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Thursday March 5, 2009
volume 90, no. 81 www.theshorthorn.com
A (GrAphic) Novel ideA since 1919
Watchmen becomes the latest comic to reach the silver screen.
pulse | section B
FeedBack
Tobacco-free campus topic of online survey Members of the UTA community have until March 13 to participate. By Bryan BastiBle The Shorthorn staff
The Tobacco Free Campus Initiative committee launched a survey Wednes-
day to assess whether the campus community would want to move toward a tobacco-free campus. The short survey, which can be reached by going to www.studentvoice.com/ uta/smokefree09, began Wednesday and will be available through March
take the survey http://studentvoice.com/uta/smokefree09
13, according to a letter emailed to the campus community Wednesday by Jean Hood, Human Resources vice president.
The survey asks questions like, “Which of the following tobacco products do smoking continues on page 3A
The Shorthorn: Andrew Buckley
an online survey was launched by a committee of university officials to collect feedback in an initiative for a smoke-free campus. A series of open forums will be scheduled during March and April to give the campus community an opportunity to voice their opinions.
Empowering Heights nursing sophomore Valerie arnaez pumps her fist in victory after reaching the top of a rock wall erected in front of the University Center on Wednesday. The wall was set up by the U.S. Army to encourage students to enlist. Below: sgt. 1st class Blake Wilson jump-starts the U.S. Army’s rock climbing wall Wednesday at the University Center mall. The soldiers were at the university to participate in the Student Health Advisory Committee Student Health Fair and encourage recruitment. The Shorthorn: Chris Hudson
Guest speaker
Professor discusses physics of NASCAR Diandra Leslie-Pelecky researches various aspects of the sport to learn how small components make a substantial difference. By Bryan BastiBle The Shorthorn staff
NASCAR is more than just gas, speed, steel and left turns. UT-Dallas physics professor Diandra LesliePelecky said NASCAR is more difficult than it looks when she scientifically explained it on Wednesday in “NASCAR: The Science of Speed.” Her interest in NASCAR started as an accident — literally — when a group of cars hit the outside wall going around a turn. If the crash wasn’t caused by an engine failure, tire blowout, and no other car touched it, what caused the crash? The question resulted in research. “When things go wrong ... they go wrong in a big way,” she said. “When engines blow up, they tend to blow up in a more magnificent way.” The anatomy of a race car, the aerodynamics of the sport and the force put on the driver and the car at high speeds were some of what she learned when she conducted her research. She spoke about the tread on the tires, how teams have different rubber compounds and denascar continues on page 3A The Shorthorn: Holland Sanders
lecture
technoloGy
Executive producer teaches how to score a job in video game industry
OIT surveys analyze campus computer use
The alumnus says the field still hires despite the ailing U.S. economy. By dustin l. danGli The Shorthorn staff
Jim Galis helped students reach the final level — the workforce — at his presentation Wednesday in Nedderman Hall. The alumnus and executive producer for Toy Headquarters, a video game publisher and developer, shared tips and tricks to help students get into the video game industry. About 100 people attended “From the Trenches: Real World Game Development and the Connection with Higher Education.” Galis illustrated the competitive nature of the industry to shake off glamorous assumptions, said Arthur Reyes, undergraduate adviser and se-
nior lecturer. “It helped students find out if they actually wanted to get into the game business,” he said. Galis said studios look for the best talent to make money in the growing industry. Last year, 450 games were released, and only a fraction saw large revenues. In order to compete, Galis said studios create the top teams. “I’ve found it’s all about hiring the right people,” he said. “Creativity is a big plus.” Galis stressed that game developers look for three traits: creativity, cooperation and application. “Engineers that are creative push the technology forward,” he said. “The only way to get a game shipped is to work together.” He also suggested classes applicable for students.
The first 500 students to respond will receive $5$10 in MavMoney. By Johnathan silver Contributor to The Shorthorn
The Shorthorn: Jacob Adkisson
computer science graduate student Titus abraham listens as executive producer for Toy Headquarters, Jim Galis, an alumnus, lectures Wednesday in Nedderman Hall. Galis discussed the importance of higher education in the game industry.
Galis said even working with engines like Microsoft’s XNA Developer kit, used to make games for Xbox 360, can help student careers in the future. “They teach you a lot
about what it’s like to build a game,” he said. “It helps to understand the theory of what it takes to build a game.” games continues on page 3A
The Office of Information Technology will award MavMoney to the first 500 students who complete surveys and enter their NetID. The surveys ask about the technology that students use on and off campus and how frequently they use it. OIT Vice President Suzanne Montague said the reward cutoff of 500 hadn’t been reached by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Students can take the survey by logging on to any lab computer and clicking the links on the desktop. Due to laptop and computer software popularity, the surveys will help campus facilities change with the times, Montague said. OIT will deposit the $5
into students’ account at the end of each survey, but students must give their NetID. The surveys are the first of four phases for OIT to evaluate its facilities, Montague said. The other phases include surveying faculty, doing inventory in the computing labs and gathering campus representatives to review and respond to survey results. OIT conducted a survey of students’ opinion of computer facilities across 98 institutions in 2008. Most of the students who responded belong to the “Net Generation,” according to the survey. Findings indicate that those surveyed value information technology’s role in providing convenience and expect services to be available when needed. Johnathan silver news.editor-shorthorn@uta.edu