A tender kiss, a passionate embrace and an awkward exchange of glances are disappearing from filmmaking. A growing number of audiences have condemned romantic comedies, leaving theatres last Valentine’s Day empty. This trend derived from neither the jokes nor the acting, but instead the film’s failure to connect with the audience.

In essence, comedy depends on its creativity or association with the audience; romantic comedies depend on the latter of the two for their comedic value. Take for example, a good romantic comedy, The 40 Year Old Virgin.

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1. The Black Keys: March 9 in Washington D.C. – Combining Jazz and alternative rock, Dan Aurbach and Patrick Carney are the raw blues rock band of the decade. 2. Elton John: March 15 in Roanoke, Va. – with a career spanning four decades, this English rock singer and pianistContinue Reading

The administration has mandated that students register their smart phones, tablets, and laptops with the Information Technology department, the organization charged with regulating internet use at the school. Although the regulation of students’ use of technology was inevitable, the school is ill prepared for this move. The lack of warning, the limitations on administration’s power and the sheer multitude of devices owned will cause this measure to fail.

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Statesmen wrestlers James Cusack and Matt Crawford, both seniors, wrestled in the Virginia AAA State Wrestling tournament at Robinson Secondary School on Feb. 17 to 18, finishing in eighth and third places, respectively.

Crawford beat Yorktown High School wrestler Charlie Whel on the second day of the tournament to earn his third place finish in the state. Cusack lost his final match that determined the seventh and eighth place finishers in his weight class.

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I started painting graffiti when I was a little kid mostly because it was a bit of fun and involved a lot of running and hiding like any other children’s game. It sort of started out as just painting quotes or offensive phrases and then as I got older I got a lot more creative and sort of branched out my painting spots.

For awhile I liked to find places where no one went because it gave me more time to paint and look over my stuff. Now I think I spend about 90% of my time thinking up ideas or matching colors – though I usually only get to paint about 2% of what I want to.

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The following is an edited interview on Feb. 8 between senior Sam Rosenberg and Rank & File that examines his participation in competitive powerlifting.

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Rank & File: So powerlifting, where exactly did it start?

Sam Rosenberg: I started working out and lifting weights during my freshman year in high school, but I didn’t get serious about powerlifting until my sophomore and junior years. I started out at Fitness First Gym in Tyson’s and have been lifting there ever since. My powerlifting team, Team Force, works out there.

R&F:How do you train for competitions?

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“I’m so sorry,” Cold War historian and author John Lewis Gaddis said in response to comments of Marshall history students regarding excerpts from his books as learning aids in IB Topics classes. “You must be suffering.”

Despite this lighthearted joke, Gaddis gave ten Marshall seniors and other historians an in-depth lecture on his new book, George F. Kennan: An American Life, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday.

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According to a 2008 survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau called “Reasons For Not Voting, By Selected Characteristics,” 21 percent of people from ages 18 to 24 cited “Too busy, conflicting schedule” as a reason for not voting, followed closely by “Out of town” and “Not Interested.”

However, contrary to those statistics, there are seniors who will be voting.

In the week of Feb. 6, Virginia voter registrars came during IB Topics classes to help eligible seniors become registered voters.
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This Friday will be the second to last day of Freshmen Friday, an event headed by the Class of 2015.

Twenty-five songs ranging from Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” to Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song” will be available for selection on Freshmen Friday for 50 cents.

Any student can pay to play one of these songs or pay for a shout-out. Money raised from Freshmen Friday will go towards funding for the Class of 2015.

“We made it February-themed—happy—not just love-themed,” SGA executive board member Erica Sherr, freshman said.

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