ALISON FARRELL - The Spectrum

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Book Review: Tale of Life Begins with Death

By ALISON FARRELL | Oct. 8, 2003

Visions of the afterlife combined with the evolution of society may sound like the premise for a fantasy novel, but "Five People You Meet in Heaven," Mitch Albom's follow-up to "Tuesdays with Morrie," takes a more philosophical and sentimental tone regarding these existential themes."The Five People You Meet in Heaven" is a tale focused around the life and accidental death of Eddie, an elderly amusement park employee.

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Park and Ride: A Solution to Parking Problems?

By ALISON FARRELL | Sep. 17, 2003

So many people commute to UB that the collective body of faculty, staff and students drive a total of one hundred and twenty million miles in one year, estimates Walter Simpson, the university energy officer at UB.Once UB's faculty, staff and students drive those miles, they need a place to park their vehicles.

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Book Review

By ALISON FARRELL | Nov. 13, 2002

When dinner and a movie sounds dull, those seeking more adventurous dates may look for a comprehensive guide to various out-of-the-norm activities, as well as tips for improved traditional dates.The authors of "Guide to Great Dates," Paul Joannides and Toni Johnson, have created a fairly comprehensive answer to the eternal question asked by friends, lovers and colleagues across the globe: "What do you want to do?"Although this book clearly has a fairly low production value and has more than a few glaring grammatical errors, it is a fun and interesting reference for those looking for a fun night out.Many of the suggestions for dates listed are obvious, but the guide luckily proves its relevance by including information on how much a date will cost and what is needed before the date, as well as a compilation of Internet resources that will assist daters in helping the date run smoothly.The book highlights less traditional prospective dates, such as sitting in on a murder trial, brewing your own beer, going to a corn maze, and building a sandcastle.These dates suggested in the "Guide to Great Dates" are innovative and fun, but many others are traditional, obvious dates with additional background information."Guide to Great Dates" also includes pros and cons to traditional options for dates, such as "Doing a Dinner Date at Home":"It is seriously a bad idea to invite someone to your home for dinner if it's your first date.

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The Socks Will Not Win

By ALISON FARRELL | Oct. 30, 2002

A tornado has hit my house. As I walk in the door, I see half-empty water glasses, a few plates, and two socks lying in the middle of the dining room floor.I must trace the path of the tornado.

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12-Step Program for Rape Survivors

By ALISON FARRELL | Oct. 28, 2002

The counseling of victims of sexual assault has taken a new turn with the introduction of a new 12-step program geared toward assisting in the recovery process.

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Book Review: Chuck Palahiuks's Lullaby

By ALISON FARRELL | Oct. 28, 2002

In his latest novel, Chuck Palahniuk combines the unusual writing style and plot intricacies found in his previous novels.

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Must-Be TV: Living in a Dream World

By ALISON FARRELL | Sep. 30, 2002

Rachel Green, a waitress, lives in an apartment in Manhattan.Carrie Bradshaw, a writer, lives in a spacious and beautifully furnished apartment with an even more furnished closet.According to Professor of Media Studies Sarah Elder, it has always been the media's aim to glamorize certain sections of life.

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Vocal Artists Lead Effort to Protect Environment

By ALISON FARRELL | Sep. 18, 2002

In an effort to counteract the negative environmental effects of the production of compact discs, several artists in the music industry have joined a campaign to neutralize the potentially harmful emission of carbon into the atmosphere.Headed by Future Forests, an environmental preservation agency, the collaboration seeks to regulate the levels of carbon, a byproduct of compact disc production, in the environment.Artists like Coldplay, The Pet Shop Boys, Gorillaz and Dido have pledged to plant the amount of trees necessary to counteract the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by the mass production of their music in the form of compact discs."I think it's great that they are using their celebrity to better the environment," said Dan Leung, a fifth-year media studies major.

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Community Revisited

By ALISON FARRELL | Sep. 11, 2002

Community, whether large or small, can be defined as a group of people with a common interest. This definition, however, remains small and inadequate to describe our post - Sept.

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Medical School for Dummies

By ALISON FARRELL | Sep. 6, 2002

In the minds of students, medical school represents many things: a great accomplishment, an exhausting financial endeavor, a lifelong goal, or that which is unattainable because you simply cannot understand algebra.As college students, many remain curious about the steps it takes to get into medical school.