Now, there is a website called ISTBuilding.com where students, faculty, and other interested individuals can
keep up-to-date with the events and other news within the IST Building. Some recent stories on the website
include the Xerox Innovation Center closing down and the construction of the Digital Atelier . Another feature on ISTbuilding.com is the Jobs Board , where students can find jobs specifically related to the Information Sciences and Technology industry, including categories like project management, web development, and computer security. Additionally, prospective employers can post of the jobs board to specifically target students in the IST major. Overall, this site  is another resource that would beneficial to both faculty and students.

Visit ISTBuilding.com to learn more

The Digital Media Group is an organization of students at the Penn State University who enjoy meeting
new people and networking with the other clubs and organizations on campus. Although the majority of
our members are New Media majors, you don’t have to be in order to take part in all we have to offer. As
a student group fostering collaboration between different majors and backgrounds, we strive to share our
extensive knowledge of digital media with other Penn State groups.

Each week at 8:30pm, members of the DMG meet in 401 Patterson to talk and share information about the
world of digital media. We focus on conducting live tutorials, watching computer graphics (CG) movies, and
playing video games. During the Fall 2007 semester, the DMG has successfully provided workshops on how
to model, texture, rig and animate in 3D. We also hold live illustration tutorials that allow members to gain
valuable tips on how to create art using digital drawing tablets.

Our tutorials focus on providing anyone who is interested with a basic understanding of how to create digital
illustrations, 3D animations and video games using state of the art software such as Maya, Photoshop, and
Illustrator, just to name a few.

So if you are interested in learning more about digital media and want to make some friends along the way,
then the Digital Media Group is for you! Come check us out every Wednesday at 8:30pm in 401 Patterson.

Apple's new iPod Touch

By Joe Lewis

Tech Specs
- Height: 4.3 inches (110 mm)
- Width: 2.4 inches (61.8 mm)
- Depth: 0.31 inch (8 mm)
- 640x 480 px resolution
- Wi-fi Capabilities
- 8 gb or 16 gb

The Good
Recently, Apple has released its iPod Touch that is available in two sizes, 8GB and 16GB. The iPod Touch is the new addition to the iPod family. The beauty of this iPod is that it embodies most of the features from the iPhone minus the phone network. It is the first iPod to include Wi-fi (802.11 b/g) network capabilities and Apple’s Multi- touch technology. This is very convenient for a portable media player because it allows one to get access to the Internet and Youtube on the go. It is also possible to purchase songs from iTunes wireless shop; this makes it great for adding new music to your playlist whenever you have the need to listen to a new song. Having all of the extra features in a standard portable media device allows for more usability and allows users to get the most out of their iPod.

The Bad
The only downfall to this is that some of the cool features such as taking notes and adding calendar events are currently unavailable, therefore limiting some of the capabilities for now. Also, it would be nice if there were some way to connect to networks that were blocked by VPN such as the Penn State Network. Finally, you can purchase a standard iPod with with more space for less money. Therefore, to those interested in more quantity of space, the Touch is not for you.

Overall
Overall, the iPod Touch is excellent device despite my minor issues that I would like to see improved. Hopefully, in the future, Apple can figure out how to add more applications in such a small device. I give the iPod Touch a 5 out of 5.

College is a time of opportunism and the pursuit of success. While many students involve themselves in the academic community on a regular basis, countless undergraduates are either unaware of the opportunities available to them, or are not confident in their ability to gain entry into these programs. I was one of these students until the beginning of the Fall 2007 semester.

During the summer following my freshman year, my general chemistry professor contacted me with a research opportunity. She wanted me to work as an undergraduate research assistant in her lab. I was astounded. As a sophomore, I was unaware that I was able to gain obtain employment within professors’ laboratories. At the time, I believed that junior year was the earliest time that one could could become a research assistant.

Prior to my employment, I had to read safety material and pass safety exams in order to gain access to the lab. These tests were very easy and within a week, I was attending my lab orientation. Initially, I expected the procedural aspects of the lab experiments to be very meticulous and difficult. Fortunately, I found that they were very straight forward, easy, and fun. I was now experiencing chemistry in a new way, the “real world way.” Having taken undergraduate chemistry labs before, I was amazed at how explicit and relevant research in an actual lab was. I soon realized that science was more than just following the step-by-step instructions of my Chem 112 and 113 labs activities; it was the ability to formulate your own ideas based on the analysis of other person’s research.

Only a month after my admittance to the laboratory, I have begun my own project. My plan is to use magnets to separate nanoparticles flowing in a micro channel. To date, no one has published a paper on this experiment. This means that I have the opportunity to contribute something entirely unique to the scientific community. Should my research turn out to be successful, it could be used in the application of biological agents in the medicinal field.

In conclusion, I want to stress the importance of discovering new opportunities for oneself. I was lucky enough to have such an opportunity offered to me. Unfortunately, most won’t have it this easy. You should take a few minutes to find out how to become more involved. Talking with professors or older students can lead to many opportunities. You will be amazed at how much you will learn from the new experiences. Not only are these experiences a great addition to your resume, they also allow you to build upon your prior knowledge and discover more about the field that you are interested in.

For more information on research research in chemistry, contact:

Mary Elizabeth Williams
Associate Professor of Chemistry
The Pennsylvania State University
104 Chemistry Building
University Park PA 16802

Students' pie their professors

From the games to the grub, the Halloween Madness Bash hosted by the Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) Club, Information Assurance (IA) Club and Women in IST (WIST) was a ghoulishly good time. On Monday, October 29, the study lounge of Waring Commons was bumping with music and clad with Halloween decorations, putting students and faculty alike
in the holiday spirit.

Nearly half of those in attendance wore costumes, and a majority of them were quite creative. Some of the more interesting costumes included Cats, Superheros, Ace Ventura, Master Shake from ATHF, and Quailman, which was my personal favorite. One of the biggest hits of the night was the “Pie Your Professor” event. Students purchased raffle tickets for this event a prior to the party. Students were then randomly chosen and allowed to pie the professor of their choice. The list of professors that were pied included David Mudgett, Issac Brewer, John Bagby, Michael McNeese, Heng Xu, Gerry Santoro, Eileen Trauth, Jim Jansen, and Dave Hall.

Many of the attendees participated in the games that took place during the night. These games included “birdie on the perch,” and “balloon fight.” In addition, there was also a relay event which consisted of a mummy wrap, human knot, pie eating, and pin the nose on the witch. The winners of the games were Adan Ortiz and Brianna Malcolmson for birdie on a perch, and Justin Brooks for the balloon fight. The winner of the relay was undetermined. Justin Brooks, who was charge of organizing the games, felt like everything went quite well. “The games were definitely a big success. Everyone seemed like they were having a lot of fun,” Justin stated.

Overall, the Halloween MADNESS Bash was a smashing success. The music, food, and games were all enjoyable, and everyone had a great time.

Master Chief of Halo 3

By Mitchell Rukat

Only a few months ago, many of us were anxiously watching the trailers and clips for Halo 3, one of the year’s most highly anticipated video games. On September 25, 2007, the wait was finally over. People all around the world could now finish the fight on their X-Box 360s. I am an avid video game fan, and Halo is one of my favorite games. I enjoy playing through the storyline offline, and playing against my friends online. When Halo 3 was finally released, I traveled the local Wal-Mart at midnight with a group of friends in order to buy it. After I purchased the game, I returned home and popped it into my 360.

This game takes many of the elements of the previous Halo games and combines them to create a great first person shooter. The game’s creators bring back many old weapons, including the old pistol, fuel rod cannon, and assault rifle from the first game, and the battle rifle, brute shot, and sword from the second game. In addition, they also add new weapons and vehicles in order to keep the game fresh and interesting. The graphics are amazing, especially when compared to the previous incarnations of the game. The audio and music are also excellent. Halo fans will be pleased with the interactive sound and orchestral music which keeps you drawn to the game. The storyline is well put together and helps players make sense of the ending to Halo 2.

Single player mode is not the only way to play. Halo 3 also brings back the great multi-player action from Halo 2, complete with new maps. However, game’s creators did change a few things this time around. First, if you do not like the map or the game you are playing, you can veto it as long as you have a majority vote. In the past, players have occasionally had to deal with annoying players on the mic. This is no longer an issue Halo 3 as you can now mute specific players so that you don’t have to deal with them. For those of us who have had an awesome moment in a game and said “That was amazing! I wish I had that to show everyone,” Halo 3 now includes a “theater” feature which records every game and lets you replay them from multiple camera angles. The best part about this feature is that you can then share these videos with the whole Halo community or send them to your friends using X-Box Live. Halo 3 also allows you to play “co-op” with up to 4 players on your X-Box 360 or over X-Box Live. Finally, the creators have also added the Forge Map Editor which allows players to add any object, vehicle, spawn points, or weapons to any map. You can also share your maps with other players in the Halo community.

Even with all of these new features, is Halo 3 really worth the 60 dollar price tag? According to multiple sources, the launch of Halo 3 was the biggest entertainment launch in American history, hauling in 170 million dollars in the first day, and 300 million dollars in the first week! In fact, some movie theaters blamed Halo 3 for their decrease in movie ticket sales during the month of October! People in Japan and Europe are also experiencing Halo madness, joining players from around the world using X-Box Live. In the IST interest house, so many people were playing Halo 3 on the day of its release that the sounds of the game could be heard echoing through the hall.

Overall, this game is very fun and will keep players busy with its multiple modes of play. If I had to give this game a rating, I would give it a 9.5 out of 10. The positives include its multiple modes of play, great storyline, excellent graphics, interesting music, and online play that will keep you busy for hours. The only negatives are that AI players are still poor drivers, and that rewinding in Theater Mode isn’t designed the way that you think it would be. However, if you are a Halo fan, and you have played the first two games, then there is truly no reason not to buy Halo 3.