The Wake

I walked out of an exit poll
and into an opinion made ready and pinned
onto my sleeve green epaulettes tarnished
dull we get more
information in one day than
Einstein’s library our relative
stupidity a quantum chasm dog
politicians speak and no one
asks where the bones are
buried.

Known for her essays, Cheryl Strayed, a fellow Minnesotan, has published three works over the past six years. She published two essays, “Heroin/e” and “The Love of my Life” in The Best American Essays 2000 and The Best American Essays 2003 respectively. Strayed also published her first novel, Torch, last month. Strayed’s essay, “Heroin/e,” takes on the tragic reality of her mother’s death, as well as her own addiction to heroin. This is her first essay and was written with such care that each word hangs in the back of my head as I read it.Maybe it’s the music (I’m …

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After the break-up of the Soviet Union, the gaze of “western Europe” and others in the international community has shifted farther and farther east. Recently, with the EU beginning to consider Turkey a candidate state for membership, the university has followed suit. “The U has devoted more and more resources to this part of the word,” says Eric Weitz, director of the Center for German and European Studies, adding that the university has begun teaching Turkish as a foreign language.However, with this newfound examination of Turkey come unpleasant revelations of human rights violations in the country’s treatment of its …

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The Steelers battled the Seahawks, but neither tin-man nor bird stole hearts in Coffman’s Great Hall on Super Bowl Sunday. This year, the dog was all the rage.The Chinese American Student Association (CASA) brought in the Year of the Dog with a celebration in the Great Hall Feb. 5th, Super Bowl Sunday. More than 350 students and community members skipped the big game for dinner, dancing and music at the Chinese New Year’s party.“I was gleaming inside … I was so surprised how many people came, and especially how many people stayed,” said Albert Leung, president of CASA. CASA originally …

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It’s a sight that deservedly gets a second glance. The dining hall at Bailey, usually filled with sleepy-eyed freshmen and their PJ-clad sophomore counterparts waiting for food, and 50-year-old Bill Greuling, in line with his food tray, who may not be in his pajamas but still comfortably calls the St. Paul campus dormitory his home.“The quintessential non-traditional student” is how Greuling identified himself last May at a Board of Regents public forum. And, with his salt-and-pepper hair, the visits from his 14-year-old son and the fact that he is 30 years older than most of his fellow residents, he might …

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For baseball fans, this is the time of year you get that “itch”—you know the season is just a few weeks away, yet you wish it began tomorrow. As for baseball in Minnesota, one of its most revered athletes can’t wait to get back to playing the sport he so cherishes.“It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced,” Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter says of the ankle injury he suffered last season. “I had a slight crank in my ankle and my talus (a.k.a. anklebone, which bears the weight of the entire body), and I had some ligaments that were stretched …

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The fastest game on two feet is played at the U. The men’s Lacrosse team was formed in 1993 and is offered at the club level. Last year the team had an overall record of 17-3, with a 7-1 record in the Upper Midwest League. The team won its league playoffs and went to the National Tournament, (held in Blaine, Minn.) where they won one game and lost two. The Lacrosse team, however, will not be fielding the same team as last year. The Gophers will be in need of extra offense after losing Eugene Zevelev, 2005’s Upper Midwest Lacrosse …

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Masked men and women face off against each other with weapons in a university club.No need to call in the riot police. This is the University of Minnesota fencing club and the weapons are the epee, foil and sabre. Although not well known to many at the U, fencing has had a presence on campus since the 1880s; the official University Fencing Club came into existence in 1904. This year’s fencing club boasts 20 members with a range of skill levels. The club serves as a resource for members of the University who are interested in fencing and the club …

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This week, I watched The Notebook for the first time. I stretched out comfortably on a yellow suede couch, drowning in blankets, my stomach packed with chocolate cake. I had my best female friend on a couch beside me, tissues on hand. It was going to be a real estrogen fest. Throughout the film, she cooed at all of the romantic moments. She babbled about how cute the blond boy was. She yelped when they broke up, seemed like they might break up or engaged in any non-gushy relations.I quietly made gagging sounds.At the end of the movie, I glanced …

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Soap: A cleansing agent made from a mixture of the salts of fatty acids of natural oils and fats. Humans have been cleansing themselves since prehistoric times; even cavemen figured out that washing mud off their hands with water was a good thing. Soap-like substances are known to have been used in ancient Babylon, dating back to 2800 B.C. Ancient Egyptians combined animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to create soap for treating skin diseases as well as for regular bathing. The early Roman civilization bathed sans soap, but as the culture evolved, the Greek physician Galen eventually recommended …

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When a record label like Kill Rock Stars puts out a sampler, it’s bound to please fans of just about any style of music. It’s also bound to be a little weird. Otis’ Opuses, featuring a staggering 22 tracks, is a retrospective of the label’s 2005 releases with a few new songs as well. From folk to hardcore, noise to electronica, Otis’ Opuses is at once schizophrenic and cohesive, jumping successfully between these genres without batting an eye. The sampler features mainstays of the label like The Decemberists, Jeff Hanson, Deerhoof, and Harvey Danger along with lesser-known bands. But I …

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As usual, Scott McCaughey (formerly of Young Fresh Fellows) finds himself in good company on the latest record from his pet project, the Minus 5. His friends on this outing include R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy among others. In addition to containing a stellar guest list, the CD comes filled with classic- sounding songs penned almost exclusively by McCaughey. Drawing on years of experience and an obvious love of ’60s pop, the music is familiar and accessible. The subject matter also evokes a feeling of by-gone days, covering the topics of gun-toting and drinking. …

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Rhymesayers Entertainment begins the year with a burst of much needed energy for the Minneapolis hip-hop scene. Audition proves that P.O.S. isn’t just another rapper destined for mediocrity. Starting strong with the bouncy “Half Cooked Concepts,” P.O.S. immediately succeeds in establishing his persona as he rhymes, “P.O., you know the dirty one disturbing all the categories / the matador in black, killing bullshit allegories.” Similar energy is found on “Stand Up (Let’s Get Murdered)” (produced by Lazerbeak) and tracks like “A Teddy Bear and a Tazer” and “Living Slightly Larger.” Guests appear in tasteful doses, and usually working to the …

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Yes, it’s that time of year again. Summer brings us the blockbusters, fall and winter give us the Oscar contenders. Now with spring we can expect all the crap Hollywood chose not to pawn off on us during those other two seasons. And considering how much crap came out the other two seasons, this is shaping up to be a long spring for movie- goers. So instead of shelling out a ten spot for Big Momma’s House 2, I decided to stay in this past week and check out a documentary I missed a couple years ago called The Fog …

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Politics have the power to invade the sanctity of a citizen’s privacy when controversial issues warrant public attention. Photography can capture this along with the emotion lost in the political conflict. This is the case with Terry Gydesen’s exhibit Justice For All, on display at the Christensen Center Art Gallery at Augsburg College until Feb 18. Gydesen’s exhibit portrays two decades worth of conflict between gay rights activists and their opponents, contrasted with reactions from apathetic policy-makers. While some photos portray compassion and happiness, others are wrought with frustration and pain. Toward the middle of the exhibit is a striking …

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