ByWillAtkinson.com

Judge Samuel Alito has been confirmed by the Senate 58-42. He is the 110th Supreme Court justice. He will replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was considered a moderate.

Samuel Alito is the Supreme Court’s newest justice.

“The day belongs to Alito,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas).

Sen. Chafee (R-RI) was the one dissenting Republican v0te. Four Democrats voted for Alito’s confirmation.

“I think he ought to do what he damn well pleases,” said Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA) on how Alito should celebrate his confirmation.

Alito will sit with the other Supreme Court justices at Pres. Bush’s State of the Union address tonight at 8 p.m.

Winthrop students held a candlelight vigil Monday night to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Approximately 100 students gathered to commemorate the vision and life of the civil rights leader.

Winthrop students gather to remember MLK’s legacy.

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity sponsored the event. Dr. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest black fraternity. The organization is funding a memorial for Dr. King on the mall in Washington, D.C.

Students gathered to hear prayers, Biblical readings and inspirational speeches.
“I invoke you to stand unmovable like a tree,” said 22-year-old music performance senior Kayla Baker.

Baker sang a spiritual song to invoke Dr. King’s ideas.

“Dr. King helped to rectify the many injustices against people of color in America,” said graduate student and Alpha Phi Alpha member Sylvester Owens. “You too can serve as Dr. King did.”

Owens warned against complacency, saying there is still progress to be made. He spoke of Kenyan girls disappointed for not having AIDS because they get less government money. He said unemployment, glass ceilings, insurance problems, racism and higher interest rates were marginalizing people of color.

“An injustice anywhere lessens justice everywhere,” Owens said. “We must keep the movement alive. Keep moving.”

A flame was passed around candles, which each of the audience members were given. Students formed a semi-circle with lit candles representing unity and love.

“[America’s] situation has gotten better,” said physical education junior and Alpha Phi Alpha vice president Andrew Williams. “There’s more African-Americans going to school and graduating college.”

Williams said Dr. King wouldn’t like complacent African-Americans or the Iraq war. The 20-year-old cited Dr. King’s dislike of the Vietnam War as evidence.

“Through Katrina, we see that not everybody is successful,” said 22-year-old mass communication senior and Alpha Phi Alpha president Emery Glover. “Race relations on campus aren’t the best. I would like to see people have a better understanding of each other.”

Early childhood education senior Brandi Cohen said Dr. King would be pleased with today’s situation but there’s still a lot of progress to be made. Cohen believes race relations at Winthrop could be better.

“A lot of things are sugarcoated,” Cohen said. “There aren’t many events targeted towards minorities and when there is, there isn’t a great turnout. There is a disparity.”

A 24-year-old Winthrop psychology junior was killed in a two-car accident Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Steven Ferrell died at the scene after his 1998 Honda Civic crossed the median, crashing into an oncoming 2006 Chevrolet Silverado. The driver of the Silverado, 48-year-old Nedim Lihic, did not receive life-threatening injuries.

Ferrell was traveling to his job at Eckerd Pharmacy in Charlotte. He had been a certified pharmaceutical technician for 7 years.

Graduating from Rock Hill High School in 1999 with honors, Ferrell studied to become a pharmacist at York Technical College for two years. Last fall, Ferrell decided to change directions, studying psychology with the intent of going to law school.

He was a history buff with a particular interest in the Civil War.

“He’d make you laugh,” said friend Matt Fowler. “He was a jokester.”

Fowler and Ferrell both attended Rock Hill High School. They played basketball and sports together. Fowler considered Ferrell his best friend.

“My dad was going to use him as a tax write-off because he was at my house so much,” said Fowler. “Anytime you had a problem, you could go to Steve.”

Hordes of undergraduates grind rhythmically to the latest radio smash. Students pack the dance floor to dance, chill and spill beer. Sounds like Scandal’s on a Thursday night? After spring break, the scene could happen at the new Dawg Pound restaurant and tavern.

In mid-March, the Winthrop neighborhood will change with the addition of the Dawg Pound. Located on Cherry Road, the Dawg Pound will be across from the Thompson residence hall. The building was formerly occupied by the Time Out sports bar but has been vacant for over four years.

Thorough renovations are being made to the interior and exterior of the Dawg Pound on Cherry Road, across from Winthrop University.

Time Out, which formerly had two locations, is now located on Herlong Avenue near the Piedmont Medical Center.

“It’s a very good location but my lease ran out and I only wanted one location,” Susan Zeider, Time Out owner said. “I hope whoever goes in there does something for the students because most students are not of legal drinking age.”

The restaurant will offer students low cost food, entertainment and a place to relax said Stefanie Johns, the 21-year-old owner of the Dawg Pound. Amenities will include a dance floor, pool tables, plasma-screen TVs and saltwater aquariums with “pug-nosed dogfish.”

“Winthrop needs this badly,” said Johns, a junior integrated marketing communication major at Winthrop. “We’re hoping for a mid-March opening.”

Johns received the restaurant as a gift from her father for Christmas. She is 85 percent corporate owner, leaving the remaining 15 percent to her mother.

The Dawg Pound’s specialty will be hot dogs and wings.

“You can get any kind of hot dog and a longneck Natural Light beer for $2,” said B.J. Johns, Stefanie’s father. “It will be open six days as a restaurant and at 9 p.m., it will become a tavern with games and a dance floor.”

Another Dawg Pound specialty: parking.

“As of Feb. 15, we’re going to start selling parking spots,” Johns said. “The Winthrop commuter lots are so far away for students.”

The Dawg Pound parking spaces will cost $30 per month, which includes four meals, or $20 per month without meals. Winthrop commuter parking passes are $75 for one academic year but students must park in the commuter parking lots behind the Dinkins Student Center, the Legion Lot West on Cherry Road or along Myrtle Drive.

Some students like the idea of another entertainment venue.

“It’s good for college students and will provide something new besides Scandal’s,” Nick Michael, a (what year) integrated marketing communication major said. “I think renting out parking is a good idea for public relations with students.”

“I like that it’s across the street from campus,” said (what year) biology and Spanish double major Elia Arenas. “They’re going to make a lot of money.”

Outrageous textbook prices and abysmal buyback prices are frequent student complaints, as ancient as the lousy cafeteria food. Now however students have empirical evidence to back them up.

College textbook prices have risen at twice the rate of national inflation over the last two decades according to a summer 2005 Government Office of Accountability report. Textbook prices have risen by an annual average of 6 percent since 1987, compared with a 3 percent average annual rise in national prices.

Winthrop students have been feeling the pull on their pocketbooks.

“Textbooks are too expensive,” said 19-year-old English major Rhine Gourrier. “It hurts psychologically and financially to pay $100 for a textbook and only get $20 back.”

“They’re way too expensive and if they’re not sold as used quickly, they’re obsolete and useless,” said 35-year-old special education major Julie Jones.

“They’re way too expensive and if they’re not sold as used quickly, they’re obsolete and useless.”

Some Winthrop officials believe the problem is out of their hands.

“As far as I am concerned the real problem is with the book publishing industry and the cost of paper production,” said Winthrop Vice President of Student Life Frank Ardaiolo. “The bookstores across the country are often the ones blamed for economic forces beyond their control.”

Winthrop students are able to buy books from several locations. Many opt for the Bookworm, some for the Books That Matter tent and others shop online.

Don Douglass, who co-owns Books That Matter with his wife Angie, says his business offers a higher percentage of used books than a traditional bookstore.

“We do less volume so we have more used books which saves students money,” Douglass said. “Students want used books.”

Douglass is frustrated with his promotional options on Winthrop’s campus.

“You can’t advertise on campus if you’re in direct competition with meals, housing or books,” Douglass said. “The school feels we’re taking away scholarship money.”

Winthrop receives approximately 10 percent of all sales at the Bookworm up to $5 million and 12 percent thereafter. The Bookworm revenue is given to a scholarship fund. Douglass believes there are negative aspects to the program.

“Students are providing their own money for scholarships for other students,” Douglass said. “We try to give all students a break on their books.”

Douglass said textbook buyback prices have increased since Books That Matter was established seven years ago.

Some students prefer Books That Matter to the Bookworm.

“I was told Books That Matter was cheaper and it was,” said 17-year-old political science major Matthew Bratton.

Others shop at the Bookworm.

“The Bookworm has a better buyback program,” said 18-year-old environmental studies major Kelley Phifer. “Sometimes the books are less expensive and it’s conveniently beside Woody’s Music Store.”

My Way News

Apparently the initial reports were incorrect and Hamas won in a landslide.

World’s largest flexible e-paper - CyberJournalist.net - World’s largest flexible e-paper

Perhaps this is the way of the future.

The purveyor of all things good and worthy on the Web, Google (See: world domination one, two, three, four, five, etc.), has yet another ace up its sleeve: Google Mobile.

Search on your cell phone, the latest toy from Google.

In its quest for unmitigated omnipresence, Google Mobile represents the Mountain View, CA company’s latest shoe drop. With mobile service, it is now possible to quickly pull up directions, phone numbers, addresses, reviews, word definitions and almost anything else on your cell phone.

I’ve been testing out Google SMS (Short Messaging Service) for the last month, and have found it invaluable. With SMS, a cell phone owner sends formatted text message requests to Google. Messages with the requested information are sent back to the user after a short delay.

Example:

I created a text message with the text “define obsequious.” Google recognizes this as a definition request.

The text message is sent to the number 466-45 (this spells out the easily memorizable GOOGL on your phone keypad).

Three seconds later, a text message arrives from Google with the following message:

Google responds with a message provided by Princeton University’s WordNet: “obsequious: bootlicking: attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery.”

Word definitions are a useful feature. I’ve found myself looking up words while reading on the couch. It’s much easier to zap off a quick text message than to haul out the old dead-tree dictionary and comb through pages for a couple minutes, a process I find breaks my train of thought when reading.

It’s also possible with Google SMS to obtain business listings, driving directions, movie showtimes, weather reports, stock quotes and product prices. It’s all free too, provided you have text messaging service from your cell phone provider.

Google has a how-to guide on its SMS service. It’s useful to print out the tip sheet (PDF format), which is formatted to fit in a wallet.

Over on Russell Beattie’s blog, there is vociferous debate on the comparative merits of Yahoo’s and Google’s mobile search services. Some prefer Yahoo’s multimedia approach while others want Google’s speedy, barebones service. Personally, I’m not looking for a “rich experience” when all I need is a quick address or definition.

Some caveats: the service is only available in the U.S. Also, the response time can vary greatly. Users have reported waiting 20 minutes for a reply.

Still, the service is free, available on almost all cell phones, speedy and entirely useful. I give it my stamp of approval.