skyfall casino night promotional posterThe Bond movies have been around for a while. Here is our Film Series Chair, Seth Hafer’s list of the top five Bond movies of all time. Don’t forget to see the newest installment, Skyfall for free at Meacham tonight or tomorrow.

1. Goldfinger – This is undeniably the best Bond.  Critics and Bond fans everywhere agree that Goldfinger is what really got the ball rolling for the beloved series by establishing a successful formula – gadgets (like a scuba suit with a seagull on it),  gorgeous girls, a diabolical villain, and impeccable style.

2. From Russia With Love – From Russia With Love is the second Bond film ever made.  After the success of Dr. No, Bond’s budget doubled.  He went from using a strand of hair as a burglary identifier to using a functional jetpack.  From Russia With Love earns its place on this list through the sheer awesomeness of its toys.

3. Casino Royale – Daniel Craig as James Bond really turned the series around.  It was a new, dark, and gritty James Bond in a time when everything had to be new, dark, and gritty.  It worked, though!  …which is why you should totally come see the latest installment in the series, Skyfall, tonight at 8 or 11!

4. Goldeneye – I don’t mean much offense to Pierce Brosnan for mostly excluding his Bond outings from this list.  His first turn as Bond gave us Goldeneye, and while the film was pretty good, its N64 video game reincarnation catapulted it into cult status.  What I’m saying is this spot actually belongs to my nostalgia for the game, and has almost absolutely nothing to do with the movie.

5. Skyfall – Remember when Daniel Craig’s James Bond really turned the series around in Casino Royale?  He (and, you know, everyone that worked on the movie) did it again with Skyfall!  This installment fully realizes the return to the beginning of the Bond series that Casino Royale tried to be.  Then it was a fresh Bond in a plot loosely based on the first book of Ian Fleming’s series.  Skyfall, on the other hand, takes us back to the Bond days we all love and remember, mostly by trying to recapture the spirit of Goldfinger through using the props of Goldfinger.  Come check it out for free either tonight or tomorrow in Meacham!

 

Cartoon of the twilight castUPB Film series chair priovides a counter argument to Jacob.

1. The CGI Baby

You know the one.  It’s on everyone’s mind as they talk about Breaking Dawn pt. 2.  As much as I wish I could put a positive spin on this one, I’m at a loss for words.  That baby is truly, truly outrageous.  AND…  it must be seen to be believed!  There we go.  I knew the positive draw was in there somewhere.  Maybe I shouldn’t have started with such a hard one…

2.Everyone Dies

So, without giving too much away, Twilight is about to go Hamlet on your butt.  Watching as everyone dies is my favorite part of Hamlet, and it’s my favorite part of Twilight too.  Getting to see all of the characters you know get their heads ripped off in a way-less-heart-crushing-than-anything-from-J.K-Rowling way is well worth a watch.  MIND BLOWN.

3. Indie Soundtrack

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve actually always been a fan of the Twilight soundtracks, or at the very least the majority of the bands on them.  As an avid listener to indie music, it’s (sometimes) nice to finally see my favorite bands getting the attention they deserve.  I won’t go into how maybe I’m not listening to them as much as I once was, but I will say that the Twilight execs in charge of the soundtracks know what they’re doing.  Passion Pit, Feist, and St. Vincent?  Yes, please.

4. Kristen Stewart

K-Stew and Co. are back!  It’s easy to get distracted by her most recent tabloid exploits, but at least when you go see a Twilight movie, you know Kristen and Rob are meant to be together forever.  Come see the happy couple while they were happy together!  You know, for two hours.

5.The End

This is it, guys.  It’s not quite the end of an era send-off that Harry Potter had, but I bet there’ll be crying anyway.  The good kind, too.  It’s the last of the Twilight movies, and if you’ve seen the previous four, then I’m pretty sure you owe it to yourself to come see the very last one.  Heck, even if you’ve only seen the first fourth one, that was just half of a story.  Come catch at Twilight Breaking Dawn pt. 2 for FREE this Friday night (2/15) at 6, 9, and/or midnight in Meacham auditorium!

P.S.

How’s this for a shameless plug?  Don’t forget about Blood, Love and Chocolate (the chocolate factory) the same night from 7-9 in the Will Rogers food court.  You should have expected it.  This is our blog, after all.

Cartoon of the twilight castEven if you aren’t a Twi-hard, here are 5 reasons to laugh at and watch Twilight this weekend:

1. CGI Baby

That’s right; nobody’s mother wanted their innocent child subjected to the travesty that is Twilight, so they had to make one with special effects. And even though 2001: A Space Odyssey managed to convince people that they shot a movie in space in 1968, the special effects people decided to construct a monstrous, half-blooded, bobble-headed freak that one must truly see to believe.

2. Everyone Dies

Guess how it ends guys? Everyone bites it. Not in the hilariously relevant vampire sense either. In the try-hard-to-be-epic final battle sense. I already saw Braveheart, thanks.

3. Indie Soundtrack

Remember when you liked bands like Passion Pit and Ellie Goulding? Well, prepare to have them ruined in what would seem to be the saddest attempt at a mash-up YouTube video of all time. Hearing legitimately good bands play over the abysmal screen content is like listening to the Space Jam theme song as the Godfather opens.

4. Kristen Stewart

The ubiquitous Internet picture of Kristen displaying her range of emotions notwithstanding, the main actress has cheated on her co-star, curled her lip like an 8th grade punk girl, and stared blankly into the camera enough that she could only go up from here. And maybe that’s the point. Lindsey Lohan, take note.

5. The End

It’s the last one. If you have dignity (which I’m assuming is iffy at this point because you have to be convinced NOT to see Twilight), you haven’t seen the first ones. Why start now? Do you want to be the person who starts to eat the ice cream cone from the bottom? Because that’s stupid. But if you want to be a trendsetter – like the guy who first came up with breakfast for dinner – I’d bet that the Twilight series makes a whole lot more or as much sense when watched backwards.

-Jacob Oller, UPB Comedy Series

The Union Programming Board Executive Committee has officially selected freshman, Quan Phan as our member of the month for January.

 

Quan Phan

Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Major: Biochemistry

Class: Freshman

 

Quan Phan has been involved in Union Programming Board since the beginning of his freshman year; he is such an asset to our team. He is creative and has helped with almost every artistic project that UPB has had. Quan is very enthusiastic about UPB as a whole and he always makes time to help with any event we are having. We are so lucky to have Quan as a part of our UPB family and we are so grateful for everything that he does for us!

 

We asked Quan some questions about himself so that we could get to know a little more about him. Here are his answers:

Tell me something interesting about yourself…

 My name rhymes.

 

What’s your favorite thing about UPB?

 It is so inclusive and everyone is so friendly.

 

What else are you involved in on campus?

 CAC Crew, Scandals, OU cousins, AMA and RSA

 

What’s your favorite food?

 Cheesecake and anything Vietnamese

 

What is your biggest fear?

 Snakes and airplane crashes- So… basically, snakes on a plane is my worst nightmare.

 

What’s one embarrassing/weird hobby that you have?

 I eat ketchup with everything.

For decades the idea of Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, is something that has greatly fascinated scientists, explorers, and people who think the Moon landing was fake. This fascination is understandable, as Sasquatch is perhaps the greatest mystery our society faces.

For those not aware of Sasquatch, he is commonly referred to as the hide-and-seek world champion. Since The University of Oklahoma is a school of champions he has become the mascot for OU’s Union Programming Board.

UPB is greatly concerned with recent attempts to mess with Sasquatch. We are afraid the Jack Link’s commercials are promoting actions that are going to put Sasquatch in jeopardy. UPB thinks Sasquatch is too important and action needs to be taken to ensure its protection. We want to see the government take action to save the last wonder of North America.

Luckily for us we are not alone in our support of Sasquatch. Someone has started a petition to the Obama Administration in an attempt to solve this problem. The petition asks the government to “officially recognize the Sasquatch as an indigenous species and have them lawfully protected by laws banning any hunting.” We at UPB think this is a great and noble idea and hope the entire student body at OU can get behind it to help save Sasquatch.

There is a long way for this petition to go to reach the required number of signatures, but we think we can make it. Go to the site, create an account and sign the petition. Sasquatch is a champion and a national treasure and he needs your support.

The site for the petition is https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/officially-recognize-sasquatch-indigenous-species-and-have-them-lawfully-protected-laws-banning-any/FlSBT2vj.  Please take the time to help us. We all know what happened when King Kong was captured, we cannot afford to have that happen to Sasquatch.

The Union Programming Board Executive Committee has officially selected sophomore, Jordan Bell as our member of the month for November.

 

Jordan Bell

Hometown: Washington D.C.

Major: Entrepreneurship and Venture Management

Class: Sophomore

 

Jordan Bell has been involved in Union Programming Board since last year and he is a vital member of our organization. He is extremely upbeat and positive. Jordan is friendly and open to everyone wanting to be a part of UPB. He brings so much enthusiasm and kindness to our organization. We are so fortunate to have members like Jordan and we appreciate everything that he does!

We asked Jordan some questions about himself so that we could get to know him a little better. Here are his replies:

Tell us something interesting about yourself…

I can snap with my ears

 Why UPB?

I knew a lot of people on exec so I figured I might as well try it out and the more meetings I went to the more I realized that everyone in UPB is amazing. You forge friendships in a matter of two seconds.

 What else are you involved in on campus? 

I am a Tour Guide and the Student Advisor for the Multicultural Business Program

 What is your favorite food?

Blackened catfish

 What’s your biggest fear?

Ballet and freezing cold water

 What’s one thing everyone should know about you?

I am a huge people person. I love people. As a kid, I talked to homeless people on the street, I talked to my teachers and I talk to strangers on the south oval. I can’t have a one-line conversation.

 

Thank you so much for all you have done for UPB Jordan Bell! You are awesome and your presence in the organization is greatly appreciated.

The Union Programming Board Executive Committee has officially selected freshman, Jordan Weaver as our member of the month for October.

Jordan Weaver

Hometown: Davis, Oklahoma

Major: International Security Studies

Class: Freshman

Jordan has been extremely involved in UPB this semester. He has helped with almost every event that has happened at the Union. He has a never-ending sense of enthusiasm for anything and everything he does. He always has a positive attitude and is willing to help with anything. There is no job that he is above. Jordan is such a wonderful general member and UPB appreciates all he does for them! We would be nothing without general members like Jordan!

 

 

We asked Jordan some questions about himself so that we could get to know him a little better. Here are his replies:

Tell us something interesting about yourself…

I worked for a year as an old fashioned soda jerk, I once dressed up as Justin Bieber and I am shaped like a noodle….

Why UPB?

Because I came to the first meeting and I was blown away with awesomeness and everyone is supes nice. I love the inclusiveness. The fact that you choose your level of involvement really appeals to me.

What else are you involved in on campus? 

Resident student association, CAC crew, Arabic club, Disney club, Sooner vision employee

What is your favorite food?

 Grilled tilapia in a bag from red lobster with seasoned vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes

What’s your biggest fear?

I am really scared that I might be epileptic…

 

Thank you so much for all of your hard work Jordan Weaver. We look forward to hanging out with you more throughout the year.

Patrick VaughnBig Sean dropped his Detroit mixtape Wednesday, September 5th FOR FREE.  Kanye Wests’ GOOD music artist is definitely following in Mr. West’s foot steps via catchy verses and well thought out beats. If you’re into avant-garde hip-hop, check out Detroit and keep an eye out for GOOD music’s collaborative album “Cruel Summer” which drops September 18th.

http://www.datpiff.com/Big-Sean-Detroit-mixtape.390127.html

Not into Hip-Hop?

Check out Imagine Dragons’ new album Night Visions.  They released it on Tuesday, September 4. Singles include “Radioactive” and “It’s Time”.

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Visions-Imagine-Dragons/dp/B008K9SG9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346944136&sr=8-1&keywords=imagine+dragons

Patrick McSweeney

I got involved in UPB at the beginning of my freshman year. From the annual foam party to being the Christmas tree in the Homecoming parade, there are a lot of great memories I created involving UPB events that year. The memory that has stayed with me the longest, was when I competed in the stand-up competition, Comedy Fight Night. I had never done stand-up before, and I probably wasn’t even funny, but it was something I had always wanted to do and now I could finally say that I had done it.

Opportunities like this are what I feel Union Programming Board is all about. It is our responsibility to provide as many opportunities for students to express their talents and get as much out of their time at OU as possible. Last year I was in charge of Sooner Idol, which in a similar way to Comedy Fight Night provides an opportunity for students to express their talents, this time with singing. The 10 contestants I got to work with as chair of this event amazed me. This school is full of people with great talents and we are going to make sure that they can show those to the world.

This year UPB is working on new events that will provide more opportunities. As an organization we are always looking for suggestions for events and if there is anything that we can do to help you express your talent we would love to help. At Comedy Fight Night I found out that comedy may not be my biggest strength but I was still able to find a place that was perfect for me in this organization. This year Union Programming Board will continue to work for the students on campus and we encourage you to get engaged whether it is as a part of our events or by helping organize our events. We need you to help make UPB and this university great.

If you have any questions about UPB I would love to answer them. Just send me an email at pmcsweeney@ou.edu

With all “The Avengers,” hype and Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to capitalize on this sure to be costume trend. But, college is expensive and you don’t have the money for those fancy store-bought costumes. We’ve found these DIY costumes to help out.

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