How do u make a beam of light?

Try making a low-radius cylinder that stretches as far as it needs to go. Make it a semi-solid and all sides translucent. Rebuild and it should be fine.

As for the flame, you need to make a new animated texture. Read this for a starter... http://www.unrealed.net/edtutes/adv/advwater/

It's not exactly the fire tutorial (since they don't have one) but it's close enough and gives you the right idea. Afterwards you just need to change palette by rightclicking the flame=>Edit=>Textures=>Palette and choosing the proper palette in the palette.utx file. You could theoretically just copy and paste the genfire.utx file and use that as a base instead.

...or you can use a lightbox:
classes: decorations->ut_decoration->lightbox.

I remember reading a thread about sizing lightboxes - is it possible to scale in just the X axis?

Can only do an all axes scale. You'ld be better off making a cube that fits the light/window better and making it a non-solid and using the a light fading texture in the FractalFX.utx package.

you get to make an unreal level for a science projecT??? no fair

Ah thats where there's a fading light texture!
Looking for one for ages! Ta!