America loves Hannibal -- or Sir Anthony?

James Nix

For three straight weekends now, "Hannibal" has dominated the box office and has grossed $128.5 million in only 17 days.

As the sequel to the Academy Award winning "Silence of the Lambs,Ó I was not shocked when it sold out on its opening night here in Boone.

What I am surprised about is that it continues to rule the box office.

I am a big fan of Thomas Harris, the guy who wrote the book, and I have read each of his books pertaining to Hannibal Lector, so I feel I have acquired some sort of connection with the doctor.

I do not want to critique the movie right now, but I have to say I was really disappointed with Julianne Moore's performance as Clarice Starling.

I really wish that Jodie Foster wasn't so greedy, and had taken the part. She left some big shoes to fill after "Silence" and I'm not sure if anyone could have done it.

The movie in general was also a disappointment to me. Sir Anthony Hopkins did a wonderful job as Dr. Lector, but that wasn't enough.

I don't think I am alone on this one either; I have read many reviews on the movie that share my same opinion.

With that said, I'm amazed it has done as well as it has. I expected it to drop in the box office some by now.

Granted, there is not much out in the theaters now, except "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which is the best movie I've seen in a while, and a few others.

There is only one conclusion I can come to on the success of this serial-killer flick.

Everyone loves Hannibal Lector.

Well, Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of him, that is. I have not seen many people rushing out to watch "Manhunter," the 1986 adaptation of Harris' book "Red Dragon," which is the first film featuring the good doctor, played by Brian Cox.

There is just something about Hopkins that brought Lector to life and earned him an Oscar back in 1991.

I will not deny that Hopkins is a great actor. He would not have been knighted if he was not, but I have yet to see him in anything that compares to his role as Lector.

I was watching "The Mask of ZorroÓ the other night and could not help but want Hopkins' character to eat Antonio Banderas' liver.

A recent Godsmack song, "Vampires," depicts our fascination with the undead bloodsuckers.

I think it is the same thing with Hannibal the Cannibal. Americans are fascinated with the senseless madness of one man wearing another man's face to escape police custody.

This same fascination of ours needed to see Lector feed someone part of his own brain to be satisfied.

No other fictional serial-killer has been able to satisfy our lust for violence like Lector. No other actor has been able to pull it off like Sir Hopkins and I do not think another one could.

Our Perspective ...

State's low-bid policy produces low quality

According to Appalachian State University officials, a plan has been formulated to correct the problems surrounding the George M. Holmes Convocation Center roof.

A special insulation will be installed, allowing any water that penetrates the roof to be diverted to drains inside the multimillion-dollar facility.

Numerous problems have plagued the roof since the building opened Nov. 17, including damage to the basketball floor prior to the men's basketball contest against University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The leasks also caused the relocation of several women's basketball games.

To combat this problem during the recently completed men's and women's basketball schedule, officials placed several canopies and large trash cans in the Holmes Center rafters to prevent water from again damaging the basketball floor or annoying spectators.

Dr. Clyde Robbins, director of Design and Construction, was also quick to point out the university is not responsible for the leaky roof. Robbins also said the university will not use its funds to conduct the repairs, but will withhold funds originally earmarked for the main contractor of the project, Metric Constructors. While Robbins made the university's view on the leaky roof saga clear in Tuesday's edition of The Appalachian, we feel the heart of this problem lies in state policy.

Under North Carolina law, all state projects must be awarded to the construction company that puts in the lowest bid, a move designed to keep costs as low as possible. Robbins confirmed Tuesday that the Holmes Center bids were taken on a low-bid basis.

"We expect to get what we pay for," Robbins said in Tuesday's lead story.

Robbins and university officials did indeed get what Appalachian State paid for: a low-bid quality facility. Evidence of the flaw of this policy can be seen in the condition of many of North Carolina's major highways. It seems by the time a highway project such as Interstate 85 south of Charlotte or Interstate 77 north of Statesville reaches its conclusion, crews return to the original starting point to repair large sections.

The same problem has surfaced with the Holmes Center.

Given the track record of low-bid projects across the state coupled with the long list of construction projects Appalachian is slated to undertake in the next decade, we are forced to ask a commonsensical question of state legislators:

Why not foot the bill for quality work that will be completed correctly the first time?

On or off campus? Choice is yours

Gerald Witt

By now, the majority of students have already made their living arrangements for next year.

Living in a residence hall is a no-brainer. After a semester, you have the community showers, tiny rooms and bunk beds figured out.

This piece is aimed at those moving out of residence halls, especially the first timers.

I moved out of Cannon Hall after my sophomore year and haven't looked back since.

For nearly a year, I have been off campus and now feel it necessary to offer my thoughts on off-campus living.

Living in a residence hall can seem much like a commune. You can walk around the halls, see your movie playing on your neighbor's VCR or lend the occasional shirt to your friend next door.

I thought living off-campus would offer a break from the share-all environment of on-campus life. However, I had no clue that when in an apartment the commune becomes smaller and more liberties (and possessions) of yours are up for grabs. Moreover, the more people you have living in your new dwelling, the less you see your stuff.

Among guys, this is particularly true in the case of food. Outside of labeling food, which can be annoying, don't expect your potato chips or hot dogs to remain simply yours. The same goes for delivery pizza. In return you'll probably eat your roommates' food, so it evens out.

Only two things seem to be exempt from the commune atmosphere of roommate living: Ramen noodles and meat. Ramen, because it is dirt cheap, and meat, because it is not.

Expect to see your clothes walking around campus on your roommates. If you have a washer and dryer, your detergent is not safe. And, above all, buying toilet paper is everybody's responsibility.

A few weeks ago, I moved out of my former apartment and into my own place. This was not because I disliked my former roommates, since roommates create an interesting co-dependency. I left because living with three guys can make for some serious diversions.

Between playing darts, watching a big TV (glory be to digital cable and its 400 channels) or participating in an occasional wrestling match, some diversions can easily keep you up beyond 3 a.m.

Moving to a one-bedroom apartment, I was able to escape these diversions. However, I soon discovered that living by myself meant I had to provide for myself all the necessities of modern living.

At this point, I found a true resource in my parents and older relatives. My advice is to milk them for all they're worth until you get established because they will be chomping at the bit to help you out.

Let them.

If not, be prepared to drop anywhere from $30 to $50 a week until you have bathroom mats, towels, pots, pans, food, decor, movies, video games and whatever else you had back home that made life easy.

That list also includes the simple stuff you never realize you use such as wax paper, plastic bags, trash cans and cleaning supplies. Be sure to buy cleaning supplies up front.

One month later, when your place is beyond dirty and you're broke from purchasing stuff you did not expect to need (example: "We need a bigger TVÓ), and you forgot to buy sponges, mops and bathroom cleaners, you will be sad and smelly.

Sofas, chairs, beds and tables usually turn up.You just have to go after odd items like dishes and trash cans.

Moving out of the residence hall can be glorious.

You usually get more room, some peace from the wild nights of living on a hall and a parking space next to your dwelling. Whether you will have roommates or live alone, each scenario has its own adjustments that have to be made up front.

The secret is preparing yourself for them.