Students are protesting. Teachers are having “teach-ins.” Stop the insanity, people. Since when did we step into a time machine and dial up 1969? The recent sit-ins at President Donald Gerth?s office remind me of the scenes from Berkeley shown in history classes. All we need now is for tie-dye to rear its ugly head and we will become our tree-hugging parents. I could understand the protests if we had some real issues to get up in arms about, but this is ridiculous. So what if there are talks of canceling Monday-Wednesday classes? School is still in session. The moment our education is hindered by a policy set forth by the University, we should get upset. But for now, our classes are still being implemented and our education is continuing. I suggest that all of the people involved in these petty displays of chest thumping step down from their soapboxes and go study or watch a movie?

?Speaking of watching a movie, have you seen a DVD lately? It seems that movies are being released on DVD as fast as they leave the theater. This week saw the release of “Star Wars: the Phantom Menace.” I happened to see this fine piece of cinema and was immediately impressed. Not only is the movie worthy of watching several times, but the extras ? which include an in-depth look at fight scenes ? on a second disc were incredible.

Having a higher capacity than a normal compact disc, DVDs are able to have more bells and whistles that mesmerize viewers. Adding to the crisp picture and better sound is the ability to be interactive. No longer are movie buffs slaves to the fast forward button. The interfaces, sometimes alone worth the buying price, allow the viewer to browse freely through the goody-rich disc.

With the recent surge of DVDs to the market, it is probably safe to unplug your BETA player and hook up a DVD player. Canhers In-Stat business wire says, “The DVD market has grown from nothing in 1996 to more than 28 million units expected to ship worldwide in 2001 and will exceed 60 million in 2004.” Give it a couple more years, and we can use our VCRs for shotgun fodder.If there are any questions or concerns regarding the life span of the DVD, the experts are certain that this technology will be around for a while.

“Right now, particularly with all the success of DVD, there?s no rational need to develop a next generation,” says Mike Fidler, senior vice president for DVD marketing at Sony Electronics.

Why does this sound like a sales pitch? My theory is that if more people buy DVD players, the price of them will go down, therefore making it possible for me to buy one. The salary of an English major at Sacramento State leaves much to be desired.

So, what have we learned from Uncle A.F. this week, readers? We learned that DVD is good, and superfluous pontificating is bad. For all of the students who feel it necessary to hoot and holler about who-cares-what, feel free to buy a new DVD player. That way you can retire your milk crate and step on top of your old VCR.

A.F. Fegley is an English major. He can be reached at [email protected].