Students were waiting to attend the free event in celebration of the lunar year change, which occurred on January 23, hosted by the Asian Students Alliance, an undergraduate club at Stony Brook.

2012’s lunar new year is the year of the dragon – the only mythical creature represented in the Chinese calendar.

According to the gala’s organizer, Anne Chau, 21, a junior Biology and Philosophy major, the year of the dragon is a particularly special year due to its mystical origins.

“If you are born in the year of the dragon you’re considered very lucky,” said Chau, referring to the fact that the dragon is the symbol of good fortune and protection in Chinese culture.

The gala included raffles, a pin-the-tail-on-the-dragon competition, origami lessons and a peculiar game that involved marbles being picked out of a bowl with chopsticks – not easy. And then there was the food; perhaps one of the biggest draw cards of the evening.

Traditional Chinese cuisine was on hand – General Tso’s chicken, rice, dumplings, and egg rolls – all free and ready to be consumed by the roughly 400 students who stopped by.

Many of the students agreed the dinner was good, and it showed an hour after the doors opened when the food was all gone.

The hosts, Chau and two other members of ASA, kept the audience occupied during dinner with the thrill of winning a prize in one of the raffles offered throughout the evening.

There was even a brief flashback to childhood in the form of an impromptu game of “Simon Says” while the hosts waited for the real entertainment to arrive. The audience could laugh or grimace as the participants failed to do exactly as Simon, or in this case Ryan, said.

After a one-hour traffic delay, the highlight of the evening, the Dragon Dance team, arrived. The dance is traditionally performed over the 15-day New Year celebration and is no mere feat to perform, involving two or more people holding poles that move the body and head of a jumping and dancing dragon.

Some of the audience did not have the patience or desire to wait the extra hour for the dance team to arrive and left shortly after eating their fill.

While junior Yiufat Lam, who goes by the name Benny, 20, an Engineering and Studio Art double-major from Chinatown, Manhattan, said that this year’s gala was a little less organized than last year’s celebration, but he still felt it was a good way for students to honor the new year away from home.

According to Lam, the Chinatown New Year celebrations in the city are particularly fun.

“The whole of Canal Street shuts down and at midnight there are firecrackers in the street,” he said. “You wear new clothing on new year’s day, usually red.”

Lam also described the traditional act of handing out red envelopes with money in them to relatives or friends during the celebrations.

Unfortunately no red envelopes stuffed with cash were distributed at this particular gala.

All occupants were evacuated from the building for approximately 45 min while the building was cleared by the Stony Brook and Setauket Fire Departments. Several building occupants said they smelled something burning before they were evacuated.

After the building was reopened, Stony Brook Facilities and Services confirmed that the burning smell was caused by a malfunctioning ventilation motor located on the second floor of the union. The burning motor was shut down and the Union building is now considered safe.

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(photos also by Jasmine Haefner)

But one recent study, that texting on your cell phone may negatively impact your walking speed, probably won’t etch “Stony Brook University” on the wall of earth-shattering scientific findings.

First, let us share a moment of silence for Alexa Longueira, a Staten Island teen who fell into a manhole while texting on her cell phone a few years back. She only suffered minor physical injures, but if this study came sooner, I’m sure she could have been spared some seriously embarrassing, New York tabloid-type mental scars.

Other than our dearest Alexa, I’m sure this finding came as a surprise to next to no one, while the idea of conducting these studies will dumbfound everyone. We were all taught in our preschool days never to run with scissors—for safety’s sake. Now we know not to walk to class while texting—for punctuality’s sake. Go Seawolves.

According to the press release, thirty-three twenty-somethings were put to tests while texting and talking on the phone. I wonder what they texted.

Yo bb, I’m in the middle of this study rn. HMU in about an hour for dinner. We’ll get some dim sum. Yo lol if Donald Sutherland owned a dim sum restaurant it would definitely be called Dimmald Summerland.

Dawgg, can u believe Derek said he actually liked I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry while he strung out on whippits last night! lol Im never drinkin again lol

Honey, put the duck in the oven, won’t you? I’m bringing home bundt cake and your favorite Woody Allen flick. I’ll light some of those Kiss From A Tulip In An Early Spring’s Mist-scented candles in the den. Tonight will be—oh dag, SOS. I just fell into an uncovered manhole! Call 311! Good God, it smells as bad as Adam Sandler’s career down here! Derek is a glue-sniffing moronnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Next week, we will have studies prove other commonly held beliefs, like the fact that Asians are genetically inclined to order the most horrific burritos at Picantes (shrimp, mangos and nacho cheese, please!), or that everyone that lives in Kelly Quad likes Incubus, or that longboarders will most likely die alone.

That’s kind of accurate, but like many movie trailers, it is largely misleading, if not an outright lie.

Basic synopsis: Mallory [Gina Carano] is a former marine working for a private company, which does certain questionable jobs for clients. Suddenly, her partner turns on her, and she doesn’t know why she has been blacklisted. So she goes in search of answers, finding a tangled web of intrigue.

If that sounds vague and confusing, that’s because the plot is vague and confusing up until the last five minutes, and even then it’s less than satisfactory.

Before I begin to list the numerous problems I have with this film, I would like to name its two redeeming qualities. First, the cinematography is, from a technical standpoint, superb. Second, the fight scenes are fantastic, but then, the lead actress is an MMA fighter.

Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends.

The plot, even when it is comprehensible, is nonsensical. Yes, it is as paradoxical as it sounds. But, much of that can probably be blamed on the poor dialogue.

The acting is generally on point. However, Gina Carano has no emotional range, which they attempt to explain away based on her military background, which is a poor excuse. Channing Tatum is well-known for his lack of real theatrical skill, but his face is as pretty as ever. Ewan McGregor and Antonio Banderas… how could you?

There are multiple seemingly endless chase sequences, and though that sounds exciting, it’s not. The background music seems misplaced when it is not noticeably absent, and the constant glaring change of camera angles is distracting from otherwise captivating fight sequences.

Basically, if you enjoy artistic cinematography or MMA fighting, you should see it. Otherwise, save your money for one of Steven Soderbergh’s more worthwhile films.

As a bonus, there are a few amusing things to watch for if you have the misfortune of seeing this film: dad, time lapse between scenes, the random guy who gets kidnapped at the beginning, jilted lover, and cornrows.

“It’s the best of jazz pianists,” said Julie Greene, marketing director of the Staller Center. “Chucho Valdés is a legendary artist. For students who have never seen jazz before, they can have the best of the best.”

Valdés performed January 29 in the recital hall of the Staller Center at Stony Brook University, with songs from his latest album, Chucho Steps, winner of the 2011 Grammy award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

“He plays to his own music,” said Alan Inkles, director of the Staller Center. “He really connects with the audience. There’s nothing more exciting than him playing our recital hall. He’ll bring to us a night of great Latin jazz and great high-level jazz.”

Valdés is on tour in the United States and is performing at Carnegie Hall in New York. His band, the Afro-Cuban Messengers, uses piano, cello, drums, bass, trumpet and saxophone, and his sister, Mayra Caridad Valdés, provides the vocals for the group.

“Just look at the inspiration and passion,” said audience member Stacey Torrann. “I just think that they’re trying to express their culture through their instruments. It’s like going back to Cuba with that percussion session.”

A multiple Grammy-winner, Valdes has performed with some of the greatest jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea and Herby Hancock. The New York Times named him, “the Dean of Latin Jazz” and “one of the world’s greatest virtuosic pianists.” Valdés attributes his Afro-Cuban roots as the main influence of his music.

“The majority of what people take is the African-Cuban rhythms mixed with jazz,” he said. “The rhythm that I bring is what they take with them.”

Valdés performed a number of songs, including “Obtabla,” which received a standing ovation. But what enchanted the audience the most was the contribution of the band. Audience member Jacqueline Corkey described the band members as “possessed” as they played.

“It was painful not to dance,” she said. “The music is all about the rhythm. They’re marvelous.”

The governor’s plans for economic development include the establishment of the Energy Highway Task Force, which will help facilitate the transfer of power from upstate plants and wind farms to areas downstate, and the legalization of casino gambling, which could potentially raise $1 billion in revenue, according to Adams.

President Samuel Stanley said he is very positive about the energy highway and the potential for Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Lab to be involved in the process.

“That really ties in very well with the smart grid work that we’re trying to do,” he said. “The idea that we could actually help facilitate that transmission line that they create and actually make it as efficient as possible—that’s really exciting.”

Stanley added that he is supportive of Cuomo’s budget proposal unveiled Jan. 17 because of its commitment to keeping the university’s budget intact and its emphasis on SUNY’s contribution to the state’s economic development.

Adams was one of several cabinet members sent to various regions of the state to echo the governor’s proposal for reform in his 2012-2013 executive budget. He discussed Cuomo’s solution to the “education crisis” in the state, which he said would begin with the establishment of a teacher evaluation system. If districts do not implement the system by January 2013, they would be ineligible for a state aid increase, and if they do implement it by September 2012, they would be eligible for extra funding.

Other proposals included improvements to New York’s infrastructure, such as repairs to bridges, roads and water systems and the construction of a new convention center at the Aqueduct Racetrack.

Adams also discussed the proposed reevaluation and consolidation of state programs and agencies, the proposed cap on administrative costs and executive compensation, a $370 million state take-over of Medicaid growth costs to counties, and state employee pension reform.

War Horse plays right into his hands.  A story about a thoroughbred’s journey through Europe in the midst of World War I, this movie has everything from a larger-than-life historical context to some of the most profound portrayals of human character.  While the film can certainly feel like Spielberg is personally trying to twist your guts into a knot at every turn, the over-dramatization is never enough to make it any less entertaining.

After being separated from his young, Zac Efron look-alike owner, a horse named Joey with an indescribable beauty finds his way into the hands of people ranging from German soldiers to a terminally sick French teenager, all of who take measures to protect him from the atrocities of the war.  Though the horse is the main focus of the film, Joey acts more as a common thread in a series of significant encounters.  Possibly the most heart-wrenching moment of the film is when a German and British soldier come out from their respective trenches to help each other cut Joey free from barbed wire in the middle of the battlefield, a symbolic scene of mutual respect.

Predictably, Spielberg’s greatest feat is the cinematography.  He manages to create highly realistic and epic portrayals of one of the most gruesome wars in history without any excess of gore. Just don’t expect this movie to be full of surprises; anyone with half a brain can see exactly how this movie will end shortly after the initial credits. But with an open mind and a healthy, willful suspension of disbelief, there’s no reason not to enjoy War Horse if you don’t resist it.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally a book written by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. It was followed by the other two books in the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. The three quickly became fast fan favorites and were translated into English, along with several other languages. The first book was then turned into a movie in Sweden, Män som hatar kvinnor.  (In English this apparently means The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)

So for those of you hearing about and seeing this movie for the first time, please keep in mind that this is a remake based off of a book, which David Fincher probably read in English, not Swedish.

Many an audience member would expect The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to simply be another attempt by the United States to make a couple of extra bucks off of someone else’s genius. However, Fincher’s version of this cult classic does not disappoint. With beautiful cinematography, actors who fully embody their characters, and a plot unlike any other, this film keeps you on the edge of your seat whether you know what’s coming or not.

The story begins as a two-in-one. First we meet Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a reporter who’s just been convicted on several counts of libel. Next, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is introduced; a ward of the state whose introverted and anti-social tendencies were misinterpreted in her youth as ineptitude. The two meet when Blomkvist begins investigating the alleged death of a family member of Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), who’s bank account ranks him at baller, or bällör in Swedish.

The film keeps to the scene-setting of beautiful Sweden, instead of attempting to change the movie to a setting in the U.S. This decision pays off in the long run with the movie seeming authentic and true to the plot. Shit like this would never happen in northern Minnesota, I hope.

Like the setting, there were very few things actually omitted from the original plot line. However, aspects in this version seemed much more set in stone compared to the original movie and book. The play between character relationships is so certain that it leaves the audience with one less thing to contemplate, opposed to the twisted mazes of thought that viewers experienced in the Swedish version.

While Fincher strived for an aesthetic true to the original, this movie still shows Hollywood influences, although not necessarily in a negative way. Even I can enjoy the blatant abuse of Daniel Craig’s body, because everyone enjoys walking around half-naked in a shack located in -20 degree-weather. And just so you know, Lisbeth probably wouldn’t walk around in sexy lingerie in her hotel room. Why so much sex Hollywood? A rape scene that takes place towards the beginning of the film was something that I literally had to turn away from in the original. Let’s just say Fincher’s version was tolerable in comparison.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, while a bit different from the original, is by far worth the steep nine dollars you might be paying to go see it. (Come on. You’ve already spent that on Cowboys & Aliens.) After seeing it I was left thinking whether or not this type of film would originally be made in the U.S. Alas, another Swede has brought us a fantastic story. Although at times The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo makes the audience uncomfortable, the curving plot line and anticipatory anxiousness makes it well worth the watch.

Bucking the trend of movies in a series getting worse and worse over time, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is that rare film that is better than its predecessors. Following the underrated third movie in the series (a film that saw regular agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) rescuing his wife), Ghost Protocol is back to the series’ usual shtick of saving the world from madmen who want just the opposite.

Ghost Protocol hits the ground running with a gunfight that ends in tragedy for the Impossible Mission Force. On a quest to retrieve a package containing nuclear launch codes, Ethan Hunt and his team fall into a trap that implicates them with the bombing of the Kremlin. After being disavowed by the U.S.A. under the “Ghost Protocol” policy, Hunt, Agent Carter (Paula Patton), Benji (Simon Pegg), and mysterious analyst Brandt (Jeremy Renner) go on a quest to vindicate themselves, as well as trying to hinder a madman, codenamed “Cobalt” (Michael Nyqvist), from initiating a global nuclear war.

The change of director for this film seemed unwarranted, but the decision ultimately paid off. There were some doubts as to whether Brad Bird, a director who generally works with animated films (Ratatouille, The Incredibles, The Iron Giant), could make an effective live-action director, but those doubts are eliminated with this film. Bird does a fine job of taking what is a rather messy plot and making it easily understandable for the audience. He brings the energetic style we saw in The Incredibles, and it shows with perhaps the most kinetic action seen yet in a Mission: Impossible flick.

Another area on the technical side that deserves credit is the cinematography. The film’s setting in Dubai creates many exciting opportunities for the storyboard and the filmmakers took advantage of them. The Burj Khalifa scene, where Hunt has to scale the world’s tallest building, is every bit as good as the trailer hyped it to be, and a chase through a sandstorm is at once brilliant and chaotic. And, for all the action in the film, the filmmakers do not make the mistake of shaking the camera (think The Bourne Trilogy). Never in the film was it hard to see exactly what was going on.

What was stunning was the high quality of acting in this film. Cruise does a good job at continuing his long-term role as frantic Ethan Hunt, and what is impressive about the rest of the cast is that they are all, for the most part, newcomers to the Mission: Impossible series. Renner is fine at portraying a very sarcastic and slightly insecure Brandt, and plays his part on the team like a veteran. Patton manages her part as Agent Carter well, although there were times when she wasn’t entirely convincing as an angry team member bent on revenge for the death of one of her colleagues. Best of all is Simon Pegg, who also appeared in Mission: Impossible III, as an agent in one of his first field missions. Pegg is probably known best for movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and he brings his talent as a much-needed source of comic relief in this film.

The villains were adequately acted as well, although this is one of the rarer films these days that are more concerned with the heroes than about character studies of the evildoers. Nyqvist is convincing as the main antagonist, an insane terrorist whose only goal is worldwide destruction. Other good additions to the Mission: Impossible stable of villains are Lea Seydoux, who acts as cold-blooded assassin Sabine Moreau, and Vladimir Makshov, who plays a disgruntled Russian agent who thinks Ethan and his team bombed his nation’s landmark.

Perhaps most surprising was how different this film was than the others in the series. Ghost Protocol has a much more lighthearted approach than the previous Mission: Impossible films, and it is a welcome change. Often the characters are found joking around or delivering sarcastic comments to each other, even in tense situations. Brad Bird does a great job working with the characterization of all the roles, as we see when the agents struggle with their personal interests as well as human error. In a sense, this humanizes them and makes our journey with them through their mission much more suspenseful and enjoyable.

Despite the changes, Ghost Protocol actually has a lot in common with the television series of old. When the IMF secretary (Tom Wilkinson) declares that tension hasn’t been so high between America and Russia “since the Cuban Missile Crisis,” we are brought back to the Cold War politics so central to the original TV series. Many plot devices from the show are used as well, of course, including the ubiquitous mask. Lovers of the originals, you have been warned.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the uncommon type of film that lives up to the hype and surprises you with its quality. In a time when PG-13 action films are as abundant as they are ordinary, this movie stands out. With only days left in the calendar year, it may very well be the best action movie of 2011. And it’s been released in IMAX format. If you don’t mind shelling out the few extra bucks, you may find it worthwhile. Dubai looks great on the mammoth screen.