JackCentral

Craving more answers to those plaguing questions?

Padraic and Bethany — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:38:43 +0000

Hello. For our final column of the semester we’re hitting you up with one composed of questions requiring short answers. Take it away:
“Can giving oral sex cause throat cancer?”
Studies have found that oral transmission of HPV is a strong risk factor for mouth and throat cancer, but the exact details and risks aren’t known as of yet.
“Is it true anal sex is really bad for you?”
While anal sex is considered higher risk, if you’re safe (use a condom properly, use lubricant, go slow) it’s most likely not bad for you.
“How often can you play ‘just the tip’ without being a slut?”
We could’ve sworn “just the tip” was just a bad line from high school. How old are you?
“Is it true that if you don’t use it you lose it?”
For the last time, yes, and please stop asking us this. It stopped being funny in 2007.
“Is there a sex addicts support group? Kinda like AA?”
Yes, but they might be religiously motivated, so if that’s not what you’re looking for, do some research ahead of time.
“What makes Durex safer than Trojan?”
Both Durex and Trojan pass regulations, but Durex has been more widely used and tested internationally, and we like international approval. If it’s good enough for the lads in Trainspotting, it’s good enough for us.
“Is it really illegal to have sex under the age of 16?”
Yes, but if you’re both underage chances of being prosecuted are pretty slim.
“Can Catholics use birth control?”
According to church doctrine, no. This is why Irish families are huge. For instance, Paddy is one of 86 children.
“Can I orgasm when I’m drunk?”
You can, but since alcohol constricts blood vessels, it’s more difficult. You’re also likely to forget in the morning and wonder why you’re so chaffed.
“Where is an illegal place to have sex?”
Anywhere in public; for example, a bus stop, the cemetery or Cline Library (unless you reserve a room).
“What is a ‘Dirty Sanchez?’”
We need to screen these better. Next question.
“Can you get an STI in your throat from giving oral sex (it was in an episode of ER)?”
While we commend you for questioning the reliability of the facts presented on ER, yes, you can get an STI in your throat that way.
“I’m a second-floor RA and I’m a virgin. Is sex fun?”
Only if you live on the third floor. Better luck next year.
That’s all for this semester, but keep sending us questions at thenakedtruth@jackcentral.com. In the meantime Bethany is spending her summer strategically reprogramming the traffic lights, so drive slow. And Paddy has a mental breakdown planned for June, so if you see him screaming at the grocery store, be sure to say “hi.”

Students want new classes to accompany new name

Lee Hernandez — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:38:16 +0000

In 1939, the son of a poor immigrant miner graduated from what was then called the Arizona State Teachers College in Flagstaff (NAU).
Waiting tables and backbreaking labor paid for an education that would ultimately put Raul H. Castro into the highest office in the state of Arizona.
Castro served as governor of Arizona from 1975 to 1977 before becoming the United States Ambassador to Argentina. Castro’s determination and hard work gave him the opportunity to become a lawyer, foreign diplomat and governor.
Now, Arizona’s one and only Latino governor has a monument to his success as an NAU alumnus.
A ceremony in honor of the former governor on Feb. 15 made Castro’s name a permanent part of the NAU landscape.
The Social and Behavioral Sciences Building is now the Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences Building.
Michael Stevenson, dean of the SBS, said even though Castro attended NAU before the SBS was built, his success is a model for a lot of the programs that exist now.
“The desire to honor Gov. Castro was probably made in part because of the classes that this building houses in particular, “ Stevenson said.
Stevenson said renaming the school could have certainly been done a long time ago, but cannot attest to why it took so long.
“At least as its (SBS) current dean, I thought the naming of the building was perfectly appropriate and a coup for us to have someone of Gov. Castro’s stature be one of the people that we honor,” Stevenson said. “Could we have done it earlier? Probably.”
Castro’s great success as a politician and foreign dignitary provides inspiration for students in SBS programs, Stevenson said. Someone came up from modest means to rise to the position of governor.
“He is exactly the kind of role model that I hope our current students look up to,” Stevenson said.
Future plans for the nearly 40-year-old SBS Building have not been decided, but Stevenson said he hopes Castro’s name will permanently be associated with the SBS.
“At this point I do not know if the name will stick,” Stevenson said. “I am hopeful that in the not-too-distant future the SBS will have a new building to inhabit. I would be very surprised if the name did not carry over even if they (NAU) decided to rebuild the SBS.”
Stevenson said he hopes naming the SBS after a prominent Latino figure speaks to the Latino and Latina population at NAU even if the decision was not made intentionally for that purpose.
“I hope the Latino students see the renaming as an indication that we value the contributions that Latino culture has made to Flagstaff and NAU,” Stevenson said.
Some Latino students think it is a good thing to see Latino’s honored as an important part of the university, but said at the same time it may be a little superficial.
“It is good to see his name up there,” said Eduardo Mendoza, a junior criminal justice major. “But what would be nicer is to see more diverse classes, or a Chicano studies major would be amazing.”
Mendoza said after visiting U of A two years ago and seeing the Cesar E. Chavez building accompanied by a hugely diverse Latino studies program, he wanted something similar at NAU.
“I was in awe when I saw the building and classes there,” Mendoza said. “It was a very positive thing for me. We need that here (NAU).”
Diversity is huge on Mendoza’s agenda and he said the building rededication is a start, but the school can do more to back up what they boast.
“If I were coming here for the first time and saw his (Castro’s) name on the sign, I would think this is a school that is really into Latino studies and diversity,” Mendoza said. “But going here I know it is not, and that is a letdown. NAU is not as diverse as they think they are.”
Mendoza said aside from diversity issues, picking Castro as the namesake for the SBS was an excellent choice.
“Putting his name on that building shows the power and positive influence the Latino people, especially migrants, can have in this country, so if they were going to name it after a Latino then they made a great choice,” Mendoza said.
Ruth Ayon, a junior criminal justice major, said she feels a sense of pride for the Latino people when seeing Castro’s name on the building, but it is still a bittersweet feeling.
“Well I am happy to see a name like Castro on the building, but at the same time it makes me sad because we cannot fix the structural problems with the SBS,” Ayon said.
Ayon is speaking about what she calls ever-present reminders of the SBS’s aging façade.
“I think it is a nice thought but we pay tons of money to come here,” Ayon said. “If they really want to honor someone then they should make it beautiful.”

Gambling with a greater risk

Lorraina Liss — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:37:27 +0000

The largest growing demographics suffering from gambling addictions today are the elderly and college students. The lure of getting rich quickly and easily—whether to pay off loans or purchase expensive, trendy electronics—can entice college students who can find themselves in the throes of an often-misunderstood addiction.
Mark Zuch is a certified compulsive gambling counselor working in Flagstaff. He specializes in helping patients and their families overcome this often debilitating addiction. Zuch said our gambling-obsessed culture is to blame for the addictions faced by many young people.
“When you go into Wal-Mart these days, you see mini poker tables in the toy section,” Zuch said. “The general understanding is that gambling is okay and it is fun – which it can be, but when it gets out of control, it is hard to regain composure.”
Zuch also cites the glamorization of poker tournaments on television as one way young kids are lured into the lifestyle. High school graduation nights are often centered on gambling tournaments and Flagstaff’s proximity to casinos, whether in Laughlin, Las Vegas or 53 miles down the road at Cliff Castle Casino, means that once students turn 21, there are several nearby gambling venues.
“The way people often first get addicted is by having a ‘big win,’ where they win $400 or $500 and think it will always be like that,” Zuch said. “It seems like such easy money. However, as time progresses it takes more and more for the person to achieve the same sort of ‘high’ they felt when they initially started gambling and soon, instead of spending $20, they’re playing $500 they don’t have.”
This increase in tolerance is similar to other physiological addictions, like those to alcohol and other drugs. Like drug and alcohol addictions, brain chemistry is a key component to continuing the addictive behavior.
“The cocktail of chemicals that is released when a compulsive gambler starts a binge is a really powerful reinforcement, and creates a really powerful feeling and desire,” Zuch said. “Compulsive gamblers will escape for hours at a time within a casino. Gambling can make liars and cheaters out of good-hearted, kind people.”
However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction where there is a physical limit to how much a user can consume, with compulsive gambling there is never enough. A compulsive gambler won’t pass out or overdose from gambling; as long as there is money within reach, the addict will keep playing. Compulsive gambling might not cause physical harm, like the brain damage associated with long-term drug addiction, but it can play a roll in taking away material possessions.
The progression of gambling addiction is a swift and rapid one. Students who start young, partaking in poker tournaments with friends at 15 years old, can reach the late stages of the addiction by age 25. For example, one of Zuch’s patients is an NAU student who, after spending his student loans on his addictions, now finds himself $30,000 in debt at age 26.Caislin Weathers, a clinical psychologist in Flagstaff, agrees with Zuch on the swiftness and severity of the disease.
“Compulsive gambling is a very difficult addiction,” Weathers said. “It is not something to be taken lightly.”
However, there is help available and Zuch has been helping compulsive gamblers for 11 years. Zuch said most often gamblers turn themselves in; they’ve hit rock bottom and have no more money to spend.
“The first step of the treatment program I run includes not just admitting one has a problem, but writing down and really itemizing how the gambling hurt that patient and the patient’s family, as well as how gambling affected school, work and love lives,” Zuch said. “This process helps the patient back through all the denial problems when they see how much hurt they’re causing so many people through their addiction.”
Counseling is a reality check to most patients. Learning what triggers the desire to gamble, which can include paying for gas at the station where one used to buy lottery tickets or driving down the freeway past the exit to the nearest casino, are important parts of the recovery process.
Carol Landrith, a sophomore psychology major, said there are many misconceptions about gambling addictions.
“Gambling addicts can be intelligent people,” Ladrith said. “It’s not a matter of being ‘smart’ enough to avoid becoming addicted.”
Rather, it is important for compulsive gamblers to learn other mechanisms for coping with stress and managing their feelings. There are 12-step Gambler’s Anonymous meetings around the country, but one has never really taken off in Flagstaff.
“That type of group dynamic and support system can really aid in an individual’s recovery process,” Zuch said.
The type of program that Zuch runs is the most effective and readily available to Flagstaff residents. It is a state-funded program, which means part of the funding comes straight off the taxes casinos pay to the government. Zuch said many of the Native American-run casinos donate to local charities.
“When dealing with compulsive gambling, it is important to separate the myths from the truth,” Zuch said. “There is no such thing as ‘warming up’ the machine; the machines are programmed to only pay out certain amounts in certain intervals, no matter how much money you feed into one. The truth is that Vegas was not built on the backs of winners.”

Ending an era of work

Kat Lerue — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:36:26 +0000

We have come to the end of another illustrious semester.
It seems like yesterday was January, even though now it is May and we’re about to bid a fond farewell to school, if only for a few months.
The end of the semester always feels a little bittersweet to me, because, well, it’s over. You can’t go back, but you do get to look forward to the future.
School isn’t the only thing I am through with for a while.
I recently quit the off-campus job I had been working at for the past two years. I worked in a fine dining restaurant and had worked there since just before I graduated high school. Quitting my culinary aspirations was one of the hardest decisions I had made in a long time.
I loved that job. I loved coming in a few days a week and chopping mass amounts of vegetables, even washing all those dirty dishes.
I even made sacrifices for that job.
Last spring I missed watching two of my best friends graduate from high school, and, as my sister can tell you, much to her chagrin, I missed my family’s Christmas Eve party. And New Year’s. And Easter. And Thanksgiving.
But at the end of all those long, stressful shifts, I felt like it was really worth it because I had accomplished something. It felt good to go to bed with a sore back, and to get up the next day and do it again. I also felt like I was part of something unique and exciting. I felt like a badass.
What I realized this spring, as college tightened its noose, was that I had derived much of my post-high school identity from that job. But I also realized that job just wasn’t who I was anymore.
When I started at NAU, things felt pretty easy. I was able to commit fully to both my classes and the restaurant. There were times, even, where I choose my part-time job over school.
But now, two years and a bunch of grease burns later, I found myself having to choose between the two. It wasn’t just that school had gotten more challenging, but that it had gotten more exciting. I was finally investing myself in the stuff I had been passionate about before and during my employment. It became a matter of commitment, which, of course, is always a matter of time.
So I made yet another sacrifice: I quit my job, even though I loved it.
What was I going to do now? Who was I going to be now that that time in my life was concluded? I remember this was just one more thing that would make me who I was in a the long run. I was moving on to, let’s say, a new course. Sort of like I had munched on the appetizer, devoured the salad, and consumed the soup. Now, I was ready for the main course.
I’m not the same person I was when I started my job, but I am similar.
People do change. I consider this is a testament of my food industry savvy, of people as being wonderfully layered cakes. We have so much underneath our frosting. Our experiences are the ingredients that make us who we are. And we never really stop cooking, either. You can still taste those experiences even when they are over and gone.
Life would not be as much fun if there weren’t so many opportunities to change and create your identity. I doubt I’ll be perfectly finished, but I’m not aiming to be finished. I am aiming to learn.
I know that even though I’ve left my job behind it will always be a part of who I am. I learned a lot about my own strengths and my ability to balance different aspects of my life.
And just as I have left my job behind, I am leaving this semester behind too. I suspect, however, that I am not quite the same person I was back in January.
I am similar, but I have also changed.
And I also look forward to the future, whatever it tastes like.

Downtown club thirsting to run

marissa luck — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:35:14 +0000

Run, socialize, checkpoint, drink and repeat. This is a standard routine for the Hash House Harriers (HHH), an international group of social, non-competitive running.
After the last run on April 26, Flagstaff watched as endless streams of people rushed past, screaming and smiling, wearing ridiculous outfits.
HHH began in Malaysia in 1938, when British colonials attempted to cure their hangovers by following a trail through the jungle, and occasionally drinking a beer or two as an aid.
However, at the beginning of September 2007, Robbie Greene and Andrew Schwartz helped bring HHH to Flagstaff by holding monthly runs.
The first Hash consisted of 25 people, but now has grown to more than 100. Each run has two Hares, who choose checkpoints. The runners, also known as the Hounds, meet at a location where the Hares take off and set a trail of flour. The Hounds wait about fifteen minutes and then run after the Hares, trying to find the trail of flour. When the Hounds have reached a checkpoint, drinks wait for them. They repeat this until the end, where a dance party follows.
“There is also the unavoidable scenario in every hash where the pack of runners must cross a busy street,” said Greene, a senior geography and human experience major. “At this point, traffic generally comes to a halt, and motorists display a mix of emotions, mostly confusion and amusement. I like to think that we encourage all those motorists stuck in a ‘Hash-jam’ to stop driving around wasting gas and enjoy the beautiful outdoors in Flagstaff. This is a town to be experienced on foot.”
On April 26 runners experienced a special Hash, where two runs took place and both teams, the Village People and the Zombie Disco, dressed and competed in a race. Founders of the Flagstaff HHH, Greene and Schwartz, took it upon themselves to pump up the Hounds with a friendly competition with a hidden agenda.
“It’s really about world peace,” Schwartz said. “Any separate things like this are only to have more fun. We’re trying not to be exclusive to anyone; we try to welcome everyone.”
However, there are many rules and traditions in the HHH community, yet they still unite while being fair. According to Schwartz, other out-of-state HHHs used to segregate hashes between the sexes.
“We refuse to be sexist or overly masculine about things,” Schwartz said. “We are an equal opportunity Hare assigner and we do not constrict ourselves to tradition.”
HHH further encourages runners to embrace world peace and their individualism. Flagstaff residents can see runners in costumes for a particular theme.
“Hash House Harrier time is a time where everybody has a chance to dress up however they want without having the criticism and pressure of fitting into the modern society’s prototypical style of dress,” said Kimber Griesser, a freshman environmental science major.
Commonly themed according to holidays, runners enjoy making a scene with their crazy outfits.
“If you’re going to run willy-nilly through Flagstaff with a pack of runners making lots of noise, you might as well complete the scene with absurd outfits,” Greene said.
HHH partakes in helping the Flagstaff community as well. By either joining together to help pick up trash around Flagstaff or turning off their lights for a half-hour more on Earth Hour, HHH tries to raise awareness as well.
Out of respect, any hasher who has run enough events or has done something sufficiently goofy is given a nickname, called a hash name, which will then become their proper title while running. Schwartz and Greene, being the founders of the Flagstaff Hash, have been named Mama Baba and Fondling Father.
“Thanks to Mama Baba and Fondling Father, Hash House Harriers is reborn in Flagstaff,” Griesser said. “Their pride and effort is admired by all and will remain a legend for years to come.”

Craving more answers to those plaguing questions?

Padraic and Bethany — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:34:40 +0000

Hunan East gives good eats, but slips with their service

Heather Saunders — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:34:04 +0000

The search for decent Chinese food has left me disappointed—until now. Hunan East, located at 1926 N. 4th St., Ste 8, has proven to be the best Chinese food Flagstaff offers, which makes my experience all the more painful.
I have never received worse service in my life—period. However, I did enjoy the food very much, and I’m sure the other servers were capable and my experience does not convey the whole. Since the wait staff consists of only three individuals, the chances of other patrons sharing my encounter are high.
The interior of the restaurant is green with red accents and Chinese wall hangings. Fake red roses sit on every table and there is a flowing theme tying the restaurant together, unlike other restaurants where it’s cut and paste.
I ordered off their lunch combo menu, which came with a soup, appetizer and rice in addition to the entrée. I decided upon egg flower soup, dumplings and white rice to accompany my sweet and sour chicken. The soup came out just fine and was good; it had a slightly spicier flavor than egg flower soups I’ve had in the past, which was a refreshing change of pace.
The arrival of the dumplings, however, was the start of an issue. My waitress had misunderstood the fact that I wanted the lunch menu items. So when my dumplings came out, there was a full order of them. When I politely informed her I thought there was an error, she said there wasn’t, and stated lunch specials didn’t come with appetizers. I pushed a bit and asked her to check the lunch menu. She came back and admitted I was right unapologetically and then said I’d just have to pay for it. She didn’t want to get in trouble. After a bit of talking, she finally gave. She told me she would take the food back, but I had to say that I originally ordered it and then changed my mind, not to mention the fact that she made a mistake. I agreed, thinking she was worried about getting in trouble. However, she mentioned this every time she came back to check on me. I received no appetizer due to the confusion, but let it slide because I was so frustrated.
The chicken was breaded well so that the crispiness stayed even after soaking in sauce. There were only a few pineapples, peppers and other stir-fry items, leaving mostly chicken and rice.
I was satisfied with the meal and it had been just what I was wanting. I asked my waitress for the bill and a box or two. She dropped them off, mentioned the appetizer “bargain” again and left. When she returned with a paper bag for my boxes, she commented on how long it had taken me to pack them. “I’d let you put the boxes in the bag, but that would take another 15 minutes,” was her exact phrasing. If she was joking, it wasn’t believable.
Overall, I’d have to say that Hunan East has the best Chinese food in Flagstaff, which is frustrating, because it’s one of the last places I’ll ever want to sit down and eat at again. I was bullied, insulted and treated very badly. Maybe I’ll land on take-out.

Seasoned Kitchen teaches the art of cooking

Heather Saunders — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:33:25 +0000

I’m a terrible cook. I mean really terrible. If I tell you that I’ve messed up macaroni and cheese before, hopefully you get how serious I am. So I was a bit nervous to attend one of the Seasoned Kitchen’s cooking classes.
I’ve been to the Seasoned Kitchen and it is top of the line, meant for those who are serious about their meals.
Located at 106 N. San Francisco St., it sits neatly beside the Monte Vista Hotel. I went Monday, April 14 for their authentic French crepes cooking class. The class was taught by a young French woman named Aude. That’s how authentic they were. Aude gave us a wealth of information.
We learned about the history and superstitions of crepes, general information and tips to help us undertake these tasty delights on our own.
Crepes were eaten all the way back into antiquity for the celebration of the fertility season, until the Pope decided the celebration was sexually immoral. The celebration was replaced with a celebration of light called Chandeleur. Chandeleur celebrates the presentation of Jesus Christ to the temple on the second of February. This date remains the official date for the start of making crepes.
According to superstitions, in order to have a prosperous new year, you must flip the first crepe of the year with your right hand while holding a coin in your left. I’m thrilled to say that I will have a prosperous new year. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
It was an intimate setting; seats for 12 people circled around a professional line stove and counter area.
It was predominately women and I was easily the youngest there. Many of the guests knew one another based on their shared culinary interests, but those who were new, like myself, were welcomed and encouraged as if we were regulars. Tony, the owner, sat and interacted with everyone. You could tell he genuinely loved his store and the relationships he’d developed with his regulars.
We made two kinds of crepes, savory and sweet. Savory crepes were more like dinner crepes. They were made with buckwheat flour, making the crepe itself much more substantial and not the delicate version most people think of. Hard cider was added to the batter, which was called galette, to lighten it up and further distinguish it from pancakes and other flat pastries.
Aude and her assistant Linda made the first few and then threw everyone in there. Each and every one of us successfully flipped our crepes – one-handed, mind you — welcomed our success for the year and then sat down to dine.
The savory crepes were filled with an array of meats, veggies and cheeses. I made mine with black forest ham, a gorgonzola and cream mix, walnuts and spinach leaves. Others lined their crepes with bruscetta, mushrooms, salmon and cheese.
Even with such substantial fillings, the savory crepes were light. Crepes served in this fashion shouldn’t be overstuffed. As Aude said, you might as well have a burrito instead. It was an unexpected sensation for me, but it was absolutely delicious.
The sweet crepes were made with wheat flour and embodied all the delicacy you would have expected. The traditional batter was made with the hard cider and rum. The alcohol cooks out, but the flavor of the rum remains, making all the toppings a bit sweeter.
And there was an array toppings: coffee and chocolate ice cream, Nutella, sour cherry jam, sliced bananas, strawberries and an orange banana strawberry puree. These were heaven. The crepe was sweet and light, a perfect dessert.
Everyone had a chance to make more than a few crepes and even take them home if they wished. It was a fun evening and I learned a lot. Now when someone asks if I can cook, I will say “Yes, crepes.”
Usually the classes cost $40 a sitting, but the price varies with the schedule. Times are usually 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the days vary, but again, hours can vary as well. I wish they would do “college nights” or some equivalent. I had a fantastic time, but $40 is steep for me as a student. If they ever offered a discounted class, I’d be there in a heartbeat.
Their schedule for the next few weeks is as follows: May 2 is the free First Friday Artwalk, May 7 is Spring Thai, May 13 is Gluten free cooking, May 15 is Ravioli and May 17 is Kids Cook.
You can call or go online for more information or make a reservation at (928) 213-5942 or seasonedkitchenaz.com.

Gamer defends legitimacy of video games’ artistic integrity

Shaun El-Ters — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:31:51 +0000

These days, video games are often anything but. The medium has evolved from an experience defined solely by gameplay into a thematic vehicle that values storytelling, audio and visual ambiance. Games now provide their audiences with a truly unique form of media by blending storytelling with interactivity.
However, despite this growth and evolution, the true nature of games is still fervently debated.
One of the biggest debates regarding this issue is whether or not games can be considered to be a “higher art.” Even Roger Ebert, a renowned film critic, has commented on this topic, saying that although games can sometimes possess aesthetically pleasing qualities, and can contain poignant stories, the fact remains that video games cannot be art.
Ebert believes that art must be created by an artist, and experienced in an unaltered form by the audience. No matter which game one plays, the experience is going to be in some way different than every other person that has played the game. Because a player’s decisions factor into their experience, the unaltered work of the artist cannot not be achieved.
According to this definition, video games certainly cannot be considered art; however, concretely defining art goes against the essence of art itself. Defining what comprises art is much like trying to explain a color to someone who is blind. Art is a unique experience that affects people in very different ways and means something different to each person that experiences it.
Obviously, not every gameplay experience can qualify for this artistic ambition. However, anyone who has explored the Ayn Rand-inspired dystopia of Bioshock, or has witnessed the seamless fusion of beauty and gameplay in Shadow of the Colossus would have a difficult time arguing that these experiences were any less instances of art than those of other, more permanent mediums.
Truthfully, the judgment of whether video games can be art will be never be settled, nor should it be. It is up to the audience to interpret their video game experience, and determine for themselves how moved they were by what they have witnessed. Getting caught up with whether or not games it art’s criteria is beside the point.
After all, art is more important for what it achieves than how it exists in and of itself. For example, literature is essentially just words on a page; it is the audience’s interaction with these words that give the words relevance, the reflection upon the reader’s mind that gives them substance. Similarly, until a painting resonates with one’s own internal feelings and thoughts, it is just a picture. It is this sentimental connection that allows the picture to transcend into art.
A game does not achieve art simply by existing; it is not until the audience interacts with the game, and experiences the thoughts and feelings that are evoked by it, that the game can even possibly be considered as an artistic endeavor. My point is that, ultimately, perception is what defines art, not words, and certainly not one man’s attempt at a universal interpretation.
The experience derived from games is what is important, whether the game is defined as art or not.

National Lampoon Web site offers comedic distraction

Danielle Chavez — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:30:44 +0000

With finals around the corner, things can become pretty stressful. Before all-nighters, group projects and final exams leave you feeling exhausted and in much need of entertainment, you might want to check out National Lampoon’s Web site for some refreshing videos.
National Lampoon is known for their hilarious movies and other comedic forms of entertainment. The Web site, http://nationallampoon.com, features videos parodying everyone from Britney Spears to Michael Vick. In one video, a rather large man wearing a rather horrible weave plays Britney Spears in a spoof of The Exorcist where Britney must be exorcized. Based on her behavior, this adaptation is quite fitting. The clips on this site throw in some recent politics in addition to the Britney jokes, which make it appealing to college students.
The Michael Vick commercial parody for a dog food named “Alpro” satires the dog fighting scandal and features comedians from the LEMMINGS comedy troupe. Although I do not think the dog fighting is amusing, the troupe is able to make Vick look like a jerk and sheds some comedic perspective on the case. In addition to these celebrities, one can find videos parodying Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Pimp My Ride and Transformers. The clips featured on this site are relatively short and funny, although at times it almost seems wrong to laugh. The actors have a way of exaggerating celebrity misfortunes, which in turn makes for an excellent clip to help us escape from reality.
The site also features an abundance of links to other “studying-for-finals procrastination” Web sites. Since National Lampoon targets the college crowd, many of the links pertain to the interests of college students. One of the links titled “College Stories” takes you to a site where users can submit stories of their college experiences. This site is especially amusing because the stories are the types that seem only possible in a freakish nightmares. The stories vary from crazy drinking experiences to awful roommate tales to words of advice to college freshmen. It’s comforting to know that other people are sharing in the pains of university life, and most of the stories are actually pretty funny.
Of course, the site has links to several other sites which are just as humorous, but there are only two more worth mentioning: Little Gamers at http://www.little-gamers.com/ features comic strips about a boy and his friends who happen to be computer gamers. The comic strip is witty and is not exclusive to computer gaming, but largely contains conversation or thoughts that occur to the boy while he plays a video game. The comic’s humor is similar to that of the South Park series. The basic drawings and witty one-liners have won me over.
The other site, ijoke.tv, allows Internet comedians the chance to upload their videotaped comic routines. It is basically a site for creating and sharing video jokes with the chance of the video being featured on National Lampoon’s site. The videos are all organized into categories such as redneck, sick and gross, impressions, stoner and blonde jokes, so it is easy to find the kind of stories you are looking for. While there are some hilarious videos on this site, there are also some duds. This all depends on individual sense of humor, but the site is worth taking a look at.
The National Lampoon site also shows trailers to upcoming movies and offers games such as “beer launching.” The celebrity gossip news, which is in blog format, is also worth reading for up to the minute celebrity information and rumors.
So if you need a chuckle or a break from studying, check it out.