You’ve seen them — bulletins sent in the mail or galleries linked on school websites — and they’re all filled with the same things: happy, smiling students of every race and color who are either walking around campus or deeply engaged in a professor’s lecture.

But just how accurate are these microcosms of college living? According to recent research headed by Timothy Pippert, an associate professor of sociology from Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Missouri), not very.

Using a random sampling of 371 college and universities, Pippert studied various promotional materials and found that schools often over-represented the number of minorities on campus. For example, while black and Asian students comprise 7.9 and 3.3 percent of the average college student body, respectively, their presence in college bulletins and other materials amount to 12.4 and 5.1 percent of students portrayed.

The effect can be two-fold, gain the interest of students who are interested in attending a diverse college and make minority students feel more welcome. But does this penchant for picture diversity constitute a conspiracy to lure in students? What do you think?

– Genevieve M. Blaber

If you’re like most soon-to-be college students, chances are there’s a philosophy course waiting in your future. While you may recoil in horror at the notion of studying things like utilitarianism and deontology, the truth is that looking at the world through a philosophical lens can be fun and — dare I say it? –- enlightening.

Still skeptical? Then maybe you should try easing yourself into the realm of philosophical discussion with the help of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series. Each book from this ongoing collection is dedicated to analyzing a different cultural icon or show within the entertainment world. Chapters are written by college professors from across the nation and are as educational as they are representative of fandom at its finest, with everything from character motivations to plotlines discussed.

Case in point: After reading just two chapters of Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul, I’ve been introduced to classical and contemporary thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and Judith Jarvis Thomson — all in the course of pondering popular Batty topics like why Batman is better than the Man of Steel, and Bruce Wayne’s motivations for ever donning the cape.

In short, the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series is a perfect easy-to-understand crash course in philosophy cushioned by a topic you already love. Where else will you be able to read about the philosophical implications of hot shows like 24, Lost, Family Guy, The Office, and even The Daily Show?

– Genevieve M. Blaber

In between your studying for the SAT or your prepping to pack for your brand new dorm, take a break this summer and check out some cool products that will keep you stylish, comfy, and ready to roll.

Juicy Technology
Green is one of the hottest colors in fashion this summer. So why not get a green laptop?! Dell Inspiron notebooks have come out with citrus lime and lemon colors so you not only can talk to your friends online and do research on schools or dorm room accessories, but also can make a light and airy summer fashion statement. The Dell laptops start around $499, and like all computers you can have them custom-built to cater to your needs. There are more than just lemon and lime colors too, for all those guys out there! So definitely check these out today for a fun and useful tool that you can bring along to school.

Summer Tunes
Listen to the newest Coldplay or Madonna CD on your 3G iPod Nano this summer. And as you tan by the pool or beach or play some hoops with the boys, forget those bulky iPod dock radios. Use Audiowrapz by iFrogz. This 100 percent silicone protective cover has a speaker built directly into it and is available at Wal-Mart for the retail price of $20. And you won’t have to stick those earbuds in either (although you can always do so for privacy). This product is even great beyond the summer because it’s something you can use no matter where you are. Put it on while you’re doing homework or to have a mini-dance party after class.

The Maine Attraction
Take along your summer accessories in a light summer bag by Ann Veronica. These canvas bags are all one-of-a-kind, handmade, and from Maine. It’s great for the beach or as you’re just running out to keep all your essentials together. There are a variety of patterns for this 100 percent heavyweight cotton canvas. Some of these include circles, flowers, crabs, vintage lace, toy boats, and more! The company was founded in 2003 and makes different kinds of bags, including totes, beach bags, tennis racquet covers, and even some headbands. For a convenient summery bag check out Ann Veronica Handprints.

-Amanda Fornecker

Lengthy novels, obscure phrases, and unfamiliar metaphors — combine them all and you may have a tough time landing a 4.0 in your college lit class. But don’t stress yet. There are plenty of ways to boost your reading comprehension and your grades. While study groups and study guides (like CliffsNotes and SparkNotes) are classic strategies, Internet-savvy teens like you might be interested in the next level of studying: Book Glutton.

Created as a type of social marketing network for bookworms, Book Glutton (www.bookglutton.com) lets users create free accounts and then download and discuss literature with each other. Although these free e-books are limited to works that are in the public domain (e.g. Voltaire’s “Candide”), students will find that many of their required readings are offered on Book Glutton. Presented in an online reader format, each book has a real-time chat box in which users can discuss their interpretations and views. Book Glutton members can also add notes to a book, allowing future readers to benefit from their insight as well.

As for the social aspect of the site, Book Glutton members create profiles, friends lists, and join and create reading groups — a handy solution for college students who want to create study groups but who can’t always meet on campus. Aspiring writers can even choose to upload their own works for discussion and review by others.

Still in its beta version, Book Glutton seems like a promising way for college students and lifelong bibliophiles to learn and share.

Psst! Want more tips for getting good grades in college? Then be sure to check out “10 Simple Things You Can Do to Conquer College.”

– Genevieve M. Blaber

Heading off to college for the first — or last — time? Then check out our top five must-have college essentials. Running the gambit from practical to plain fun, these gifts will make a perfect addition to any wishlist.

Practical Gifts
Gift Idea: Amazon Kindle
Textbooks, novels, newspapers — with so much to read, study, and carry, life as a college student is anything but easy on your back or the environment. But what if you could conserve all that ink and paper into a lightweight, easy-to-hold device that stores 200 book titles, newspapers, and even blogs? You’d be thinking of the Amazon Kindle. Fresh off the assembly line, it’s the latest in e-book readers and boasts an on-the-go wireless connection for downloading digital data. From catching up on required readings to finding out the latest with RSS feeds, keeping up-to-date with your reading has never been so easy.
Price: $399
Website: http://www.amazon.com

Gift Idea: Webster’s New World Dictionary on USB Drive
Feeling perspicacious? Need to measure an apogee? Want to expound upon the finer points of anthropomorphism? If any of these phrases has you confused then it’s time to boot up your word knowledge. In college you’ll need the right language skills whether you’re writing papers, taking exams, or just trying to figure out what your professor’s saying during lecture. But before you start lugging around a three-pound dictionary wherever you go, check out Webster’s New World Dictionary on USB Drive. You’ll find polysyllabic words instantly deciphered with the click of a mouse thanks to this device that holds all the intricacies of the English language in an easy-to-carry — and transfer — electronic form.
Price: $42.99 – 64.99
Website: http://www.centon.com/usb/websters

For Fun Gifts
Gift Idea: iKaraoke
Searching for a way to bring life to your next dormroom party? Look no further than the iKaraoke by Griffen Technology. It’s an iPod add-on that takes your favorite tunes and turns them into instant karaoke classics by removing vocal tracks before it sends the signal to your stereo. With the mere flick of a switch you can be rockin’ out to your pipes singing the latest top hits. And if you really want to feel like you’re hitting the stage, turn on the reverb for some authentic echoing. It’s the perfect gift whether you’re an aspiring American Idol or simply want the craziness of a karaoke bar without the high prices.
Price: $49.95
Website: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ikaraoke

Gift Idea: Smarty Pants for the Wii
No dorm is complete without a Wii videogame console and the party games to go with it. That’s why you’ll want to add Electronic Arts’ latest offering, Smarty Pants, to your holiday videogame wishlist. Combining trivia with the Wii’s interactive motion sensors, the game asks you to put on your thinking cap and your dancing shoes. You’ll go from answering questions about the periodic table of elements to using the Wii-mote to “crank” the in-game spinner, and with up to four people playing at the time you’ll work up some laughs as you hone your competitive edge.
Price: $49.99
Website: http://www.ea.com/smartypants/

Practical and Fun!
Gift Idea: Speaker Frames
If there’s one uniting factor amongst college dorms across the country, it’s that they’re all small. Painfully, excruciatingly, small. So in the spirit of college students who have to save space by doubling up on item uses — look mom, it’s a combination crate/table/footstool! — American Science & Surplus store is now marketing the Speaker Frame. It’s your average everyday 5″ x 7″ wooden picture frame with an added feature: a speaker hidden in the back. Snag a set and get ready to conserve desk space while adding a touch of pizzazz to old high school photos.
Price: $29.50 each
Website: http://www.sciplus.com/singleItem.cfm/terms/13980

- Genevieve M. Blaber

When it comes to a girl and her toys, there are many things that come to mind. Who said stylish and chic can’t combine with studious and practical?! Here are some holiday ideas to get you (or your beloved college female) back to the dorm in style and help make next semester even better.

Much like colleges, we’ve arranged the gifts into three categories: Reach Gifts, Moderate Gifts, and Safety Gifts, according to price range. Check ‘em out and be sure to enjoy your gifts during your semester back at school!

Reach Gifts
Gift Idea: MyLife-MyArt Portraits
Get your favorite family portrait enlarged and in the form of a painting that will make it seem like it should hang in a museum from MyLife-MyArt. The painting will be the perfect addition to your dorm room wall and will give you that extra homey feeling you’ve been lacking since you moved in last September. There are lots of choices for sizes and frames. To give it an extra authentic and different look, choose the gallery option.
Price: approximately $49-$579, depending on the size and type of frame
Website: http://www.mylife-myart.com

Gift Idea: BedHead TIGI Pro Styling Appliances
Most every female college student has heard of BedHead TIGI products for their hair before. Now, the maker of the straightening, curling, and anti-frizz balms and sprays has come out with a line of pro styling appliances in their “Light Me Up!™” collection. We tried the 1″ curling iron and found that it creates loose curls, for that natural and wavy look. Tourmaline, Nano-Ceramic, and Ionic technologies have been combined for healthy-looking, soft, and shiny hair. And it’s hot pink – the perfect accessory for the college girl! So get your tresses professionally styled on your own before your big presentation. You’ll look and feel like a million bucks! Also available by BedHead are colorful hair dryers, straighteners, and other styling irons.
Price: $40 for curling irons; $85 for straighteners and hair dryers
Website: http://www.helenoftroyusa.com

Moderate Gifts
Gift Idea: XShot Photo Accessory
For your upcoming presentation that requires proof that you went to the museum, why not take a picture? But it’s hard to do that when you’re by yourself or everyone you’re with wants to get in. Enter XShot. With a digital camera, you can attach XShot to the built-in thumbscrew, set the camera’s self-timer, extend your arm, and shoot! XShot gets over three feet away and can fit up to five people in your photo with no problem. So use it for your next presentation or to get some fun pics up on your college Facebook profile.
Price: $24.95
Website: http://www.xshotpix.com

Safety Gifts
Gift Idea: Flex Neck Reading Light
Last semester you were totally annoyed with your roommate’s sleeping habits. She always went to sleep early and shut off the light, leaving you to squint at your work in the dim light of the flashlight you had to position just in the right place. Don’t get caught up in the same mess next semester and get a Flex Neck Reading Light, by LightWedge, LLC. It keeps only your immediate work area well lit without the hassle because you can attach it where it’s needed – to a book, to your computer, etc. This reading light also comes in eight different colors. So leave the olden days of candlelight behind you and start off the semester brightly.
Price: $9.99
Website: http://www.greatpointlight.com; http://www.lightwedge.com

Gift Idea: iPod Hoodie
Keep your iPod stylin’ with an iPod hoodie – the perfect kind of college gear. The hoodie is a bright orange mesh case that has, you guessed it, a hood. The front of the hoodie has a pocket to store headphones. For a fun and stylish look, be sure to dress up your iPod – it’ll keep it warm during those snowstorms of the beginning of the semester while you trek to class in your own hoodie and UGGs.
Price: $9.99
Website: http://www.uptownbella.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

-Amanda Fornecker

It’s never too early to prep for the SAT! Convenience pairs up with practicality in the latest and greatest tutor. Franklin Electronics has teamed up with the Princeton Review to create the Pocket Prep Interactive Handheld Tutor for the SAT and ACT ($129.95 at http://www.franklin.com).

Its lightweight feeling, as well as its sleek carrying case make this tutor extremely convenient to take anywhere. Study on the bus ride to school or in between classes. With practice tests, study aids, and test prep, you’ll get lots of practice and learn to ace that standardized test within no time at all.

Each practice test has 10 sections, with reading, writing, math, and essay questions. And the best part is that the device keeps time for you so you don’t have to continually watch the clock and monitor your time. You just need to glance at the top of the screen to see how many minutes remain. Furthermore, you’ll be able to get your score when all is said and done.

In addition to its convenient carrying case, your tutor comes equipped with a pencil and a graph paper pad. There’s even a place to put your calculator! Your tutor is easy to use and everything you need is right there, including electronic flashcards. It makes it that much easier for the student.

It’s really a great way to prepare yourself and learn. After all, practice does make perfect…

Don’t forget to register for the exam! Here are some important test dates:
SAT:
November 3, 2007
December 1, 2007
January 26, 2008
March 1, 2008
May 3, 2008
June 7, 2008

ACT:
December 8, 2007
February 9, 2008
April 12, 2008
June 14, 2008

-Amanda Fornecker