C2 The Orion I September 10, Z003 'Sex' says farewell ► Fans prepare for the ending of the Emmy award-winning show, now in its last season

SAMANTHA STESS cute boyfriends." and enjoy them." Staff Writer Clawson and her roommate, Katie He said the show reflects the current Slater, 19, and friend Elizabeth Capitani, controversial issues in society and rein¬ Eight women gather around the 21, have a Sunday night ritual for watch¬ forces them through the show's storyline. television in their sparsely furnished ing the series. Portillo's favorite character is the con¬ apartment, waiting until the clock For the hardcore "" servative Charlotte York, whose facial strikes 9 p.m. fans, silence during the show is essential. expressions are always good for a laugh. Three of them are sprawled out on the Unless it's about the show, any outside He said Charlotte is very coy and modest. floor eating Hula's Chinese Bar-B-Q out disturbance is forbidden and answered Nancy Brooks is another Chico State of the container, while the others squish with a chorus of angry "shhs." student who favors the Charlotte charac¬ together on the worn and torn couches "All our girlfriends come over, with¬ ter over the sex-obsessed Samantha and chairs. out fail," Clawson said. "We gather Jones, the sarcastic Miranda Hobbes, and Each feels the anticipation and the around the TV and all cell phones are the witty sex columnist . excitement of the 30 minutes she has to turned off, and there is a "Charlotte is such a look forward to. vow of silence that is often — spaz," Brooks said. "She's These ladies aren't anxiously awaiting broken." uptight, but has a wild side the results of the recall election, and "Sex and the City" that she doesn't think is they're certainly not waiting to watch a enchanted the world of "It's not appropriate and she lets it new reality show with the exact same HBO when it debut in June out sometimes." plot as the others before it. 1998. exactly Brooks, who started These women and 2 million other More and 'more people watching the show in its viewers are socially tuning in for their Sunday were introduced to show third season, has pur¬ dose of the HBO original series, "Sex and over the years, and the appropriate chased all of the seasons the City." fashion, characters and on DVD. "I love watching "Sex and the City" relationships have spurred for guys to She has "Sex and the because of the characters," said Erica a cult-like following. watch it. But City" nights with her Clawson, a Chico State junior. "They Clawson, Slater and friends to catch up on their each represent different personalities. Capitani have been avid most guys I favorite show by watching They also have great fashion and they fans of "Sex in the City" hours of episode after have fun jobs and lifestyles." since the second season in know have episode living vicariously "Sex and the City" is in the midst of 1999 and they all heave big through the show's four its sixth and last season on HBO and sighs when talking about seen the modern-living female fans of the revolutionary show are the show's last hurrah. shows and characters. mourning the soon-to-be loss of one of "'Sex and the City' has "Those women on the their favorites. made television more enjoy them." show live four lives that "I don't know what I'm going to open," Capitani said. I'd want to live," Brooks watch when it ends," Clawson said. "Traditionally shows don't said. "The show talks "There is nothing else I am addicted to." talk about sex." Vincent Portillo about more controversial But Clawson will get one long, ulti¬ Although the subject Chico State senior issues, like when mate fix of the Emmy award-winning matter discussed on the Samantha had to get tested show before she's forced to quit cold show is geared mainly for AIDS because she turkey. toward women, some men never had before." "Sex and the City" is going out with a find themselves getting After the final episode, bang, featuring 20 episodes. The pulled into the dirty-talk¬ Brooks wants to start extended final season, which began in ing, sexy show, as it becomes their guilty watching other HBO hit shows that she's June 2003, is already in the middle of the pleasure. heard of. Hard-hitting original shows first 12 episodes. "The initial appeal that 'Sex and the such as "Six Feet Under" and "The The last eight episodes, airing in City' had is that the writing was sharper Sopranos." January 2004, will give viewers a chance and funnier than other shows," said "The plots are so great and I'll miss to say farewell to the show's fabulous Vincent Portillo, a Chido State senior. "It the show itself," Brooks said. "What I'll four main characters, Carrie Bradshaw, reminds me of comedies from the '40s miss the most about 'Sex and the City' is Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbes and and '50s." getting together with my girlfriends to Charlotte York. Portillo remembers instantly liking the watch every week wherever we can find "My favorite character is Carrie show after watching it in its rookie season. free HBO." (Sarah Jessica Parker)," Clawson "It's not exactly socially appropriate said. seems "She the most down-to- for guys to watch it," Portillo said. "But Samantha Stess can be reached at: earth and she has fun experiences and most guys I know have seen the shows [email protected] Mind-reader shocks skeptical onlookers

DREW HARDEN Staff Writer "Everything I do is kinda You weren't there and he knows it. You're lucky Craig Karges is a nice man, because he also knows weird ... Try not to laugh where you're from, your phone number and even because I look your mother's name. really stupid What you missed was an evening brought to you by Associated Students Presents with trying to do this." renowned mentalist Craig Karges. Karges described his show as one-third magic, one-third psychology and one-third ESP. Craig Karges Although the audience barely filled a third of Mentalist the seats in Bell Memorial Union auditorium, Karges seemed unfazed. The small show added a more personal feel and Karges had audience mem¬ bers laughing and on the edge of their seats the an invisible hand. Lane quickly turned around and entire time. walked off stage back to his seat, muttering a four- "Everything I do is kinda weird," Karges said. letter word. Karges started the show by demonstrating After the show, Lane was asked how he thought his mind-reading capabilities by writing the Karges did the trick. Craig Karges levitates a table during last week's performance in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium, assur¬ word a volunteer from the audience had picked "Not a clue," he said, eyes still glazed in excite¬ ing the audience he isn't using any hidden ropes or any concealed adhesives to lift all four table legs. from a book. ment. "It's the craziest thing I've ever seen." Next, an audience member taped closed in a small Karges' eyes Ashley Earley, a Chico resident, had a chance to black folder. Karges never The volunteer then placed a blank piece of paper in shut and blindfolded him. touched the Karges then proceeded to experience Karges' tricks with the palm of her hand. crayon - he only moved his hand over identical envelopes and shuffled them behind his name the items that other audience members the folder. Earley, two other audience members and Karges back. The envelopes were then laid on a table and brought on stage. each one the placed a hand on a corner of a table and within Karges had four audience members each answer numbered through three and one was chosen by After the show, he said that some of the moments the table was a strangest scooting around on stage. question. The first was to name a dream car. The the volunteer. Karges then put the other two envelopes next member things people have brought on stage included a boa Eventually the table lifted off all four legs and every¬ had to pick a color for the car. The through a shredder. Somehow his check was in the constrictor and a baby. one was staring in disbelief. third had to make up a license plate. And the last had envelope the audience member had picked. Tyler Lane, a first-year Chico State student, was "I think he really did it," Earley said, smiling to make up a price. There have been a few times where this trick has one of the audience members that after the show. After those Karges interacted answers were written a sealed backfired and Karges said he had to go home with¬ with during the show. Karges captivated the audience when he took envelope was taken out of a zipped pouch and out a paycheck. He lost his check last February and a and a rectan¬ three he Karges had Lane inspect book finger rings from audience members and opened. Inside was a piece of paper that listed the said that his palms do get a little sweaty during. gular piece of wood for anything out of the ordi¬ linked them in a chain. If someone was collecting a exact specifications for the car that the audience that particular demonstration. nary. After Lane was satisfied that there were no dollar for every "Wow!" that was uttered Wednesday had created. Karges ended the night by telling the crowd that For the strings or hidden props, Karges stood the book up night, someone would be a rich person. finale, Karges once again amazed the their minds are an untapped resource capable of on a table and propped the block against the spine Only one trick didn't go as planned. Karges crowd as he risked his payment for the evening in almost anything. and moved away. a demonstration. attempted to guess the number that an audience Karges had Jonny Starkey, assis¬ "The most powerful computer is your mind," member had added tant coordinator "Try not to laugh because I look really stupid up on a calculator. Although for A.S. Presents, bring his check Karges told the crowd before he left the stage to his trying to do this," Karges joked after he informed guess was off, he somehow managed to write on stage. He then picked another guest from the autograph books and posters. the crowd that he was his going to move the block guess on a piece of paper with part of a crowd and had him seal the check in an envelope with that only his mind. crayon. Why is that exciting? The piece of crayon had security lining to prevent Karges from Drew Harden can be reached at: The was bltpck fell off the table like it was pushed by placed (bn the blank piece of paper then seeing through. t ,[email protected] y