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It’s elimination night for American idol and it is a big one. We are down to the final eleven so whoever gets dumped tonight doesn’t quite get to crack the top ten. Is this finally it for Kristy Lee Cook, the adorable little country themed singer that made a Kellie Pickler like statement last night when she told Simon Cowell, “I can blow you out of your socks and you know it.” I think she meant blow his socks off with her singing, but I’m not going to touch that one.
Kristy needs to stay just for entertainment value so let’s examine who might also be on the bubble. I love the rocker nurse Amanda Overmyer but her time is just about up. Last night she sang “Back in the USSR” and it wasn’t awful but that’s the best I can say about it.
One of my other favorites may be on the bubble as well. Chikezie sang “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and even pulled out a harmonica which I kind of liked but it really annoyed Simon Cowell. He hammered him with this comment, ‘It started off okay and then you played the harmonica which was, literally atrocious, and then it turned into “Achy Breaky Heart” at the end … It was like a lot of different artists. I actually thought it was … gimmicky.” Nothing wrong with getting in a shot at Billy Ray Cyrus.
It might also be time to close down the shop on Ramiele Malubay, as she tried, “I Should Have Known Better”. I could say something cute like she should have known better than to sing that song, but I really like her. I’m just not certain she has the talent. She is adorable tough. My guess for the bottom three are all girls this week. Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook and Amanda Overmyer.

nationalledger.com

Law Prof. Vikramaditya Khanna is the youngest University professor with full tenure. Khanna, who began teaching at the University in 2004, is 36 years old. (SAID ALSALAH/Daily)
The next time you’re at office hours, try starting a conversation with your professor about the latest American Idol reject or your favorite 50 Cent song.
For Law School students taking a class with Professor Vikramaditya Khanna, this type of exchange is commonplace. Khanna, the soft-spoken corporate and security relations law professor who considers himself a pop-culture junkie, is the University’s youngest full-time professor.
At 36, Khanna has already accomplished what many academics dream of. He and his family moved to the U.S. from India when he was 4 and then relocated to New Zealand when he was 14. After moving there, Khanna tested out of three grades, but only skipped two because his parents were uneasy about him adjusting socially with older students.
Khanna began his college career at Victoria University of Wellington at age 16, finishing with bachelor-level law and business degrees by age 21.
He then attended Harvard University, where he earned a graduate law degree at 25. After finishing at Harvard, Khanna took his first teaching position at Boston University’s School of Law, where he would stay for six years.
The University of Michigan Law School offered Khanna a full-tenure position in 2004, when he was just 32.
Khanna said he doesn’t think about his age in relation to other faculty that often and it doesn’t deter him from socializing.
Khanna said when he first began teaching at 25, many of his students were his age or older. He said he didn’t mind the experience of being the same age or younger as many students because it “helps keep me constantly plugged in and stimulated.”
Like many students, Khanna’s favorite show to watch is Law & Order. Like many teenagers, the professor criticizes MTV for not playing enough music. He said the Indiana Jones and the Blade Trilogy movies were among his favorites.

michigandaily.com

The striking 21-year-old singer, dancer and actress grew up performing in the Sarasota area before moving to Miami for college. She’s been singing since she was a toddler in a musical family that included three sisters and mother Zelda, a former Motown backup singer.
As a child, Syesha — it’s pronounced “sigh-EE-sha” — sang in church and grew accustomed to performing in public — she once sang the national anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game. Her turns in musicals such as
Seussical: The Musical at a Sarasota arts high school drew raves. She’s acted in commercials, sang in a band, won a car in a statewide singing contest and even appeared briefly on a reality TV show.
So nobody back home is surprised that she’s standing among the final 11 on the Fox TV show that has the potential to make her a household name. And, they say, it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.
“When she was going to high school, she was aspiring to do that kind of thing. I remember she and her friends talking about it,” said Johnnie Mnich, theater director in the elite performing arts program at Booker High School. “I think it was a matter of time before it happened. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she’s good at.”
Mnich recalls marveling at Mercado’s talent when the she won the lead in the musical
Once on This Island as a sophomore.
“I was just blown away,” he said. “I was amazed at the level of expertise and strength and training.”
Bruce Merkle, 20, spent all four years in the Booker arts program acting and singing with Mercado. They shared their first stage kiss in
Once on This Island.
“She’s sounded like that since she was 14, as long as I can remember,” said Merkle, now a stage actor and still close friends with Mercado. “She’s the real deal. And she’s genuinely a nice person. She’s very grounded and knows what she wants.”

sun-sentinel.com

Bethel beats Northwood 73-41
Even if the halftime scoreboard made it look like a colossal upset was brewing, neither coach was fooled.
Jody Martinez knew his fifth-ranked Bethel team would eventually figure things out.
And, John Thurston, the veteran coach who launched the Northwood University program in West Palm Beach, Fla., two years ago, knew what was left in the tank.
Sure enough, heavily favored Bethel had erased all traces of a 26-25 halftime deficit, dominating the second half while putting up a 73-41 first-round triumph Thursday at the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships.
“I knew we’d come out and be able to play on adrenaline,” said Thurston, whose team is just one of two national tournament newcomers in this year’s 32-team field. “When the adrenaline wears off, though, it looks like you don’t have any energy.”
Bethel’s Mid-Central Conference champs, breaking a school record with their 30th win in 33 starts, outscored Northwood 48-15 in the second half.
“We just had a lot of nervous energy that first half,” said Martinez, who had teams reach the quarterfinals here two of the last three years. “We’re a veteran group, our seniors are outstanding. We knew we were going to click eventually.”

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A Chinese TV station has said it plans to make a Chinese version of the hit series Ugly Betty.
Invincible Ugly Woman, as it will be called in China, will be made and screened on Hunan Satellite TV.
The station said it was planning 400 episodes of the show over five seasons, with shooting to start next month.
Ugly Betty, about an ordinary woman who tries to fit in at a fashion design company, has been a major ratings success in the US.
Hunan Satellite TV said that a woman with no prior acting experience had been cast as the female lead, while the lead male had not been decided.
The station is best-known for the success of its Super Girls talent show - the Chinese version of American Idol.
Ugly Betty was inspired by the Colombian telenovela, a Latin American soap drama, Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, which translates as I Am Betty, the Ugly One.
It was adapted to an American setting by former Oscar nominee Salma Hayek.
Actress America Ferrera became an overnight sensation in the leading role when it first aired in 2006 and went on to win a Golden Globe for best TV comedy actress in 2007.

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HAYWARD — Adam Swank became emotional when describing his third-place finish on Saturday at the American Birkebeiner.
It was more than just the best finish in 10 career Birkies for Swank, who grew up in Rhinelander, Wis., and has lived in Duluth for most of the past four years. The win carried a lot of sentimental value — Swank dedicated the race to his mother, Judy, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005 and is undergoing chemotherapy.
“I finished fourth many years ago and in the top 10 a couple times before that, so to finally break through to the podium is special, and it’s even more special this year because of my mom,” Swank said.
He grew a little teary-eyed as his mother gave him a hug. Then Swank regained his composure and sense of humor, all at once.
“I didn’t want to dedicate a crappy race,” Swank said. “I had to make sure it was a good one.”
Swank came within a split second of beating 2007 champion Zack Simons for second place after a frantic sprint down Main Street in Hayward. Swank had the best local finish at the Birkie in recent memory.
While not known for his sprinting ability, the 32-year-old Swank held off a huge pack down the final stretch. Many of his competitors were younger skiers, something pointed out by an interviewer.
“First off, I don’t take exception to the ‘younger’ comment,” Swank said. “I realize I’m getting up there, and coming up Main Street I actually thought people would start blasting by me, but I just gave it my all, didn’t look back and it never happened.”
Swank, a doctor who works in urgent care at St. Luke’s hospital, recently bought a home in Duluth and has no plans of leaving anytime soon. On Saturday, he made his mother proud.
“At first I didn’t know what his place was because there was so much noise and everything going on,” Judy Swank said. “It was such a surprise. He just did so good.”
* Brian Gregg of Hayward was another local skier to crack the top 10 of the men’s elite field, finishing fifth.
OWEN UNSEATS TREMBLAY
Kristina Owen of Hayward finished eighth in the women’s race to snap Diane Tremblay’s streak of five straight years as the area’s top finisher. Tremblay, also of Hayward, was 10th.
Owen, 23, is from Wenatchee, Wash., and skied at Michigan Tech before graduating last spring. On Saturday, she passed her old college coach, Joe Hagenmiller, on the course.
Owen moved to Hayward last year to train with the CXC elite cross-country racing team. She was visibly spent after her first Birkie. Previously, the longest she had raced was on Feb. 9 at the Pre-Birkie 26K, about half the distance of Saturday’s race.
“The girls in front of me made a strong push up the hill toward the end,” Owen said. “It was a lot of fun to see all those girls. Most of us know each other from racing all over the country, so it’s fun going against them. I tried to keep up, but it just wasn’t happening.”

duluthnewstribune.com