The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 12, 2004, Page 17, Image 17
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17
‘We’re starting up a brand new
Contact. 1 Js MUSIC artist, from HIS CHART-TOPPING SONG
_ _ I , „ _ -A BRAND NEW DAY'
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? #
E-mail us atgamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
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%With the start of the spring
semester, students look to improve
their study habits and GPAs.
BY CARRIE GIVENS
THE IIAMKCOOK
It’s Jan. 12,2004 — the begin
ning of yet another semester. So,
how were those fall semester final
grades? Is everyone blissfully
proud of their 4.0 GPA’s? Right.
Truthfully, nany students are
likely looking br ways to improve
upon their last semester scores,
anxious to iirprove that all-im
portant GPA.
For thpse it need of some aca
demic improvement, let’s review:
^^Did you follow the advice doled
Kut at the President’s
^Convocation’ Did you “Keep up
day to day?” Maybe you started
out with grand plans — you were
going to study, you really were,
but somehow you became dis
tracted. And before you knew it, it
was the night before y#ur biology
final and you were reeding chap
ter one for the first time.
With a new semester comes the
chance for those who struggled to
. redeem themselves -—<r at least to
make a few small improvements.
Aside from those who seem to
magically absorb knowledge, im
proving that GPA reqiires some
quality study time. Fq' those who
tend to procrastinate, <stablishing
a set study time maybe helpful.
However, if your problems stem
^^-orn distractions in tts dorm, you
^p;an always change ;our locale
when hitting the bools.
First-year mathemitics student
Guy Boudreaux has ib “set study
time,” but he normalT pours over
his physics work at he Thomas
Cooper Library. AlthAigh he likes
to change his “study iabits as he
goes,” other students have devel
oped set routines.
First-year computer engineer
ing student Patrick McCormick
developed his study habits in high
school. He works best when he
does “play activities first, and
work last” he said.
McCormick admitted that this
may “not be the best system, but
it works for me.”
He continued, “In school you
are told to do work first, and do
fun things later, and then you are
doing work forever — you become
a better, quicker worker if you do
fun stuff first.”
Other students study while lis
tening to music or the television.
Boudreaux usually studies “with
out music unless there is loud
background noise.”
First-year music student
Jessica Porterfield listens to mu
sic and often watches television
while studying. Porterfield says
“If I don’t have to use a lot of brain
power, I listen to music, but if I’m
writing an essay I need total si
lence so I can concentrate.”
Also, McCormick and
Boudreaux both suggested that
students not procrastinate. Even
though Boudreaux said he works
“well under pressure,” he added
that it is never a good idea to wait
until last minute.
McCormick said that during
this next semester he is going to
“try to pace himself more.”
While Boudreaux, McCormick
and Porterfield were all pleased
with their grades and hope to con
tinue doing well, not all students
were so happy. One first-year bio
chemistry student, who wished to
% PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Freshmen Dan Covich studies in the Washington University Law Library in St. Louis, Mo.
remain anonymous, has trans
ferred to the College of Charleston
after having a less-than-pleasing
first semester. She warned that
“ill-advisement and being in the
wrong classes can screw someone
up permanently.”
Thus, if a class seems too diffi
cult or advanced, it may be best to
drop it and take the course again
after becoming better prepared.
Sure, college is not supposed to be
easy, but one is also supposed to
be able to understand, fully com
prehend and learn the material
that is presented.
After a semester’s worth of ex
perience and a refreshing break,
students should now be prepared
to study harder and smarter. It’s
once again time to hit the books.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
Movie. Reviev
‘Return’ is king of epic trilogy
“RETURN OF THE KUG”
★ ★★★ out of
BEN ANGSTAD’
^PlIKCA.VIKCOCK
Every story must lave an end
ing, no matter hoi' much we
want the tale to forver contin
ue. And after twoiong years,
Peter Jackson’s tellng of J.R.R.
Tolkien’s epic Lord>f the Rings
trilogy has finall come to a
close.
“The Return of tie King,” the
final film in Jacksm’s trilogy,
brings all the glory if the two pre
vious movies to a itting close.
The intense action Jid dramatic
storytelling of thfLord of the
Rings trilogy is present all
throughout the finl days of the
^Jjattle for Middle-Eoth and helps
|H^ake “The Returnof the King”
Tie best of the thre<films.
“The Return o' the King”
opens with a flashbjck to the ear
ly days of the One Rng’s tale: the
moment when it vas found by
the hobbit Smeago, the person
that would later 1? known as
Gollum. After this fief opening,
the story rejoins theieroes of the
previous films.
oranaau, Aragorrana the otn
er warriors from lelms Deep,
where the final batle of “The
Two Towers” was feight, are on
their way to help tl? other peo
ples of Middle-Earth having just
defeated the armies c the Wizard
Saruman. After reuniting with
hobbits Merry aid Pippin,
Aragom and the restire on their
way to Gondor, the last
^to-onghold of humarity.
Meanwhile, the ourney of
hobbits Sam and Fr»do contin
ues, as they are led b' Gollum to
their final destination Mordor -
home of Mount Doon, the only
place where the One ling can be
destroyed, sealing tie defeat of
the Dark Lord Sauroi
“The Return of th< King” fea
tures a far greater nunber of bat
tle sequences than tie previous
Lord of the Rings films- This adds
a pleasant twist as the frantic ac
tion sequences tha1 wer* sparse
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Frodo Baggins, played by Elijah Wood, leads audiences
through his final adventures In “The Return of the King”.
throughout the first two films
were among their most enjoyable
scenes.
Even more exciting is that the
hobbits, perhaps the most lovable
characters of the film trilogy, play
a much greater role in the events
of “The Return of the King,” even
taking up swords and joining in
the numerous battles.
However, the abundance of
battle sequences does facilitate a
heavier reliance on computer an
imation in the film, in a series
that prides itself on the realism
of its special effects and scenery.
And, in some cases, these com
puter graphics become down
right laughable: When an army
of cursed soldiers aid the human
forces in the battle of Gondor,
they look more like Mexican
jumping bfeans than noble war
riors on a battlefield.
Plus, at a daunting three and a
half hours, the even pacing of
events is crucial to “The Return
of the King.” Toward the end of
the film, however, the four or five
mini-endings that close each story
line upset the natural flow of the
tale. It therefore ends on some
what of a frustrating note rather
than a purely satisfying one.
All things considered, “The
Return of the King" moves past
its predecessors and brings the
trilogy to an exciting and enjoy
able close. With such a success,
one is left wondering if another
much-hyped epic trilogy that will
soon come to a close will be able
to reach such a triumphant end.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatutes@gwm.sc.edu
‘L’Auberge Espagnole’ offers
diverse twist to usual plot
BY MEG MOORE
TIIK (iAMKCOCK
The scheduled fare goes foreign
tonight at the Nickelodeon
Theatre as the cultural melting pot
of a movie, “L’Auberge
Espagnole”, hits the local screen.
Inspired by the experiences of
director Cedric Klapisch’s sister,
the film follows exchange student
Xavier into the dynamic, ethni
cally diverse heart of Barcelona.
After a stint as a boarder in a mar
ried couple’s apartment, he finds
a seemingly ideal situation in an
apartment with seven other stu
dents.
With their varied backgrounds,
languages and ideas about life,
they make a hodgepodge group.
The apartment becomes known as
“L’Auberge Espagnole” (literally
“the Spanish Inn”), which is
French slang for a place void of
rules or cultural norms.
As can be expected of a group
of traveling twenty-somethings
in one of Europe’s most happen
ing cities, they turn the apart
ment into a place of chaotic ex
perimentation, where they test
their ideas on love, life and future
hopes.
Amidst the partying, Xavier
carries on relationships with
three different women including
his girlfriend from home, played
by “Amelie" star Audrey Tautou.
Yet despite his confused and ri
otous experiences, he ultimately
shares a bond with his varied
roommates and returns home a
changed person.
Klapisch explained in a press
release that he strove for origi
nality with his characters. “I
didn’t want to make caricatures of
any European culture,” he said.
Instead of developing roles and
then finding actors to fill them, he
said, “The plot of the film seemed
to arise out of the people I met.”
Klapisch noted that he was accus
tomed to working “in the opposite
way,” usually “creating charac
ters and then seeking out actors to
embody them.”
The film was inspired and way.” Through the movie’s main
shaped by the city it unfolds in, character, 25-year-old Xavier, he
Barcelona. The jumble of cultures said that he attempted to present
and individuals in “L’Auberge those uncertainties “in a light and
Espagnole” stems from the expe- comic way.”
riences and stories, the memories “L’Auberge Espagnole” has be
and images related to him by the come a box office smash in France
people he met while developing and earned numerous awards at
the screenplay. international film festivals, in
Klapisch noted that the film ul- eluding five Cesar (the French
timately captures what he believes equivalent of an Oscar) nomina
are common anxieties: “The tone tions.
of the movie expresses the confu- “L’Auberge Espagnole” plays
sion of that time when you are 25 tonight at the Nickelodeon
years old and you’re not really Theatre, 937 Main St. Showtimes
sure what you want to do with are 7 and 9:20 p.m.
your life, who to fall in love with, if
you should be going to college
or learning about
life in
some
other
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PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
“L’Auberge Espagnole" uses diverse characters to portray the
common anxieties Involved In loving, living and growing up.