College Life Magazine by Charlie Markovich

Table of Contents Publisher’s Rap Jump Start from the Editor Campus Living

5 7

Thriving (and Surviving) on Campus

Quick, Cheap, Easy: Cooking and Eating Well on a College Budget

Dorm Room Decoration Making the Most of Your Dorm Room

There’s a New Frame in Town

The Fridge That’s So Cool

Pong Toss:The Ultimate Party Game

Tanning Will Kill You...Or Will It?

You’ve Been Punk´d, Spoofed and Trapped

The Industry’s Best Kept Secret

Get Back to Your Social Life Faster by Studying “Smarter”

Thrifty Tips for Surviving On Very Little $$$$$$$$$$$$

Don’t Buy Books... Rent

Lifestyle

Tech

Study Tips Money

Must Haves

Energy and Taste? Now You Can Have Both!

Freedom for Women!

Love Thy Self

How To Pick Up Chicks

Major Focus with Vince: Education

What Are Your Friends Listening To?

What Are Your Friends Playing?

Ask the Music123.Com Tech Dude!

Sex and Dating

Education Entertainment

Publisher’s Rap

created College Life Magazine in 2008 to help students make the most of their college life. The four years you spend in college truly are some of the best years of your life and we really want to help you have a great time.

I started working in the advertising industry shortly after college...actually working for a competitor’s magazine. It was at my previous place of employment that I fell in love with the college market and all that it had to offer. Unfortunately, the publication that I worked with wasn’t passionate about their magazine at all. They were unable to take the magazine to its full potential and had a very hard time grabbing the attention of its readers. The company was run by a 56 year old CEO who had no connection to the college market whatsoever. As you can imagine, the articles lacked substance and the pages were filled with ads from anyone who was willing to pay for them. The focus was purely on turning a profit when it should have been focused on you: THE STUDENTS. Loving the college market but hating my previous position, I decided to take what I knew and use it to create a magazine that excelled where all the others have disappointed. My focus has been and always will be on the students. I personally make sure that the pages you flip through are written in a relatable fashion (and that you will actually want to read them) and that the products we feature are ones that will actually be of interest to you. We are a magazine for students by students! Everyone on our staff is either a recent grad or still currently enrolled in school, a fact that ensures we will always be the leading magazine in this market. We take our job very seriously and we are very grateful to have you as readers! If there is anything that you would like to see us cover in this magazine, any item or event that you that you want to know more about or think we would love to check out, let us know! Feel free to email me at ryan@collegelifechicago.com and we will make sure to put your suggestions into action! We will never compromise the content of our magazine to make a quick buck so rest assured that when you pick up our magazine and read through it, you will not be disappointed. I hope that we can help to make the most of your College Life! Best wishes,

Ryan O’Keefe President/Publisher College Life Magazine

College Life Magazine PO Box 867 Chicago, IL 60603 312-593-5200

Ryan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe

President/Publisher College Life Magazine-Chicago Phone: 312-593-5200 Email: ryan@collegelifechicago.com

Vince DiFazio

Sales Executive/Editor-in-Chief Email: vince@collegelifechicago.com

Jay Bursky

Creative Director and Designer Phone: 828-645-1470 Email: jay@studioj.me

ADVERTISING SALES Matt Coover

Sales matt@colleglifechicago.com

Pat Thierry

Sales Representative Email: patcollegelife@gmail.com

Corey Silas

Sales Representative Email: coreycollegelife@gmail.com

Charlie Markovich

Webmaster charlie@collegelifechicago.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Vince DiFazio, Michael J. Dura

Advertising and Editorial Inquiries Email: ryan@collegelifechicago.com Phone: 312-593-5200

Independence College Life Magazine is published six times per year by College Life Magazine for college and university students. College Life is a registered trademark of College Life Magazine. All due care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine but the publisher, editor, staff and contributors cannot be held responsible for any effects arising therefrom. Reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements but no responsibility can be taken for any resulting transactions. Submission of article manuscripts, illustrations and/or photographs can be submitted either via United States Postal Service or digitally through appropriate electronic transfer. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Copyright ÂŠ 2009 by College Life Magazine. All rights reserved under international and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN USA.

Jump Start from the Editor

never really thought that I’d have enjoyed college as much as I did. Before I attended Michigan State University, I wasn’t exactly sure of who I was or what I wanted out of life, but that all changed after I moved away. When you’re young, you have all of these big dreams and delusions of grandeur that get quickly squashed once you enter the “real world” and that is why college is so important. It serves as the buffer zone between your youth and the rest of your life.

During your college experience, you’re going to encounter situations that define who you will ultimately become as a self-sufficient adult, but that doesn’t mean that you have to figure that out on your own. At College Life, we promise to provide you with as much advice, as many helpful tips, and the most relevant, worthwhile products and services that we possibly can in order to make sure you guys are out there living the dream! Believe me, if there is one thing that I love more than going out and having a great time (even if I happen to get into a bunch of trouble or wake up not knowing how I got where I am), it is being a part of a reliable and honest publication. We are dedicated to providing college students with the best information out there so that you can keep the dream alive and make the most out of the time you have in school. If you have any interesting stories about your college experience(s), send them on over my way to info@ collegelifechicago.com and make sure to put “VINCE” in the subject line. I’ll be sure to cover your college/university in our Feature Campus section. If your school throws some intense parties or has any ridiculous festivals, feel free to write to me and I will get out there and have a blast with you. I hope that you make the most of your college experience and I promise that College Life will continue to publish a top quality, honest publication. Best,

Vince DiFazio Editor-In-Chief College Life Magazine

thriving (and surviving) on campus:

Check to see if your school has a food bank program set up. All you usually have to do is bring a copy of your course schedule and they will give you free food to eat if you are in a pinch or need some extra supplies. Ramen noodles never taste better when you’ve spent all your cash on booze and you can get food for free. I know you’re probably thinking, “Bridge Cards...aren’t those for people that don’t have money and stuff?” Give it a minute. Think long and hard about it. There you go, correct. YOU DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY. If you can get your hands on one of those bad boys...do it to it.

Tip 3:

Campus Living

Food Bank s and Bri dge Cards are your n ew bes t fri end.

six quick tips (that aren’t just for freshmen)

Don’t be a fra i d t o ema i l your pro fess ors and TA’s i f you n eed ext ra t i m e on an ass i gnm en t or paper.

Tip 4:

Is it legal? I don’t know. Does it work? Yup.

Work for your un i vers it y or college. These jobs are usually the best paying, most convenient, and look the best on your resume. Try to get involved with the fundraising department or annual giving program if you can. No matter what your major is, communication skills are necessary for any future career...and you might as well help support the school that you are paying big bucks to attend. Think about it: if you help to ensure that your school has the best of everything, your degree will ultimately make you the candidate of choice when it comes to job interviews and what not.

Tip 5:

Tip 2:

If you are s t uck wit h ou t a ri de s om ewhere... order s om e deli very food and when t he deli very guy arri ves, t ell hi m you’ll t i p hi m s om e ext ra cas h i f he drops you o ff clos er t o or a t your des t i n a t i on.

Tip 6:

Tip 1:

by vince difazio

Believe it or not professors and TAs are people, too. What’s the worst that can happen? They show their true colors as heartless bastards? (You probably already knew they were anyway.) Give it a shot. I can’t tell you how many paper extensions and due date changes I’ve gotten by simply putting myself out there.

Gen t lem en, I am n o t your fa t her (a t leas t I h ope I ’m n o t) bu t I really cann o t s t ress t o you t he i mportan ce o f wrappi n g it up. Condoms are FREE at most health centers. Take advantage of them. Oh, and speaking of taking advantage of things, try not to do that to people. No one likes the creepy guy.

Ladi es, mak e t hem wrap it up. See Tip 5.

Campus Living

Quick, Cheap, Easy: Cooking and Eating Well on a College Budget

Now that college students are back on campuses across the nation, the last thing they are worried about is what to make for dinner. After a long day of classes, exams, meetings, practices, and everything else that goes along with the daily college grind, they need an easy resource to turn to for simple food ideas that are healthy and delicious. The Healthy College Cookbook is just that, with hundreds of recipes submitted by college students across the country. This book is a valuable resource for students who are just beginning to live independently and need a bit of help with the cooking. The first chapter on Getting Started helps with lists of basic cookware, pantry necessities, and flavorful herb combinations, and then describes cooking terms, conversions and substitutions, and even food safety, since Mom’s not around. Any student will find foods they love, with recipes for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-lovers, all with nutritional information — so they can avoid the freshman fifteen! Off-campus commuters and dormdwellers alike, there’s something for everyone in The Healthy College Cookbook. Many recipes can be made on a George Forman Grill or in the microwave, in less time than it takes to order a pizza! Still there are recipes for the adventurous type — Potato-Leek Soup, Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken, and Carrot Cake, for example. Ten years ago, three students from Williams College

created a cookbook for their peers so that they could eat well on a budget. The first edition of The Healthy College Cookbook was so popular that it returned to print 17 times! Now, Storey Publishing has worked with University of Massachusetts senior Rachel Holcomb to revise and expand this new edition of the book. “Starting with champion breakfasts like Orange French Toast or Peanut Butter Oatmeal, the book fills out the menu all the way to desserts like Gingerbread or Apple Custard. The options for snacks, sides, and entrées will suit vegan friends, all-night study sessions, or even a celebratory graduation dinner. . . . Short ingredient lists with easy directions leave plenty of time for studying, so graduation will be a sure thing.” Cookbook Digest

Makes 2 Servings This calzone is very ta supplies, and provide sty, can be created with very few s a full serving of ve easiest to prepare on a George Forema getables. Though it’s n Grill, you could als grill it in a skillet. o 1 cup marinara sa uce 1 cup shredded mo zzarella cheese 1 cup chopped sp inach (frozen is fin e; thaw and squeeze the wate r from it) 2 pita rounds 1. Preheat a George Fo 2. Mix the sauce an reman Grill. d cheese together in a small bowl. Sti the spinach. r in 3. Cut the pita roun ds in half and open the pockets. Stuff each half with the spina in the George Forema ch mixture. Place the stuffed pitas n Grill so that the op faces the hinges of the grill (this preven en side of the pita ts the stuffing from falling out). Close the heated through and grill and cook for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melte d. Enjoy! Nutrition Per Se

rving Calories 270 • Fat 11g • Fiber 4g • Prote Photo by Dana Bowling McMahan

in 20g • Carbohyd

rates 25g

Dorm Room Decoration

Making the Most of Your Dorm Room

One of the major problems with living on campus is the lack of space in your dorm room. Although technology allows us to make most of our material possessions compact, we Americans love to have as many things around as we possibly can. Here are a few quick tips that you guys can use to maximize the minimal space of your dorm room while still keeping some of your essentials around!

Tip #1 Loft Your Bed

This is the absolute first thing that you need to do to your dorm room in order to save space. Most colleges and universities allow on-campus residents to loft their beds and they also provide you with the numbers to local companies that provide such services. Unfortunately, most of these companies are a rip off (go figure) so if you know anyone that is good with wood, find out the dimensions of your new dorm room and have them construct a save and reliable lofted bed frame (if you have a roommate get them on board too...it’s way easier that way). If you have someone build your bed frame you can save it at the end of the year for future use and avoid labor fees/over priced materials. Once your bed is up in the air you have all of the space below to store you items and have some sort of “living room”.

Tip #2 Use the Walls!

Most dorm rooms look like a prison cell when you first enter and the easiest, most efficient way to change that is by covering those walls! Be adventurous and explore the town or city that you live in, you’d be surprised at how many tapestries and poster shops there might be. You can always use the internet to find even more “hangables” for your room decor. If you refer to the BUTCH&Harold review that we covered in this issue, you will realize how awesome that product is when it comes to covering you room in photographs. Make your bland walls feel like home with pictures of friends and loved ones without damaging them so you can avoid end of the year fees (believe me, there will be some if you damage the walls). Another great idea for you walls are those Command pull-tab hooks that 3M manufactures. With those things, you can hang clothing and anything else you can think of without damaging your walls.

Tip #3 Mirror Cubby from www. SewSweetSolutions.com

Ladies, say hello to your personal style assistant. This is probably one of the most useful dorm room

accessories that I have seen in a long time. It’s essentially a product caddy for you makeup, hair products, nail polish, whatever else you might need while you are in front of a full length mirror. The Mirror Cubby hangs over the back of your door and holds onto all of your items without taking away from the view of your mirror. Guys can use this too when it comes to trimming beards, styling hair, or stowing away anything else you might want. All you need to use this item is a couple of “over the door” type hooks, or two of those 3M Command hooks so that you don’t damage the door. The key to maximizing your dorm space is to do a little research and find items that are good for more than one thing (chairs with storage capabilities or The Mirror Cubby) and prioritizing what you really need, and what you really don’t!

The confined living space of a dorm room is an obvious disadvantage when it comes to personalization and decorative style. BUTCH&Harold, a sister owned company, has produced their revolutionary Stick(r) frames in order to cater to the ever changing tastes that people naturally have. To put it simply, these products make it possible to personalize any space or object by simply sticking to them. Customize your walls, laptop, notebooks and even ceilings with these powerful and re-usable frames. The best part about BUTCH&Harold Stick(r) frames is that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t harm the surfaces they

are stuck to or the photos that you put in them. These fashionable frames are definitely geared more towards the ladies and they make wonderful gifts (retailing at $19.95 for a pack of 8 frames). Ideal for those with limited time and space and those with alternating fashion sense/decorative commitment issues, BUTCH&Harold Stick(r) frames are an ingenious and inexpensive way to display your favorite memories. They are available for purchase at butchandharold. com, photojojo.com and other fine retailers.

Dorm Room Decoration

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A New Frame in Town

Dorm Room Decoration 12

The Fridge That’s So Cool... . . . You’ll Even Get A Charge Out of It! The MicroFridge® combines fridge, freezer, charge station and microwave in one. This fridge will charge your iPod - and reheat pizza! With the MicroFridge®, you don’t even need to leave your room to have a snack or cold drink! It provides the ultimate in convenience, making it the product every student wants in their residence hall! Features include: • The one-plug-to-thewall operation frees up valuable outlet space while preventing circuit overloads. • The dual outlet charge station provides a convenient place to charge your MP3 player, laptop or cell phone without having to crawl around looking for an empty outlet. • The smart store door conveniently holds 2-liter bottles, eliminating spills and freeing up shelf space in the refrigerator. • The microwave has express settings to save time and adjustable volume to avoid disturbing your roommate. • The zero-degree freezer is twice the size of ice compartments in standard compact refrigerators. All MicroFridge® with Safe Plug® models can be purchased directly from Intirion by calling (800) 9940165 x. 2618 or online at www.microfridge.com. Order by October 31st and get $20 OFF your order. Submit discount code ACAOCT09. Limited to college and university customers only.

created Nightfire, a James Bond first-person shooter for the Game Boy Advance and Warhammer: Battle for Atluma for the Playstation Portable.

Nothing though could prepare them for the media storm that ensued over their first WiiWare release. Originally announced as Beer Pong, they began to receive a flood of letters from Anti-Drug Coalitions and from Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. All of which expressed concern that the game glorifies alcohol abuse and promotes underage drinking.

“We were getting requests for interviews from hundreds of media outlets”, says Jag Jaeger, Project and Design Director for JV Games. “We were featured on CNN, Fox News, and Time Magazine to name a few. It was crazy.” After a proverbial gun

was put to their head, JV Games decided to change the name to Pong Toss, which then received a reduced rating of “E” for everyone.

Since its release, Pong Toss has enjoyed strong sales. The idea of the game is simple. You use the Wii controller to throw a ball into a cup on the other side of the virtual table. You can play up to four players in a traditional game of beer pong; or you can play up to three people head-to-head in a rapid fire game of Speed Pong and see who can clear their cups first.

Lifestyle

JV Games has been in the video game business for over ten years, making games for many companies over that time. Most notably, they have

“Students enjoy the game as they can play in a small dorm room without setting anything up and without making a mess”, says Vince Valenti, Director

of Development for JV Games. Not only have students caught on, but many establishments have gotten into the game as well. Pong Toss is in bars across the country as well as several casinos and has been displayed at film, music, and beer festivals. “It’s an easy game to pick

up and learn which makes it a hit every time we show it. It’s turned into the ultimate party game.”

The game is available as a download from the Wii Shop Channel under WiiWare for your Nintendo Wii system. And for a measly $8 – I’ve paid as much for coffee – it’s certainly worth it.

Pong Toss:The Ultimate Party Game

Lifestyle

...OR WILL IT? by Vince DiFazio

H MY GOD! YOU GO TANNING?!

Shame on you. Don’t you know how bad tanning beds are for you? Haven’t you given any consideration to how evil and terrifying the sun is? This is America, you aren’t allowed to make your own decisions regarding your body and well being anymore. Don’t be irresponsible, you should just embrace your new found paleness, because it’s not like you’re an adult who is allowed to make his or her own conscientious decision.

Many people who are against tanning feel that anything man-made or synthetic will ultimately kill you and destroy your soul. Well, you know what, I bet you those same people drink diet soda that contains artificial sweeteners or use cellphones, activities that supposedly cause cancer or harm your body in some way, shape, or form. Alright, before my facetious sarcasm starts to annoy you, let me start off by attacking the one thing the majority of people that try to impose their views and opinions upon others lack: Common Sense. If you are reading this magazine (which you should as it is great), you are more than definitely capable of utilizing some common sense and doing a little bit of research about something before you completely write it off. Let’s think about the entire tanning process and the elements associated with it.

The first thing that you do when entering a tanning facility is pay a fee and escort yourself to a tanning bed. While in the actual bed, you lay or stand surrounded by Ultra-Violet light so that you get that golden glow you’ve always dreamed of obtaining. This entire process is artificial and many people who are against tanning feel that anything man-made or synthetic will ultimately kill you and destroy your soul. Well, you know what, I bet you those same people drink diet soda that contains artificial sweeteners or use cellphones, activities that supposedly cause cancer or harm your body in some way, shape, or form. The fact of the matter is that nowadays the majority of the things we do in our society have been modified: the products we use, the things we eat, the supplements that we take. What bothers me about the tanning debate is that people seem to forget that there is a gigantic ball of fire in the sky that has been and will be here long after we are and that just so happens to tan us. Let us continue to use common sense. Everyone has a body and everyone’s body is unique. Some people are as white as computer paper, others are so dark that the sun doesn’t even seem to bother them. Know how your skin reacts to sunlight, so you can decide if you should be laying out in the sun for hours on end or tanning at a facility multiple times a week. Invest in the appropriate sunblock or skin care products and there should be no reason for you to be fearful of sunlight, whether it be artificial or not, that you can’t avoid for roughly 12 hours a day. Shellz Designs has manufactured a great product for the sun worshipper: the “I’ve Got Your Back” lotion applicator. It offers you exta protection by enabling you to apply sun tan lotion to all of those hard to reach spots on your back.

Lifestyle

With “I’ve Got Your Back”, you’ll be able to get an even and safe tan. You can pick one of these guys up at www. shellzdesigns.com for $19.95. If tanning is so bad for you, then why are these facilities legal? For the same reasons that alcohol and prescription medications are legal (that is, if you obtain them legally). We are supposed to be rational human beings that can think for ourselves, so we should be allowed to decide what we do with our bodies.

I bet you didn’t realize that although it is possible to acquire Melanoma (skin cancer) from UV rays, this same UV aids you in the prevention of several other types of cancers. Tanning is not only beneficial in regards to the color of your skin, it also provides the body with essential amounts of Vitamin D. Most people probably think that Vitamin D can only be obtained through the consumption of dairy products or supplements, when in fact, humans get 90% of their Vitamin D from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is linked to the prevention of Osteoporosis and certain types of cancers (prostate, breast and colon). I bet you didn’t realize that although it is possible to acquire Melanoma (skin cancer) from UV rays, this same UV aids you in the prevention of

several other types of cancers. According to the American Cancer Society:

“Doctors are learning that vitamin D has many health benefits. It may even help to lower the risk for some cancers. Vitamin D is made naturally by your skin when you are in the sun. How much vitamin D is made depends on many things, including how old you are, how dark your skin is, and how intensely the sun shines where you live. At this time, doctors aren’t sure what the optimal level of vitamin D is, or how best to balance the possible benefits of getting vitamin D from sunlight versus the possible risks of skin cancer” (www.cancer.org). The point that I am trying to make is that there is always some sort of pro/con relationship with anything that we do today, so weigh your options and decide what is right for you. Personal appearance is an issue that causes a myriad of emotional struggles for more people than we care to admit. If tanning your skin to help you feel more comfortable with the way that you look makes you happy, by all means, go tanning. If you took a survey of all of your friends, I can guarantee that the majority of them feel that they look healthier, feel healthier, and enjoy having a tan. This sort of attitude promotes mental health as well as the confidence to continue making positive changes or advancements in your life. Do your research, know your limits and live your life to the fullest.

Tech

You’ve Been Punk´d, Spoofed and Trapped by Vince DiFazio Paranoia is one of the most frightening emotions that a person can experience, which easily makes it one of the most fun.

SpoofCard.com, of TelTech Systems INC., is a service that takes this idea and runs with it, using an item that every person over the age of nine has with them at all times: a cell phone. Essentially the way that the product works is quite simple. You pay as little as $5.00 for SpoofCard credits, as you would with any other calling card, follow the I called all of my siblings on my simple instructions that Mother’s birthday (she is deceased) I are provided on their used the number 777-7777 (for Heaven) website (spoofcard. I also used the female voice changer com) and become and told them to “remember that today either detective or was my birthday and to eat a piece of stalker...your choice! cake in my memory”...needless to say The SpoofCard service they were all spooked!! is unique in that you can call someone from you phone but have their Caller ID display any number that you intend them to see. (If you are worried about your man/lady dodging your calls, call them with their mama’s displaying on the ID and 16 number see what they are really up to!). SpoofCard also allows you to disguise your voice by changing the tone so that you are unrecognizable to anyone, to maximize the efficiency of your investigative/ pranking experience. You are also able to record your phone calls to retain important information or I had a girlfriend who I thought was to capture particularly cheating on me with my best friend. I spoofed my friends number and called hilarious moments. To her. She answered saying “Hey baby I make your SpoofCard experience easier and missed you.” Her words answered my more convenient, you suspicion. are able to download applications for your IPhone, Blackberry, or other device directly from their website that makes the service accessible from anywhere you are! There are also different products offered by the company that are equally as entertaining and useful. TrapCall

(trapcall.com) is a service that makes masked or blocked numbers that call your phone accessible, so you always know who is calling you in real-time. This feature is good if you are trying to avoid a particularly annoying or irritating situation/person, or if you find yourself on the opposite end of someone One of my favorite spoof was getting prank calling you. the phone number to a local planned Another service offered parenthood and calling a friend by TelTech is LiarCard regarding her “test results”...priceless. (liarcard.com), a system that allows you to detect if the person you are speaking with on the other end of the phone is being honest with you. The technology that LiarCard uses analyzes the emotional content and speech patterns of the person you are conversing with, converting the content and patterns into a voice polygraph so that you know when you are being deceived. During your phone call, a heart beat pulse that only you can hear is played. The beating of the heart speeds up as the person you are talking to gets stressed out or nervous (lying) and is silent if the person is being truthful. These services are I caught my boyfriend talking to actually pretty fun and another girl!! I found a number he they aren’t going to was texting so i used the spoof card break your bank. and called his phone number and put SpoofCard is $5 for that number as the caller id when he 30 minutes of calling. anwserd and i did not say anything he TrapCall is $2.99 a was like hello rachel i can’t hear you. It month. was good to have this card so things like this don’t happen to people!! Use Coupon Code “nachofest” to receive 20% off your order. Don’t tell me you’ve never been paranoid because that would make you a liar, and if there’s anything worse than a liar it’s a paranoid liar...but with these services, you won’t have to be.

The gaming laptops that this company produces are both appealing to the eye and the wallet while also managing to be monsters under the hood. (From Dual Video Card SLi Laptops with three Hard Drives and Intel Core i7 Processors to main stream laptops with up to 12 hour battery life). Every laptop that XoticPC

produces are very customizable from exterior graphics to their high end components. In other words, if you want it, XoticPC will find a way to make it happen and then some, and with their low price to performance ratio customers don’t over pay and get more bang for their buck. The company’s philosophy is to “extend ourselves indefinitely to our customers in providing for their every need. We will never compromise our efforts to provide the ‘best overall value’ for our customers”. What more could anyone ask for when buying a computer? XoticPC does not outsource their customer service department, meaning that you will be speaking with a knowledgeable professional member of their support team, not an underpaid, ill-equipped and otherwise exploited person overseas.

Tech

I don’t know about you but when I think of the great state of Nebraska a few things come to mind: corn, pickup trucks and square dancing...that’s about it. So when I came across XoticPC, I was automatically intrigued. Based out of Lincoln, the company started off in 1999 manufacturing quality gaming PC’s at reasonable prices, making customer satisfaction the cornerstone of their operation. Since their humble beginning, XoticPC has managed to become one of the nation’s leading SI’s (System Integrators), establishing relationships with such well known companies as Microsoft, nVIDIA, AMD, and ATI, and recognized for their quality computer software and components. As I mentioned earlier, the focus of this company is not only to create extremely efficient and reliable machines, it is also to meet the exact specifications of customers while doing their best to go above and beyond expectations.

One of the best features of the company is that it offers a LIFETIME, 24/7 domestic technical support service should there be any questions or problems with your PC, a practice that larger corporations have never been willing to shell out the money for. You can purchase these fine PC’s at www.XoticPC.com or follow them on both Facebook and Twitter to find out about great deals and new products.

The Industry’s Best Kept Secret

Tech

Get Back to Your Social Life Faster by Studying “Smarter”:

The Pulse Smartpen from Livescribe Inc. 2GB is $169 and stores more than 200 hours of audio. More information can be found at www.livescribe.com. Don’t believe us? Read the testimonial of college student Jennifer Libbares below who became an instant fan of the Pulse smartpen.

Jennifer Libbares Virginia Tech

Sitting in Communications Law and Ethics class for the first time was intimidating. The class is considered to be the most difficult course in the Communication major at Virginia Tech and the professor is no breeze.

The Pulse smartpen from Livescribe is an award-winning new tool that is sweeping college campuses nationwide. It’s as simple to use as regular pen and paper, but has all the technology and advancements of a computer. Instead of lugging a laptop to class, students can take the Pulse smartpen, which is about the size of a Sharpie, and capture their notes, doodles and drawings along with the audio recording of the professor’s lecture. The best part is the notes and audio are perfectly synched together, so when the student taps on the word “test” in his notes, he immediately hears what the professor was saying at that exact moment in time. Here’s how it works. The Pulse smartpen has an infrared camera in its tip, which takes about 75 pictures a second. The smartpen “knows” where it is by using a unique grid of nearly invisible microdots printed on each page of the dot notebook. Using pre-printed controls on the bottom of each page, the student is able to tap the “record” button with the Pulse smartpen and immediately begin recording both the audio and his handwriting. It’s that simple. The student can also upload his notes and audio to his computer (either PC or Mac) to search by keyword within the notes, to transcribe the handwriting to text, to store for later review or to share with others via email or even Facebook. The Pulse smartpen is available in two sizes. The 1GB is $129 and stores more than 100 hours of audio and the

One of the first statements my professor made in his introduction was that our goal for this class is to keep up. He would not go back to previous slides for any reason. As I looked around the lecture hall to my peers, I watched jaws drop. I saw the buildup of worry in each of their eyes not knowing how they would survive this semester. For me, I could feel a smile wash across my face; I was ready to take on the challenge that my professor had presented us with. With my new Livescribe Pulse smartpen in hand, recording audio and syncing back to my notes, I knew I would literally n“ ever miss a word.”

Students can take the Pulse smartpen, which is about the size of a Sharpie, and capture their notes, doodles and drawings along with the audio recording of the professor’s lecture. The best part is the notes and audio are perfectly synched together. As a senior Communication major at Virginia Tech, I have experienced many times when using a computer in a class is not appropriate. I personally learn much better when I am taking notes by hand rather than typing. Laptops can also be distracting to the class environment and are a heavy burden to carry around all day. The smartpen provides me with the speed of a computer in the size of a pen. As the semester begins to leap into full swing, I cannot imagine how I survived three years in college without the Pulse smartpen.

Tech 19

Money

Saving money is easily the least fun thing to do on the planet. What is the point of holding onto those hard earned dollars when it is far more fun to blow them on pointless toys and alcoholic beverages? Well, unfortunately for us, the world that we live in forces us to save money with threats of being kicked out of school for late tuition payments or being banned from local watering-holes as a result of denied credit cards. Let’s face it, when it comes to pinching pennies no one wants to but everyone has to (with the exception of you luxurious wealthy folks...tell your mothers that I said, “Hi”). I might not be a genius, and I am definitely not rolling in sweet money, but I do have a few suggestions for you guys so that you might be able to save up some extra cash to get wild on the weekends or purchase an arbitrary anniversary gift for your boyfriend/girlfriend.

Thrifty Tips for Surviving On Very Little $$$$$$$$$$$$ by Vince DiFazio Tip #1: Sell Your Old Stuff.

The internet is free in virtually every on-campus building or pretentious coffee shop that you read your overpriced textbooks in...probably purchased from extremely overpriced campus bookstores (I loathe them, and we will cover their miserable existence later). Anyway, back to my point. You need to take advantage of online services such as Ebay or Craigslist in order to get rid of your old stuff that you or your parents don’t want (or won’t notice went missing) in exchange for cold hard cash. Ebay and Craigslist are great because they allow you to take advantage of both buying and selling, allowing you to make profits on recently purchased items. I’m sure you’ve probably taken a marketing class, so use the hundreds of dollars you spent to sit at those lectures, on the days you went of course, and make some easy money.

Tip #2: Eat Out Less.

I’m not a chef, you probably aren’t either, but you can use that free internet that we discussed above to read up on a few easy recipes (or read the article on college cooking featured in this magazine wink-wink). Face it, eating out just costs too much money, and the food is usually not very good for you. Mom and Dad aren’t always around to make you things, so grow up and learn how to grocery shop! Honestly though, there is nothing more impressive than a person who knows how to make delicious food (Guys, cook for her. She will love it no matter what. Ladies, cook for him. We are men;

eating food is all we know). You’ll save a ton of money buying food, especially if you look for good deals at supermarkets or get a few buddies to throw down on a CostCo or Sam’s Club membership. If there is one thing better than food, it is food in bulk...and you can also buy beer/liquor in bulk...IT JUST MAKES SENSE. Before you know it, you’ll be shedding pounds and roping in some quality dates with your new gourmet cooking skills. Just don’t burn down your house or building, that would be counterintuitive if we are trying to save money.

Tip #3: Buy Online/Look For Deals.

Doing most of your material shopping (toys, music, other hilarious items that no one really needs) online is the easiest way to make sure you are getting the best deals. Shop around on different websites to compare prices and make sure you aren’t getting screwed over. In Tip#1 I mentioned my detest for college book stores, and if you haven’t been exposed to how horrible and money grubbing they are, please, do yourself a favor and look up

campusbookrentals. com (probably how

you got/heard about this magazine!). Renting your books online is the easiest and most cost effective way to hang on to your spending money. I cannot tell you how many times I have spent HUNDREDS of dollars on ONE textbook only to exchange it at the end of the semester and find out there is a new edition...so the one I paid $149.99 for is worth, and I’m not making this up, $1. Are you kidding me? Seriously, rent your books from campusbookrentals.com, you get the text for the time that you need it at a fraction of the cost you would pay in stores, and when you are done you send it back and wash your hands of it (the way it should be).

Tip #4: Avoid Driving: Use Public Transportation or Exercise.

This is just common sense people. Don’t drive to class if you can wake up an extra 10-15 minutes early. Walk, ride a bike, longboard, whatever you can do to stay out of your vehicle is going to save you money. College campuses make HUGE dollars off of giving you tickets, and they take great pride in doing so. The parking enforcement (fake cops) are like vultures, they will surround your car as if it were a dying buffalo and wait for that parking meter to run dry. Walking and public transportation also reduce the risk of you getting blackout drunk and trying to drive your car, thus reducing the likelihood of you getting a DUI and/or seriously injuring yourself and others. If you absolutely have to drive to get to your destination try car pooling, I hear it’s good for the environment and stuff too.

DON’T BUY BOOKS...

RENT

Let’s start with a question: How many DVD’s do you buy in a year? OK, now how many do you rent? Chances are, rentals outrun purchases at a ratio of nearly ten to one. Why? The answer is simple; renting is cheaper and you really only want to see the movie once. So what could be so different about textbooks? In 2007, a few enterprising companies threw textbook traditions out the window by renting textbooks at a highly discounted price to students on thousands of college campuses nationwide. Companies such as CampusBookRentals.com and BookRenter.com came out of the gates in 2007 with a rental model that saves students between 50% and 85% consistently on their textbooks. So how does it all work? It’s pretty seamless really. Find almost any book using the ISBN, keywords, title, author, etc.; pick the length of time you intend to keep the book, and check out from the store. The book is then shipped directly to your address. In the case of

Money

Back to school means back to the bookstore where most students kiss their hard earned cash goodbye. For decades, the textbook game was the same: buy books at the bookstore for what feels like an unfair price and sell them back to the bookstore and receive what feels like an unfair price. But things are changing. In 2009 students across the US were presented with more money-saving alternatives for textbooks than in the history of academia. Read on; you might just keep a few hundred in your pocket next semester and never see the inside of your bookstore again.

CampusBookRentals.com, a prepaid shipping

envelope is also mailed to your address which you use to send the book back for free at the end of the semester. This creates an incredibly seamless process for the customer. BookRenter.com also offers free return shipping by printing a label directly off their website from the customer account. In either case, the process is rather brainless and can save a ton of cash over purchasing new or used at the bookstore. Best of all, availability is nearly 100%, which means students can save on virtually every book they need by renting.

CampusBookRentals.com and BookRenter.com came out of the gates in 2007 with a rental model that saves students between 50% and 85% consistently on their textbooks.

Aside from renting, students can also reach for e-books to save a few bucks. Most e-books sell for about 30% less than a new physical textbook. Usability leaves a lot to be desired, but for some areas of study, it’s worth the trouble. With the right e-book reader, like the Amazon Kindle, a net book, or a laptop, students can find ebooks to be a fairly effective option. It’s just not feasible or available for all areas of study. Textbooks.com offers a large selection of e-books alongside their current inventory of new and used books. So what’s the moral of the story? Be smart. Shop hard. Stay out of the bookstore (did I just say that?). Students looking to save some green now have no excuses. Between a healthy textbook rental industry and a growing e-book market, cheap textbooks are on the comeback and students are finally finding relief.

Must Haves

Energy and Taste? Now You Can Have Both! BUMP is a MUST HAVE when you are thinking about your school supplies. BUMP has the slogan “Gets

You to The Next Level,” which matches the name and conveys exactly what an energy drink should do. WHY? BUMP is really one of the best all around energy drinks introduced in a long time with stellar taste, a

great boost of energy from the caffeine, and Vitamin B which gives it little or no crash and mixes wonderfully with many different spirits - Grey Goose being the liquor of choice giving you the trademark drink for the mix - “Goose BUMP”. BUMP’s flavor is awesome! It’s a sharp mix of citrus and pomegranate. The pomegranate is light without the bitterness of the fruit and the citrus is a mix of lemon and orange complimenting the pomegranate beautifully. The citrus gives a little kick to the pomegranate that makes it a promising flavor combination. BUMP’s sweetness is also really nice since it doesn’t overwhelm the fruit, but tacks itself onto the end of the flavor to mellow out the citrus tartness a bit. As you consume more of BUMP, the pomegranate flavor becomes a little more prominent. There is some really authentic fruit flavor inside making it the best of the pomegranate energy drinks to date. The light carbonation plays off of the flavors making this a really addictive drink. You’ll be guzzling the drink down since the flavor really is extraordinary. What’s in it for you?

FOR YOUR BODY!

• • • • • • • •

Great Taste Premium Energy Source Increases Stamina Revitalizes the Body Specialized Formulation Improves Performance Increases Endurance Stimulates the Metabolism

FOR YOUR MIND!

• Stay Alert and Mentally Focused • Address Critical Mental Factors • Increased Productivity • Supplemental Energy • Expanded Mental Concentration • Fortified with Green Tea Extract, and Vitamin B

BUMP has a pretty strong energy

ingredient list with a good mix of classic energy ingredients and supplementary ingredients guaranteed to Get You to The Next Level!

Alright, everyone has their own favorite energy drink that they absolutely swear by and with literally hundreds of new drinks popping into party store refrigerators every week, it is often hard to find a decent new “pick me up” product to invest in. I was at first skeptical about cracking open a can of BUMP energy drink, as most of the lesser known energy drinks taste predominantly of acid, club soda, and some unidentifiable mystery fruit. Needless to say I was not initially thrilled to serve as the “Official Beverage Guinea Pig”; however, I manned up and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious BUMP actually is. BUMP tastes like fruit juice, pomegranate and citrus to be more specific, and contains 200mg of caffeine and 5,469% of your daily requirement of vitamin B12 (the stuff in those little energy shots that keeps you going) in one 10.5 oz can. BUMP will most definitely get you up and keep you up.

One of the most important things that students might be wondering about BUMP is how it tastes as a mixer. The answer is quite simple: delicious. There are a variety of cocktails such as (insert a few from that list that they sent) that taste incredible compared to the same recipes with other energy drinks. Overall, BUMP is an exceptionally great product with the only feasible downside it’s caloric value (240 calories, 53 g sugars). Give BUMP a try.

Must Haves

Our Editor, Vince “I’ll Try Anything” DiFazio, Gives BUMP A Spin

You will not be disappointed with the results, whether for business or pleasure. Vince’s Score:

k k k k k ((4.5/5)

Pros:

Great fruit juice taste; combination of pomegranate and citrus. Provides plenty of B12 and it’s a delicious mixer.

Cons:

High caloric value with 240 calories and 53g of sugars.

Freedom for Women!

The P-Mate is a disposable cardboard device that allows women to discreetly stand up and neatly pee like a man. Eliminates dropping your drawers to use unsanitary port-a-potties and public facilities. Why take a risky or undignified squat in the field? When men find themselves without bathroom facilities, they merely turn their backs for privacy. Now this can be true for women, too! No undressing necessary. Merely unzip your pants and move your underwear to the side. Put the P-Mate in place and you’re good to go! The P-Mate acts like a funnel, directing your pee out and away, protecting your feet and clothing. The P-Mate is the ideal companion for campers, hunters, birders and fisherwomen; boaters, kayakers and river rafters; runners, hikers and mountaineers; cyclists, motorcyclists, and horseback riders; skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers; search and rescue teams, peace corps workers, forest service workers, landscapers, golfers, pilots, truck drivers, fire and policewomen, postal workers, FBI agents, private detectives, women in the military, and the transgender population. Use the P-Mate in portable or public toilets, at outdoor festivals and concerts, on nature excursions, in sporting events, during pregnancy, while recovering from surgery or for other medical conditions, and in planes, trains, and automobiles. Women deserve the discretion, hygiene and dignity that the P-Mate provides. Don’t risk health issues by restricting your liquid intake or holding it in. Use the P-mate. Relax, be free and pee! For more information, visit: www.pmateusa.com Distributed by: Go Your Way Info@pmateusa.com 720-317-3303

Sex and Dating

Love Thy Self by Vince DiFazio The saying “You can’t love someone else until you love yourself” has never been more true. With the risk of contracting STDs and even worse, HIV, safe sex is imperative to one’s sexual health. However, self love with the use of toys is another effective way of staying safe and yet, still satisfied. Learning one’s body on a solo basis also increases one’s ability to be satisfied by another. It is also a relaxation technique relieving stress. Try it for yourself! Even the ladies from HBO’s hit show, Sex and the City, in particular sex goddess Samantha Jones, enjoyed some self pleasure with the Jack Rabbit. This toy is a 100% waterproof vibrator that can be used both in and out of the water. It’s important to note, however, that because everyone enjoys something different, there are a variety of toys with various functions in order to provide satisfaction

to anyone trying a toy for the first time (or maybe the 100th)! Toys are a chance to try new things on one’s own and to experiment with sexual pleasure alone. The use of sex toys can also be used with a partner for added sexual pleasure. Use these toys with your partner to try something new in the bedroom! You never know, you just might like it! SomethingSexyPlanet.com provides countless adult items including vibrators, sex toys, DVDs and lingerie. Their online store was one of the first of its kind. They provide couples and singles excitement and the opportunity to try new sexual adventures in the privacy of their own home. Also, all packaging and shipping of Something Sexy Planet’s products is discreet to ensure your privacy is concealed. So go ahead.....explore and enjoy!

Sex and Dating

Michael J. “The Chick Magnet” Dura’s

How To Pick Up Chicks

I am not the best looking guy in most rooms I stand in. I am, by self-assessment, a moderately attractive male (7.8 by HotOrNot.com) of a 5’11’’ stature and I weight 230 pounds if I have just taken a hefty dump. I have friends whose bodies and jaw lines have arguably been chiseled by the gods themselves, yet I have seen just as much, if not more, success in picking up women as the majority of my counterparts and I have accomplished this in a few very simple ways.

are wearing. Play to what makes you feel comfortable and let that accentuate your personality. This can let a girl know exactly the type of person you are from across the room and actually lead them to approach you. Fish in a barrel, baby.

The Steps

Step one is to figure out exactly what type of girl you are looking for. Are you

looking for a woman that you can take home to mom or are you in search for a woman who ponders the possibilities of what she can do with a 2-liter bottle aside from drinking its contents? It seems elementary, but your approach is obviously going to be different. You need to first determine what you are personally looking for and then judge the height of your standards.

The second step is basically just a test of your ability to analyze: where are you going to look for these girls? My personal tip,

stay away from Sigma Nu and your bro’s frat house. Chicks who go in frat houses leave a lot to be desired and the plethora of alpha males with daddy money surrounding you is going to seriously hurt your chances with a lady. If you are going to a bar, think about what kind of bar you are going to and what type of girl is going to frequent the joint. If it is a smaller dive bar, be prepared to buy a couple beers and strike up a conversation next to a jukebox. If you are going to a dance club or bar focused on loud, poorly crafted DJ sets and sequins, remember the 2-liter bottle? Yep, that’s what you’re going to find.

The Rules When utilizing any of these steps that I have used to succeed in the field of putting a few notches in the old bedpost, know that there are rules that go with them.

First rule, no matter how hot, no matter how cool, do not go after a girl your buddy is going after. As a man, you are a tool for your friends and you serve a valuable purpose in making your friends look better than they actually are. The second is simple yet many times overlooked: The third step is going to initially shock rule who the girl you are pursuing knows. the hair sprayed quaff types but put down Isknow she friends with other girls you have hooked up with the gel, pull the sock from your crotch, or your friends have hooked up with? Will who she step back from the mirror and quit knows help you or hurt you? Do some research. That’s caring so much about what you look like. what Facebook was invented for. Women can tell if you are trying too hard all else, know that you don’t have and you can go from “classy gent in the vest drinking to Above be the best looking or the funniest guy Dos Equis” to “that guy over there who obviously spent in the room. You don’t have to spend the most 35 minutes getting his hair to do that” very quickly. If you are a man, you shouldn’t be spending hours in the mall or matching your belt to your shoes which coincide with what t-shirt and thus what underwear you

money or drive daddy’s mustang to impress the ladies. Play to your personality and have something more to offer than the guys standing next to you and that is the best means, and your best bet, at picking up chicks.

with Vince:

EDUCATION

Editor-in-Chief Vince D’Fazio Interviews Purdue and Loyola Grad Rachel Callison About Pursuing a Degree in Education There are millions of you out there, brave souls with far more courage than my entire being possesses, that have decided to major in education. I just want to start this off by saying, “Thank You”. If it weren’t for people like you, I wouldn’t be half as intelligent as I am today, and the entirety of our society would be composed of mindless drones. (Yes, I am aware that this statement might already seem valid.) Teachers, you hilariously awkward, inspirational people, I take my hat off to you. Being an educator in this day and age isn’t necessarily as easy at it was way back in the day: a golden age when you could smoke cigarettes in your classroom and paddle the disobedient children you were hired to inspire. Nope, today you educators have to develop your own personal style and charismatic techniques to keep the attention of people like myself, who would much rather fall asleep during history lectures and text my friends the war stories of last night. I, myself, am baffled as to why anyone would want to become a teacher in

Education

Major Focus

the all too conservative school districts in which most of us were educated. (Walking on eggshells with every word I utter would surely result in my termination.) But for those of you that pursue this career path, there are a few things that you should know while earning your degree in Education. I had the privilege of speaking with Purdue and Loyola graduate, Rachael Callison, about her experience gaining a masters in Special Education. Rachael said that the first thing you should do when deciding to pursue an Education major is, “know what courses and state tests are necessary for you to take in order to earn your degree. Staying informed and involved with your college is the best way to make sure you are prepared for any sort of requirement exams. Make sure you are aware of deadlines. There is no worse feeling in the world than realizing you are behind in studying or qualifying for exams”. Rachael also stressed the importance of getting to know your guidance counselor (something I would advise any student to do...getting overrides and extensions are one hundred times easier if your are “buddy-buddy” with your advisors) as well as obtaining first hand experience in the classroom so that you know that teaching is exactly what you want to pursue. Rachael said, “Figure out what area, whether it be elementary, middle, high school or special education, that you want to teach and try to arrange a way for you to help tutor in those classrooms. You don’t want to wait until you are a student teacher to realize that you dislike the area or level that you are teaching. Get some experience and choose what is best for you. Your future students will thank you”. As a special education teacher, Rachael stressed that organization and classroom management are the most essential skills that any new teacher, regardless of subject, must perfect. Rachael said in between smiles, “You don’t want to encounter a situation that leaves you searching for things to teach your kids, always have a backup plan and a bag of tricks to keep your students actively participating and feeling confident in the subject matter. It is important to make the learning fun and exciting, but there should be a mutual respect between student and teacher... believe me, you don’t want to let them think that you are a tyrant. Just be respectful and it will be given back”. All of that advice makes perfect sense to me, as the teachers that acted like they had something to prove were usually the ones that I respected the least. As a final word of advice, Rachael wanted to stress the importance of being involved in your school, just as you were when you were a student, joining after school activities and other events. Rachael said, “There is no better way to show your students that you really care about what you are doing than to coach an athletic team or supervise club/organization meetings. As long as you show your students that you genuinely care in the same things that they do and can be there for them more than just doing classroom hours, you will be just fine”. She also added, “Continuing your education is something that you should really consider, even after you have gotten your teaching certification. It never hurts to be as knowledgeable as you can be on your subject matter”. So, future teachers, I thank and salute you once again for putting up with students like me as well as for coming up with new and innovative ways to keep the attention of kids while also motivating them to learn something. Be as creative as you possibly can and allow your students to get to know you. My favorite teachers were the ones that let me get to know them as people, not just as authority figures. Do your research, make sure your heart is in it, and have as much fun as you possibly can.

Entertainment

He Is Legend / It Hates You

Brand New / “Daisy”

It would be in your best interest to listen to this album in a place where you can max out the volume and consume numerous beers. After an extremely well received “I Am Hollywood” and a more than neglected “Suck Out the Poison” (and extremely underrated and over criticized work), He Is Legend continues to reject the expectations of fans, making music that satisfies themselves and those with diversifying taste. Lyrical intelligence combined with a myriad of instrumental changes, this album has a little of something for everyone. If you’re like me (and you should be, I am excellent) don’t hesitate to put a few songs from It Hates You on your next big party rotation. You won’t be disappointed, especially if you know how to chill. Grade: B

I am sad to say that there really isn’t anything that great about this album. There really isn’t an easy way to describe “Daisy”, other than it is just not at all like the band’s previous releases...and that is not a compliment. This is obviously an attempt to explore different genres of music that fails miserably (it feels like an awkward orgy of sub-genres with random and irritating samples/strained attempts at hardcore yelling). The lyrics are nothing to write home about (if you can decipher them) and that classic Brand New charm is certainly absent. There is absolutely no situation that I could ever imagine to encounter in which I would say or think, “Man, I wish someone remembered to bring their copy of Daisy”. Brand New is one of those bands that can do no wrong in the eyes of their die hard fans, but honestly, if this album was made by anyone else it wouldn’t be given a second glance. Grade: C

Every Time I Die / New Junk Aesthetic

Lydia / Illuminate

Is this ETID’s best work? Debatable. Is it their heaviest album? Probably. Is it worth shelling out the money for? You bet your ass it is. If you have never listened to ETID before, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with their previous releases so that you know what kind of treat you are in for (if you are familiar, congrats, we can be friends). I cannot stress the soul-bearing brilliance of Keith Buckley’s educated lyrics enough, and although his vocals are not for the faint of heart, they mesh perfectly against the gritty, “Move your ass!” instrumentals that ETID is well known for. This album is smart, dirty, and most importantly a good time. You’re in college, you can listen to opera and Mozart after you graduate, have some fun and pick up a copy of New Junk Aesthetic. I can’t wait to see the barrage of tattoos this work is guaranteed to inspire..I’m thinking of a few myself. Grade: B+

Even though this album is over a year old, Lydia’s Illuminate hasn’t gotten the attention that it deserves and needs. The heartfelt lyrics, sincere and brutally honest, are not only entirely captivating, they are also extremely catchy. The combination of melancholy vocals and triumphant instrumentals resonate a haunting, and thoroughly enjoyable peek into the troubled personal relationships of these musicians. Emotional and strong, there are seldom moments in this album that disappoint as it challenges listeners to examine their own interactions with loved ones...or previous loved ones. The songs are like jaded lullabies; sad enough to lull you to sleep, but powerful enough to keep you coming back for more. Layered and imaginative, this is an album that should definitely grace your itunes library. Perfect for rainy days, studying, and (most importantly) the appreciation of heartfelt and honest music. Grade: A-

Entertainment

What are your friends Listening to?

Entertainment

What are your friends playing?

About Music123 Brand

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Etude ETR-100 Trumpet Outfit $119.99 Fender SE Special Strat Guitar with Squier SP-10 Amp Value Pack $199.99 Yamaha YDP223 Digital Piano with Bench $1,599.99 Simmons SD5K Electronic Drum Set $399.99 Live Wire Advantage Series 1/4” Straight Instrument Cable $4.99 - $19.99 Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Custom Guitar $699.99 Blackstar HT Series HT-5H 5W Tube Guitar Amp Head $299.99 Phonic Powerpod 410 / S710 PA Package $179.99 Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar $49.99 Rogue RA-100D Dreadnought Guitar $79.99

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Ask the Music123.com Tech Dude! Tech Dude answers how to isolate acoustic guitar from vocals during performance

Q: I have a problem, a conundrum that perhaps even you, oh mighty Tech Dude, who I acknowledge are of infinite mass and density, may not be able to solve. I’m recording a singer-songwriter who insists that the only way she is comfortable singing is while playing acoustic guitar. And I must admit, her best performances are indeed when she’s singing and playing. The problem is, I’ve got too much bleed and can’t process the tracks the way I want to without problems. Can you help me, exalted Tech Dude? A: Hmm, infinite mass and density . . . I get it, I need to go on a diet . . . but in the meantime, if you want to get great isolation between acoustic guitar and vocals in one pass, here is what you must do. First, you must journey to the market place and buy unto thee two microphones with figure-8 pickup patterns, if ye do not already own such. (Can I drop the whole “thee and ye” thing? It’s really messing with me.) If you are familiar with the way a figure-8 pattern works, you know that the mic picks up equally from front and rear (with some slight timbral difference). The side of a figure-8 is another story. Nothing is deader than the sides of a figure-8 mic. To pull this off, you’ll need two stands and the two aforementioned mics. Personally, I prefer two Royer 121 ribbon mics for the task, but if you can’t afford the $2,600 price tag for two of them, you can get excellent results with two MXL 990 ribbon mics at a mere $200 for the pair. Condenser mics with

figure-8 patterns such as the AKG 414 B-XL will also work quite well, but we’re back up to that $2K price tag again. Another excellent budget alternative would be the CAD e300, which will set you back about $800 for two. (I’m a firm believer in a mic cabinet with topquality mics, but on a budget or not, the MXLs and CADs do a marvelous job.) Whether you choose ribbon or condenser for the task is up to you and your sound source. Ribbon mics can smoothe out highs while condensers can accentuate them. I suggest having both. If you do go the way of the ribbon, grasshopper, make sure your preamp has at least 60-70dB of gain. For setup, here’s what you do. Position your vocal mic so that it’s neck-level to the singer so the front of the mic is pointing upwards at the singer’s mouth. This automatically angles the mic’s null side down towards the guitar. Put the guitar mic slightly above the acoustic with the front facing downward, towards the guitar. This puts the null side of the guitar mic pointing upward at the singer’s mouth. Just to be clear, you want to set up your mics so that the null side of the vocal mic faces the guitar, and the null side of the guitar mic faces the singer’s mouth. Voila! Instant separation. One last thing: Listen to both mics in context and don’t be afraid to rotate them slightly for the best combination of sound pickup versus cancellation. How far you place your mics from singer and guitar is up to you, your room, preamps, and of course, where they sound best. Submit your questions for the Music123.com Tech Dude at: Music123.com/TechDude

Entertainment 31