In the history of video games, few franchises have been around as long as the Super Mario series. Few have been as influential. For a series that not only saved the American video game industry from extinction, but codified its genre twice (Super Mario Bros. for side-scrolling and Super Mario 64 for 3D platformers), any new game in the series will have a lot to live up to. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (NSMBW), Nintendo’s latest entry in the series seems to succeed in just that… mostly.
First things first: NSMBW is a sequel of sorts to New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. The older game was praised when it was released as a return to the classic Mario side-scrolling that made the series famous. NSMBW contains much of the same feel, but adds quite a few new elements to the gameplay. For example, in addition to the venerable Fire Flower, which allows Mario to shoot fireballs to instantly defeat most of his enemies, Mario can now find and use the Ice Flower, which he can use to freeze enemies, the Penguin Suit, which allows better control on ice and in water, and the Propeller Suit, which enables the player to send Mario spinning upwards by shaking the Wii remote. NSMBW also adds some new stage elements, like large spinning platforms and view-obstructing clouds, that weren’t present in the DS game.
Another much-talked-about feature is the introduction of cooperative multiplayer. For the first time, multiple players can complete a stage at the same time. Player 2 takes control of Luigi, while Players 3 and 4 control blue and yellow Toads (little people wearing mushroom clothing). Although this can be fun for patient players, or for an experienced player to show another the ropes, the game is clearly designed as a single-player experience, and it shows.
Also, this game is hard. Even experienced players will likely have a tough time making it through a few of the stages, particularly the later ones. To help alleviate this, Nintendo included the controversial “Super Guide” feature. After failing to complete a stage eight times, a green block will appear at the beginning of the stage. Hitting the block will show a video of Luigi playing through the stage. If the video is watched to the end, the player will have the option to skip the stage. Although this has been controversial, it should be noted that the feature is completely optional, and that a level “skipped” can be visually distinguished from a level properly cleared.
So, is this game worth the $50 price tag? For the old Mario crowd, it is clearly a must-buy. For others, it depends. While the game is sheer platforming gold, a lot of it is recycled. Much of the music and almost all of the graphics are simply the cleaned-up DS New Super Mario Bros. music and graphics. The music that isn’t carried over from the DS is almost all remixes of older Mario tunes. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing–hearing the old airship music from Super Mario Bros. 3 is just plain awesome–it does result in a bit of déja vu. A few other things could have been improved as well–the game allows the player to carry an inventory of power-ups to use on the world map, but the only mini-game to get those items gets old really fast. Mixing it up with a couple different mini-games would have been a big improvement. Ultimately, though the game is good enough that it’s worth a try from anyone, it has enough flaws that for anyone besides a Nintendo fanboy, there is no reason to feel bad about missing it.

Facebook has become one of the most popular and influential mediums for social networking in the world. It is no doubt a powerful and convenient social tool, giving you easy access to friends all over, but can it be used for business purposes just as efficiently? Creating an advertisement or event on Facebook is easy – anyone can do it. All it takes is a date, a place, and a description of the event. You can invite anyone if you’re friends on Facebook. People who are invited can respond online with a “Will be attending,” “May be attending,” or “Not attending.” Many organizations on campus have turned to Facebook to advertise events. The question: is this new wave of advertising efficient? And will student organizations continue to use it?
Marc Starnes says no. Marc is part of several groups on campus including Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, USG, and Circle K International. He has found that Facebook has neither helped nor hindered the attendance of advertised events. “We’ve advertised rushes and meetings on Facebook, and I have found that there is no increase of people there.” For an annual fraternity charity event, the pancake breakfast and Grundy Run, Marc set up a Facebook event and advertisements.
Last year the event was not advertised via Facebook. The difference: none. “There was no difference in attendance between this year and last year. Part of the problem is that there is no personality involved, and a lot of people don’t have Facebook – and those who do might not even check it very often.”
Brittany Ondraka agrees with Marc. Brittany is a member of Mu Beta Psi music fraternity, pep band, and Superior Winds. “We’ve advertised events on Facebook, and I don’t feel like too many people actually look very closely at the events they get invited to. I know that sometimes I see one and just reply to it without really reading through it.” Brittany says that she still likes to have the events on Facebook as a reference for people regarding dates and times, but that face-to-face communication is the best recruitment tool. “You really just have to get out there and talk to people, and put up posters. People like it when you invite them personally.”
It seems that Facebook has the advantage of being a quick reference, but when it comes to increasing attendance, word of mouth is the best method.

Nick Jr.’s Emmy nominated show Yo Gabba Gabba! will be returning for its third season on Mar. 8th at 10:30 am. The show, which has a following of toddlers, teens, and adults alike, has been a huge success for Nick Jr. Yo Gabba Gabba! is rich in the arts and makes the imagination work. The show takes place in a fictional world called Gabbaland, following the daily adventures of characters Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee, and Plex. Hosted by a character named DJ Lance Rock, the show features retro style graphics and costumes, and catchy tunes that teach kids life lessons about sharing, sleeping, eating healthfully, and being nice to everyone.
The show’s appeal to families is apparent: it gets kids off the couch and involved in the show, dancing and imagining. A regular segment on the show, called Dancey Dance Time, teaches kids how to do silly dances like the Jumpin’ Jellyfish and the Peanut Butter Stomp. Yo Gabba Gabba! introduces kids to different dancing styles and musical instruments.
Another segment, called The Super Music Friends Show, features well known artists playing a concert for their Gabbaland friends. Yo Gabba Gabba! also has a drawing segment, where artist Mark Mothersbaugh teaches kids how to draw.
Guest stars on Yo Gabba Gabba! have included Mya, The Roots, Of Montreal, Elijah Wood, Biz Markie, The Saltines, MGMT, and many more. The third season promises to entertain – look for stars like Weird Al, Anthony Bourdain, Weezer, Devo, Flaming Lips, and Mos Def.

On Saturday, February 20, The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra performed their third concert of the season, titled “A Night at the Opera.” In addition to the KSO, the performance also featured Lara Neves as mezzo-soprano.
The performance began with the overture from Franz von Suppé’s Poet and Peasant. Although von Suppé wrote several works in the course of his career, only this and one other piece–the overture from Light Cavalry–are still commonly performed. Poet and Peasant Overture is notable for the contrast created by its sudden shifts in style and tone.
After introducing himself, KSO conductor Joel Neves then moved on the next piece, Otello, Act IV by Giuseppe Verdi, with Ms. Neves singing the aria, and supertitles in the back of the stage as well as notes in the program providing an English translation for the lyrics. Dr. Neves remarked on the irony of conducting his wife in this work: based on William Shakespeare’s Othello, Act IV concerns Othello’s wife Desdemona, who knows that her husband (incorrectly) suspects her of infidelity and plans to kill her. Otello is notable because, while most great works are written before the composer turn 53, Verdi wrote Otello at the age of 74, an age which it was considered impressive simply to live to at the time. It is now often considered Verdi’s greatest masterpiece.
After a short intermission, the KSO returned to play Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 and 2. The suites contain the most popular pieces from the opera of the same name, including the very well known Les Toréadors and Habañera. The suites are often considered to be a sort of “greatest hits” collection for Bizet. Since most sets of composers’ greatest works are drawn from several different greater works, that all of Bizet’s greatest masterpieces are from the same opera shows the greatness of that opera. Indeed, Carmen has long been one of the most performed operas. Ms. Neves again sang the original French arias for two of the works: Habañera and Gypsy Song, again with program notes and supertitles providing English translations.
The KSO will return for one more performance this season. The Bernstein Beat, featuring the works of Leonard Bernstein, and will feature his daughter Jamie as narrator. It will also feature some of the most technically difficult music the KSO has worked on all season, and as such it has already begun preparing for the concert. It will be performed on April 17.

Michigan Tech’s TV Production Club has released their new comedy film “Bohemia Bust-Up.” The film, which debuted in December at a showing in Fisher Hall, is now available for the general public on DVD. This is the culmination of a long process for the TV Production Club, which undertook the challenge of making the film after a meeting with Mt. Bohemia’s proprietor, Lonie Glieberman, and his desire to see a movie made at the Keweenaw County Ski Resort.
The film is about a down on his luck Michigan Tech student, Alex, who wishes to break up the soon-to-be engagement of the girl of his dreams, Bridget, to his arrogant graduate student teacher David. Eventually, he finds out the engagement will take place at Mt. Bohemia during the following weekend. He proceeds to follow his sex-crazed friends up to Mt. Bohemia during Mardi Gras weekend.
One subplot of the film develops once they arrive at Mt. Bohemia. The group discovers that there is a mad man poised to bomb the chairlift at the resort. Will Alex be able to get the girl of his dreams and stop the bombing?
Overall, I found the film to be quite enjoyable, especially considering the budget for the film. The plot, in general, is along the same lines of 2001’s “Out Cold,” which admittedly didn’t have a terrorist subplot, but touched on the same vein of outdoor sports and sexual humor.
What surprised me, however, was how genuine Gleason seemed while starring in the film. He conveyed the feeling of unrequited love extremely well, as the audience is left to ponder whether or not he will win Bridget’s heart over.
The film stars Ryan Gleason as Alex, Heather Ashley Blaha as Bridget, Andrew Johnson as David, as well as Amanda Nixon as RSG, Charles R. Temple as Evan, Josh Norsen as Frankie, and Ryan Huntington as Tuba.
Also appearing in the film are Christine Dempsey, Holly Walters, Nicole Adams, and Steve Martin, with a special appearance by Dennis Kerwin. The film was written and produced by Kyle Thornton, who co-directed the film with Will Fruin and Josh Norsen.

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On Feb. 11, The Tech Theatre Company opened their production of David Auburn’s Proof in the McArdle Theater, directed by MTU Theater Department chair Roger Held. The play, which won the 2001 Tony award for Best Play in its original Broadway performance, was warmly received by the audience.
The Tech Theatre Company’s production starred Nicole Kangas as Catherine, a mathematical genius dealing with mental illness; Dennis Kerwin as Robert, Catherine’s recently deceased father who contributed groundbreaking theories to several branches of mathematics; Frank Sopjes as Hal, a student of Robert, and Trish Goggin as Clare, Catherine’s sister.
Proof deals with the toll of Catherine’s efforts to support her mentally ill father, Clare’s efforts to support them both, and the relationships between Hal and both Catherine and her father. In the end, the play subtlety explores the meaning of “proof” in different contexts, from mathematics to trust.
The play had been in production since the beginning of the semester, Held explained. However, he remarked that amount of time was “not long enough” and although everyone involved did a good job of getting everything together in four weeks, they would have preferred six.
The play, like most events, had been planned since last year, like most events. When asked why Proof was chosen in particular, Held explained that there were a number of reasons. One of them was that it was a small show, within the Tech Theatre Company’s ability to produce. Another thing that motivated decisions on all plays was the ability to cast the play. Held explained that they look for plays that go well with the actors they have. In this case, having an older actor to play the part of Robert was nice, because he could serve as a role model for the younger actors.
Finally, the play was chosen because it was a good piece of literature. “It’s an inherently interesting idea,” Held explained, referring to the meaning of proof in different contexts.
Proof will be shown two more times in the McArdle Theater, on February 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm. It will then travel to the Calumet Theater, where it will be shown on February 27 at 7:30 pm.

Students in Marika Seigel’s HU3629 Grant Writing course have begun the long process of seeking funding for various local organizations and businesses. The class not only details the grant writing process with class readings and exercises, but also offers the students a unique opportunity to get real life job experience.
Community members who needed help from the class presented their ideas, projects, and goals to the students.
The students, in groups, chose who they want to work for, and will be collecting data, budgeting, doing literature reviews and research, and applying for grants on behalf of the client.
At the end of the semester the groups will have written actual grant proposals, intended for submission to foundations.
Local clients include: BHK Child Development Center, HERCULES (Husky Emergency Response Coalition Under Law Enforcement Supervision), KBIC Ojibwa Language Preservation, Copper Harbor Trails Club, Finlandia University’s Fiber and Design program, K-SNAG, and PANK magazine.
With the help of students from this course, two years ago the Copper Country Humane Society was successfully granted money for its spay and neuter program.
The grant, which is renewable, is still a huge asset for the Humane Society. Marika hopes to see more organizations get funding this year.
“The groups this semester are very local and self contained; I’m hoping to see some positive results,” she says. If the groups do not get successful funding, their work will still be greatly appreciated by the organizations.
“The companies can still use the proposals the students have written for future grant applications,” says Marika. “This is a great opportunity for students to get experience working with the real world, which can be trickier than classroom work, and polish their technical writing skills. It’s really great to be able to help out the business – and our community.”

The sub zero temperatures, ice, and, of course, Winter Carnival say it all: winter is most certainly here in Houghton. To many, this means a chance work up a sweat while hitting the slopes or the trails. But for busy parents who work or go to school all day, and have to take care of little ones at home, finding the time to exercise is often a chore. The grey skies and chilly air can frustrate already tired moms and dads- making a cup of hot tea and the television look all too inviting when the children are in bed for the night. I wanted to know: do local parents have the time and energy to exercise in the long winter months? If so, how and when? And if not, why?
Jen Van Domlen is an STC student here at Tech. She has a 10-month-old daughter named Hannah. She says, “It’s really hard to find the energy to work out at home, so what I try to do is walk to campus every day. I’m trying to lose weight, so I also eat more healthfully than I used to.” Jen also has several work out DVD’s that she tries to use a few times a week.
Professor Victoria Bergvall, a linguist at Tech, says that working out is easier on weekends and breaks. “I am fortunate that we have a recumbent bike in our basement, and my husband and son have set up quite a system of weights, so I use them too. I like the basement bike because it is handy–no shoveling snow to get to it!” Professor Bergvall also stated that multi tasking is a must. “I try to use the time efficiently: either I read or watch videos while I work out, usually either research or teaching related. “Local mom to two toddlers Jennifer Westman agrees with me that finding motivation is difficult, especially when you don’t care too much for the winter cold. Everything she does is inside. “Besides the usual chasing the kids around the house, I try to work out every morning before everyone else gets up. I use the treadmill daily, and go to yoga class once a week while my husband watches the kids. I use the Wii once in a while, and the trick to doing that is letting the kids work out next to me, using pillows as the Wii Fit Board.”
Clearly, finding time to work out in an already busy day is difficult, but not impossible for many local parents. The key is to be proactive: find fun things to do that may even get the whole family involved. Using your scheduling savvy as a parent can wilt away those holiday pounds, and ward away Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) Working out will keep you, and your family, from getting cabin fever. Good luck!

As Winter Carnival 2010 came to a close, Feb. 6 brought comedian John Oliver to a full house at the Rozsa center. Oliver first gained fame in the United States in 2006 when he joined The Daily Show With Jon Stewart as the “Senior British Correspondant,” and also does occasional stand-up tours around the country.
Oliver opened his show by highlighting Houghton’s remoteness: “Where the [expletive] are we?” He joked about Houghton’s weather, claiming that the audience consisted of the “hardiest nerds in the country” and must be expressing disbelief at the large recent snowstorm in Maryland “while you’re doing a wheelie in the snow.” He also expressed amazement at some of Tech’s Winter Carnival traditions, trying to get audience members to explain to him just what “Ice bowling” and the “Human dogsled” were. He replied, “I want to know everything you are doing here… you seem like you could get away with anything, and by the looks of things, you are!”
As the show continued, Oliver moved on to other topics, including the annoyance of songs that play over and over in one’s head, the experience of firing a gun for the first time (Britain bans private gun ownership), the absurd things Americans sometimes do, and even a brief aside on obesity, specifically the implications of someone saying “least obese” instead of “most healthy.” Even the existence of a reporter at the event became part of the comedy, as Oliver asked to see the reporter’s notebook, then expressed indignation at poorly-written notes that seemed to take his jokes out of context and joked that the reporter worked for Fox News.
The audience was a large part of the show, and would often respond to Oliver whenever something relating to Tech was brought up. Oliver expressed frustration when audience members replied in vague generalities when he requested to know absolutely everything about Carnival. Later in the show, after a joke about world records, an audience member shouted out that Tech holds three: biggest snowball, biggest snowball fight, and most snow angels in a single event. When Oliver pressed the audience for details, they responded with widely varying figures. Various claims included that the size of the snowball was 24 meters, 24 feet, and six meters (the actual snowball was about 6.7 feet in diameter). In response, Oliver joked that the audience was a “bunch of liars.”
The nature of the audience was also an important factor: Oliver noted that some jokes that normally get lots of applause fell flat, while other, more “geeky” jokes got a much bigger response than usual.
In addition to his work on The Daily Show and his stand-up tours, John Oliver also does a weekly news satire called The Bugle. He also has a new show on Comedy Central, John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show.

On Tuesday morning, nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif. The announcements were made by Tom Sherak, the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and actress Anne Hathaway.
This year’s Oscars, notable for the fact that it will be the first time since the 1943 Academy Awards where more than five Best Picture nominees will be featured (there will be ten in all), will take place on March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Among the films nominated for Best Picture were science fiction thrillers “Avatar” and “District 9,” as well as expected Oscar nominees “Up in the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” and “Inglourious Basterds.” Expanding the field to ten films did bring about some surprises though. Unexpected nominees included The Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man,” Pixar’s latest animanted film “Up,” and “The Blind Side.”
The other award categories went more conventional. Best Actor nominees include favorite George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker,” and Morgan Freeman for his portrayal of former South African leader Nelson Mandela in “Invictus.” Best Actress nominees notably include Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side” and Meryl Streep for “Julie and Julia,” portraying renowned American chef Julia Child.
Among those nominated for Best Director include James Cameron for “Avatar,” Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds,” and Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air.”
This year’s Oscars is also notable due to the fact that it represents the first real threat to Pixar’s domination of the Best Animated Feature category. Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animated feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has been very highly regarded amongst critics, and is seen as a viable contender for the award.
This year’s Academy Awards will take place on March 7, and will be broadcasted live on ABC. The show will be co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, who both were recently features in the film “It’s Complicated.”