Technician - January 11, 2011 by NC State Student Media

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tuesday january

11 2011

Raleigh, North Carolina

technicianonline.com

Red Hat to stay on Centennial Campus Successful software company announces it will headquarter in Wake County. Brooke Wallig Deputy News Editor

Donning a red fedora for the occasion, Governor Bev Perdue announced Monday homegrown “upstart”’ company Red Hat will build its corporate headquarters somewhere in Wake County - and maintain its presence on Centennial Campus. According to Perdue, the company brought innovative technology to light a decade ago. On the strength of a multimillion-dollar incentive package, the company will keep its headquarters in Wake County rather than moving to one of three other competing states. “When this upstart little company came to us 10 years ago, they had a vision of where the future was going,” Perdue said. “They are successful and will continue to be successful, and they could have gone anywhere they wanted. It is a great day in Raleigh.” Red Hat, a leading company in open source technology, currently resides in about 188,000 square feet on Centennial Campus and has initiated extensive partnerships within the University, according to College of Engineering Vice Chancellor Dennis Kekas. “We are very pleased to have [Red Hat] at N.C. State. They have been a very positive factor for growth on Centennial Campus,” said Kekas. “They are currently involved in many focused projects on campus, including researching how to make open software more secure, updating the computer science curriculum and funding the Institute for Next Generation IT Systems - as well as the OSCAR lab.” According to Kekas, Red Hat has grown considerably since its initial days, and it will likely expand beyond the University’s capacity. “When they started off, they only took up a couple floors in one building. Now, they are using 188,000 square feet of office space, employ between 650 and 700 people on campus and [are] still expanding,” Kekas said. “Even if their new headquarters is no longer on campus, this will still be an opportunity to grow our partnership with Red Hat. At some point they will be too big for the campus, but there is certainly room now.” According to Perdue, the company typically grows at least 20 percent annually, and it will create approximately 540 new jobs when the new headquarters opens. Package Helps Tempt Red Hat to Stay Though there is no determined loca-

Alex Sanchez/Technician

Before announcing Red Hat's decision to stay and expand in North Carolina, Gov. Bev Perdue smiles while wearing a red hat. The expansion will create 540 jobs and the state will grant Red Hat $18 million in incentives.

tion for the new corporate headquarters, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst said North Carolina was chosen over other national competitors because of Red Hat’s extensive University partnerships and an $18 million incentive package to be paid out by the state. Despite vocal concerns regarding the sizable package, Perdue said she stands by the amount. “Contrary to what the world would

like, it is necessary to offer companies like Red Hat incentive packages in order to be competitive, and these economic times these companies have to look for the best deal they can get,” Perdue said. “North Carolina offers great economic incentives as well as great quality of life, and our workforce makes this the best place in America to do business. Decisions were made for all the right reasons.”

Red Hat Chief Executive Jim Whitehurst confirmed the importance of such incentives, citing it as the main reason North Carolina was chosen over other major potential locations, including Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts. “Even in the best of times you have to make important decisions based on economics,” Whitehurst said. “We have enjoyed a great 10-year partner-

Krispy Kreme Challenge still seeking hungry runners Field almost full for February doughnut run. Chelsey Francis News Editor

Registration for the seventh annual Krispy Kreme Challenge is still open, but spots are filling up. The Krispy Kreme Challenge is operated by students and benefits the N.C. Children’s Hospital. The race began in 2004, with 12 participants. By 2009, that number had grown to 5,500. The Raleigh Police Department has set the maximum number of participants at 7,500 for the 2011 race. As of Sunday afternoon, 5,335 runners had registered on the Krispy Kreme Challenge website, according to Rebekah Jewell, the Krispy Kreme Challenge public relations co-chair and a senior in biological sciences. The Krispy Kreme Challenge will be held Feb. 5, beginning at the Bell Tower. Participants will run 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store on Peace Street and eat a dozen doughnuts. Afterward, the runners are to run the 2

miles back to the Bell Tower. The time limit for the challenge is one hour. Registrants can participate as challengers, casual runners or supporters. According to the Krispy Kreme Challenge website, a challenger attempts to complete the challenge, including eating the doughnuts, in less than 1 hour. A casual runner can try to complete the entire challenge, but it is not required. Supporters do not participate in the race, but do get a Krispy Kreme Challenge T-shirt. According to Jewell, in 2010 the Krispy Kreme Challenge raised $55,000 for the N.C. Children’s Hospital. “We hope to raise more money this year than we did last year,” Jewell said. The Krispy Kreme Challenge 2011 has three student co-chairs: Sudeep Sunthanker, a senior in biomedical engineering; Rachel Turner, a senior in animal science and John Yanik, a senior in biomedical engineering. According to Jewell, the co-chairs of the event are chosen in the spring. “They immediately start planning for the next year’s race. In the fall, people interested in helping to plan

Red Hat continued page 2

insidetechnician

Pack travels to Chestnut Hill See page 8.

Luis Zapata/Technician Archive PHOTO

Along Peace Street, Rob Barton, a senior in accounting, hands doughnuts to runners as they go by during the sixth annual Krispy Kreme Challenge. Volunteers lined the street with tables stacked with Krispy Kreme boxes for racers to get so they could complete eating the dozen doughnuts for the race. Barton said he enjoyed "seeing the interesting people and outfits come by."

the Krispy Kreme Challenge meet, sign up for committees and start

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ship with North Carolina, but without the direct economic incentives we would not have been able to stay.” The only question now, according to Chancellor Randy Woodson, is where the headquarters will be built. “It is great to hear that Red Hat is staying in Wake County and on campus. The University has had a strong

Krispy continued page 2

‘Mass Effect 2’ making way for final sequel See page 5.

viewpoint features classifieds sports

SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL HOURS: Tuesday - January 11 - 8am to 8pm Wednesday - January 12 - 8am to 8pm Thursday - January 13 - 8am to 8pm Friday - January 14 - 8am to 6pm

4 5 7 8

page 2 • Tuesday, january 11, 2011

Campus CalendaR

Krispy

continued from page 1

January 2011 Su

Sa 1

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POLICe BlOTTER January 7 10:56 AM – Larceny Carroll Hall Fire Protection responded to alarm. Cause unknown. System reset. 11:24 AM – Medical Assist Partners III Unit responded to staff member in need of medical assistance. Transport was refused.

planning for the race in the following February,” Jewell said. “There are three committees – campus integration, logistics and public relations, - as well as a sponsorship task force and a chief financial officer,” Jewell said. “Given the chaos involved in the race and the exponential growth in participation over the seven years of the race, a great deal of planning is involved.” Yanik has been involved in the Krispy Kreme Challenge since his freshman year. “I started as a committee member, worked my way up to a committee co-chair and was eventually fortunate enough to become a cochair of the entire event,” Yanik said. The three co-chairs oversee the organization of the event, according to Sunthankar. “This year, I along with the other two co-chairs dealt with the overall organization of the race including acquiring T-shirts, liaising with the website company, ascertaining sponsorships and dealing with the press,” Sunthankar said. According to Sunthankar,

Red Hat continued from page 1

relationship with Red Hat since the beginning when it got its start with the expertise of scientists and engineers from N.C. State,” said Woodson. “It would be great to keep a major, publicly-traded company in the long term.” According to Marc Hoit, vice chancellor of the Office of Information Technology, should Red Hat decide to keep its corporate

Page 2 although the race only lasts a few hours, the planning takes much longer. “The actual product of the Krispy Kreme Challenge takes place over the span of about two to three hours on race day, but the planning and hours of work put into this process are far greater,” Sunthankar said. There are more than 40 members involved in planning the race and the cochairs utilize the services of six different corporations in planning the event, according to Yanik. “On average, the cochairs probably spend 15 to 20 hours a week working on different aspects of the race and we anticipate that this will increase in the weeks to come,” Yanik said. “We do enjoy the work, however and are glad that our efforts can go to support such a worthy cause.” Sunthankar said the being a co-chair has caused him to develop a passion and love for the race. “And finally, when we are able to hand the N.C. Children’s Hospital our annual donation, every ounce of energy put into the race is made worthwhile knowing that our effort benefits such a worthy cause,” Sunthankar said.

headquarters on campus it would further foster a uniquely beneficial relationship between the corporation and the University. “We are glad to hear they are staying, and we’d clearly like them to stay on campus. The promise of Centennial Campus is the interactions we build between the students and the companies - as both an opportunity for research and training,” Hoit said. “This is a futuristic concept that is even better than what Research Triangle Park provides.”

Technician

Through Tim’s lens

Sacks galore photo By Tim O'Brien

hillip Epperly, senior in zoology, goes over the receipt for the seven books he just bought at the Bookstore on Monday. Epperly was careful to just buy the books he knew he would need. “I’m not done yet,” he said. The Bookstore doesn’t allow backpacks on the sales floor, so the pile starts to overflow during peak traffic.

8:13 AM – Fire alarm D.H. Hill Library Fire Protection responded to alarm. Cause unknown. System reset. 8:40 AM – Safety Program Talley Student Center Officer conducted program for transfer students. 1:22 PM – B&E Building Reynolds Coliseum Staff member reported door had been pried open. No items were found to be missing. 2:55 PM – Safety Program Talley Student Center Officer conducted program for Parent’s Orientation. 3:33 PM – Medical assist Fountain Dining Hall Units responded and transported staff member in need of medical assistance. 6:40 PM – Special Event Reynolds Coliseum Officers monitored Gymnastics/ Wrestling event.

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PAGE 4 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011

TECHNICIAN

{OUR VIEW}

THE FACTS:

The Board of Trustees approved a plan to destroy Harrelson Hall. The plan states the demolition is slated for 2014 after Talley Student Center is completely renovated. A new building is planned to fill the space.

OUR OPINION:

All of students’ bashing has paid off with the demolition and the necessity has been proven by science. Harrelson will be missed, but it will also be a fond farewell. Having a new building on Central Campus will be refreshing.

Harrelson, you’ve got to roll T he first time Technician covered the newly constructed Harrelson Hall, the article introduced the new classroom building as “not only strikingly attractive,” but “extremely functional.” At the time of its construction, the building cost $2 million to construct and doubled the classroom space on campus. But since that initial glowing review, it has become the butt of many jokes, has helped the University win “ugly campus” awards and prompted students to boast about the uncomfortable arrangements of the classrooms well after their graduation. Students have also abused

The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of Technician’s editorial board, excluding the news department, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.

the building since its conception, sparking a bit of nostalgia. In the ‘60s, students would steal grocery carts from the local market and ride down the building’s interior ramp. During the 1983 bonfire on the Brickyard after the NCAA Championship, students ripped the doors off the building and threw them in the flames. Harrelson Hall has outlived its function. It isn’t as large as the math department’s new building -- SAS Hall -- and lacks the comfort of spaceous,

new classrooms and easy-totravel halls. The ramps are not handicap-friendly and the confusing interior isn’t even 8-a.m.-friendly. A hodgepodge of classes and offices shuffle in and out of the building, but it fails to provide any accommodating space to any one department. The demolition of Harrelson Hall marks a new stage in N.C. State’s history and will change the face of the University after it is done. Although students may miss its spaceship-shaped facade on the Brickyard, a new

building would be more welcome. The University should learn from its fifty-year-old mistake and make the new building even more “functional” and “attractive.” If construction for the new Talley Student Center stays on track, in 2014 the N.C. State community will proudly roll Harrelson Hall off campus and look for a new edition to sparse old Central Campus. Although the new building will surely cost more than $2 million now, in the long run, N.C. State can put Harrelson Hall in its past and move forward with more architectural integrity.

{

IN YOUR WORDS

}

“How do you feel about being back at school?” BY CAMILAH JENNINGS.

“I feel like when we first got here. It would have been better to have a couple days off to transition into class.”

Let it snow.

Benjamin Kraudel, junior in psychology

Kendal Hauck, freshman, psychology

New year, new advice

Changed opinions

t has been about six years since I wrote an opinion piece for Technician. I had to take some time off from school and am just now coming back to finish what I started. I mention this because I learned some things in my time away from Ben Kraudel academia t hat are relevant to Columnist what appears on the Viewpoints page. You can continue to read without fear that I am going to begin lecturing you on what you don’t appreciate or how things were back in my day. What I have noticed is that the first time around I was unknowingly sheltered here. My opinions and I were safer here than they have been in the “outside world.” It is possible that some or most of you realize how free you are in this community, but if not then take a moment and just assume that what I am telling you is true. I do not mean to say that the world away from college is not a place where opinions exist. It just appears to me that away from here they are harder things, stones that people throw or chip the edges off so that they may slash this one broken, dangerous idea towards whatever threatens them. Embrace the freedom to change how you feel about the world. That is the freedom

that I missed most about this place. Fundamentally, everyone at a school accepts that they do not know everything and that seems to put everyone in a place where they are willing to learn and be malleable. I cannot wait to start listening to the people around me again, eager to see how my worldview and my opinions are going to change again. “Out there” every talking head and pundit on every major news channel seems to be saying first and foremost, “I know everything about whatever it is I’m talking about.” Every election cycle is another partisan set of politicians making it clear that there is nothing left for them to learn. If only these institutions were more like your time here. If only there were groups of people the country or even the world over more likely to incorporate new information into their opinions and thank whoever was willing to engage in friendly, honest debate. I’m happy to be back at N.C. State and I am nearly giddy at the prospect of finding out what else I have to learn. There are so many smart, thoughtful people walking this campus and each one has a viewpoint. Send Ben your thoughts on viewpoints to letters@technicianonline.com.

taci here: your excited, brand new advice columnist. You may be asking yourself, “who is this girl? Why should I ask her questions about love, life, school, fashion, work, etc.?” To answer Staci that I’d have to say Thornton Advice Columnist I’ve been there. Cliched, but true. I went to N.C. State for my undergraduate degree in psychology and then proceeded to attend graduate school, also at the University, for a year. After about a mont h I realized graduate school was not where I wanted to be and vowed never to go back to school. I then worked full-time for a few years trying out every possible dream of mine, such as wedding planning, working backstage for a theatre company and working in education, before realizing what I wanted most was to be back at college. Not exactly go back to school but work on a college campus. Whenever I would come back to NCSU after graduation, there was

always a sense of excitement and energy on campus that — even though I wasn’t in school — I could appreciate and be a part of. So with this realization, I am now back at NCSU working on a graduate degree in higher education administration. Along with trying to find the perfect career, I have fought with friends, made new friends, started new relationships, broke up with someone, been dumped, gotten a job, lost a job, traveled and in general, just lived my life. These credentials still may not give me the right to tel l you what to do, but I love to help people. This will give me an opportunity to show that I am a great listener and I want to help solve people’s problems. I also recognize the fact that I don’t know everything, but no one does. If you send me a question and I don’t know the answer to, I promise I’ll do my best to find the answer for you. I’m not afraid to say I don’t know and ask someone who does. I also want to get other’s opinions on your issues. Even if I do feel like I know what I’m talking about, you can get another point of view as well.

“To answer that I’d have to say I’ve been there. Cliched, but true.”

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In order for this to work, I need you all to send me questions. I also ask that you give me some details. Simply saying, “my boyfriend cheated on me, what should I do?” doesn’t explain the situation. There’s definitely more to the story than that. I won’t put your entire story in the paper, but the more information I know, the better advice I can give. If there’s anything you absolutely don’t want to be published, just tell me in the e-mail. You know you have questions and I have the answers or at least I know someone who does. So get on your computer right now and e-mail me at viewpoint@ technicianonline.com. I’m in graduate school to help students, let me start with you.

“I’m nervous and excited together. But mostly nervous.” David McAllister, sophmore, math education

“I like staying busy and I like being productive, so its been alright.” Meghan Jones freshman, management

“I’m really happy to be back on campus. I really missed it, but classes are classes.” Nikki Swango sophmore, management

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the official student newspaper of N.C. State University and is published every Monday through Friday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Copyright 2008 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

Features Arts & Entertainment

Technician Commentary

Tuesday, january 11, 2011 • Page 5

Holiday break games you might have missed

Story By Jordan Alsaqa | photos courtesy of Telltale and Aksys Games

uring the second half of December, many video game publishers are loath to release new titles because holiday dollars are already spent and game of the year awards have already been decided. A few companies, however, brave this frigid market and release some stellar games. Here are two from this season’s crop.

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Chun Software/Aksys games

In the American market, it can often be hard for certain game genres to find an audience. While first-person shooters and fighting games have no trouble developing a strong following, games that focus on puzzles and story more than action are often left by the wayside of the mainstream gaming market. As a result, some genres are left with small followings and few releases outside of Japan, the prime example of which is the visual novel. Focused almost entirely on story and dialogue with fewer gameplay elements, the genre has had little success in the states, with very few games being translated and even less people playing them. The only truly successful example of the genre in the United States is the Ace Attorney series. This is a shame, because 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a visual novel game and is arguably the best game to come out for the Nintendo DS in 2010. Featuring a branching storyline and “escape the room” puzzles, 999 tells the story of college student Junpei and eight other individuals. The nine people awake with a numbered bracelet on their wrists and the information that they’ve been kidnapped to take part in an experiment called the Nonary Game. As a group, they have only nine hours to find their way to a door marked with the number nine and escape the ship. The catch is that the group must periodically split up into smaller groups and go through other doors numbered one through eight, which is where the puzzle-solving aspect comes in. The groups are limited by the ways their num-

bered bracelets match up, so the player character will have to consider which characters he will be teamed up with before he chooses a door. With the numerous forks in the road presented, the player will only be able to see a fraction of the game’s numerous puzzle rooms the first time and the variety of the challenges presented adds an incentive for multiple playthroughs. Each challenge is unique and fun to solve, whether it involves a door that needs to be unlocked by playing a piano or finding the missing pieces of a medical mannequin. More importantly, even during the puzzle sections, the story continues to develop. Different items found in each room can trigger conversations with Junpei’s traveling companions, allowing the player to find out more about the individuals on board and why they have been selected to take part in the Nonary Game. This gets back to the main thrust of the game, which is a fantastic mystery story that is constantly growing more intense as the hours pass. 999 is a game that will drag players well into the early hours of the morning, leaving them always wanting to know what is going to happen next. The complexity of the story significantly increases the game’s replay value, as it isn’t possible to get all the answers the first time through. The game features six different endings, half of which end with the player’s demise. Even in the paths that lead to bad endings, however, more of the plot is revealed to the player and they can then use the information they have gathered to move closer to the true ending which each new playthrough. The thought of playing so much of the game over just to get new information may sound tedious, but the developers have made the process as simple as possible. The game

Back to the Future: The Game — Episode 1 takes place after the events of the third film in the classic trilogy. Developer Telltale Games is releasing each of the remaining four episodes of the game, monthly, in an episodic style the company has perfected with the Monkey Island and Sam and Max series.

Back to the Future: The Game – Episode 1 Telltale Games

9 hours, 9 people 9 doors is a unique style of interactive entertainment that has more in common with a novel than a standard video game. There are plenty of puzzles to solve and decisions to make, however, which tailor the experience to the individual player.

features a fast-forward option that allows players to speed past text they’ve already read, stopping when new information is on-screen. Also, choices the player has already made will be grayed out, insuring that they will know what they haven’t done yet. Further, the game’s true ending really is worth the effort. It provides an amazing twist that not only brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, but manages to give significance to all of the other endings. Overall, 999 is a game that

puts all of its emphasis on delivering a stellar story and in this regard, it is an absolute triumph, rivaling Heavy Rain for best of 2010. This is backed up by a strong puzzle element and everything mixes to make a truly grand, highly-replayable DS experience. Any gamer willing to take a chance on a genre not often favored on this side of the world owes it to themselves to play one of the best DS games released so far.

In recent years, Telltale Games has gained a reputation for producing some of the best adventure games on the market in addition to proving that episodic gaming can be done right. Titles such as Tales of Monkey Island and the Sam and Max series have shown the company’s ability to develop new games that stay true to the spirit of the source material. With the release of the first episode of Back to the Future: The Game, Telltale Games has continued to impress, creating a title that does justice to the beloved trilogy of films. In returning to the Back to the Future universe, Telltale has focused solely on providing a worthy continuation of the narrative. The game’s story, which once again has Marty McFly traveling through time in Hill Valley, was written in conjunction with Bob Gale, one of the creators of the original series. As a result, the dialogue and interactions of the characters all feel pitch-perfect, as do the callbacks to the films. The story itself is also strong, providing a satisfying first chapter for the

new series. Also helping the presentation is the performance of the voice actors. Christopher Lloyd reprises his role as Doc Brown and easily recaptures the character’s spirit. As for Marty, newcomer AJ LaCascio steps in for Michael J. Fox and plays the role perfectly. He manages to hit all the familiar notes of Fox’s performance while also making the character his own. The only aspect of the presentation that may be a letdown to some is the visuals. The cartoon style is charming, but may feel a bit underwhelming at times, especially with the poorly done lip-synching. In regards to gameplay, the first episode of Back to the Future: The Game is not going to be the most challenging and at times feels more like a tutorial for newcomers to the genre. Fans of the film series are not going to be bothered by this, though. Instead of challenge, Telltale has focused on crafting a love letter to the trilogy‘s fans, one that promises to get better as further episodes are released. For anyone who fondly remembers the twin fire trails of the DeLorean, there is no reason to not download this game immediately.

‘Mass Effect 2’ making way for final sequel After receiving a deluge of “Game of the Year” awards, Bioware’s flagship charts course for third installment with new DLC and lots of promises. Phillip Lin Staff Writer

This time last year, fans were highly anticipating the release of developer BioWare’s second installment in the critically acclaimed Mass Effect series. The sequel, titled Mass Effect 2, has since become one of the most lauded games of the year 2010. The game won numerous awards at the end of the year from game journalists and other media outlets including multiple “Game of the Year” or “Best Xbox 360 GOTY” awards f rom X-Play, GameTrai lers, IGN, Spike Video Game Awards, Giant Bomb and IGN Australia. In a gaming industry where game titles are often lacking in the story department, BioWare has become known for building their titles around well-written epic narratives. Gaming channels and websites XPlay, IGN and GameTrailers awarded Mass Effect 2 with “Best Story” or ”Best Writing” for 2010. Built around the top-notch story writing in the series is also the continued improvement of the game play. Much of BioWare’s continued success

stems from the studio’s willingness to listen to their fans and Mass Effect players have noted improvements made to the sequel based on their critiques. In the current gaming market, players often feel cheated by game publishers who have developers withhold certain content from the game, only to be later released as purchasable downloadable content (DLC) for an additional profit. Reviews for such DLC are often negative, with most players feeling the content is insignificant as a stand-alone package. Having already demonstrated that games can feature impressive sweeping narratives, BioWare has helped prove that downloadable content can be worth the extra cost. The DLC so far for Mass Effect 2, released throughout the year in 2010, has proven to be both substantial and made with the same quality and care as the full game. The first round of DLC was acquirable in the form of a Mass Effect 2 specific portal called the Cerberus Network, which offered multiple free DLC packages. The Cerberus Network itself came free for those who purchased Mass Ef fect 2 new from retailers and players who bought the game used had to purchase the DLC service for an additional cost. Afterwards, BioWare released three more full DLC packages, which were met with positive

“The network will resume briefly for a few weeks in 2011.”

Photo courtesy of Bioware

Mass Effect 3 was announced on December 11, 2010 at the Spike Video Game Awards via a short teaser trailer depicting an earth under assault. The game is scheduled for a November 2011 release and will conclude Commander Shepherd's storyline.

reviews. At the beginning of the New Year, BioWare announced that they would be temporarily shutting down the daily news updates that the Cerberus Network had been providing since last January. The network will resume briefly for a few weeks in 2011 to prepare for launch of Mass Effect 3, which was announced at the Spike Video Game Awards on Dec. 11, 2010. In typical Mass Effect fashion,

players will be able to import their saved game character and data from previous games into the sequel. The last DLC released in 2010, titled “Lair of the Shadow Broker,” was nominated for “Best DLC” at the VGAs and was the first DLC to present a storyline that will link directly into Mass Effect 3. More add-on content for Mass Effect 2 will be released before the launch of the last game in the Mass Effect

trilogy and as before, the final DLC will continue to bridge the gap between the second and third games. Speculations for Mass Effect 3 have been rampant since its announcement. The bar has been raised since the first game, but the second game left the player at the forefront of an unresolved war. The excitement for the trilogy’s end is higher than ever with the promised third and final act being the pinna-

cle climatic space battle of the series. The announced game add-ons from BioWare will allow fans to continue their experience in Mass Effect 2 and provide some insight into how the story will progress and link to the final chapter. Until then, the promised DLC in 2011 will help ease the pain of waiting for the day when Mass Effect 3 is finally released.

Features Arts & Entertainment

page 6 • Tuesday, january 11, 2011

Commentary

Technician

Commentary

The little things count in new ‘Focker’ film ‘Black Swan’ haunts and mesmerizes Little Fockers

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When you’ve seen as many movies as I have you get to recognize trends and patterns that occur within films. Often times these trends and similarities turn into cliffhanger endings which become trilogies or movie series. When it takes two, three or even four sequels to end a series, in my opinion, the story line and its characters become redundant and more often than not these sequels flop when they hit the box office. But on the rare occasion the opposite happens, directors like Paul Weitz get to walk away with their heads held high. We first met the Byrnes and Focker families in 2000 when they stormed the box office charts, reeling in $28.6 million for their premier weekend of Meet the Parents; not bad for another family comedy that attempted to add flare to the industry by recruiting the collective talent of Blythe Danner, Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and Teri Polo. The sequel, Meet the Fockers, introduced audiences to the more liberal and hippylike Focker family. Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) brings the Byrnes family to meet his parents, played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Steisand. Six years after its predecessor, the third entry in the blockbuster trilogy, Little Fockers, hit theaters on December 22, earning a whopping $26.3 million opening weekend and claiming the number one spot for its first two weeks of release. Recruiting the assistance of the adorable Colin Baiocchi and Daisy Tahan, who play little Henry and Samantha Focker, Weitz stepped up his game and

Photos Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

brought this comedic trilogy to a close. Jack Byrnes, who has a minor heart attack and defibrillates himself with some stray wires, is looking for a new “head of the family” to make sure that the Byrnes’ blood stays strong when his time comes. Robert De Niro, playing his typical mafia godfather-esque role, appoints Greg for the position, but not without his typical prying and snooping. After a series of tongue and cheek scenes and the imagined image of De Niro naked, Weitz plays on the responsibilities that come with the new grandfather role that Jack is introduced to. A character, though, that I felt had no business being in a family-friendly comedy was Kevin Rawley, played by Owen Wilson. His position as “guy with a crush on his best friend’s girl” is taken to new extremes in Little Fockers. Wilson’s role and that of Jessica

Alba (who plays Andi Garcia, the medical representative) were a waste of screen time. The point of the film was to introduce Samantha and Henry, not to reinvent the term sleazy. Little Fockers does an excellent job, however, of showing audiences the fascinating interactions between newly bonded families. Even when the heads of their families clash, the Fockers and Byrnes come together for the sake of the children. It is a heartwarming film wrapped in a series of effective comedic scenarios that leave the viewer wondering if the families’ differences will ever be resolved. In a world of uninspired comedies, Fockers maintains its momentum by focusing on characters that you actually care about, even after the laughter has subsided.

From the first ten minutes of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, you know how it is going to end. However, the end isn’t what is important in this psychological thriller. It’s the exploration of the protagonist’s harrowing spiral into madness that is the real focus of the film. Despite arriving in theaters nationwide on December 17, Black Swan topped many critics’ Top 10 of 2010 lists of films. It has also been awarded a Best of 2010 award by the American Film Institute. The film has been nominated for 4 Golden Globe awards and is receiving huge amounts of Oscar buzz, namely for Natalie Portman’s performance as the troubled protagonist, Nina. Already Portman has won 12 critic awards for the role. The plot is simple enough – Nina, a dancer with a New York City ballet company, has been cast in the coveted role of the Swan Queen in the new production of Swan Lake. However, the role requires her to also dance the part of the Black Swan, the seductive and cunning doppelganger of the Swan Queen. Nina, played with perfection by a doe-eyed and timid Portman, is spot-on casting for the role of the good and pure Swan Queen. But the Black Swan role gives her more trouble as Nina’s dancing is all about technique and perfection rather than passion and sensuality. While Nina struggles to find her inner Black Swan, she befriends Lily (Mila Kunis), a new dancer at the company, who is everything Nina is not.

Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

She’s an energetic, fun-loving and passionate dancer. Lily represents more of the traits of the Black Swan and as such, Nina becomes a bit obsessed with her. Lily brings some muchneeded comic relief throughout this dark film and Kunis’s sensual performance perfectly complements Portman’s. The other major player in this dark dance is the company’s director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) who tries to motivate Nina into exploring the darker parts of herself to prepare for her Black Swan role. Thomas is ruthless with his direction of Nina and it ultimately leads her to be consumed by the role, rather than just embracing it temporarily. Even though the basic plot is simple, the minute details are not. Nina, driven by her desire to be perfect to please both her director and over-bearing mother (Barbara Hershey), begins to hallucinate about seeing a dark, mysterious version of herself (which she often confuses with Lily). Aronofsky plays with this idea of doppelgangers throughout the film

with Nina and Lily, as the two look similar but have opposite personalities. Many critics have mentioned the graphic nature of the film, but I did not found it gory at all. Any fans of the horror genre can stomach this. The disturbing nature of the film comes from the unreliability of its protagonist. As the film is told through Nina’s perspective, the audience never has a clear view of what is really going on. Nina’s hallucinations are presented as events in the film and it’s only later that Nina (and the audience) realize something strange happened. Because of this, there are a lot of twists and surprises that you definitely won’t see coming. Aronofsky has a gift with taking the ordinary and distorting it to the point that it is unsettling. He takes the beautiful art of ballet and explores its darkest recesses. Against the backdrop of a posh ballet company, a young woman loses her mind. This startling juxtaposition is why Black Swan is such a beautiful, mesmerizing event.

Sports

TECHNICIAN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011 • PAGE 7

MENS

FOOTBALL

continued from page 8

continued from page 7

better and more improved than this year’s. The entire secondary is composed of only sophomores or freshmen who will continue to get better. You can’t replace a Nate Irving, his combination of talent and instincts are very rare and he will go down as one of the best defensive players State has had in the past 20 years. But Terrell Manning and Audie Cole will only improve on there already terrific seasons this year, while an influx of younger linebackers and transfer players will be able to adequately fill the gap. Offensively, Andrew Wallace, Camden Wertz, Zach Allen and R.J. Mattes are all just sophomores and have an entire season under their belts. Couple that with the injection of five star prospect Robert Crisp and O’Brien now has the type of offensive line that made him famous at Boston College. It’s also one that should be able to easily dominate any defensive front it sees. The receiver position will be the biggest drop off with the loss of Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis. All three of those players were the top targets this season. But their departure offers the opportunity for many other receivers such as Steven Howard, Jay Smith and T.J. Graham to step up and see if they can turn the glimpses of greatness they’ve shown over the last few seasons into steady contributors. Even if the passing game struggles, the emergence of James Washington and Mustafa Greene means that he running game has the ability to carry the offensive load if necessary. Then there is Russell. He may be the one player who could vault this team next season but his next move is still up in the air. He may stay or leave, but either way the quarterback position will be manned by someone who understands the offense and is more than likely capable of moving the ball. Mike Glennon was rated one of the top-3 quarterback recruits in the nation for a reason; he just hasn’t had a chance to show it. I’m not saying the football team will jolt into national attention playing for the BCS title year after year, but I do believe that from here on out O’Brien won’t accept sub-.500 records. State has the players, talent and ability to compete for the ACC title next year and the next few years after that. Past that, who knows? But a Champs Sports Bowl title is not the peak—there will be much more to come.

against considerably lesser competition. In State’s four marquee out-of-conference games against Wisconsin, Georgetown, Syracuse and Arizona, the team ran into extended cold streaks, ultimately leading to a loss each time. The Wolfpack will be

seeking its first 2-0 conference start since the 2003-04 season. Although State’s talent can rival any team in the ACC, junior swingman C.J. Williams said the team is beginning to play more like a cohesive unit. “We are playing together as a team”, Williams said. “We have so much talent that sometimes we think individually we can do it but when we play as a team it definitely works for us.”

WOMEN’S

lead into the half. White then took control of the game early in the second half scoring a continued from page 8 quick four of the team’s six points to stretch the Pack’s lead stepped up in her absence. “We had a lot of differ- to 42-29. From there it was all N.C. State, as ent people the Deacons step up,” never got the Harper deficit back s a i d . “I dow n i nto obviously single digits. don’t like Wit h just Marissa six minutes sitting on remaining the bench in the game that long the Pack with two stretched its fouls but lead to 20 a lot of points when different freshman forward Kody Burke senior forplayers w a rd Br itstepped up. Amber had a nice game tany Strachan drained a three from the corner, basically and Kody played well.” T h e wom e n’s t e a m driving the nail in the coffin seemed to follow the trend for the Deacons and securing the men’s team set Satur- the Pack’s first ACC win of the day against Wake Forest as season. it dominated the Deacons down low. Leading that charge was Burke and junior Bonae Holston. The two forwards helped to lead the charge down low as State outscored the Deacons 36-20 in the paint, while out rebounding them 41-30. The Pack took a 36-25

“It is important to take it one game at a time and focus on the little things you need to do.”

KEVIN COOK/TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO

Redshirt sophomore linebacker, Terrell Manning, waves a “Wolfpack” flag after N.C. State’s 23-7 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando Florida on Dec. 28, 2010. Manning was responsible for four tackles.

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ACROSS 1 17-Across in the neck 5 Adventurous 10 Domesticated 14 Chase on stage 15 Cat-__-tails 16 Wicked 17 See 1-Across 18 Passé keyboard key 20 Bigger photo: Abbr. 21 Extremely, in Essex 22 Horror maven Craven 23 Follower of Mary 25 Sphere 27 Was beaten by 29 Midday energizer 34 K-6 35 Stroll 37 Vowel before omicron 38 Bounty rival 39 Angle irons graphically represented by four sets of black squares in this grid, and by letter formations starting in the four longest answers 41 Picket line crosser 42 Garden site 43 Actor Neeson 44 Finishes the road 45 Got sick again 48 Like some quaint lamps 50 Fair grade 51 German GM subsidiary 52 Workshop sprite 55 Crete-born “View of Toledo” painter 59 Texas ranch initials 62 “I’m afraid this will sound funny” 64 Dublin’s land 65 Red Muppet 66 Trace 67 Future atty.’s hurdle 68 Boatload 69 Preminger et al. 70 Eyelid problem

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DOWN 1 Lounging jacket wearer’s smoke, maybe 2 Verve 3 Video game difficulty setting 4 Bronze relative 5 Pasadena arena 6 Andean ancient 7 Letter addressees 8 Masseuse’s challenge 9 Cowardly 10 Business card abbr. 11 Speak bluntly 12 Cats’ quarry 13 Benevolent lodgeful 19 Ancient strings 21 NYC subway line named for two boroughs 24 Farmers’ publication? 26 Brush component 27 Hyped-up feeling 28 Say “bo’s’n,” say 29 Scottish pattern 30 Gumbo pod 31 Names on it are off-limits to telemarketers

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Sports

COUNTDOWN

• 18 days until the men’s basketball team takes on UNC at Chapel Hill

INSIDE

• Page 7: A continuation of the column on the football team’s future.

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 8 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Findley hires assistant New head coach Kelly Findley hired his first assistant coach as he added David Costa to his staff. Costa followed Findley to State as he had worked under Findley at Butler since 2006. Costa was a former soccer player at UNC-Charlotte, playing four seasons there, while helping to lead them to the Conference USA Championship game in his senior season. SOURCE: N. C. STATE ATHLETICS

Leslie named ACC Rookie of the Week For the third time this season freshman forward C.J. Leslie was named ACC Rookie of the Week. This is the second straight week Leslie won the award and was due to his performance during the Elon and Wake game. During those two games Leslie averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, with the Pack winning both games. SOURCE: N. C. STATE ATHLETICS

ATHLETIC SCHEDULE January 2011 Su

Sa 1

Today WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. WAKE FOREST Reynolds Coliseum, 7 p.m. Tuesday MEN’S BASKETBALL AT BOSTON COLLEGE Chesnut Hill, Mass., 9 p.m. Friday TRACK AT VIRGINIA TECH INVITATIONAL Blacksburg, Va., All Day WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT NORTH CAROLINA Chapel Hill, N.C., 7 p.m. GYMNASTICS VS. OKLAHOMA Reynolds Coliseum, N.C., 7 p.m.

Pack dismantles Deacs, 80-59 White’s 22 points helps lead to team first ACC victory. Taylor Barbour Sports Editor

After losing its first game in ACC play to Clemson by only two points, the N.C. State women’s basketball team, 9-7 (1-1 in ACC), needed a big win against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 9-8 (0-1 in ACC) and it got just what it needed as it easily defeated the Deacons 80-59 Monday night in Reynold’s Coliseum. “I am proud of our kids. I thought we were poised on the offensive end and thought that was one of our better defensive performances as of late,” coach Kellie Harper said. “We showed some toughness and that is an area we have been working on in practice. “Wake Forest is always a tough matchup for us so I am really proud of our kids coming out and playing hard today.” After the tough loss to the Tigers, freshman forward Kody Burke believed a renewed focus on the finer points of the game is what led to the teams blow out victory. “It is important to take it one game at a time and focus on the little things you need to do because in the end the little things are what count and what allows you to win games,” Burke said. Redshirt senior point guard Amber White led the way for the Pack leading all scorers on both teams with

ALEX SANCHEZ/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore guard Marissa Kastanek reaches past Wake Forest defenders during the game at Reynolds Coliseum Monday. Kastanek finished the night with 6 points and 2 rebounds in the 8059 Wolfpack win.

22 points. Most of White’s points game inside the paint as she was able to drive into the lane with ease throughout the game. White said her performance was due to her regaining her confidence. “I didn’t like my performance last game against Clemson,” White said. “I didn’t shot particularly well and just getting my confidence back and finding a consistent shot was key tonight.” Turnovers played a huge part in the game as the Pack capitalized Wake’s sloppy play scor-

ing 20 points off of 19 Deacon turnovers. “That [capitalizing on turnovers] is something I don’t think we have been great at all season,” Harper said. “So us being able to capitalize on other people’s turnovers and mistakes is a huge plus for us. “ We have talked about taking advantage of our opponent’s mistakes quite a bit and we did that tonight.” The Wolfpack was plagued by early turnovers and missed the first six three-point shots it took, but White and freshman forward Kody Burke got the

Pack on track. Burke started off in the first half with nine points and three rebounds for State, which led all players. She finished the game with 15 points. Usually active sophomore forward Marissa Kastanek, struggled with foul trouble, leading her to play only two minutes in the first half. But the Pack was able to cope with her loss and other players such as Burke and freshman guard Devin Griffin

WOMENS continued page 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wolfpack set for Boston College State looking for first 2-0 ACC start since 2003-04 season. Tucker Frazier Deputy Sports Editor

WRESLTING AT VMI Lexington, Va., 7:30 p.m. Saturday TRACK AT VIRGINIA TECH INVITATIONAL Blacksburg, Va., All Day MEN’S TENNIS VS. DAVIDSON J.W. Isenhour Facility 10 a.m. MEN’S BASKETBALL AT FLORIDA STATE Tallahassee, Fla., 4 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS School

Conf.

Overall

Duke

2-0

15-0

2-0

12-4

NCSU

1-0

UNC

1-0

11-4

1-1

12-4

1-1

10-4

FSU

1-1

11-5

UVA

1-1

10-6

0-1

7-7

0-1

7-9

Miami 0-2

11-5

10-5

0-2

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

With one conference victory already under its belt, the N.C. State men’s basketball team hits the road for a showdown with Boston College (12-4, 2-0 ACC) at 9 p.m. tonight. Coach Sidney Lowe and Co. will be looking to build off the momentum from Saturday’s 90-69 win against Wake Forest, where the team outrebounded the Deacons 47-22 and scored 46 points in the paint against the preseason favorite to finish last in the ACC. However, things may not be as smooth sailing against a much more formidable Boston College team. The Eagles own a pair of conference victories over Maryland and Georgia Tech, and will be looking to claim the top spot in the ACC with a win over State. Senior Tracy Smith’s return to the hardwood following an 11-game layoff due to knee surgery has been a blessing for the young Wolfpack team. The power forward has provided stability in the frontcourt, averaging 18 points on 21-35 shooting in three games since his return. Lowe said Smith’s presence in the lineup is invaluable to an underclassmenheavy roster. “It makes a great difference. He’s our main guy inside that we go to and our guys are very comfortable having him in there,” Lowe said. “He can settle us down. When things are getting a little rattled we can always call a set to get the ball in his hands.” Along with the reemergence of Smith, freshman C.J. Leslie appears as though he is developing into the type of impact player many Wolfpack fans had such high hopes for entering the season. Leslie, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Week, has posted two straight 19-point games and is currently sixth in the ACC in rebounding. Smith said the team is

MATT MOORE/TECHNICIAN ARCHIVE PHOTO

Tracy Smith tries to dribble past Carolina’s Ed Davis during the second half of State’s 77-63 loss. Smith had six rebounds and scored 20 points during the game on Jan. 26 2010.

continuing to build chemistry and learn from each game. “We continue to get better. The young guys continue to learn and we have to help them as seniors,’”Smith said, “They follow our footsteps and we’re teaching them.” While the temperature has been

frigid over the holidays, State’s offense has been anything but. In four games over the break, the Wolfpack (11-4, 1-0 ACC) has won by an average margin of 22.3 points. But those wins have come

MENS continued page 7

COMMENTARY

This is just the beginning From my seat in the student section of the Citrus Bowl, I had a perfect view of Russell Wilson and company celebrating the crushing defeat of West Virginia and a Champs Sports Bowl title. It was a fitting way for a group of s e n ior s , which had been through Taylor some rough Barbour times, to go Sports Editor out. There were trying times in the beginning of the Tom O’Brien era in Raleigh. In his first three seasons he failed to ever have a winning record, finishing 5-7, 6-7, and 5-7. But then came 2010. a 9-4 campaign, tying for the second most wins by a State football team in school history, a Champs Sports Bowl title and a beat down of the hated Tar Heels. A team predicted to finish near the bottom of the ACC in the preseason by almost every media outlet came out and finished with a 9-4 campaign, tying for the second most wins by a State football team in school history, a Champs Sports Bowl title and a beat down of the hated Tar Heels. Some people say that it could just be a simple fluke of a season, a one-and-done year for the Pack where all of the stars, moons and planets aligned perfectly, giving fans a glimmer of hope before a demoralizing drought of wins. I am not one of these people. Maybe I just haven’t been around long enough to experience the gut-wrenching rollercoaster ride that is N.C. State athletics, but I believe this is just the beginning of good times for the football program. In the first three years of the O’Brien era extraneous factors led to disappointing seasons, factors that not even Bill Belichick or Vince Lombardi themselves could have fixed. In those first three years, State was unusually decimated by injuries in all three seasons. Rarely in any of those 37 games were the starting lineups from a week before the same heading into the next game. Injuries happen to every team, and good teams learn to just plug in another player, but couple that with a new coach installing a tough-to-grasp defensive system and constantly rotating a set of offensive skill players, means your going to struggle. However, once the injury bug was squashed and the players began to understand the system, the team flourished. That is what we saw this season. The unit’s turnaround from last year to this year is miraculous. Last season, the defense was giving up 31.2 points per game, including four games in which it gave up more than 40 points. This year the defense only allowed 21.3 points per game 29th best in the NCAA. But this turnaround wasn’t just a stroke of luck. Instead, it’s just the beginning of what’s to come. O’Brien and defensive coordinator Mike Archer have developed a recruiting base where they are getting their kind of players built for the defensive system and are not forced to have to play them as soon as they get here. There is now time for the players to learn and understand the defense instead of being thrown out into the game like sacrificial lambs. There’s reason to believe that next year’s defense will be even

FOOTBALL continued page 7