Where does all the money go?
Parking ticket myths are dispelled.

By Abby Bearman
News Editor

Seeing an array of yellow
Yellow envelopes mean parking tickets and they are a common sight throughout campus.
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

It is not uncommon to hear Ferris students complain about the little yellow envelopes stuck under their windshield wipers.

DPS has a way of making friends around campus. But where does all of the money from those tickets go? Typically, over $10,000 worth of tickets are issued every week.

The rumor of the moment is that the money is being spent on the State Street beautification project, which Department of Public Safety Interim Director Mike Cilibraise was quick to refute.

"The State Street plants are on a grant from the state of Michigan. It was actually a grant awarded to Ferris and the City of Big Rapids," Cilibraise said.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has continued the grant and the project is going to continue northward, but back to the parking tickets.

According to Assistant Director of DPS Diana Hepler, the money collected from the parking tickets goes into the general DPS fund.

The fund is under the discretion of Dr. Rick Duffett, the Vice President of Administration and Finance.

"The vice president decides where he wants to divert that [money]," Cilibraise stated.

The funds are typically applied to general maintenance and improvement of the parking lots, the creation of new parking lots, the paving of existing unpaved parking lots as well as lighting for parking lots and other areas on campus.

For more information about parking ticket informaiton contact DPS at 591-5000.

Student Government settles many different events at meeting
Proposal 4 and SAPC appeals are just a few things discussed.

By Adam Wiese
Assistant News Editor

In a meeting on Nov. 12, Student Government settled many different issues and a few motions were initiated.

At the beginning of the executive cabinet reports, Vice President of Finance Lisa Zelt stated that no more SAPC meetings are being planned for this semester as all funds have been exhausted for allocating to student groups.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Heather Kchodl also stated her intentions to have members of the Student Government conduct a survey of 900 random Ferris State students.

The data collected through this survey will be used for an upcoming project.

Another notable statement came from Vice President of Governmental Affairs Mircea Cotosman.

"In a surprising upset, the students of Michigan have spoken and we defeated Proposal 4 last Tuesday in the general election," Cotosman stated. "Many 'Ferris friendly' candidates were elected into office last Tuesday as well."

Upon finishing the executive reports and closing new business, the Ferris student chapter of the NAACP requested funding during the hearing of the public.

Student Government allocated $200 to the NAACP to pay for the registration fees of an upcoming national conference.

Student Government also held an executive session, after the hearing of the public was concluded, to decide whether to hear Alpha Phi Alpha/Delta Sigma Phi's final appeal for funds to help sponsor an A-Train Tour concert.

After two hours of debate, the governing assembly decided to not hear the fraternities' appeal by a two-thirds majority vote of the representatives. The fraternities alleged that they had new information, which was not available when they first appealed the decision.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m., four and a half hours after the meeting was initiated.

Ferris celebrates Native Americans
This month's events include a speaker and dance.

By Jessica Wortley
Ferris State Torch

Last Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Office of Minority Affairs and the OMA Student Advisory Committee sponsored Native American singer Joseph Fire Crow as the first event in a series celebrating Native American History Month.

Fire Crow performed traditional music on the flute, in addition to singing songs from his various albums. One of these albums, "Cheyenne Nation," earned a Grammy nomination for the best Native American music album.

According to Matt Chaney, assistant director of Minority Affairs, there were about 40 people in attendance, ranging from local youth and community members to students and faculty.

The event was held in the Centennial Dining Room in the Rankin Center.

Chaney also mentioned that Fire Crow held a flute and culture workshop in the afternoon for students in a music industry management class taught by Catherine Arroe.

"I want to thank Catherine for organizing that. Everything turned out really well," Chaney said. "It's always nice to take advantage of the opportunity to mix cultural events and academics."

In addition to Fire Crow, there will be three other events taking place in the next couple weeks including a speaker, a dinner and a dance group.

Steven Potter, an Odawa (Ottawa) Indian, will be on campus Nov. 21 to speak about the spiritual and ceremonial teachings of Native Americans and the philosophy behind them. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Center Presidents Room.

"Steven is a native of Michigan and is very involved in the Native American community," Chaney said. "It should be a pretty interesting presentation."

On Monday, Nov. 25 at the Rock Café, a Native American dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. for any person with a meal plan. A sample of the food to be served includes roasted turkey, whitefish, wild rice, corn bread and blackberry cobbler.

The final event will be a performance by the Bi-Maadziwin Dance Company on Tuesday Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Center Dome Room. This is a group of 15 to 25 youths from the Ojibwa-Odawa tribe of the Grand Traverse Band near Traverse City.

According to Scott Herron, a Ferris biology faculty and Ojibwa-Odawa tribe member, the group was established in 2000 with its purpose being to create a substance-free group where the students could focus on self-identity.

"The dances are all choreographed to native music," said Herron. "It teaches the students about the native culture, music and dress. It should be a really neat performance."

Ferris celebrates Native American Month every November. According to Chaney, the goal this year was to make the celebration more diverse and more effectively cover the culture through food, music and dancing.

"Instead of just having a speaker we brought in music since that is a strong part of their culture," he said. "This variety gives students more of an education."

Writing center helps students to write effectively
Writing tutors give students many benefits.

By Adam Wiese
Assistant News Editor

Are you stuck on a research paper and need to revise your paper? Are you looking to impress a potential employer through a great resume? If so, look no further than the Writing Center at Ferris State University.

This is one of many programs that the University sponsors to help students with their classes.

"Students can come in to learn to write better, or simply have a tutor proofread a paper or other document," Tracy Webb, associate professor in the Language and Literature Department, said. "We accept any kind of student-written document for revision and advice."

"For example, we have had students that come to us to proofread a paragraph," Webb asserts, "and, at the same time, have graduate students come in to have their master's thesis proofread.

"Some of the documents that we quite often help students with are resumes and cover letters for job applications," Webb said. "Students really want their resumes to look outstanding to employers and we can assist them in writing a resume."

The best benefit that the Writing Center offers is that their services are absolutely free for Ferris State students and faculty.

If you are interested in taking advantage of these services, you can visit the Writing Center's office in the Arts & Sciences Commons 1017. Sign up for an appointment between 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Walk-in hours are also available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon.

Also, you can contact the Writing Center electronically, using e-mail and sending questions or a whole paper, to writecen@ferris.edu. Expect a reply from a tutor by the end of the next class day.

"Ninety-eight percent of the students who use our services are happy that they came in," Webb stated. "Students and faculty also say they feel more confident in their own writing ability after using our services.

"Even if you are good at writing already, it's always good to have another person look over a paper," Webb advises.

For more information about the Writing Center, contact the Academic Support Center at 591-2534, or visit www.ferris.edu/htmls/academics/ Departments/Writing Center/.






Advantages and disadvantages of the card system
At some schools, swiping cards takes money out of going to college.

By Deborah Peterson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS - Dan Morrison, a 23-year-old graduate student at the University of Missouri at Columbia, could conceivably finish out his school career without ever opening his wallet.

And it's not because Morrison is cheap.

Like about 13,000 other students at the campus, Morrison uses his student ID card, which is attached to something called an EZ account, to do everything from getting a burger to washing a load of clothes.

"It's a real convenience," Morrison says of his ID-swipe card, which has the nickname because of a magnetic stripe on the back that records all the information campus accountants need to tote up charges on Morrison's account.

Though the cards themselves are nothing new-Julaine Kiehn, director of campus dining services says they have been around for about 15 years-the ones in use now are like athletes on steroids compared with their puny earlier incarnation.

"That's your ticket to about everything," Kiehn says of the student ID.

Along with enabling access to campus facilities, such as the library, dorm rooms and the recreation center, the ID card can be used to activate either an EZ charge or an Upfront account.

The EZ charge is a typical charge account, only this one has a $400 limit. Kiehn says the university holds students-and not their parents-liable for the charges.

The Upfront account is a declining limit card, which works like a debit card. Cash is deposited into the account first, and then purchases are subtracted from the balance.

Each of the accounts has to be set up in advance with the university.

"The main reason we have it is for student convenience, so they don't have to handle cash," Kiehn notes.

She says that about half the students at the 26,000-student campus don't have accounts attached to their cards, but still use their IDs frequently for such things as accessing meal plans, using the student health service and getting into dorm buildings.

The cards with accounts are now also usable in vending machines, washers and dryers, convenience stores and at the Burger King, Pizza Hut and Chick-Fil-A fast-food restaurants on campus.

Morrison and his peers have to be aware of at least one potential problem with the cards, aside from controlling their buying urges.

The cards do not require use of a PIN, which means that anyone who picks up a card can use it in places that don't require a signature or where a clerk won't look at the photo and the user to make sure they match.

Kiehn says that a student can report a lost card, either by phone, in person or online, and the account will be frozen immediately.

Students at other college campuses, such as Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, don't have the same easy access systems as the University of Missouri students.

Mike Dunlap, Washington University controller, says students there still need cash for vending machines, laundry, some bookstores and food that is not part of a university meal plan.

The university tried a card plan, with cards that had computer chips in them, a few years ago, according to Dunlap.

"It was not as successful as we had hoped it would be," he notes, adding that the cards themselves were expensive because of the microchips, and that they were not widely used by students.

Still, Washington University administrators realized that students needed change for washers and dryers and real cash for other purchases.

"All we did, actually, was install a lot of change machines," Dunlap says. "And we have a bank branch (Bank of America) on campus."

Gene Barton, associate vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Illinois, says state lawmakers effectively put the kibosh on using swipe cards for retail purchases on campus.

The law requires that if the university allows students to buy merchandise on campus with a swipe card, the students would also have to be able to use the cards to buy things from retailers off campus, according to Barton.

He says the school wasn't about to undertake such a relationship with merchandisers in Champaign and Urbana, the communities that surround the university. Some schools-such as Duke University and Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.-do have such relationships with off-campus retailers.

Students at the University of Connecticut next year will be able to swipe off-campus for groceries, haircuts and even time in a tanning bed, according to a newspaper article in The Hartford Courant.

But Barton says the U. of Illinois wasn't "about to go into the accounting business."

The alternative there is a myriad of ATMs around campus linked to "just about every bank imaginable," Barton says.

While neither Barton nor Dunlap sees his school heading for more swipe card convenience in the immediate future, the University of Missouri's Kiehn sees greater use on that school's horizon.

"I think there's only going to be more use," Kiehn says. "After all, we're heading more and more toward a cashless society."

Eminem on top of it all after successful movie debut and soundtrack

Eminem was number one at the box office until Harry Potter hit theaters.

By Greg Owen
Ferris State Torch

Eminem's show now
Eminem braces the front cover of the "8-Mile Soundtrack," his first full-length motion picture.
Courtesy CD cover

The controversial rapper Eminem and a host of other big time hip-hop artists team up to compile one of the best soundtracks to a movie with "8 Mile."

Eminem, Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers now have the number one movie in the country and the number one album, "8 Mile." The movie traces Eminem's life as a white rapper in the heart of Detroit.

Shady Records, Interscope Records and UMG Soundtracks produced the "8 Mile" soundtrack. Due to Eminem's rather controversial content, there is a Parental Advisory: Explicit Content label on the cover.

The 16-track album kicks off with the feature track, "Lose Yourself," which does not include anyone but the energetic and much hyped Eminem himself.

"Lose Yourself" starts off hard and continues to sound hard until the end, which is typical work from Eminem. The lyrics don't need to be played with much to make the song suitable for radio.

Obie Trice and 50 Cent team up with Eminem in "Love Me," which is somewhat of a letdown after the upbeat feature track. Obie Trice and 50 Cent are on the album four times.

Eminem is solo again in the title song, "8 Mile," which puts the intensity back into the album. From there he teams up with his friends in D12's "Rap Game."

D12 (Purple Hills) keeps the party going with Eminem's typically offensive lyrics. The song is more than five minutes long and gradually crawls to an end.

Hip-hop moguls Jay-Z, Nas ("Hate Me Now"), Xzibit and Macy Gray make their presence felt in the following tracks.

Jay-Z ("Big Pimpin'," "Girls, Girls, Girls") featuring Freeway keep the volume up in their track "8 Miles and Running." Jay-Z makes the song flow smooth and Freeway gives it the edge typical of this soundtrack.

If you have heard Xzibit ("X") before, you will know it is Xzibit without even looking at the title. X by himself gives "Spit Shine" a smooth flow with a get-off-your-butt attitude.

Macy Gray comes in and slows it down a bit with her distinct sound in "Time of My Life." She brings some deeper emotion into the soundtrack with this meaningful song. "Time of My Life" is relaxing and a nice addition to the edgy soundtrack.

Don't get too relaxed though. Nas ("Hate Me Now") graces the album next with "U Wanna Be Me." Not as upbeat as some of his other work, Nas still shows his attitude on the album.

Taryn Manning (Boomkat) brings smooth R&B rhythm and vocals to the album with her song "Wasting My Time." Manning's voice is a pleasure to hear. As was Macy Gray, Manning is a nice addition.

Rakim brings back the hype sound typical of the album with "R.A.K.I.M." Young Zee matches up well with 50 Cent with his song.

Gangstarr, with his song "Battle," only makes you want to hear Eminem wrap the album up.

He starts it hard and ends it hard as does Eminem with the final song, "Rabbit Run." The edge and hype of "Lose Yourself" shows again in this song.

The album starts great and ends great with good songs in between.

Jay-Z, D12, Xzibit, Nas and Macy Gray make this album one worthy of pushing the repeat button. As for Taryn Manning, look at what Eminem did for Dido's career. Don't be surprised to hear her name again.

And if you want to have this music, you will have to go and buy a copy. This album is write-protected and unburnable.

That's right - no duplication with this number one, which is for the better, since a bonus CD comes with the soundtrack.

The Shady/Aftermath Sampler features Obie Trice, who actually pumps out his best song on the six-track bonus disk, whereas Eminem falls off a bit but is still Eminem.

The 8-Mile soundtrack is definitely worth buying - as is the ticket to the movie.

"A Christmas Carol" seen in Ferris' future...
National theater group brings a musical version of the classic to the Ferris campus.

By Matthew Gatesy
Ferris State Torch

A new production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is coming to Ferris.

This musical rendition of the classic novel will be performed by Troupe America, a nationally renowned theater group out of Minneapolis, Minn.

Troupe America was founded by Producer/Director Curt Wollan and has been touring theatrical productions in the United States and Canada since 1987.

This is the Troupe's seventh year doing a holiday seasonal tour of "A Christmas Carol."

Past tours include "Pump Boys & Dinettes," "Moon Over Buffalo," "Lost Highway" and "The Sunshine Boys."

In addition, Troupe America performs at the Plymouth Playhouse in Minneapolis where they put on such shows as "How to Talk Minnesotan, the Musical," "An Evening with Groucho" and Troupe America's own "The Lovely Liebowitz Sisters."

This show promises to be something special. Troupe America has enlisted the help of Russia's top set and costume design genius, Larry Kaushansky.

Kaushansky's design for this show was chosen by Theater Craft Magazine in 1996 as one of the top set designs of the year.

In addition to Kaushansky's work, this production of "A Christmas Carol" will be enhanced with special effects created by renowned magician Franz Harary.

The show is filled with many of the most beloved traditional carols of the season, coupled with new music composed by Kevin Rotty. Rotty also composed original music for the national tours of "A Legend of St. Nicholas" and "Miracle on 34th Street."

The script for the show has been adapted by Buffy Sedlachek, a prize-winning playwright from the famed Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis.

Sedlachek has both written and adapted a number of plays which have been featured in theaters across the country.

"A Christmas Carol" is part of the Arts & Lectures series at Ferris. Already this year, the Arts & Lectures Series has brought great events, such as Maynard Ferguson and his Nouveau Bebop Band and Jeffrey Wigand.

The Arts & Lectures Series kicks off anew next semester with four great shows.

On Feb. 4 will be Squonk Opera's "Burn," a production set in the Appalachian coal region where a mine fire burns to this day.

On March 4, the Kevin Locke Trio will perform on campus. Kevin Locke is acknowledged to be the pivotal force in the now powerful revival of the indigenous flute tradition (Lakota Sioux).

The Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra will perform at Ferris on March 18. This past season, more than 123,000 people attended the Symphony's 90 ticketed concerts.

Finally, on April 15, Downstairs Cabaret Theatre presents "Ain't Misbehavin'."

The outrageously prodigious comic and musical soul of 1930's Harlem lives on in this rollicking, swinging, finger-snapping revue that's still considered one of Broadway's very best.

All shows, including "A Christmas Carol," will take place in Williams Auditorium and start at 8 p.m.

For more information on the shows, visit the Arts & Lectures Series web site at www.ferris.edu/

arts/seasonsales.cfm.

Tickets for all events are currently on sale. Prices vary by event.

"A Christmas Carol" is $18 for general admission, $15 for faculty/staff, and $6 for students.

Tickets are available at the Williams Auditorium ticket office, by calling 231-5600, or ordered on-line

at www.ferris.edu/arts/tickets.htm.

No pain, no Bain
Bryonn Bain will show off his poetry at Ferris.

By Greg Owen
Ferris State Torch


Poet Bryonn Bain
Poet Bryonn Bain comes to Ferris on Dec. 3 for the
speaker series in the Rankin Center.
Courtesy Photo

Bryonn Bain, author of "Bill of Rights for Black Men," is coming to the Rankin Center Dome Room at Ferris State to talk about the current state of affairs for black men.

Bain is scheduled to speak on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

Bain, recently seen on "60 Minutes" in an interview with Emmy-winning journalist Mike Wallace, is an award-winning slam poet. Some may describe slam poetry simply as animated storytelling through poetry.

Bain was the Boston Slam Poetry champion in 1999 and then won the 2000 Grand Slam Poetry Championships.

"[Bain] speaks his truths with a power we desperately need to hear," Cornel West, a renowned public intellectual, said.

"The Village Voice" published Bain's story about his experiences with racial profiling and wrongful arrests as the cover story in May of 2000. The article, entitled "Walking While Black: The Bill of Rights for Black America," received 90,000 responses.

His book of the same title will be out later this year, and a book of poetry entitled "The Prophet Returns" will be out in 2003.

"His shows are for everyone, and there is no real specific audience," Cindy Greenwood, the Student Activities coordinator, said.

Greenwood saw Bain perform at Washington State University.

Bain, who grew up in metropolitan New York, graduated from Ivy league Columbia University. At Columbia, Bain was the school's only four-time president of his class.

From there he went on to complete a master's degree in urban politics and culture at New York University, where at the age of 26 he became the youngest adjunct professor in the school's history. He teaches a course exploring the urban poetry movement of the 20th century.

After his work at Columbia, Bain then went to Harvard Law School. "(Bain is) one of the leading legal minds of his generation," West said

While at NYU in 1997, Bain organized the Blackout Arts Collective (BAC), which has become a grassroots organization that addresses communities of color. They address these communities through arts, education and activism.

After doing well in the New York metropolitan area for five years, the Blackout Arts Collective now has chapters in New Haven, Boston and Philadelphia as well as New York.

Bain has also written about an encounter he had in May of 2000. His article was a description of being profiled and wrongfully arrested.

Bain's article is the cover story to "The Village Voice," a New York City-based weekly publication.

While Bain was attending Columbia, he started a band, Diorgen, with his brother and cousin. Diorgen mixes hip-hop, rhythm and blues and spoken-word poetry.

Diorgen will be featured on "The Source Magazine's" hip-hop compilation, "For Those Fallen But Not Forgotten" this summer.

Diorgen has performed at benefits for the African Street Festival in Brooklyn, the NAACP East Harlem Tutorial Program, and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

The band also performed for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Bain will be the key focus in Jane Han's documentary "Urban Scribe." He will also be the star of an independent film "Hunting in America," which is written and directed by Kona Khasu, a Sundance Film Festival finalist.

The film was planned to be a full-length feature; however, there was not enough money to shoot the full film.

The team came together and created a short version to give to festivals.

With this shorter version, there are hopes that it will ignite the entertainment industry and bring in extra funding.

Bain is a part of the speaker series at Ferris State University and is presenting on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Student Center Dome Room.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it
Mission Imrovable hits Rankin Center tonight.

By Mary Gurnee
A&E Editor

On Nov. 20 in the Rankin Comedy Dome, also known as Rankin's Dome Room, the six-member group known as Mission Improvable will crack up Ferris State students and faculty.

The show is free for all who attend.

The power of six uses improvisation for their comedy.

There are no rules, no boundries and no form. This allows them to practice true improvisation. The group calls this type of comedy "Zen Improv."

The material that the group uses comes straight from the audience. Mission Improvable feeds off the reaction and laughter of the people in attendance.

The group may be most known for their comedy, which is similar to "Whose Line is it Anyway?"

This arrangement gives the comedian a situation and the comedian improvises a sketch, instead of performing a rehearsed routine.

Mission Improvable also uses long-form skits, a more imaginative approach in comedy.

With this performance, the comedians work from their relationships.

This type of comedy also gives the comedians a situation; however, this involves the entire group of performers instead of just one.

The situation gives them a start and then they lure to audience into a whole new world of laughter.

"Pile layer upon layer of sophisticated silliness that barely leaves you a microsecond to catch your breath," Elizabeth Maupin, of the Orlando Sentinel, said.

This group is also described as having high energy intelligence and quick-witted zaniness.

In the comedy world, this power of six is known as the Backstreet Boys or the N'Sync's of comedy.

For more information on Mission Improvable, visit the group's website at www.missionimprovable.com, and be sure to check them out on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Late eating can cause weight gain
Binge eating has many causes, but results are uniformly bad.

By Aline McKenzie
The Dallas Morning News

You were good all day. You ate light meals and snacked sensibly.

But by late evening, you give in that ice cream or bag of chips was calling to you as your stomach rumbled. Or maybe you were just feeling bored or restless, and you turned to food for comfort.

Nocturnal bingeing can signify many things, from a situation as simple as skipping breakfast because of a busy schedule, to subconsciously coping with depression.

"Bingeing on high-carbohydrate foods can be self-medicating, just like taking Prozac, cutting, starving, drugs, alcohol," says Jessica Setnick, a registered dietitian in Dallas who specializes in eating disorders. "Even excessive chewing of gum or chewing ice changes brain chemistry."

The bingeing resembles bulimia, except that there's no purging-vomiting or use of laxatives after eating. So, unlike bulimics, binge eaters tend to gain weight.

"Because they're so hungry, they eat fast," says Betty Armstrong, a clinical psychologist in Dallas who deals with obesity issues. "Satiation doesn't kick in."

There are no good statistics about whether nocturnal binge-eating is on the rise, but Setnick says she is seeing more patients, particularly among teens.

"I've seen a lot of kids stop bingeing just by eating breakfast and lunch," Setnick says.

In addition, "it may actually be a reflection of difficulties in relationships," Armstrong says. "They're kind of shy people, kind of lonely people. They may want to have relationships with other people, but they don't quite know how. Particularly with anxiety, (eating) kind of slows you down. You just can't be as agitated."

Armstrong says that almost all of her clients have some sort of eating mismanagement, if not outright eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia.

"All of them, to some degree, are interested in weight loss," she says. "They come to me for help with weight loss, and that's not my job. My job is to help them understand what happens when they do what they do. I try to understand what is it in their history that may have led them to this."

She gives her clients "homework assignments" in which they write down what was happening right before the binge, and what their feelings were before and afterward.

"They're very uncomfortable with these, and they're very uncomfortable with their eating habit, but they're more uncomfortable without it. Food becomes their best pal."

"I have some 350-pound adults who'll say, "When I was in high school, I wanted to lose 10 pounds,'" Setnick says. "They've gained 200 pounds just going through the dieting process."

Binges tend to involve high-carbohydrate snacks, both high-fat and low-fat, Setnick says.

Carbohydrates are thought to increase the brain's available amount of serotonin, a chemical that reduces depression. (Prozac works the same way.)

"It seems real popular for kids to eat dry cereal right now," she says. "But when you're done, you want more. It doesn't satisfy."

In the United States, people tend to "take things apart" when it comes to food, she says. They may focus on just avoiding fats, or just avoiding carbohydrates, when in fact we should be eating all of them- in moderation.

"Tell yourself you shouldn't have something, and you find yourself knee-deep in it," she says.

Overeating can also simply become a bad habit, says Karen Settle, a psychologist and director of counseling and testing at Southern Methodist University. We become accustomed to the idea that if it's noon, it's time to eat lunch even if we're not hungry.

Or, at a movie, we just have to have popcorn.

"Sometimes you can do some self-awareness," she says. "Another question would be 'Was I hungry before I ate?'"

"It can be 'I'm feeling lonely,' it can be 'I'm feeling bored,' it can be 'I'm feeling sad, or missing this person,' 'I'm feeling lack of confidence or fearfulness about my future' -you name it," she says.

She suggests that people limit eating to the kitchen or dining area, and avoid eating while reading or watching television. "It's almost hypnotic," she says.

In addition, she suggests that people eat large enough meals so they don't get hungry in the evening.

"When people listen more to when they're hungry, and try to eat just enough so that they're satisfied, and get a little exercise, you get wellness," she says.

May the Force be with you
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" picks up where "Star Wars: Episode II" left off.

By Matt Cherry
Opinions Editor

Every once in a while I find a game that isn't too original, doesn't push the limits of any system and can open the can at any time.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" for the Playstation 2 and the Gamecube is one such game.

Looking at the Gamecube version, it's nothing special. The visuals are basically just revamped meshes from "Star Wars: Rogue Leader," which isn't a bad thing, just not original.

It would have been nice to see a brand new look, but this is basically just the same graphical interface as "Rogue Leader" on the ground instead of the air.

The menus, however, are absolutely beautiful, and they alone are wonderful to look at.

The graphics are great at pulling the player in, and immersing them in the game.

However, they're not going to do too much past that point.

Also, the battle sequences look completely awesome, and there is virtually no slow down, even in the greatest of skirmishes.

The soundtrack, classic John Williams, can really belt it out on a Dolby Pro Logic II system, but it falls like a lot of other Gamecube titles in its compression.

The voices come out a little too tinny, and it's nearly impossible to tell if the voice actors are really the actors in the movie.

For example, Mace Windu may sound just like Samuel L. Jackson in one part of the level, and nothing like him in another part.

One of the great parts of this game is how it fits into the Star Wars mythos. George Lucas (from all accounts) is planning to begin Episode III at the end of the Clone Wars, so this game fills in a lot of details about what happens in between.

Another cool part is the playable characters. You can play as Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

And with those characters, you get to fight on many different planets, such as Geonosis and the Wookie home world of Kashyyyk.

You also have the chance to get behind the wheel of around 16 different vehicles, causing trouble and freeing worlds from the separatist movement.

The single player missions can get old quick, but the near-constant action and the ever-present threat of the end of the universe as we know it will keep gamers glued to this one.

There's even the occasional cut scene to help to tell the story, but, unfortunately, they tend to be bland and overdone.

Then there's the multiplayer mode. This is easily the greatest part of the game. With modes such as wave after wave of bad guys in "academy" and the all-out war of "conquest," players know that they're in for a treat.

Speaking of the "conquest" mode, this has to be one of the coolest multiplayer features that I have ever seen.

Basically, it works out that you and up to three of your closest (well, soon ex-) friends team off against each other in an all-out war.

You take control of bases and create towers to defend them, and friendly troops that can be used to defend your base or attack your enemies.

Any way that you look at it, this mode totally rules.

The overall gameplay is a dream. Players can easily control all of the vehicles, and it is easy to figure out what button does what.

The battle scenes can involve even the staunchest of gamers, and there's a good time to be had by all with this one.

When you add all of this to the load of secret features waiting to be unlocked, this game will have you coming back, begging for more.

And speaking of secret features, when you're on the main menu, try putting in the old "Konami" code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and start) for a special treat.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" has the makings of a great video game, and any Star Wars devotee is going to have many a sleepless night trying to free that one last world.

With its highly addictive gameplay and good (but not original) visuals and sounds, this makes for a great addition to any gamer's collection.

With this release, and with the release of "Star Wars: Bounty Hunter" coming right up, Star Wars fans will easily have enough to tide them over for the release of the role-playing game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" and the highly discussed "Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided" MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game).

While "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" probably won't be winning any awards for originality, it could easily win some for being a highly addictive, and a very fun, action game.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" for the Nintendo Gamecube gets an enthusiastic 8.1 out of 10.

Students can sing, but it's not original
Open Mic Nights are fabulous for musicians, but not for karaoke people.

By Karen Langolf
Ferris State Torch

It seems odd that in this college town there are not that many places to sing karaoke. Yeah, I know. When I mention to other students that I feel like singing they get sort of uncomfortable.

They start squirming in their seat or sort of hunch their shoulders.

Some will roll their eyes at me as if to say, "Singing? You actually do that?"

Well, yeah. I actually do that. And I think I am fairly good at it. Not great, considering I don't get much practice in front of other people. It is hard to be brave when you sing in the shower for practice.

Besides, it's not like I sing songs that people don't know or ones that I would get lettuce and tomatoes thrown at me. I try and sing stuff like Red Hot Chili Peppers or Sarah McLachlan.

Now, if I could find karaoke singles for Disturbed I would be much happier. I doubt I would sound very good, but who knows until I try?

If only my mother saw me right now. She put so much money into me singing Italian operettas when I was a kid. I think she might be ashamed that I am singing along with popular music.

Then again, there is not much else that I could sing songs and not feel nervous about what I'm singing. Sure, I've thought about joining one of the FSU choirs, but I wouldn't do any Christmas music, so that takes out at least one concert.

Another choice of choirs would be in a church-but that's out. Geez; not much else to go by. I don't have any musical talent except singing, so playing in a band is sort of out also.

I guess that means that people have to put up with me practicing my music at a karaoke place, generally somewhere that has an open mic night.

There is a bowling place on State that has karaoke on some night of the week in the bar area. But I cannot stand smoke, so I can't use that place.

Every now and then, some of the halls will have either a lip sync contest or a karaoke contest, but that's not very often for me.

Java Jack's, one of the new cafés on Maple Street, does Open Mic Night every Tuesday, and that is fun. Hang out there, get some coffee, and listen to various people sing or play their guitar.

I've gone there before for Open Mic Night and it was fun. One of the guys in there read some of his written poems while there was a group of people mixed together who individually played their self-written songs.

Listening to all this makes me wish I was a better musician and could write my own music. Lyrics are easier if you have a knack for writing poetry. Sometimes I can do that.

It's the sitting there and watching true musicians play their guitars and sing to their own beat that makes me feel uncomfortable. They are original and I am not.

That's why I would generally prefer a karaoke place, since I don't have to worry about being original.

True, I am always welcome at Open Mic Night and will continue to go; I just don't feel as secure or as good as those who write their own music.

Oh well. I'm not about to give up on my little obsession just because I cannot be original while I am at an Open Mic Night. Instead, I find more karaoke music and try them out.

It can only be bad if you forget the lyrics to a song. Next time I go into Java Jacks to sing Alanis Morrisette's "Uninvited," I just might grab a copy of the lyrics first. I don't need to repeat the past, after all.

Music - some people have it, and others write poetry to read at these events.

Then again, I could just do some homework instead of singing.

Nah! I think next week, I'll just buy a refill cup of coffee, sip it and then make my way over the mic so that other people won't have to go first.

Knock - knock! Hu's there?
Historical change of top leadership in China. Hu Jintao is the new leader of a billion plus Chinese.

By Mircea-Ioan Cotosman
Ferris State Torch

Did you know that China held its 16th Party Congress? Last week, the Chinese Communist party brought the "fourth generation" forth. Jiang Zemin presented his "heir" during the Congress, just like Deng Xiaoping put him in the front row 13 years ago after purging two other potential candidates.

Deng followed Mao Zedong, the Great Helmsman. In the history of the party, this seems to be the first calm and uneventful power transfer.

But all is not settled yet. Hu Jintao is the head of the Politburo, the council that runs the party, but he will only become China's President next March. With the history that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has, with backstabbing and treacherous alliances, he might not make it until March.

Not to forget that the current, soon-to-retire Chinese President will remain in charge of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission (CMC) for about two years. That is very important as we are talking about the military of the most populous country on this planet.

Like any great leader, Jiang is leaving behind a political legacy called "Three Represents" theory.

According to the theory, the Communist party must represent most advanced productive forces, including private business, represent the most advanced culture, represent fundamental interests of the broad masses (not merely a "revolutionary party" but one that stands for all Chinese).

Hu is 59 years old and somewhat of a mystery. Not many people know many things about him. It is hard to make predictions on the direction he will take the party. With Jiang still leading the army and other senior aides of Jiang around him, it is probable that Hu will not deviate much from the course of action that China was given by the CCP.

Soon enough, Hu will visit the U.S. to get to know President Bush, and that will be one of the first tests of the new leader. Here in the U.S., armies of political analysts will try and decipher every move he makes. At home, political vultures will sit in judgment of Hu's interaction with the U.S. President and the U.S. media.

In order to succeed, he should probably not get off the plane. Poor guy, I almost feel for him. If he had been chosen by the people, there would no concern about his political future, but in the present situation, where is only half leader, he still depends on the good will of the party chums and foes from home.

How does this supreme power change translate for the ordinary Chinese? They will probably not even notice it. The CCP has chosen to make reform slowly, very slowly. They will not skip any stage of the evolution to a great society. Time-wise, in order to see reform, it will probably take a generation or two to see concrete evidence of change.

Hu himself has made it very clear that much change or deviation from the current status will not occur as the new leadership will "bear in mind what comrade Jiang Zemin has entrusted us."

In a country where the supreme leader does not have to worry about majority in the House or Senate, nor does he have to worry about the media an public polls, Hu's political future is more uncertain than the future of a U.S. President without majority in the House or Senate.

One way or the other, we should keep an eye on the political developments in China as this country will play a great role on the political stage of the 21st century.

Depression: misunderstood
Many students suffer from depression and anxiety disorders.

By Aaron Hatfield
Ferris State Torch

With the recent realization of depression as a disease, as well as other anxiety disorders and my efforts for help, I am forced to stand up for those of us that are stricken with the diseases. There are many misunderstandings associated with depression and anxiety disorders that many people do not understand, which I would like to clear up.

Depression is a psychiatric disorder showing symptoms such as persistent feelings of hopelessness, dejection, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to sleep, and, sometimes, suicidal tendencies. Someone with this disease is not just unhappy and does not want to be happy.

They actually have a disease that makes them almost unable to be happy. There are different types of depression as well, such as manic depression and bipolar disorder.

An anxiety disorder is a psychiatric disorder causing feelings of persistent anxiety such as worry and fear. This disorder is the same as depression, it is a disease.

Those with the disease can often times not control the worries or fears. There also many types of anxiety disorders as well, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder.

People with depression will often have an anxiety disorder associated with it. This makes the situation even worse. Not only does the individual feel depressed, but with that goes along an immense amount of worries and fears that the individual cannot control, nor get rid of, at least not permanently.

OCD and other anxiety orders have or may have a certain aspect associated with them where the individual tries to control these worries and fears. With OCD, the individual experiences worries that they obsess over and form compulsions, or actions, to keep the worries or fears from coming to pass. These obsessions and compulsions take up at least one hour of an individual's day. This disease, at times, can be very debilitating or oppressing.

Many people who have never experienced either of these disorders have a severe lack of understanding for those who have. They are constantly saying, "You are just having a bad day," "Cheer up," or "Just stop worrying."

It is not that simple. Someone with one or both of these diseases cannot simply stop worrying or being sad. It requires therapy and/or medication as an aid to get the individual feeling better. Most times, people will end up dealing with the illness for the rest of their lives.

Also, many people have a hard time handling those with the illness. They are quick to become frustrated and angry with an individual who deals with the disorders and can many times take their anger out on the individual.

It is not their fault. This is the most important thing to remember. It is not their fault. I say it a