Chicago’s Improv granddaddy celebrates 50 years of laughter
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chronicle Politicians Manifest’s destiny question CHECK OUT THE MULTIMEDIA SECTION ONLINE
THE COLUMBIA
The Official News Source of Columbia College Chicago
December 7, 2009
Volume 45 Number 14
WEB
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ColumbiaChronicle.com
poll accuracy
Controversial candidate may file lawsuit against respected polling agency by Spencer Roush Assistant Metro Editor ONE REPUBLICAN candidate running for
Long said that unlike previous years, this year the event will take place over the course of three days starting on May 11. Industry Night’s premiere events will showcase performances by students in dance, musical theater and theater and a reception will follow their performances. The second night will be hosted in the new Media Production Center and will showcase work by the Film and Video Department along with the Television and Broadcast Journalism departments. The final night will feature a reception for all industry guests and will hold panel discussions and portfolio reviews by professionals. Bruce Sheridan, chair of the Film and Video Department, said that he is eager to use the new Media Production Center for the upcoming events to show the students’ work. “Two things we need to introduce to industry are clear,” Sheridan said. “We need to display the grounding that the students get at this school, which is deeper than any trade school education, and emphasize that our students are by definition, ‘creative.’ Whether they are
President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat in the 2010 election is raising questions about the accuracy of polls and how the results are being disseminated to the public. In fact, many Web sites on both sides of the partisan aisle, such as DemocraticUnderground.com and FreeRepublic.com, claim to be leery of some polling results because of favoring one political party over another or producing faulty results through poor questioning. As a result, poll numbers call for a degree of scrutiny from every reader and journalist who use the data for an article. It brings up a question of just how accurate the polls are or if they are trying to skew public opinion. Andy Martin, a perennial candidate running for Senate, called a few Illinois polls “bogus,” including Rasmussen Reports, Patrick Hughes’ personal poll and Mark Kirk’s poll. Kirk and Hughes are both running against Martin for a place in the U.S.Senate. On Oct. 12, 2008, the New York Times published an article on its Web site that states Martin was involved in many political controversies, including having been a primary source of rumors surrounding Obama’s citizenship. Some say he poses a valid question however: What’s the threshold a political candidate needs to pass in order to be included in polls? According to Martin, he has been left out of Rasmussen Reports’ polls, which makes him look like a non-contender. Martin said he is the only other candidate besides Kirk who has ever run for office and should be considered an option in polling questions. Martin said he has sent two letters, one
» SEE MANIFEST, PG. 8
» SEE POLL, PG. 36
Lenny Gilmore THE CHRONICLE
Students show off hacked Manifest T-shirt ensembles, which were built under direction of the Spectacle Build Shop at a Manifest informational meeting on Dec. 1 in the Film Row Cinema of the 1104 Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.
by Laura Nalin Assistant Campus Editor EACH YEAR, Columbia hosts an annual
urban arts festival, Manifest, to showcase the graduating students’ and alumni’s body of work. The six-day-long celebration will include Industry Night and will culminate with Manifest and senior graduation parties to bring the creative community of the college together. An informational meeting was held on Dec. 1 to discuss the plans for the 2010 commencement week. The meeting was held in the Film Row Cinema of the 1104 Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., and featured design contest winner, Landry Miller, faculty and staff members along with Student Government Association’s President Jessica Valerio. Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs, said he believes the college has a sacred responsibility to showcase graduating student work and Manifest is the perfect way to do so. “We need to be connecting graduat-
ing students to professionals, show their wonderful talents and give them a forum where they come together,” Kelly said. “We want to send our graduating students out with a bang and we want to make sure as they leave the Columbia community, they have this unique experience.” However, the weeklong events don’t just cater to graduating seniors. Alumni events will also be held. Some of the events include an a bazaar where former students can exhibit or sell their work, an alumni lounge and an alumni reception to make sure that they still feel at home within the community. Kelly said these events are held to ensure the alums feel reconnected to the community and that creative spirit remains part of the creative nation of alumni. Industry Night, hosted by the Portfolio Center, will begin May 13, 2010. The event will give the graduating students a chance to present their portfolios, hand out their resumes and business cards and network with working professionals in their field. Tim Long, the executive director of Career Initiatives and director of the Portfolio Center, said this year’s Industry Night will work a bit differently than last year’s.
A&C
H&F
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INDEX
U of C graffiti book
Post-Vegetarians Speak Up
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CAMPUS
METRO
Weeklong events geared toward celebrating student work
2
Who’s your Senator? H&F
11
A&C
15
COMMENTARY
28
METRO
31
» SEE PG. 32