The Contraband

ATHLETIC FEE UNCOVERED

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The McNeese Senate and the SGA are looking to pass legislation that will increase some of the self-assessed fees that students pay each semester. While most of these fees have fairly moderate increases, from $0.50 to $1.50, the athletic fee is expected to increase by $32.

President, Congress continue in test of wills over healthcare reform

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

(MCT)

WASHINGTON _ With Republicans apparently unmoved by a daylong face-off on live TV, President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress now face the test of whether they can overhaul the nation's health care system by themselves.

Obama conceded after seven hours of sometimes testy talks with Republicans Thursday that the two major parties may be too far apart on the biggest health care issue: whether the federal government should pay for insurance for tens of millions of people who don't now have coverage.

Quad Confusion

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Richard Rhoden, a representative from the Campus Development Committee answers question for the Contraband regarding the nuisance students have been dealt with.

The renovations to the Quad is making getting to class a lot harder for students.

Q: How long will the quad renovations take?

Rhoden: Approximately By contract the project will last approximately 8 months although I am hopeful it will be shorter however this project will be greatly affected by the weather so the contractor may need every bit of the time the contract allows.

With new Bagram prison, U.S. looks to put bad press of years past to rest

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

(MCT)

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan _ The bearded Taliban prisoners at Bagram broke off from a spirited game of soccer in the yard to greet a McClatchy Newspapers reporter, the first journalist allowed into the notorious U.S. jail in Afghanistan since detainees there were moved into a new multimillion-dollar facility.

Catch a Tiger by the Tail

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Last season, McNeese State's rival Nicholls State marched into Alex Box Stadium and stunned the LSU Tigers, who would go on to be the NCAA National Champions.

The strategy they employed?

They used eight different pitchers in the nine innings.

Not that any of their pitchers did a bad job-they only let the explosive Tigers score one run-they just kept the LSU batters confused.

Cowgirls win Memphis Blues City Classic

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Well it looks like after returning from their Hawaiian vacation two weeks ago the McNeese State Cowgirl softball team got right back to work.

After their first six games of the year the Cowgirls sat at 1-5, but have climbed back to win six of their last seven including the title of the Fourth Annual Memphis Blues City Classic Champions.

Player of The Week

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Riche', a native of Sulphur, is in his fourth season as a Cowboy. He started left field as a freshman, junior, and now again in his senior season.
He was recently named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week. In the Cowboys' season opening series vs. Valparaiso he went 5 for 10 at the plate and drove in seven runs.

Super Bowl Champion Saints could lose Pro Bowlers Evans, Sharper

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Let the third part of the NFL season begin!

You may be saying to yourselves "what is this guy talking about? The super bowl was three weeks ago."

And while that is true, to us diehard football fans who just can't get enough of the NFL, a new season begins after the postseason.

Wells posts 31 in loss

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The McNeese women's basketball team lost two more games last week bringing their season record to 6-20 on the year and 2-11 in Southland Conference action.

The losses make it five in a row now for the Cowgirls.

The first of those two losses came at the hands of the Texas A&M-Chorpus Christi, 72-62.

Cowboys loss to Bearkats ends all hopes of conference tournament run

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The McNeese state Cowboys basketball team's 2009-2010 season all but ended last Wednesday.

The Pokes needed to finish out the regular season with five straight victories in order to reach the Southland Conference tournament, and after picking up their first of those five wins against Texas A&M- Chorpus Christi on the four days earlier they lost their final game of the year that meant anything at the hands of conference leaders Sam Houston State.

"Brutal Legend" Lands 7.5

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

With the increasing popularity of mixing music with videogames Double Fines Productions and its director Tim Schafer created Brütal Legend, a game that fuses traditional heavy metal themes with action adventure/strategy hybrid. The game revolves around Eddie Riggs a roadie who is transported to a mythical land inspired by heavy metal album covers and is soon charged with the task of freeing the people from the evil Emperor Doviculus.

El Tapatio has great food, service, environment and price

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Lake Charles is not exactly known for its lack of restaurants. Still, friends never seem to agree on where to go when supper time rolls around. There's a reason behind this. It turns out that it's difficult to choose between one mediocre steakhouse and another.

Lake Area Nightlife Calendar

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, March 2
Micci's Piano Bar
Jay Ecker & Larry McCullough (Jazz) - 7 pm

McNeese Squires Recital Hall
Judy Hand Faculty Recital (Classical) - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, March 3
Luna Bar & Grill
Chris Shearman (Acoustic) - 9pm

Thursday, March 4
Jack Daniel's @ Lauberge du Lac
Krossroadz (Covers) - 10 pm

McNeese Baker Auditorium
Banners Series - Short Circuit Traveling Film Festival - 7 pm

McNeese F.

Shutter Island Review

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

If you watched the previews to Shutter Island and thought this would be a total mind job, you are right, it is. After watching this movie, I felt crazy up to the moment I walked out the theater doors.

One misconception I had was that this film would be a horror movie.

Is Chavez's Venezuela on the verge of total economic collapse?

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

(MCT)

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's flamboyant president, now should be the object of pity. He has boxed himself in, trapped by his own hubris.

His country is falling apart. How, for example, did Venezuela find itself plagued with electricity shortages so severe that the government imposed blackouts nationwide for several hours each day? After all, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has among the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves.

Mother of an American soldier serving overseas shares her thoughts on war

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

As the mother of a soldier in Iraq, I've been asked to express by thoughts about the present wars.

First of all, this is not an easy subject to discuss. On the one hand, I am proud that my son is representing our country at the front. On the other hand, the reasons for wars are never simple, and pretending that they are is disingenuous.

Quad construction may be annoying for now, but promises to improve campus

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

There are a multitude of things college students seem to be good at: cramming for tests, creative dress when laundry day passes. It seems that nothing can happen on our campus without someone raising hell about it. Two years ago when the quad renovations were approved by the student body, we were eager for the work to begin.