THE LINK – The Marquette Tribune -

Marquette University took back an offer for the position of dean of their College of Arts & Sciences from Jodi O’Brien, a professor of sociology at Seattle University, who is a lesbian. Continue Reading

The Link – The Fordham Observer -

Today, after a four-year struggle, Fordham University faculty celebrated the extension of health benefits to legally domiciled adults (LDAs). Continue Reading

By Blair Thill, Gavel Blogger -

Answer: A TV series everyone should know yet few college students recognize aside, perhaps, from the fact that it launched Bruce Willis’s career before uttering the words, “Yippee kay yay mother…” – well, you know the ending. Question: What is the one-time 80s hit, Moonlighting? Continue Reading

By Dan Monan, Culture Editor -

Yes, the “blog” is not dead! Although air-quotes may be necessary until some sort of regular schedule is worked out.

This time I’ve decided to go the route of historical fiction with Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, the same guy who gave us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, the gleefully irreverent corruptions of Jane Austen’s classic novels. Continue Reading

THE LINK: WBZ-TV

A B-Line train and a Jeep crashed in Brighton Sunday morning. Courtesy of WBZ-TV. The seven people in the car have been identified and all face charges of minors in possession, according to WBZ.

Continue Reading

By Sean Meehan, Video Editor -

What do you get when you take the exceedingly stylish violence of Kill Bill, mix it up with the unabashed love of comic books from Spiderman, and add a heavy slathering of Superbad’s humor? Continue Reading

By Blair Thill, Gavel Blogger -

This has been a dismal year in the film industry thus far for me, the chief reason being that I’ve only been inspired to see two films in theaters. Continue Reading

By Sean Meehan, Video Editor -

RackedFocus is the official film blog of Sean Meehan for The Gavel. Here, you will find the reviews, rants and musings of an above-average, slightly over-opinionated film geek. Comments, questions or suggestions are always welcome – in fact they’re encouraged.

Sometimes a trailer can tell you everything about a film. Take the trailer for Myley Cyrus’s newest, The Last Song: a heavy serving of melodrama with a drizzling of shirtless man-candy should make for a pretty basic, sort of sloppy little film. Turns out that (surprise, surprise) the film is everything the trailer made it out to be, albeit with less water-drenched teenage men then you would expect. Other times, a trailer can completely misrepresent a film, and that’s most certainly the case with DreamWorks’ newest, How To Train You Dragon. Do not judge this film based upon its trailer, because Dragon is a heartfelt, hilarious and exhilarating picture that does so much right that any small quibbles one might have are rendered, well, toothless.

Dragon tells the story of Hiccup, a young boy on the Viking island of Berk. Hiccup is son of Stoick the Vast – the biggest and baddest leader the Vikings as well as the most effective “exterminator” of the island’s one pestilence: dragons. Although he’s not exactly of Viking stature, spindly Hiccup desperately wants to be a part of his community, but despite his best efforts, he’s not much of a dragon slayer. When his father sets sail to find the dragon’s nest, he enrolls Hiccup in dragon training so that he can learn to finally be a chip of the old block. Just before he can start, however, Hiccup discovers that he has ensnared a dragon – but not just any dragon – he’s bagged the dreaded Night Fury, the most mysterious and feared of them all. The only thing is, this particular dragon seems decidedly benign, and as the film progresses Hiccup learns that these flying reptiles may not be quite the threat that his father believes them to be.

Visually, the film is masterful. It has been said by other reviewers before, but reiteration is the most sincere form of flattery : the flying sequences in How To Train Your Dragon out-Avatar Avatar. You should see this film not just in 3D, but in IMAX 3D if possible. Take a deep breath, accept the absurd cost for a ticket and just jump in. I only managed to see it in old-fashioned, humble regular 3D and spent much of the film experiencing a bubbling of that sort of rush one experiences in an IMAX presentation. The character designs are admittedly highly cartoonish and stylized, but the overall look of the film lends itself to a storybook-esque treatment. If you think about it, what does a Viking look like normally? Pointy helmet, battle axe, obnoxiously bulbous gut veiled by an equally enormous beard. They looked goofy before anybody decided to make them computer-animated anyhow.

The visuals can only be so good if they’re accompanied by a strong voice cast, and that is certainly the case here. Hiccup is voiced by Jay Baruchel, who can do the earnest, wimpy act as well as anyone. He is complimented by great performances from Gerard Butler as Hiccup’s father and from Craig Ferguson as Hiccup’s boss/dragon trainer. There is, however, one performance that stands above the rest, although it’s hard to really call it a performance. The character of Toothless (the dragon that Hiccup finds and trains) is by far the star of the show. The allegories to our relationships with more conventional pets (namely dogs) are fairly obvious, and are hammered home by the character of Toothless in such a way that it makes you want to go out, buy a puppy, and smother it with attention. Quite simply, How To Train Your Dragon made me realize how much I love my dog more than My Dog Skip or Marley and Me ever could dream of. As a fun little factoid, Toothless’s character design is based heavily on the design of Stitch from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, film that was co-directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois who also directed Dragon.

With the recent blind infatuation with all things tri-dimensional, it’s safe to say that people should be selective when it comes to forking over $15+ for a ticket these days. Every project under the moon is getting the stereoscopic treatment post Avatar, and I worry that we’re getting dangerously close to a world where Citizen Kane might be rereleased in the format. That said, some filmmakers have learned how to appropriately and effectively use the technology, and in the case of How To Train Your Dragon, the ticket price should in no way dissuade you. That’s not to say that the film is flawless: the story is by no means anything groundbreaking, and like most DreamWorks animated films, it lacks the subversive quality and biting commentary that many Pixar films offer. Despite these concerns, what remains is a great film that is certainly worth seeing. If nothing else, when choosing between Clash of the Titans or How To Train Your Dragon, resist the temptation to release the kraken and treat yourself to something genuine. 8.5/10

By Blair Thill, Gavel Blogger -

The drama on the primetime version of Grey’s Anatomy has been rather abysmal for the past two seasons. Continue Reading

By Blair Thill, Gavel Blogger -

Whenever American Idol season roles around, I find myself anxiously awaiting new interpretations of classic tunes, new and old. David Cook was the first contestant to truly revolutionize this contestant mentality, giving us lite-rock versions of pop confections such as Mariah’s “Always Be My Baby” and MJ’s “Billie Jean.” Season 9 has provided a few instant memories, my favorite being Didi Benami’s take on the Fleetwood Mac gem “Rhiannon,” but that performance is easily toppled with the horrible nightmares that were Todrick’s Hall’s “Since U Been Gone” and Jon Park’s painful “Gravity.”

It’s those last failed attempts that have caused me to look to consult my iPod for some comfort and find the best covers ever recorded. I have compiled a list of the five best covers of all time, and five newer ones I particularly enjoy.

5 Best Covers of All Time

All Along the Watchower – Jimi Hendrix, originally Bob Dylan – It’s hard to top Bob Dylan, who is one of the greatest songwriters and musicians of the twentieth century. Dylan started his career as a songwriter, giving his legendary material to folk artists like Joan Baez and Peter, Paul, and Mary, only to later eclipse their popularity. Not the case with this transcendent Jimi Hendrix guitar aria. The dips and bends of Jimi’s Fender Strat add a trippy feel to Dylan’s original acoustic guitar and harmonica work, and the changes equal classic rock, psychedelic paradise.

Respect – Aretha Franklin, originally Otis Redding – Otis Redding is a soul star in his own rite, crooning such classics as “Sittin on the Dock of the Bay” and “Try a Little Tenderness,” but who in America remembers that he was the originator of the would-be female power anthem of “Respect?” No one, because once Aretha owned the song, it was hers forever, and we realized that what we wanted, baby she had it.

Twist and Shout - The Beatles, originally The Isley Brothers – The Isley Brothers were obsessed with shouting, first with the toga party ditty “Shout” that put them on the map. But “Twist and Shout” barely made a dent in the music industry until it was recorded by The Beatles. John Hughes was an obvious fan of the cover, using it in his iconic parade scene in the 80s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor, originally Prince – Prince isn’t exactly known for his ballads. It’s no wonder, then, that his recording of this ode to loss got lost in the mix of his experimental days with The Family funk band. Luckily for all of us women out there who have needed the perfect song to deal with a broken heart, Sinead O’Connor transformed the song into a the three-hankie weeper in 1990 with a decidedly softer, more emotional feel.

Mad World – Gary Jules, originally Tears for Fears – I am a sucker for 80s music. I love the synthesizers and perfectly syncopated drum machines. But even I have to admit the tune “Mad World” is better suited for Gary Jules’ simplistic vibe than the 80s cheese of Tears for Fears. Jules’ voice cuts right through your soul and makes you ponder what a very strange world we live in.

5 of the New and Improved

Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, originally Judy Garland – Many people have tried to emulate or improve upon Judy Garland’s seminal Wizard of Oz classic, and very, very few have succeeded. Sometimes the key to a successful cover is to completely switch up the melody, and this unknown Hawaiian singer did just that to beautiful perfection. The ukelele and soaring falsetto make this cover, in a word, stunning.

Poker Face – Chris Daughtry and Lady Gaga tie – “Poker Face” was EVERYWHERE a year ago. Every bar, every party, every pre-game. How could one possibly improve upon that kind of saturation? Well, Chris Daughtry decided to strip down the techno vibe and opt for a simple acoustic guitar. Lady Gaga herself stuck with a piano and major melisma. They’re both so fantastic, it would be torture to choose. And this is my blog, so I didn’t.

Crazy - Ray LaMontagne, originally Gnarls Barkley – Gnarls Barkley’s claim to fame is this song and this song only – well, aside from the Star Wars getups they performed the song in at the MTV Movie Rewards. Ray LaMontagne isn’t all that well-known for his blue-eyed soul on songs like “Trouble.” Put these two moderately famous entities together, and you have one banging cover that includes nothing but Ray’s guitar and voice.

Message in a Bottle – John Mayer, originally The Police – In case you haven’t noticed, my favorite covers are usually the stripped down versions of popular rock and pop songs. So despite the fact that I’ve previously told my readers I hate liking John Mayer’s music, I couldn’t leave out his cover of The Police classic in which he trades in Andy Summers frantic riff for a lonely, haunting acoustic guitar.

Umbrella – Mandy Moore, originally Rihanna – In keeping with the theme of this list, I am probably committing blasphemy in many minds by including Mandy Moore’s coverage of the Rihanna mega hit, but I can’t help it. I love the slowed down piano and Moore’s aching crooning. Perhaps not a chart-topper, but fabulous in its own rite.