The
S TUDENT P RINTZ
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A EAGLEPALOOZ
www.studentprintz.com
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
Volume 95 Issue 26
Eagles overcome Sunday morning, Nov. 14, Hattiesburg awoke to news that three USM football players had been shot during the night at a local club. Martez Smith, Deddrick Jones and Tim Green were hospitalized after the incident. Family, friends and fans anxiously waited through the week for word on their conditions. The Eagles saw victory Saturday in their 59-41 win over the Cougars – and in the recovery of the injured players, two of whom even attended to support his teammates. Smith watched from the sidelines and Jones from Coach Fedora’s office.
See page 8
REVIEW:
ER HARRY POTT
See page 6
T/ TAYLOR SWIF
T KANYE WES
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Quarterback Austin Davis, top, celebrates a touchdown with Lamar Holmes during USM’s game against Houston Saturday. Davis had four touchdowns during the game and threw 24-of-31 for 293 yards.
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Senior Martez Smith cries after his teammates began shouting their support during Senior Day at The Rock. Smith was paralyzed from the waist down after a shooting at the Remington Hunt Club Sunday.
Suspect in shooting arrested See page 7 Tuesday
82/59 Wednesday
83/59 Thursday
84/45 INDEX
Calendar ...................... 2 Games .......................... 2 News.............................. 3 Feature.......................... 4 Opinion .......................... 5 Arts & Entertainment ..... 6 Special...........................8
Printz Staff Hattiesburg Police have arrested the alleged shooter of three USM football players. Suspected gunman Travis Brown, 29, was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force Friday night on Broad Street in Hattiesburg. A gun was also recovered. According to a university announcement, Brown made his first court appearance Monday where his bond was set at $3 million. Bond was set at $1 million for each of three counts of aggravated assault. Brown faces three counts of aggravated assault, with each charge carrying a maximum 20year sentence. The news was announced to a crowd of USM fans in downtown Hattiesburg at this year’s Eaglepalooza event. “The S.O.B. that shot our
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Travis Brown is escorted into the Forrest County Jail by Hattiesburg Police after he was arrested Friday. He will be charged with three counts of aggravated assault for allegedly shooting three USM football players Sunday morning.
guys was arrested a while ago,” the announcer told the crowd shortly after the news broke.
“So now we can celebrate.” The crowd erupted into wild cheering at the news.
The news came less than one week after USM football players Martez Smith, Tim Green, and Deddrick Jones were allegedly shot by Brown outside Remington’s Hunt Club in Hattiesburg. The shooting took place Sunday. A medical representative has upgraded the status of Martez Smith and Tim Green to “good” condition. Supporters were making a video of the events at Eaglepalooza for the wounded players. Former SGA President J.R. Robinson asked the crowd to say, “We love you,” as he recorded a video for them. Three other suspects were arrested over the past week in connection to the shooting. Van Allen Meyers, 23, is charged with accessory before the fact of aggravated assault. Patricia Brown, 49, and Cleothus Wilkerson, 25, were charged with accessory after the fact.
Calendar
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The
Student Printz Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Mark Your Planner 23 24 25 26 27 Thanksgiving day
No classes meet
Executive Editor Samantha Schott
All day The Pride in Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade New York, NY
samantha.schott@eagles.usm.edu
Managing Editor Meryl Dakin
No classes meet
7:00 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Spring Hill Hattiesburg, Miss.
meryl.dakin@eagles.usm.edu
Art Director Bryant Hawkins
john.hawkins@eagles.usm.edu
Chief Designer Christopher Bostick
christopher.bostick@eagles.usm.ed
Web Editor Ashton Pittman
ashton.pittman@eagles.usm.edu
Webmaster Chris Greene
chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu
News Content Advisor Chuck Cook chuck.cook@usm.edu
Writers Jonathan Andrews Earvin Hopkins Stormy Speaks Cade Morrow Hannah Jones Mary Margaret Halford Michelle Holowach Deonica Davis Sarah Rogers Sabrina Brown Photographers Jordan Moore Myesha Arrington Dusty Mercier Freddie Lance Newman Jay Van Orsdol
Level: 1
2
3
4
Designers Lisa Gurley Taylor Fesenmeier
www.studentprintz.com The Student Printz is published every Tuesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. Signature Offset of Hattiesburg provides printing services. Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publications manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications. Executive Editor 601.266.6431 News Content Advisor 601.266.4288 Advertising Manager 601.266.5188 Advertising e-mail printzad@usm.edu
Five things you probably didn’t know: SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
12/19/10
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit
www.sudoku.org.uk © 2010 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
• In the US, Americans eat about 18 acres of pizza a day. • Eighty percent of all pictures on the internet are of naked women. • Goldfish can be trained to memorize mazes for up to one month, and can be trained to press levers for food, even at a specific time of day. • The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day for plumbers in the US. • The world record for time without sleep is 264 hours (11 days) by Randy Gardner in 1965.
News
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Page 3
Football
Eagles thankful for health, victory Samantha Schott Executive Editor
The Golden Eagles have much to be thankful for this week – their win against Houston Saturday and the progress of Deddrick Jones, Tim Green and Martez Smith, who were injured at the Hunt Club Nov. 14. Coach Larry Fedora said the players on the field impressed him Saturday. “Their whole approach to the game, going into the game – I knew what they had inside of them, and I knew they wanted to play their best game,” he said at a press conference Monday. “But saying that, wanting to do it and then actually going out and doing it is two different things. Just to see them, to accomplish the goal that they wanted to accomplish as a team in honor of those three players, was very impressive.” Fedora said Jones has been released from the hospital and that the team is relieved to hear that the players are going to be okay. “We can all learn some lessons from the way these guys have handled the situation,” Fedora said. “Especially Martez and the situation he’s in and the attitude he has and the way he approaches each and every day. It’s pretty amazing.” Smith was at the game Saturday,
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Southern Miss running back Kendrick Hardy slides past Houston linebacker Sammy Brown during their game at M.M. Roberts Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles soared to a 59-41 victory.
and Fedora said Smith’s visit was a surprise to the team. “It was an emotional experience,” said quarterback Austin
Davis after the game. “I love Martez to death and that is exactly what he is – the emotional leader of our defense. He is a guy who
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis winds back for a throw during Saturday’s game against Houston. Davis was 24-of-31 for 293 yards during Southern’s 59-41 win against Houston.
Southern Miss Box Score
Football vs. Tulsa Day: Friday Date: Location: Time:
Nov. 26, 2010 Tulsa, Okla. 5:30 p.m. CT
Football:
11/20 vs. Houston W, 59-41
M. Basketball:
C-USA Standings
Tulsa’s last 5 games
10/16 vs. Tulane 10/30 at Notre Dame 11/06 vs. Rice 11/13 at Houston 11/20 vs. UTEP
W, 52-24 W, 28-27 W, 64-27 W, 28-25 W, 31-28
East Division W - L West Division W - L #25 UCF East Carolina Southern Miss Marshall UAB Memphis
6-1 5-2 5-2 3-4 3-4 0-7
SMU Tulsa Houston UTEP Tulane Rice
5-2 5-2 4-4 3-5 2-5 2-5
11/22 vs. McNesse State W, 75-60
W. Basketball:
11/21 vs. New Orleans W, 85-37
Volleyball:
11/21 Marshall L, 3-0
took a 180 (degree turn) when he got here and turned his life around. He ended up being a phenomenal person and a phenomenal player for us since he has been here. That was very emotional to see him that way, and we hope that we gave him something to smile about tonight.” Davis was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week Monday. Fedora said of Davis, “He set his mind to play the best game of the year and he did that the week before as well.” Cordarro Law, who wore Number 91 Saturday in honor of Jones, echoed Davis’ comments. “It was emotional,” Law said. “He and Tim (Green) are my roommates. It was a long week at the house for me. He told me that nothing was going to stop him from coming to the game tonight. They didn’t want to let him come, but he is strong and he wanted to come for the team.” Law said, too, that the deci-
sion to wear Jones’ number was a tough one. “I thought hard about it, wearing the jersey,” he said after the game. “I finally decided that I was going to wear it. I talked to D.J. about it, and he was all for it. He just told me to wear it and play my best.” Fedora said he hopes to see the same energy in his team when they take on Tulsa this week. “I still hope we play with passion and enthusiasm,” he said. “That’s what it’s going to take. Tulsa’s a really good team and they’re really playing well right now.” Tulsa is currently ranked No. 7 in total offense in the NCAA. “Nobody’s really shut them down,” Fedora said, referring to the team’s recent wins. “They’re doing a great job on offense. Again you see flashes of some really good things happening defensively.” The Golden Eagles will eat a Thanksgiving meal together Wednesday before flying to Oklahoma Thursday.
Southern Miss Sports: Upcoming Games Friday at 5:00 p.m. Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Louisiana-Lafayett Women’s Basketball Championship Game Reed Green Coliseum Orlando, Fla. Friday at 5:30 p.m. Football at Tulsa Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday 7:00 p.m. Volleyball at Tulane New Orleans, La.
Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Women’s Basketball Consolation Game Reed Green Coliseum
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Spring Hill Reed Green Coliseum
Feature
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The Student Printz Religious Directory Please call if you would like to add your church. 601-266-5188 or email us at printzad@usm.edu
712 N. Main Street 601-582-5557 www.mstreetumc.org Sundays
8:30 & 11 AM Traditional Worship in Sanctuary 9:00 AM Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall 10:00 AM Sunday School
Hattiesburg Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
A safe, welcoming atmosphere for spiritual exploration.
Services are held each Sunday at 11:00 am in Hattiesburg Area Garden Center at 209 N. Hutchinson Ave, Just south of Hattiesburg High School www.huuf.us (find us on facebook) 601-543- 0400
Trinity Episcopal Church
509 West Pine St.
Sundays 8 & 10:30 a.m. Sunday Classes all ages at 9:15 a.m www.trinityhattiesburg.org
601- 544-5551
Wednesdays Eucharist & Healing Service 9:30 a.m. find us on facebook
The Pride will appear on TV in the Macy’s Parade Thursday at 9:26 a.m. Central Standard Time.
national
Buyer beware: Black Friday is near Hannah Jones Printz Writer
Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving, when Americans transform from sensible shoppers into crazed vultures, snatching, shoving, and checking off their Christmas hit-lists, one victim at a time – is upon us. Officially marking the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, Black Friday usually leaves miles of traffic jams, a sea of crowded malls, and customermobbed stores in its war path. Some USM students opened up to The Printz and recalled their horror stories with the infamous shopping holiday. Senior Ben Smith encountered a particularly violent Black Friday when he worked at Best Buy. “I had to break up a fight between two women over a Wii,” Smith said. “One of them ended
Bible Studies--Sunday Worship Wednesday Supper---Coffee House Missions & Service Opportunities 3200 W. Arlington Loop Become a fan of (2 blocks south of Hardy St. University Baptist and USM) Church Hattiesburg 601-264-6908 on Facebook www.ubchm.org
Christian Science Services Sunday 10:30 a.m. 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.
702 N. 30th Ave. (Near 7th Street) 601-264-1105
“Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” ~Mary Baker Eddy
up with a bloody lip; neither of them ended up with the Wii. Needless to say, I stay away from shopping on Black Friday.” Former Walmart employee sophomore Fred Smith also endured a ruthless customer. “The year before last, I had to go to a meeting with the entire Walmart store,” Smith said. “That morning I was a cashier, and this man got upset with me because the total was more than he expected to pay. He almost spat in my face. I was terrified; it was the worst work day ever.” However, the horror stories don’t stop at Walmart and Best Buy. Sophomore Samantha Briggs witnessed a battle over an Elmo doll in a Jackson Target two years ago. “When I was in Target, I saw a girl grab a giant Elmo doll from one of the displays,” Briggs said. “It was obviously hard for her to carry, but then this older lady came out of a group of people in the toy section, saw it and literally took it
out of her hands. The kid sat on the ground and cried... cried. It was crazy. I never thought things like that actually happened.” Though one could fill a book with all of the horrors that Black Friday brings, some shoppers just can’t stay away. Sophomore Kristen Twele loves the thrill of the hunt despite the rude shoppers she encounters along the way. “I actually enjoy Black Friday a lot,” Twele said. “I haven’t had any near-death experiences or seen someone lose a limb. The only thing that sucks is waiting in the long, long lines and having to deal with the rude, pushy people. I understand that we are all there for a reason, but being mean and hateful isn’t going to get us out of there any faster.” So whether one chooses to battle the masses on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, or take the safe route and buy online, buyer beware – Black Friday is near.
on campus
USM sings for wishes Chi Omega sorority will host its 59th annual Songfest on Monday, Nov. 29. The Make-A-Wish Foundation will benefit from the proceeds raised. Stormy Speaks Printz Writer
University Baptist Church
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
On Monday, Nov. 29, Chi Omega will present its 59th annual Songfest, a Christmastime choral competition among Greek Life organizations of Southern Miss that benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Chi Omega’s primary philanthropy, provides opportunities for children with life-threatening illnesses to do something they have always wanted to do, such as go to Disney World or meet celebrities they admire. Ali Blackledge, director of Songfest, was a Make-A-Wish child herself. When she was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of seven, her wish of going snow skiing in Colorado was granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “I understand the impact the Make-A-Wish Foundation can have on a family,” Blackledge said. “Being able to be the director of this event and being able to give back to the
community in this way is an honor.” This year, nearly twenty sororities and fraternities, as well as the sign language choir A Show of Hands, will participate in Songfest. The groups are each allotted five minutes to perform Christmas songs of their choice, whether classical tunes or modern renditions with lyrics pertaining to the singing group’s organization or to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Three judges determine winners for Best Fraternity, Best Sorority, and Best Overall; and a guest judge, a child from the Make-AWish Foundation whose wish is granted using proceeds from Songfest, chooses their favorite group, which Blackledge believes is the most valuable prize. “My favorite thing about Songfest is actually after Songfest, when we are able to meet the Make-AWish children that we sponsor,” said KJ Lockley, community service director of Chi Omega. “To see their faces and hear their stories and know that our hard work made
that happen is truly inspiring.” Although there is no charge for admission, donations are encouraged, and raffle tickets for prizes such as a weekend golf getaway and goodie baskets will also be sold. All proceeds from Songfest benefit Make-A-Wish children from the Pine Belt area. “As a Chi Omega, Songfest means tradition for almost 60 years,” said Meaghan Clark, an alto choir member for Chi Omega. “Everything, from the red dresses that we wear to the vast participation of the Greek community, makes this production a success for the benefit of the MakeA-Wish foundation. “Not only does Songfest benefit a great cause, but it is also an excellent way to kick off the Christmas spirit for the university and Hattiesburg communities.” Chi Omega’s 59th annual Songfest begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at Reed Green Coliseum. This event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.
Opinion
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
letters to the editor
As We See It
The Student Printz’s Editorial Board
Ten reasons to give thanks 1.
Thanks to Seymour, for crowd-surfing up the bleachers at Saturday’s game.
2. Thanks to Matt Schenck and
Tyrone Adams, cymbals players in The Pride, for their moment of epicness Saturday in defending USM’s honor against the Houston players who practiced on the field during the halftime show.
3. Thanks to those of you who
don’t wear Ugg boots, for being fashion-conscious.
4.
Thanks to those of you who watch us work via the Fish Cam at www.studentprintz.com.
5.
Thanks to J.K. Rowling and her brilliant imagination, for Harry, Hogwarts and the rest.
Page 5
6.
Thanks to USM’s friendly Starbucks employees.
7. Thanks to the lead singer of We the Kings, for bringing Carrot Top back into our waking lives.
8. Thanks to the Hattiesburg Police, for catching the shooter. 9. Thanks for buying ads. 10. Thanks for reading.
‘Utter disrespect’ Timothy Wise is a freshman music education major from Long Beach, Miss.
I sent this email to every football coach at The University of Houston as well as their university’s president. I also sent this to our football coaches, band directors and of course Dr. Saunders. I have received several apology emails since then. To Whom it May Concern: I am a student at The University of Southern Mississippi and was in attendance at Saturday night’s game at USM. I am sending this mass
email to hopefully bring awareness to a very serious matter on the hearts of many USM students. The disrespect that was shown towards The University of Southern Mississippi’s marching band, The Pride of Mississippi, by the University of Houston’s Cougars did not go unnoticed. It was unnecessary and completely uncalled for those kickers to walk onto the field during the Pride’s half time show and just begin practicing. It was utter disrespect and has stirred up much controversy amongst many of our students here at Southern Miss. It also deeply bothers me to see that there was no disciplinary action taken against these players. As members of an elite group who are trained with discipline, they should be held to a higher standard, but they obviously proved that belief wrong Saturday evening. To think that the Cougar’s football players try and earn respect for them, yet they don’t deserve it. I was appalled by what happened and expect that this matter will be taken care of. The most ironic part of this entire scenario is that The University of Houston was one of my top choices to attend college at. I now see that I made the right choice by choosing Southern Miss instead. I expect and hope that this occurrence will not be taken lightly and expect many overdue apologies to be made to the Southern Miss football team, marching band and the entire campus as a whole. Thank you for your time in this matter. I expect I will receive some more apology emails in the near future.
Raise is unfair
Justin Defee is a graduate student in counseling psychology from Livingston, Texas. Giannini is blatant hypocrite. All we students have heard is how imperative the fees we pay are to the success of the athletic department and how difficult it is to secure more outside funding. Now Fedora gets a big raise, but Giannini says, “Sixty-five percent of athletics revenue is self-generated and no state funds are being used for coaches salaries.” If it’s that easy to secure another $35,000 to bring Fedora’s total salary to $685,000, maybe he should start kissing more private donors’ asses to help offset the athletic fees students pay who are actually here to get a degree. Don’t tell us to pay up, when people are getting fired and then act all high and mighty about how the athletic department’s self-generated funds are covering Fedora’s raise.
Arts & Entertainment
Page 6
LOCAL
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Potter eclipses other films this year Ashton Pittman Printz Writer
The first six Harry Potter films were consistently good films, but the latest installment in the franchise breaks that pattern. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” isn’t a good film; it’s a stellar piece of cinema that stands as one of the best fantasy films in years. Easily the darkest of the Harry
Potter films, the movie is bookended by the deaths of beloved characters, but they are not the only casualties of wizard war. Gone are the whimsical frivolities of earlier entries, in which the warm embrace of the walls of Hogwarts subdued even the most melancholy of plots. In fact, the grand castle does not even make an appearance. The trio, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), skip out
on their final year as students at Hogwarts in order to continue the task that was given to them by Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” The trio leaves their families behind and set out on a quest to find and destroy Horcruxes, evil magical objects in which the fragmented parts of the soul of Lord Voldemort are hidden. Only by destroying the Horcruxes can Harry hope to destroy Voldemort,
Warner Brothers
who is unleashing a reign of terror upon the country. The Ministry of Magic, which governs the magical world, has been infiltrated by Voldemort’s followers. After overthrowing the Ministry, they institute a brutal regime that mixes Orwellian measures with Nazi-like means. The main purpose of the Ministry, under Voldemort’s invisible command, is to find and exterminate “mudbloods” – wizards and witches who are born to nonmagical parents. In some ways, “Hallows: Part 1” resembles a World War II drama. Unlike Hermione, Harry and Ron are not “muggle-born” (the nice word for “mudblood”). But their opposition to Voldemort’s holocaust earns them the status of “blood traitors,” marking them for death. Throughout the film, the friends are refugees on the run, hiding in the wilderness lest they become the latest victims of a government bent on ethnic cleansing. “Hallows: Part 1” is filled with action for sure, and oftentimes the action even verges on horror. But the real triumph of this film is that it interweaves intense action sequences with intimate charac-
ter moments in which the three heroes emerge as real people. Finally, we have a Potter film where people drive the plot, instead of being pawns to it. That quality sets this film apart from other fantasy oriented films this year, like “Eclipse,” the latest entry in “The Twilight Saga.” While romance is an element present in both films, there exists a clear difference. “Eclipse” continued the story of three wooden characters who act as subservient byproducts to a gothic love story. But for the characters in the latest “Potter,” romance is simply an offshoot of years of growing, maturing and coming of age. All in all, there is very little to complain about when it comes to the first part of Harry’s grand finale. Aside from the film’s excellent characterizations and storytelling, its musical score by newcomer Alexandre Desplat is the best score for a “Potter” film since the third movie. The biggest complaint may be that the cliffhanger ending leaves us begging for the rest of the story – but is that really a bad thing? Accio July!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Arts & Entertainment
Page 7
review
Taylor Swift connects to listeners Samantha Schott Executive Editor Taylor Swift’s latest album, Speak Now, is full of tactful fingerpointing – at John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Kanye West. But more fascinating than her allusions to these celebrities is her honest, poetic storytelling and her ability to relate perfectly to her listeners. Swift makes her listeners feel like they’re not alone in the world. Her album offers comfort, security, motivation – the things listeners seek when they listen to music. The singer-songwriter beautifully narrates experiences familiar to many, from the first night alone in a new apartment to a nervous encounter with an ex to introducing Dad to a guy with a tattoo. Her music says it’s okay to feel lonely, hurt, scared. Not only that, it’s okay to be proud. In “Long Live,” Track 14, the most memorable track on the album, she tells an insightful, humble tale of her journey to and through fame, remembering what
it was like to be on the sidelines, “waiting for right now.” Swift’s honesty – about her desire to be remembered, her awareness that fame won’t last, and the little reminders to herself to cherish the moment – allow listeners a way to relate to the song, rather than see it as a boastful review of her life, which is surely cooler than she makes it sound. She skillfully manages to talk about fame in a manner more glamorous than Fergie did; Swift makes you happy for her and for her band mates, who play a big role in the song. In “Never Grow Up,” Track 8, Swift’s voice and her lyrics ironically reflect a newfound maturity, while she poignantly tells listeners to never grow up. In this track she sadly remembers asking her mom to drop her off at the movies from around the block, so her friends don’t see. She admits that she regrets asking her
mom to do this; she tells listeners to instead r e -
member that Mom’s growing older, too. This track powerfully illustrates vulnerability, ending with an image of Swift on her first night alone in her new apartment in a big city, falling asleep with a nightlight. In another song, Swift reflects on growing up from a different perspective. Track 11, called “Innocent,” does not immediately strike listeners as a response to Kanye West. In this slow track Swift encourages West to start anew, despite Swift’s claim that she does nothing “Better Than Revenge” (Track 10). But here she sympathizes with her wrongdoer; we’ve all messed up, she says. Swift is either trying to kill Kanye with k i nd ne ss , or she feels bad
for the 32-year-old, who she says is still an innocent. Or, perhaps by calling him innocent, she is sneakily calling his behavior childish. This track leaves room for interpretation, but whatever her motive, this track allows her creativity to shine. “Wasn’t it easier in your lunchbox days,” she asks West, coining a better phrase for “childhood.” “Wasn’t it beautiful when you believed in everything, and everybody believed in you,” she asks. Whatever her motive, Swift certainly sounds smart and grown-up in this number, an interesting contrast from “Never Grow Up.” Swift is all over the map in this album – showing confidence and vulnerability, seeking revenge and seeking closure, being a child and growing up– but she covers this territory flawlessly. Despite the album’s recurring theme about Swift’s reluctance to grow up, growing up suits her and her songwriting quite nicely.
review
Kanye West’s beautiful, dark, twisted CD Bryant Hawkins Art Director I was going to review Kanye West’s Power until I logged onto Pitchfork Media and saw the elitist music magazine had given West’s new release My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a perfect 10.0. Pitchfork doesn’t give anyone a 10.0. Even the golden boy of indie music, Sufjan Stevens, only got a 9.2 with Illinois. I watched Kanye’s 35-minu t e sup ervideo Ru n aw ay when it was released in October and actually enjoyed it. The film feels like it is the offspring of Kanye’s brain and a 1960s French art house movie. It intrigued me. To be clear, I’ve always liked West. I complained about the heavy-handed use of autotune in 808s and Heartbreak, but I still listened to it. The one thing
that has always bothered me, however, is how one-dimensional his work has been. Fantasy, however, blast that problem into Neverland. After his highly publicized confrontation with Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye disappeared from the public eye for a time and retreated to the studio. After months of i nt ro sp e c tion he reappeared on Twitter, where he tweeted in a
stream of conscious barrage explaining his thoughts and defending his actions. In his own words from the song Power, “I just needed time alone with my own thoughts /Got treasures in my mind but I couldn’t open up my own vault /My childlike creativity, purity and honesty /Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts.” The exile apparently paid off. Fantasy emerges as a highly self-conscious work, sometimes dark, sometimes joking, always self-aware. West deals with social problems in songs like Power and Who Will Survive in America, and personal
problems in songs like Runaway and Lost in the World. He consistently references his problems maintaining relationships throughout the album, exclaiming in Runaway, “I don’t know what it is with females.” The music production is a new high for West. He garners help from producers like RZA, No ID, and Mike Dean. He also brings in a slew of guest performances ranging from Jay-Z to surprising choices like folk rocker Bon Iver and Elton John. No song is like the one before. All the Lights feels like an anthem while the following song Monster (featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Bon
Iver) is highly experimental with its sampling and straightforward hip-hop vocals. The thing I like most about Kanye West is that he is consistently trying new things. They don’t always work. Often I find the result boring, unlistenable, or, in the case of Fantasy, highly inventive and enjoyable. Hopefully the album’s success won’t go to his head. Let’s be honest. It’s probably way too late for that.
Special
Page 8
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
local
We the Kings offer rock, not myrrh Mary Margaret Halford Printz Writer Friday night, Eaglepalooza 2010 took place in downtown Hattiesburg, and according to the directors, it was a great success. Approximately 4,000 people attended, said sophomore Katherine Miller, a director of the event. “People I don’t even know have approached me and said thank you,” Miller said. “It’s been the greatest feeling ever.” This year the headliner for Eaglepalooza was We the Kings. Senior Liz Pax was a fan of the band before Eaglepalooza but now feels more strongly about them. “They know how to put on a great show,” Pax said. “The song selection was a fun mixture. It was just an overall high-energy, crowd-involved show.” Pax had the chance to meet the band after the show, and she commented on how down-to-earth and interactive they were. “They could have easily scampered back to their tour bus and driven off, but they really don’t act like they’re famous at all,” Pax said. “They know that their fans gave them their fame, and so they have no problem saying thank you to them by signing autographs and taking pictures.” Junior Alyson Haulsee, another Eaglepalooza director, was thrilled with the event and the team that put it together. Haulsee has also received much positive feedback from people in attendance, though she realizes that not everyone can be pleased. “The people standing in the front were having a ball,” Haulsee said. “I made a few trips to the back, and of course some people weren’t too thrilled with our headliner, but they were still there supporting Eaglepalooza.” Haulsee commented on the variety of music that was presented at the show. “We wanted everyone to have a genre they could enjoy, and I wholeheartedly believe we were able to accomplish that,” she said. The directors also mentioned that the event went by smoothly. There were minor setbacks such as a missed flight and running out of ice in the Coke trailer, but everything came together nicely. Now that Eaglepalooza 2010 has passed, the directors are looking forward to next year to see how it grows and changes. Miller said, “I hope that Eaglepalooza grows every year, because the bigger it gets, the more sponsors we get, which means more money and bigger bands.”
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Powerpop rock group We the Kings performs for Eaglepalooza in downtown Hattiesburg Friday. Opening bands for the event included Hattiesburg locals Matthew Funches, Banner Fair, Lindsey Lee, and Memphis-based band Speakerboxx.
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