To put it quite simply, 2003 was a year of shock and awe. Whilethe U.S. attacked Iraq in a military operation of the same name, itseemed like every week there was something new to inspire shock orawe in all of us.

It was the year of the recall. As crazy as the nation thought itwas for California to fire its governor, it was crazier still whenthe names Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gary Coleman, Larry Flynt andAngelyne showed up in our mailboxes on the official sampleballot.

For a moment in the recall media blitz, the world’scameras were focused on our university when the candidates debatedhere on Sept. 24.

It was the year in which we waited, and waited (then waited somemore) for evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

We remembered the musicians we lost, like Johnny Cash, ElliottSmith and Barry White, as well as veterans Bob Hope and KatherineHepburn. Perhaps the saddest lost was the one of our childhoodfriend and neighbor, Mr. Rogers (Fred Rogers).

It was the year we finally got our “Matrix” sequel(two of them at that). We were all out to sea this summer, eitherlooking for Nemo or battling off the Pirates of the Caribbean, theyear’s two top grossing films.

Pirates of another kind, 14-year-olds with “Crazy inLove” downloads on their computers, became the targets oflawsuits as the Recording Industry Association of America crackeddown on music piracy.

Justin Timberlake’s album “Justified,”released late last year, gave us grooves that even the boy bandhaters could not deny. The video for “Cry Me a River”was an obvious bitch slap to his ex Britney.

OutKast’s double album, “Speakerboxxx/The LoveBelow,” had the omnipresent single of the year “HeyYa!” that was spun on seemingly every radio station, fromKWOD to The End, and on every TV promo commercial, sporting event,cell phone ring tone …

The turnaround time from true life to made-for-TV movie wasshort as movies on rescued Pfc. Jessica Lynch and recovered kidnapvictim Elizabeth Smith were produced.

The fashion accessory of the year was the SARS mask and thetrucker hat.

A fabulous fivesome of gay guys helped us develop our”queer eyes.”

Baseball curses were still alive in 2003, shutting the BostonRed Sox out of the World Series with the “curse of theBambino” and denying the Chicago Cubs the same opportunitywith the “curse of the billy goat.”

It was a year of “Free Martha” and “FreeKobe” T-shirts.

It was the year we all anticipated the nuptials of J.Lo and Ben.The year that brought us freedom fries, the knowledge that MichaelJackson only had two plastic surgeries and a little movie known as”Gigli.”

So because you want everything boiled down into neat littlenumbered lists, the State Hornet gives you the best of 2003.

10) Tiger attacks Roy

Las Vegas and Siegfried & Roy are synonymous. Theirillusionist show featuring those stunning white tigers hasentertained countless visitors over the years. With theirflamboyant personalities, comedians never miss a chance to put themin a punch line.

But it wasn’t so funny anymore when one of their tigersmauled Roy during a show. Though he is rapidly recovering, the showhas been postponed indefinitely.

9) Jayson Blair: Fake News

Reporter

Truth, the pillar of good journalism, came crashing down thisyear when New York Times reporter Jayson Blair was axed from thenewspaper for plagiarism, faking stories and quotes, and fakingtravel expense forms.

His fake news reporting failed to sully the images of legitimatefake news outlets like The Onion and “The DailyShow..”

8) Scott Peterson charged

Last Christmas, the search for pregnant Laci Peterson of Modestocaptured the hopes and prayers of a worried nation. Her husband,Scott Peterson was charged this year and the media coverage waslayed on so thick, it was impossible to avoid hearing the grislydetails surrounding the alleged murder.

7) Paris Hilton sex tape

Some knew it was only a matter of time before this year’sit-girls, hotel heiresses Nicky and Paris Hilton wound up in somesort of adult material. Paris got to it first with her sex tape,available on the Internet.

While the production quality wasn’t so high, with a littlebit of squinting, night vision never looked so naughty.

6) Madonna and Britney smooch

It was the kiss heard round the world. At this summer’s”MTV Video Music Awards,” a threesome of sexy divas,Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, coveredMadonna’s “Like a Virgin.” But this performancewas not for the chaste. Madonna layed an open-mouth kiss on Spearsthat made middle America gasp.

Christina Aguilera got Madonna’s sloppy seconds (and muchless attention) with a pucker of her own.

5) Michael Jackson arrest

The mugshot of the year award goes to Michael Jackson, wholooked more like a frightened, emaciated woman than a pop star whenhe turned himself in to Santa Barbara police on Nov. 20.

4) President Bush photo ops

President Bush seemed less like an elected stiff and more likean action hero when he donned a fighter pilot’s gear and flewonto the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to announce the endof major combat in Iraq.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” wasinterrupted to break the news that the leader of the free world hadsnuck into enemy territory when he stopped by Baghdad to share aTurkey dinner with the troops.

3) War in Iraq

The terror alert level rose to orange – and we reached for theduct tape. Peace protesters flooded the streets in record numbers.Everyone knew that war was coming. On March 19, President Bushaddressed the nation to say that coalition forces have startedbombing targets in Iraq.

2) Kobe Bryant sex scandal

A 19-year-old woman accused Bryant of rape that allegedlyoccurred while staying in a Colorado resort after his kneesurgery.

Although Bryant admitted to the adultery, he denied any rapeallegations. His wife did benefit from the media attention though,receiving the ultimate in make-up presents: a $4 million diamondring.

1) The California recall election

It’s not every day that the focus of the news story of theyear comes to Sac State. But thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger andCalifornia’s historic recall election, the debates came tocampus on Sept. 24.

Along with Schwarzenegger came five other candidates, news vansand satellite trucks, reporters, “Join Arnold”supporters and anti-Arnold protesters, and many curious studentswho found themselves in the middle of a media circus.

Top 10 Movies

10 ) “School of Rock”

9 ) “American Wedding”

8) “Love Actually”

7) “Down with Love”

6) “Elf”

5) “Lost in Translation”

4) “X2”

3) “Kill Bill: Vol. 1”

2) “Pirates of the Caribbean”

1) “Finding Nemo”

Top 10 Television

10) “The OC”

9) “Newlyweds”

8) “Friends”

7) “Gilmore Girls”

6) “Pardon the Interruption”

5) “The Simpsons”

4) “Malcolm in the Middle”

3) “Punk’d”

2) “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”

1) “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”

Top 10 Albums

10) Brand New “Deja Entendu”

9) Ludacris “Chicken &-N- Beer”

8) 311 “Evolver”

7) Dashboard Confessional “A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, aScar”

6) Little Brother “The Listening”

5) Beyonce “Dangerously in Love”

4) Radiohead “Hail to the Thief”

3) Jay-Z “The Black Album”

2) The White Stripes “Elephant”

1) OutKast “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”