SAN JOSE, Calif.- That loud noise you heard last week was a 24-hour window of optimism slamming shut.

Before that happened, however, there was much chatter about the fact that neither NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman nor players’ union president Bob Goodenow was invited to take part in “small group” dialogue between opposing sides in the lockout.

The new 40 GB IPod. A trip to the Bahamas for Spring Break. A large one-topping pizza every week for a whole year. Twenty new DVDs. Thirty pedicures at WaveLengths on America’s Cup Blvd. These are all things which costs approximately $400.

How can Salve students pocket the $400? Well, if a student drinks one soda or beverage at roughly $1.

It’s that time of the year again. The holidays have come and gone, a New Year and semester has begun and well, the event of winter is rapidly approaching. This event is the culmination of an entire season of yelling, cheering and TV-watching and now, it’s the ultimate party.

Monday night football has never been so visible.

Gone is the glow of the cigarette butts. Gone are the clouds of smoke escaping from lips as touchdowns are scored and crowds cheer. Gone are the tell tale coughs quickly muted by beer.

Instead, at Aidan’s Pub in Newport, harried waitresses hustle trays of Buffalo wings from one table to another, filling drafts of Newport Storm.

Dear Editor,

As a sophomore here at Salve Regina University (and also as a work-study dispatcher for the Office of Safety & Security), I wish to call not your attention, but those of your readers, to your recent publication of 17 November 2004, specifically in which your article entitled “Saturday Night at Miley Hall” stated that the shuttle service “after calling .