Thumbs Up
Michael Prather wins Mr. American ... Congratulations to Michael Prather on being named Mr. American in a pageant that took place at the University Club on Friday.
African fashion show ... Though we gave a thumbs down last week to African Week's lack of self-publicizing, this event was a highlight of the weeklong event, and an intriguing display.
College Democrats' bipartisan 'hoedown' ... The event, with a theme of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," will bring together both sides of the political aisle this weekend in the amphitheatre.
Baseball's opening day ... The season finally got rolling Sunday night, as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 9-1 to start the season. On Monday, the rest of the league gets started, including our own Washington Nationals, who face the Phillies in Philadelphia.
SOC week ... This coming week, the School of Communication will come together for a series of film showings, lectures, and other events to celebrate the diversity and success of SOC.
Thumbs Down
Not having a Miss American contest ... It's a shame that with all the fun of Mr. American, there was no corresponding event for the ladies of AU to compete in. Considering AU is 65 percent female, there must be some women on campus worthy of the title.
Deaths this week ... The last several days have seen the passing of not only Pope John Paul II, but also comedian Mitch Hedberg, poultry pioneer Frank Perdue and Terry Schiavo. They say deaths come in threes, but these four (along with Johnny Cochran, who passed away on Tuesday) will leave a hole in all of our hearts.
AIM's service interruption Wednesday night ... For close to a half hour, AOL Instant Messenger was down, leading to millions of college students across the globe frantically trying to log back on to check away messages. It was truly a reminder of how much technology we take for granted. Can you believe our parents had to get through college without cell phones, let alone AIM?
Cherry Blossom Festival tourists ... It's that time of the year again, and the Metro is littered with people who aren't sure where they're going. At the risk of being elitist, what is more obnoxious than being stuck walking behind people with no clue where they're going?
