Weary Wil is currently living life in a box.

Hobo Day festivities on Nov. 4 will include the unveiling and dedication of the long-time Hobo Day school symbol — only this time as a statue.

The unveiling will include the landscape garden plaza around the statue on The Union’s north side. Until then, Wil

The statue of Weary Wil, currently on lock down inside a wooden crate, will be unveiled on Nov. 4 during Hobo Week. (Photo by Emma DeJong)

spends his days in a 10 foot pine box.

The cheerful hobo by choice, Wil is a cherished tradition for many alumni and current students. It is a memory the Alumni Board has been committed to commemorating for years and was integral in making the statue come to life.

“Our Alum Board has worked tirelessly to make this new plaza a possibility, and also the Hobo Gallery from last year a reality,” said Union Director Jennifer Novotny.

Wil is cast in the likeness of SDSU graduate  and former state senator David Blagen. Novotny noted there are more than a few hidden surprises included in Wil’s attire students will have to search for.

Crews have been installing the eight-and-a-half-foot tall statue and preparing the grounds for the ceremony. One crew finished putting the finishing touches on the plaza for the upcoming unveiling. Another crew is responsible for the landscaping around the statue, expected for completion by the end of the week.

The news about the statue is unbeknownst to some students.

“I’ve heard a lot of people talking about it. They said they were building a statue of Wil by the Union, but no one I’ve talked to has seen it yet,” said student Brent Kramer.

According to Novotny, Weary Wil and the Hobo Gallery of the Student Union are part of an Alumni Board and Administration collaboration to include school tradition themed art on campus.

She added a hint of mystery to the campus beautification process.

“We’re hoping to give Wil a companion sculpture in the near future,” Novotny said.

His name is George. He is good-spirited, even friendly. If you wave, he might wave back. He likes playing organ music and tampering with the electricity.

And he’s dead.

Legend says that in 1919, George was working as a janitor in SDSU’s Doner Auditorium. He fell to his death from an alcove above the stage, where the organ was.

Two years after George’s death, the organ was dismantled and taken to its final resting place in the music department. Some say the organ was scrapped because it didn’t work properly anymore. Others say it was because a ghostly apparition was playing it from time to time.

Ray Peterson, a retired professor who spent 40 years teaching theater at SDSU, says he never met George face to face, but still believes in him.

Peterson was a full-time technical director for three years and heard many strange noises when he was working alone on the old stage.

“I don’t know how many times I stopped what I was doing,” to listen to odd banging noises, he says. “I kept telling myself it was just ventilation and some air problems.”

Theater major Jessie Storovich says George is both a loved and feared figure in SDSU’s theater program. She also has a personal experience with odd happenings in the auditorium.

To prepare for an upcoming show, she had to clean out the theater. Storovich tried entering through the back, where there is the easiest access to the theater lights, but the door was locked. This forced her to enter through the front of the auditorium, where she had to walk down the aisle, walk the main stage and navigate her way backstage to find the lights.

“I got about half way down the aisle and all of a sudden … every single light in there started blinking on and off and just going crazy and there were all these, like, pounding noises,” she said.

“I didn’t know if it was a trick or if there was some really scary hobo sleeping in Doner or if it was a ghost, but I was not staying in there and I was not going any further down the aisle.”

This, combined with over-active imaginations, is just what skeptics like Theater Professor John “J.D.” Ackman says perpetuate ghost stories.

“I don’t happen to believe there is a ghost in Doner,” Ackman says, “And I have spent an awful lot of time in there, often at night and often alone.”

Another strange fact: There is no record in the U.S. Social Security Death Index of a man by the name of George dying in Brookings in 1919.

Hobos ran rampant in the Volstorff Ballroom on Halloween night during Bum Olympics.

Members of the Delta Chi and Sigma Epsilon race across the floor of the Volstorff Ball Room during the Blanket Challenge of the Bum Olympics. The Bum Olympics is just one of many events during Hobo Week. (Photo by Kathy Kroeger)

The reason? Spirit points.

The annual event featured nine teams of 10 people from residence halls and student organizations all competing against each other to gain the most spirit points for bragging rights.

“Throughout Hobo Week people can earn spirit points and Bum Olympics is just one way of doing that,” said Grand Pooba Briana Troske. “The winner of the most spirit points will be announced at Saturday’s football game at half time and win bragging rights until next year.”

The Bum Olympics was one of the events kicking off Hobo Week. It’s designed to test the athletic abilities of participants in a silly way and to have a lot of laughs, said University Program Council President Thomas Brinker.

“To sum it up, Bum Olympics is several really fast-paced relay events that test obscure and silly skills,” said Brinker.

It was close competition throughout the event. Delta Chi took home first place with 50 points overall; Sigma Phi Epsilon took second with 35 points; and the Newman Center took third with 20 points.

One of the relay events was the Dizzy Lizzy, an event where participants placed their head on a bat and spun around 10 times before they chugged a juice pouch and ran back to tag the next team member. However, the sequence most teams followed was turn around five times, fall over, get back up and spin the other five, fall over, and so on.

Sigma Phi Epsilon took home first place in this portion of the Olympics.

“The [Dizzy Lizzy] was awesome,” said Tyler Aldren of Sigma Phi Epsilon. “We take the Bum Olympics very seriously and I love how competitive it is.”

The Blanket Challenge was another portion of the Bum Olympics where participants wrapped one team member in a blanket and ran them down and back the VBR two times.

Delta Chi took a hard stumble in the first half of the relay, which sent them back to second place and allowing the Newman Center “Catholic Jacks” to win first.

Delta Chi fought back in the next event and went on to win the Tunnel Race, where team members raced down the VBR by crawling under legs and forming a human chain.

“You could dive through the first few legs but then the rest of the way was a challenge,” said Quade Klepper of Delta Chi about the Tunnel Challenge.

Although Troske said all the events are fun, she said one of the funniest portions of Bum Olympics is watching participants do Digging for Worms.

“Participants [had] to get worms out of a bucket of Jell-O using only their face,” said Troske. “It’s a funny and messy sight.”

Although all the events are silly, winning was no laughing matter when it came to participants.

“Participants always get really into it – especially those dressed up as hobos,” said Brinker. “Things got really competitive and loud. It [was] a fun time.”

Everyone has a story to tell. Most of these great stories go unheard by the general public because they aren’t considered “news worthy.” Check out The Juice throughout the semester to hear an average student’s story.

Most students that are interested in entrepreneurship will graduate with a degree in business or economics and then start up their dream company. Jamison Lamp broke the mold for each of these standards when he took over as owner of Obsessions (formerly Bagel Works). Lamp isn’t a business or economics major, and he’s not expected to graduate anytime soon.

Ben: What was the reason for renaming Bagel Works?

Jamison: We added the gift shop…just kind of wanted to spruce everything up and give it a new look. We cover everyones obsessions here; from gifts, coffee, soup…that kind of thing.

Ben: What sort of crafts do you have? Can you describe some of them?

Jamison: We’ve got a line of wall decor, that kind of thing. A lot of jewelry, scarves, purses. We’ve got a gourmet food line that has lots of grill marinades and salad dressings- that kind of thing. Most of them are gluten free and very low in sugar with no preservatives. The line was featured in “Oprah’s favorite things” in 2009.

Ben: So as far as the restaurant portion goes, has that changed at all since the re-naming?

Jamison: That has not changed much. We got the gift shop up and running. We are going to be doing a little bit of menu overhaul over there to try and incorporate some of the gourmet items that we offer on the gift side into the regular menu on the old Bagel Works side.

Ben: So you’ve owned the former Bagel Works for over a year now?

Jamison: It was a year and a half in January 2011, so it will be two years in June.

Ben: So where did you get the idea to rename the store then?

Jamison: I wanted to add more to it. We’ve always offered a lot more than bagels so I just felt that “Bagel Works” is a little bit limiting. We do soups and salads; during the summer we always do crafts and a wide variety of things.

Ben: You’re still in school right?

Jamison: I am still taking classes, there is no graduation date set yet, so whenever I get there. I have about 20 credits left before I graduate.

Ben: So how many credits are you taking this semester?

Jamison: I’m taking four. I take a little bit at a time.

Ben: So what’s your major?

Jamison: My major is journalism. It’s fun to explain to your advisor that you’re a journalism major that doesn’t want to be a writer, but owns a business.

Ben: Why did you want to go into business and entrepreneurship?

Jamison: My parents both own their own business, it’s kind of something I always thought about. I thought it would be more of a retirement kind of thing after my career. But we had the opportunity to purchase this as a family and it’s one of those things that we couldn’t pass up at the time, and here I am.

Ben: You are solely in charge of this?

Jamison: I solely run the restaurant. My mom’s a realtor so she’s off doing her own thing on her own time and my dad’s a mechanic so he’s doing his own thing.

Ben: What’s it like to be a student and have your own business? It’s pretty unique because usually people graduate and then they start their own business.

Jamison: It does get to be a little challenging. Spring semester is always the hardest because there’s no consistency in the schedules and every time you turn around there’s another break going on. Otherwise, just the time management is crucial. I have an online class this semester so a lot of that can be done in the wee hours of the morning or whenever I have time to do it.

Ben: What is the biggest pleasure you get out of owning a business and doing all this extra work?

Jamison: I do it for the customers; that’s what I really enjoy. I think that comes from the journalism background because I like to talk with people over the counter and figure out their story.

Ben: The grand opening of Obsessions was just recently, (Thursday, Feb. 24) how did that go?

Jamison: It went very well. We had the grand opening and little orderves and some of the specialty food items.

Ben: What would you say to someone interested or wondering what the new Obsessions is all about?

Jamison: I would say that you have to come check it out because there literally is something here for everyone. We have a lot of stuff coming in for Father’s Day and new stuff arrives everyday.

Obsessions is open daily with grand opening specials going on. See the new specialty gift store and even grab lunch while you shop. If you would like to read more, find Obsessons on Facebook. You can also watch my full interview with Jamison on The Collegian’s website under the “Juice” tab.

If you or someone you know would like to have your story in The Collegian, let us know! Send us an email with your story to juice@sdsucollegian.com.

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Someone once told me that the popped-collar look was “in” and that it was just a matter of time before the trend hit the Midwest.

That was many years ago and that trend still hasn’t reached South Dakota, but maybe that’s because whoever told me about this trend had no clue what they were talking about in the first place.

“Coolness” is not something that can be measured. The old phrase goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and I think the same can be said about coolness.

So who has the authority to say what’s cool and what isn’t? For many people, whether or not something is deemed cool reflects their personal views.

I personally think it’s cool to have a Mac, but a lot of people would argue that having a Mac puts you in an elitist group, therefore making you snooty.

This week, consider the things that make you cool. You will never please everyone and there will always be someone hating on the things that you enjoy the most. Haters gonna hate, so let them hate and don’t be swayed by the masses.

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The fight between Crash and Brokeback Mountain remains one of the biggest Oscar upsets.

Five years ago, on March 5, 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made one of its most controversial choices for Best Picture when they awarded the top prize to Crash over the odds on favorite Brokeback Mountain. Many accused the Academy of being homophobic and questioned whether they were oblivious to the changing face of cinema. Now that some time has passed, it’s a great time to reflect back on the two films.

Crash was actually released in 2004 so the fact that it stayed around long enough to win the top prize in 2006 is astounding. Last year’s “The Hurt Locker” is the only other recent movie I can think of that has accomplished the same feat.

Crash features an impressive ensemble of Hollywood players and it weaves their stories together in an impressive, if not convenient, way. Where Crash excels is in its storytelling. The film examines the racial and social tensions that are present in an era when many seem to think that racism is a thing of the past. It’s an intriguing film because it doesn’t play it safe and it often gets under the skin with its blistering honesty. Matt Dillon, in the performance of his career, plays a particularly jaw-dropping cop who, more than once, lets his racist thoughts bubble to the surface. His character isn’t the only one, however. Writer and director Paul Haggis, who became the only individual to write back-to-back Best Picture Oscar winners when Crash followed Million Dollar Baby, writes what I believe to be the finest original screenplay of the last decade and fills it with complex and conflicting characters. It forces us to realize that in the busy world in which we live, we are lucky if we ever really truly make contact with others around us. At one point in the film, Don Cheadle’s character says the following: “In any real city, you walk…you brush past people, people bump into you. We’re always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.” Additionally, the tagline for the movie poignantly states that “moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other.”

Crash exposes us as the people we really are and not just in the terms of how we see ourselves. From a critic’s standpoint, in addition to featuring a great script, the film features some Hollywood actors giving the finest performances of their career to date. Sandra Bullock does more with 10 minutes of film than she has done in some of her other full length movies and Thandie Newton exposes the talent of an actress that has remained under the radar for far too long.

Brokeback Mountain is based on the novel by Larry McMurtry and was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger bring to life two cowboys who fall in love while herding sheep in Wyoming. Many people shied away from the film because of its taboo subject and that just goes to show how close-minded some people are about the matter. What’s interesting about Brokeback Mountain is that it fits in with other romantic films rather nicely; it’s not merely the “gay cowboy movie.” Ledger gives what could be considered his finest performance, and supporting players Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams also deliver great work.

What I think works best about the film is that it takes one of the most controversial topics of our time and infuses it into one of the oldest genres around. It was a gutsy move; one worth applauding all of those involved with the making of the movie. Many people were as uncomfortable with the subject matter as some of the main characters in the film were, but by using such a heated topic, it goes on to create one of the most moving pictures of our era. It is by no means a conventional picture, but that’s what I liked about it. The film lets the story build upon itself and it allows the actors involved to do some of the finest, most intimate work of their career. Director Ang Lee, who won the Oscar for Best Director in 2006, takes many chances with the film and all of them seem to pay off. I think those who are willing to give the film a try will be surprised at its impact.

We now arrive back at the question of whether or not the Academy made the right choice 5 years ago. For my money, Crash is still the best choice. Each year has multiple films that are worthy of the prize and I can imagine that it is hard for voting members to pick a favorite. Whether homophobic tendencies were behind the voting we’ll never know. What remains is that the 2006 ceremony gave us a worthy Best Picture, as well as two cinematic high points from the last decade in film.

Mission Coffee House donates all their proceeds to a different charity in Brookings each month.

In Brookings, most coffee shops don’t go unnoticed, but inside the First Lutheran Church, known affectionately as “touchdown Jesus,” one coffee shop is barely a blip on the radar.

Mission Coffee House is a surprising find to many people. Amanda Jurrens, a senior biology major and barista at Mission Coffee, says the lack of advertising is a big reason that the coffee shop is so unheard of.

“We’re so obscurely located and we don’t advertise on campus enough at all,” Jurrens said. “A lot of people don’t know about us, unless they go to church here.”

On the surface it seems like a simple solution; spend some money and spread the word. This is difficult for Mission Coffee because they are a nonprofit business and all the money they accumulate goes to helping groups and organizations in Brookings.

“I like the mission aspect of it, we’re not just in it for the money,” Jurrens said. “We donate to charity whatever we don’t need for our basic needs, and it’s just a fun place to work.”

Mission Coffee’s business motto is written in the name. Giving to missions has been the goal of Mission Coffee since it was established nearly six years ago. Since then they have contributed to countless organizations.

Each month, Mission Coffee employees and First Lutheran church administration choose an organization to donate their proceeds to. Jurrens said that on average they raise two-thousand dollars for each organization in a month timespan.

“People can give us cash tips or if they put it (the bill) on their credit card we run it through and put it in the jar at the end of the day,” Jurrens said.

The employees are a combination of volunteers and student workers who get paid only due to work study loans that they have to qualify for. This means that Mission Coffee only faces the costs of operation which include buying products and paying utilities.

Jurrens said that Mission Coffee offers the same, if not more, options as other coffee shops in town and at competitive prices. Besides dozens of popular beverages, customers can also choose from cookies, muffins, scones, soups, chips, sandwiches, wraps, and pizza.

All the baked goods including lunch and dinner foods are prepared in the store. The only thing Mission Coffee outsources for are the beans used to brew coffee and espresso.

“The coffee beans are bought fair trade and equal exchange,” Jurrens said. “They don’t go through a bunch of companies before coming to us.”

As an added perk, Mission Coffee has a very welcoming atmosphere complete with leather upholstery, a fireplace, and free WiFi.

Jurrens said that usually the elderly and business professionals come in during the day, while college students come at night.

Mission Coffee used to be open until midnight during the week as a designated study area for college students. Due to the lack of business during the late shift, their business hours were cut. However, the shortening of business hours hasn’t put a damper on the donations from students, Brookings residents, and church-goers.

In February, Mission Coffee donated all their proceeds to an organization in Brookings called My Neighbor. This group is dedicated to helping families and individuals who are battling from a crisis and struggling to get back on their feet financially.

In the two years that Jurrens has worked at Mission Coffee, her favorite mission project was with the Brookings Backpack Project, an organization that helps young students get the supplies they need to succeed in school.

“We collected the money for Brookings Backpack project and they put them all together,” Jurrens said.

It’s notable donations like this that put Mission Coffee in a league of their own. They have brewed up the perfect recipe of giving, caring, and philanthropy that tastes sweet to anyone who gives or reaps the benefits.

Interested?

Mission Coffee House

Located at Main Avenue & 8th St

(605) 697-2765

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

#1.2042963:2101320024.png:touchdownJesus-GALLAGHER.png:Inside First Lutheran Church is Mission Coffee House. The coffee shop is relatively unknown by most in the community.:Collegian Photo by Robby Gallagher
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The Red Carpet was on fire Sunday night with both killer and dreadful fashion. I have come up with my top five drop-dead-gorgeous looks, and five “what were they thinking?!” looks.

Let’s start with the worst of the night.

5. Reese Witherspoon. Wow, Oscar Barbie made a special appearance! The black and white Giorgio Armani gown looked like a cocktail waiter’s dress only longer, and her 1960s high pony made her look like the help not a star. Plus, with her blonde hair, Barbie was not too far away from the look alike.

4. Scarlett Johansson. The red see-through lace, conservative Dolce & Gabbana dress with the just off the beach hair made her look like an old lady not the Hollywood bombshell she used to be.

3. Sharon Stone. Okay, c’mon Sharon. The black one shoulder with feather accents Christian Dior dress was youthful, but not for your body shape. It hugged her curves in a very bad way. Plus, the heavy make-up was terrible; you can’t do smoky eyes with a red lip EVER!

2. Jennifer Hudson. I commend her for losing all that weight from Weight Watchers, but that metallic orange halter Atelier Versace gown looked awful. It made her breasts look awkward, and added weight to her smaller body.

1. Nicole Kidman. Her origami, beaded Christian Dior dress was a train wreck. The off-white color and weird shape just made it look like a bad curtain, and those coral shoes were not an attractive pop of color. In an interview before the award show, Kidman said her nearly two-year-old daughter picks out her Red Carpet looks. I would suggest waiting for Sunday’s fashion sense to kick in before consulting her again.

Now for the night’s best Oscar worthy looks.

5. Hailee Steinfeld and Melissa Leo. I had to do a tie here because I love them both. Steinfeld looked young, fresh, and vibrant in her nude sparkly Marchesa dress. Her pulled back hair with the nude headband looked fabulous to complement her conservative gown. Melissa Leo looked fabulous for her age in the metallic lace with stand-up collar Marc Bouwer gown. Many critics didn’t like this dress, but I liked how it caught the flashes of light from the cameras and how form fitting it was to her beautiful figure.

4. Halle Berry. She looked like a gem in the nude, beaded, organza Marchesa dress. The strapless design with the layers of organza flowing asymmetrically down the lower half looked elegant and regal on her amazing body.

3. Mila Kunis. The lavender lace Elie Saab couture gown looked romantic on the Red Carpet. Kunis was expected to wear something dramatic to the Oscars, but this light, season trendy look was both refreshing and beautiful.

2. Gwyneth Paltrow. She looked like a dripping waterfall in the metallic gold drop-waist Calvin Klein with Louis Vuitton jewels. The deep V neckline and the jeweled broche complemented the liquid gold effect on the dress. Her styling with the pin-straight hair and simple make-up was right on. She looked fabulous!

1. Natalie Portman. Whoa mama, she looked so fierce and elegant in her burgundy Rodarte number. Her baby bump made her look glowing along with her soft curled, pulled to the side hair and tassel earrings in matching color. She was the big winner of the night in both the Oscars and in fashion.

There are my favorite and not-so-favorite looks from the 83rd Academy Awards. Hope you all liked the picks! Until next time, stay fashionable my friends!

The top 7 awards of the night (bold winner)

Best Picture

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

Best Actor

Javier Bardem “Biutiful”

Jeff Bridges “True Grit”

Jesse Eisenberg “The Social Network”

Colin Firth “The King’s Speech”

James Franco “127 Hours”

Best Actress

Annette Bening “The Kids Are All Right”

Nicole Kidman “Rabbit Hole”

Jennifer Lawrence “Winter’s Bone”

Natalie Portman “Black Swan”

Michelle Williams ” Blue Valentine”

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale “The Fighter”

John Hawkes “Winter’s Bone”

Jeremy Renner “The Town”

Mark Ruffalo “The Kids Are All Right”

Geoffrey Rush “The King’s Speech”

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams “The Fighter”

Helena Bonham Carter “The King’s Speech”

Melissa Leo “The Fighter”

Hailee Steinfeld “True Grit”

Jacki Weaver “Animal Kingdom”

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky “Black Swan”

David O. Russell “The Fighter”

Tom Hooper “The King’s Speech”

David Fincher “The Social Network”

Joel Coen & Ethan Coen “True Grit”

Best Animated Feature Film

How to Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Toy Story 3

#1.2042944:2170353423.png:oscar.png::
#1.2042934:101294757.png:natalie-portman.png:The worst and the best of fashions of Oscar nights came courtesy of Oscar-winners Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman. hotos from hollywoodreporter.com
#1.2042935:1102524180.png:nicole-kidman.png:The worst and the best of fashions of Oscar nights came courtesy of Oscar-winners Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman. hotos from hollywoodreporter.com