U. Magazine 2007

GreatestMultiplayer

of all time• Turks and Caicos• South America

Exclusive Interview with a Rising Star

a story of Heroism &chiseled abs

a story of Heroism &chiseled abs

CRYSTAL HUNT

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4 September / October 2007 U. The National College Magazine

PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Carrieri

ART DIRECTORTony Carrieri

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONSNancy Kennedy

ASSISTANT EDITORStephanie Golubski

CIRCULATION MANAGERGabriel Jacobs

CUST. SERVICE MANAGER Kaustav Acharya

CIRCULATIONDavid Weishaupt De Lima

CAMPUS CLIPS

TRAVEL

CRYSTAL HUNT

EDITORIAL & PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS

Rita CabralDawn Powell

Dr. Andrew SeefeldAllison Bond

Candice AguilarKaustav Acharya

April Howard

FRONT COVER/INSIDE SHOTSCrystal Hunt© Milazzo© Pascal

TURKS AND CAICOS

Who’s doing what in the“Green” scene? Sustainabilty is in. Whathappened to Duke’snetwork and the iPhone,College Cost ReductionAct gets the Presidentialsignature.

Fall 2007

Want to write for a national

magazine?Get published and havea great addition to your

resume.

We’re looking for studentsto write for bothU. Magazine & OnlineTimes

Photographers too :

For Info: www.colleges.com/umagazine/student/

6 CAREERS

TECH TALK

ROCK AND REEL

14

26

24

12

16

SORE THUMB

8

Meet rising star CrystalHunt. She’s the nicest,“girl-next-door” moviestar you’ll ever meet,and a major player incollege movie, “SydneyWhite.”

Case Western Reservesophomore Rita Cabralgives us an inside lookat an exclusive summerschool in a far awayplace.

USC student Dawn Powell takes us southof the border on hersummer trip to SouthAmerica

We get a raw, honestlook at what it’s reallylike to be a doctor.

19

30

Amazing pictorials ofmovies 300 andRenaissance, a sci-fioriginal. We review apowerful true story calledBeyond the Gates andother bits of pop culture.

Noise-cancelling head-phones block out thesmallest noises and weget an in-depth look atAdobe’s Creative Suite 3.

PUZZLES

We review Halo 3, thegreatest multiplayer of alltime and whole slew ofother games on almostevery platform - dare wesay Mac?

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Strain your brain with ourpuzzles section! 24

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12250 El Camino Real Suite #100 San Diego, CA 92130Tel: (858) 847-3350Fax: (858) 847-3340

MAIN EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICE

2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_ver3.e$S:Layout 1 10/4/07 11:46 PM

A GIVING HEARTWVSOM GRADUATESProudly Meeting a Vital Healthcare Need in West Virginia

David Carr, DOFamily Medicine PhysicianTug River Health AssociationGary, WV McDowell County

DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

www.wvsom.edu1.800.35OSTEO

A COMPASSIONATE SOULDr. David Carr is West Virginia through and through. Raised

in Parkersburg, educated at Marshall University, attendedmedical school at WVSOM, and a lifelong medical practitioner inthe Mountain State.

Dr. Carr arrived in McDowell County in 1982, possessing aWVSOM medical degree and intent on making a difference.Twenty-five years later, his impact on healthcare in thecommunity is undeniable.

At the rural Tug River Clinic, Dr. Carr treats patients in anarea of the state suffering from a lack of health professionals.Many of his patients have little or no insurance. Carr realizes hewon’t get wealthy practicing in tiny Gary, WV, but to him it’s notabout the money. “You can’t put a price tag on the value of ahuman life,” he says.

A giving heart...a compassionate soul...and determined tomake a difference.

WVSOM graduates like Dr. David Carr embody these valuesin caring for the residents of rural West Virginia.

Summer2007_Umagazine:Layout 1 4/23/07 2:41 PM Page 7


Allison Bond

Vats of old cooking grease may sound likean unlikely environmental tool, but forNorthwestern organic chemistry professorOwen Priest and students in Engineers fora Sustainable World, the oil may hold thefuture of fuel. They hope to power campusvehicles with the 7500 gallons of used veg-etable oil the schoolʼs cafeterias discardannually, eventually bringing bio-dieselmainstream.

Northwestern isnʼt the onlycampus lessening its envi-ronmental footprint throughrenewable energy. SinceOctober 2006, more than400 capuses nationwidehave signed the President'sClimate Commitment, thefirst long-term pledge toeliminate emissions. Otherschools, such as NYU andBates College, purchaseclean, renewable energyequal to their overall poweruse. “Far-reaching sustain-ability plans help the environment morethan smaller efforts like recycling or com-posting,” says Sierra Club's Student Coali-tion National Director Jared Duval.

But even the most extensive “green” prac-tices start small. Colleges should approachenvironmentalism based on the resourcesavailable, location and interests of its pop-ulation, says Julian Dautremont-Smith, As-sociate Director of the Association for theAdvancement of Sustainability in HigherEducation (AASHE). “If you're in Arizonawhere it's dry, you mightstart managing water con-sumption because it's anissue in your community,”says Smith.

Northwestern University;Evanston, Ill. The 100 to 150 gallons ofused cooking oil collected

from Northwesternʼs cafeterias every weekmust be purified before they can power acar. After students collect oil from sevensites on campus and combine it into a cen-tral batch, the oil settles and goes througha series of paper and ceramic pressure fil-ters. Now the oil is ready to fuel vehiclesequipped with a converter or can be chem-ically converted to bio-diesel.

Unity College; Unity, MaineUnity College, an environmental college,

is ahead of the sustainabilty curve. Theschool cut its carbon footprint by nearly

20% since 2001 and has the lowest emis-sions of any school nationwide. The col-lege also hopes to reduce emissions by5-10% a year until 2010.

Also, 2007 graduate Stephenie McGar-vey started a shuttle and carpool serviceafter she was “astounded” at how often stu-dents hopped into their cars instead ofmaking the five-minute walk around cam-pus. And senior Sara Trunzo aims to makethe schoolʼs food system more earth-friendly by expanding its quarter-acre gar-den to provide students with organic food.

St. Olaf College; Northfield, Minn.St. Olaf students have taken the green

movement into their own backyard. Theschool is constructing a sustainable180,000-square-foot “green” science com-plex and has a $1.9 million wind turbinethat reduces the collegeʼs electricity use byone-third. But the schoolʼs tastiest innova-tion is the student-run St. Olaf Garden Re-search and Organic Work (STOGROW)farm project. Founded by Dayna Burtness(ʼ07) in fall 2005, the organic farm providesthe collegeʼs 3,000 students with vegeta-bles prepared by the collegeʼs food service.

Starting STOGROW proved chal-lenging. At first, school adminis-trators rejected Burtnessʼsrequest to start the half-acre farmbecause students had failed atsimilar attempts in the past. “Ijust sneaked around them,” plant-ing a few seeds in a corner of thecampus. Today, STOGROW is asource of pride for the school,with a volunteer base of morethan 100 students that harvestthe 1.5 tons of tomatoes and ¾ton combined of summer squash,zucchini and winter squash the

farm produces. “Itʼs really great to see myfriends eating the food that I grew,” shesays. “Itʼs kind of a miracle.”

Swarthmore College, PennsylvaniaStudents in environmental studies pro-

fessor Mark Wallaceʼs class know reducingSwarthmoreʼs impact on the earth meansadjusting student attitudes. “The culture ofSwarthmore needs to change for sustainability to become a part of the campus,” says Colton Bangs, a 2007 graduate and

Campus Clips

Unity College students operate a mobile bio-diesel generator

Northwestern oil filtering process

Medill School of Journalism Northwestern University ‘08

2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_book_1-1020873884_1-1020873561_1-1020860696.e$S:Layout 1 10/3/07 4:45 PM

one of nine students who penned a school sustainability plan to guide Swarthmoreʼs“greening” effort. Students are interestedin environmentalism but donʼt know thatsomething as simple as turning off a laptopat night can save energy, says 2007 grad-uate Kristin Leitzel. “Students donʼt knowhow in their daily life to reduce their envi-ronmental impact,” Leitzel says.

The college also recently installed two“green roofs:” plants growing on a thin layerof soil, which absorb the excess stormwater that can overwhelm sewer systems,bypassing treatment plants and runninginto rivers. Green roofs are expensive to in-stall, but their longer lifetimes and the en-ergy saved in heating and cooling thebuilding saves money in the long run, sayscoordinator of horticulture for SwarthmoreʼsScott Arboretum Jeff Jabco. Most impor-tantly, the roofs are a step toward fulfillingSwarthmoreʼs “green” plan. “I hope thatmore people will be talking about the envi-ronment around campus and will be excitedabout new initiatives,” says Bangs.So when your neighborhood gas station of-fers the chance to fuel up with vegetableoil, you may have college students tothank.

A few weeks after it’s re-lease, the iPhone wasblamed for jamming DukeUniversity’s wireless net-work. At first, it wasthought to have happeneddue to the flood of con-nection requests the cam-

pus-wide network was recieving from theiPhones, but later Duke’s chief informationofficer, Tracey Furthey, said that it wasn’tthe phones, but in fact it was, “The deploy-

ment of a very large Cisco-based wirelessnetwork that supports multiple networkprotocols.” No one quite knows the exactproblem as parties involved are being veryhush-hush about the specifics, but sourcestell us that Cisco worked closely with both Apple andDuke Univer-sity to resolvethe problem.

Campus Clips

The iPhone found Innocent!

College Cost Reduction ActThe Most Student Aid available since 1944

Stoyan Smoukov, Ph.D uses filtered oil topower a 1979 Mercedes. He used this car to re-locate over 1000 miles across the US withoutstopping for gas

As of October 1, 2007, the College CostReduction Act goes into effect. This isthe single largest increase in student fi-nancial aid since the GI Bill was passedin 1944. After threatening a veto on thisbill, President George W. Bush finallysuccumbed to pressure from manyspecial interest groups and over-whelming public support.

With college costs rising nearly 40% inthe last five years, many families areunable to afford college for their chil-dren. By putting the College Cost Re-duction Act into effect, both loan andtuition costs will be reduced and theamount of money going into scholar-ships and Pell Grants will be boosted.

These measures will be paid for bymaking the financial aid system moreefficient rather than taking money outof the pockets of taxpayers.

How does this benefit you?

• Students that take out need-basedstudent loans will see their interestrates cut in half over the next fiveyears.

• Students who pursue jobs asschool teachers in the public sectorwill recieve up-front tuition assis-tance. More up-front tuition assis-tance will go into these teachers whochoose to work in high-povertyplaces or high-need subject areas

• People who go into fields of publicservice such as nurses, public de-fenders, military, police and fire fight-ers will recieve loan fogiveness after10 years of service.

• More than 600,000 additional stu-dents will become eligible to recivethe Pell Grant, expanding financialaid to more families in need.

• Student loan payments will be-come more managable for borrowersand federal loan limits will be raised,making students rely less on privatelyowned companies.

• Loan repayment will be will becapped to 15% of borrowers income.

U. The National College Magazine September / October 2007 7

$


CrystalHunt

rystal Hunt is one of Holly-

wood’s fastest rising young stars.

Talented, beautiful, self-assured

and exuding a zest for life, she is

simply a breath of fresh air.

In the limelight most of her 22

years performing in pageants, TV

commercials and movies, it was her

juicy role as teen villain Lizzie

Spaulding on the daytime drama

Guiding Light that soared her to

stardom. In 2005, Crystal earned a

Daytime Emmy Nomination in the

Outstanding Younger Actress cate-

gory and was nominated that same

year for Soap Opera Digest's "Best

Villainess" award, as well as being

named one of their "Hottest New-

comers.”

Crystal has taken a stand on living

an alcohol and drug-free life as her

personal lifestyle choice, which in

2001 landed her an anti-drug TV

commercial with *NSYNC.

Her new movie in theatres this

month is “Sydney White” a college

comedy, in which she co-stars with

Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton and

Matt Long. Her next project,

“Brooklyn to Manhattan” is sched-

uled for release in 2008.

Join us as we talk with Crystal about being a positive role model in a very

tough industry, her strong work ethic, her love of family and some great

decisions she’s made on her journey toward success.

by: Gabe Jacobs


C


ORGANIZERESEARCH& LECTURE

NOTES

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U: You played a spoiled

teenager and villain on TV, is

that your true persona?

CH: No definitely not. It’s a lot

of fun to be able to play someone

who is so opposite of you.

U: So what are you like in real

life? Are you a sweet girl?

CH: I’m more like my charac-

ter Dinky, in Sydney White. I’d

say I’m more bubbly and outgo-

ing. I’m pretty talkative.

U: What sort of advice can you

give to young troubled teens,

like your character on the soap

opera?

CH: It’s important to know that

the people you meet are just

your acquaintances for that

amount of years. School is an

institution you’re in for a few

years and after it’s done, you’re

onto real life. So all the conse-

quences from the things that

you’ve done during that time

are going to either carry over

into your life or you’re going to

be proud of what you did.

You’ll get into your real life and

high school will have nothing to

do with who you are now. A lot

of people make big mistakes in

high school and its sad. So

many people are affected by

what other people think, or

what other groups think or how

they can fit in. Really, it doesn’t

matter if you don’t fit in, be-

cause the truth of it is, it’s only

four years and then comes real

life and that’s what matters.

U: You started so young, have

you ever really had a regular job

outside the entertainment in-

dustry?

CH: I started on the soap

opera when I was 17, so not re-

ally. I’ve worked at my dad’s

construction company.

There’s a program called “Pay

Dirt” and I was young and re-

ally into computers and my

parents said “We’re going

teach her how to do that,

you’re working at the office

when you get out of school!”

So I learned how to put blue-

prints into the computer and figure out

how much dirt you need to level off a job-

site. So, that’s my back-up plan!

U: Tell us about the role you played in

Sydney White.

CH: I play Dinky, but her real name is

Dimetria Rosemead Hodgekiss. I play the

roommate of Sydney (Amanda Bynes) as

her best friend throughout the film. I re-

ally tried to think out my role before we

actually shot the film. How can I make this

girl her own person so she’s unlike anyone

else? Dinky has a southern accent, little

sayings and a quirky personality. I think it

was really cool to play a character, not just

somebody who is you with some alter-

ations. It was a great role to play and I was

very confident in my portrayal.

U: Well, you have to be confident in what

you do, so that’s great. What was it like

working with Amanda Bynes, Sara Pax-

ton, and Matt Long?

CH: They were all really awesome. I was

a little nervous going into the whole thing

because Amanda Bynes and Sara Paxton

were both child stars, and Matt is just re-

ally good looking. In Ghost Rider, he

played young Johnny Blaze. You never re-

ally know how girls will be, so it was a big

weight off my shoulders when we got to the

table to read. We rehearsed with each

other and everybody was just so real and

so cool. They’re all on the same level as

me, they don’t party, and it was so cool

when I heard, “You and Amanda are going

to get along great, she doesn’t drink or

party or anything.”

U: Do you prefer characters that are more

like yourself or just completely opposite?

CH: I like playing a character that is not

like me, because it’s a challenge.

U: Who are your heroes?

CH: In acting, my heroes are Lucille Ball,

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. I was

never the typical child, I never watched

Nickelodeon until it was Nick at Nite and

I’d watch Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, I Love

Lucy and Sanford and Son. Lucille Ball

has always been the person that I want to

be like one day. I’ve always been just fas-

cinated by her. But in life, my biggest hero

would be my mother, how she handles her

two daughters, my father, my father’s

business, my dog clothing line, my pet bou-

tique, my career and my puppy Roxy. God

only knows how she does it. And eight


www.umagazine.com/interviews/crystalhunt

View Crystal’s complete interview video on

grandchildren with the ninth due this

week. She’s a product of my grand-

mother who had eight children and

was a really strong woman. She’s an

extremely selfless woman.

U: How would you want to be

remembered?

CH: By being a real person and a self-

less person. Someone who was always

there for you. A true friend, whether

it’s friend or family. I

don’t really care about

the fame. I just want

people to appreciate

what I do and to like my

work. I think that’s the

most rewarding thing

when you have little kids

running up saying, “You

were so good!” and their

parents say, “Really, you

were great.” That makes

you feel good.

U: All right, well you’re

a very sweet, beautiful,

and talented young

woman, and I can see

you’re a rising star.

Both myself, and the

folks at U. Magazine

wish you the best in act-

ing or whatever you

choose to do in life!

CH: Thank you very

much!

On the set of Sydney White: (L to R) Sara Paxton, Amanda Bynes, Ashley Edner, Ashley Benson and Crystal Hunt


What did thissummer by Rita Cabral

CASE WESTERN

RESERVE UNIVERSITY ʻ10


The School for Field Studies: Center for Marine

Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands intro-

duced me to the wonderful world of marine research. I am

a biology and geological sciences major but I have always

been interested in marine sciences and wanted to know

what it would be like to be a marine biologist. Since my

home university doesn’t offer much in the way of marine

science courses, I began exploring some sort of field study

that would meet my needs and I came across the School

for Field Studies. They offer programs across the globe

for budding field researchers including one in Australia

for rainforest studies, Kenya for wildlife management,

Costa Rica for sustainable development, and Mexico for

conserving marine mammals and coastal ecosystems.

They offer both semester and summer programs and the

credits you receive are accredited to Boston University,

which means they are able to be transferred to most other

universities.

The Center on South Caicos is perched on a cliff

overlooking the ocean, a fitting spot for a marine research

center. We would see the most beautiful sunsets and a

dizzying amount of stars. Logistically the Center is lo-

cated in an excellent area as well; most of the population

is employed through the fishing industry which makes

South Caicos a fine place to study fisheries management

and see the direct impact of humans on the surrounding

ecosystems. The goal of our semester was to investigate

the effectiveness of marine protected areas and how zon-

The beaches were beautiful, the vistas were breathtaking, the locals were welcoming,

and I’m not talking about a vacation: this was my school.

The School for Field Studies:Center for Marine Resource Studies

in the Turks and Caicos Islands

ing helps maintain a healthy marine ecosystem. Everyday

we would wake up at the crack of dawn and begin our

studies and research. This included three morning classes

followed by some sort of field work such as a snorkel or

dive in the afternoon. I now know the Latin names of over

100 different coral, algae, and fish species, the life cycles

of marine organisms, and the interconnectedness of the

coral reefs, sea grass, and mangroves. We also researched

the impact certain developing resorts would have on the

locals and indigenous marine populations. We were

shown the benefits of ecotourism and learned the value

of conservation.

Not only did I learn more in a month than in a

whole semester at my home school, I was living with 19

of my best friends. Everyone on the trip became so close

I2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_book_1-1020873884_1-1020873561.e$S:Layout 1 10/1/07 3:21 PM


that we’re having a

reunion this com-

ing summer in

Chicago. We even

became close with

the professors.

When we weren’t

in the classroom

we were snorkel-

ing with them, eat-

ing with them, and

even doing chores

with them. Some

of the most intelli-

gent and competent professors I’ve ever known live and

teach at the Center. The interns were awesome too. They

were so funny and demonstrated to me what I could do in

the future. Internships are an amazing way to learn the

necessary skills and knowledge for your career while ex-

periencing a completely new culture.

On the weekends and after dinner we would have

free time to explore the island and get to know the locals.

They are an amazing group of people. Everyone was

friendly and welcoming to us. We were able to go to the

elementary school a few times and play with the kids.

They were curious and excited to have new people on the

island. Everyone on the island seems to know at least a

little bit about the center. The center opens up to the com-

munity every Saturday for swimming lessons in the salt

water pool we have. During the semester I heard that they

host dinners for the community to welcome them in and

understand why the center is on their island.

Sundays the students have a day off of research to

explore the island and recuperate from the week. We took

advantage of this

day by swimming

out to the nearby

cays and exploring

nearby beaches

and old buildings.

Quite often we

would be able to

have a special ac-

tivity during the

week which helped

break up the gruel-

ing schedule. Night

rodeo was one of

our favorites. We

would catch sea

turtles, measure,

and tag them be-

fore releasing them back into the ocean. Everyone also got

to experience a night of sharking as well. We’d set up gill

nets, wait, and then as soon as we heard a splash go and

get the pup from the net. We’d weigh, measure, and tag

them as well before releasing them again.

The experiences I had through the School for Field

Studies are irreplaceable. I have learned so much about

marine ecosystems, the impact humans have on them, and

myself. This experience was the single most amazing ex-

perience of my life and despite the long hours, long nights

and dehydration, I would do it a million times over.

2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_book_1-1020873884_1-1020873561.e$S:Layout 1 10/1/07 3:19 PM

Been to one of the New 7 Wonders of the World? Send in your pics to [email protected] so we can publish them on ourtravel section - www.colleges.com/travel


With hopes of improving my

Spanish skills and visiting some places

I’d seen in pictures and learned about in

school, I decided to go to South America.

Summer turned into a journey beyond

my wildest dreams.

I landed in Buenos Aires, Ar-

gentina, where I would study Spanish

and live with a host family for the next

seven weeks. I got to know the city inti-

mately, visiting the distinct barrios,

studying at corner cafes and learning how

to tango. I ventured out on weekends to

hang glide, dance samba all night, and

horseback ride in the sierras of Córdoba,

Argentina’s second largest city. I ambled

through the cobblestone streets of Colo-

nia, Uruguay, relaxed on the breathtaking

beaches of Florianópolis, Braziland hiked

around the powerful and expansive

Iguazu Falls. A week in Rio de Janeiro to

visit one of the new Seven Wonders of

the World, the statue of Christ the Re-

deemer, was the high point of my trip.

I said my goodbyes to Argentina

and Brazil and got on a bus to Santiago,

Chile with nothing more than a backpack

in tow. I had three weeks to get to Lima,

Peru, which I thought would be sufficient

time. Then I got to Bolivia, where five-

hour bus trips turned into 13-hour fiascos

because the miners were on strike, block-

ing all roads in the country. The circum-

stances allowed me to slow down and

fully witness the natural beauty, learn

about their current politics and make

some amazing friends. I navigated the

Salt Flats in an old Land Cruiser and

never paid over a dollar for a three-

course lunch. While visiting the Island

of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, where the

Incas believe the world was born, one ex-

perience sticks out above them all; bik-

ing 64 km along the World’s Most Dan-

gerous Road, which descends 11,800 feet

from the biting cold of the mountains to

the humid heat of the jungle, with a 1,000

meter sheer cliff threatening me along the

way. To say I had an adrenaline rush is

an understatement. The crosses along the

side of “Death Road” speak volumes. I

fortunately made it out alive and contin-

ued traveling on to Peru and eventually

back home to southern California.

Two and a half months of ex-

ploring only left me wanting more. A

continent filled with unsurpassable

beauty, seeping with culture and driven

by the human spirit of resilience, South

America is calling me back. I am already

planning a trip to Ecuador this winter.

by Dawn PowellUniversity of Southern California ‘10

South Americain

Ileft m

y


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employment.com


Sitting at my desk, a year after having sur-vived my internship and currently workingas an Emergency Department (ED) Resi-dent Physician, I was looking up labs andx-ray reports on a patient that I had justexamined with anemia and chronicheadaches. I was approached by one ofthe ED secretaries, a young man in histwenties, who informed me that he hadjust taken the MCAT, an exam required toenter medical school, and was excitedabout the application and interviewprocess. “Are you glad you went to med-ical school and became a physician?” heinquired with a grin. What a question. I amthirty years old, I have been in schoolmost of my life, and I make less moneythan my twin brother did right out of col-

lege. My brain is worthtwo hundred thousanddollars, yet my medicalservice, according tothe government, is onlyworth forty thousanddollars a year (with an80 hour work week.)With the amount ofdebt incurred, no mat-ter how I feel aboutmedicine, I am compelled to stay thecourse so I can pay back my loans. Thataside, I do remember the excitement ofbecoming a medical student, a futurephysician. Opening the letter and seeingthat I had been accepted to medicalschool was exhilarating. In retrospect, Iwish I had known more about the journeyrequired to reach this destination.

And itʼs been quite a journey. Your first twoyears of medical school involve learningabout disease processes through lecturesand textbooks. The second two years arespent applying this knowledge to real pa-tient care. On the surface, this sounds likean ideal system. But at a deeper level, onemust realize that it requires significantquality-of-life concessions in terms of per-sonal time, commitments and activities.The never-ending evaluations, alwayswondering how you are doing and whetheryour superiors are satisfied with your workdarken your dreams. The feeling that youhave to stay longer, work harder and studymore, so you can get the grades that mayultimately determine your ability to get themedical residency of your choice, con-stantly looms over your head. This pres-sure can take quite a toll on the humanspirit.Many medical students complain aboutbeing “emotionally abused” by their supe-

riors, constantly made to feel inadequate.This is not a productive type of learningenvironment. Even those students whoare fortunate to find good teaching still en-dure considerable stress. The longer youare in the field, the thicker your skin mustbecome to cope with the criticism, at timesdestructive rather than constructive. De-moralization and humiliation are twowords that adequately describe many ex-periences during medical student training.I remember being referred to as “bookie,”during a surgery rotation, a derogatory ref-erence to my “job” of keeping track of allthe patients on the service in a “book” car-ried in my pocket. I spent two months onthat service and donʼt even think my su-periors knew my actual name. We tend tolaugh it off, pretend that weʼre having fun,but deep down, we feel less like humansand more like machines - training for aprofession that requires as much humanityas medical knowledge and skill.These aspects donʼt improve much duringinternship. The only true differences: yourwhite coat is two feet longer, you can writemedical orders and you are called “Doc-tor.” The condescension and denigrationby superiors is still there. On an IntensiveCare Unit (ICU) rotation, I watched a col-league get yelled at in front of the wholestaff, simply because he didnʼt get an ac-curate daily weight on one of the twelve

So, you want to be a Doctor?

Andrew W. Seefeld, M.D.UCLA Medical CenterDepartment of Emergency Medicine

Careers brought to you by


have very limited free time. And the time thatyou do have outside the hospital is usuallyspent catching up on sleep or staying up todate with current medical literature. I oftenjoked about being a “homeless physician-in-training,“ living in the hospital and without anapartment. I could simply sneak from callroom to call room each night, finding anempty bed for some sleep. If all the bedswere taken, then the backseat of my Volk-swagen Jetta would work fine, as it had manynights in the past during previous rotations.Yes, I actually slept in my car overnight! Moreimportantly, my hospital provided free food tothe interns, and I knew where all the showerswere, hence, I had my own motel, without thevibrating beds and late checkout privileges.

Healing patients and coupling medical sci-ence with patient care were the reasons Ichose this career. Had I known what would berequired to achieve this goal, I might have puta little extra thought into making my decision.I never imagined how radically the demandsof medical education and training would altermy lifestyle. I was not prepared for the emo-tional impact of making mistakes and thestrength required to cope with them. Unfortu-nately, nobody was there to tell me the reali-ties of medical training, the hardships ofmedical school, and the mental as well asphysical fatigue of residency training.

So the question resurfaces... am I glad I am adoctor? Looking at the energetic young manwho had asked the question, full of excite-ment and desire to learn and obviously ad-miring my position as a current resident, Iwanted him to appreciate the effort it took toget to this point: the pain I endured, the cop-ing with mistakes, the sleepless nights, thealienation from family and friends. So, I toldhim to expose himself to the field, talk to cur-rent medical students, interns, residents andattendings, get an idea of what it is like,lifestyle outside the hospital included. Thiswould at least allow for a truly informed deci-sion, something I wish I had done. I told himwith certainty not to base his decision on adesire for the status that the “M.D.” denotes.Itʼs not worth it, if your heart is not committed.Happiness in life is far more important than adoctorate in medicine. Lucky for me, I chosethe right profession, despite my lack of knowl-edge of the realities of training. Not everyoneis so fortunate. The cost is worth it to me; butwill it be for everyone?


300 is out on DVD, and if you missed it in the theatres, thenyou’ll definitely want to buy it. 300 is based on Frank Miller'sgraphic novel about the historical Battle of Thermopylae in 480B.C. in which a small number of 300 Spartans led by KingLeonidas (Gerard Butler) stood against the massive invadingPersian army of Xerxes.

The Greek historian Herodotus had estimated Xerxe’s armyincluding his “10,000 immortals” at 1,700,000 not including hisnavy. It is generally accepted that this number is exaggerated;there is more historical consensus that the number was prob-ably between 100,000 and 200,000 soldiers, not counting sup-port personnel, which would be about double the number oftroops. Regardless of the exact number, the fact is, few stoodagainst many, against insurmountable odds to protect their freedom.King Leonidas made a stand with his 300 elite soldiers, 700 Thespians,500 Tegeans, 80 Myceneans, and several thousand fellow Greek coun-tryman totaling approximately 4,900 at Thermopylae or ‘Hot Gates.’The gates were named after hot springs in the area, for their narrow 35-50 foot passage between mountains. This small contingent of Greeksled by Leonidas and the Spartans used the geography to their advan-tage and repelled wave after wave of the Persian troops including “theimmortals.” It will never be known if the Spartans could have beatenthese impossible odds because they were betrayed by a Greek traitorEphialtes, who showed Xerxes a hidden mountain pass that led theenemy behind Thermopylae. When scouts let Leonidas know that thePersians had discovered the pass and were advancing towards theirvulnerability, he let the rest of the Greek troops leave so they could fightanother day. As for himself and his Spartans, they prepared for theirfinal battle as Spartans never retreat and never surrender.

The Spartans were eventually overrun, but went down in history asvaliant heroes who resisted tyranny and defended their freedoms. Ul-timately, it was their heroism and courage that inspired their fellowGreeks that transcended any military significance of the battle. TheGreeks did go on to eventually defeat the Persians in the Battle ofPlataea in 479 B.C.

As for the movie, Director Zack Snyder created a brilliant and dra-matic adaptation closely following Frank Miller’s excellent graphic novelabout the event. Gerard Butler (King Leonidas) drove the movie withan indomitable and lionhearted performance that made me want totake up a spear and join the effort. Additional kudos go to the menwho got into incredible physical shape for the film; certainly an inspira-tion to get into the gym. Also, the makeup artists and costume de-signers deserve an award for their artistic brilliance; just look ateveryday photos of Butler and Rodrigo Santoro who played Xerxes tosee their transforming work.


By: John CarrieriRock-N-Reel


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All Photos courtesy of Warner Home VideoClockwise from top:

King Leonidas battles Xerxe’s soldiers

King Leonidas roars in defiance

Spartan Phalanx

Queen Gorgo

Spartans drive Persians off cliff

Young Leonidas surviving Spartanmanhood ritual - man against nature

Spartan attacks a boastful Persian leader who trys to whip him

Frank Miller illustration of final battle

Movie close adaption of Miller’s work

Director Zack Snyder talks withGerard Butler who plays Leonidas

My only complaint is that the demonizing of thePersian army in the sense of adding some mon-strous characters detracted from the historical sig-nificance of this epic battle. One could not write amore compelling story than what actually hap-pened.

In the end 300 is a classic, which I imagine willbe in many guys’ essential movie collections.



Rock-N-ReelRenaissance Miramax FilmsDVD Review by John Carrieri

Renaissance is a groundbreaking, animated, avant-

garde film created completely in black and whiteusing motion capture technology. While the thoughtof black and white might make you think of early 20thcentury films, the story takes place in the future, inthe year 2054 in Paris. Reminiscent of the futuristicclassic ‘Blade Runner’, the movie touches on the in-triguing topic of immortality.

The story begins when Ilona Tasuiev a 22 year-old highly intelligent scientist is kidnapped. Her em-ployer, Avalon, a big-brotherish corporation hirespolice taskforce Inspector Karas (voiced by DanielCraig, James Bond, Casino Royale) to find her. Heenlists the help of Ilona’s sister, Bislane (voiced byCatherine McCormack, Braveheart) to unravel themystery and the plot turns and twists into a surpris-ing end. Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean)is the voice of Ilona’s determined, yet unhelpfulemployer.

The animation technique in itself is worthy of anaward and although the plot is completely original,Director Christian Volckman not only created some-thing unique, but also masterly delivered a multi-di-mensional experience that is nothing short of purebrilliance. There are so many scenes of this movie,that are admirable for the way they are able to por-tray the on-screen experience in black and white,that it’s hard to single one out in particular. It’s safeto say the film is a masterpiece and anyone appre-ciative of art will appreciate this movie.

Art aside, I wondered if I would be bored by theblack and white within a short while; however, I sur-prisingly found that the movie had a riveting plotwhich immediately drew me in and kept me engagedto the end.


Photos: Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment


Airheads


Back To School Box Sets

Maybe it’s been

in his blood

since birth (his

grandparents

were in Vaude-

ville) or maybe

it was the way

he was brought up (practicing Subud,

a religion incorporating all religions)

but David Arquette has been placed

here to entertain us. His new movie,

“The Tripper” is total B movie camp

destined to reach cult status. Enter an

all-star cast comprised of Jason Mews,

Balthazar Getty, Paul Rubin and Jamie

King, add sex, drugs and a serial killer

obsessed with Ronald Regan and put

them all together at a college music

festival in the middle of woods and

you’ve got yourself a surefire horror

hit. The Tripper is David’s creation

(writer, director and producer) and it

is good. We caught up with David and

had the chance to talk about a few

things, including his career in profes-

sional wrestling and why he chose to

make apolitical horror film. He said

Generation X at it’s Finest

Heeeeere’s Ronniewar and death on the battlefield are all too real, but

when you watch a completely over-the-top horror

movie like The Tripper, you know the deaths you

are watching are fake. The victims in the movie are

clueless that death is coming for them just as we are

completely clueless when it comes to the informa-

tion the media chooses us to see. It’s time for us to

buck up and pay attention to where the facts are

coming from. When asked his advice for college stu-

dents, Arquette said, “...you can make what ever you

want happen. Just have some goals. Put in the time,

do your work and although rejection is all over the

place, we do have a responsibility to make this

world a better place.” To read the full interview go

to www.umagazine.com/interviews/arquette

Showgirls

The Girl Next Door

Sex and the Teenage Mind

GPA: 1.43

Hoosiers

Kingpin

Bull Durham

GPA: 3.1

Platoon

Windtalkers

Dances with Wolves

GPA: 3.9

The Usual Suspects

Leaving Las Vegas

Escape from New York

GPA: 3.9

Bill and Ted’s Excellent

This is Spinal Tap

GPA: 2.8

BioDome

PCU

Back to School

GPA: 2.5

WarGames

AntiTrust

Hackers

GPA: 3.1

David watches recently shot footage, directing The Tripper

Chris Nieratko is an underground legend. Before Jackass

was even a twinkle in MTV’s eye, Chris watched PJ Clapp

shoot himself with a .38 while wearing a kevlar vest way

before Clapp was Johnny Knoxville. Chris found out just

how many eggs he could eat in one the earliest episodes of

the famed TV show and exactly how much eggnog he

could chug before throwing up. One of his first jobs in the

limelight was as an editor for Big Brother magazine, a

risque skate mag later bought by Larry Flynt. Big Brother

was basically about skateboarding, but contained carefully

crafted articles by Nieratko and others that gave his sub-

scribers hints on how to be cool. He then moved on to

writing a hit column for Vice magazine after Mr. Flynt

“toned down” Big Brother. It was Vice who

would go on to later publish Skinema, a collec-

tive of Chris’ life, written under the guise of re-

viewing “dirty movies.” He rarely describes the

videos he reviews, instead using them to account

hilarious true life stories which according to

Chris, are 100% true. This book is laugh out

loud funny and so is our interview. If it’s all true,

this guy has had one really crazy life. Check out

Chris’s hilarious interview with one of our own at

www.umagazine.com/interviews/chrisnieratko

2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_ver3.qxp:Layout 1 10/4/07 3:23 PM

The Milwaukees

American

Anthems Vol. 1

City Desk

Records

Genuine Rock ‘n

Roll which we

don’t see a lot of anymore. This album is stock

full of good old fashioned American rock. A

combination of hair-raising guitar licks, heart

pounding drums and bass, paired with lead

singer Dylan St. Clark’s amazing vocals, the

album is sure to satisfy. Check out great song,

“Moonshaker,” “Bullet Train” and “Rich and

Famous.” - CA

A.i.

Sex and Robots

A.i. Music

This hot new band out

of LA is made up of

brothers Nick and

Zack Young and friend Milan Kirov. Deter-

mined not to let a record company tell them

how to make their music, this band is unsigned

and proud of it. While essentially rock band,

the guys make their music with an electronic

twist, using unique equipment both cutting

edge and older gear from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.

The band has a totally experimental sound,

sometimes sounding like Prince, sometimes

Bono and all the time like A.i. Check them out

at aimusic.com or myspace.com/ai or log on to

collegeradio.com to watch our exclusive inter-

view with the band. - SG

1408

Dimension

Films Genius

Products

Based on a short

story by Stephen

King, Mike Enslin

(Cusak) is an fa-

mous author of

“Haunted” books

and as of yet, has never actually been in a truly

haunted place. He gets a mysterious postcard

telling him about the Dophin Hotel in NYC and

against grave warnings from the hotel manager,

decides to stay the night. This 2-disc set gives

you bonus features and includes an alternate

ending. 1408 is sure to give you some great

scares and is perfect for long nights in a dark

dorm room. - SG

Reign Over Me

Sony Pictures

Alan Johnson (Cheadle)

runs into his old college

roommate Charlie (San-

dler), on the streets of

Manhattan and quickly

learns that five years

after 9/11, Charlie has

still not dealt with the loss of his entire family

on that tragic day. At the same time Alan, who

leads a seemingly perfect life, struggles with

overwhelming feelings of responsibilities to his

family and career, missing his more carefree

college days. The two men rediscover their

friendship, and help each other to find happi-

ness in their present lives. - CA

The Dollyrots

Because I’m

Awesome

Blackheart

Records

A pop/punk band

out of Florida, the

founding members of this band decided to

throw caution to the wind when they found

out George W. Bush had won the 2000 elec-

tion. They moved to LA to start their musical

career. “The world is probably going to end

anyway, so let’s just do the band.” Killer

tunes include “My Best Friend’s Hot” and

“Brand New Key.” - SG

Beyond the Gates

BBC/IFC Films

This award-winning

film is powerful and

worth watching for

several reasons.

Based on the true

story of the 1994

Rwandan genocide

where 800,000+ people were massacred in a

100-day period, the film was made on the

very grounds the horrific events actually took

place. Residents of Kigali candidly told their

stories to the producer, director and cast

members creating a deeply moving, detailed

account of the three-month horror. A large

group of the production crew are actual sur-

vivors of the genocide. They are living proof

that nothing is impossible. When asked,

“What can I do to help?” survivor Jean-Paul

Sagahutu told me “Tell our story, let people

know, so it may never happen again.” May it

never happen again. -NKC

The Universiy of San Diego will

be hosting a free screening and discussion

of Beyond the Gates at The Institute for

Peace & Justice in November, 2007. To be

a part of this event, please contact

[email protected].


ipper



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Crucial MemoryIf your computerseems slow, there is agood chance that you couldbreathe new life into it costeffectively by adding extraRAM. RAM (Random Ac-cess Memory) is the sys-tem main memory whichamong other things allowsyou to have more programs open and store more information si-multaneously while it is running. Crucial Technology is actually amanufacturer of RAM and the only company in the world that bothmanufacturers RAM and sells it direct to individual computer users;therefore, you can buy direct with factory level pricing. You canalso get free shipping right now on orders over $40. Also, to notethey are headquartered in the U.S.A. in Idaho.

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Tech TalkAdobe’s CS3 Rocks our world and our computers

Adobe CS3 Design Premium – PC ReviewReviewed by:Kaustav Acharya

Adobeʼs Creative Suite 3 Design Premium(CS3 Design Premium) is nothing short ofspectacular. This bundle of software encom-passes everything a graphics/web designerneeds, and Adobe has really showcased itstalents.

Tested on a Toshiba Satellite Laptop run-ning an 1.6 Ghz Intel Centrino Duo Processorcombined with 2GB RAM and Windows XPMedia Center, we confirmed the obvious no-tion that CS3 Design Premium does need ahigher end system to run effectively. The inter-faces on Adobe Bridge, Photoshop CS3,Dreamweaver CS3, Flash CS3 Professional, Ac-robat 8 Professional, and Illustrator CS3, havegotten a bit of a facelift, but have not changedmuch from CS2.

The flexibility of juggling one document amongthe programs listed has really been streamlinedby simply exporting the file you are working on toanother application (e.g. InDesign to Flash orPhotoshop to Flash) and Bridge CS3. Best no-ticed however is the Flash CS3 interface, whichhas the familiar the Adobe toolbars based madefamous by the original Adobe programs. One isalso able to import layered Photoshop and Illus-trator files into Flash, animate them, and exportthem automatically as ActionScript 3.0 to hand offto developers. Bridge CS3 allows all your mediato display (with previews) in a very modern (darewe say ʻMacʼ-like?) interface. In essence BridgeCS3 gives users the ability to have a central con-

sole from which to send files to a particular ap-plication. This comes in handy when you are try-ing to manage a large group of design files andyou need to send them to different applications.

New this year is the more compelling mobilegraphics in Illustrator and Photoshop Extended.With Adobeʼs Device Central CS3, one is able todesign and test the latest and coolest mobilemedia with very little guesswork as all the mobilestandards are built into it.

In conclusion, Adobeʼs CS3 Design Premiumis undeniably the production standard for GraphicDesigners and Front-End Web Developers alike.This ʻstandardʼ does come at a ̒ premiumʼ (no punintended here) price: $1,799 for the full versionand $599-$1,599 for the upgrade versions.There is no doubt that the bundle is rather pricey,but with itʼs familiar interface and rock-solid per-formance (even though a little sluggish on thetest machine), this is one bundle we would wewould highly recommend despite the price tag.

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2007_Fall_Umagazine_32page_book_1-1020873884_1-1020873561_1-1020860696.e$S:Layout 1 10/4/07 11:36 AM

The newest editionof the Halo franchise is finally here and itʼsworth every dollar. Itʼs not surprising that ittopped the gaming charts, but whatʼs reallyastonishing is that it has become the topgrossing entertainment production on itʼslaunch, grossing $170M, of any entertain-ment property; yes, that means movies, too.Bigger than ʻSpider-Man3ʼsʼ opening week-end of $151M, and bigger than last sum-

merʼs ʻPirates of the Caribbean: DeadMan's Chestʼ and bigger than Halo 2

which also opened with a healthy $125M. Yes, there are dif-ferences between comparing a movieʼs opening weekend,which has three days, to a gameʼs opening day, and the prod-uct price point is different, but does that really matter? With agood multiplayer like Halo 3, itʼs easy to enjoy 200 vs. 2 hoursfor a movie and thatʼs being very conservative on the 200.

So letʼs move beyond the discussion of sales. Is it worth thehype? In my humble opinion, yes. The game takes a twist asMaster Chief, the main character, and the humans find them-selves allying with part of the alien race that first attacked Earth,the Elites and their leader – The Arbiter. The Flood is out ofcontrol as well as the ʻProphet of Truthʼ and all looks despair-ingly bleak unless you, as Master Chief, can pull out one heroiceffort to save mankind. As far as the rest of the plot, I donʼtwant to spoil it, but suffice to say itʼs gratifying. Also, to note,Cortana is back; however, she has been captured by

Gravemind and the Flood. All I cansay about Cortana is, she receivedone heck of a fine graphic upgrade.No wonder Master Chief wants tosave her – but isnʼt she just a com-puter program?

With respect to features andgraphics, there are new vehicles in-cluding a Mongoose, which is a quadATV and a Hornet, which is a singlepilot hovercraft with two jump seats.Both are fun to pilot, as the Mon-goose is great for jumps and smallplaces the warthog canʼt go - such asup narrow staircases. The Hornet isequipped with both a machine gunand a two-silo missile launcher.

As for weapons, there is a new Spartan Laser, which is in-credible. Pick something with the laser, and five seconds laterwhen it charges to full power, that target is gone. On the alienside there is a new dual wielding Brute Spiker, which is like theNeedler (on steroids,) the dual wielding Mauler, which is a crossbetween a shotgun and a pistol, a deadly spike grenade andFirebomb Incendiary Grenade. On the heavy side are threeturret weapons that can now be unleashed (broken) from theirturrets for devastating damage; Middle Pod - which carries 8rockets that can be fired in sequence without reloading, aHeavy Machine Gun (gatling-style) and Plasma Cannon whichfires 300 rounds per minute.

There is also new equipment such as a Bubble Shield, whichstops all projective weapons, a power drainer, a trip mine, aportable gravity lift, a radar jammer, a flare, a regenerator, anda deployable Cover or force shield.

Letʼs talk Multiplayer since this is the best part of the game.The reason Halo has the best multiplayer engine is that it hasbeen developed over 12 years with the launch of Marathon byBungie on December 12th, 1994, followed by Marathon 2: Du-randal and Marathon Infinity. The whole Marathon trilogy wasdeveloped and ran only on Macs; itʼs network multiplayer wasgroundbreaking. We used to play with 5 or 6 players everydayafter work. As soon as 5 PM rolled around, the battle soundsechoed through our office. I bring this up because #1, it


Halo 3Publisher: MicrosoftDeveloper: Bungie

Review by: OrionX

“It’s all about the Multiplayer. If you haven’t played themultiplayer, then you haven’t

really played Halo.” – OrionX

Cortana


Battlefield 2142

EA Games

MacPro Intel

Core Duo 2, 2GB RAM

We are very excited to bring you EA’s

MMO, Battlefield 2142, tested on, yes! a

Mac platform. It was only a matter of time

until EA released a set of their latest games

for the new Macs. Battlefield 2142 is among

them and is truly a remarkable game.

An ice age threatens to completely

take over earth in the year 2142. The land is

up for grabs and it becomes survival of the

fittest. The game swoops from the icy lands

of Europe to the boiling terrain of Africa,

where you can pick from a Recon, Assault,

Engineer or Support team depending on

your gaming style. As you progress, you are

able to unlock over 1500 special weapons

and accessories.

The game ran flawlessly on the test

machine, but installation time took about 20

minutes and the initial launch took another

15 minutes. Once launched, the submenus

and the in-game animations ran exception-

ally well and didn’t have the millisecond

hiccup, common on running a high end

game like this. Game play is fun once the

controls are mastered, although the level of

difficulty seems higher than games in the

same genre.

The Mac version won’t run if the

processor is slower than a 1.83GHz Intel

Core Duo processor with less than 1GB of

RAM, so high machine specs are a must.

We’re quite pleased with the game

stability and wowed by the Mac’s perform-

ance running it. The game deserves our

highest rating but because it doesn’t allow

for the older generation 1.66GHz Core Duo

to run it (the PC version allows for lower-

end hardware to run) we had to kick it a

thumb. Price: $39.95


By Resident Game Guru

Kaustav Acharya

demonstrates how many hours ofenjoyment can be realized out ofthese games and #2, why Microsoftbought Bungie, because it was sim-ply the best network multiplayerever developed. So now whenplaying Halo 3 and reflecting on theprevious Halo, itʼs not that it is to-tally new, but a continued refinementon the incredible existing engine thathas continued to mature over the lasttwelve years. The most notablenew feature in Halo 3 is the Forge,which now allows you to edit multi-player levels. You can add all kindsof objects such as weapons, equip-ment, vehicles and even trans-porters. Each object is worth acertain amount of points, and youhave a budget as to how manyitems you can allocate. The Forgeopens the game up for a whole ad-ditional layer of playing and is veryfun to play and create. You can lit-erally fly through the level when ed-iting. You can see and put things inplaces you might not normally everbe able to see. When editing, youcan really see just how great thephysics are of the Halo engine. Tryplacing a ghost or large object on apointed cliff or metal beam andyouʼll see it not only fall due to grav-ity, but also fall and bounce off ob-jects just as you would think itwould in real life. You can also trycreating new and exciting playabil-ity, such as putting one gravity lift atthe top of another gravity liftʼsrange, giving you double the heightboost to reach places your charac-ters wouldnʼt normally reach. Es-sentially, you get to be the artist ofthe chess game that keeps you andyour friends coming back for more.

In the end I give ‘Halo 3’ six out offive thumbs on our 1-5 scale; theonly game we have ever giventhis lofty of a score. (6 out of 5?)

“But mine goes to eleven.” - Nigel, Spinal Tap.

For a great reference on every-thing Halo, check out:http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Halo_3


NBA ‘08

Publisher: SCEA

Platforms:

PSP/PS2/PS3

B a s k e t b a l l - s i m s

have always fallen

into the ‘play one and you’ve played them all’

mentality. It will take SCEA a lot to break

that mentality; however, we tested on the PS3

& we were impressed.

The game’s backend has been altered to

take into account the SIXAXIS™ Controls.

According to Sony, “...the expanded SIX-

AXIS functionality provides an all-new and

deeper set of control options including spe-

cific dribbles as well as high and low offen-

sive and defensive moves.” Seeing it in

action is even more impressive. The anima-

tions have been varied up as well allowing for

a more realistic feel of the game. The AI has

been made significantly more intelligent and

the positions they play are a lot more realis-

tic than previous years. The fluidity of game-

play is really where the PS3 showcases it’s

potential. The court is crisp and clear, and an-

imations suffer no lag. The character models

are well designed, but it seems that the light-

ing was over emphasized in the development

studio causing for the reflections off the

player’s skin to look fake. Aside from that

though there is little to gripe about as the

game outputs at 60 frames per second and at

a full 1080p. The game also features brand

new NBA commentary that flows perfectly

into the game, but doesn’t distract the player.

In short, the commentary is well incorporated.

Newest in NBA ‘08 is the Progression Sys-

tem. As the player is progressing through the

game, certain challenges are presented which,

upon completion, you can trade in for expe-

rience points. These points are used to

progress your player statistics and enable him

to line his virtual trophy wall with all kinds of

goodies.

The controls learning curve is relatively

short; however, mustering the plays on the

other hand, is a bit difficult. Although it takes

a while and it’s a great feeling watching your

player spin around and dunk on the defender,

the whole game gets a little monotonous.

Still, despite that, the game is fun, probably

even more so in multiplayer.

Price: $39.99/$39.99/$59.99 PS3

Command &Conquer

3: Tiberium Wars

Publisher: EA

Platforms: PC/Mac/

XBOX360

The Command and

Conquer franchise has

been out for a while and has revolutionized

wartime strategy games. With a futuristic

feel of both the interface and the in-game

graphics, Tiberium Wars sets itself apart from

the others with fluid animations and great

sound quality. With over 30 single-player

missions, this newest installment will keep

you occupied for hours. The game primarily

focuses on wise strategy and deployment of

units to vanquish the enemy. While this may

seem elementary, friendly units will be lost if

the attack isn’t carefully planned. Tiberium

Wars is a great game that focuses on brains

rather than brawn and we like that. Game

play is smooth, although we recommend a

higher end processor, approximately 256mb

of Video RAM, and about 2GB of system

memory. Price: 49.99

NCAA Football 08

Publisher: EA

Platforms: PS2, PS3,

XBOX, XBOX360

The NCAA Football

franchise has gotten

better with each year and EA has delivered a

phenomenal product once again. For fans

looking for the ‘wow’ factor, the new Cam-

pus-legend mode enables you to create a

player and guide him to stardom. An inter-

esting feature, although not new from last

year, is a focus on academics. Upon selec-

tion of your character, you’ll need to choose

a major to pursue. After practice, you’ll have

a choice of mingling with peers or studying

for tests.

Standard features such as mascot game,

rival-game, scrimmage, practice, and spring

drills are all there. The latter is good for begin-

ners to learn the game controls and get familiar

with the interface. You are able to practice all

kinds of plays along with a few new trick plays.

Smooth transitions paired with insightful and

comedic commentaries from Brad Nesler and

Lee Corso provide for countless hours of fun.

Offensively, it’s business as usual: nudge the

trick-stick to avoid the heavy tackles and finish

the play. Defensively, you’re actually able to

block field goal attempts if the defensive-line is

positioned correctly.

NCAA Football 08 is an instant hit, but it

is hard to justify the extra $10 for the PS2

version. The XBOX version retailing for

$40.00 has a cleaner look and feel than the

PS2 version so EA’s reasoning for the in-

creased price is lost on us. Despite that, we

love the game, and highly recommend it.

Price: Varies by platform.

Syphon Filter:

Logan’s Shadow

Platforms: Sony PSP

When playing stealth

games, we tend to think

back to the Metal Gear se-

ries, the benchmark in tactical and covert-ops

games. The developers at Sony have really

stepped up to the plate with Logan’s Shadow,

which we feel is one of the best third person

shooter games for the PSP. You are Gabe

Logan, dispatched to the USS Mt. St. Helens to

stop a terrorist mastermind who is after some

hush-hush cargo on the ship. Gabe’s secretive

contact in Washington interferes with the mis-

sion by killing off a major character then black-

mails Gabe.

Game play is seamless and has multi-

player capability. The controls are right where

you expect them to be, although the control

stick is sensitive. This is really evident when

you get into the game and perform sudden

movements such as trying to aim at the bad guy

shooting at you. The graphics are so sharp you

easily forget you are playing on a hand-held de-

vice. Sony Bend has done an amazing job at

mastering game detail and special effects. Did

we mention that it’s really cool to sneak up on

a bad guy and take him out with stealth tactics?

Do that successfully and you’ll see a very cool

animation of the takedown. Price: 39.99



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Puzzles1. Nobel Prize city

5. Troubled former

Hokie's QB

7. Sweet bowl game

9. Wine bottle stopper

14. OJ trial judge

15. Big Apple school,

for short

16. Without a doubt

18. At capacity

19. Pitt and Renfro

23. Got up

26. "Gold, to Jose"

27. Put on

28. UCLA nickname

29. MTV reality show

31. Frac. of a min.

33. Madonna's signature

dance, or fashion

magazine

34. Band instrument

36. On the ___

38. Mouthwash

40. Oklahoma nickname

42. Elizabeth

44. Teach

45. speedily

47. LSU nickname

48. Scottish Game

49. Grade

2. Apostle

3. Sports announcer

Costas

4. Talent

6. 2008 Olympics locale

7. Michigan State nickname

8. Pistol

10. Indiana U nickname

11. WVU nickname

12. Apple-like fruit

13. Knowledge

17. Kimono sash

18. NCAA bowl held in

Arizona

20. Show concern

21. Pump part

22. _____ goes the weasel

24. Yankee's Torre

25. "Bad," en espanol

27. U of Arizona nickname

30. Superman nemesis Luther

31. Florida State nickname

32. Breakfast staple

34. Devilish grin

35. Actor Wilson

37. strange

39. odd

41. Instrument

43. First woman

46. Sound of a clock

Across DownCollege Sports Spectacular

Sudoku

For answers to puzzles, please log on to www.colleges.com/umagazine/2007fall/32.html


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U. Magazine 2007

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