News

Addictions class polls student habits

By Joe Backhus
Students in Dr. Sue Ann Osterhout’s Addictions and Society class recently polled other undergrads on campus about how they felt about their drug use.
In this research project, they surveyed only students they did not know, who had reported on the anonymous forms that they used controlled substances. [Read more...]

Cold weather signals need for flu vaccines

By Samantha Smith
It’s that time of year again, frigid temperatures, Christmas music and decor and sadly, flu season is also in full swing.
On Monday the HCC Clinic helped faculty prepare themselves for the ugly virus by offering the influenza vaccine. This year a limited supply of vaccines were also offered for students. [Read more...]

Campus asked if it’s OK to rip down posters

By Erin Stringer
A number of Gay Straight Alliance posters have been ripped from campus bulleting boards since August.
In response, a poll was given to 108 students and faculty members to test their attitudes about this situation. [Read more...]

SkillsUSA students overhaul downtown Red Cross facility

By Jamie Spoonemore

For the past few months, students from SkillsUSA have been helping to renovate the American Red Cross headquarters on Walnut St. Since the Red Cross is a business, students and community members have dedicated eight weekends, since February, working over 600 service hours on this project.

[Read more...]

English instructor pens third poetry book

By Erin Stringer
At a young age, many children are introduced to fun-filled poetry such as Dr. Seuss and other rhyming short stories.
Every now and then, one of these growing minds will latch onto the poetry he or she hears at school and maybe even fall asleep listening to their parents recite more mature poetry to them at bedtime.

Bill Sheldon, an English Instructor at Hutchinson Community College, is one of those few individuals who utilized his resources.
Sheldon has now written his third book of poems, titled “Rain Comes Riding.”

During his elementary years he was well surrounded by poetry, especially because his father was also an English teacher.
Sheldon was a member of a band during high school and wrote lyrics to their songs. He then moved forward to college and really took off with this familiar, but yet always new, part of his life.

His favorite poem during college was titled “Emperor of Ice-Cream” by Wallace Stevens. This poem was not about ice cream at all, but rather death. Sheldon enjoyed the use of strong imagery and decided that he wanted to start writing with his own voice instead of simply reading the works of others.

Sheldon has definitely been influenced by other poets, such as William Stafford, who used to live in Hutchinson, Steven Hind, a former teacher at HCC, William Carlos Williams, and Elizabeth Bishop, to name a few.

Sheldon has even edited a book by Harley Elliott titled “Loading the Stone” and embraced the opportunity to walk along a river with him, looking for Native American flint artifacts, something they both enjoy.

Sheldon takes every unique moment as a learning experience and an inspiration.
He started some of the pieces for “Rain Comes Riding” in 2003 and finished putting the works together in 2009.

He thoroughly enjoys exploring all that nature has to offer.
Besides finding artifacts and animal trails, Sheldon says that,
“It’s just something about the walking itself that helps with the poetry.”
He never makes a set plan of where he is going.

Whether it is an exploration of a river, his life, or a poem, he simply takes whatever comes his way.

Exploiting our planet will result in consequences for all

By Joe Backhus
In today’s world every resource you can get your hands is of value.
It does not matter if it’s a flirty new contact in your phone, an astonishing discovery of black gold in your back yard or you just learned a new word in one of your morning classes — any asset you can acquire is most likely significant to you. [Read more...]

Students, staff donate their blood to help nursing group make campus drive quota

By Kelsey Tarman
On Nov. 10 the Red Cross Blood Drive appeared to be a success. Their goal was 73 pints. At 1 p.m. they had about 49 “good units,” with 7 beds full and 20 or so more donors in line.
The blood drive had many return donors. James Dayvault, Wichita, donated for his first time. He has an allergy to latex, so they had to think up some creative ways to complete his donation. [Read more...]

Being born on 11-11-11 results in unique birthday

By Shirley Schrag
For some newborns, this past Nov. 11 will be a special date. It will always be remembered as their 11-11-11 birthday.

Psychology instructor Dr. Sue Ann Osterhout has a new granddaughter, Ruby, who was born on 11-11-11 in New York City, to her son, Sam, and his wife, Massoumeh.

All are doing well, Osterhout said, adding that the raven-haired newborn looks “just like Sam” at that age. [Read more...]

Retail class volunteers at downtown stores

By Jamie Spoonemore
This semester, 15 students in Kathy Decker’s Principles of Retailing class have gotten first hand experience while serving their community.
In her class, students study the theory of retailing.

One of the things they learn is that real life does not always turn out the way things are taught in class.
Decker decided to join up with the sister stores The Et Cetera Shop and Ten Thousand Villages, in downtown Hutchinson, to provide hands-on experience for them.
Instead of having a lot of homework, students in Principles of Retailing have to spend at least 15 hours working in the retail store, which is counted in their homework grade and most students like that.
“For the students it’s a deeper, richer learning experience because it has this real-life component,” Decker said. [Read more...]

Pixels battle ink in survival of the fittest

By Matt Blake
It may have come as a shock to some community members when, in April, The Hutchinson News started charging for access to their news website.
John Montgomery, editor and publisher of The News, reported that after the company started charging online readers, they experienced a rush of Internet subscriptions, which since has leveled out.
Montgomery said he suspects that the cause of the slow-down of online subscriptions is due to a lack of promotion for the online edition. [Read more...]

Unstable gas prices affect students

The week of July 9, unemployment rate rose, as did gas prices — 20 cents more a gallon.
But by Sept. 25, prices at U.S. gas pumps had dropped an average of 12 cents over the previous two weeks. Despite drops, however, the price is still 85 cents higher than it was a year ago.
By Kelsey Tarman
On Sept. 29, gas prices in Wichita reportedly had dropped about 30 cents compared to the previous month, including 20 cents one week. [Read more...]

Features

Tornado shelters located in campus buildings

By Katelyn Wiens

With tornadoes ripping through the southeastern United States, Kansas may be the next target in nature’s path of destruction.

During storm season, shelters are of the upmost importance. Knowing where they are is equally valuable.

Brandon Leatherburn, Lyons, talked about that as he worked at a computer station in Rimmer Learning Center.

He said he didn’t really know the HCC campus very well and did not know where the shelters were.

At the Learning Center, Leatherburn said, “I would go to the bathroom in the basement,” if tornado sirens were sounding. The basement at Rimmer is also the shelter for the Science Hall.

Kathrine Cota, Nickerson, has several classes in Stringer Fine Arts. [Read more...]

Students enjoy horse class

By Stefanie Snell

Quietly, the horses wait while their riders prepare them for an afternoon of fun and excitement in horsemanship class.

“I have ridden horses ever since I was a child and I like to share my passion with others,” said Karen Baehler, horsemanship and economics instructor at Hutchinson Community College.

Baehler grew up in a rodeo family. She was a high school rodeo champion and a Kansas State University rodeo queen.

Assistant instructor Jim Keever has worked with horses for more than 60 years and has been helping with the class for four years. “The trail ride with the advanced class next week is my favorite part,” Keever said. [Read more...]

Ghana artists coming to HCC campus for art program

By Ember Sipes

Summer plans can be boring, but for Teresa Preston, HCC fine arts instructor, summer plans could not be more exciting.

Beginning July 10, she will be hosting a week long workshop with Mary Carol Hopkins, anthropology professor of Northern Kentucky University, and her expert guests from Ghana, teaching Ashanti traditional artwork.

The workshop is for “anyone who touches the life of children, in other words, teaches to children,” Preston said. [Read more...]

Hamilton leaving HCC

By Kelsey Tarman

After 26 years of service to Hutchinson Community College, Janet Hamilton soon will become the program officer for the Hutchinson Community Foundation.

Her duties will include awarding grants to other organizations.

“I like to learn on the job and do look forward to working with Hutchinson area individuals and organizations from a perspective different than higher education,” Hamilton said.

Even though she is sad to leave many excellent co-workers and faculty, she is “glad to have new opportunities and challenges.”

“I’ve held four different jobs during my 26+ years at HCC and can’t believe I was hired when I didn’t have any education background,” Hamilton said. [Read more...]

‘Tornado vehicle’ draws crowds at Cosmosphere

By Kat Saunders

The truck looked almost like a giant armadillo with wheels as it sat in front of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center on April 11 to promote a new IMAX movie, “Tornado Alley.”

Curious people gathered around several hatches to take a peek inside.

Children excitedly jumped up trying to look in to get a better look.

Along with the Tornado Intercept Vehicle came its driver, Marcus Gutierrez and its navigator and meteorologist, Brandon Ivey.

A few lucky people won rides in the TIV in a contest the Cosmosphere was sponsoring. [Read more...]

Hazel: Innovation runs Siemens

By Ember Sipes

As the last speaker in this semester’s Dillon Lecture Series, Kevin Hazel, vice president of supply chain management for the Americas Region of Siemens Wind Power, described the growing market of wind energy and its effect on Hutchinson, as well as the rest of the world.

Recently Siemens opened a nacelle manufacturing plant here in Hutchinson, providing about 200 jobs for locals.

A video by Siemens, narrated by Hazel, describes a nacelle and its functions as the mobile-home-sized unit that sits at the top of a wind turbine’s tower, housing the generator and the shaft connected to the blades.

It contains a bearing that supports the shaft, which rotates to the speed that the blades create. That goes into a gearbox, which speeds up that rotation, and, in turn, drives the generator. [Read more...]

Kansas National Education Association recognizes HCC student group’s work

By Kelsey Tarman

Several Hutchinson Community College students who intend to become teachers are part of an organization called Kansas National Education Association Student Program.

The weekend of March 25 was the student Representative Assembly in Manhattan, along with “Outreach to Teach,” an event for volunteer work by student KNEA members.

“During the weekend, the state officers are elected, policies are reviewed, awards are handed out, and students do an outreach project at a nearby school,” said speech instructor Rachel L. Santine, the KNEA sponsor for the group. [Read more...]

Campus vending machines fitted with card readers

By Ember Sipes

New vending options are popping up around campus. Some Pepsi vending machines now include a debit and credit card reader on the machine in order to purchase your soda.

Myth: The new card readers on Pepsi vending machines can read your student ID card and allow you to purchase a soda with money in your student account.

Jeanine Keevert, secretary to the dean of finances/operations said, “As far as I know, it’s a myth.” [Read more...]

Cast-iron-smelting event to get fired up at 6 p.m. on April 1

By Stefanie Snell

The general public is invited to attend an outdoor cast-iron-smelting event at 6 p.m. Friday, April 1, in the parking lot at the HCC metal and welding shop at the northeast corner of campus.

Toby Flores, art instructor from Fort Hays State University, will be kicking off the cast iron workshop, where students will be able to create “open cast” art works from glowing, molten cast iron.

Everyone is invited to come and watch the process in action. Participants have been given three different times to get their molds ready for the cast iron.

The molds are blocks of “green sand,” held together by resin, in which the participants carve impressions that are later filled with molten cast iron. [Read more...]

Mars rover at Cosmosphere

By Kat Saunders

A gleaming, full-sized model of the Mars rover “Curiosity” is parked under the legendary SR-71 Blackbird and greets patrons as they enter the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.

The Mini-Cooper-sized Curiosity will be the first of its size to be launched to Mars. Anyone wanting to see the rover up close needs to come to see it during April.

“It’s only here until April 29,” said Meredith Miller, curator at the Cosmosphere. The rover was named by Kansas sixth-grader Cara Ma, from Lenexa, who won the rover-naming contest that was conducted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasedena, Calif. [Read more...]

This year’s newest trend: boyfriend cardigans

By Katelyn Wiens

This spring, the fashion world welcomes several different styles for women.

Spring of course brings bright bold colors and stripes, but this spring white is the biggest trend on the runway. It is a very elegant and modern look.

This spring is welcoming back the ‘70s, with bell-bottoms and clogs.

Clogs go great with skirts and are the perfect match for a pair of bell-bottoms.

These wide leg jeans are a refreshing look from the past three years of skinny jeans, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to throw out the skinny jeans quite yet. [Read more...]

KHCC waits for verdict on slashing of federal funds

By Kat Saunders

As congress decides whether to cut federal funding and grants to public broadcasting stations across the country, local public radio station 90.1 KHCC can only wait and hope for the best.

“There have not yet been budget cuts,” said KHCC general manager Ken Baker. “But it would affect KHCC. “

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives additional assistance to rural stations and KHCC qualifies for the assistance. [Read more...]

NJCAA Tourney changes parking for our HCC students

By Angelica Nathan

Each year during the NJCAA Tournament, parking becomes a little more congested at Hutchinson Community College. This year’s tournament began March 15 and will continue through Saturday, March 19.

Anyone who normally parks at Sports Arena will find out that are blocked off by barricades, with the arena’s parking lots reserved for thousands of fans that are coming to the national tournament and who pay for their parking spots.

Students who would normally park in the Sports Arena parking lot would have to find somewhere else to park during the tournament. [Read more...]

Sports

Sports fans: Paterno unfairly terminated

By Ilich Palacios
From ESPN to CNN, journalists across the United States have had a field day following the Penn State scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno.
Paterno, ex-head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has endured plenty of criticism from people, as well as support from others. [Read more...]

Lady Dragons volleyball season ends in Newman

By Nick McCoy
Although producing an amazing turnaround this season to become title contenders, the Lady Dragons volleyball team’s season came to an end Nov. 6, as the Seward County Saints defeated them in five sets at Newman University, Wichita. [Read more...]

Lady Dragons fight hard, fall in O.T. at district meet

By Ilich Palacios
The Lady Dragons prepared for what was the most important game of the season up to that time.
In the district semi-finals game on Nov. 5, Hutch faced off against Laramie (Wyo.) Community College. [Read more...]

HCC routes Coffeyville, sets up Butler rematch

By Nic Wahl
The Hutchinson Community College football team let little of the drama that permeated last week’s game at Coffeyville make it’s way into its Nov. 6 Region VI semifinal against those same Red Ravens at Gowans Stadium. [Read more...]

HCC runs past Ravens in fourth quarter

By Nic Wahl
Short memories, second chances, some staunch defense and a balanced rushing attack enabled the Hutchinson Community College football team (7-2, 5-1) to turn a fourth quarter deficit into a 42-17 road win over Coffeyville (6-3, 4-2), at Veterans Memorial Stadium October 29.

In a game that would determine home-field advantage for Sunday’s Nov. 6 Region VI semifinal game between these same two teams, it looked like HCC would be making a return trip to Coffeyville for a majority of the chilly October night.

[Read more...]

Volleyball crushes opponents

By Nick McCoy

Bouncing back from a poor showing in the Caribbean Tan Classic, the Hutchinson Blue Dragon Volleyball team successfully defended their home court against Cloud County, sweeping three straight sets for the win on Oct. 5.

Although the Cloud team held leads in each of the games, the Lady Dragons were continuously able to fight back and win with solid defense and offensive runs.

In the second set, the Dragons were trailing 17-12 before pulling out a 13-6 run. Then in the third, the Thunderbirds tied the match at 20-all but were outscored 5-1 as the Hutchinson women sealed the night.

The Hutchinson women continued their winning ways in Pratt on Oct. 10, sweeping to victory for the second week in a row.

[Read more...]

Dragons play baseball — on the gridiron?

By Tyler Hall

The Blue Dragons baseball team currently sits at 32-21 overall and 19-13 in the conference and they are looking at a first round showdown against Coffeyville May 7, in Liberal.

In HCC’s last series against Cloud County the team swept the Thunderbirds and reached a few milestones along the way.

Sophomore Ryan Mayfield saw his 18 game hit-streak come to an end in the Cloud series making him second all-time behind HCC’s Trevor Adams (2008) for longest hit streak ever.

In the Dragon’s third game against Cloud, sophomore pitcher, Andrew Urban took the mound looking to dominate the T-Birds.

Urban threw a complete game, two-hit shutout and tied the all time HCC shut out record with three in a season, a feat that ex-teammate Shawn Lewick reached just one year ago. [Read more...]

Hutch CC golf team doesn’t bogey around at Alvamar, places 3rd overall

By Tyler Hall

HCC, despite shooting their worst round of the Region VI/ District III championship at Alvamar Golf Club, secured their fourth regional crown in the last five years.

Freshman Mike Muller was in a two-hole shootout that he won to win the Region VI individual championship.

He defeated Cole Murrin from Kansas City on the second hole of the playoff and beat Dodge City’s Alex Tiong on the first playoff hole.

He shot well enough to emerge from the day tied for third overall in District III play as well. [Read more...]

Homerun clinches first game, advance in Region VI

By Nicolas Wahl

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

That was the case for Brown Mackie pitcher and national strikeout leader Jenny Garcia April 30 as the Hutchinson Community College Lady Dragons softball team (38-16) beat her and the Lions (17-39) twice in the Saturday double-header.

The victories (3-1, 4-1) gave HCC the 3-game opening round Region VI series win, advancing the Dragons into the second round for the third time in as many years.

Garcia, who started both games for the Lions and went the distance in each, was strong.

She fanned 20 batters on the day and pitched a total of 12 innings, but was matched by Blue Dragon starters Lindsay Vitale and Elise Beguelin. [Read more...]

HCC baseball ready to make deep run in the postseason

By Tyler Hall

HCC bounced back from the sweep they suffered at the hands of Seward as they split their next conference series with a good 30-14 team from Colby on April 22 and 23rd.

Game one, however felt an awful lot like the series against Seward because the Dragons came out and got beat 15-0 in convincing fashion.

HCC came out with a grudge it seemed in the next game as they beat the Trojans 2-0 behind the arm of freshman Matt Meyer, who threw seven and a third with only five hits allowed. [Read more...]

NBA ‘one and done’ rule can be the worst thing for players

By Tyler Hall

Does anyone remember Deandre Jordan? What about Dequan Cook? If you live outside of College Station, Texas, or Columbus, Ohio, you probably don’t. If you live outside of Lawrence, you might not remember Josh Selby in a few years, either.

But you should, and not because of any success he may or may not have as an NBA player.

The NBA’s “one-and-done” rule, forces colleges and, more importantly, players into what often become compromising positions. It does so by requiring NBA players to be both one year out of high school and 19 years old. [Read more...]

Dragons lean on power during win streak

By Nicolas Wahl

It seems that the motto has been “bombs away” for the Hutchinson Community College softball team lately.

The Lady Dragons (33-13, 19-9) have hit eight homeruns over the course of a five game winning streak.

It started with a 4-3 win over Neosho County and has continued through an April 14 double-header against Bethany’s junior varsity squad.

HCC would get the best of the Swedes 10-2 and 7-4 in the two game set.

It took HCC a couple of innings to get started in the opener, and the game was knotted at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning. [Read more...]

Entertainment

By Joseph Griffin
It begins; the night is his span of the work shift. His work calls for quick thinking, rapid reflexes and critical decision-making. The night sky is littered with the glow of the city lights and the weather is calm.
His hands grip the wheel, wrapped in brown leather gloves, wrenching his fists around the controller of his life. He clocks in as he sets his watch, it’s now wrapped around the bar of his steering wheel; it counts down from five minutes.
This describes the opening scene in the movie, DRIVE, a throwback ode to the wonder years of great vintage films such as Bullitt, or Eastwood, De’ Niro films. [Read more...]

Randy Rogers Band a home run for country music

By Elizabeth Poovey

The majority of the music community is familiar with certain genres of music, such as pop, country, rap, hip-hop, and golden oldies.

Anymore though, these genres delve into sub-genres, or more alternative versions of their selves. As a country music lover, I tend to get tired of some of the newer material played on the radio, as it is more reflective of pop than of good old country music.

The red-dirt country music scene is changing the country music industry. The blend of traditional country music with southern rock creates the red-dirt, or Texas country sound that has become a country cult favorite. [Read more...]

Social media pushes student press to evolve

By Joseph Griffin

We all know that the world is constantly changing around us, including the collegiate press. Our technology is continuing to push the way things are done, in our work environment, to new levels.

We must accommodate ourselves to work with these changes the best we can. That’s why you are seeing a few new layouts in The Hutchinson Collegian these last few weeks of spring semester, including the front page.

Students are our focus. They are the majority of our readership. I’ve read our student ran collegian newspaper since my enrollment and have enjoyed the stories featured in its pages. It led me to joining the staff last fall. [Read more...]

‘Rio’ exciting, well worth the trip for a 3D experience

By Ember Sipes

The director, Carolos Saldanha, and the creators of the “Ice Age” trilogy have hatched a new star with the new animated comedy “Rio.”

Blu, a domesticated macaw from a small town in snowy Minnesota, finds himself the last male of his species and travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to meet the last female, Jewel, with his best friend and owner, Linda.

After arriving, Linda and Blu find themselves thrown for a loop when Rio tears them apart. What is even more unfortunate for Blu is that he cannot fly. [Read more...]

‘Sucker Punch,’ a confusing guy movie

By Katelyn Wiens

“Sucker Punch” is the ultimate guy movie. It has about everything a guy would want to see in a movie.

It has action, adventure, and hot girls with weapons, in revealing outfits.

The movie starts off when the main character Babydoll’s mother dies.

When her stepfather finds out that his late wife has left everything to her two daughters, he goes on a rampage with intentions of killing the two girls.

He attacks Babydoll, first locking her in her room, and goes after her sister.

Babydoll escapes through her window. [Read more...]

‘Black Swan’ brings you to the stage, with the dancers

By Joseph Griffin

It’s a battle between good and evil down to the very end.

The Black Swan, released on March 29, stars Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a ballerina, whose dream is to star in a production on the stage, She gets her chance when Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) chooses her to play the Swan Queen, in a re-introduction of Swan Lake.

The path to have her own starring role wasn’t as splendid as she believed it would be. It included ousting Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder), the previous star on the stage, from the starlight.

Innocence is all Nina has ever known, but things must change if she wishes to pull off such a daring role. She is warped into a roller coaster ride an emotionally and physically daunting task of becoming the sexual, illustrious Black Swan that Leroy wants her to be. [Read more...]

Christian rock band Skillet’s successful, newest album edgy, not all soft Gospel

By Kelsey Tarman

Skillet, a semi-hard rock Christian band, had success with its newest album “Awake,” which debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling over 700,000 copies.

“We’re living in hard times right now between the news that seems to get crazier every day and all the uncertainly throughout society in general,” said John Cooper, the lead singer of the group.

“Sometimes it doesn’t seem like there’s hope, and sure you can choose to give up, but why not face it ‘Awake and Alive’? [Read more...]

‘Rango’ a movie for all the kids at heart

By Kat Saunders

Not all animated movies are geared towards children. And Rango is definitely one of those kinds of movies.

Sure, bring the kids, but expect this yarn to be quite entertaining for mom and dad, as well.

It is a ‘story about a chameleon with an identity crisis. And with Johnny Depp’s voice, it is brought to life.

We begin with a mariachi band of owl singing about Rango and his hero ways.

He’s a scrawny lizard when we see him at first dressed up in a Hawaiian shirt touting to a headless Barbie torso, a plastic tree and plastic fish.

He lives in a terrarium.

Rango is reminiscent of the old west stories and has a lot of adult humor in it.

I saw children there and I just didn’t really think it was appropriate for children.

The movie changes scene a lot that I guess is cool if you like something fast paced movies

But it’s definitely a movie worth watching if you like laughing, silly jokes, and a generally good story line.

And there’s a lot of action including some moles flying on bats.

Trying to save a dying town that is something we can all be aware of.

Rango is a hero that one can respect because he does what’s best for the town of Dirt. I give Rango an A- or a B+.

‘The Walking Dead’ an emotional and jaw-dropping experience

By Joseph Griffin

The Walking Dead is a zombie apocalyptic comic book series that started in 2003. Now it’s a TV show.

“The thing about smart mother fu—-s is that sometimes, they sound like crazy mother fu—-s to stupid mother fu—-s…,” said Robert Kirkman, the creator of ‘The Walking Dead.’

Recently it caught the attention of America, portraying itself as a gorgeous tribute to a modern envisioning of a George A. Romero film-turned-episodic-series on the AMC TV channel.

The series focuses on Rick Grimes, a family man with a wife and young son; he also is the sheriff of a small southern town. [Read more...]

‘Red Riding Hood’ a new spin to a classic

By Kelsey Tarman

I’ve heard mixed opinions on this fairy tale brought to life — but I for one, loved it.

For one, there are hot guys, and sometimes that’s all you need.

It’s kind of, more or less, like Twilight: there are two guys going after one girl; the girl only liking one of the guys. [Read more...]

Underground dance craze portrays intimacy in music

By Joseph Griffin

It is music that can literally rip apart your mood and let it run free into your mind and only come back once the beat drops.

Electronica, dance, trance, and club music have done these things for almost 20 years. A new craze for the next generation of extravagant listeners is Dubstep.

With main origins dating back to the late 1990s, it’s a fairly new genre.

Described as tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals, Dubstep brings a whole entire new level to the term of electronic dance music.

The music continually plays with your mind, throwing it from side to side like a wave in a monstrous ocean storm, only letting up for a moment when “the drop” comes in to play. [Read more...]

Hendrix sound gritty, soulful, on new tracks

By Kat Sanders

I believe James Marshall Hendrix better known as ‘Jimi Hendrix’ is still alive. All around us he lives through his music and he even puts out posthumous albums 40 years after his death. The newest of these albums to grace his list of amazing music is ‘Valleys of Neptune.’

He’s almost caught up with Tupac with the amount of after death album releases.

Released in March 2010, it features stuff that has never been heard before. 12 unreleased songs including a Hendrix infused version of the Cream song ‘Sunshine of Your Love.’ It steers clear of old school favorites like ‘Purple Haze.’

I’ve never really been interested in albums that come out after an artist dies but for Hendrix, I’ll give it a listen. It was mixed by the CEO of the Hendrix estate his sister Janie Hendrix, and Eddie Kramer, his engineer.

My favorite song off the album is ‘Red House’ I love the gritty sound and pain that just comes from his soul. He’s always had the ability to tell a story with his guitar.

The other song that caught my attention was ‘Hear My Train a’ Comin.’ For an acoustic track it’s killer. I suggest if you are a Hendrix fan or just love good music you go to Hastings or iTunes and pick it up today. How often does something like this happen? [Read more...]

‘Roommate’ is a strange voyage

By Katelyn Wiens

The Roommate did not meet my exceptions of what I thought it could have been. The previews made it seem like it was going to be a psychological thriller — which made me think that I was going to be on the edge of my seat the whole time. But I wasn’t.

The film starts with Sara (Minka Kelly) going off to college when she gets to her room she notices that her roommate hasn’t arrived yet. Later she meets two girls: Tracy (Alyson Michalka) and Tracy’s roommate, who invite her to a frat party.

That is where they meet Stephen (Cam Geigandet) who soon becomes Sara’s romantic interest. When Sara returns to her room she meets her roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester) for the first time.

She seems nice at first but she soon becomes more and more obsessed and slowly tries to become a replacement for Sara’s dead sister Emily — in the mean time attempting to kill off who ever gets in her way. Tracy tries to warn Sara about Rebecca, but Sara doesn’t believe her.

Rebecca then reveals her true nature when she attacks Tracy in the shower, ripping out her navel ring, telling her that she was a bad influence on Sara, and threatening to kill her if she tells anyone.

Totally scared, Tracy stays far away from Sara, especially when Rebecca is around. In the end this of course pushes Sara away — and Rebecca’s worst fear comes true. Sara tells her they are not friends anymore, and then things get really bad.

Sounds entertaining, right? Well it’s not.

It really didn’t keep my attention, and at the end I sat there wondering to myself, “Is it really over? Did I really just spend money to come see this, and make a bunch of my friends come see it with me?”

I would not recommend this movie; especially if you are going to pay $7 to go see it. If you do want to see this for yourself, I suggest that you wait until it comes out on DVD and Redbox it.

Bands rock, collect for food bank

By Jacob Ridley

It’s Friday night. The work or school week is over. What to do tonight? Well, some people have discovered the local venues around town.

One venue that seems to be on a prominent rise is the local bands scene. For the people that miss out on the big mainstream concerts, they can go to the local establishments and get the experience of the music in a less crowded environment.

Places like McGraws and the R-Bar have more concert and band nights booked then in the past. [Read more...]

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