Thank you to Hillel for bringing Josh Malina

I want to commend and thank Hillel for bringing Josh Malina to campus for their Kosher Style: Unplugged event. It is unfortunate more students did not take advantage of the program. Mr. Malina spoke intelligently about issues surrounding Israel and about his experiences balancing his spiritual and professional lives. I hope Hillel and other organizations continue to bring interesting and thought-provoking speakers to campus for the benefit of our Kent State community.

Brian Collins

residence hall director

‘First Impressions’ new stride for The Strokes

I must admit that when I first read the article “Terrible ‘first impressions,'” I was totally overtaken with anger at the review. After much cooling, I realized that it’s not the review that I find fault with – it’s the false outlook on the band. The accusations are based on “information” that can be disproved, making the entire review invalid.

The review begins with a remark about comparing the new album to the first two albums that The Strokes made and their respective singles. Their previous two albums did come bearing amazing singles, but the author forgets that the albums were not praised equally. Room on Fire received much criticism for being too similar to its predecessor. Yet the author goes on to attack the band for breaking up some of the monotony.

Lead singer Julian Casablancas is pointed out to be well – known for his “subtle, scratchy-sounding voice.” His voice has been accompanied previously with distorted overtones, making him sound fuzzy and static-ridden. When it’s said, however, that a song “elect(s)” him to scream, I wonder if the author has forgotten that Casablancas has always been the vocalist? There is no election. In fact, Casablancas wrote this song, and the idea of someone forcing him to sing a certain way suggests otherwise. Besides, this is certainly not the first time he has screamed or strained a vocal. His screams date back to their first album with songs like ‘”Take it or Leave it.”

I wish what people could have read about First Impressions of Earth was that it is a new stride for The Strokes – a step away from the labels they have been given in the past. I believe the review given to them completely misfired with irrelevant criticism. I suggest you go back to the first album and reference a little ditty called “Hard to Explain.”

Nancy Tyna

freshman visual communication design major

Student questions KSU’s upkeep of buildings

I’ve been following the story of Kent State’s legal battle with CCI, the company that built Centennial Courts C, D, E and F. Carnegie Mellon professor Stephen R. Lee was quoted in the Akron Beacon Journal, saying that marks of salt indicating water leaks in the brick facades along with cracks, chips, et cetera throughout the buildings were evidence of faulty workmanship.

It’s sad to think that Kent State students had to live in sub-standard residence halls shortly after they were built. Only the university would know if they allowed residents to occupy shoddy residences with full knowledge of such subpar accommodations. But one consolation is that CCI doesn’t seem to have a leg to stand on in claims court, and that our university will not, hopefully, have any students dissuaded from attending here because of such conditions. If the university lets kids live in brand new, but unsound halls, imagine how the older buildings must be kept up?

Karl Hopkins-Lutz

junior German major