A Modest Proposal, vol. 7, no. 6 - The University of Texas at Dallas

Office of Student Affairs
2011-03-01
A Modest Proposal, vol. 7, no. 6
Taylor Brigance, et al.
© 2011 A Modest Proposal
Find more information about this article here. This document has been made available for free and open access by the Eugene McDermott Library. Contact
[email protected] for further information.
THE EDITORS' DESK
2
From the
Discussion
Boards
Discounting the fact that she may or may not have overlooked the future
plans, I think the author makes a great argument for things that could be done
now to help improve the facility in which students are expected to learn and
produce projects. The Art Barn is one of my favourite places on campus but the
neglect of its maintenance certainly does show-we cannot let this building
degenerate before the new one is built!
Ah, but see... , "Painted Unequal" post No.3
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lets be honest, "Green Thumbs for Green Funds" post No. 1
It's nice to see the international perspective being written upon. I'd be
interested in seeing more like these.
Hope your second semester is worth it all, An-ring.
.
Sharkey, "Coming to America" post No. 8
Am I the only one who was so distracted by the phrase "bear-themed Gundam phone charms" that I didn't pay attention to the rest of the article? What
on earth is that?
Anyway, random non sequiturs are a kinda strange way to prove a point
about attention spans.
clueless about Japan, "A L ack of Attention .. .'' post No.7
Feb. Issue Corrections:
Back
Want to get involved?
Upcoming AMP dates:
I'd rather have my $5 venti soy mocha frappucino with a double shot of
espresso.
Kristina Hermann's first name was mistakenly spelled "Kristin" on the contents
page.
A Modest Proposal apologizes for this error.
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A
MO DEST P ROPOSAL
CoNTENTS
In 1his Issue ...
GovERNMENT
4
I2
BY RICHARD BARTHEL
I3
5
6
Vote Your Age
Voting with your age group, rather than
your political paro/
14
7
Contrib'utors
An-Tirl Liu ·'
·Madison fiartin
Camille Meder
Jeffrey Miran'da
Finny Philip
Andrew Previc
Gina Pyon
Prashant Raghavendran
Dina Shahrokhi
Brady Spenrath
Chelsea Upton
Disclaimer
Opinfom e:;.tressed in A Modest
Propo.ral are those ofthe editor or
oft/g writer ofthe article and are
not necesmrily those ofthe unive1~
tity administration: the Board of
Regents of1he University oJTexas
System, or ofthe operating board of
the newspaper.
8
BY JOHN ENDERLE
Dollars and Sense
ARTS
Abstinence oflnformation
The budget crunch threatens our
accounts in the brain bank
BY' TAYLOR BUTTLER
16
The Spin Cycle
BY ALICE POST
Write About Love and Robyn's concert
at South Side Music H all
CAMPUS LIFE
BY MADISON MARTIN
AND CHELSEA UPTON
Smell the Snowflakes
17
Tolerating the Intolerable
Booze Bistro
How to eat, drink, arid be merry
BY RYAN HENRY
SOCIAL
Comic Corner
Assimilation or Indoctrination? ·
An inquiry into the stat~ of civic education
PUZZLES
BY FINNY PHILIP
How economic reasoning can quantify the unquantifiable in everyday life '
BY PRASHANT RAGH AVEN DRAN
This Month: Urban Eatz
SHAMELESS FRIVOLI T Y
Roommate advice from the perspective of a level85 Taiwanese student
Emotional Calculations
The Menu
BY BRADY SPENRATH
BY AN-TING LIU
II
LE IS URE
Keep It Fresh
BY CAMIJ,.LE MEDER
10
&
The entertainment industry needs to quit
giving us the same old stuff
Snow days provide an excellent chance to
catch up on life
9
Qyotation Qyandary
BY ANDREW PREVIC
BY TAYLOR BRIGANCE
CopyE~itor
. Becky Aguilar
Richard, Barthel
JeffBlacJ<man
· Rafael Calvo
Lewis Chang
Ste_Rhanie Chlu
Ale'(( Garcia Top~te
Ryan Henry
Mac'•H_ird
Elizabeth 1\.:ensin:g~r .
Anastasia Konstaris
iConfess
Relying on others rarely reaps rationality
True budget reform can't be put off any longer
John Enderle
Caroline Lee
!,Watson
BY ALEX GARCIA TOPETE
Chad Thomas
. Devatat;i D.as
Demonstration Sensation
BY DINA SHAHROKHI
Media Adviser
.Ombu.dsman
PoLITICS
Egyptian people cast down their dictator
Editors
J'~ylor B~~i~nce
Taylor Buttler'
. Kenny·Gray
· Alice Post ,
&
3
20
22
&
GAMES
Puzzles Page
The Uranus
Cover design by gina pyon
Uranus cover design by al ex garcia topete.
Co:m:m:s images by alice post, ieffrey
miranda:, ar1d'aha5atsia konw\ns
GOVERN MEN~~&
4
III CS
Demonstration Se nsation
7he Egyptian people cast down their dictator
to be used for military aid alone. Why is this
number disgusting? Because it has been largely
pocketed by the Mubarak family- which has
an estimated worth of anywhere from $30-60
billion depending on your source--or used by
his police force to suppress free speech as his
by dina shahrokhi
people would protest against the regime's [email protected]
tant human rights violations. Those violations
include starving his own citizens-nearly half
"Egypt is Free! Egypt is Free!" Such were the shouts of whom live on about $2 a day-arbitrary arheard around the world on February 11th when Egyptian rests, cruel and unusual treatment for political
president Hosni Mubarak finally agreed to step down and prisoners, and violent suppression of speech.
leave Cairo. It took eighteen days of protests, thousands
I have travelled to about eight countries in
of demonstrators, and hundreds of blogs, tweets, face- the Middle East and North Africa, and I heard
book events, e-mails, and other internet correspondences by far the least praise and saw the least support
to finally get the corrupt president to leave his bejeweled for the president in Egypt than in any other
thrown.
country. That is not to say that those otlier
To paraphrase Vice President Joe Biden, this Egypt countries don't have crazy dictators that silence
thing is a BFD-a big freaking deal. This wasn't anoth- criticisms, but I did not see even a single poster
er case of dictator toppling dictator; it wasn't just some ofMubarak in a store or hear even a single word
regime's removal at the hands of a \Vestern power; this of phrase during private conversations. Instead,
was a legit smack-down laid on Mubarak by the people of I saw people eating fruit crawling with insects,
Egypt. What's happening in Egypt promises to be one of families sleeping in alleys with nothing but a
the rare revolutions that address the concerns of the people torn blanket to serve as a door, and kids sniffing
rather than those of outside influences.
glue to stave off hunger. So is it exciting to see
Mubarak leave? Heck yes!
However, now that Mubarak
What's happen ing in ~gypt promises
is out, the military is in control.
Is this a _good thing? I don't know. :opular. revolt results in revolution and riddance of a revolting ruler.
to be one of the rare revolut ions t hat
It is definitely better than letting IllustratiOn by becky aguilar
Omar Suleiman, the new Mubarak appointee will actually help the people is that it is part of a movement
address the concerns of the people
for Vice President, gain control, as he is viewed of popular change that's sweeping the region. Althqugh
rather than those of o utside influences., as another one ofMubarak's cronies. Military people have been saying Egypt inspired similar movecontrol is always a scary prospect. That said, ments throughout the Middle East- and the outcome was
the military is one of the only trusted regimes particularly inspirational-it wasn't Egypt that inspired all
Contrary to popular belief, Mubarak was not just an- in Egypt, so it is probably the only hope for order now the amazing movements going on in the Middle East.
other American-hating Arab dictator. In fact, M ubarak was since the people are still protesting.
Egypt was a~tually inspired by Tunisia, which may have
largely ostracized by Arab countries for his close relationWhile many think the entire goal of these protests was been partly inspired by what happened in Lebanon when
ship with the United States and Israel. Under Mubarak, to get rid of Mubarak, that was only the first step. The members of the parliament resigned to force the governEgypt closed the border to the Pale.stinian Gaza Strip per people's four main demands, worded differently in every ment to dissolve.
request of an lsrael fearful of the transportation of weap- news source, basically breaks down to these: end arbitrary
So what exactly does the future hold for Egypt? Who
onry that may threaten the state. This in turn angered many detentions and release those arrested, end the "state of knows, but we can be inspired by the fact that the people
Arab states, which see it as preventing transportation of emergency" that allows the government to arrest anyone are finally speaking out for change, freedom, and, most imfood, medicine and other goods to the 1.6 million people with no charge and detain them indefinitely, get rid ofthe portantly, a better life. •
(as of June 2010) literally quarantined in a region nearly ruling party's monopoly over elections and allow others
twice the size ofWashington, D.C.
to run, and restore the provision which allows the judicial
According to the State Depar~~~nt, Egypt receives a branch to review elections.
To paraphras{! Vicg PmidenUot Eiden, Dina is (l BFD.
Another reason to believe that the revolution in Egypt
dis~isi:.i~g $.1.3. b!lJ.i~I)' f~O.!IJ ttn;-_l..Jnitcd States annually
Risc~tV tqis qrticlf q~ a11~;butd_.com!
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A Moo·esT PRO PO SAL
GovERNMENT
&
PoLtTtcs
5
Vote-Your Age
Students must abandon party politics to protect their interests.
by andrew previc
[email protected]
The Texas legislature does not care what young adults
have to say. Although legislators vote on bills and policies that affect students' lives on a daily basis, students are
largely incapable of changing the situation.
Funding education is the most important gift the older
generation can give, yet for all the debate, it is not addressed in a way that is meaningful to students. A main
goal of the current Texas legislature, for example, is to cut
funding for higher education.
( ( Many capable students either
do not attend college or cannot
pursue certain careers because
of the expense of attending
those institutions.
11
For studnets, education subsidy is the most impoftant
issue the legislature will address. Tuition is already too
high. Many capable students either do not attend college
or cannot pursue certain careers because of the expense
of attending those institutions. In order to change this
situation and protect student concerns and needs, students
must change their electoral alignment and lobby as a group
to gain influence in the legislature.
Our elders derive little from addressing education issues besides altruistic satisfaction. It is not economically
rational for our elders to provide us an education, since
they might not be around to reap the benefits in the future
and they have other priorities in the present. Combine that
with the fact that are dispersed across the political spectrum, and the result is tha.t students are continually trampled upon in the legislature.
In his autobiography, Malcolm X expressed
similar concerns about alignment in the political
spectrum for Mrican Americans in the 1960s. He
wrote that when Mrican Americans united themselves
ilong party lines and voted as Democrats, they became
politically powerless.
Democrats did not have to strive to protect the interests of African A mericans because they
knew Mrican Americans would usually
vote D emocrat instead of Republican.
Malcolm X urged African Americans to form interest groups
to vote on the issues and
not the party. If a
Re pu bli ca n ,
for example,
supported
states' rights
and lessening business
regulation but
was also in favor
of civil rights, Mrican Americans would
be better off voting for that
candidate.
The youth are similarly
hampered by the way they vote.
The politically active youth it!
Texas vote in line with their
upbringing and according to
party platform. One problem
with parties for the youth in
particular is the relatively
low number of youth
that comprise the constituency: When a
or
Republican
Democratic
candidate is
They jun want to bang the gavel. illustration by lewis chang.
elected, he or she owes deference to the middle-aged and
elder voters, whose support comes in greater numbers. If
young adults in Texas were to form an interest group and
vote as a unit in both the Republican and Democratic primaries, then each party would concern itself with producing candidates interested in protecting the youth voice in
order to secure the youth vote.
\ Ve must vote together to promote our interests in Austin. We should no longer be divided across the political
spectrum by blue and red identities. We must vote by age
and based on a common interest in a secur.e and affordable education. It is only when we vote the way our parents do for issues in the here and now or do not vote ar
all that our issues will be cast aside in the political debate
and forgotten. We must show our strength in numbers.
As consumers, our generation dominates the markets.
Our desire for new music players, phones, and computers
shapes ·the way technology is designed and marketed. We
have the power of numbers and the power of the purse
when it comes to technology. I urge our generation to realize our power to influence politics the same way. Seek out
the issues that most concern you not as a Republican or
a Democrat but as a student, and change the status quo
in your favor. •
A ndre'IJ) thinks the tuition is too da;nn high.
Discuss this article at amPutd.rom!
.
6
GovERNMENT
&
MAR
PoLITics
20 I I
• VoLuME 7
•
Is sue 6
Dollars and Sense
True entitlement reform can't be put offany longer
The 2011 Federal Budget
by taylor brigance
____
:;_.
[email protected]
All of the current federal budget proposals suck. They don't do a damn thing they
need to do: fix what is actually going to
bankrupt us, address issues in federal overreach and the spillover effect of unfunded
federal mandates causing our states to go
broke, or actually bring the federal deficit
down from it's atmospheric heights. Our
cowardly political leaders are continuing to
punt the issue back and forth in the world's
worst game of hot-potato. The loser will
be whichever side actually ends up having
to cut spending or raise taxes, which lets
the winner gleefully campaign against the
very measures that necessity forced to take
place.
Picture our country as a householdthe American public is the child and the
two political parties are divorced parents.
Each tries to buy the love of the child
. through whatever means it can think of,
which results in a bratty, soot-nosed kid
with a increasingly debilitating disease
while his spoiled personality continues to
be catered to. The two parents refuse to be
the one to actually give the kid medicine,
discipline him, or stop coddling him in any
Reform of Social
Security. Medicare,
and Medicaid has long
been the third rail of
American politicstouch it and di.e.
11
rn What Every body Is Arguing About
mThe P-roblem
The above graph is a to-scale representation of proposed cuts in total yearly federal spending.
lnfographic courtesy of taylor brigance
with a large number of workers paying in
and a small amount of beneficiaries drawing out. With a sharp decrease in infant
mortality, later entry into the workforce, a
longer life expectancy, and the oncoming
tidal wave of retiring baby boomers, there
are and will be tnore beneficiaries than ever
before.
When the program was enacted, there
were 42 workers to one retiree-today it's
around 3. If benefits remain as they are, Social Security will be running on credit in
two years. Medicare and Medicaid arc both
in similarly dire straits, and the new healthcare law only adds to the burden, particularly in light of the recent "doc fix", which
increased compensation for doctors willing
to accept Medicare/Medicaid patients.
There have been plenty of recent examples of why an absurd amount of public
debt is a bad thing and can lead to catastrophe, but our own situation doesn't seem to
be quite understood. 1he most recent officially determined numbers place the U.S.'s
debt-to-GDP ratio at 94%. To put that in
perspective, the United States wouldn't be
allowed into the European Union because
of how poor its government finance situation is.
1l1is situation only compounds itself
with time-we have to demand significant changes now if want to avoid even
more severe measures later. The Republican leadership has announced that it will
tackle entitlement reform, but it remains
to be seen what those changes will be and
whether they'll have a snowball's chance in
hell of getting past the Democratic Senate and the President. Regardless of how
the politics plays out, do not let our leaders
get away with punting this issue down the
road again. None of us can afford that option. •
way. Eventually one of them has to make start a culture war. Their cuts to such things
a responsible decision, but both are full of as NPR and Planned Parenthood are less
excuses for why the other needs to be the than molehills compared to the mountain
one to do it and suffer through the temper of debt at the heart of the issue.The patient
is morbidly obese, and they're wasting time
tantrum.
Say what you will about President trimming fingernails.
Obama, but one thing is absolutely dearWhile there certainly should be a
he is a skilled politician. Mter the incessant healthy debate about whether or not such
comparisons between the 2010 midterms programs should be on government sponand the Republican revolution of the early sorship, now isn't the time. It's also abso90s, he c.iecided to let history go ahead and lutely disingenuous to claim that cutting
repeat Itself: allow the Republicans to seize them is the only war to balance the budget.
on entitlement reform and get slaughtered The perverse chara,de is reminiscent of the
by the enraged voters(who.have never liked faux outrage over CEOs using private jets:
their medicine), come back with a pro- a convenient way to engage in some classposal more palatable (meaning useless and warfare rheto~ic, but practically negligible
ineffectual voter catering), and win again in in terms of the actual problem.
2012.
Reforming the entitlements of Social
Reform of Social Security, Medicare, Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is as
and Medicaid has long been the third rail hard as it is necessary. Take Social Security.
of American politics-touch it and die. The Any conversation about making it solvent
President is more than willing to let some- revolves around the same issues: raising the
one else jump on that grenade, no matter retirement age, reducing benefits, or raising
how,much the issue needs to be ·<~-cJ<tr~~seq. , . J:h~ Nyroll tax that funds it. The last opTaylfff Brigance is morbidly obese and is wasting
The Republicans are doing 'notliihg but · · ti6ri, frankly, isn't feasible, and blame your · ·
lime trimming hisfingernails.
helping him by using budget balancing to parents. The program was only sustainable · · ' Discuss this artide at am.tmtd.com!
A
MODEST PROPOSAL
GOVERNMENT
&
POLITICS
7
Abstinence of Information
'Ihe budget crunch threatens our accounts in the brain bank
..
by alice post
~icc.a.pos•@g.m ail.com
Knowledge is power. After you finish
barfing "' the cliche, consider your ability to read that phrase. The everyday, but
no less extraordinary. power of knowledge
is increasingly underappreciated, even de·
graded by our nation$ representatives. Defunding knowledge-increasing programs
decreases the ability of each person to make
informed decisions.
The da idus in Congress and throughout
the states f.1ee tig ht budgets and possess an
extreme reluctance to raise :my taxes. Voted
into office when b..dget stimul\tS was still
titillating treasuries, the GOP campaigned
on no new taxes and decreasing sp<:nding.
Keeping <llmpaign pro mises, the fiscal conservatives are thus cutt1 ng services; unfor1\lnately they're targeting o nes that foster
add ictio ns for acquiring knowledge.
One such knowledge-habit-form·
ing service is the Corporation fo r Public
Broadcasting, which may lose all fed eral
funding. Educational budgets in every state
and municipality f.1cc drastic cuts. Planned
Parenthood, a practical application of
knowledge, may also be sacrificed to bal·
ancc of the b\tdger.
The figh t for the
Corporation for P"blic
Broadc:tsting involved
the Muppct Lobby (yes
the loveable childhood
character:> campaigned
to keep their funding).
Sadly, House k·Jders
could nor be charmed
by the empathetic felt
faces. Curling S430 , .
million dollars • . by •• Mr,
doing away.wirh the Corporation for Public educotion sp<:nding, raise class sizes, andreBroadcasting, which fimds PBS and NPR is ducc programs outside of standardi1.ed testcertainly a significant step toward reducing ing.
Pub~c schools in Texas f.1ce a S5 billion
spending. but the cost of zeroing out Sesam<
Str((/ and A111hings Comidtrtd is a source of cutover the next two years. Highet education
rage for newshounds, mothers, and roughly institutionswould loseS1.7billion. How are
170 rnillion p<:titioning Americans.
local school districts to make up for the loss?
The purpose of public broadcasting is to As ordained by Austin, they cannot raise
prevent a con6kt of interest between ad· prop<:rty taxes. Some may turn to advcrtisvertisers and news
- - - - - - - - - - - - - ing on school buses
content. That way,
The GOP r.eads
and
the content aims at
m:~rketing
JJ
ll
mascots. Most
will
inlorrning (not sell·
'reproductive health
simply cut personing advertising space),
care, sex education. and
net, limit programs,
which aUows for inand lift the current
depth news pieces and
information. and sees
class-size cap of 22
adorable mupp<:tness.
students for kinthe word abortion.
Budget
trimming
dergarten through
fourth grade.
may be in order, but
The class-size issue is problematic bezeroing our this budget goes too fur.
Big Bird and the Count help prep the cause children arc unpredictable, attention
s~ghrly-smarter-rhan-a-canine child for
seeking, and incredibly obnoxious in
thinking in terms of!etters and numberslarge groups. lf there is one thing
and that help wiU be incr<"olsingly necessary
that Texas correctly implemented
in light of the ed ucation budget curs. Repubd uring my formative years it
lican majorities currently
was the cap o n class size. As.k
\\ control 55 p<:rcenr of
any elementary school teacher
(pub~t or privhtc) and the
State legislatures and
have called 10 slash
overwhelming maJOrity
will confirm that smaller
''
class size aUows chc
youngins into a room with one adult, and
the task becomes chaos control.
Texas cannot let investment in educa·
tion translate into lower educational qual-
ity because current performance remains
dismal: Of the 50 states, Texas ranks 49th
in average verbal SAT score, 36th in highschool graduation rates, and 40th in p<:r·
pupil cxp<:ndin"e.
Quality education transbtes inro more
knowledgeable individuals ond a better labor
force. The young can better determine how
they wanr to make their ~velihood. and the
old can bask in the glory of having an employed younger generation to pay for Social
Security.
At the national level, conservatives in
the congressional house have decided ro do
away with federal funding for the o rganiza·
tion that delivers reproductive health C'Jrc,
sex education, and information to miUions of
women and men worldwide.
1hc GOP reads aU that and sees the wo rd
abortion. By law, Planned Parenthood cannot allocate federal funding fo r abortion.
H owever, for almost a cenn1ry, Planned
Parenthood has p romoted ··women's health
and weU·being, based on respe-ct fo r each
individual's rig ht to make informed, inde·
p<:nd<nt decisions about health, se.<, and
family planning."
h."achcr ro give a qual-
iry education to each
sntdent. Squeeze 23
30 high-energy
10
Remove the abilit)' to lcarn1
be exam-
ined, and talk with a health care professional before pregnMcy, and an increasing
number of unexpected fetuses
will start
popping into rhe picn~te.
Repub~cans and Te<~ P.rtiers must heed the
pub1ic outcry over cuts to public broadcasting,
educotion, and Planned Parenthood. We know
what sen;ces they llre trying to de· f\u1d: and
that knowledge gil~ us the power 10 talk,
write, bJog~ tweet, post, digg. and even vote in
order to keep the public ofoU ages in the know
for the benefit of our great nation. •
'
....
... .•.
• •
•
Dupitr tlx ;Wup/'(tJ' bu1 tj~r'...Aii~~.iJ still
~"ly slightlym:nrttr th"'' a uw ill(,
~ Discu,ss this arr;tlt.at (lJJJJmtd.tOm!.
8
CAMPLJS
LIFE
Smell the Snowflakes
Snow days provide an excellent chance to catch up on life
during the four days you weren't going to
class and were essentially barricaded in your
residence? What you did when you had few
other obligations or places to be says something about you and your priorities.
H opefully, th is time both taught you
by camille meder
something
about yourself and let you both
[email protected]
.............................,
realize and accomplish what you've really
wanted or needC!d to do lately.
Think back to what you did in that time
Last month's unusual episode of ice and
snow represented much more than the simple and consider how you spent your hours.
opportunity to sleep in or catch up on read- Did you finally read that book that's been
ing and other coursework. The true value of collecting dust on your shelf since last
such sudden, uncontrollable deviations from summer? Did you drink bot chocolate
our normal daily events is that they force and watch movies because you just needed
us into a situation where we have nothing to chill out and relax since all the things
scheduled to keep us from the things and normally crammed into your crowded
schedule were our of the question?
people we owe some attention to.
Did you spend quality time with a roommate
or a friend? Did you call
( ( What you did when you had
someone you haven't seen
few other obligations or places to
in a while just to chat? Did
you
write (well, at least a
be says something about you and
page or two of) that novel
your priorities.
you've been meaning to
work on? Or did you just
spend some quality time
'Those aspects of our lives have no dead- with yourself?
.
If this doesn't reflect your experience
lines or grades but are important nonetheless-not only for their face value but also with those wintry days: What could you
for the forced introspection we experience have done that you needed or wanted to?
when we look back and realize it to be sigThink' of a week when you were so busy
nificant what we chose to do when an enor- with classes, work, and other commitments
mous amount of free time presented itself.
that you could not indulge in simple pleaFour days of regular classes were more sures or enjoyable projects and wished you
than enough rime to catch up on course- could spend two or three hours playing vidwork and even to get ahead while leaving eo games or writing poetry. Consider snow
plenty of time free. So what did you do days a chance to indulge yourself in these
...
------·--·-
___
''
activities.
If you feel you didn't accomplish anything significant or immensely pleasurable
during the several cold, icy days in which
you had few places to be and wanted to
travel as litde as possible, then next time
such an unplanned hiatus from regularity
rolls around, make a commitment to
using that suddenly freed time
differendy.
Don't spend it wishing
for warmer weather and
sacrificing a valuable opportunity. Use it for longpostponed projects and
even just to enjoy activities that fulfill a need-or
a desire-you haven't had
time for "because it's hard to
justify it as "important".
After all, if you are planning
to attend four hours of
class that day and it
is all cancelled, it's
difficult to explain not having
time for yourself
within the same
time slot. Fill at
.,;;::::;;;~:ac:::~~~i~;
least some of those unexpectedly available
hours with things that you both need and
love to do. Finish old projects and things
you've meant to do. Start new ones. Reconnect with the parts of yourself that don't normally fit into your schedule.
As you do so, you'll realize-simply
because they were worth spending
rime on-how worthwhile
those activities are .and why
they're an important part
of you. •
Camillefo!filled many
ofher •ahem• desires
during the mow dap.
DuCIISS tbis artie/~
.
at am/Jutd.com!
A
MoDEST P ROPOSA L
CAMPUS LIFE
9
Tolerating the Intolerable
Roommate advice from the perspective ofa level 85 Taiwanese student
..
by an-ting liu
axil 04120€Jlu tdalhs .c:d u
At the end of]amiary, some of my friends
and 1 had a mind battle over signjng the new
university village housing contract. All my
American friends insist on getting independent rooms, while most international students arc flexible on accepting shared rooms.
For me, it was the simplest decision ever. I
want shared rooms because they're cheaper.
So why pay twice the price for an independent room? My American friend
grinned and said, "We like independent
rooms, because we have dirty little secrets."
Well, to be honest, who doesn't? But the
Asian lifestyle already prepped me for this
- there arc always too many people and too
little space. ln every university in Taiwan,
everyone shares rooms.
My freshman year was spent in a Tai-
wanese university, and the experience I had splattered around the oven, burn marks testigives me confidence that I can conquer any fying to the terrible cookJng process.
roommate problem. My dorm was located
Now for the bathroom. I've been to an
right by the thoroughfare ofTaipei city, so extremely meticulous guy's bathroom, and it
the traffic was busy 24-7. Noise tolerance looked like a high-end hotel. I've seen girls'
and insomnia, check: 1 also had a room- piled up clothes, magazines, cosmetics, and
mate who never did her laundry. Smell tol- textbooks inside. One easy way to improve,
erance, check.
or create a pleasant environment view, is ro
My other roommate would often buy a pick the right shower curtain. Go for light
huge box of fruit and
color, simplicity and
cuteness, or, if you inforget about it until it
sist on dark shadings,
became moldy. Smell
In every university
funkiness or coolness.
tolerance, promoted
in Taiwan, everyone
I guess the chalto an advanced level.
lenge comes when my
Life in Asia is also
shares rooms.
Indian friend cooks
24-7, so people came
back to the dorm at 3
her curry 'vith special
a.m. and left at 5 a.m. Noise tolerance and spices. It can be one of the two themes: heavinsomnia, also updated to a new level.
en or hell. I have gotten both. Most of the
I've seen all kinds of scenarios, in both time, I like the herbal richness and the boilT aiwan and America. Poor kJtchen saruta- ing overture of mellowing vegetation: They
tion is always on display. That is always my surround me with the memory of home.
first checkpoint. ln the worst cases, girls have
But one time the smell was so dense
dishes piled up and trashcans overloaded, that it dragged me out from a dream. That's
and guys have beer and coke bottles lirung something I'll never forget. Though it never
up along the counter. The thing I hate most happened to me, make sure your roommate
is the tedious evidence of cooking- :iuices doesn't come up with weird recipe cxperi-
ii
- - -
11
ments when you're having midterms.
My dear editor asked, "So, is tolerance
the only answer that contributes to international students' decision making?" For
now, 1'11 have to say yes. Asian students like
me come from places much more densely
populated; we grew up understanding that
there is never enough space. But that doesn't
mean we have terrible hygiene! I learned to
use space more efficiently, organize things
better, and live perfectly without a special
cabinet for stuffed animals. Living with
other people also trained me ro have a better temper and better negotiating skills. But
one thing I am not satisfied with is that I
never have enough room for my books. I
sincerely wish I had my own library!
In the end, what I'm saying is that one can
learn to deal with the inconveniences ofsharing a room and having less space. Also, I won't
scrutinize what your apartment looks like, so
please still invite me to your party. I'll be happy, as long as I'm paying half the rent. •
.!'1n- Ting had to fight through seven evil exroommates to write this article..
Discuss this article at amJmtd.com!
Assimilation or Indoctrination?
An inquiry into the state ofcivic education
by finny philip
[email protected]
In early February, British Prime Minister David Cameron
delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference that
rejected the doctrine of state-sponsored multiculturalism.
Rather than assimilating immigrants into British culture, the
doctrine "encouraged different cultures to live separate lives,
apart from each other and apart from the mainstream."
Cameron blames that doctrine for weakening Britain's
collective: identity and alienating young people born to
immigrants. Rather than passively accep~ values contrary
to mainstream British ideals, Cam eron wants the government to engage in "muscular liberalism"~actively promoting British values among youth and decreasing funding to
aberrant organizations.
lf our friends from across the pond arc having trouble integrating different cultures, should we be worried too? After all,
it's not that rare to see racial inequalities in the unemployed
population being reported in the news. Should we also attack
the problems of differential treatment and extremist ideologies by fostering a national identity? Should the US try harder
to indoctrinate its youth with American values? Should immigrants be worried that their values will be looked down
upon?
Although I was born to Indian immigrants, I am and
always will be Texan by birth and American by the grace of
God. Countty music streams out of my car radio and a pair
of work boots loyally lie in the trunk of my stereo typically
L1dian Toyota Camry.
Despite my parents' admonitions that I am Indian in a foreign country, I have always felt that America was my homeland. Growing up in the Melting Pot made me appreciate the
capability of different cultures and ethnic groups to come together in one society and share common values. America is
unique in its success in integrating people of all walks of life,
although it must be said that success came slowly. The Civil
Rights movement only happened fairly recently, and we must
look at the current state of our Union in a humble light.
In Brown v. Board ofEducation, ChiefJustice Earl vVarren
wrote that education is "the very foundation of good citizenship." In my own experience, the public school system taught
me to love my state and my coumry. Besides having us pledge
allegiance to both Texas and the US every morning, my elementary school raught us to square dance in physical education class and social studies teachers instilled the values of the
Bill of Rights and the Declaration oflndependence in us.
Even at a young age, our teachers taught us about equal
rights and supporting our country and that government
should be answerable to the people. In high school, government classes taught us the value of democracy and the
efficacy of each vote.
These lessons were beneficial to both me and the country.
While I'm not in love with each action of Congress, I'm not
going to blow up a building to vent my vexation.The education
that 1 received in the
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Dallas suburbs seemed to make me an educated citizen who
would stand up for the values that join Americans together.
Although I am grateful for the civic education that the
state provided for me. 1 don't think we should use natioru1l
laws to impart patriotism to children. America's marketplace
ofideas should be open to change. Passing laws that enumerate
"American" values would stifle the social growth of our country
and discourage people in the minority from speaking up.
l(
State governments should
enact laws to instill the values
expressed in the Constitution
and the Declaration of
Independence.
Instead, it should be left to the states to cultivate both na- ·
tional and state identities. The key distinction between state
indoctrination law and national law is that parents who do not
like the civic education in one state may still move to another.
State governments should enact laws to instill the values
expressed in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
It is true that some cultures are more reluctant to become "Americanized" than others. For example, the Asiap.
values of community and group harmony directly clash
witl1 the Western value of individuality. However, smaller
issues such as these shouldn't be blown out of proportion.
Immigrants often worry their identity wW ebb under the
torrent of American culture , but nothing could be further
from the truth. Although America is built on a framework
of universal rights, democracy, privacy, and equality under the law, all other values are up for diswssion.
America has been the worldwide leader in "muscul~
liberalism'' and has been actively promoting its value system
and culture. Simultaneously, America welcomes immigrants
as well as their diverse ideas. Our open-mindedness and our
defense of our core values have
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not marginalize youth, but gives
them lofty ideals to uphold and
to pass on to posterity. •
Finny is a little bit country...
and a little bit rock and roll
Discuss this article at amfJ.utdallas.edu!
.1.
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11
A
Soc i AL CoMMENTARY
MODEST PR OPOSAL
II
Emotional Calculations
How economic reasoning can quantify the unquantijiable in everyday life
by prashant raghavendran
praghavendran@gmai I. co m
Economist Robert Frank in his textbook
l'dirroeconomic.r and Behavior state that the
idea of a rational economic human being
would be difficult to find within modern
societal norms. When economists work on
decisions, they rationalize them by quantifying and comparing costs and benefits
to sec whether a decision should be made.
Often, intangible and abstracts ideas such
as one's feelings and emotions are turned
into dollar values, and this rubs much of
the public the wrong way.
In life, we often say that we cannot put a
price on happiness. Frank says that because
the fickle nature of customs and human interactions interfere with reasonable choice
and rationality, we cannot use this costbenefit model in real life situations that involve more than purely money. However, I
contend that th.is model can be adapted to
translate some of the intangible items into
economic costs and benefits without stepping our of the social norm~at least on the
smaller scale.
The weather debacle of this past month
is a prime example of neglecting rationality. Despite the plethora of warnings we
received from experts and
laymen alike to
not venture out
onto the treacherous ice, we did it out of garding different fees for each family with
so-called necessity tinged with a tinge of their own creeds and beliefs.
rebellion-and I was a culprit of this too.
These specific situations call for ecoThough T had enough food to last through nomic theory to be applied to the individuthe week (had I applied myself and pre- allevel. With a tailored economic analysis,
pared it), I decided to go out into the un- each person can assess his or her individual,
known and purchased ready-to-consume moral standard to value certain objects and
items instead.
feelings in comparison to others. In this inBasic economics says that the cost of stance rational economic thought is useful
traversing dangerous conditions to buy a for quantifYing the inherently emotional.
few. "necessary" items equals or is greater
An example of decision making that inthan the cost of waiting for better con- volves emotional interest is deciding who
ditions and buying a full set of groceries. to date. On occasion, people, at their most
When you take the risk of driving on ice, desperate moments, decide to make a pro
you add the cost of possibly causing dam- and con table to decide who their sweetage to your car, yourself, and others in ad- heart wiU be.
In this case, the pros, such as wit, attracdition to that of gas money and the food.
Because this theory takes into account the tiveness, and personality are quantified as
cost of all actions monetarily, all it takes is benefits based on the person's preferences.
simple addition to realize that the reason- Cons such as putrid breath, jerk tendencies
able choice is to wait the weather out and and infidelity would weigh as costs in the
buy a full set of groceries later, when the same manner. 1his way, you could rationally determine whether the desired other
cold has been vanquished.
Much of the opposition that this model is ''the one."
faces involves putting a dollar value on
Economists, especially recently, have inideas like human life, satist;tction and emo- cluded externalities as a major
tional dan1age and st~ndardizing it across a part of rational decision making, because
community.
After 9/11, there was a lot of criticism it is the aspect of their
about the way the American government study that best emcompensated families of the victims, because some felt that this degree of reparations was not enough for their situation.
However, for decisions that uniformly affect hundreds, it is near impossible to be
fair without inciting a social dilemma re-
bodies the actions of human beings in a
more emotional state. \.Vhen one decides
that they arc going to one party instead of
the other, hurt feelings of one group is actually an externality rather than just added
drama. Often, one cannot see all the externalities a choice presents, much like the
emotional reactions in relationships among
friends. So reaUy, if one thinks about it,
e<;onomic thought is not so foreign to the
emotional dynamic of social interactions.
Emotions have been known, at their
extent, to overturn rationality. We can see
this with the fervor of fundamentalists and
many criminals. However, economics has
come so far that it has been able to include
conditions for these emotions, at least on a
person-ro-person level.
So, if someone takes the cntirery of tl1c
economic model into consideration when
making decisions, they really have very tcw
loopholes by which t hey can overstep rationality. EssentiaUy, economics has found
out ways to incorporate emotions mto rational thinking.
Therefore, we as humankind should consider this formula for our decisions betore
we decide ro neglect it and behave without
rhyme or reason. •
Pmshant$ love does not compute.
Rai sing Cane's:The costs never o utweigh the benefits. illustrauon by mac hwd
Disom this article at azn/J.uttktUas~e_d.J1.!
'
12
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
by richard barthel
[email protected]
On Monday, February 14th we had the privilege of
witnessing an grand event in computing history. We saw
Watson take on two j eopardy/ Champions-Brad Rutter
and Ken Jennings-in a M an vs. M achine competition
and win! But really, what is I.B.M. Watson? It's the latest
great innovation from l.B.M., the corporation that started
off as a tabulating machine company and eventually created
the computer that beat chess grandmaster G ary Kasparov.
H owever, that machine (D eep Blue) was not a marketable
what someone means, the machine needs to understand
context, word play, and the sense in which each word is
used. It needs to figure out how the question is bcing
asked, whether the question is rhetorical, and how it should
approach tbe problem. DeepQA does a1l of this and more.
D eepQA is built to be massively parallel, spawning many
thousands of processes on Watson's many POWER7 cores to
generate a result in real time. D eepQft. scrutinizes Watson's
data banks and searches vast amounts of unstructured data.
read countless articles, encyclopedias,
books, maps, websites, and more. Watson
be asked a question and run hundreds of ~d11
to find the proper answer in its knowledge
Watson has many searching algorithms for
questions, figure-of-speech ques6ons, punny
geographical questions, and others. Every time a
is asked, Watson goes to work on the information
has stored to find and respond with the likeliest
product; the technical accomplishment-playing chess
really well-didn't translate to real-world business. l .B.M.
is now leading the pack with a new "grand challenge",
one that would meet a real world need -Watson.
So what makes Watson so special? It is a supercomputing
cluster capable of answering questions posed in natural
language (i.e. an actual question, not a database query or
other code). It is a system designed to apply advanced
data management, smart algorithms, and deep analytics.
And Watson's horsepower chums that data at an an1azing
rate-each 3.55 G Hzchip cao suck up to 500 GB per second.
Total processing bandwidth totals to 180,000 G B per second
(about 175 Terabytes per second) and is equivalent to the
combined processing power of roughly two million iPhones!
Let's just take a moment here to meditate on how much
information and power that is.
Thanks to the design and
the software, Watson can
answer.l t then buvtes in and uses speech software to
answer. It also has a confidence level associated with
answer and w1U not bu-zz in if it is not confident
O f course, Watson does not have all the answen.
Watson is constantly learning and improving.
Watson succeeded in a stuJlning victory w •..t....,..
evening, there is still plenty to be done. Rest
assured: a new computing era is coming. •
lt can query terabytes upon terabytes of memory in
seconds and answer with blistering speed. All this doesn't
come cheap though. I.B.M. hasn't disclosed the cost of
Watson, but it has been estimated to be SlOO million.
Watson uses 10 refrigerator-sized racks complete with
90 J.B.M . POWER750 Express Servers and 16 terabytes
of RAM, totaling in 2880 POWER7 cores-that's about
32,000 iPhones' worth of memory. It needs such raw
processing horsepower to compute and search its memory
read. What I mean by that is
that the machine can pick
out nouns, verbs, adverbs
and such and recognize their
place in a sentence. Before a
j eopardy! round, engineers,
researchers, and the machine
itsdf will train for the game by
having
machine
in response to questions from a broad range of topics. Each
question triggers Watson into action, looking for answers
and judging its confidence on those answers. The typical
home desktop would struggle for two hours to ~me up
with an answer that Watson can compute in 3 seconds or
less. The architecture used is a parallel system of hundreds
of algorithms all running at the same time, providing
Watson with an an~er at lightning fast speed. Over its
three-year lifetime, Watson has stored tens of millions of
documents. You may ask if Watson is just Google search on
steroids-no, Watson is quite different from Google search.
In fact, when Watson plays Jeopardy!, it is not connected to
the internet. It can only work with what it "knows" in its
..brain" and searches documents to give a specific answer.
To perform that task, Watson uses something called
DeepQ!\, software created to interpret and answer M.tural
human questions like those on jeopardy!. This is what really
sets Watson apart from any search engine. To decipher
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• A MoD EST PROPOSA L
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
by alex garcia topete
ajg07~cclu
wu; Father,fqrI haw sinned, starting with not going to
since••• well, that's for me and my priest to sort out.
I need not worry too much about my confession
1V ads repeat oOWlldays, t!Nre~ an appfor that.
the Catholic Church nlCendy put out a smart-phone
Confession: A Roman Catholic App) that assists
the nitty-gritty task of conft:ssing your sins. The app,
is meant to assist in, not substitute for, the Catholic
of confession. In other words, the ideal use of the
a guide for those who ~ forgotten the protocol of
It w:illcs you through the examination ofyour sinsto murder and wodcing on S~d even what
talking to a priest. To paraphrase the Vatican's press
app isn't intended to absolve but to attract lost lambs
people like me) back to confession.
In light of how conservative the Catholic
leaders have proven to be (starting with the Pope},
this app, even though it does nothing spiritually,
is an extremely progressive move towards
embracing and exploiting technology. The whole
idea of integrating technology into niligious
rilt!S for the sake of o~ is commendable,
almost visionary. and after trying out the app
and thinking about its possibilities, I an say it's
an adrn.ir;Wle a~ However, as it functions
right now. that's all it is-an attempt that could
be a lot more innovative, and perhaps more successful. if the
Catholic authorities took it a couple ofsteps further.
1he first improvement, which wouldn't even affect the current
purpose of the app, would be to implement a quote generator.
Right now, the app includes a collection ofprayers, and it displays
some comments/quotes about confession itself once you've gone
through the process. However, both
__..___.......
are simple •appendices" to the
app. 1he quote generator, on
which would be a whole different debate. Traditional confession
aln:ady allows anonymity as a choice inside the confessional
booth-so why not extend that logic to certain e-confessionsr
Not only would that streamline the process, saving time for
priests to do more important matters (i.e. counsel people who
are troubled worse}, but it would also prompt more people to fall
into the habit of confessing. It's all about the opportunity issue,
just like with digital piracy: if you make the "correCt way" more
easily available, more people will choose it over the incorrect
the other hand, should assess
the list of sins and tillor a
list ofquotes from the Bible
and other doctrinal sourtes
according to keywords. Any
computer programmer can
develop that kind of function,
and it would add a lot of value
to the virtual act-of-penance
way. If confession takes only a few t2pslclicks and just the same
amount of guilt, people (especially busy people and the younger
generations) will be more inclined to comply---.as simple as that.
Granted, one of the main points of in-person confession is
for the priest to be able to counsel and console the guilt-ridd~
soul of the confessor (and in medieval times to exert powu over
that person, but that's a matter of history and social sciences).
To address the counseling function once the app becomes a
legitimate method of confession, my third improvement is
experience and the outreach
by educating the user a
bit more with the
quot2tions.
Second, I'm
all for making
e-confessions
count for the
lesser
sins,
to put a priest on the other side of the line when appropriate
or necessary. It would require some major logistics, but if it's
normal for tech support, there must be a way for spirit support
to follow. Also, person-to-perlOn support should be reserved for
confessors that obviously need it,
lied about my age this
week and watched some porn" isn't the same as "''ve thought
about killing myself because God hates me." Let the app td.l
how many Our Father's and Hail Mary's to pray for the former,
and let a priest handle the latter with a litde sense of urgency,
since"'
even if that means to redirect that person in the end to go see a
priest (or a professional) in person. Addressing a problem like
that online could be the way to save both souls and maybe~
lives. After all, how many unstable, violent people ofrecent years
have confessed their plans to the internet masses?
Ultimately. the potential for a new approach towa.rds
Catholic confession is there with the new app. Now all it takes
to realize it is some priestly initiative and, God willing, papal
sanction. •
Alex's m47fJ siN DWrloadtd the app,
umsirrg his iPI»ntlrl ctjJDtk.
DiltJISS tiJis llf1icU • . . . , . ,, . ,
SociAL CoMMEN T ARY
MARCH
20 I I
Vo LUM E
7
lssu e6
Quotation Quandary
R elying on others rarely reaps rationality
Bill Clinton "did not have sexual relations with that
by john enderle
[email protected]
Should the government act as slowly and brokenly as it
docs? Some would respond that the founding fathers intended it, at least to a certain extent, to be slow, deliberative,
cool-headed. To that Tsay, I don't care. That doesn't answer
the.Q>~.estion.
1 see such argument by quote all the time, though most
often in American politics. It isn't referencing things that
bothers me-it's that people use the quotations as the majority or even the entirety of their arguments. Except for
certain topics (e.g. the referenced person's position, semantic
issues, and legal problems) this method of argument is just
wrong-it's ineffective and logically unsound. Instead of relying on quotes, you should give actual reasons.
Several practical problems undermine the efficacy of quotations. One is context-JFK didn't actually think that he
was from Berlin, though he did say, "lch bin ein Berliner!"
Furthermore, temporal relevance is a major issue to
overcome: 100 years ago, briJiiant people would have
trumpeted how great and useful slide rul~
· es are,
for example. \Vhile they're still great, they're
not nearly as functional as the calculators
·
which replaced them.
_~n you've got to deal with
honesty. People lie. How many
of you really think that Richard
Nixon was "not a crook", or that
JJ
- - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - ----'-.!• !
woman"?
.. ,
Instead of relying on quotes, you
More important than those practical issues is the
''
fundamental problem of reliability: Just because someshould give actual reasons.
body said something doesn't make it tn1e or right.
So what is a good argument? l'll make one for and Oil(
People make mistakes. People are wrong-really often.
Usually, argum ents by quote will try to score points on the against.
prestige of the referencee, but everyone knows that everyone
Example Affirmative Argument:
is fallible (except religious figures) and thus makes mistakes.
You can try to convince people of the credibility and auGovernment needs to act slowly. Obstacles against swift
thority of whoever you're talking abo~t, as you could do with government action are our greatest tools not only against rash
religious and non-religious arguments alike, but what you decisions wherein our leaders get overtaken by a quick upsurge
really ought to be doing with your arguments is supporting of sentiment but also against tyranny and oppression.
them with real, substantive reasons.
There are several powers which, in our society, only the
Look back at the argument at the beginning of the ar- government can use. This is a necessity, since, for instance,
ticle. It's poor because it can't overcome problems with tem- if anyone could make war on a whim, societal coherence
poral relevance-the only way it's at all valid is if you can would quickly be shattered.
somehow make the case that the founding fathers had all
Nevertheless, if the government uses these powers too ofthe secrets of governme~t. Although they were pretty good, ten, a snowball effect of bad decisions can easily occur. Just
1 think such things as the three-fifths compromise puts the look at example: tyrannical empires, whether tht:y be Soviet,
kibosh on that theory fairly quickly.
Napoleonic, Galactic, or, yes, Nazi, often refer to c:mergeney
powers, or the ability to decide and do things instantly.
Example Negative Argument:
-
The Government is clearly broken. It seems that with each
new election cycle, the populace votes in a new party in order
to push an agenda of change of some sort, but nothing ~
really happens. Landmark pieces of legislafion take years or
decades to roll through, if they ever do. When they do, most of
the positive intent seems to be gone.
I n the climate of today, with 24-hour news cycles, pubUc
opinion polls, and instant information transfe r, there's 00
reason gov:ernmcnt can't respond quickly. Government at least needs to be able to get something done,
cially in times of crisis. Everyone remembers how bad
the response to Hurricane Katrina was-a military problem
would be even worse.
Furthermore, several other countries, notably the U.K.,
have parliamentary systems where the government naturally
functions smoothly to get things done, with one major house
and one party in both the lcgislarure and the exccurive, and
those countries run really wdl.
Neither argument is perfect, but both are decent enough
because they give reasons. •
John's entire article is hased on what she said.
I'm Chuck Norris: Your argument is invalid. photoilfustratlon by a Ik e post
.
Disms.r this'a'rticle at gip,tmtd.com!
--------------~1\~R~I~S~&~
_ ~~~~l~E~I~S~U~~~E_____________ I5
Keep It Fresh
The entertainment industry needs to quit giving us the same old stuff·
by taylor buttler
taylor. bu [email protected]
In the world of entertainment, specifically movies. and video games, it's difficult
to please every member of the audience.
Some people like a good story, and some
prefer lots of shooting and explosions.
Some love sci- fi., and others prefer the fanta:;y genre. But regardless of personal preferences, everyone should be able to agree
on one thing: originality is key to entertainment success.
If movie producers and video game developers give us nothing but rehashed versions of the same stuff we've already seen
over and over again, then the entertainment industry is headed for a· dark place
of monotonous cycles of unoriginality. The
problem is that it already seems to be headed in that direction.
Video games used
to allow us to-explore
and interact with some
of the most creative
and original worlds
ever dreamed up
''
Video games used to allow us to explore
and interact with some of the most creative
and original worlds ever dreamed up; they
afforded us a nearly limitless ability to create. But in 2010, the top 10 highest selling
video games in America consisted of seven
sequels, one remake, and only two original
games. Some of the most highly
~~==-.,.-~=C71
anticipated games of 2011 are either sequels such 'as Dead Space
werewolf. She c""'t bring
2, Pokemon Black and White, Mass
herself to kill him even
Effect 3, Batman Arkham City,
though he might destroy
Little Big Planet 2, Dragon Age 2,
and Killzone 3 or remakes of older
games like Goldeneye 007, Donkey
Kong Country, and the Legend of
Z elda Ocarina ofTime. That is by
no means an exhaustive list, either.
V\lhile many of those games are
undoubtedly going to be fantastic
additions to their franchises (heck,
I'm excited for more than a few of
these), it brings to light the distinct
lack of originality within the video
game industry.
The movie industry isn't much
better, either. While we do get
original stories. more often in
movies than in video games, for
every Inception and The Kids A re
All Right that they give us, we get
more sequels, remakes, and adaptations than we can shake a stick N obody appreciates originality anymore. illustration by rafael calvo
and producers-it lies with consumers as TRON· Legacir opening weekend, even
at, such as True G1·it, Pirates of the
Caribbean 4, and the ~ountless comic book well. Entertainment is business, and busi- though it came out 5 months after 1he Kids
hero adaptations.
nesses need to do what they can to make A reAl! Right.
None of this is to say· that sequels and money. So when developers and producers
If consumers are going to complain
remakes are generally bad ideas or make actually make a new and original IP, and it about a lack of original IPs, then they have
crappy games and movies, but they can doesn't sell very many copies, they have no to go out and buy when developer~nd
producers go out on a limb and actually
only go so far. V\lith only a few rare excep- incentive to continue making new ones.
tions-such as Poktmon and Final Fantasy
2008's Mirror's Edge was a brilliant ex- create a new one. If they don't, then develin the video game world and james Bond ample of an IP that presented a new world opers and producers have no reason to do
and Star ,Trek in th~ movie world-de- that had never been e>..-plored before. D e- anything but keep making more sequels,
velopers and producers can only make so spite its originality and at-worst-decent remakes, and adaptations because they
many sequels before they start to become gameplay, however, it received such poor know people will keep buying them.
Ultimately, if we don't want ente?tainrepetitive and stale. To keep our attentions, sales that Electronic Arts recently shut
they need to keep delivering fresh ideas.
down the developer's proposal for a sequel. ment to become dull and repetitive, then deThe number of new intellectual properIron Man 2, a sequel to an adaptation, velopers and producers need to make more
ties (IPs) introduced to the m~rket has been made $128 million its opening weekend. fresh and original IPs, but more importantly,
shrinking every year. If the entertainment TRON Legacy, a sequel to the 1980s sci-fi we need to actually buy them. •
industry wants to stay relevant, it needs to movie ·rRON, made $44 million its opencontinue to provide us new stories and en- ing weekend, The Kids Are All Right, an
original comedy-drama that was a huge hit
vironments to immerse ourselves in.
Taylor'I/ keep on writing about video
The blame for this lack of originality, at Sundance, had a total worldwide gross of
games untilyou start buying AMP.
Discuss this article at amtmtd.com!
however, doesn't lie solely on the dev~lopers $29.3 million, which is 14 million less than
•
a
I6
ARTS
&
LEISURE
M AR
The
by madison martin
ntaJriKal.mndison(!ilutdallas.edu
Belle and Sebastian
Write About Love
(Rough Trade; 20 I0)
Recommended Trackl.: 2,4,6
Recommended if You T.ike: The Magw·w Fields, Norah }one~, She &Him
Belle and Sebastian'~ new album Write
About Lo•ve is one to be appreciated by veteran followers, new fans, and even those who
have never quite been able to make up their
•
p1n
mind about the band. They manage to maintain their dreamy indie-pop sound, while
proving themselves to be true musicians who
strive for ever-broader horizons by incorporating newer stylistic choices.
While some of their previous works have
been dominated by the sleepy, lullabycsque melodies that go well with
their nostalgia-steeped themes,
Write About Love provides a refreshingly stark contrast.
1he opening track, ·'Come
On Sister", sets an upbeat dreampop tone that sums up the album and will tempt anyone within a
one mile radius to stop what they're doing
and dance. About half the songs on the album follow this precedent, but instead of
being concentrated at the beginning with
a latter portion that tapers out-as many
•
VO L UM E
7
•
ycle
albums are unfortunately structured-they
arc scattered strategically. The other songs,
such as "Read the Blessed Pages", arc slower
ballads that will appeal to long-time fans of
Stuart MtLrdoch's crooning voice, as well as
anyone who wants background music for an
afternoon nap.
The structure of the album is
perhaps its strongest point. The
stylistic differences between the
fast and slow track~ keep things
interesting, while carefree songs
such as "Little Lou, Ugly Jack,
Prophet John" provide subtle transitions and prevent it from feeling like
a mus1cal roller coaster.
With a strong beginning, an equally
strong ending, and an overall pleasant journey in the middle, Write About Ltrve is easy
to get caught up in, and anyone who apprc-
by chelsea upton
chelsupton€Pgmail.mm
Robyn
211812011
Concert at South Side
Music Hall
20 I I
You might remember Robyn as the clcctropop da.ncehall queen of the mid 1990s who
was often compared to Britney Spears and
Christina Aguilera with her hits "Show Me
Love" and "Do You Know (What it Takes)".
Her latest and most ambitious proje<..'t, Body
Talk, is a three-part series of albums, a daring
move in our increasingly digital world, where
anything more substantial than a single can
easily be lost in the shuffle.
Recently, Robyn and her crew had Dallas
dancing the night away at South Side Music
Hall on her promotional tour for Body Talk.
I t was an evening filled with so much merriment and fun that even those with two left
feet would be hard- pressed to say something
negative about her perfo rm ance·. She began
dates Belle and Seba~tiao's signature sound
will have no problem listening straight
through in one sitting. •
M,zdison lonpts tW'1'Gilt withi11 a mt milt radius It>
•top 11.•hat thtv'u domg t~nd danu.
Disa.ss this artide at qarPutd.rpm!
.
the show with an ode to regret, "Time Ma·
chine", a danceable and happy tunc despite its
weighty subject matter. That is the beauty of
Robyn: She has the ability to blend raw emotion (see "CaU Your Girlfriend" and "Dancing On My Own") with electronic beats to
create music on a more personal level than
what the pop genre is mostly known for.
The f.1ns knew they were being treated to
something special. Robyn was very genuine,
her dance moves were un-choreographed,
and her singing was. malleable, changing to
c_reate the mood she was weaving around the
audience.
After the first part of the show ended, it
was apparent that Robyn loved the feedback
she was getting from her rapt audience. She
milked it by coming back for not just one but
two encores. She deserved them both for giving Dallas a great performance that will be
remembered even in the much hyped-about
spring concert season. •
Chelu11 cun /Jiuul raw emotion ... itz a blender.
Discuss this ar ticle at amputd,com!
ARTS
The
td
&
LEISURE
enu
-THIS MONTH: URBAN EATZ
lt
by brady spenrath
. [email protected]
The Eastside shopping center at the
comer of 75 and Campbell, with
Root, Panera Bread, and Russo's
Pizzeria, has established itself as a center
good food. The newest addition, a casual
cafe called Urban Eatz, does not
At Urban Eatz, you'll find the six imporcafe food groups: soups, salads, sandburgers, pizza, and pasta. It doesn't
anything else in the way of entrees, but
at the menu, and you'll agree it doesn't
have to. Urban Eatz offers many variations of
those simple groups, from the usual favorites
to unique and unexpected combinations, all
with fresh, high-quality ingredients.
I suggest starting any meal with a cup of
homemade soup. The Chicken Poblano is a
great choice if you're in the mood for a light,
creamy soup with just the right amount of
pepper flavor. If you want something bolder,
try my favorite, the Tomato Basil. Not as
heavy as most other restaurants' tomato basil
bisques, the Tomato Basil at Urban Eatz is
hearty and flavorful wiiliout weighing down
your palate before the main course.The salads
are fresh and decent as well, but even their
Honey Crisp Chicken wasn't special enough
to get me hooked on ilieir salads.
The sandwiches are more than interesting enough to redeem the salad selection,
however. I'm not even much of a bread lover,
but I appreciate the soft and chewy
homemade breads they choose for
ilieir sandwiches. The Pulled Pork
sandwich comes on buttered ciabatta bread with tender roasted and
shredded pork and sweet barbecue
sauce--a meat lover's delight. .
Despite my personal penchant
for meaty sandwiches, the best
sandwich I've had at Urban Eatz is
the Vegetarian. It comes with red
bell pepper strips, roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini slices, sauteed
mushrooms, avocado, provolone
cheese, and a pesto cream cheese
spread. Between the savory flavors
of sauteed mushrooms and avocado and the absence of the typical
vegetarian "crunch", even the biggest carnivores will forget there's
no meat. Vegetarians will love how
many different ingredients and flavors are packed into a warm package. Unlike other sandwich shops,
Urban Eatz serves their Vegetarian
warm·, which makes it easy to enjoy-·
during any weather.
Like the sandwiches, the vari-
~~i~i~~~~~i~~~~~rr;;;;~~~
homemade
on
ous burgers buns
comewith
quality toppings. The
Green· Chili Burger
took me back to my
trips to New Mexico,
with plenty of green
chili essence. With
pepper jack cheese
and a bold, tangy, and slightly spicy chipotle
mayo, it's packed \vith bold flavors. Burger
connoisseurs should remember to ask for a
medium or medium-well cooked burger as
Urban Eatz cooks their patties to well done
by default. If you're not into beef, you can
still enjoy an Urban Eatz burger, as they offer
chicken, turkey, and black-bean vegetarian
alternatives.
/..( In the past I may
have exaggerated
when I used the word
'perfect' to describe
food, but not this
time ...
''
The best part about getting a burger,
though, is the french fries that accompany
it. In the past 1 inay have exaggerated when
I used the word 'perfect' to describe food,
but not this time--the french fries at Urban
Eatz are perfectly fried. Wonderfully, perfectly crispy on the outside, yet still fluffy and
moist on the inside, the fries arrive with just
a pinch of salt. Th'a nk you, Urban Eatz, for
realizing that we don't all want every last fry
coated in salt, and those that do can always
use the salt at the table.
If you're looking for a somewhat authentic Italian food experience, Urban Eatz can't
beat its neighbor Russds, but if you want
something more casual or out of the ordinary, you can go with the pizza or the pasta.
111e pizza comes on a soft crust that avoids
being overly chewy and unique combinations
of quality toppings. I love the Spicy Chicken
Cilantro pizza. The spicy pesto, tomato sauce,
and cilantro complement each other surprisingly well, and the pieces of chicken and r~
pepper flakes pull the flavors together fantastically. The Chicken Piccata pasta consists of
a large piece of tender grilled chicken breast,
mushrooms, and capers with a side of angel
hair pasta. There's some lemon butter sauce
on the chicken, but without any on the pasta,
I found it a little bland. Still, the pasta was
cooked for just the right amount of time,
neither firm nor mushy, and there was quite
a bit of it, so I'd still give their other pastas
a shot.
In addition to the entrees, Urban Eatz offers a couple side order options, such as onion rings, sweet potato fries, and chicken or
tuna salad a la carte, as weU as various beers
and wines and a few baked desserts, such
as cookies and brownies. The atmosphere is
extremely clean and modern and yet very
casual, so you could come for literally any
occasion. The staff is extremely friendly and
genuinely eager to hear what customers have
to say. Urban Eatz will be a great addition
to the Eastside shopping center, as long as
people find its somewhat hidden location~ ­
hind the Twisted Root and 7-Eleven.
At a decent value for the homemade food
and fast, professional service, Urban Eatz
is a great choice for lunch or dinner, casual
or semi-professional. Between the perfect
french fries and the delicious sandwiches,
I'm quickly becoming addicted. •
'The vegetarian sand,wich isn't the only warm,
flavorful package Brady recommends.
Disruss this article at am,tJIItd.com!
SHA~FLESS ~ ERI)LQLITY
Booze Bistro
How to eat, drink, and be merry
by ryan henry
ryan. [email protected]
oomoo•-•••-·----------As the quintessential "college" movies
Animal House or Van Wilder attest, getting
and anything but a salad from Chili's.
As the night goes on, you will more
than likely experience the phenomenon
commonly known as the drunk munchies.
This malady most often
manifests with
an insatiable hunger that not even the
largest assortment ofDoritos can curb.
Usually happening between 1 and 3
a.m., the drunk munchies can be cured
by a late night run to Whataburger,
specifically for a H oney Butter
Chicken Biscuit (often referred
as the Honey Butter
P**). Make sure you
have a designated
"Whataburger person"
(commonly
known
as the designated
driver).
These
morsels contain a
piece of fried chicken
sandwiched between
a biscuit and topped
with what can only
be described as the
ambrosia of the godshoney butter. There is no
substitute for the Honey
Butter Chicken Biscuit.
Should
you
be
fortunate enough to
haveyourdrunkenness
on into
wee hours
of the morning
(Sam or later),
then you can
witness the
wonder
of
the first donut
shop opening.
Zak's Donuts
'n M ore (580
W
Arapahoe,
Richardson, TX)
has some of the
best cake donuts
that you. will ever eat,
and more importandy,
they open at 4am, which
is when these delectable
raucously drunk is an integral part of your
stereotypically college career. Whether
you are a freshman that cannot yet
partake, or a senior business major, I
am here to share with you my secrets
to surviving Saturday night (no, I am
not going to teach you the dance moves
to "Shout" or tell you how to turn your
face into a pimple).
· The most important thing to consider
when preparing for a night of drunken
frivolity is diet, and no, I
not talking about protein
shakes nnd whey grass
(really, who likes that
stuff?).
In fact, the
best thing is to eat the
biggest greasiest thing
out there. There is
:,Q le science behind
this, but it isn't really
important.
My
favorite place to go
for this pre- pregame meal i:. Fred's
P.billy Cheescsteak
(1 144 N Plano Rd
#11'-J, Richardson,
T.X).
Order a
Philly
Cheesesteak
~ombo
(available in
~ i thcr 6" or 10") and
prepare yourself for a long
epic night- it helps to
have lot~ of caffeine. Other
possible alternatives indude
Now for only $4.99, the Honey Butter Chicken Orgy. illustration by jeffrey mtranda
Raising Cane's, Taco Bell,
Make sure you have
designated "Whataburg
person" (commonly
known as the designated
driver).
treats are hot and fresh.
Thus we arrive at the posthangover step. This step is bo
blessing and a curse. While you mig
greeted by headaches, an upset sto
and light sensitivity upon waking u
the midafternoon, you can be sure
last night was appropriately awes
However, now you have to deal with
aforementioned maladies.
In my experience, nothing cur
good hangover like Freebirds' Nacho
is everything that is awesome about
burritos, piled on top of a mound of
chips. Don't forget to usc your U
student discount to get a free drink.
Some people preach that preven
the hangover is the best way to deal
it. While that may be true, some ·
you can only do so much. Drink ple
of water before passing out, Gato
when you wake up, and stay away fr<
sodas during the next day. Also, darl
liquors give you worse hangovers th
clearer liquors, so you are more likely
feel the effects of spiced rum, tequila, a
whiskey than vodka, gin, and white ro
Next time you go out with your frien
or over to someone's house for [INSEl
THEME HERE] party, follow th
instructions, and have an inappropriatt
epic night. •
Ryan knows hi.r way around a good Honey BuA
Chirken Biscuit.
Discuss this article at amputd.com!
SHAMELESS fRIVOLITY
. M oDEST PROP OSAL
Comic Corner
- ~ALLX29
T HROW ROCK
BAIT
RUN
Pe~r
=~.-
....
used
ro:;_."...·•
BA!LL
10 Minutes Later...
Wild KANGASKHAN
Broke freel
Wild K.8.f'-JGA.SKHAN
Broke
free~
FfFff'F·f
f.FFffFF
PA: Ding-dongt
fFffFF._.
:FifUU
ouuu
uuuu
PA: Your SAF.a.RI
GAt1E is over!
' uuuu
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uuuu.:
comic by jeff blackmul)
'
I
p ~ z z L E s ~~
20
&GA ME
by chelsea and christina wolfe
,luvth<b~S<><>n@l>itn .,'<><n •nd ,.,,.()(, 7000@utdllll1S.~u
Across:
1. Dreyer's icc cream partner
4. School for Dr.'s
7. Pig film
11. Ambience
12. Spanish surrealist Salvador
13. Mayo prcccder
1.5. Icc rink game
17. Howard and Martin
18. Toilet
19. Anderson of"Baywatch"
21. Z, in Canada
22.-knmigrant's course (abbr.)
23. Building across from
Hobitzelle Hall (abbr.)
bacteria
24. E.
27. Papua New Guinea currency
(abbr.)
28. Crazy in old age
30. Russian king
33. Persian king
36.Mixes ·
38. "Return of the Jedi" dancer
39. Stillwater college (Abbr.)
40. Precipitation
41. Morning, in France
43. "_ _ fail"
45. Cabinet dept.
46. Ftxes the lawn
48. Donkey
50.--l'aper amount
51. Clear-minded
53. Brown delivery service
56. Key lime or pumpkin
58. Italian canal city
60. Boston Party
61. Encouraged
64. Tearjerker component, often
66. Tropical rain forest or desert
67. Phone abbr.
68. Proactiv target
69. Deflating ball sound
70. Cornyn or Hutchison (abbr.)
71.Might
Down:
l..Bills in Germany
2. "Girls rule, boys _ _ "
3. Ming of Rockets
4. Sir counterpart
5. Portia's wife
6. Pickle type
7. Gaga's Romance
8. Honest pres.
9. Type of bikini wax
10. German article
11. "Ready, willing and _ _"
12. AZ ball team
14. Acid
16. Video file format
20. High or low
25.Carry-_
26. Petrol measurement
27. Exalt
28.Feng-_ _
29. One Great Lake
30. Cruise or Riddle
31. Fly
32. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne
(2 wds)
34. Garden tool
35. Viper
37. Junior's elder (in Britain)
(abbr)
42. "..._thousand times..."
(2wds)
44. Gemil)i follower
47. Lie. is.suer
49. Spotted
51. Severus
52. Popular Irish boys' name
53. C~age neighbor
54. Coin depicting 8 Down
55. Wise
56. Student Union restaurant
57. Eye part
59.1hose, in Spain
62. Mathematics has two
63. _ Moines, Iowa
65. Beaver construction
Have a puzzle you want to
see? Want to write Sour own
crossword.
Let u s know. Send an email to:
[email protected]
s
A Moo esT
PuzzLES
P ROPOSAL
&
GAMES
"'I.
""""'
4 5
8 7
2 8
7
5
1 2
5
4
8
3
8
2 8 7 3
5
2
1
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7
2
••
9 1
Difficulty: Pots of gold and rainbows
r r r
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4 8
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6 2
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Disross these puzzl.es at
amp.utdallas.edu!
•
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4-
7 9
/Jli-IP is not resporuihlefor GP.illoss 1/ue
to obsessivepuzzle solving; .!11\1P takes
creditfor irtcrea.red CPA due to obsessive
puzzl.e so/vi"!(·
Ca ptu_re
Difficulty: Clovers
3 2
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6 5
1 8
9 5 4
9
2 6
9
6
~
5
7
4
Sudoku
Puzzles
4 3 1
7 5
7 2
5
9
8 3 4 2
4
1
6
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Capture is a two-player game where the players take turns connecting dots that arc horizontally
or vertically adjcent. A player who completes a square by connecttng two dots captures that
square b:r. mitia.tling the captured sgua.re. Players must draw anod1er line after making a
capture. A player maf, thus, make a large number of captures in a single turn. After the fast
capture he must stll connect two dots. The person who captures tile most squares wins.
z
uR.'tJ'll:s
~larch
URANUS: BEST WHEN SNOWBOARDING
2011
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7) Pretend li15e·it's stuck, thenr~enact th~:
script of" 127 hou,:r.s'::- the 'amputati9p.' seen~ .
wilfleave him screaming.
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8) When ll.e .does som~t~ng well reward
him with the soothing sound of a vu:Vti.zela.
9) Firid out how many licks it takestdget to
the toot$ie .roll centeiof ihe toot.s ie pop! ·
IO)Vllup your hafrback and forlh! Whip'
your hair back and,Joi,tb,!
·
11) Affable Mundihousen's, patient. Just
Ooogle it.
' ··
12) 18 day protest iJ;l his.Tahrir square~
13) Is he · an AMP >e<utor? Show him
Uranus!
14) Did he see his shadow? Six more weeks.,
of Winter.." ·
· ··
15) "I {~llike youqf!I\ work .a wafile iron ifL
there someWhere."
..
. .. . ...
...
16) (redacted by e,d.,itQrs becaus~)t was+ ,
so risque th,at the paper kept .bur~(fug into ·
names]
'
1:0 Yaklldty:iSac;:s
lfZ W~'ff*m!Jflifl
always been at war with trr Arlington.
by D'Brickashaw Cunningham.
Investigator-Under-Scrutiny
Shahrokhi take power. As Ms. Shahrokhi was
busy helping Chief Zacharias restrain the
crowd using horses, golf carts, and segways,
RICHARDSON (AMP) - Rioters filled the the suggestion was taken more as a threat than
Student Union this past week, demanding a sincere apology.
. the immediate resignation of Student Body
In a further effort to crack down on the
President Grace Bielawski and the termination resistance, Ms. Bielawski had access to
of her corrupt and unjust reign, after she had Facebook and Twitter banned and restricted.
the SG Senate dissolved and resolved to hold In order to get around this, students began to
all power herself.
actually speak to each face-to-face, some for
Justifying their action using various sources the first time in years. Productivity has soared.
such as the Student Code of Conduct, the SG
As per the domino effect, this plague of
Constitution, and the "that thing that the dude rioting has already begun to spread. UTD is
in the Pub was saying", the crowds of angry a major influence in the region, anc;l there are
students have kept up a week long protest already reports of insurgency spreading to
fueled mainly by Sour Patch Kids, Red Bull, and the other UT system schools. The crackdown
Franzia.
instituted by the tJT Austin administration is
SG President Bielawski addressed the said to be the decimation on campus since the
protestors in a long and rambling speech that end of their college football season.
mostly seemed to consist of how much she
The incompetent schmucks at A Modest
loved cute animals, how cool Tulsa, Oklahoma Proposal, the parasitic growth attached to
is, and how severe her fiery wrath would be Uranus, would have you believe that this
if "you peasants continue to give lip to your turbulence is dangerous and will lead to an
superiors." However, she s'ill offered some · even harsher administration, but they're more
small placation to the crowd:, proposing that biased than a Fox News editorial and about as
her second-in-command Vice President Dina trustworthy as a cardboard submarine. •
URANUS CAN HANDLE A GUN .
·
March 2011
URANUS 3
Dickerdoodles
victorious over
Va-jay-jays
by Larry "Buckshot n Mulletz" Kernaro
NAS~ARFan
THE (AMP) - In the recent argument over
government expenditures, it was revealed that a
substantial amount of money was being provided
by the Army to NASCAR. After exploring the
matter, Uranus is now proud to present the true
purpose of this funding: giant military robots that
can transform into "bitchin' sweet cars" as one
report put it.
It appears that a large amount of military funds
are spent by following Michael Bay around and
trying to figure out how to make the goofy shit
that happens in his movies actually do-able in
real life.
"The super armored space craft from
Armaggedon? Yea we got that," disclosed one
soldier on condition of anonymity. "Island of
cloned people fit only for harvesting their
internal organs?Yup, we have one of those too. But
these robots man, they're going to revolutionize
warfare."
There was a brief effort to create an army of
Megan Fox clones before the military scientists
finally realized that she was in fact an actual
person, and not a robo-babe cooked up by Bay's
fevered sexual frustrations.
"In our defense, based on her acting, that was
a completely legitimate mistzake" commented
one researcher.
The funds to NASCAR were being used to
develop a brand new Army vehicle nick-named
"Supermegaoptimustronbot Prime." The weapons
specifications consisted of "everything that can
shoot bullets, rockets, or bombs -- twice", a close
combat style that's· "one part capoera', one part
blender, all parts kick-ass," and a voice that is a
synthesis of Jason Statham, Danny Glover, Orson
Wells, and Morgan Freeman. The only conflict that
arose in the design of this death dealing robot
on wheels was whether or not to paint it "Matrix
Black" or "America Red and Blue."
Fortunately, the technicians were keen to
prevent their unstoppable murder machine from
escaping the control of its human masters, and
have installed a number of safeguards should the
machine ever rebel. Unfortunately, it has escaped
from the confines of the laboratory, and is now
rampaging across the country side.
It knows neither fear, nor mercy, nor love.
Flee while you can. •
RICHARDSON(AMP) - The all-male
Team Dickerdoodle emerged victorious
after a passionate grappling with the
all-female Team Va-Jay-Jay, managing·
a come-from-behind-finish in the final
climactic moments of a fun filled night.
"We tried to keep it suspenseful,"
explained the team captain, "we
obviously could have triumphed at any
point, but the longer we could prolong
it, the more intense it would become."
The captain added, "we just tried to
keep our strategy in mind-the whole
thing is 80 percent mental, 15 percent
physical, and 5 percent dependent on
your imagination."
Partners were swapped, tongues were
twisted, screams were frequent, and
everyone paid far too much attention
to the time. There was even some role
playing involved over the course of the
..
night.
Despite frequent reminders not to get
too competitive about it, that it wasn't a
race, and promises that everyone could
go back to being friends after they were
done, things still got a little hot under the
collar during the evening.
The conquered opponents march~d
with shame away from the scene, their
disheveled appearence and furtive
glances fearful to spot anyone who would
recognize them in their disgrace.
"Oh man, what if my parents spott~d
me like this?" muttered one of the
girls, as they tried to leave behind the
memory of a long and passionate night...
of Cranium.•
+