Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Opinion

New year brings new predictions

Jim McCormick
Opinion Columnist 

Everyone has hopes for 2007, whether they're fulfilling their own prophecies with resolutions or making guesses as to what people or nations will be doing. Although no one can be sure what will happen, here's one columnist's take on the new year. Let's see what's in the crystal ball.

Copies of the new Windows Vista have been shipped and should arrive in stores within the next six weeks. It will be a commercial flop, and the average user won't see much functionality added beyond eye candy. People won't upgrade; they'll just get it with their new PCs.

The PlayStation 3 will be an equal flop because it's overpriced and not moving. And even though Halo 3 will boost Xbox 360 sales, it'll be the Nintendo Wii that comes out on top of the sales heap by the end of the year. 

Iraq will continue its descent into chaos, which will cause everyone with a voice to share his or her equally unhelpful opinion. Iraq is beyond hope -- at least as long as Bush is in charge of the country.

Despite all the hoopla about the University's 25-year master plan, nothing will ever come of it. Too many things are going to change in this area to predict such an expansion. Besides, the plan does not take into account the surrounding neighborhood, which still needs more shops and entertainment venues to keep people around campus.

That said, Cullen Boulevard will be shut down between Holman and Wheeler Avenues this year. The road is covered in potholes and isn't exactly vehicle-friendly. It's doubtful it will ever reopen since the kind of repairs needed would be much more expensive than converting it into a pedestrian walkway. Look for the entrances along Cullen Boulevard between Holman and Elgin avenues to be diverted elsewhere in the slightly more distant future as well.

The football team will take a second Conference USA championship and win a bowl game, after a decisive victory over Rice to take the division title.

A resolution to impeach the president and vice president will be swatted down by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, no matter how justified such tactics may be.

Someone will attempt to make a Internet meme out of a movie again, but will fail miserably, both at the meme and at the box office.

MySpace.com finally dies after people grow tired of bad Web design, pedophilia and underage girls flashing the world.

A scandal will shake the Student Government Association, bringing about the downfall of the UH4U party. It's about time for this to happen. As someone who remembers that party's beginnings, it'll be a disappointment. 

The Internet will explode after the summer release of the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series. Watch LiveJournal.com for more details as this story unfolds -- it'll be everywhere. That said, the books end with everyone dying. 

That leaves out the more interesting parts of 2007, which nobody could possibly predict. After all, who would have guessed that 2006's best film would have been a B-movie whose plot and title were the same? 

McCormick, a computer science post-baccalaureate student, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu