The Nutcracker brings the holiday spirit alive on the North Iowa Community Auditorium stage on Sunday, December 18 at 2 p.m. as part of the 2005-2006 North Iowa Area Community College Performing Arts Series.

Tickets are now on sale and cost $15 for children 12 and under and $25 for 12 years old and up.

The Minnesota Ballet's Nutcracker production, which premiered in December 1997, brings the look of northern Minnesota wherever it travels.

The storied production has delighted audiences in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Nebraska.

Before The Nutcracker even begins, the essence of a Northland skyline nestled above the ice-capped Lake Superior appears against the curtains.

The exotic palace, with its sun-drenched court and jewel tones of turquoise, purple and mauve, is especially designed to help Northerners escape momentarily from the rigors of winter.

For tickets to The Nutcracker, call the NIACC Box Office at (888) 466-4222, ext. 4188.

Christine Harms
Staff Reporter

Many NIACC students are aware of the online network for college and high school students known as Facebook.

Facebook is an online directory that brings college students together.

Thirty-eight colleges across Iowa have joined the trend. The colleges included in Facebook consist of both state and private colleges as well as community colleges like Kirkwood.

A great advantage of Facebook is not only making new friends, but keeping connected with high school classmates.

"I think it's a great way to get to know people," Paige Dieken, a sophomore at NIACC, said. "I also like how easy it is to contact old friends."

A Facebook profile includes information on the student.

To have someone's name added to another student's list, the person must accept the contact before his or her information is shared.

Such information includes basic and personal information.

Basic information deals with the school the student is attending, the individual's major, birthday, hometown and high school.

Personal information includes relationships, clubs, favorite movies and music, and general odds and ends about the student.

Another entertaining part about Facebook is the ability to post messages for friends and classmates.

"The Wall," as it is known, lets students communicate with friends.

Facebook members may also join different groups.

These groups could include anything from "Desperate Housewives Rules My Life" to "The Sweatpants Club."

It's a way to connect with other students that share common interests.

Yet some find Facebook to be a waste of time.

"I meet people at school, not on the computer," Tony Maskarina, a freshman at NIACC, said. "I can get to know someone better if I talk to them in person."

Although it might not be for everyone, those interested in becoming part of Facebook at NIACC can go to the Web site, http://www.facebook.com and request that NIACC be included.

With enough support from NIACC students, people may soon be able to keep up with old friends and get to know one another a little better.

Travis Green
Photo Editor

"A place for friends." That's the catchy slogan used by the Web site, http://www.myspace.com.

Some NIACC students may already be familiar with this Web site.

However, many students might say, "What the heck is MySpace?"

According to MySpace, "MySpace is an online community that lets you meet your friends' friends."

MySpace offers many features such as online chatting, singles who want to meet singles and match making.

MySpace also allows users to create a profile unique to them.

NIACC student and MySpace user Krystal Bauer said she likes this feature.

"I can design a profile that represents me, and it gives me a way to stay connected to my friends," Bauer said.

Bauer said she uses MySpace to meet new people and talk to her friends.

MySpace offers other unique features. Users can blog, generally speaking, write in an online journal, and users can also post quick updates about what's going on.

Posting pictures and joining interest groups are some more unique features of the Web site.

Users can also leave their friend's image and profile comments.

In addition, they can also send and receive mail.

Those seeking old classmates will also find the Web site helpful. MySpace offers a find feature that searches for friends, classmates and affiliations.

The site also includes an audio feature. MySpace music provides a searching feature for a user who is searching for a local act or a well-known band.

Searching options include band name, bio and members. Other search options include band influences, genre, and location, either by country and/or state.

Users can listen to their favorite bands on MySpace, check tour dates and read band blogs.

But MySpace music doesn't stop there.

Bands can share songs and many other things with their fans. Bands can also search for other bands in the surrounding areas to perform with.

MySpace's plethora of features doesn't end there. Other features include event listings, games and classifieds.

However, with its advantages, MySpace also has its disadvantages.

"It is addicting," Bauer said.

Besides being addicting, MySpace does post some major threats.

Underage teenagers can lie about their age to sign-up. Users may also receive random messages from other users asking them out on dates or for their phone number.

MySpace chat and forums can also be accessed by underage users and sexual predators, so users should be careful with personal information.

Chelsie Anderson
Entertainment Editor

Twenty-four hours in one day, that's a measly 24 hours to make every second count. That's 24 hours to finish everything that needs to be done. Sometimes I feel trapped in a time constraint.

I lead a very busy life because I coach dance team, work in the computer lab, and I'm also a waitress and hostess at a local restaurant.

I'm a daughter, I'm a cheerleader, and I'm a best friend. I'm the entertainment editor and in between those things I'm a full-time student.

I know it's imperative that I use every minute of the day wisely, yet I find myself lacking motivation at times.

Sometimes I feel like I care more than some people, and sometimes I wonder why am I caring at all.

I know my life goals are important and that I wouldn't be as happy if I weren't in all of these activities, but at times they completely stress me out.

It seems 24 hours isn't enough time to do everything and get sleep. I work hard for people in many different areas, and there are times when I'm not sure they are working just as hard for me.

I can't be dishonest; I don't always get everything done ahead of time. I'm usually working up to the last minute mostly because the minutes before that were working up to another deadline. There is that stupid time constraint again.

For me, the best way to stay on task has been to try to manage my time as best as I can. There are times when I am so exhausted and all I want to do is just sleep for a half an hour, but I know if I do that I'll fall behind.

I look to the future as my motivation. I know if I work hard now, I'll have extra time later to enjoy.

Pushing yourself isn't always easy, but it's so important when you're a busy gal like myself. So if you feel yourself slipping into a spinning abyss of deadlines, due dates and responsibilities, just remember; it's helping you get ahead of the people who don't know what it's like to overcome those hurdles.