Years ago, before the rash of in-school violence and crime, school-related deaths and injuries belonged where they were supposed to — on the playground, during recess. We speak of a time when playgrounds were part of a child's education. We learned...

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." This tag line follows the new film "Kill Bill." However, the fourth film by director Quentin Tarantino is anything but cold; it's no doubt the hottest action movie around, if not the hottest ever. The film boasts...

Cue the Ray Parker Jr. music and get ready to ask "Who you gonna call?" Chaz is on the case of paranormal activity at NIU. I dusted off my trusty proton pack and changed the nine-volt batteries in my PKE meter to find any truth to the rumors about the...

"School is in session. Today's assignment: kickin' ass!" Taking the top spot in the box office, "School of Rock" proved to be a quality flick. It has qualities that capture the attention of parents, preteens, teens and college students, featuring the...

Being a cover band is like very risky karaoke. Not only do you not have the comfort of the lyrics in front of you, but you have to play the instruments at the same time. American English braved the risks inherent in being a cover band last Friday night...

The Illinois Poison Center is warning the higher education community that college students binge drink more frequently and are more likely to suffer an alcohol-related fatality or injury than those in the same age group who aren’t in college. Based...

On Sept. 30, the official release date of "Sacred Love," Sting's muse was declared dead. The Englishman secretly has battled the disease of crash commercialism and middle-of-the-road rubbish for more than a decade. The ailment took a public turn for the...

Cleavage. Premarital sex. Profanity. No, I'm not talking about the fourth installment of the "American Pie" saga. I'm referring to "The Scarlet Letter," which opened last weekend at the Stevens Building's Players Theater. A modernization of the perennial...

The strip malls haven't even switched their seasonal knickknacks, and already record stores have been flooded with seven new Christmas albums in the last two weeks. We haven't even had our first frost yet (let alone finished our costumes), and already...

If you walk into the lower lounge at Douglas or Lincoln Hall, you might find an energetic group of students dancing up a storm to heavy urban beats. The VIBE Dance Troupe meets three times a week to dance to mainly hip-hop and R&B music. Comprised...

Remember "Toy Story"? It was a computer-generated masterpiece of friendship and the importance of having someone to lean on. Remember that great song "You've Got a Friend in Me"? The song came in at the emotional climax of the movie and added to the feel...

One hundred forty-four films from 40 countries, five world premieres and 40 U.S. premieres - it can all only mean one thing: the 38th annual Chicago International Film Festival. It's paradise for the local movie buff, and "Xanadu" for 20-something art-house...