A while back, I wrote about my niece Sam’s search for the right college. By “right,” I was assuming she meant the right place to go for a winter break. Or the right place to go for great college sports. Or the right place to go for a new destination. I gave her my advice. Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, Louisville, UCLA, Colorado and Kentucky would have worked, just to name a few.

Last week, she made her decision. She chose Southern Illinois University, home of the Salukis.

I admit SIU would not be my choice . . . I mean for her, of course. However, I know Sam (and her parents) put a lot of thought and research into the decision. I also know that Carbondale is just 342 miles (give or take) away, which translates to a 5.5 hour trip. Not too bad.

I also know that the Salukis have made six NCAA tournament appearances since 2002. Not too bad, either (and better than my DePaul Blue Demons).

I also know that Carbondale is generally several degrees warmer than Chicago. It might not sound like much, but a few degrees is always welcome in the middle of a Chicago winter.

I learned that SIU has a teaching museum (the University Museum) on campus, which houses 60,000 artifacts and hosts traveling shows from artists. SIU also has one of the largest student unions in the country and a huge Student Center, along with a Rec Center and Health Center. There are also a number of popular food franchises on campus, including Chick-fil-A (one of Sam’s favorites).

SIU’s notable alumni include Jim Hart (former star NFL quarterback), Walt Frazier (NBA Hall of Famer), Dennis Franz (actor) and Scott Olofsson (a longtime Global Traveler fan). Unfortunately, Jim Belushi is also an alum, but I digress.

The city of Carbondale also has a lot to offer. The Shawnee National Forest, the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Giant City State Park are all in the Carbondale area. For the golf enthusiasts (aka our publisher, Fran Gallagher), Golf Digest awarded Hickory Ridge Golf Course a 4-star rating for the past six years.

Reviewing these facts (and Sam’s wishes, of course), I will become a proud supporter (and hopefully occasional visitor) of SIU. Go Salukis!

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

I always look forward to the Academy Awards. Yes, some years the show itself is mostly a yawn fest, but usually there are enough good films, songs and performances nominated (and I always have an opinion about costumes, directing and cinematography, too) that I am very much interested in learning the outcome of the voting. During the years that Billy Crystal hosted, one could be assured that at least the first five minutes would be entertaining, and yes, I must ‘fess up to enjoying making catty comments about some of the “fashion” on display as well.

This year, as everyone who has even a passing interest in film knows, the Oscars offer some added interest. For the first time in decades, 10 films are vying for Best Picture, instead of the usual five. And not since the late ’80s has there been more than one host (although, don’t you find that after the opening monologue/production number, that job usually fades into the woodwork?), with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin doing the honors this year. What’s really got me anticipating the show, however, is the array of really great films and roles nominated this year. Admit it, some years the pickin’s are pretty slim and it isn’t hard to figure who the winners will be. Happily for those who look forward to entertaining, enlightening, thought-provoking cinema, there’s been a lot of that to choose from this past season.

While between the two of us Harry and I have seen seven of the 10 Best Picture nominees (I haven’t seen Avatar yet, and he doubts he’ll see Precious), we are still frustrated that the movies and performances we most want to see haven’t appeared at our local multiplexes and aren’t likely to, either. We have to drive at least 30 miles to find the one small movie house that will regularly schedule smaller, independent films, and if we can’t get there within a week or two, those are often gone before we can take them in.

It is certainly one of the things one must accept in living in a smaller city, but it can be especially annoying when there are so many good films that just don’t get here. I’ve been eager to see The Hurt Locker, An Education, A Serious Man and A Single Man; and don’t even get me started on the documentaries and foreign films (those are nearly always a wait-’til-it’s-available-through-Netflix situation). I guess I just have to remember to budget some time when I’m in the Big City to zip in to a nearby theater and catch a movie I can be pretty sure won’t make it to my town (if it isn’t distributed by a big studio and it doesn’t have a doomsday scenario, lots of horny and/or murdered teenagers, supernatural creatures, fast cars or lots of explosions, it’s a candidate).

Anyway, here’s to an entertaining awards show tomorrow night; I hope your favorite wins!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

According to a CNN.com poll, 75 percent of those surveyed think overweight passengers should be required to buy an extra airline seat. What do you think? The issue has been thrust to the forefront of the travel industry this week after director Kevin Smith was asked to disembark a Southwest Airlines flight for being too heavy. The airline cited safety concerns and the comfort of other passengers as the reason for the request.

Smith usually purchases two airline seats when flying Southwest. In this particular instance, he was flying standby and there was only one seat available on the flight. He was allowed to board, and as far as I can tell from the accounts I’ve read, he was seated with the armrest down and seatbelt fastened. It was at this moment he asked was to leave the flight. I can only imagine how embarrassing the situation was for all parties involved.

Southwest does have a policy for overweight passengers, requiring them to purchase two seats if they cannot sit in the seat with the armrests down. If the flight is not full, Southwest will reimburse the passenger for the second seat. Policies surrounding this topic differ from airline to airline.

Those opposed to these policies cite discrimination. Those in favor of the policies cite safety concerns and the comfort of other passengers. No matter which side of the debate you are on, there is no denying this is a touchy subject. And is there really a clear-cut answer to this problem? I searched the Internet and read various policies. All of them that I found state the armrest is the deciding factor. There was no weight limit given. Airline seats vary from airline to airline. A passenger might fit comfortably on one flight and not on another. Judging by past experience, they wouldn’t buy two seats. Awkwardness will ensue. There is no simple solution here.

The debate continues. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

This weekend I am going to see The Lion King with my parents and boyfriend. When I learned that this will be my boyfriend, Sean’s, first Broadway show, I thought to myself of all of the shows I’ve ever seen: Jersey Boys, Wicked, Spamalot, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Rent and Les Miserables.

In sixth grade, before I ever had any interest in Broadway, I came home from school and started channel surfing until I came across a PBS special celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Broadway musical Les Miserables. The special was about halfway over, but I found myself completely mesmerized by the music. It was Eponine’s solo number, “On My Own,” sung by Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga, that had me hooked. I was in love with the music and desperate to learn the whole story.

For about a week, PBS aired this special, and every day I would run home and try to catch it from the beginning so I could tape it on VHS. Each day I would tape a bit more and learn a little more of the plot until I finally had the entire performance on tape, available to view as much as I wanted. I watched it every day, learned the music and the story and shared it with my family. It wasn’t long until my parents and sister jumped on board with my new obsession. I bought a copy of Victor Hugo’s novel and started reading it.

Finally, one summer,  I was sitting in my room when my dad called me to the bottom of the stairs. I remember him taking a long pause and looking at me before he finally said, “We’re going to see Les Miserables on Broadway in New York.” I was speechless. I had never been to New York City, and I had never seen a Broadway show. The rest is history!

I can only hope that Sean’s first experience on Broadway will open his world to a whole new love of music and performance.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

On April 25, 1976, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in a game that was overshadowed by an act of patriotism by Cubs’ centerfielder Rick Monday. Monday saved the U.S. flag from being burned on the field by protesters. This heroic act catapulted Monday into the national spotlight.

On June 10, 2008, my friends and I were in Los Angeles for a game between the Cubs and Dodgers. I took the opportunity to interview Monday, who ironically became a broadcaster for the the Dodgers. I used that interview to produce a GT blog during the week of July 4th. Much to my surprise, the blog was read on the air by David Stein of Sporting News Radio.

Last Thursday, I was in New York for GT’s annual awards event. Midway through the night, my pants zipper broke. I returned to my room to try and fix the problem. After a few futile minutes, I gave up and put on jeans. I figured it was dark in the party room and I wasn’t the main focus anyway.

As I re-entered the party, I heard publisher Fran Gallagher make a comment about a blog, followed by a recording of Stein reading my blog on Rick Monday. I had no idea what was happening when Kim Krol (GT wunderkind) summoned me to the stage.

I arrived at the stage just as Fran announced me as the winner of the Globility award. Then I promptly tripped going up the stairs, only to have actor (and awards presenter) Terrence Howard save me from tumbling off the stage.

If you see any pictures of the moment and I look a bit stunned and disheveled, I was. Two weeks ago I wrote about meeting Terrence Howard. I had no idea it would be under these circumstances.

Fran Gallagher defines globility as: the quality of being open to world of cultures and experiences. I can honestly say, writing this blog has definitely given me plenty of wonderful experiences.

In a former professional life, Laurie encouraged me to take opportunities when presented with them. I took her advice in getting the interview with Monday. The experience turned out to be magical, ending with me accepting the Globility award.

I admit, Fran has been open to some of my offbeat blogs, although he ribs me incessantly about them. I hope I have rewarded his trust. I plan on continually seeking out interesting stuff. I am grateful for every reader and all comments.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist, blogger and Globility award winner