be reduced to a one-dimensional stereotype," Pilgrim said of the baseball great.
Others who commented on Facebook and Twitter said they wouldn't care if Mexicans poked fun of their blond hair or blue eyes. In other words, no one is protected from mockery.
But Pilgrim said there's an arrogance to assuming that all people are the same; one that ignores a history of discrimination in America.
Still others said the sorority women had constitutional rights to freedom of expression.
"The legal bar is often the lowest bar," Pilgrim said. "Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean you should."
All said, the Penn State students happened to be caught doing something that probably happens quite often on college campuses and elsewhere in America.
Baylor University is investigating some of its students this week after similar pictures surfaced of them dressed in Mexican costumes. They showed five women dressed in serapes, sombreros and mustaches with what appears to be dirt on their faces, according to CNN affiliate KXXV. They also were wearing green signs around their neck that read "green card," or a permanent visa.
But there's another piece to this story that is troubling to Pilgrim. And that gets back to the heart of the letter issued by Penn State authorities.
Penn State is a place of higher learning, a place of grooming for future leaders. They are the ones, Pilgrim said, who will play important roles in an increasingly diverse America.
University officials said they will not pursue disciplinary action against the students in the Halloween party photo.
"These disturbing behaviors involved expressive rights protected under various federal and state laws - rights which we strongly support, and which we honor by not vainly pursuing unlawful disciplinary action against the students involved," the letter said.
But it also went on to urge all Penn Staters to reflect on the value of diversity in the university community and beyond.
"We must both celebrate our differences and embrace our common humanity," the letter said. "If we can do so, on our campuses and beyond, we will be better, our university will be better, and the world will be better."
Ultimately for people like Pilgrim who study these matters, the Penn State incident boils down to this: Was it a news story for its shock value? Perhaps not. But if anyone is asking what's wrong with what the students did, Pilgrim might say that was a question that seemed more likely in 1952, not in 2012.
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As I recall, college was full of theme parties that poked fun at a broad range of individuals. Even our sixties, pot smoking parents. Find a real problem to discuss...
This is the general rule: As long as there is no HATRED, it cannot possibly be racist and therefore offensive.
If SNL can do, so can the students and so can the rest of us.
Additionally: The topic is very serious and deserves to be explored, chronicled, debated, etc.
If you don't like this type of article, CLICK ELSEWHERE.
I think its funny. would be even funnier if they added gays and lesbians to it. anyone offended by it should take a chill pill. get over it
I'm offended that people could be offended by something that is obviously a joke. Why do people laugh at White jokes, Black jokes, Mexican Jokes, {insert group here} jokes? It's because they are poking fun at stereotypes and most "normal" people can laugh at them because they are so far out there that it's funny.
I think people "offended" by this stuff need to turn off the TV, computer, IPAD, etc and learn to live and enjoy life. It's way to short to be so easily bothered by something that is so stupid.
....to the funny person so far out there, ?
I agree!!
I'm offended that people could be offended by something that is obviously a joke. Why do people laugh at White jokes, Black jokes, Mexican Jokes, {insert group here} jokes? It's because they are poking fun at stereotypes and most "normal" people can laugh at them because they are so far out there that it's funny.
I think people "offended" by this stuff need to turn off the TV, computer, IPAD, etc and learn to live and enjoy life. It's way to short to be so easily bothered by something that is so stupid.
It's called racism.
The Media create this unrealistic super-diverse utopia universe that doesn't actually exist anywhere, and members of our society are expected to leave their homes every day and treat each other as if we do not have different personal heritage, culture, and upbringings. It is a great ideal, but we are at least a couple hundred years from fully realizing it. Take away a person's safe space to vent their frustrations with disillusion and disorientation, and the person will slowly lose his or her sanity. One step at a time, America. One step at a time.
...i believe the woman up there eaaarlier was talking about 'integration' , the end of education
as long as there is at least one minority taking part, it's not offensive. i spotted at least 2
..ooh, hoo, eagle eyes !
Um, You think Notre Dame or Slippery Rock or Harvarrd are any better? Or are you one of those Liberty University idiots that think drinking doesn't happen anywhere except on secular campuses. Naive parents should be your name.
i find the signs WAY more offensive than the costumes – the association wasn't necessary. the costumes have been done before, esp. for cinco de mayo. all i'm saying is that fights have been started with fewer words.
i can certainly see how some MIGHT be offended. but you have to take into account the ages and maturity level of the sorority mindset. even people who make straight A's can do some stupid teenage stuff.
in otherwords.....GET OVER IT
REALLY???!!!! This oversensitive world is out of control. There should be certain bounderies but a few young folks having a costume party is not offensive. Nor are the signs. In a world where we are raising our children with "reality shows" and convincing them "everybody is a winner" is WRONG. You are setting the young generation up for failure if you do not allow them to express themselves. I am hispanic and I am NOT offended by this photo. Get real folks, worry about the hard stuff, the true offensive things in life, like child molestation and child killings, and also about how we are raising our young folks. This is why more of them are commiting suicide and rampanting with weapons and bullying others. They are not being taught to have fun and relax about it. When they do something really wrong, a good paddle on the behind is in order.
Now what would really make it insensitive is if they had guns that they bought from the atf.
yes - that Fast and Furious program started by the Bush administration was awful
the degree awarded most often at Penn State is a BAC (blood alcohol content)
how many of those girls have weed in their rooms in the drawer with their Plan B -- Parents if you send your daughters to Penn State be sure to send Plan B
What? Dumb sorority girls? Who would have thought?
bravo girls !!!!!
Just reinforces the long held theory that Sororities and Fraternities exist for the simple people of bringing together those college students who just can't be big enough jerks on their own
I see an Asian and an African-American in the photo. They are, doubtless, traitors to their minorities for perpetuating "stereotypes."
i wonder what will happen when they start doing the chinky eye pose. will that asian girl be there laughing?
I guess the only theme party anyone can have these days that won't be offensive to anyone is for everyone to dress like gnomes or teletubbies with nondescript uniform color clothing and shaved hair. And, of course don't smile for the picture.
A gnome!!! Are you trying to offend midgets and height-challenged groups of people??? How can you live with yourself!?!?!?
I'm with David, you're a prime target for the campaign for equal heights
You're an idiot and I never want to be invited to your kind of party. You guys all gather around and wear white cloaks, or has that tradition passed?
Also, I know this may not be YOUR Jesus, but doesn't it kinda bother you that it's okay to make fun of culture of people populated with folks that share the SAME NAME AS YOUR Prophet? (I only assume you must be of the Crappy Christian variety because you don't seem to be able to reason very well. You don't seem able to differentiate "harmless fun" from the mean-spirited perpetuation of negative stereotypes that many a Crappy Christian employs to elevate themselves beyond others. Crappy Christians are more vocal than their reasoned, good-hearted counterparts.)
Why do you feel the need to make fun of people-- we teach children that such behavior is wrong. Can't you learn
Really? A Christmas Story is running non stop and when they're in the Chinese restaurant, and the waiters misprounounce the "L", I'm not offended. I just laugh. Yes, I'm Chinese.
I think this fits in well with the tradition of Sandusky and Paterno. It's been there all along in all its different forms. They are Penn State.
Ah ignorance is bliss
At Penn State they do not give BA's they give BACs
I am hispanic, and I really don't find this offensive. I think it's actually kind of funny, and that's the only way to get over it. Laugh at it. If everyone is so sensitive to everything, then how will people react to the real world where nobody really cares about feelings. Anyone who is offended by this needs to relax and laugh. The only ones that should be offended are people that live what the signs say.
typical liberals always whining the photo is fine relax and laugh
SURELY there are MORE IMPORTANT things to worry about in the world today that some stupid college girls dressing up in stupid costumes with stupid signs.
PEOPLE You need to get a life!
Not news worthy, in fact I would asume CNN has a chief editor to review these stories before posting. Quick trying to promote division in this country with your media propaganda.
Pilgrim is an idiot. Even Pilgrim notes everything is offense to someone, so what do we do stop talking for fear of offending someone. You cannot say Merry Christmas. I have also noted a drop in Happy Hanukkah, but an increase in lets not offend the Muslims. You are not complaining when someone places a million dollar bounty on a person because of something said or depicted about Mohammed. The conversation police needs to be muzzled as do those that would prevent free speach.
I don't know what a speach is, but if it's free, I'll take one.
As a minority I do not see anything offensive about the picture. The signs are dumb, but that is just a narrow view of there world. I could be get angry, but will that fix it? We seen what blind anger does. We are having to bury 22 lives due to someones blind anger. Maybe someday we can have the picture without the comments. For now I will just keep mowing lawns and picking up after people who. Make the derogatory comments. At least I get paid
Picture an all black faternity, and the members are dressed up as white, middle class boys, you know people like Adam Lanza, Dylan Klebod, or Eric Harris. They're all holding assault rifles, with signs saying, "Won't Kill your kids for zit cream", or "I won't shoot if you let me play X-Box", or "Living in the suburbs is hard man, so I'm going to shoot everybody!
Yeah, I'm sure you people who think the girls sorority picture is no big deal would still feel the same!
Good example. Sometimes it takes turning the tables for people to "get it" and i'm sure you'd hear all these people objecting loudly then it's about them.
What are you talking about? Middle class suburb whites get mocked all the time.
Ann Coulter must be proud
I'm So Glad That I Risk My Life Everyday For This Country And To Protect the Rights Of It's People.
And for People Like This To Make a Mockery Of My Culture and Ethnicity just Makes it all Better
are you a landscaper in the army
I am willing to bet my one and only krone that if they had dressed up as vikings and posted the picture that it wouldn't be news. Nobody would have said boo!
thank you
If they had dressed in horned helmets, worn Goretex uniforms, wielded toy machine guns, bottles of vodka, swastikas and signs saying -"Hail Breivik, Death to all non-Norwegians,"-that would have been crude, offensive and stupid, wouldn't it?
That's because there are no Vikings living today that have been negatively stereotyped. This is stereotyping in its worst and that it's from Penn State, as East coast as it gets, is outrageous. Aren't they the ones that wave their little signs "We are Penn State"? Do they mean they are proud of something when they wave those signs? Cut it any way you want to, it's racism.
That's ridiculous. 'Viking' is not a race or a nationality. The viking angle is not and never will be valid, and I'm not sure why so many Scandinavians like to bring that up in race discussions.
Maybe because 'beautiful women' and 'too much happiness' won't net you too many sympathy points when it comes to stereotypes. 😛
I mean, I could bring up the drinking stereotype, but most Scandinavians I know brag about it...
I always get a laugh out of some of these comments. they make the news funny(ier). and I am so slow, I thought the problem Penn was having was with the weed-speak.
We don't even know how many,maybe 10 million felon illegal alien invaders just walking around our country,know one knows who they are and we get insulted by someone making a big deal out of some soroity girls having a little fun ? Priorities are definitely mixed up here.
Amen to that
Agreed, illigal immigration is the problem, not a few girls stating there openion.
Nope, people who didn't pay attention in English class, despectively lump all minority members together and whine about others when they don't qualify for jobs are the REAL problem in this country...
I thought I'd disguise myself as a Penn State WASP last Halloween, but I couldn't find any Ward Cleaver clothes or get any little boys to dress in drag. Look at the picture, meet Penn State's 2012 batch of CEO sugar mommas. Chi Omega, the other white meat.
They don't owe me an apology. You wanna have a themed party? Go ahead. It's a free country. If one doesn't like the theme then don't go. Again, it's a free country.
well said
Ok, I'm sure it was all in good fun, but it annoys me it was some stupid, snobbish sorority that did this so I'm hoping they get more than a slap on the wrist.
What we do says who we are, down to each individual. This time in history calls for the best in each of us, including tomorrow's best hope, today's young people. The best "fun" this group could muster was a cheesy jibe, a snicker at the expense of people who perform the tasks U.S. citizens scorn in favor of careers in collecting welfare. Considering the cold, harsh, soulless comments above, the ladies of Chi Omega are right in tune with the times.
No one has a sense of humor anymore!
No, people just seemingly have nothing better to.
As a Mexican myself, this is funny as hell. They probably shouldn't have taken the picture though. Plus its not a stereotype if they're depicted truthfully.
It's not a stereotype if it's depicted truthfully?
So you're telling me you walk around with a huge rainbow
poncho and a sombrero and you have a mustache?
Wow RAMON you'd put up with anything to be an "honorary" ah?
Wonder how funny it would be if a minority fraternity did White face, with little dogs, cardigans, khakis, police officers laughing in the background and signs saying "Manual labor: Only immigrants need apply ", "Will middle manage for coffee" or "I smoke weed since I won't be drug tested" would go? This photo is not fun and perpetuates negative stereotypes and continues the divide and conquer mechanism by people with your mentality.
um ya, it would be hilarious. lighten up.
Not having pants hanging down to the ground, speaking correctly, no police record...
It's not the act in my opinion that was offensive. Even if you want to make racially motivated jokes you need to understand whats appropriate for mass social media, and whats appropriate for a select crowd. Regardless of where drugs come from, or whom mows your lawn, to reduce ALL mexicans to stereotypes based of mowing lawn and weed smoking can be offensive. There are MANY mexicans that dont associate themselves with anything related to weed smoking, or lawn mowing, and that is where the possible offense comes in.
You have to have excellent SAT scores to enter Penn State so it's not a school for dummies. I do think we need to start educating our children early on about social media and what is approriate and not approriate. Unfortunately I also feel it's up to the schools to also teach racial sensitivity since parents seem to be cluelss.
They just ruined their future. No employer will hire racists.
Oh yeah, like that is going to happen!
Yeah...Every HR Department around the globe will print the picture and say....Are you the girl in the 2nd row 4th from the left? Sorry...your outstanding resume is the best yet, BUT you wore a sombrero and my second cousin is half blooded Mexican who happens to cut grass. Sorry we can't hire you. Your racist! Sorry I must end the interview, my fraternity alumni are meeting tonight to engage in a toga party! Woo hoo.
Nothing racist about it. Everyone tres to make a big deal, but when non Whites do it t's ok.
Everyone ts racist in some form. And besides truth shouldn't hurt.
They are college students. This is not newsworthy or new.
It's disgusting. This further shows that the PSU Panhellenic & sorority system needs more oversight and review. And to think they believe they are the leaders of our future. I am so disappointed. They disgraced our school in the media & public once again.
Disgusting? Really? Embarrassing?. I got news for you Evelyn. Our young adults are in school for education. They also have lots of free time. I know at my university we had fun too. A theme party happens at schools all across the country. Today we all live under the micro"media"scope. If this happened at any other school we would not be discussing it. Its the classic "kick em while their down" syndrome on a great university being hammered opinionated fools such as yourself due to the actions on one sick individual . If you can't see the innocent fun and intent, then you are blind to reality and I can only hope you are not the future leader that replaces them.
Cancel Cinco de mayo if this offends everyone. I'm 1/2 Irish and the group of us celebrates cinco de mayo every year with a trip to the local Mexican restaurant in our Sombreros and ponchos that we bought in Mexico. We also of irish decent dress up as green fools and get stupidly drunk. its never offended me when I see a drunk person of any decent dressed in a green sweater.
It's not the clothes or the sombrero, it's the signs saying "will mow lawn for beer and weed." If a drunk person was wearing some clothing associated with the Irish and a sign with an Irish Stereotype – that would be just as wrong.
So these kids are wearing clohing items available at every border town, and the Mexicans BEG us to buy them, but are offended we would wear them? Why is it politically incorrect to state the truth? If you are mad at the signs, guess what, most pot comes to the US through Mexico......quite being so sensitive and grow a pair!!
Can Mexicans that buy in our shopping centers make fun of our level of literacy, or portraying us as imbeciles just because a some of our fellow citizens are uneducated... just to have fun?
Dude! seriously??? ( compare our levels of literacy with those ones of Germany or other European countries... for sure, there are a lot hardworking people over there too)
A bunch of ignorant rich kids, supported by a GOP cultist.
Wow! The bad publicity and bad judgement just doesn't stop at Penn State. Perhaps, they should, indeed, have their accreditation taken away. This certainly doesn't show much in the way of brain power! Wake up, folks. There is a whole world outside of Happy Valley.
The most offensive part of all of this is actually Penn State's response. In the response they state that, " "These disturbing behaviors involved expressive rights protected under various federal and state laws – rights which we strongly support, and which we honor by not vainly pursuing unlawful disciplinary action against the students involved," the letter said"
What Penn State is saying is that were it not for those so-called federal and state laws which they claim impart these right to us, they would have come down on the students. Penn State should maybe read the Declaration of Independence. The founders' view was that our rights were not and are not given to us by men or the government, but handed down to us by God. "Human Rights" cannot be defined by or imparted by men to the people. These right exist by the mere fact that we are human, and God's children. Penn State is behaving as if it owns the bully pulpit, saying if it weren't for those federal and state laws, ya'll'd be in trouble.
Screw you.
God isn't real.
and how can you possibly prove that, you want God believing people to prove he is, you prove he isn't. I guess one day one of will be proven right.
@amievit: it's not his job to disprove every wackjob religious claim. extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. otherwise david koresh and warren jeffs were really prophets of god and not just sick child molesters. Oh you want proof of their divine influence? I believe you need to prove that they weren't sent by god. (your own argument). While you're at it; prove the non-existence of the flying spaghetti monster. Oh you can't do that either? Well I guess I'll be enjoying eternity at His side in the kingdom of pasta enjoying the beer volcano and you'll just be suffering in endless torment because you chose the wrong god. sorry
your comment is no different than what amievit says, but you blast amievit for asking wanderstars to prove it, yet defend wanderstars who even made the original claim that one does not exist. Amievit simply said prove it. And you think that is wrong for someone to do, YET you say amievit has to prove it. Your comment is just bias idiocy and presenting a scorching case of double standards. All amievit said was prove it to wanderstars and yet you think amievit is wrong, yet you basically say amievit has to prove it.
@Sharky – Wooosh... It's satire. That was ALL satire and you completely missed the point. The difference you have both missed is between proving something and DISproving something. FSM, Russell's Teapot, Invisible Pink Unicorn are satirical examples of things you can not disprove. If you had tried, maybe you would realize that. Don't worry though that doesn't make them true and that's the point! Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, otherwise every crazy, sick, thing that someone can claim would be true! Jeffs and Koresh are two examples of men making extraordinary claims with ZERO evidence to prove it. It is NOT up to the rest of us to disprove it!
God is real. And I hope He has mercy on your soul on the day of Judgement.
@Tasha – Which god? Thor? Zeus? Odin? Xenu? Is he the guy who gives aids to children every day? Cancer? Is he the god who so inspired people to fly jets into buildings in 2001? Would this be the same god your parents happened to teach you about or one of the thousands you haven't heard of?
A very interesting, ranting tangent you've discovered.
yeah, umm wow. If it weren't for these "so-called" laws being in place, I guess we would have to use the bible as our sole source of legal guidance which says that slavery is a-okay and that women shouldn't hold authority over men or, apparently, white people can't dress up in stereotypical clothes of an ethnic minority for lulz because that might hurt someone's feelings; that was even a commandment, wasn't it? Right after the 'lord's name in vain' one. And CERTAINLY not if those clothes are made of mixed fibers!! That's a one way trip straight to hell for sure! (I know that one's in there.)
So, If I understand you correctly, when you state: "Human Rights" cannot be defined by or imparted by men to the people, you mean that any time one person violates another person's "human rights" man (government or otherwise) can not act, we must let God decide the course of action???
Yet every St. Patrick's Day America celebrates being Irish as being sloppy, stupid drunk. I am 100% Irish descent and it annoys the crap out of me. But what can you do? People are stupid.
My mum's side of the family is Irish, and yup you are correct in how Irish are depicted on St, Paddy's day, BUT difference is, Irish are mainly white people. Therein lays the difference.
I guess we shouldn't dress up in togas anymore either. We are probably offending the ancient greeks in some way. In a society where shows like Family Guy and South Park receive some of the highest ratings on television and political and religious groups can openly tell LGBT people that they should die, people really need to relax about a few girls dressing up for a themed-party. This would definitely not be an issue if it wasn't Penn State.
Exactly! I am sure that this was not the only theme party held on a college campus last week. But Thanks to Jerry (may he have his request granted and be released into general population and then rot in the place reserved for him) every little action at PSU is being hyper scrutinized
The reaction of the Marxist university administrators is just what you'd expect when you live in the unfree USSA. Political correctness is a form of cultural Marxism and it is enforced with a vengeance in the USSA. Speak your mind and lose your job. Point out the truth about the perils of diversity and be shunned by all the sheeple. Do you honestly think you get an education in any of these universities anymore? All you do is pay to have some liberal lowlife brainwash your kid to hate you for being able to send them to school in the first place. Think out of the box. Encourage your kids to find an education in untraditional ways. Who needs more liberal art degrees anyway?
You are exactly right.
What does that have to do with the article? It is worth considering, in this age of social media, the future consequences of actions like these. What if one of these Sorority Sisters applies for a job where the hiring manager is Hispanic? A quick Google may uncover this photo.
What a hilariously cliched rant against the PC police..
You tell them..politically cliched loser guy..hahaha
*stamps foot* I too want to be as offensive as humanly possible, but I am constantly flabbergasted by the fact that my mean words and stereotyping is met with criticism and censure! Why can't I, a member of the historically oppressive group, say what I want whenever I want without consequences? It's my God-given right to be as hateful as I can, just as Jesus wants it to be. I'm so unused to having to think of others, I just despise it when I'm made to be thoughtful and consider my actions in a historical context. WAHHHH!
A more blatent version of you
You probably think it was Groucho Marx
Crude, insensitive practucal jokes are fun. Ha-ha-ha-ha. I take them, I give them.
These 'Maxicans' may be 'Insentative' but I'd bet my last dollar that most of them speak and write the english language better than you do.
i don't care about the mexican thing... who cares if folks get overly sensitive about something... you can't make anyone happy these days... HOWEVER – if I were these kid's folks, I would be taking a birch-tree switch to their behinds for wasting my money on their tuition for being stonies
So I guess the Frito Bandito is a Bozo no-no?
Penn State: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
It's like people there just ASK the world to hate them.
I seem to recall a movie called "White Girls" in which two black men dressed and were disguised as two ritz white gals. Where was the media coverage of the "insensitivity" of that movie? People went to watch that film, and laughed at it. Found it funny, or found it (as I did) a crappy movie.
"Oh, it was just a movie. Who cares?" Exactly.
The difference is that brown and black people have not exploited, oppressed, raped, and colonized white people. And white people do not experience the effects of this racism from brown and black people. It is a matter of power.
Racist is racist, period. Doesn't matter what the color of the person who's doing it is. That photo is racist and so is the movie "White Chicks".
In the old days if you said or did something stupid your hand and head were placed in a wooden stocks and you were set in the public square for all to see. Nowadays your actions are placed on the news for millions to watch.
A recent study indicated that rats who wore leisure suits were twice as likely to get cancer than rats that didn't...
The very fact that the media focused on this event made it much worse than it really was. If it was bad in the first place.according to some. Now instead of 10,000 seeing it millions can now gawk over this. Yes the media has an agenda in all this...just guess what it is.
The media wants to make money and report on stories people respond to. Look at the number of comments – this story qualifies . no other agenda here.
It is CNN, anything done by white people against other races will be of main focus. Look what happened with say Zimmerman. He is bi-racial YET CNN was quick to call him white, YET Obama is biracial but CNN says he is black.
Some Chinese have whiter skin that us, and the fact that you wrote that Zimbabwe was left in ruins just because the white people left just prove your lack of historical understanding.
Industrial societies are damaging the world, we still haven't sign the Kyoto protocols (do you even know what is that about???)
If we were really congruent and coherent, people with white skin would have to go back to Europe, and we would have to leave the American continent for Native Americans. So, be tolerant and do unto others....
I don't find the costumes offensive, but I do find the signs offensive. And also a little off base. I wonder if these people even know any Mexicans. I grew up in Arizona and it wasn't the Mexican kids smoking weed. But, you know, I don't put a lot of weight on anything sorority girls do or say. They have their own stereotypes to defeat.
Diversity will end this country, too many different people , all with different sensibilities. Can you say Yugoslavia?
Yes we need totalitarianism to ensure no diversity and uniformity of thought. (assuming you were being sarcastic)
Have you forgotten all the immigrants of the last 350 years? English, Irish, Spanish, French, Polish,Russian, Chinese, etc. Worked pretty well for US.
For a group that has their integrity already sullied, this is plain moronic.
Boycott Penn State:
Don't send your kids.
Don't watch them on TV
Boycott... don't be silly. It's not just a university problem it's a societal problem.
You're kidding right? Something that happens on every college campus in the US.....suddenly becomes a reason to "boycott" a university? You may want to go look in the mirror for the moron.
I think the comments about how tired everyone is of a)overreactions to a little politically incorrect fun and b) exhibitionists would be a bit more plausible if the kids had done without the mowing lawns for weed and beer and smoking, not cutting grass signs. I would be real sad to see my kid in that photo, and know they did not have enough respect for others to say to the rest of the herd "I'm not going there." Besides that, it's just tacky, completely lacking in wit.
I'm glad that there are hispanics who are not offended by this, but that doesn't make it less racist.
It also doesn't make it less racist that it's "just college kids having fun." I'm sure it wasn't done to offend hispanics, but it's still racist.
Pretty sure for something to be "racist" there needs to be an element of hatred or intolerance. Dressing up for a Mexican themed party doesn't seem like something of hate or intorlerance. Just more folks jumping to an extreme conclusion.
That's actually not the case (about racism needing hatred or intolerance). Racism can be accidental or just stem from ignorance.
I would have been offended if they had dressed up as Piligrims.
...i would agree with you...but, i don't think it is feasible that...all people throw away their cell phones...now...refraining from abusing them...that's another story...people are too vain and narcisistic to stop exposing their vanity and self-absorbtion...too shallow to know it too.
Remember when something had to be truly offensive to make news? Now you just have to be "insensitive". The whussification of America.
Many (but not all) sorority girls come from well off families and have very, very comfortable lives. And many (but not all) of the Hispanics that they are mocking are low wage immigrant workers who are working towards better lives. Overall, I don't think the rich mocking the poor is very funny at all.
I think it's fine. If a bunch of middle class dressed up like wall street execs, no one would care. Thin skinned people are what is killing this country
Oh, that is such a great point. Seriously.
Romney mocked the poor, and now he resides in Disney Fantasyland.
agreed. It arrogance of the highest order.
LOL congrats you just stereotyped sorority girls because of the crap you see in movies.
I think the signs are rude. Without the signs: not at all rude. Just fun 🙂 It was a THEME party.
It's funny. They are college kids. Get over it.
Penn State officials, just go back to teaching the basics. Common Sense 101 and Moral and Ethics 101 for every PSU student.
yeah im kevin im awesome
ha ha ok, think what you want. I don't care. Regular Americans are the one's that keep to the values and upbringing of the United States from the past, the past might not always been perfect but we learned from our mistakes and ma
Look at that, nobody wanted to sit next to the Black chick and they pushed the Asian girl way out on the edge in hopes she would not get in the photo.
I know I have way worse photos than this from my college days. Suck it up Buttercups...these are college kids having FUN...IN COLLEGE. We all know that, though you are suppose to be maturing in college, we take a few steps back sometimes and make some awesome memories. Well done ladies...I hope it was FUN.
Options for future parties:
Rioters who did $200,000 damage after Paterno was fired.
They all dress up as 85-year-old football coaches.
They all look the other way (for 15 years) while children are molested in PSU showers.
They all whine about NCAA sanctions
They dress up as members of Paterno family and demand a free football suite for 25 years.
They all dress up as the ridiculous statue.
Someone is jelly
You can't be serious!! These kids had nothing to do with Sandusky, Athletic Department, or anything else associated with the so-called scandall.
Give me a break. As a white male, there are tons of people that make fun of my stereotypes all the time. I laugh. If I got offended every time someone made a negative stereotypical reference to me, I'd be mad daily. That must be what it's like to be a liberal...looking for ways to be offended.
Right on. Well said.
C'mon! You are taking yourself way too seriously! If I had your point of view, I would need to be offended every day by TV shows and movies that depict men as complete bafoons. I see things every day that tell the world men are incapable of surviving without the help of their smarter wives/girlfriends. If you can't laugh at yourself that's your problem.
The stupidity began with white women of privilege presuming a right to engage in a stereotype based caricature of another group of people. While they have a right to express themselves in such childish and insensitive ways, the question is why they'd want to and what responsibilities they have to others in that expression. As for being "normal," surely we would hope that racist, juvenile expressions like this are not the norm in higher education today for any Americans. Ultimately, this is not a big deal but the failure to learn from this experience could prove problematic for these young women down the road.
It's just s pic, calm down. Just be cause you live in the United Sates doesn't mean you have the right to NOT get offended. I am sure those of you throwing stones (nadinesh) have done worse. So take a deep breath internet fighter, the sun will rise tomorrow and life will go on.
Hmmmmm...guess we better pull The Beverly Hillbillies off TV since it makes fun of those of us with an Appalachian background! I'm half West Virginian and I love that show and love West Virginia jokes. My black friends tell me the funniest black jokes. People take themselves too seriously. The question is motive. Do these kids hate Hispanics or were they having good natured fun? I bet every one of them has Hispanic friends.
I bet you many of them are Hispanic. So what's the big deal?
You can only make fun of straight, white,men. They're the only one's that can handle it.
It would be a lot less insensitive if they took their shirts off.
They're just looking for a big jalapeño! they all were banged by latinos that night.... it's just fun.
Doc get a life and quit blaming Fox news for everything. They are the only ones who will ask the hard questions and get people to talking. Unlike CNN and MSNBC who are bobble heads for the current administrations.
Doc, You just have to try to blame Fox again, even when they have NOTHING to do with the article, that is what is wrong with what is going on now. You think there should be 1 view and that is yours.
They are having fun.....get over it!!
I have to say this. I was not born in the US but have lived here for the last 12 years. Americans have a great sense of humor. We don't have to interpret a sense of humor into a cultural attack on ethnic groups. The fact is we are all different.
That's what liberals do. they are so offensive.
oh people are so thin skinned it is pitful.
You , my friend, are a brainless political zombie. You serve no purpose. Your party is dying.
And it seems to me that those with the thinnest skin are the first ones to hurl insults! You, my friend, are NOT a brainless, political zombie. You do serve a purpose and, although I don't know your "party affiliation," it's not dying!
oh people are so "SENSITIVE",
............The ONLY thing FALLING FASTER than the unemployment rate is...................the gop APPROVAL RATING............
I would agree that the photo is insensitive, given the signs being held. The signs are really what takes this from simply dressing in costume for a theme party to being a cultural statement. However, I would stop far short of using language such as "disturbing" to describe the photo. I would say that anyone who takes enough offense to this photo to go beyond a negative comment, is overly sensitive and probably needs to relax. The question they should ask themselves is whether they feel the sorority girls had any malicious intent.
im going to sum up my opinion this way.. i'm an african american female. i can sit down, and watch a racist joke or two on family guy about my demographic, i can take a black joke at school. but every once an a while someone will take it overboard and i believe i owe it to myself to stand up to it. i may not be that offended by the picture, but to tell a hispanic person that has to go to that school with those girls that they're being overly sensitive ... its just not my place to do that.. now why this story got airtime as national news floors me.
I think too many people spend too much energy being offended.. Unless you offend me. That is different!... I think.
Hey, watch Saturday Night Live, or Family Guy or Leno or Letterman or...
EVERYBODY does it! But because of Jerry Sandusky, now it's popular to point fingers at Penn State.
Amazing how many hypocrites the media has.
Lock them up and throw away the key!
I think most journalists are those oversensitive people in our college writing classes who loved to complain about everything and make a big deal over something a normal contributing member of society doesn't bother themselves with.
DPO, amen to you! The media seems to have way too much control over how we should run our lives. Every immigrant group that has come to this country has had its share of jokes and gotten on with their lives just fine. Anyone with a good handle on the Spanish language can tell all the little do-gooder wasp's that Latinos do their share of poking fun at us when we're all standing in line at the 7Eleven too! There's a huge difference between poking fun at a stereotype than there is making fun of an individual. Media, collectively, needs to spend more time reporting news that counts.
"The media seems to have way too much control"
It is not our fault that you allow them, Avid Reader (BTW: You need to do more reading or pick better material)
"normal contributing member of society"
That is code word used to attack Liberals


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bada wrote:agreed although I dont think it should not count. Steriods was EVERYWHERE and almost everyone KNEW it.
All this business about putting asterix on records, not getting into the hall of fame, and all that is non sense in my mind.
While Bonds most CERTAINLY was doing steriods, probably was over 60% of the pitchers he hit against. From all accounts, steriod use was ever more prevalant with pitchers than it was with position players.
Unless you can know for sure exactly who was using or not (which obviously is impossible) then everything should just count. Especially when baseball turned a blind eye
haha, ok bada, 99.9% probability
but i agree with you, EVERYONE"S (going with the CAPS theme) record should be intact, as much as it disturbs everyone, cuz in reality, it is possible ANYONE or EVERYONE used it. So we cannot just blame the ones who were caught (especially just the stars) when many more people got away with it, and maybe even some Future HOF's got away with it too.

subset: commoncrawl


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The event is part of a national commemoration, but the "TRIO Day" celebration scheduled by Hope College TRIO Upward Bound will focus on local impact: the hundreds of high school students whose lives have been touched by the program across 40-plus years.
The celebration will take place on Saturday, March 13, at 10 a.m., beginning at Graves Hall on the Hope campus, where Upward Bound's offices are housed, and continuing to Centennia lPark.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The event has been scheduled as an opportunity for current and past participants and friends of the program to gather, with the walk symbolizing their personal journey to higher education and the program's community focus. Students, their families, alumni and members of the community will share reflections concerning the difference that Upward Bound makes in helping students prepare for college.
Hope College Upward Bound is funded through the TRIO program of the U.S. Department of Education, which supports hundreds of pre-college and college programs nationwide. February 27 was the National TRIO Day recognition date this year, but programs schedule their commemorations individually, and the Parent Leadership Group representing the current students suggested the gathering and walk as a way of emphasizing the importance of the program to families, according to Andrea Mireles of the Hope program's staff.
"It's been meaningful to hear their commitment to higher education," said Mireles, who is the student and family advocate with Hope College Upward Bound. "For parents to have had their children here, and to say that they see the difference that the program has made to their child."
Upward Bound, which began in 1968, serves 80 high school students from the Holland, West Ottawa and Fennville school districts during both the school year (afternoons and some weekends) and the summer. The program seeks to generate the skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school from among students from low-income and first-generation families who have the potential to pursue a college education but may lack adequate preparation or support. The goal of the program is to increase the academic performance and motivational levels of eligible students so that they may complete secondary schooling and successfully pursue post-secondary educational programs.
Liz Colburn, director of Hope College Upward Bound, estimates that more than 2,000 area students have participated in the program since its inception. Recent high school graduates are currently attending colleges and universities including Hope, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University and Western Michigan University. Alumni of the program live as nearby as within a few blocks of campus, and as far away as California and Hawaii.
National TRIO Day was established through a 1986 Congressional resolution to focus "attention on the needs of disadvantaged young people and adults aspiring to improve their lives, to the necessary investment if they are to become contributing citizens of the country, and to the talent which will be wasted if that investment is not made." There are more than 2,800 TRIO programs serving nearly 850,000 students at more than 1,200 colleges, universities and community agencies throughout the United States, Caribbean and Pacific Islands, including more than 960 Upward Bound programs.
Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.


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The Observer has decided that it will not use e-mail address lists obtained from local municipalities to invite citizens' input on news coverage.
We are shelving this idea after hearing concerns from some on the lists that the e-mails would not be welcome. Please reconsider, you said.
And so we did. The last thing we want to do is to discourage anyone who actively seeks information from his or her government. That kind of interest is good for our community, and should only be encouraged.
We apologize to all who were offended. While we did not view these invitations as a "commercial use" of the e-mail lists, we respect the concerns of those who did.
For those new to this issue, here is some background: On Saturday, I wrote that we have made public records requests for lists of e-mail addresses compiled by Mecklenburg County municipalities. The owners of those addresses submitted them so they could receive alerts, updates and newsletters.
We made our requests after the city announced early this month that it would seek to restrict access to the lists. The city's lobbyist said there was concern that e-mail spammers might seek to use them. The lists would still be public record, but governments would not have to provide electronic or paper copies.
As I said Saturday, we feel a responsibility to see this "public record" before legislators move to restrict access to it. Very often, you only understand the value of a record being public once you've seen it. And this is something we have never examined before.
This was, and still is, our primary reason for asking for the e-mail lists.
But I also noted that we presumed the people on the lists to be especially civic-minded. And we had considered inviting them to become part of a growing pool of citizens who advise us on our news coverage. This idea especially offended some e-mail subscribers.
"I signed up for information about road closings from the city," one subscriber wrote. "This is emergency information. To even receive one unsolicited e-mail from The Observer, even just asking for input, is unacceptable."
We hear you. Most people who signed up for government e-mails did not know that their addresses would become part of the public record. Information alerting them of this either didn't exist or was hard to find on the municipal sites. In fact, one town's site erroneously told people who signed up that their addresses could be kept confidential.
We have many other ways to invite people to advise us on our journalism. If you are interested, please e-mail reader engagement editor Cindy Montgomery at firstname.lastname@example.com.
I also want to reiterate that the Observer will not convert these lists for commercial purposes or share them with others. They will be used solely for journalism, namely to determine their relevance as a public record.
Thanks to all who weighed in with your thoughts on this. We heard you, and we promise to keep listening.
Reach Rick Thames at firstname.lastname@example.com or 704-358-5001.
Monday, January 24, 2011
We heard your concerns on e-mail lists
The Observer has decided that it will not use e-mail address lists obtained from local municipalities to invite citizens' input on news coverage.
Friday, January 21, 2011
E-mail lists used only for journalism
Did you know that when you sign up for e-mail alerts from your local government, your e-mail address becomes a public record?
To be honest, we had not thought about that, either. In fact, this only occurred to our newsroom when the City of Charlotte announced earlier this month that it would ask the N.C. legislature to restrict access to such e-mail lists in its upcoming session.
The city's lobbyist, Dana Fenton, said the city would propose that the list remain public record, but a record that could only be inspected on site. The city could turn down requests for electronic or paper copies.
This, said Fenton, would make it more difficult for an e-mail spammer to use the addresses.
We're all for less spam. But we felt a responsibility to at least see this "public record" before legislators moved to restrict access to it. Why?
In many cases, you can only understand the value of a record being public once you've seen it. And this was something we had never examined before.
It also occurred to us that many people who signed up were clearly engaged with their communities, given that they were interested in receiving government e-mails. We immediately thought of two ways they could help us in our coverage of their public officials:
They could tell us from experience if this government e-mail service was useful. Did it provide the information that they need?
If they were interested, they could also become part of a growing number of citizens who are lending their perspectives and expertise to help us produce better journalism.
To date, nearly 1,500 people have accepted our invitation to be part of the Carolinas Public Insight Journalism Network. They have assisted us on a variety of stories, including the quality of local cell phone service, the state of the economy, the upcoming revaluation of Mecklenburg County property and last November's election. (For more on this program, go to www.charlotteobserver.com/publicinsight.)
If people were not interested in advising us, we simply wouldn't contact them again. And in no instance would their e-mail addresses be published in our newspaper or on our website, used commercially or passed on to anyone else. This was solely about journalism.
In hindsight, we should have been clearer as we made our requests, and we apologize for raising concerns.
While the state's open records law does not require citizens to explain why they want a public record, several governments that we contacted feared that we wanted the lists for commercial purposes. This led some governments to warn people that their e-mail addresses were being given to the Observer.
To further confuse matters, our requests were submitted by Steve Gunn, who formerly worked exclusively in our newsroom, but in January moved to the Observer's Interactive Division.
In his new role, Steve works with the newsroom as well as with other divisions in the company.
The city's notice about our equest went to about 20,000 e-mail addresses Thursday. By Friday, about 100 people had contacted us, asking for more explanation. About half of them asked that we not contact them.
"I still find this an unethical use of the law," wrote one e-mailer who didn't want to be contacted.
However, many appeared satisfied once they understood our intentions.
"Based on what you shared there is no need to put my name on the 'remove' list," said another. "I'll review what you send and take it from there."
If you have concerns, Steve would like to hear from you. You can reach him at email@example.com or 704-358-5077.
If you want to join our Public Insight Journalism network, please e-mail Cindy Montgomery at email@example.com.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
View the Observer in our E-edition
Our offer of free access to the electronic edition of the Charlotte Observer has proven so popular that we are extending it one more day.
No need to go without your morning newspaper even if icy roads delay delivery today. Or, for that matter, if you'd rather not skate down your driveway.
Simply call up our E-edition. It is an exact replica of today's newspaper, adapted to your computer screen. See the easy instructions below.
More than 2,000 readers took advantage of the E-edition by early Tuesday afternoon. Most who contacted me about the experience said they still like the look and feel of real paper, but the E-edition was an intriguing alternative.
"Thank you," said one commenter. "After flipping through it (the E-edition) I do find it to be user friendly – and I like the look of a "real" newspaper."
There was some disappointment. Wouldn't you know, our vendor for the E-edition experienced a brief server problem at mid-morning, which prevented some from signing on until later. Also, some readers were chagrined that the E-edition is designed for PCs, but not smartphones or iPads.
"I want to read on iPad and iPhone," said one commenter. "Get that going and you may have something."
The iPad, maybe. But remember, the E-edition is a replica of an actual newspaper. For screens the size of an iPhone you are better off with a special iPhone application of the Observer. We released that a few weeks ago and it is enormously popular (you can download it to your iPhone at Apple's app store at no charge).
We are developing an iPad application, but it won't appear as a replica of the newspaper, either.
What's the advantage of an E-edition? For many people, a newspaper remains the most representative record of that day's events. They like how it is organized. They like its definitive nature.
Think about it. When we experience a historic day, people don't fall all over themselves to take a snapshot of their favorite news web site. They want their own copy of that day's newspaper. The printed front page still reflects their place and time.
The E-edition holds this same edge. On top of that, you can electronically search it and print out any portion of it. You can even shrink or enlarge what you print. If the Sudoku or crossword puzzle give you writer's cramp, make them bigger!
Here's how to make use of the E-edition today. Go to:
When asked for a phone number, type in 704-358-0108. For the home address, type the number 600. Then apply the security code as provided.
If you need further assistance, operators are waiting at 800-532-5350.
I again want to thank our carriers for driving bravely through the snow and ice to get the Observer delivered. I also want to thank you for your patience in instances when we have experienced problems.
And we can all be thankful for the sun as soon as it returns.
(The E-edition is regularly available to print subscribers for an additional $1 a month, and to non-print subscribers for $5.99 a month.)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Observer E-edition is free today
If the icy weather disrupted delivery of your printed Charlotte Observer today, we invite you to try our electronic edition at NO charge.
That also goes for single copy buyers who can't get to a news rack.
Our E-edition is an exact replica of that day's printed newspaper. If you have not tried it, I think you will be pleased at how easy it is to virtually "turn the pages." It also has the added advantage of search.
It is easy to get the E-edition on your home computer. Simply go to:
When asked for a phone number, type in 704-358-0108. For the home address, type the number 600. Then apply the security code as provided.
If you need further assistance, operators are waiting at 800-532-5350.
While our carriers are working hard to maintain delivery, it is inevitable that we will experience problems in some areas as a result of the ice. We sincerely apologize if this happens to you.
Please feel free to try the E-edition as an alternative. And if it is your first time, let me know what you think of the experience.
(The E-edition, by the way, is regularly available to print subscribers for an additional $1 a month, and to non-print subscribers for $5.99 a month.)


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Monday, January 19, 2009
Handicapping Seminars/Contests announced
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Jan. 19, 2009) – Daily Herald and horseplayerpro.com handicapper Joe Kristufek will be on hand "talking horses" at Trackside OTB locations as part of his fourth "Learn to Win" tour that will include a "Beat the Pro" handicapping contest element for the first time in the Winter/Spring of 2009.
Kristufek's tour of Trackside OTBs begins on Friday, Jan. 30 at Trackside McHenry, located inside Nicolino's Restaurant, 621 Ridgeview Drive in McHenry. Kristufek will be on hand from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. to talk racing, answer questions and help fans hone their handicapping skills.
The "Beat the Pro" contest is for anyone who signs up and uses their Arlington Cash Card or Account Wagering Card to place a minimum of five wagers. Anyone who posts a higher return on investment (amount won divided by amount bet) than Kristufek for the day will receive a portion of the $250 prize pool.
As an added bonus to all Trackside patrons on Kristufek's seminar days, Horseplayer PRO will provide complimentary copies of their highly successful PRO Alert, a national listing of horses entered to run that day off their exclusive "watch" list.
The final stop of the Winter/Spring tour will be a special Kentucky Derby handicapping seminar to be held Thursday, Apr. 30 from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at Trackside Arlington Park featuring Joe Kristufek and Arlington Park television handicapper Jessica Pacheco which will explore wagering and handicapping strategies in an interactive format. There will be no "Beat the Pro" contest at the special Derby seminar.
Dates for an additional Winter/Spring OTB Tour featuring Chicago Sun-Times handicapper M. Scott McMannis will be announced in the coming weeks.
Kristufek's complete Tour schedule follows:
Date Location Time
Friday, Jan. 30 Trackside McHenry 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31 Trackside Waukegan 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 14 Trackside Chicago 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 28 Trackside Quad City Downs 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, March 6 Trackside Lockport 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday, March 13 Trackside Rockford 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 Trackside South Beloit 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, March 20 Trackside South Elgin 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 Trackside Waukegan 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, April 3 Trackside McHenry 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 4 Trackside Hodgkins 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, April 10 Trackside Lockport 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, April 11 Trackside Chicago 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 Trackside Arlington Park 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
* Thursday, April 30 Trackside Arlington Park 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
* Special Kentucky Derby handicapping seminar. No "Beat the Pro" contest associated with this Tour stop.
Arlington Park – the Chicago area's premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 98-day meet in 2009 from Friday, May 1 through Sunday, Sept. 27. Arlington Park, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 10 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities – Trackside Arlington Park (Arlington Heights), Trackside Chicago, Trackside Quad City Downs (East Moline), Trackside Rockford, Trackside Waukegan, Fat Sam's Bar & Grill featuring Trackside OTB in Lockport, Lucky's featuring Trackside OTB in South Elgin, Nicolino's featuring Trackside OTB in McHenry, Tad's Sports Bar & Grill featuring Trackside OTB in South Beloit and Salerno-Pincente Ristorante featuring Trackside OTB in Hodgkins. Information on Arlington Park can be found online at http://www.arlingtonpark.com.
Read more articles in the Arlington Park category.


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Smithfield: Community
Arts Notes: Feb. 23
Music at JCC
Avante Vocal Jazz, an a capella jazz group, will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield. For advance tickets, which are $7, go to jccperformingarts.com. Tickets at the door are $10.
Free workshop
"The Business of Being an Artist," a free workshop, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 1, at the Johnston County Workforce Development Center, 135 Best Wood Drive, Clayton. Topics include marketing, networking, websites, public relations, grant writing, artist residencies and festivals.
'The Fantasticks' at JCC
Johnston Community College will present "The Fantasticks" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium, 245 College Road, Smithfield. The musical is a romantic comedy about a boy, a girl, their meddling and the wall that divides them. Tickets in advance are $16 for adults and $12.50 for seniors, students and military. For tickets, visit jccperformingarts.com.
Romantic comedy
The Clayton Youth Theater will present the romantic comedy "Almost, Maine" at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27-28 and March 1 at The Clayton Center, 111 E. Second St., Clayton. For tickets, which are $10 for adults and $5 for students, visit theclaytoncenter.com or call 919-553-1737.
On opening night, enjoy dinner at the Wagner House and then walk across the street to The Clayton Center to see the show. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for students. The Wagner House will donate a portion of sales to the Clayton Youth Theater. For those tickets, call 919-553-1737 also.
Art for kids
Doodlebugs, a weekly art class for kids and their parents, meets from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Fridays at the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center, 600 E. Booker Dairy Road. Children 18 months to 3 years experiment with dough, pudding gelatin, crayons, watercolors and more. For Smithfield residents, the cost is $5 per session or $19 for four sessions. For nonresidents, it's $7 per session or $27 for four sessions. Register two days in advance by class 919-934-2148.
Paintings, photos on display in Clayton
Works by painter Elizabeth de Sherbinin of Raleigh and photographer Chris Rodier of Clayton are on display this month at the Clayton Center, 111 E. Second St., Clayton. The free exhibit runs until March 3. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Art and Food Festival
The fifth annual Art and Food Festival Gala is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 N.C. 210, Smithfield. The evening will offer sample dishes from Johnston County restaurants, a silent auction and the chance to purchase works by Johnston artists. The following will perform: pianist Earl Worley Jr., violinist Molly Olah and singer-guitarist Bruce Naegelen. Tickets are $40 each or two for $75, with proceeds going to the Johnston County Arts Council. For tickets, call 919-938-0306 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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It was a steamy weeknight in July on Centre Street, and the extras in black tie were flagging.
The $100 million series "House of Cards" was prepping a crowd scene outside the Peabody Institute, across from the Midtown BBQ & Brew. For more than two hours, nothing happened. Extras were herded about, lights were adjusted, and onlookers complained alternately about the heat and lack of action on the set.
Then they snapped to attention. A current moved through the crowd.
There was Kevin Spacey, in the middle of the barricaded street.
People edged closer, nudged partners, pointing in the direction of the two-time Oscar winner, who chatted and laughed...


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Mercedes has unwrapped a new version of its 5.1-metre long GL-Class SUV here at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.
It brings a host of new electronic assistance systems and the inevitable round of increased efficiency claims — helped by a 100kg reduction in weight.
Mercedes describes the new GL as a 'new interpretation of the first generation', which gives you a clue. In fact, as far as we can tell the visual changes are limited to new lights — with the usual LED updates - and some extra chrome for the under-body protection.
There's a choice of two engines — a 190kW 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel badged GL350 BlueTec, and a 300kW 4.7-litre V8 badged GL500 BlueEfficiency. The diesel is not only massively more powerful than the 155kW model it replaces, but also up to 20 per cent more efficient, too.
The GL350 completes 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds — impressive for an SUV that's 5.1 metres long, 2.1 metres wide and 1.85 metres tall. Especially when it also claims 6.2L/100km and CO2 emissions as low as 192g/km.
However, the GL500 is two seconds faster from 0-100km/h, making the sprint in 5.9. Top speed is 220km/h for the diesel, and an electronically limited 250km/h for the petrol.


text: Home- Working at Colgate - Human Resources Office Human Resources Office The Office of Human Resources deals with one of the university's most important assets - its employees. Menu Menu Our diverse faculty and staff work tirelessly to provide students with one of the best higher education experiences in the world. Colgate is committed to teaching and service at the highest level. It enrolls approximately 2,800 students. When you work for Colgate you become part of an institution which has provided superior education since 1819. The quality of our staff is as important to preserving the standard of education as the quality of our faculty and students. To ensure that quality, we try to provide an environment where each employee is treated as an important contributor, and can continue to learn and grow. Job Opportunities STAFF OPPORTUNITIES (all non-faculty positions) FACULTY OPPORTUNITIES Our Staff Christopher Wells, senior advisor to the president; assistant dean for administrative advising Lori Chlad, associate vice president for human resources Jill Dinski, director of human resources operations Tamala Flack, executive director for equity and inclusion, equal opportunity and affirmative action Cherie Mullen, director of talent acquisition and development Amy Ryan, director of benefits and employee wellness Scott Whalen, director of employee relations Carlene Mahanna, talent acquisition specialist Meghann Losee, human resources associate Rachael Enders, human resources assistant-benefits Brittany Fuller, human resources assistant-operations Allison Jaeger, office assistant-accounting and human resources Kayla Snow Smith, administrative assistant Contact Us Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Phone: 315-228-7411 Fax: 315-228-7171 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Quick Links Emergency closing policy Administrative Organizational Chart Ask a question Fiscal compliance hotline Open 'Gate newsletters Working at Colgate Staff Job Opportunities Temporary and Summer Job Opportunities Faculty Job Opportunities Human Resources Office Benefits Compensation Spousal/Partner Employment Work/Life Programs Staff Development Holiday Schedule Employee Relations Resources RELATED LINKS Intellectual Engagement RIGOROUS ACADEMICS Collaborative research by highly regarded faculty is a Colgate trademark. Off-Campus Study OFF-CAMPUS STUDY Colgate has one of the most robust off-campus study programs in the country. Career Services CAREER SERVICES Staff members and dedicated alumni play a key role in students' career exploration. Lucky 13 LUCKY 13 Find out why 13 is the most popular number on campus.


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This page will reflect the system's news and focus on the accomplishments of individual colleges. It's your one-stop shop for information on the California Community Colleges.
Visit: facebook.com/CACommColleges
Who Do U Want 2B provides information on California high school and community college courses, career options, and financial assistance.
It will help you make decisions about the right courses to take in high school and community college so that you have the opportunity to turn that passion of yours into a great job and a great future.
Visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhoDoUWant2B


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Mall Makeovers
Read the story. Click the "LISTEN" button at the bottom of the page to hear the story. When you are done, click the "NEXT" button.
Lots of people love to shop in Los Angeles. Their malls have a great look and feel to them and are called "lifestyle centers". Owners of other malls in California want that look and feel too. They hope that the new look will make people want to shop even more.
One mall in Sacramento, California is getting a new look. It is located downtown. The city is working with the mall's owner to open it up to the surrounding streets. They want to stay competitive with other malls.
They want to create a lifestyle center." Lifestyle centers are not only about shopping but dining, working, and living as well. The first change they will be working on is to make the food court face the street instead of the interior of the mall.
The owner of the mall is spending a billion dollars to make similar changes to its malls in Southern California. People really seem to love these new lifestyle centers.
One man who recently moved from Los Angeles said that he thinks people love all of the flash. He says that they are drawn to the music and lights. He thinks that it all makes people want to go to the mall and spend money.
Other malls in the Sacramento area are also going to be undergoing facelifts soon too. Others will be updating their storefronts but are keeping the same layout. The city wants to maintain an assortment in the shopping experience. People will have choices for shopping. They will be able to choose between the new lifestyle centers and improved malls. They may even choose both!
One shopper said that it really doesn't matter to her what the lifestyle center or mall looks like. She just wants to make sure that they have the shops she wants to go to.
(This was adapted from an original story provided by News10 KXTV Sacramento.)


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The legal morass of HBO documentary subject Robert Durst promised to get more complicated Tuesday as the wealthy eccentric faced gun charges in New Orleans, murder charges in Los Angeles and a revived murder investigation in New York. Durst, 71, was arrested Saturday in New Orleans on a murder warrant from Los Angeles. The next day HBO aired the climactic final episode of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst featuring his now infamous bathroom mutterings.
On Monday, Durst waived extradition, ready to fight the California charge. Authorities in Los Angeles formally charged him with the murder of his friend and author Susan Berman, who was found dead with a bullet in her head on Christmas Eve 2000. But first, Durst has to get out of Louisiana. Authorities in New Orleans say Durst, arrested at a hotel, was in possession of a handgun. They charged him Monday as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and with having a small amount of marijuana.
"We came here to waive arraignment and go back to California and get it on," Durst's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said on the courthouse steps. "Bob Durst didn't kill Susan Berman." DeGuerin expressed "frustration" that the local charges could delay the California proceedings. "It's never a good thing to be charged with multiple crimes in multiple jurisdictions," Stuart Slotnick, a defense lawyer at the New York firm of Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney, told USA TODAY. But he stressed that the cases can be dealt with one at a time, with neither one adversely affecting the other.
Ultimately, Durst will be transferred to Los Angeles, where he is charged with one count of first-degree murder. The charge under California law carries the "special circumstances of murder of a witness and lying in wait," and makes Durst eligible for the death penalty if convicted, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said.


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May 8, 2008
The Bears offense was too much for the Bisons in game one of the conference series, as the Bisons were defeated 8-3 on Thursday, May 8.
The Bisons struck first, scoring a run in the third when Caleb Joseph scored on a balk.
However, the Bears got to Bisons' starter, Rex Brothers for two runs in the fourth.
The Bisons retook the lead in the fifth. Joseph got things started with a leadoff single. One batter later, Justin Sanders hit a two run shot to right field to give the Bisons the 3-2 lead.
The Bears responded in the sixth, scoring four runs against Brothers, including a three run pinch hit home run by Steven Karwatt.
The Bears added to their lead with one run in the seventh and ninth inning to give Mercer the 8-3 lead.
Right-hander, Charles Williams, relieved Brothers with no outs and a runner on first in the ninth. In eight innings of work, Brothers gave up eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits, while striking out nine.
Brothers received the loss to drop to 2-5. With the loss, the Bisons are now 25-24 on the season, and 17-11 in the Atlantic Sun.
The series will conclude tomorrow with a double-header set to begin at 1 p.m. Right-hander Brandon McClurg will receive the start for the Bisons in game one, while left-hander, Mike Dunn is expected to take the mound in game two.


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There's just one more hurdle for Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III to clear before he's back in the lineup.
Coach Mike Shanahan likes the chances that the former college hurdling star makes it to the other side in one piece. Zac Boyer of the Free Lance-Star reports that Shanahan said Griffin "looked good" in practice and remains on track to play despite not yet having official medical clearance.
Shanahan expects that clearance to come on Friday night, which is why he listed Griffin as probable to play for the Redskins against the Eagles. Griffin, who took all the reps in Friday's practice, sprained his LCL in the Week 14 victory over the Ravens and Kirk Cousins played in his place in last week's win against the Browns.
Linebacker London Fletcher is also probable, which means he's likely to remain tied with Buccaneers safety Ronde Barber for the longest consecutive games played streak among active players.


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South Dakota Traffic Fatalities Up from 2011, Down from Average
PIERRE - South Dakota officials say the number of traffic fatalities in the state were up in 2012, but below the average for the last 10 years.
State Department of Transportation figures show there were 134 people killed on the roads last year, up from 111 fatalities in 2011. The average for the last 10 years is 156 fatalities.
Lee Axdahl, the department's director of highway safety, tells the Capitol Journal the increase is unfortunate, but says the state is "trending down" on the number of deaths.
Axdahl believes that education efforts by the state to cut down on drunk driving and speeding have saved lives.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Looking for design inspiration? Browse our curated collections!
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Koi art print by Dean Triolo. Our prints are produced on acid-free papers using archival inks to guarantee that they last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All art prints include a 1" white border around the image to allow for future framing and matting, if desired.
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From the time I was a child I have been intrigued with the patterning of light and the interaction of color. In the course of my life path I fell away from any sense of creative freedom, working from what I thought was expected of me. Through the long process of releasing an imposed belief system and replacing it with my own experiences and truths I have become able, emotionally and spiritually to access my child spirit through my adult educated mind. I am powerfully influenced by the passionate colors of the Italian High Renaissance and the gestural freedom of Impressionism and abstract expressionism. The spirituality of the theories in these genres has also had a great impact on me. In my work I seek to establish the intricate web...
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Daniel Collins
Manager for Strategic Analysis
SAS adds power to Ausgrid's data demands
Today's power companies need to have the right data at their fingertips to be able to respond quickly to demands for information from internal stakeholders, government departments, regulators and residential and business customers. Ausgrid has been relying on SAS to help ensure it gets the right data to the right people in a timely manner.
For Ausgrid, being able to supply this data is critical for its success. However, it is also extremely complex – Ausgrid needs to easily access and draw meaningful information from the 67 billion meter reading records accumulated over seven years. Ausgrid relies on SAS to draw insights from this large and valuable source of company information.
We've saved hours when it matters most. Furthermore, our skilled resources are now redirected from data-intensive work to working on strategic questions.
Daniel Collins
Internal stakeholders, such as Network Pricing, use the insights to devise tariff strategies, and inform broader decisions including metering strategy. Other internal stakeholders utilise SAS software in demand forecasting, understanding how network reliability impacts customers, and load research – the study of electricity consumption by different groups.
Catherine O'Neill, Executive Manager, Regulation and Pricing, says providing data to the regulator is a key challenge.
"One of the key points in our business cycle is that every five years we provide a submission to the regulator that outlines our investment and operating strategies and expenditure for the next five years," O'Neill says. "For that day we have to produce forecasts of both our revenue and expenses. There's 18 months of planning to get ready for handing over that huge submission in order to justify our plans and operations. Data plays a key role in justifying our plans."
O'Neill also has to submit reports to internal and external stakeholders every six months and be ready to answer questions at any time. "The compliance levels are very sophisticated and so I need a bullet-proof package of data at my fingertips," she says. "SAS provides this, together with the ability to drill down to quickly answer very detailed questions."
A third category of regulatory requests is more exploratory, typically seeking new information and advanced analysis. Ausgrid's Manager for Strategic Analysis, Daniel Collins, says that this challenging category has been growing quickly as the industry changes.
A single customer view
Prior to using SAS solutions, Network Pricing was generally running its analyses on a single database, and found it cumbersome to integrate data from multiple sources. The team now uses SAS to gain insights drawn from multiple sources, which include the SAP-based customer information database and billing systems; a geographic system for spatial information about assets; meteorology data pertinent to the network footprint; and B2B data which transfers customer information from retailers to networks.
"The actual data sources may differ according to needs but the important thing is that they can all be easily incorporated into SAS analysis," Collins says. "This improved integration provides a valuable single view of the customer that wasn't previously feasible."
He says Ausgrid has a much clearer picture of where the customer is located both spatially and electrically; what part of the network they are connected to; which substation they are supplied by; who has solar panels installed; their usage history, and tariff.
"We have made significant progress in being able to understand our customers in many dimensions. This information provides insights into the size, shape and effectiveness of our infrastructure, and contributes to the increased efficiency of our operations," Collins says.
Answers in minutes, not hours
The pertinence, accuracy and completeness of the information provided using SAS solutions is one benefit – the speed of response is just as impressive. Once a month, Collins' team has three hours in which to check and consolidate data from multiple sources to provide a report for financial projections and forecasting.
"The raw data only gets to us on the morning of the day it's due, so we have three frantic hours where we have to check it, process it, make sure it reconciles and deliver it to our internal customers."
Previously this task required the services of the highly skilled and dedicated engineers, and Collins says even then the deadline was frequently unable to be met.
"Using SAS, it's now refined to the point where a recent graduate can 'press the button' and 45 seconds later you've got a populated report and automated diagnostics," he says.
"The process has gone from being high skill/high resource to one that is fast and auditable. We've saved hours when it matters most. Furthermore, our skilled resources are now redirected from data-intensive work to working on strategic questions."
Adding power to technology debate
In addition to the solar industry's contribution to a cleaner mix of electricity generation, both electricity distribution businesses and the solar industry itself need to understand the extent to which solar panel installations assist with managing network congestion.
Collins explains, "By leveraging SAS to integrate our existing solar panel installation and generation data with our network's load data, we've developed a comprehensive data set on solar generation in our network."
The data set has assisted stakeholders and industry to quantify the network benefits of solar generation and appreciate the factors involved in this complex topic.
Another example of the advantages of having more insightful data is in the ongoing assessment of the benefits of technology such as smart meters. As some customers have time-based metering and some customers don't, Ausgrid uses network data to determine the respective profiles.
"By 'profile' I mean the shape and timing of electricity usage," Collins says. "We are in a position to be able to investigate customer usage profiles and understand how their behaviour contributes to network constraints because now we've got all the data in one place."
Building a case for capital investment
Ausgrid distributes electricity to 1.6 million homes and businesses throughout greater Sydney and across the Hunter and Central Coast regions of New South Wales.
Its network comprises more than 200 large electricity substations, 30,000 small distribution substations, 500,000 power poles and almost 50,000 kilometres of above- and below-ground cabling.
O'Neill says the scope and complexity of this network highlights the importance of data accuracy, especially when it comes to making multi-million dollar capital investment decisions.
Needed to draw greater insight from its 67 billion meter reading records to support its decision making, management reporting, regulatory compliance and forecasting.
Achieved a single view of customers from expanded and integrated data and now can provide management reporting in minutes instead of hours.


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How much interest do you have in American women's running? Hmmm. Just as I thought.
Meet Maggie Vessey. A California native and U.S. Olympian who competes in middle distance track events. But she's quickly becoming known for turning heads in her fashion forward sexy singlets she sports while racing.
Here are the top six uni's Vessey wore that just may make track a popular sport in this country yet.
6. This sexy singlet sizzles, but the aviators really complete the look.
5. Is their fashion design in her future?
More @maggievessey ensembles on the track! If I were @MICHI_New_York I'd be putting a proposal together... http://t.co/loWTMc691T—
Jillian Smith (@jsmith8143) June 09, 2014
4. Something tells me those abs are part of the appeal.
3. Too Flashy? Or Too Fabulous?
Maggie Vessey (@maggievessey) with the commanding win and flashy outfit at #stanfordinvite. flo.mx/1htirSw http://t.co/XiCVYRciYF—
(@Flotrack) April 06, 2014
2. A Little Behind-The-Scenes peek.
800m standout @maggievessey looked good last night. Just look at that. 2:01! http://t.co/qEPlctdAvf—
Ray (@ray_runs) June 27, 2014
1. Now this is a way to bring attention to track & field competitions.
Maggie Vessey might inspire resistance to the tyrants of running fashion: bit.ly/1q8DiS8 http://t.co/ckltzXgF5w—
Outside Magazine (@outsidemagazine) June 10, 2014
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