1. art and entertainment
2. movies and tv
3. movies

To Cram or Not to Cram? PAGE 3
“Striving to Report the News
Accurately, Fairly and Fully”
The Campus Press
Student Newspaper of Camden County College
www.camdencc.edu
Volume 25, Issue 7
Buon Natale e Buone Feste!
Счастливого Рождества и праздников!
Feliz Navidad y Felices Fiestas!
Frohe Weihnachten und Happy Holidays!
Joyeux Noël et bonnes fêtes!
Krismasi Njema na Holidays Furaha!
Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Καλές Γιορτές!
Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Καλές Γιορτές!
Щасливого Різдва і свят!
Mutlu Noeller ve Mutlu Bayramlar!
Nollaig Shona agus
Laethanta Saoire Happy!
Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Święta!
聖誕快樂，節日快樂！
メリークリスマスと幸せな休日！
Merry Christmas và Happy Holidays!
In any language…
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
December 2012
New Procedure for Withdrawing from
Courses Becomes Effective in Sept. ’13
I
f you should withdraw from a course at the
college, starting in September 2013, there is a
new procedure.
A student wishing to withdraw from a course
between the third week and the end of the eighth
week of the 15-week term, or
its equivalent, has the right to
do so. To withdraw, a student
must fill out a Withdrawal
form and submit it to the
Office of Admissions, Records
and Registration by the
published withdrawal
deadline.
An instructor’s signature is
optional and is only needed to
verify the last date of
attendance, not to approve
or deny the withdrawal.*
The student is responsible for
obtaining the instructor’s
signature and returning the
form to the Office of
Admissions, Records and
Registration. If the instructor’s
signature and/or the last day of
attendance is not completed,
the Office of Admissions,
Records and Registration will enter the date the
form is submitted.
W?
When the Withdrawal form is processed, a
grade of W is assigned. This W will become the
verified final grade. Students cannot use
WebAdvisor to withdraw from a course. Students
are not permitted to withdraw from courses in
which they receive an
attendance grade of XA (nonattending).
After the end of the eighth
week of classes, or the
equivalent academic period for
shorter sessions, no grade of W
will be given unless there is
formal medical or emergency
withdrawal from the College
documented through the
Executive Dean of Enrollment
& Student Services. There is no
refund of tuition and fees after
the 10th day of the 15-week
session, or the equivalent
academic period for shorter
sessions.
*Although a student is not
required to obtain an
instructor’s permission to
withdraw, it is strongly
recommended students consult
their instructor about their progress and other
possible options.
What’s Playing at the Movies This Holiday Season
By NOREEN PEEBLES
Campus Press Movie Critic
W
ith the holidays
right around the
corner that can
only mean one thing:
movies. Yes movies. Sure
there are food, gifts, and
family to enjoy but when
you grow tired of all those
there are movies! With so
many movie trailers out
there you may find it hard
to choose what movie to
see. But have no fear: I
have sorted and watched
through many movie
trailers to help you out.
My guide here is to help
you choose which movie
just may be worth your
ten dollars.
5. Les Misérables
Starring: Hugh
Jackman, Russell Crowe,
Anne Hathaway, Helena
Bonham Carter, Sacha
Baron Cohen, Amanda
Seyfried
Director: Tom Hooper Release Date: December 25, 2012
Rating: Not Yet Rated Plot: Movie adaptation of the classic stage show that
follows an ex-prisoner Jean Valjean (Jackman), hunted for decades by the
ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees
to care for factory
worker Fantine's
(Hathaway) young
daughter, Cosette,
their lives change
forever.
My Take: If
there was a movie
trailer for Oscar
contention this
movie would be it.
Great cast,
powerful story.
Even if you are not
familiar with the
original play you
will want to brush
up (via Google), so
you can see and
enjoy this movie!
4. Rise of the
Guardians
Starring: Chris
Pine, Hugh
Jackman, Jude
Law, Alec Baldwin,
and Isla Fisher
Director(s):
William Joyce,
Peter A. Ramsey
Release Date: November 21, 2012 Rating: PG
Plot: This movie
tells the story of Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman, the
Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost who come together and join forces
Continued on Page 5
See Campus Press online edition at www.camdencc.edu/studentlife/campuspress.cfm.
2 The Campus Press ▪ December 2012
College Announces New Academic
Probation Guidelines, Effective June 1
A
student at Camden County
College is expected to maintain
satisfactory progress toward
completion of their program/degree
requirements.
New Academic Probation
Guidelines Effective, June 1, 2013
Students who have attempted 1324 credits and have an alternative
grade point average (GPA) below 1.75
or have a ratio of credits attempted
vs. credits completed that is less than
67% will be placed on academic
probation.
Students who have attempted 25
or more credits and have an
alternative GPA below 2.00 or have a
ratio of credits attempted vs. credits
completed that is less than 67% will
also be placed on academic probation.
Credits attempted include all
courses that appear on the
transcript, including those with
grades of F, W, NA, XA, MP and
I.
Credits completed include all
courses for which the students
has received a grade of A, B, C, D
or P.
Probation Consequences
1. For the first semester on probation,
the students will receive a letter from
the college indicating that the student
should meet with a college
representative prior to choosing
classes.
2. For the second semester on
probation, the student with receive a
letter from the college indicating that
registration is restricted and requires
the approval of a college representative.
There are also restrictions on online
and accelerated courses and a limit of
13 credits per semester.
3. For the third semester on
probation, the student will receive a
letter from the college indicating that
the student must take an immediate
leave of absence of at least one
semester (not including summer.)
Re-Enrollment Procedure
1. Students must make an
appointment and meet with a college
representative in order to re-enroll at
the college after the leave of absence.
2. In addition, students will be placed
on Step 2 of the probation policy upon
re-enrollment.
New Agreement Makes it Easier for Transfer into Temple U. Health Program
A
new articulation agreement
between Camden County
College and Temple University
is simplifying the process for CCC
graduates in health information
technology and pre-nursing to transfer
into Temple’s health information
management (HIM) program.
Agreement Allow
Direct Transfer
The agreement allows
direct transfer into
Temple’s HIM bachelor of
science degree program
for students who complete an associate
in applied science degree in health
information technology or an associate
in science degree in pre-nursing at
CCC. The agreement expands upon the
general-education-to-general-education
articulation enacted in 2011, which
ensures that CCC graduates have
completed the equivalent of Temple’s
freshman and sophomore general
education courses.
Careers as HIM professionals allow
individuals to combine interests in
The Campus Press
healthcare, business and information
technology. HIM professionals have
expertise in health informatics, which
requires knowledge of clinical medicine
and the electronic health records.
HIM professionals also have
expertise in coding and classification
systems; quality and human resource
management; legal
and ethical aspects
of health
information
systems; regulatory
and accrediting
agency
requirements; and public policy issues
affecting the health information
system. They work closely with other
health professionals to collect and
disseminate the information necessary
to provide high-quality patient care.
vendors; and government agencies.
Careers include information security
officer, integrated health information
systems director, medical records
director, research/decision-support
analyst, clinical data specialist, data
resource administrator, patient
information manager and clinical
coding specialist.
For additional information about
this transfer opportunity for Camden
County College students, contact CCC
health information technology
program director Linda Mesko at (856)
968-1331 or [email protected] or
nursing programs.
Degrees Present variety
Career Opportunities
Job opportunities are found at
hospitals and other healthcare
institutions; research and
pharmaceutical firms; software
CAMPUS BRIEFS
 CCC Board Meetings: The
college Board of Trustees’ next
two meetings are Dec. 4, 2012,
and Jan. 8, 2013, starting at 7
p.m., in the Board room on the
second floor of the Otto R.
Mauke Community Center, on
the Blackwood Campus.
 Blackwood Campus ErialNew Brooklyn Rd. Closes:
Starting on Nov. 20, 2012, Erial
-New Brooklyn Road will be
closed for improvements and
repairs to an existing CCMUA
sewer line. This closure will be
between Hickstown Road and
College Drive. Erial-New
Brooklyn Road will be
impassable between the
closure points during this time.
Access will be limited to
residents, school buses and
businesses located in that area,
Monday, 7:30 a.m., to Friday 5
p.m., each week until Dec. 24.
CAMPUS PRESS STAFF
Editorial Office
We welcome articles, (.jpeg or PDF)
graphics and photography, letters,
comments and ideas (and preferably in
Word 97-2003 format or as e-mail
inserts).
Blackwood Campus
Community Center, Room 106
(856) 227-7200, ext. 4202
[email protected]
P.O. Box 200
College Drive
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Published by the Office
of Student Life & Activities
EDITORIAL STAFF
Jordan Speed  Ryan Cassidy
Eric Cortes  Eva Thach
Noreen Peebles  Henry Diaz
Krystale Doone  Ramos Johnson
Viviana Torres  Daniel Katz
T.J. Schreiber  Christopher Costa
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jace Colon
Katie Evans
CAMPUS PRESS ADVISOR
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Sam W. Pressley
SPECIAL THANKS
Jamie Myerson, Station Manager
WDBK 91.5 FM Radio
Angela Lin, Shelton Bowden,
Alexa Brockington, Jason Love
The Campus Press is seeking students
to join the newspaper’s reporting,
writing, editing, graphics,
photography, advertising, marketing
and administrative staff. Please
E-mail the Campus Press Advisor at
[email protected].
The opinions expressed in The Campus
Press are not necessarily those of the
College, the student body, or the entire
newspaper staff.
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012 3
It’s Exam Time and the Perennial Question:
To Cram or Not to Cram?
By DANIEL KATZ
Campus Press Health & Medical Columnist
A
s college students across the
country are approaching the end of
the fall semester and the daunting
reality of fewer available points to bolster
their all-important term GPA, a perennial
question becomes more and more
prevalent: To cram or not to cram?
We’ve all
at some
point been
forced into
the late
night cram,
burning the
midnight oil
until 5 a.m.,
and then
showing up
the next day for the big test, groggy-eyed
and short of sleep, buttressed only by
inordinate amounts of caffeine consumed
to make it through the day.
But such a commonly used tactic might
not be best strategy to employ, given the
new and a growing compendium of
research on the issue of student stress and
the benefits of a simple night’s sleep.
Cramming Proven as Worst Strategy
In fact, cramming all night in an
attempt to boost your exam grade may be
the worst strategy to stave off the dreaded
red ink. According to researchers Steffen
Gais and Brian Lucas, “Sleep deprivation
has a detrimental effect on memory,” and
that conversely “Memory can be enhanced
when sleep follows within a few
hours of learning.” The bottom
line: Learning followed by sleeping
is better remembered than
learning followed by being awake.
Staying up all night simply isn’t
worth it and can lead to confusion
of facts, lack of retention, low
energy during testing, and
anxiety. And don’t fool yourself by
thinking two
hours of
sleep, from 5
a.m. to 7
a.m. is good
enough. In
fact, an
article
published in
the Journal
of Sleep
Research explicitly stressed the
benefit of second-half night for
learned material. It turns out we
need at least the full seven hours
recommended for university-aged
adults.
Sleep Beneficial to Learning
So why is it that sleep is so
beneficial to learning? The answer
may lie in the brain’s ability to
process new information while we
sleep. At first it might seem too
good to be true that we only need
to study for a few hours, and then
by virtue of simply sleeping, we
Continued on Page 6
4 The Campus Press ▪ December 2012
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012 5
Director: Judd Apatow
Release Date: December 21, 2012 Rating: R
Plot: This movie is a continuation of Apatow’s previous hit Knocked
Up, as the story follows Rudd’s and Mann’s characters in their current
lifestyles.
My Take: Honestly, of all the upcoming December comedies this
actually looks really funny. Even if you are not familiar with Knocked Up
you can still enjoy this movie!
W hat’s Playing in the Movie Theaters
Continued from Page 1
against an evil spirit known as Pitch.
Pitch wants to take over the world and
it is up to the Guardians to protect the
beliefs and imaginations’ of the children
of the world.
My Take: From the trailer it looks
like a fun family movie. It looks like one
of those kids’
movies that even
parents would
enjoy. Like actor
Chris Pine (Jack
Frost) has said, it
will remind some
as a sort of
animated kids’
version of the
Avengers. Yes,
this movie came
out at the end of
November but it
is one of the few
notable family
movies of the
holiday movie
season.
3. Django
Unchained
Starring: Jamie
Foxx, Leonardo
DiCaprio,
Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson,
Gerald McRaney
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: December 25, 2012
Plot: This movie is set in the preCivil War era, about a slave named
Django (Foxx) and a bounty hunter
named Dr. King Schultz (Waltz). Schultz
is looking for the Bittle brothers who
have a connection to Django, and with
his help, if found dead or alive, he will
grant Django his freedom. With that
success Django is freed, but decides
to stay with Schultz; together they
set off on taking down the most
wanted criminals around. While on
the road with Schultz, Django
remains focused on his personal goal
to find his wife Broomhilda
(Washington), whom he lost in the
slave trade
years earlier.
Eventually,
they come upon
a man named
Calvin Candie
(DiCaprio), who
runs a
plantation
called
“Candyland”,
where slaves
are groomed for
fights as sport.
This place is
also where
Django finds his
long-lost wife
Broomhilda.
With this
discovery
Schultz and
Django are
faced with
finding a way to
escape with
Broomhilda alive.
My Take: First off this movie has
a great cast and director. Tarantino
looks to have done it again. He looks
to have perfectly mixed his classic
style of an “out there” plot line and
drama, with witty smidges of comedy.
2. This Is 40
Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann,
Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Chris
O’Dowd
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy
Serkis, Aidan Turner
Director: Peter Jackson
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Plot: The story follows a character by the name of Bilbo Baggins.
Bilbo, who is on a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom, finds himself
joining thirteen dwarves led by a warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their
journey leads them to the wilds, encountering both goblins and orcs.
Eventually they are led to
the goblin tunnels, where
they must escape. In
these tunnels Bilbo comes
upon a creature named
Gollum. Through this
encounter Bilbo gains the
possession of Gollum’s
prized possession, a
golden ring. It’s a ring so
powerful that it is tied
with the fate of MiddleEarth.
My Take: Very epic
looking, most likely will
be nominated for quite a
few Oscars this coming
February. Even if you are
not familiar with the
Lord of the Rings triology
movies (like me), that
this movie is tired with, it
still looks understandable
enough to follow.
Source for all movie plots:
moviefone.com
6 The Campus Press ▪ December 2012
Camden County College Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility
Presents 2013 Lecture Series for the Blackwood Campus (Note: For further details, contact the Center:
Visit www.camdencc.edu/civiccenter or call 856- 227-7200, ext. 4333.)
Russia and China after Stalin and Mao: Divergent Paths of Development
February 27: What Putin Could Learn from Stalin about Fighting Corruption
March 6: China in the Mid-70’s – Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping
March 13: The Great Transformation of China since Deng Xiaoping
April 3: The Soviet Dissident Movement in Historical Perspective
April 10: The China-Russia Reversal: Why is China Growing Faster Economically and More Stable
Politically?
In addition to the lecture series there will be a tuition-free 15-week course, Topics in History/Russia and China, on
Wednesday evenings beginning January 23, 2013. Those registered in the course will also attend the guest
lectures.
Hidden Histories of Ancient Egypt
March 7: X-Raying the Pharaohs: A Look inside the Mummies of Ancient Egypt
March 28: The Pyramid Age, from the Bottom-Up: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
April 4: A Season in Hell (with apologies to Arthur Rimbaud): Exploration in the Egyptian Underworld
April 11: Women in Ancient Egypt
April 25: Excavations at South Abydos, Egypt: Searching for the Tombs of the Last Pharaohs of Egypt's
12th Dynasty
In addition to the lecture series there will be a tuition-free 13-week course, Ancient Egypt History, on Thursday
evenings beginning January 24, 2013. Those registered in the course will also attend the guest lectures.
The Arts and Islamic Culture
March 11: Religious Art, Perception, and Practice in Islam
April 15: Past in Present: Building in the Islamic World Today
April 22: Luxurious Layers: An Exploration of Islamic Textiles
April 29: Archaeology, Religion, and Culture
May 6: Art of the Qur'an: Writing and Ornamenting the Divine Word
Try Sleep to Cramming
Continued from Page 3
continue to study. But anyone who has ever
played an instrument or learned a skill in
sports can attest to suddenly knowing the
chord or new skill miraculously better the
next day after an initial practice. Many
musicians can even recall playing the
newly learned song in their dreams. And a
fund of current research supports
qualitatively this commonly known notion
by confirming the mind’s powerful
processing ability. At the core, the
conclusions are simple: while sleeping we
play back what we’ve learned over and
over.
If you were still left unconvinced and
searching for yet another reason to
prioritize consistently getting a good
night’s sleep, then you should know that its
effects extend far past the classroom and
into everyday life. Know that less than
seven hours of sleep a night is also
correlated to increased morbidities across a
range of health conditions, including
Continued on Page 10
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012 7
Shopping for Smart Phones
Tops Holiday Gift Lists
By RAMOS JOHNSON
Campus Press Staff Writer
H
oliday shopping for yourself
is something everyone loves
to do; the greatest deals
happen on Black Friday. Since that
magical day has come and gone but
with more shopping days remaining,
you are thinking about that one
thing no one
leaves the
house without:
their smart
phone.
battery life. Also the phone’s screen is
not as bright as it could be for outdoor
use.
Apple’s iPhone 5 Takes
Bite of Holiday Market
With all phones especially during
holiday time there is a rival phone.
Well you can only have one phone
worthy enough to be called the rival to
the Galaxy S III
— the Apple
iPhone 5. In
this model,
Apple tried to
rethink the
iPhone to
compete with
the newer
Android
devices. Apple
upgraded a few
things. Its
screen
has grown
Samsung Galaxy S III
into a four-inch
retina display. Unfortunately Apple,
kept the phone the
same width so now
it’s so long it looks
awkward.
Another upgrade
to this model is its
performance chip
that allows you
power to do what
you need but does
not consume a lot
of battery power
which is the
opposite of its rival.
There’s one thing
now everyone is
asking: “How bad
are these phones
going to hurt your
wallet?”
Singing
Praises of
Samsung
Galaxy S III
There are
many new
phones being
released.
However, the one
that makes it to
the top of most
gift lists is the
Samsung
Galaxy S III.
This new
android operated
phone is set
apart from
others because of
its 4.8” Super
AMOLED touch
screen display.
Although the
display is
something worth
gawking at it
has the “S” beam
for lightning
speed data
transfers (just
touch another
“S” beam
Paying Price for
enabled phone
Apple iPhone 5
New Tech Toys
and you can
Well the Galaxy S
transfer GB of data in seconds).
III 16 GB for AT&T from Best Buy
How about picture sharing with
with a new contract agreement is
the buddy photo share feature that
$149.99. Its rival is a little different
recognizes faces and automatically
though. A 16 GB iPhone 5 with a new
sends the photo to them after being
contract comes in from Best Buy at
captured? Of course with light comes $199.99. So now that you know some
dark. Some cons associated with this of the top phones around, here’s
phone are the fact that it consumes
hoping you will stay tuned for the next
more power with its faster processor
edition of Tech Report.
which in return results in a low-
...POETRY CORNER
The Endless Sleep*
By Katie Evans
With a quarrel and a cry,
she left a slipper on the staircase,
a ribbon in the road,
the road to the pale, sandy shore.
So I followed her there,
only to find,
she had waded into the sea.
Then, almost gently, it pulled her away,
out from the sands and into the depts.,
but not before she’d asked the waves,
with their rhythm and their rhyme,
to mimic a sound, the one that she made for them,
just for me,
just for me.
———————————————————————–————————
* The Campus Press considers the publishing of poems and literary
articles from students, faculty and staff. The above poem is reprinted
with permission from The MADISON Review, the Literary Journal of
Camden County College, Spring 2012 Edition (Andrea Quinn, editor-inchief; Robyn Giles and Nicolas Fishman, managing editors; and Prof.
Keith O’Shaughnessy, advisor editor.)
Join The Campus Press.
The Campus Press is seeking students from all three campuses —
Blackwood, Camden City, and Cherry Hill — to join the newspaper’s
reporting, writing, editing, graphics, photography, advertising,
marketing, circulation and administrative staff.
E-mail: [email protected].
8
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012 9
Marijuana Acceptance: Getting Higher than a Kite
By Jordan Speed
Social Commentator
O
n November 6, 2012 Washington
and Colorado became the first
states in history to pass a bill which
legalizes marijuana (from the Mexican
and Spanish word marihuana) for
commercial cultivation, manufacturing,
and selling (like alcohol) to anyone over the
age of 21.
Additionally, 18 states, including
California, Alaska, and New Jersey, allow
patients with certain ailments to use
marijuana for medicinal purposes while
still limiting its general sale or commercial
use. Further contributing to a lack of
consistency, even though Washington and
Colorado passed the bill for the selling,
manufacturing, and commercial cultivation
of marijuana, federal law still has
marijuana illegal in the books. Because of
this, Washington and Colorado’s
dispensaries are not yet ready to provide
large scale productions and commercial
sale.
Legalization Up to Congress
Legalization state-by-state is a first
step, but giving adults all across the U.S.
the freedom to choose is the ultimate goal
— a goal only Congress can change.
Fortunately, there is historical pretense to
the prohibition of widely demanded
substances within America failing before.
The prohibition on marijuana is directly
analogous to an earlier time in the U.S.
when alcohol was prohibited.
In the year 1920, the United States
prohibited the selling, transporting, and
manufacturing of alcohol to reduce crime
and corruption, solve social problems,
reduce tax burden created by prisons and
poorhouses, and improve health and
hygiene. The prohibition on alcohol also
known as the “noble experiment”, failed on
all counts.
Charles Hanson Towne’s book, The Rise
and Fall of Prohibition: The Human Side of
What the Eighteenth Amendment Has Done
to the United States (1923), says that a
1920-21 study of 30 major U.S. cities
showed an increase in crime by 24%, more
money being spent on police by 11.4%, and
more people being arrested for violating
Prohibition laws by 102%.
On December 5, 1933, the “noble
experiment” was repealed with the passage
of the Twenty-first Amendment.
Opponents Fear Side Effects
Marijuana’s long-term effects are not as
prevalent as those of tobacco. Marijuana
has its share of effects though. Scientific
studies reveal that marijuana’s effects also
differ among users. On webMd.com, it says
that side effects include increased or
decreased seizures in people who are prone
to seizures, lung disease from the smoke (a
vaporizer, better known as hookah, turns
the marijuana into vapor which the user
can enjoy without the fear of lung disease),
problems in learning and memory which
could last for days, and possible weakening
of the immune system.
There are, however, a few health
benefits to marijuana. According to an
article on livescience.com, compounds in
marijuana can relieve pain, combat nausea,
and stimulate appetite. Relevant to the
current passing of Colorado and
Washington’s legalization is that in the
1930s states first took the initial action of
repealing alcohol prohibition, which in turn
put pressure on the federal government to
follow course.
Public View Rising on Legalization
Public view on marijuana is changing
rapidly. In a 2009 nationwide and latest
Zogby Poll, 52% percent of people surveyed
said that marijuana should be legal, taxed
and regulated. Fifteen years ago, ABC
News/Washington Post/CNN 1997 Polls
showed 22% of people in favor of legalizing
marijuana. Agreement on legalizing
marijuana has steadily gone up without
decline since 1997. Percentage of people
who agree on legalizing marijuana is only
getting higher.
Even though voters in Colorado and
Washington are in favor to legalize
marijuana, the two states may not get their
wishes because marijuana is still
prohibited federally. Now it is up to
Congress to join the majority and change
their stance on marijuana prohibition.
(To join the effort in legalizing
marijuana visit Norml.org.)
Game Design Review: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
By Jace Colon
An Occasional Column on Game Design Reviews
Special to the Campus Press
T
he Resident Evil series has
become a hugely successful
video for creating consistently
impressive, unique, and inventive video
games. In past releases of Resident Evil
games, the camera held a set position.
Because of the complaints, Resident
Evil 4 was produced, which to this day
remains one of the best reviewed titles
of all time. Thus, when Capcom
claimed to be making a squad-based
shooter more similar to other
mainstream shooter titles, hopes were
raised. Unfortunately, those hopes did
not carry the game too far. Instead,
Capcom created a game with a lack of
general appeal.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon
City is set in Raccoon City (as the name
suggests) during the initial outbreak in
the perspective of Umbrella Corpshired operatives as opposed to the
sorry, torn victims of the outbreak. You
play as an elite band of soldiers who
are tasked with cleaning up the mess
Umbrella has created. What this means
is you are burdened with killing just
about everything you come across in
the game: zombies, cops, soldiers, and biological
test experiments. For fans of the series, a few
zombie types will be familiar although new ones
were added.
Changing Tactics Makes Game Shine
While the game was pleasing to look at in the
next-gen’s HD graphics, it got to a very slow
start, only picking up
around the third and
fourth chapters. I felt like
I was playing a JRPG,
waiting for it to get
better. Thankfully, it
does. What really makes
Raccoon City a standout
zombie title is the fact
that you’re constantly
switching tactics between
contemporary warfare to
urban warfare to zombie warfare. Nothing is
quite as neat as shooting a spec ops soldier dead,
only to have him reanimate as a zombie and dash
past your defenses. Disappointingly, one of the
highlighted aspects of the game, melee combat, is
lacking. If you get caught in a horde of zombies,
the three canned animations for melee will not
free you but likely infect you.
Among the many ways that the game penalizes the player
for poor game play, death is not the worst as it turns out. If you
spend too much time gallivanting with all the zombie friends
I’m sure you’ll make, you contract the T-Virus. Depending on
how lively your character was before infection, you’ll have less
than a minute to administer the antivirus to yourself before
your character succumbs to the virus and turns on your
teammates.
For those who played previous installations of Resident Evil
such as 4 and 5, game play will only feel familiar in the angle at
which the camera is set (over-the-shoulder). Other than that,
the game is a far cry from its predecessors as it lacks most
previous mechanics like the slow-paced combat as well as itemhoarding. Raccoon City can be considered a traditional thirdperson shooter which may be one of its flaws.
Button-Pushing a Pain
When Raccoon City deviated from all of its other
counterparts, it adopted a button-less cover system that can be
clumsy at times, turning the simplest of tasks to an
embarrassing fiasco. Movement otherwise was smooth.
However, one issue to be addressed is RE: ORC’s (Resident Evil:
Operation Raccoon City) mapping of buttons. The same button
used for diving and evading was made the action button. This
often leads to the player flopping into a wall, bookshelf, and the
occasional typewriter instead of picking up some ammo or a
healing spray only to be mauled and gored by the character’s
pursuing attackers. At no part of the game did the diving
function present itself as useful or even necessary.
While the story of the campaign was dry, the multi-player
experience of the game was the “chilly
and crisp flavor that gave my parched
mouth a run through the sprinklers”.
What really made this fun was the
required attention and multi-tasking.
Players are forced to watch all of their
surroundings to keep an eye out for
NPCs and opposing players. The icing on
the cake was that not only did a player’s
level carry over to the multi-player, but
so did his or her equipment, weapons,
and abilities.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City was like a
prepubescent teen or adolescent trying to find his identity in a
large world. While the story was severely lacking, the game
made up for it in other aspects such as the multi-player,
graphics, and view of Raccoon City’s infection. Ultimately, the
result is a pedestrian title with the power of the Resident Evil
series behind it. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City gets
three virus-filled vials out of five.
10 The Campus Press ▪ December 2012
Studies Show Benefits of Sleep
Continued from Page 6
increased risk of diabetes, heart conditions, depressed mood,
nervousness, and decreased immune function that leaves you more
susceptible to infection.
More Sleep = Greater Success
Sleep is an important part in the recipe of success. Some
strategies to replace the old, unreliable tactic of cramming might
be to use a planner to
manage your time, join a
study group, and
develop new and
effective active reading
strategies. Also, you
could effectively, focus
on good time
management behavior.
A study from the
Journal of Educational
Psychology by Therese
Macon found that
students who “perceived
control of their time
reported significantly
greater evaluations of
their performance.” Merely thinking you’re in control leads to less
overload, fewer tensions, and greater life satisfactions. So plan
ahead for the big test, study for a few hours every night and most
importantly, get a good night sleep.
It’s long been recognized that college student deal with a host of
stresses in addition to working diligently for good grades:
uncertainty about career aspirations, trying to establish romantic/
social life, paying for the cost of a college education, and the
probability of working a job during the school year. While the lot of
a student is undeniably tough, don’t add to the list of difficulties by
sacrificing something as crucial as a good night’s sleep.
MUSIC REVIEW: Good Kid: Kendrick Lamar Breathes Life Back into Hip Hop
By ERIC CORTES
Campus Press Music Critic
I
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
n the current world of Hip Hop, there are many
good artists, but there are very few great artists.
In 2012, I find myself looking at the pecking order
of albums and having to search hard for a great hip
hop album. After all this searching, how can I possibly
have faith in hip hop anymore when everyone is so
content with being just good?
Then October came. Dr. Dre protégé Kendrick
Lamar released his second album Good Kid, m.A.A.d
City, which had been his first major album under the
Aftermath/Interscope record label. Before I had
listened to this album, I considered theoretically
pulling the plug on the rap game. That was until a
young and talented Compton native by the name of
Kendrick Lamar performed CPR to breathe life back
into the rap game.
I remember hearing buzz about Kendrick Lamar
but I initially thought nothing of him, mainly because
there have been so many artists that have been
considered to be "The Next Big Thing" and they end up
just having too much hype in their
stock. After hearing so much about
the kid and also hearing that he
was under the tutelage of Dr. Dre, I
made a promise to myself to listen
to his album when it came out.
Listens to Good Kid in Library
So when October came around, I
kept my promise. I got the album,
Kendrick Lamar
put it on my iPod, and took it with
me to class. Usually when I go to class on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, I have a lot of spare time in between
classes to listen to music and space out a bit. So there I
was in the library, listening to Good Kid, m.A.A.d City,
and by the end of the day I found myself singing tracks
from the album with ease. Needless to say, the album
already had my attention after one listen.
Although I found myself digging the album, I hadn't
even gotten to the breakdown of every song. Usually by
the second or third listen, I break down the album
lyrically and compositively. In the second or third
listen, I figure out if the album is good or great. With
m.A.A.d City, I found myself listening to
one of the more creative rap albums I've
ever listened to, big time beats with a
beautiful lyricist, with a subject that
means something.
Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.D City is a
bit reminiscent of Nas' debut album
Illmatic (1994) where both rappers share
stories about their home cities. While the
lyrical themes between the two are
partially similar, Lamar differs from Nas'
debut with the way he structures the
album, making it a character study,
showing a change within himself in the
album's last half.
Lamar uses his personal experiences
to fuel a 12-track tale about a young man
who is spiritually, emotionally and
socially conflicted in one of the most
notoriously dangerous cities in America:
Compton, California. Lamar presents
m.A.A.D City in the form of a short film
with no visuals, allowing his potent lyrics
to take stage, painting the picture of the
story.
Dr. Dre’s Student Excels
Lamar is the great artist that I've
been looking for in Hip Hop. He has an
intellect for music that many of his fellow
young rappers don't. People can argue
about how he has Dr. Dre as a mentor
and refuse to give him credit, but all I
ask of hip hop fans is to listen. Don't hear
Kendrick Lamar, listen to him.
Grasp what this young man is putting
down, especially in m.A.A.d City. He's not
reflecting about how he's trying to hold
his place in hip hop, instead he's taking
the game by storm. Music lovers should
applaud Lamar is trying to keep Hip Hop
fresh. I can only hope that other young
rappers follow his lead.
Contact Eric Cortes by E-mail at
[email protected];
Twitter:@ImEricCortes
Blog: totallyunapologetic.wordpress.com
The Campus Press ▪ December 2012 11
BOOK REVIEW: American Gods: An Audiobook
By T.J. SCHREIBER
Campus Press Literary Critic
Written by Neil Gaiman, narrated by George Guidall
T
his is a bad land for gods” is a line
that is often repeated in this
contemporary fantasy novel.
American
Gods, written by Neil
Gaiman, is a mystical
journey through
America. Shadow, the
main character, is
released from prison
and is on his way to
his wife’s funeral. On
the way he meets a
cryptic stranger
named Mr.
Wednesday who
offers him a job. After
taking it, Shadow
unknowingly enters a
war between gods.
People Bring Their
’Gods’ to America
America has been
called a melting pot
and this book shows
it. The main premise
of the book is that
everybody brought
their own gods in their minds and in their
hearts. The Irish brought leprechauns, the
Africans brought Anansi, and so on and so
forth.
Most of the characters are gods;
Gaiman paints the gods as living on the
edge of society. They live in small towns
and carnivals. There are also new gods,
gods of technology. These are portrayed as
cliches, they even talk in cliches. The main
character, Shadow, in fact, is hinted as
being a god himself, (Baldr) but he doesn’t
know it.
and nomads. The purpose is to tell how
the various gods came to America and
how some fell out of favor. The story
about the African
twins sold into
slavery is probably
one of the best
accounts of the
early years of
American slavery I
have ever heard or
read. It is an
account on par with
the Pulitzer-Prize
winning book Roots:
The Saga of an
America Family, by
Alex Haley. The
book was made into
a television
miniseries, which
aired on ABC in
1977.
American Gods
should be read (or
listened) by any one
who likes mystery,
fantasy, and travel
fiction.
Walking Where the Gods Walk
At the end of each chapter there is a
little side story related to the main story.
It tells the story of immigrants, slaves,
For additional information, go to www.camdencc.edu.
Athletics Present 10th
Annual Turkey Trot
The Athletics Department
presented its 10th Annual
Turkey Trot on Nov. 14. The
weather was a crisp 50
degrees as 62 runners
received a gift for
participating. The grand prize
winners were Lisa Bright and
Steve Carapucci who finished
the 2.1 mile loop with 12
seconds off their predicted
time. Both grand prize
winners opted for one of the
large gift baskets full of
athletics T-shirts, hats, and
water bottles. The 17-pound
turkey went to Lillian Straub.
The course was modified
this year to run through the
Blackwood
Campus,
said Dr.
Peter
DiLorenzo,
director of
Athletics
and the
event’s
coordinator.
Lillian Straub holds her
(frozen) 17-pound turkey.
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS — Steve Carapucci (left) and Lisa Bright are
co-winners of the 2012 Turkey Trot. Both finished the 2.1 miles
loop within 12 seconds of their predicted time.
VEN Y DANZA! — Camden Campus hosted on November 8 a flamenco dancer and
her accompanying guitarist to entertain about 40 persons in the students lounge.
Shown above (L-R) are: Melvin
Coe, a member of the Student
Government Association; Dean
Theresa Smith; flamenco dancer
Teresa D’Aprile, her husband and
guitarist Pasquale D’Aprile;
Sandra Turner-Barnes, an official
with the Cultural and Heritage
Commission, and student Villa
Lopez.
Photos: Jason Love
Tune into Camden County College
WDBK 91.5 FM
radio station
12 The Campus Press ▪ December 2012