For Kanye West, “The Good Life” has turned into a painful and frustrating letdown. With the sudden death of his mother, Donda West, and his cancelled engagement with fashion designer Alexis Phifer, Kanye has suffered immensely as other musicians sometimes do when faced with mass stardom. Jennifer Hudson, Britney Spears — their personal tragedies and unexpected catastrophes have been documented in magazines and other media outlets everywhere. But instead of quietly grieving or being tested for mental instability, Kanye finds another form of expression, putting forth a new album, “808’s and Heartbreak.”

My Thanksgiving break was marred by a harrowing look into our collective sexual future. All of what I’m about to say may be obvious, but I think it bears repeating because most of us forget to think about it.

Thrift stores offer students a cheaper alternative for clothes and accessories

No one knows the pressure of early acclaim quite like The Killers. After their glam-pop release, “Hot Fuss,” in 2004, The Killers succumbed to the siren song of their own success. Frontman Brandon Flower’s bewilderingly premature statement that they’d be the next U2 did nothing to ease The Killers uphill battle against their own accomplishments.

Students from the College bet during a game of Texas Hold ’Em. Last night, Phi Mu and Theta Delta Chi co-sponsored the fifth annual Casino Night to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that donates money to children’s hospitals. The event took place in the Saddler Center Tidewater and included poker, blackjack and bingo. In addition to supporting the charity, participants had the opportunity to win prizes, including the grand prize of a Nintendo Wii.

Tim Bacon drinks a cup of too-hot Moroccan Mint tea, which he ordered not only because it sounded delicious, but also because he didn’t know how to pronounce the name of the other kind he wanted to try. Tim repeatedly bursts into laughter as he chats about himself. Funny, quirky and awkwardly charming, Tim reminisces on his high school transformation, declares G2 Gatorade the “elixir of life” and gives the term “biddy” a whole new meaning.

CW Productions integrates education, film and history with help from College interns

I’ve never been to Antarctica. I have not experienced the eerie silence that follows a violent tornado, nor the overbearing soundlessness of a deep-sea excursion. I try, as a general policy, to spend as little time as possible in cemeteries. So why do I find myself in the midst of a bizarre silence that’s descended on campus? Here at the College of William and Mary, we are all getting ready for the late-semester deep freeze.

“The Dutch Italianates: Seventeenth-Century Masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age” exhibition opened Nov. 16 at the Muscarelle Museum of Art and continues until March 22, 2009.

Between Thanksgiving approaching and Wawa’s addicting new sandwich, the Gobbler — a hot turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce — I’ve been thinking a lot about food lately. For most people, whipped cream is about the only food they associate with sex. But eating is just about as basic a need as having sex, so there has to be more overlap in the two activities than just a Reddi-Whip can.